Chapter 124 - A Discussion With A Goddess Of Chaos
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Axitl, the Goddess of Chaos, glared at Frank, as she had finally found the culprit behind the disappearance of her tiny and insignificant dungeon.
However, even if it was the smallest dungeon with the less gathered power, it was her property nonetheless, so she wanted it back.
It was an obvious thought process, even when considering Axitl's immaturity, every dungeon in Terra was her property and she created each one by spending her own power.
It was a long-term investment that would net her even more power in the end, but the first few thousands of years since she created them was where she felt the weakest.
However, in the last hundreds of years, the dungeons had finally begun to amass power, bringing it to her and slowly making her grow incredibly strong, stronger than most of the other gods that created Terra.
Naturally, even the Dark Lair Dungeon, a Rank 1 Dungeon had a nice little bit of Divine Power that she did not want to share with a measly theft.
"So? Give it back!" said Axitl, her crimson eyes glaring menacingly to Frank, as the vertical purple and red-eye at her forehead glared at Frank as if she was about to curse him!
Frank naturally felt a bit intimidated, but because Axitl was not here in person, he did not felt the complete oppression that the Goddess was trying to inflict on his soul.
"You're…" muttered Frank.
"Yes, I am the Goddess of Chaos herself, Axitl! You… what's your name, thief?" asked Axitl.
"…Frank, Frank James," said Frank, his eyes suddenly blazing with a conviction that even Abraddon found new.
"Frank… Give it back! Who do you think you are to even take away my Dungeon?! And what kind of magic did you use for that? Have mortals developed their magic to the point of being able to steal Dungeons now?!" asked Axitl.
"It's not magic, it is part of my Ability… Perhaps Abraddon has not told you the truth about me," said Frank.
"…Truth?!" asked Axitl.
"Ah… Well… Err… Haha…" laughed Abraddon, as he had to explain things slowly, although Frank helped him.
Both of them explained that Frank came from another world named Earth, that he was able to move through worlds as he pleased, and that he was trying to gather energy from other worlds to recover his own.
However, even after the whole explanation, and even after Frank saw that Axitl was left in a bit of awe, she still seemed firm in her choice.
"So what? Why would I care if you are an alien or whatever? This is my world, and this is my dungeon. Who gives you the right to take what's not yours?" asked Axitl.
"No one. I just did it through my Ability. It also surprised me, but I ended up taking the Dungeon because it greatly strengthened me…. And well, I have made a friend with the Dungeon Core, which I have named Orb, she is a sweet girl," said Frank.
"…Huh?! Friend… with the Dungeon Core?! Impossible! Dungeon Cores are not intelligent, I specifically made them so they could not develop any of that intelligence nor emotions nor anything of the sort! How is it possible that- You are lying! How dare you lie to a Goddess?!" said Axitl.
"I am not lying, and I am sure of what I've said. Orb is not an item, she is a person. You can call her and talk to her, and she will speak and express her emotions to you. Why don't we leave this to her decision? She has the right to choose. She was made by your power, so she is your child. Would you not hear your own child's opinion? Are you really a goddess, or a tyrant?" asked Frank.
"F-Frank! What are you saying?! You cannot be disrespectful to a Goddess! Y-You will enrage Axitl!" murmured Abraddon.
However, instead of rage, the two heard the Goddess' laughter… which was rather twisted.
"Bwahahahaha! …You arrogant mortal, I like that attitude! Been pretty long since I have spoken with someone with a spine. The Gods around here are all wimpy old men, but I like the blaze of your youth… Alright then! Let us this be decided by her… Orb, was it?" asked Axitl.
"Is that… so? Well, is there a way for you to contact her?" asked Frank.
"If she is connected to your soul, it should be possible for you to directly contact her, right?" asked Axitl.
"Right… But her voice will not be heard by you," said Frank.
"Abraddon," said Axitl.
"A-Ah, well, alright. Let me help you out, Frank," said Abraddon, as he extended a small thread of golden ethereal mass, which touched Frank's head.
Suddenly Frank felt a soul connection with Abraddon!
"This…" muttered Frank.
"Now… Here," said Abraddon, summoning a crystal sphere.
"What is this?" asked Frank.
"Ah, this is some of the technology of our world, it is rather primitive compared to yours, as we all use is magic to run things. This is a speaker, as you would call them, it is a special crystal we use to speak through long distances. By connecting it to my soul, and then to yours, we should be able to hear Orb's voice," said Abraddon.
Frank nodded in understanding, as he called Orb.
Orb, who was inside of her chamber, glanced at the sleeping Frank with concern, hovering near him.
"Frank-sama…" she muttered, she was concerned, even though she had just become his Dungeon Core since she acquired a Soul Connection with him, her soul seemed to 'awaken' as if she had been sleeping this whole time and suddenly was finally awakened from a long dream, finally gaining a more complex consciousness.
Although at first, she seemed a bit concerned and fearful, such things quickly faded away as Frank showed her his gentleness and good nature, winning her heart in little time.
As she sighed, suddenly, she felt the connection with Frank's soul strengthen, and a signal of energy being sent to her as if Frank were trying to communicate with her.
"Ah! Frank-sama, are you trying to talk to me through your soul?" she asked, as Frank immediately heard her, and Abraddon as well as Axitl, as her voice was projected into the speaker.
"Is that… the Dungeon Core's voice? Unbelievable… it can talk?!" asked Axitl.
"E-Eh? W-Who is talking?" asked Orb.
"Orb, Axitl, the Goddess of Chaos, has contacted me. There is also Abraddon the God of Beasts in here," said Frank.
"Say what?!" asked Orb.
"Err… Hi," said Abraddon.
"Well… What a surprise this is… A Dungeon Core is talking…" said Axitl.
"Huuhh… H-Hello…" said Orb.
"So, 'Orb', what do you prefer? To become mine once more, or to be the treasure of this insolent thief?" asked Axitl with a complacent tone, she was rather confident that if Orb considered her something like a mother, she would quickly choose her instead of Frank.
"E-Eh? I have to choose?!" asked Orb.
"Well, Frank stole you, and you're mine. I created you! …But he keeps insisting that you are a person… And he says that if I take you by force, I would not be acting like a proper goddess, and that irritates me a lot! So? Speak!" said Axitl.
"Eeeeeh?! B-But…!" cried Orb.
"Orb, I'm sorry for having taken you away forcefully… Now you have a choice to be back as you were or to keep being with me… I will accept either of the two," said Frank with a firm voice, he was expecting Orb to actually leave him, as he had only met her for a few hours and he still remembered how she cried when he 'stole' her.
"T-This…!" said Orb, she was very confused and embarrassed.
"Err… do as you please," said Abraddon.
"Umm… I… I know that… I have only met Frank for a few hours but… Goddess-sama, I don't want to part ways from him!" said Orb.
"…Eh?! You are my property- I mean, my… creation! How dare you…! How dare you say that?! I created you! You own me your life!" said Axitl.
"Goddess-sama… I… I don't owe you anything!!!" roared Orb, in frustration over Axitl's words.
"WHAT?! You insolent… You are just a Dungeon Core! An item! How dare you?! How dare you say that to my face?! Grrr…!" roared Axitl, she was trying to bark but could barely contain herself.
"I don't owe you anything! Even if I was created by you… My life is of my own! And it's not like Frank-sama is enslaving me or anything! He is very gentle and nice! And he hasn't ordered me to do something I don't want to do…!" said Orb.
"Orb…" said Frank, as he felt moved by little Orb's words.
"Gah…!" muttered Abraddon, genuinely surprised by Orb's powerful statements.
Something deep within his soul began to flourish, seeing such a being, an item created only to create a Dungeon showing such types of emotions, such type of life…
It was as if she was clearly a living being, a person!
And as God who was awfully close to life, he couldn't help but grow an admiration to such a being, who battled against her creator for her own freedom!
"Youuuuuu…! You insolent… filth!" roared Axitl, almost as if she were about to throw lightning over Orb.
"Enough. You already heard what she had to say…" said Abraddon.
"You old man, don't interrupt me!" said Axitl.
"You already heard Orb's words, leave her alone," said Frank.
"Grrr…! No! She is mine! I created her! She is my item, mine!" cried Axitl, like a spoiled brat.
"Axitl, we all created you, but we never enforced our ways into you! You're doing the complete opposite with Orb, leave her be!" said Abraddon.
"Shut up! You… You don't know anything about parenting!" said Axitl.
"Axitl, you promised that you wouldn't take her away!" said Frank.
"I… I did…! But still! S-she's… I… I made her… How can… she say such cruel things to me…" said Axitl, suddenly changing her mood as she began to feel saddened… Although she had never interacted with Orb, for some reason, hearing her own 'child' scream to her while expressing her discomfort with her made her feel guilty and bad.
"Cruel things?! You called me an item and your property! You're also being very rude!" said Orb.
"…You insolent little girl! I was just… I… Well… Maybe… I was… I let my emotions go out a bit there… I… But still! It… makes me mad!" said Axitl.
"Your nature as a Chaos Goddess is clear, your emotions are unstable, Axitl. Calm down for a bit," said Abraddon.
"You shut up! I… I am fine! Alright okay! You can keep her! Whatever! Not like I wanted her or anything! I… Just do not ever dare to steal any other Dungeon from me ever again! Or I am really just going to blast you into ashes!" said Axitl.
"…Thanks," said Frank.
As Axitl was about to leave, a sudden new visit appeared out of nowhere right in front of Frank and Abraddon and also in front of Axitl!
"It's been a long time, Abraddon."
"Ah, Axitl, you've grown quite a lot…"
The two figures resembled a woman and a man.
The man appeared in front of Axitl, he was like a mannequin whose entire interior was filled with stars and space, as if he held a whole galaxy inside.
The other was a beautiful woman with gray and translucent skin that seemed to be constantly turning old and young. She appeared right in front of Frank and Abraddon.
Although Frank and Orb did not know who these people were, the Gods did know.
"Zudithe?" asked Axitl in surprise and a bit of horror.
"Judith!" said Abraddon in surprise but happiness.
The two beings whose appearances seemed to transcend common sense and who released a power that seemed to be out of the ordinary were no less than two of the Gods that created and governed Terra, Zudithe, the God of Space, and Judith, the Goddess of Time.
"We have a proposal for all you," asked Zudithe.
"Would you give us a bit of your time?" asked Judith.
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