Chapter 300

The moment the Chief spoke his pledge, the air in the swamp stopped moving.

The wind died completely. The bubbling of the mud ceased. Even the distant calls of the swamp birds went dead silent.

Rudra looked up.

The dark, cloudy sky directly above the Orc settlement was forcibly pushed apart. A perfectly circular hole opened in the clouds.

A cascade of blinding golden light poured through the gap. It was a dazzling, overwhelming brilliance that filled the eyes and paralyzed the mind. The sheer beauty of the light forced a primal instinct to submit to her.

Red system windows exploded across Rudra's vision.

[Warning! An overwhelming divine presence has descended!] 

[The Avatar of Mellory, Goddess of Love and Beauty, has manifested!] 

[You have an overwhelming need to submit to her beauty!]

[You have resisted!]

Rudra stood completely straight, leaning casually on his staff.

[All your stats are decreased by 90%!] 

[You have resisted!] 

[You are in the presence of a Goddess. Health and Mana Recovery is stopped!] 

[You have resisted!]

Around him, the Valiant Orcs were flattened by the absolute awe of the divine presence. The Chief pressed his forehead into the mud. Korag was frozen, unable to look up into the blinding light.

Rudra glanced to his left.

Iris was down on one knee.

Her head was bowed. The 90% stat decrease and the dazzling aura forced her down. But her right hand was still gripping the handle of her pistol in its holster. She was evaluating the threat, even as her body was forced to yield.

A figure floated down through the golden light.

It was a woman. She wore a dress woven from pure white light. Her hair was a vibrant, flowing pink. Her face was impossibly perfect.

It was Mellory, the Goddess of Love and Beauty.

Her feet touched the muddy earth. The mud instantly dried and bloomed with small white flowers.

She looked at the kneeling Orcs. Her eyes softened with genuine affection. Then she looked at Rudra. A bright, breathtaking smile spread across her face. 

"I haven't seen people this devoted in centuries!" Mellory beamed. Her voice was bright and musical. "I could feel the joy all the way from the heavens." 

She tilted her head. She observed the wooden platter in Rudra's hand with genuine fascination. "And to think you brought out such flawless physical perfection with a cooked meal. That is incredibly creative." 

Rudra smiled. "Thanks. It's a recipe I picked up a while back. Good food makes everything better." 

Mellory floated closer. Her pink eyes traced the contours of his face and the glow of his massive Charm stat. 

"You are a fascinating mortal," Mellory murmured. She clapped her hands together lightly. "I completely understand why Asterion watches you. And to even catch the lingering gaze of Rebecca, the Supreme Goddess... your path is truly blinding."

The smile on Rudra's face froze.

Asterion he already knew about. The Ocean God basically had a tracking beacon on him at this point.

But Rebecca?

A cold spike of genuine alarm hit Rudra's chest. To the rest of the continent, the Supreme Goddess was the benevolent creator of the world. Her Church held unchecked influence over kingdoms and empires

But Rudra knew the truth. He knew she had already destroyed and reset the world multiple times the second the surface grew too strong. If the Supreme Goddess was actually paying attention to him—and if her fanatical Church ever found out he knew her true, terrifying face—he would be branded a heretic and hunted by every paladin on the continent. 

He gripped his staff a little tighter to hide the sudden tension in his hands. He forced his light-hearted grin back into place.

"I'm honored, really," Rudra said. He smoothly steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. "But I mostly just came here to invite the Valiant Tribe to my territory. Is that going to be an issue?"

Mellory laughed softly.

"Not an issue at all!" Mellory beamed. "They are my beautiful children, and you clearly appreciate their magnificent forms. But if you want to lead them away from this sacred swamp, we have to make it a proper celebration! You must prove you truly understand the weight of physical perfection." 

Rudra blinked. "A celebration?"

"Yes!" Mellory said, waving a delicate hand excitedly. "To prove your worthiness, you must pass my trial. A Grand Trial of Flesh and Form!"

Rudra narrowed his eyes. "A what?"

"You shall stand upon an elevated dais," Mellory declared, her voice now echoing with divine authority. "You will strip away your armor and wear only the sacred undergarments. You will prove your competency in a field that displays your muscular symmetry and flawless proportions before a crowd of my judges."

Rudra stared at the Goddess.

He blinked.

Elevated stage.undergarments.Do some tricks

That's literally just a bodybuilding competition  combined with a beauty pageant, Rudra thought.

"And you will not do this alone," Mellory added. She pointed a glowing finger at Iris, who was still kneeling in the dirt. "Perfection requires a steady hand to present it. She will be your assistant. She will prepare you."

A massive golden window exploded in front of Rudra.

[Mellory's Grand Trial of Flesh and Form] 

[Difficulty: SS] 

[Mellory, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, has laid down an ultimate test for those who seek to claim her beautiful children. This sacred exhibition is designed to weed out the unrefined and elevate the flawless. The trial must be taken as a duo: one who embodies perfection, and one who assists in its presentation.] 

[Prove your aesthetic qualifications to the Goddess and claim the Valiant Tribe.]

[Quest Clear Conditions: Win the Grand Trial after 3 days of preparation.] 

[Quest Clear Rewards: ???] 

[Quest Failure: Charm stat permanently -300, Affinity with Mellory -50, The Valiant Tribe is forbidden from leaving the swamp.]

Rudra read the golden text. He looked at the weeping, muscle-bound Orcs.

He looked over at Iris.

Iris was staring at the exact same quest window floating in front of her face. She was reading the line that forced her to be a backstage assistant in a beauty pageant for a man she met twenty minutes ago.

She didn't shout. She didn't curse.

Iris just closed her eyes, let out a single, silent breath, and looked at him because of the forced quest.