The divine presence of Goddess Menaka graced those who sought her ethereal wisdom.
It was said that her beauty transcended mortal comprehension, for she was portrayed with a perfect feminine form that embodied an otherworldly grace. Menaka's face, an epitome of allure, remained veiled in an air of mystery beneath her radiant presence.
Adorned with hair as black as the cosmic emptiness itself, cascading down like the flowing strands of the universe, she wore the enigmatic allure of the cosmic void. Her clear, supple skin seemed to glow with an inner light, a reflection of her divine essence that transcended the boundaries of mortal definitions.
Yet, what captivated those who beheld the goddess was something peculiar. Blindfolded eyes, a silent mouth, and sealed ears all bore intricate runic patterns, indicating a profound symbolism. Menaka, in her divine form, could not see, speak, or hear in the traditional sense. Instead, she relied on her Divine Sense to commune with her audience.
Her lips, painted in a luscious shade of red, remained sealed by the sacred runes, a representation of the unspoken wisdom she conveyed. Cloaked in an elegant white dress that bore golden pleats and patterns reminiscent of celestial constellations, Menaka stood as a vision of cosmic beauty and silent power.
Her divinity was related to neutrality. As such, she was bound by her own rules, turning her into a unique existence among the immortal beings.
In her delicate hands, she held a golden staff, an artifact as potent as an Immortal Seed. The staff, adorned with mystical symbols, emanated an aura of authority and ancient strength. As Menaka gestured with her staff, the air shimmered with divine energy, attuned to the rhythm of the cosmos.
Goddess Menaka communicated not through words, but through the subtle whispers of her Divine Sense. And that's what she used to communicate with Eren as well.
Goddess Menaka's cosmic form had long been abandoned by her when she sensed who was standing in front of her. She appeared in regular form in front of Eren before addressing him through her Divine Sense.
[ Do not fret. I am neither with you nor against you. ]
Eren felt another thought ripple through his mind. Even if it was the goddess' consciousness communicating with him directly, he didn't feel scared or intimidated by the goddess' presence.
'Truly neutrality, huh? Well… that's a relief.'
Eren thought to himself as he processed the goddess' intentions. Just like what Alephee had said, goddess Menaka was one of the very few true neutral immortal entities in the boundless cosmos.
He didn't want any help from the goddess. He could only hope that his identity and location do not get leaked to his enemies while signing a pact with Goddess Menaka through her blessing.
'This… this is strange. I don't feel scared anymore. This goddess doesn't scare me.'
Eren had another thought. He felt that part of the reason lay in the fact that the goddess merely wished to have a word with him and as such had made it so that her presence didn't scare him. And the other part of the reason was because he had become a demigod. His divine soul had allowed him to keep his cool in front of the goddess.
"Greetings, Goddess Menaka. I wish to get your blessing."
Eren conveyed without wasting much time. He would have offered her a bow but it was only his consciousness that had been summoned in this ethereal plane to meet with the goddess. His physical body was still at Brol.
The butcher didn't want to create a ruckus in the city administration office by attracting the goddess' attention. But now that things had come to this, he wanted to be done with the formalities as soon as he could.
[ Inheritor of the Elder Ichor, I can indeed bless you, so to speak. But the procedure can not be the same for you as it is for those with mortal souls. You are a demigod.
As such, we need to come up with a formal agreement. This was why I had to appear in front of you personally. ]
"What kind of arrangement?"
Eren asked as he looked at the goddess' beautiful form. He was a bit disappointed by the fact that Menaka spoke without using her lips. He would have liked to see those luscious lips doing some work.
'Damn. It seems my pent-up desires are making themselves known without my permission. I must focus,' Eren had another thought as he tried to concentrate on what Goddess Menaka had to say to him.
[ I offer this arrangement to all the demigods. It gives you access to my Mesh at the cost of sharing a bit of your faith energy with me– the faith energy you have or will gather in the future if you continue your journey on the divine path.
Of course, you will gain some special privileges while accessing the Mesh because of your demigod status. Considering your current situation, my Mesh will help you a lot in the future, provided you agree to the arrangement between us. ]
The goddess explained in a neutral voice. Even if she could feel Eren's perverse intentions about her beauty, she did not pay them much heed. Or she just didn't care enough to read his intentions in the first place through her Divine Sense.
"So basically– a tax for using the Mesh. That's a bit unfair for all the demigods, don't you think? By the way, how many demigods are currently using the Mesh?"
Goddess Menaka chose to remain silent at Eren's questions. The latter sighed before adding further.
"No information about other demigods, huh? Not even a little bit?"
Eren received silent treatment from the goddess once again. He shook his head before asking her his next question.
"You really are neutral. Anyway, how much "tax" are we talking about here?"
[ The share varies as per the instance. It depends upon various factors. You will soon come to know if you form an agreement with me. ]
The goddess of Mesh responded in a stern voice.
"Are there any risks for a demigod who is using the Mesh?"
Eren asked the goddess in a careful tone. He didn't like dealing with the divine beings. Even if Goddess Menaka was a neutral goddess, he felt that he should be wary of her as well.
As such, he needed to know everything there was to know about the arrangement he was making with her in order to get access to the Mesh. he knew that she was bound to tell him the truth as per the rules of the engagement.
[ My Mesh might not always work for you if you were to wield your divine powers through it. It would also stop working abruptly if you were to use your Edicts.
Of course, you can pay me to strengthen the Mesh for your use temporarily. The pay I'll demand from you will depend upon various circumstances. ]
Eren felt like smiling bitterly when he heard another catch about using the Mesh. he could only hope that the limitations placed on the demigods would be counterbalanced by the perks they get, giving them considerable advantage over those with mortal souls.
"What about the Abilities and Authorities I have?"
[Your abilities and Authorities will be converted into Skills and Greater Skills respectively inside the Mesh while keeping your mastery over them intact. Additionally, you can find Skills suitable for the Spells you are used to with.
There are other ways to get Skills as well. I'm sure you will come to know about them eventually. ]
Eren breathed a sigh of relief when he got confirmation about his Abilities and Authorities from the goddess herself. Even Alephee was not sure that the goddess would take such troubles even if the conversion itself was possible.
"How do I convert my Spells into Skills?"
[ Not possible in a traditional sense. You'd have to pay to get access to Skills compatible for your use. They would be similar to the Spells you use but you'd obviously feel some differences in using them as Skills.
You can buy a set of compatible Skills directly from me. Or you could gain those Skills via others who have synthesized them beforehand.
My Mesh is alive, a true Inheritor of Elder Ichor. It is like a split personality of mine that has its own consciousness. And it constantly evolves.
As such it would be difficult for you to understand what it can or can not do from the beginning. But I promise that you will eventually get to know about whatever you want to know at the right time. ]
Eren wasn't sure how much time had passed in the real world. However, he kept on asking a few questions to the goddess and got a satisfactory response from her. In the end, they came to a formal arrangement, and a divine pact was formed between them.
***
A spacious hall inside the city administration office of Brol.
This particular hall was dedicated to imparting Menaka's Blessing to adolescents. Today, a man who appeared to be in his early 20s was allowed to cut through the line to get Menaka's Blessing.
Thus, it was only natural that people gathered inside the hall had irritated faces as they looked at Eren. Their irritation was increased further when the man stayed inside the runic circle for quite a long time, not allowing others to have their turn.
"Who is this man? Was he wanking off at the time others of his age group were receiving their Blessing? "
Asked a man to the crowd while looking at Eren with disdain. He would have addressed Eren directly but the latter had his eyes closed and seemed lost in his thoughts. As such, the man decided to vent his anger by publicly targeting Eren.
The others started chattering as well, joining the man in their united front against the man whom nobody among them knew the identity of. Before things could escape though, they were all forced to shut up by Akel's loud voice.
"Silence!"
Akel shouted from outside the runic circle. "This man has been given special permission by Archpriest Jivem. Do you have any complaints regarding the procedure? Take it up with the Archpriest himself."
The crowd quieted down as soon as Archpriest Jivem's name was mentioned. As one of the founding groups of the city, Ishgaar's Temple had a huge influence inside Brol. If people knew that the man absentmindedly standing inside the runic circle was associated with the Ishgaar's temple, they wouldn't have let their discontentment known.
'Tch. Damn, these pompous brats with their connections. But that madman Jivem is not someone I can deal with. I… I really shouldn't have opened my mouth.
Anyway, It looks like that buffoon is finally done with getting his Blessing. I will send my granddaughter right after him."
The man who had first badmouthed Eren thought to himself as he saw the runic circle finally exuding a faint light. He was an A-ranked entity himself. So he could sense that the procedure for Blessing was finally over and Eren was about to snap out of his "zone".
However, all of a sudden, Goddess Menaka's residual Divine Sense permeated the surroundings and overwhelmed everyone present in the hall. Another unknown divine presence was also added to the equation, making the runic circle break from within.
This supposed malfunction in the runic circle made the majority of the audience lose consciousness. The rest had a mix of shock, fear, and reverence in their expressions as they looked at the man who casually approached Akel.
Eren acted as if the malfunction in the runic circle had nothing to do with him. Just like that, his attempt at getting Menaka's Blessing for himself had ruined the chances of getting one for everyone else.
AN: Apologies for the solitary chapter release. I've been on the road for the past two days, which has made it challenging to maintain the usual chapter uploads. To make up for it, a mini mass release will be arranged soon. :)
