Chapter 6: Two Continents

Seeing this spectacle, the Goddess of Space slumped slightly, all hope draining from her.

The fate of the other world, she decided with a sigh that could probably extinguish a small star, was sealed. It was doomed.

She could already foresee the chaos, the destruction, the utter pandemonium that Luca’s presence would unleash.

He wasn’t a savior. He was a walking, talking, regenerating, and apparently, incredibly enthusiastic disaster.

Luca, seemingly oblivious to the Goddess of Space’s growing despair and the sheer absurdity of his own appearance, bounced over to her, his enthusiasm undiminished.

“So…” He said, beaming at her with a grin that was somehow both charming and terrifying. “When do I get to go to this other world? Is there a shuttle? A magic carpet? Can you just zap me over there?”

“I’m ready! Let’s go! I can’t wait to see what it’s like!”

The Goddess of Space stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

How could he be so casual, so completely lacking in any semblance of fear or reverence, when speaking to a goddess?

It was as if he was chatting with a friend about weekend plans, not addressing a being of immense cosmic power.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the bewilderment that threatened to overwhelm her.

She had to maintain her composure, her divine image.

Taking a deep breath, she adopted a serene expression and tone.

“I will send you soon, chosen one.” She said calmly, her voice echoing with celestial power. “But first, I must explain everything. I must tell you why you have been chosen for this mission.”

She expected him to at least feign some interest, some acknowledgement of the gravity of the situation.

But Luca, it seemed, had other plans.

“Nah, too long.” He said, waving his hand dismissively. “I’m too excited to hear a seminar right now. New world! Adventure! Can’t wait!”

“Besides…” He added with a wink. “…you’re not my teacher or anything. If I wanted to hear a lecture I would’ve gone to school.”

Hearing this, the Goddess of Space’s carefully constructed serenity cracked slightly. She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the irritation that was bubbling up inside her.

“You will listen to me, chosen one.” She said, her voice a little sharper this time. “This is important. I will be brief, but you must understand the situation before you go.”

But Luca, once again with the nonchalance of a man ordering a cup of coffee, brushed off her attempt at authority.

“No, I think I’m alright.” He said, waving a dismissive hand. “Too much exposition. I’m all about action, you know? Learning by doing.”

“And if it’s really that important, you can just…I don’t know…send me a memo? Or something? You’re a goddess, you can figure it out.”

He grinned, oblivious to the thunderclouds gathering on the Goddess of Space’s face.

“Just point me in the right direction, and I’ll take it from there. You can be my…cosmic assistant. Keep me updated on the latest news and stuff. It’ll be fun!”

That did it…The Goddess of Space’s composure shattered completely. She couldn’t hold back her anger any longer.

She erupted, her voice booming through the celestial realm like a thunderclap.

“Y-You insolent mortal!” She roared, her ethereal form practically vibrating with indignation. “Do you have any idea who you are speaking to? I am the Goddess of Space! You will show me some respect! And you will listen to me!”

“Or I swear, I will send you back to your own world so fast your head will spin!”

Luca, who had been cheerfully oblivious to her growing frustration, finally realized he had pushed things too far.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He stammered, raising his hands defensively. “Okay, okay! I’ll listen! I’ll be good! Just…please don’t send me back! I promise I’ll pay attention!”

“Just tell me what I need to do! What’s my purpose? Who do I need to save? Just give me the details, and I’m on it!”

The Goddess of Space, her anger momentarily decreasing by his sudden change of demeanor, looked at him with exasperation and disbelief.

Could this unruly, disobedient, and slightly charred mortal truly be trusted with the fate of an entire world?

She had her doubts. Serious doubts. But she had no other choice. The wheels of fate were already in motion.

She could only hope, against all odds, that Luca wouldn’t completely derail them.

The Goddess of Space then cleared her throat, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation.

“The world you are going to…” She began, her voice echoing with celestial authority. “..is called…”

“Wait, wait.” Luca suddenly interrupted, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Let me guess. Is it…Ephastiosis? Or maybe…Almonard? Or—”

The Goddess of Space gritted her teeth.

“It is called Lunacris.”

She said, enunciating each syllable carefully and hearing this Luca burst out laughing.

“Lunacris? Seriously? Who came up with that name? Some kind of…Lunatic? Haha. Did you see what I did there?”

The Goddess of Space’s patience snapped once again.

“Shut up and listen!” She yelled, her voice booming through the celestial realm. “Or I swear, I will boot you back to your own world so fast you won’t know what hit you!”

She gestured sharply, and the shimmering blue portal reappeared behind Luca, pulsating menacingly.

“Do I make myself clear?”

Luca, faced with the very real threat of being unceremoniously kicked back to his own world, snapped to attention.

He adopted an expression of exaggerated attentiveness, his earlier nonchalance replaced with an eagerness to please.

Seeing that he was finally willing to listen, the Goddess of Space, cleared her throat.

“As I was saying…” She continued, her voice regaining its authority. “The world you are going to is called Lunacris. It primarily consists of two continents.”

“One is the human continent, populated entirely by humans. The other is the demi-human continent, home to a diverse array of demi-human races, including elves, fairys, vampires, giants, slime girls…”

Luca’s eyes widened, a spark of excitement flickering within them.

“Whoa! Slime girls? Seriously? They actually exist! Are they…you know…slimy?”

The Goddess of Space sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“They possess a…gelatinous consistency, yes.” She said dryly.

“Now, as I was saying, the two continents are relatively close to one another, though the demi-human continent is smaller and has a significantly lower population compared to the vast human continent.”

“This is because humans reproduce at a much higher rate, which contributes to their larger numbers. Think of it this way…” She explained. “…if humans were rabbits, demi-humans would be…”

“…well, maybe slightly less enthusiastic hamsters.”

She paused, then added,

“However, the difference in size and population didn’t really make the humans more powerful then the demi-humans.”

“You see Lunacris is a world of magic, and demi-humans possess a higher affinity for magical energies. So, even though humans outnumbered them, the demi-humans used their superior magical abilities to maintain a balance of power.”

“And the demi-humans themselves were, for the most part, a peaceful people, preferring to keep to themselves. They were content with their forests, their mountains, their…slime girl villages.”

“The humans, on the other hand…” She sighed heavily. “…driven by their desire for the demi-human continent’s rich resources like magical herbs, rare minerals, and the like were often…problematic.”

“They were always trying to encroach on demi-human territory, sparking skirmishes and border disputes. It was a constant tug-of-war for resources and land.”

“But at the day, the power dynamic was relatively stable for a long time.” She explained. “Both sides mostly kept to their own territories.”

“The demi-humans, with their powerful magic, could easily fend off human incursions. The humans, while larger in number, knew better than to provoke the magically superior demi-humans too much.”

“It was a delicate dance of power, a cold war fought with magical blasts and the occasional territorial squabble. That is, until…a catastrophe occurred. And for some inexplicable reason…all magic energy vanished from the face of Lunacris.”

Luca, his face a mess of healing flesh, raised a disfigured brow at this news. But to the Goddess’s relief, he remained silent, a flicker of something akin to interest in his eyes.

She continued, her voice resonating with authority.

“The sudden and inexplicable disappearance of all magic from Lunacris was a cataclysmic event. It instantly erased the demi-humans primary advantage. Their inherent magical abilities, the very foundation of their power and defense, vanished overnight.”

“Imagine…” She said gravely. “…if you suddenly lost the regeneration that you seem so fond of. That’s the kind of shock the demi-humans experienced, but on a societal level.”

“And seeing this change, the humans, ever pragmatic and adaptable, reacted quickly. They channeled their energies into developing technology, forging ahead in directions that didn’t rely on magic.”

“Think of it as a sort of medieval industrial revolution, a surge of innovation and invention reminiscent of certain periods in your Earth’s history.”

“They built sophisticated irrigation systems, developed new agricultural techniques, and began crafting weapons of war cannons, siege engines, all manner of impressive and destructive devices.”

“They were, in essence, building a non-magical civilization with surprising speed.”

“The demi-humans, unfortunately, were not so quick to adapt.” The Goddess explained, her tone tinged with regret. “Their culture was deeply rooted in tradition, resistant to change. They clung to their old ways, their old magic-based technologies, even though they no longer functioned.”

“They didn’t embrace new ideas; in some cases, they actually regressed.”

“So, while the humans were constructing elaborate canal systems to irrigate their fields, the demi-humans were still drawing water from ponds and streams. While the humans were forging cannons and training armies, the demi-humans were still relying on spears, bows, and stones for defense.”

“And after half a century of this widening disparity…” The Goddess continued. “The human emperor, emboldened by his nation’s overwhelming military and technological superiority, decided it was time to seize the demi-human continent.”

“His predecessors had attempted such incursions, but they were always repelled by the demi-humans magic…But now, the emperor saw an opportunity.”

“He has dispatched massive fleets, laden with soldiers and mercenaries, to finally conquer the demi-humans.”

“Currently…” She said, her voice laced with tension. “The demi-humans are holding them back, thanks to their continent’s natural defenses.”

“The coastline is surrounded by treacherous, jagged reefs that make naval passage extremely dangerous. And the continent itself is ringed by high, sheer cliffs that make it nearly impossible to scale.”

“But the humans are resourceful, persistent. It’s only a matter of time before they devise a way around these obstacles.”

“They are already experimenting with new ship designs, and rumors that they have find a new path to the continent has surfaced.”

She then took a breath before going on to say,

“And the demi-human leaders, realizing their weakness and the inevitability of the human invasion, made a desperate decision. They understood that their traditional ways, their reliance on a magic that was no longer there, would not save them.”

“They were too divided, too slow to change. So they united and pooled all their karmic blessings, generations of accumulated goodwill and favor from their goddess my sister, the Goddess of Equivalent Exchange and offered it up in exchange for…a savior.”

“A hero who could save them from annihilation.”

The Goddess of Space paused, her gaze settling on Luca, her expression unreadable.

“And that savior…” She declared, pointing a finger directly at him. “…is you, Luca Faust.”

“The hero from Earth who’s mission is to protect the demi-human race from the brink of annihilation.”

And with that she ended her briefing about the situation and in response, she expected some reaction from Luca.

Surprise, perhaps. Or maybe even a touch of fear or apprehension at the enormity of the task before him.

But what she got instead was…boredom.

He looked at her with a weary expression, as if he were listening to a story he had heard a thousand times before. His disfigured face remained impassive, his eyes holding a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

“Well?” She asked, unable to contain her surprise.

“Aren’t you going to say anything? I just told you that you are the chosen one, the savior of an entire world! You are going to be their hero, their messiah!”

“You will lead them to victory against the invading humans! You will be celebrated, revered! Your name will be etched in their history books! Doesn’t that…excite you? At all?”

But even though the goddess all that, Luca simply let out a loud, exaggerated yawn.

“Honestly…” He said with a casual scoff. “I’m surprised you’re even surprised. This…This is a classic. A cliché. I’ve seen this plotline a million times.”

“Hero from another world gets summoned, saves the day, makes friends, gets the girls, blah blah blah. It’s all so…predictable.”

“If anything, you’re the one who’s late to the trend.” He gave a irritating smirk. “This kind of ’chosen one’ narrative has been done to death. Literally.”

The Goddess of Space stared at him, her jaw slack.

She was speechless. This…This was not the reaction she had expected. Not at all.

She had anticipated awe, gratitude, maybe even a touch of fear.

But boredom? Disdain?

It was as if he were being asked to take out the trash, not save an entire civilization from annihilation.

She was starting to wonder if her sister had perhaps made a slight miscalculation in choosing this particular savior.

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