When The Cute Godkiller Opens A Tavern [OP Mentor, SoL, LitRPG]

"Rifts probably had the highest danger factor way back then. Now, as people find ways to overcome it, Rifts are treated just like any other Dungeon or Tower." ~Shallies Mythernal

"Rift Jumping?" Arun'dul asked. "As in, jumping into a Rift and probably ending up in another plane with the potential of never returning?"

Phey'lan lightly smacked the young seraph's head.

Shallies smiled, not bothered by the sarcasm. "Yes. That one. You forgot to mention suffering from Rift-shock, and the occasional ambush from other entities. But what I'm talking about is a Same-Plane Rift, so you don't have to worry about any of those."

"Same-Plane Rifts are okay…" Arun'dul admitted timidly. "Sorry…"

This time, Shallies appreciated their knowledge. In the past, people had been mistakenly identifying Rifts—regardless of whether they were Same-Plane or Cross-Plane Rifts—as Dungeon Gates. Their first appearances had caused quite the stir, and it had taken her personal intervention to keep mortals from directly jumping into them unprepared.

Now, these same mortals had amassed quite the knowledge base of Rifts and Dungeon Gates respectively. So much so that they were able to identify, classify, and even estimate the contained dangers to a reliable degree by just looking at them. Specifics always required proper scouting, however.

"We can deal with any sort of Rifts, Lady Shallies," Valor'el said, not exactly hiding his pride. "We're at your disposal."

"Well, us two," Phey'lan corrected, gesturing to herself and her partner. Then she gently placed a hand over Arun'dul's head. "Not this guy, though."

"I can help!"

"Nope," said all three adults all at once.

"But you said I should be an adventurer and lift my Curse!"

"After you've learned to control it," Shallies pointed out. She lifted a finger. "Imagine you're in an unknown place, surrounded by a lot of high-level monsters, and you suddenly succumb to your Curse. What will happen to Valor'el and Phey, hmm? You think they can work properly?"

Arun'dul's expression sobered. He couldn't argue, which told everyone in the room that he had no confidence in controlling the Curse yet.

"No… You're right," he finally admitted.

"Good." Shallies made a nod. "Don't worry, you can control it. I'll teach you. But first…" She turned to the adult seraphim. "Once I verify the location, I'll send you two over. Just be ready. It might be sooner than I anticipated."

"Are we running out of time?" Valor'el inquired.

"I got another vision last night," Shallies admitted. "Or it could be my memory reminiscing while I was sleeping. In any case, we're not running out of time. If a kingdom's having an outbreak of any sort, I haven't heard of it."

"And you would be the first to know," Phey'lan said, pointing a finger towards her.

"I would be the first to know," Shallies clarified, pointing back with a finger of her own. "Yeah."

The Godkiller finished her coffee. Apple's light piano piece kept the mood from turning tense, but Arun'dul was far from calm. Neither was he panicking, to be fair, but he clearly also got a vision last night. Everyone, except the lolling fairy, turned towards him.

"I saw it again," he admitted after realizing most of the attention was directed at him. "I don't know how to explain it. Like a great malformation in the cosmos. I think Fello'resh was holding it back, or pushing it away, I'm not sure."

"A Gone Old," Shallies explained. "It'll be a lot to take in, but you don't have to worry about them now. The Gone Old are, well… Gone, somewhat. It's a little complicated. What you saw was probably when the madness started influencing Fello'resh."

"That means we need to look for him now, right?"

"Yes, but I've been doing that since we talked about it a few days ago. It's part of why I'm asking about Rifts."

Arun'dul looked confused. As far as he was concerned, Shallies had been spending all day in the tavern. Whether in the kitchen, or training, she had never been far away searching for a god's corpse. When he turned to find the other seraphim completely in understanding, he simply threw his silent question over to the Godkiller, who was smiling expectantly.

"I have connections," Shallies explained. "See, I've been sending quests to every Adventurer Guild Hall surrounding Bluepearl Sea. I also just recently sent more quests to kingdoms surrounding the area. See, we need to narrow down which resting place we have to investigate, right? So I sent out people to find some potential locations. I received one this morning, but I should be getting more results soon."

[It's technically me, who's sending the quests,] Stachie clarified, but only Shallies could hear her.

"You or me, it's the same, Stachie."

[True.]

"And the Same-Plane Rift?" Valor'el asked. Whether he was aware of the internal conversation or not, didn't ultimately matter. "One of the resting places will be across it?"

"Technically, the resting place is crossing the Same-Plane Rift. That's why we're trying to find out where it is."

This time, all of the seraphim looked confused. Shallies sighed, realizing she had skipped some important details.

"Some of Fello'resh's resting places are inside storms. One, in particular, is a perpetual storm that shrinks and expands every few years."

Almost immediately, all of them understood.

"Thrush'ven Alir, the Great Storm?" Valor'el was the first to ask.

"The very same. The problem with Thrush'ven Alir, is that it has no pattern, due to its ability to teleport and cross Rifts. Sometimes, it'll cross a plane and disappear for a while, only to show up somewhere else in Ysvil. It expands whenever it wants to, and shows up wherever the wind takes it. It's good that we have an Adventurer Guild dedicated to chasing that storm and preventing it from causing destruction."

"Gaiamaxims," Phey'lan said this time. "They're a pretty strong guild. A bunch of Favored Class holders with about a hundred Hero ones. I worked with them for a time."

"Their specialty is responding to natural calamities. It's like a group of competitive philanthropists over there." Shallies shuddered. "Some of them are genuine, but some have overwhelming egos. It's like bragging rights for their circle, trying to find out who can help more people. A landfalling Thrush'ven Alir is like a coronation event for those guys."

"At least they're helping, right?" Phey'lan said. She couldn't help but shudder as well. "When I asked, I found out that they're really just trying to one up one another. There aren't any hidden motives, like coercing people they helped to do questionable things for them, or some shady organization trying to build an army, or whatever."

"Yeah, I did some digging too," Shallies followed up. "They're really just a bunch of nobles who want to brag to their friends about helping others. They're alright, if not a little off-putting sometimes."

"I feel like we're on a tangent here," Valor'el mused, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, but it's related," Shallies reasoned. "Because, if the storm crossing the Same-Plane Rift is indeed Thrush'ven Alir, you'll be sure to meet the Gaiamaxims. The more you know, the more you'll be prepared."

"But there's a chance it's not, right?" Phey'lan pointed out. "What then?"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"Then you traverse the storm and find Fello'resh's divine corpse. I'll give you more details when I've pinpointed the location of the Rift."

With that, the impromptu meeting suddenly fell into a close. Phey'lan and Valor'el knew they would be given the information they needed before heading out, so the two weren't exactly in a rush to know more.

Arun'dul was in a calmer state after he found out that things were actually moving along already.

Apple, after realizing that people had gone quiet, continued to play one of her jollier pieces. This was her way to make music now that she couldn't sing. Shallies pondered whether she should have more instruments made for her, and the fairy quickly responded with a playful set of notes.

"By the way," Shallies began, addressing everyone. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Oh, actually, I have some guests coming over," Phey'lan said.

With a quick search through her awareness, Shallies immediately pinpointed the people who might be coming over. She smiled.

"Looks like I have a lot to cook today."

"I'll help!" said the female seraph. As she entered the bar leading to the kitchen, she turned to where Grace and the others usually sat. "I wonder how they're doing."

"They'll be fine," Shallies said.

"We're not fine! We are so not fine!" Tayin screamed as she ran.

Grace couldn't help but feel sorry for the halfling. She looked back and found the Chronospark trying to cover what little ground her legs could. Behind them was a herd of wild drillbulls rushing towards them on a deadly stampede.

For someone with average defenses like theirs, getting caught by those charging wild animals was as good as death. Outrunning them, however, was an easy task for Grace. Not so much for the other one, though.

"I told you I could lure them on my own," said the half-orc, slowing down a bit.

"I'm regretting it already! You don't have to rub it in!"

A drillbull came dangerously close, barely missing Tayin as it attempted to gore her from behind. She let out a desperate screech and tried to speed up some more. The effort barely gave her some distance.

"My Haste on you is about to run out, Tayin," Grace warned. "I'll toss you out of the way."

"Please! Just get me out of here!"

"Mind your cradle egg."

Without a second though, the half-orc lifted the halfling by the waist and used all her might to throw her behind some trees at the edge of the open field. On the other hand, Grace made a slight turn to lure the stampede in the other direction.

"Thank you!" she heard Tayin shout, confirming she landed safely.

Out in the distance, hiding behind more trees, was Ren. They made brief eye contact as she passed by. Then there was a loud thud from behind. That was her cue to outrun the stampede.

Casting a new Haste over to herself, Grace quickly increased the gap between her and the drillbulls. She then hid into the trees, letting the stampeding beasts pass, before circling over to Ren.

The three converged in the middle, Tayin stopping and catching her breath partway. Ren was face to face with a single drillbull that he had managed to cut off from the herd. Grace quickly joined him.

"I'm pooped! You two can handle this," Tayin said, dropping on the ground to catch her breath. "Why did I do that? Stupid drillbulls…"

Since Grace hadn't learned the Skill yet, Ren made the Scan instead.

"Drillbull, Level 32. We got an oldie," he said.

"Do we aim for the horns?" Grace asked. The bull was stomping on the ground, its eyes switching between her and Ren.

"We should try to kill it right away," Ren said. "We're too in the open. The herd might come circling back, if we take too long. Not to mention we risk attracting other monsters."

"Got it."

Something was odd, and the two quickly noticed it. The drillbull was stomping in place, but it refused to charge, standing its ground instead. Its horns started to glow.

"It's casting!" Ren warned, moving quickly to put himself in between Tayin and the drillbull. He raised his shield.

Grace held her Mana-Edge +3 with both hands instead.

Concentration of mana emerged around the drillbull, pockets of swirling energy that counted to about a dozen. With a bellow, the creature shot numerous Mana-Missiles at all three.

Parry.

Grace swung her Mana-Edge, meeting and deflecting each Mana-Missile coming her way. Her sword made out of mana weighed nothing, allowing her to flourish the weapon with low hum. Sparks emerged as each missile collided with the edge, pushing each of them to the side. The force wasn't enough to break her stance, while providing her just enough momentum to parry the next one.

They were slow, all things considered. Slower than Shallies' attacks, that was for sure. Grace could see each missile clearly, and she knew she could react accordingly to deflect them all.

When the barrage was done, the ground underneath her bore all the damage from the Mana-Missiles, kicking up dirt and smoke. The half-orc, however, was completely unscathed.

The same was true for Ren and Tayin, who both withstood the barrage with their own shields.

The Shield Knight was the first to move. He closed the distance with Shield Charge, locking his shield on the drillbull's horns to prevent it from casting again. The creature, however, was smart enough to not use up all its Mana-Missiles from the initial casting. It left one as a trap for anyone who got close.

"Ren, look out!" Grace exclaimed. But before the Shield Knight could react, a thin lance of flame disrupted the pocket of Mana-Missile, causing the Spell to fizzle.

Grace spared a glance and saw Tayin already proceeding with her next incantation. Not wanting to be left behind, the half-orc rushed towards the drillbull, intending to quickly end its life. When her Mana-Edge +3 passed through the creature's skin, however, she knew quick was out of the options.

It was like firing a water hose at a brick wall. Her Mana-Edge didn't even penetrate the skin, but only left a small mark as if it had been mildly burnt. When Ren tried to stab it with his sword, he was able to pierce a little deeper, but nothing substantial.

The drillbull bellowed in pain and anger. It reeled, stepping away from Ren, before glowing green. Almost instantly, its meager wounds were gone.

"Can't let it cast," Ren said, already attempting to rush, but Grace held out a hand.

"We need to coordinate our attacks," she said. "Open a wound, then I'll overload my weapon. Tayin can finish it."

"Worth a try." With a nod, the two returned to their formation.

"I'm ready when you guys are!" Tayin declared from behind them.

The drillbull manifested another set of Mana-Missiles. Less, this time, as it rushed its spellcasting now that Ren was in front of it. The Shield Knight blocked all of them as he used Shield Charge, colliding with the creature's horns once again.

Grace leapt off the ground, flanking the drillbull on its side just as Ren stabbed its shoulder. Within a second, the half-orc used Mana-Edge Overload, feeding her weapon most of her mana as she slashed through the same wound.

Unlike before, the additional mana being channeled through the Mana-Edge allowed Grace to slice open the wound further. And just as she landed, a concentrated Flame Lance pierced through the drillbull.

The open field suddenly grew quiet as the final vestiges of life left the creature. It slowly collapsed on the ground, completely rid of vigor. In front of it manifested a Loot Source.

Ren passed it over to Grace while he retrieved a Creature Container, an item used by most adventurers to store slain monsters in order to preserve their bodies. Through this item, the Shield Knight was able to store the drillbull in his Class Inventory. Shallies had provided them a variety of sizes with high efficiency, meaning it wouldn't take up as much space inside the Class Inventory as it normally would.

"That's two," Tayin said. "Seriously, why didn't we pick up the common ones first?"

"We want to impress Shallies, right?" Ren asked rhetorically. "If we don't get her at least uncommon or above ingredients, then it's like showing we're not committed."

"She gave us direct instructions, Ren. I don't think it matters if we just take the easy ones. In fact, it might show Shallies how smart we are."

The two argued for a while longer. A common thing, Grace realized. Regardless, this gave her a chance to inspect the Loot Source.

[Hello, Grace. You've obtained a Loot Source from a Drillbull.]

"Stachie?" Grace inquired, almost forgetting to communicate telepathically.

[Indeed. Shallies forgot to mention this, or she just deliberately didn't bother, but I'm taking over your System Console during this quest. For emergency purposes, as you can imagine. I'm also monitoring your cradle eggs.]

"Oh, so that's how she'll know."

[One of the ways, yes. In any case, allow me to give you a breakdown of your loot. Your total Loot Source is: 833 bits, 12 armor shards (leather), 2 weapon shards (melee).]

"Thank you."

[No problem. Now please pretend that I didn't bother you during your inspection.]

Grace looked up to share the loot, only to find the two staring back at her.

"What do you think?" they both asked her.

"What?" The half-orc raised an eyebrow. Though she had an inkling on what the question was about, she still didn't hear it. "I was busy checking the Loot Source."

She divided the armor shards equally. Kept one weapon shard for herself, and gave one to the Shield Knight. Since Tayin didn't need a melee weapon shard, Grace instead gave the halfling the lion share of the bits, while giving herself and Ren 200 bits each.

"I was asking—thank you. I was asking," Tayin started, nodding at the distribution. "If you think we should aim for uncommon or above ingredients, or take the easier route."

"Let's do half and half," Grace suggested. "We need to get 10 different ingredients, finding uncommon or above ingredients strictly will take us longer. The faster we can get back, the less risk it is for our cradle eggs. But we also need to show our determination, so I think making an effort is a no brainer. Besides, just because they're common ingredients, doesn't mean they're useless."

Ren and Tayin pondered for a moment.

"I think that's fair," said the Shield Knight.

"I agree," said the Chronospark.

"Awesome," said the Spell Sword. She looked around to see the sun already past its peak. "Should we find somewhere to camp? The earlier we set up, the better we can prepare for the nocturnal ones. We better get out of here as well. Too open."

Everyone agreed and ventured back into the forest of The Great Wilds. As they were searching for a suitable place to camp, Ren stopped the party. His expression turned serious before pointing further ahead.

Within an open patch, surrounded by giant trees was a portal. Most Dungeon Gates were an oval portal with a dark outline and a swirling purplish mist, like a void, in the middle. This portal had a certain geometry to it, blocky, with angles that eventually drew a diamond opening. Rather than a swirling mist, it showed brilliant straight lines connecting in the middle, as if drawn inward.

"We should get out of here," Tayin said, pulling everyone back.

"That's not a Dungeon Gate," Grace said.

She racked her brains, trying to recall her lessons back in the Academy. It might have been mentioned in books, but there were a lot of things in there that had only been descriptions, with no images. If it had been mentioned in there, she couldn't identify it. So she asked them instead.

"It's not," Ren said, leading them away from the portal. "That's a Same-Plane Rift."