Chapter 50: Book 2 Chapter 8 – Hestia’s Task

Jake first confirmed that this task wouldn’t result in a real visit, before he and Fhesiah joined Ophelia and Berri in the Shrine of Hestia located in their [Refuge]. They were in more or less casual clothes, as accepting this task did not require any decorum, when accessing the shrine within their own home, anyway.

Ophelia prayed and triggered acknowledging the task. The statue was then surrounded with a small shroud of white holy energy, and they heard the voice of the goddess Hestia.

“Greetings, Jake and Family. I see that you finally got to enjoy some time off from the dungeon, but you did not dally for long. You are proving that my choice in making you Champion was a good one, though your impact in this world could have been much greater. It may have been for the best with your goal being to leave, but any action can have consequences.

In this case, the outsiders noticed your presence, but the guilds and people of this world did not. You currently have a vengeful god wanting your deaths, and so they have spawned a rare challenge, meant only for Champions at this Tier. They were only able to spawn the challenge due to your presence, and leaving it unchecked could greatly harm the progress of the war for the defenders.”

Jake had read the book on champions, and had learned that such challenges were quite rare. It was made to sound as though they nearly never happened, especially at this tier, so he had mostly ignored it. Besides, he was just on a shopping trip, in and out, what could possibly go wrong? 

If the statue’s features could move, it would now be smiling as he heard Hestia’s voice, “Right, what could go wrong? In this case, it’s a [Fortress Assault]. A common event for Tier 2 and Tier 3 contested worlds, it is not much different from a Rift inside of a defensible location. Luckily, being that this challenge was effectively made for you, it can only be within 3 levels of the Champion’s party. It has been locked in at Level 15, with the timer begun. There is approximately 1 month remaining before this challenge will be considered won by the Outsiders.”

Jake gave a sigh of relief at that. If the challenge was at level 25, his party would have had nearly no chance at all. “Is this challenge just for us? A fortress sounds like a massive undertaking for such a small party.”

Hestia giggled, “Of course not. There will be hordes of hundreds, perhaps thousands of enemies on the outside. Aside from the champion’s party, those that can participate on the fortress outside within its area are within 3 levels of the challenge itself. Champions are meant to lead, to be agents for Gods and Goddesses will. It only makes sense that an event involving a Champion would require you to lead. You will find this to be the case for most things, with the exception of your [Trials]. You will need to gather a battlegroup of your own of a maximum of 40 Adventurers to break through and enter the final challenge.

Once the Fortress has been entered, it will just be a challenge for your group. You will need a fifth member, as the challenge is balanced for a full party. Odin had a small piece of advice, he said that blood might–”

Jake felt that a strange force surrounded their shrine, and guessed that it was [The Framework] preventing her or otherwise reminding her of the costs of gods interfering in the great game. Blood might? Blood might what? Fhesiah and Ophelia were quite confused, but Berri perked up at the words, and looked quite thoughtful. 

Hestia continued, but she was upbeat and happy rather than worried, “Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Once this task is completed, you can make a choice. You can continue and try to get #1 contribution: this event is enough that if you fight hard and go for it once completed, you may be able to achieve it.”

She let that sink into Jake and his party’s minds, as Jake realized she might be right. If this Fortress Assault was anything like his Trial, he might push the conquest bar 10% or more in this one action, having 40 people involved. He could then use the fame and knowledge of his success to form a guild of his own, and push them to complete rifts and otherwise clear the world of the outsiders, adding to his personal contribution, locking in his selection to become the planetary ruler.

Hestia continued, “Or, you can head to a planet that actually needs your help and make a difference. A fringe world recently became contested, and I think you will find this world very interesting, based on your family’s desires. 

Your ability to influence the war effort there will be great, and your impact on preventing other people from coming to harm will make them much more appreciative to you, and by proxy, me. The people of the world in question are much more compatible with my beliefs, and you will likely find they match much better with your family than the natives of this world.

I realize this sounds a little too opportunistic, but these people truly need our help, Jake. This world is already being seen by other gods as a lost cause in their divinations, and many guilds are only extracting the advantages they can from the world before they abandon them to their fate.

Still, the choice is yours. You could always stake your claim on this world, then head to the other, but that can have consequences of its own. Once you become a [Landed Knight] or [Baron], your influence entering another world such as this [Fringe World] that recently became contested would be greater, and thus your, and the world’s, challenge more difficult. This is why we can’t just set up a 'ringer' at each tier that goes and closes all contested worlds. Their challenge will become more and more difficult, and the losses in each world greater and greater. Eventually, they must move on and Tier up, as their assistance becomes a hindrance.”

Jake thought about that for a moment, as he had wondered about this fact. Jake realized he was a cut above the rest, but just seeing Berri in action, and Odin’s mention of races like Titans, or just the existence of Dragons: made him realize that surely the gods could have made groups of creatures like these, a well rounded group of them, and just steamroll everything on all the worlds. Of course, even on the worlds these creatures originate, they are rare. In the greater multiverse, there may be many rare creatures, but there are many more worlds with the basic humans, elves, beastkin, and similar. 

Hestia continued, “Each day that goes by in that other world, the more that suffer and die. They have already lost some of their powerful native leadership, and many are rejecting the guidance of [The Framework], and merely becoming food for the outsiders. 

I would send you immediately if I could, but your visit to this world will now have harmed others. We must make amends, and prevent your visit from doing more harm than good. Plus, this is an opportunity.

You have already defeated, and permanently killed, an enemy champion. The cost to their god was great, as that Tier 2 Champion was brought down to your level, their skills and abilities limited to face you. Once again, their god is paying a major price to open this [Fortress Assault]. Most likely, they will not have the resources to contest with you again for a long time. If they bring more Champions and Gods into this, all the better. This war goes both ways, and the outsiders bringing resources to bear means we can bring resources to bear. 

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Not only that, but your victory will power your own advancement. Did you think it was only your assortment of skill-levels and completing a trial as a Champion that you received a Legendary grade class, or Ophelia gained an Epic one? Defeating the enemy champion meant that you consumed the divine spark used to create them. For a Tier 0, this was a massive achievement.”

Jake worried for a moment that his defeat might result in him losing this so-called divine spark, but Hestia replied to his thoughts, “It could result in losing your divine spark if you died facing another champion, but things are different for each side. Their gods are evil, and they see their champions as much more expendable than ours; they do not tolerate failure. 

Part of the price we pay on our side when creating a Champion is to help protect their spark and their soul. The outsiders can do this too, but you’ll find that they more often than not, don’t. Either way, the price must be paid in any Champion’s Trial or Event, or when any Champion faces another: one spark, which I would pay for you. But would Apophis pay for his? If the god doesn’t pay the price, it is taken from the Champion, and they die permanently, their spark inseparable. I know for a fact the spark you received was from the enemy champion, him dying forever.”

Jake nodded. It was good that this was clarified. At the same time, he would rather face the same enemy champion again: it is much easier to prepare against a known enemy than an unknown one. From the look of things, their enemy would know plenty about them even if they had never faced his party before, him being prepared with an anti-dragonfire armor even without setting eyes on Fhesiah before. 

“Can you tell us anything about this particular [Fortress Assault]? What Champions might be involved?”

“It was certainly Apophis that initiated this event. There might be other Champions, but it cannot be known until you enter the main [Challenge]. The only thing I can say for sure, is that there can only be 3 enemy champions within the [Challenge]. Giving more information than this will enact a Price that I feel will not be worth what is to be gained by knowing. I have trust that you will be successful. 

Now, let me know your plan within a week, you only have one month’s time to begin your [Assault], and the longer you wait to complete it, the worse off the other planet will be. If you decline helping the other world, I will have to move some pieces that I would rather not move, and I think the result will not be nearly as positive. Your party is uniquely suited to help in ways that you probably cannot even begin to imagine, but I can’t tell you more than that.”

Jake nodded, and he looked over the girls to see if they had any reactions to the proceedings.  Fhesiah and Ophelia looked thoughtful, but Berri looked like she was at the very limits of her attention, glancing and looking all over the room for anything to interest her. 

Hestia laughed at Berri’s childishness, “The business regarding the task is concluded for now. Berri, I’m so glad that you’re doing well. Jake’s Family is treating you well, aren’t they?”

Berri gave a wide smile that reached her eyes, and she said “Yes! They are treating me well, and Fhesiah said if I was good, I could eventually make babies with Jake! I’m doing my best!”

Jake just glared at the demoness, just what was she telling her? She just covered her face with her fan which she had drawn from her storage bracelet at some point, ignoring Jake’s glaring.

Hestia laughed again, and said “That’s great, isn’t it? Becoming a mother will change you. With every action, no matter how big or small, you begin to care not only about how that action can affect yourself, but how it may also affect your child. I hope that one day, you think and care a little bit more about how those same actions may affect others.

And Jake, didn’t you have quite the rude thought before? I’ll have you know the [Mace of Hestia] is quite the mainstay for many clerics and priestesses. That Berri circumvents convention and turns it into something so destructive is a positive thing. Those that stand against family deserve to be destroyed with an ‘atomic bomb of Hestia,’ if such a thing was available. I will always use the right tool for the job, and sometimes the right tool is a massive mace wielded by a giant snake woman, got it?

With that, I bid you farewell. I know if you do as you always do, you will be victorious, Jake and Family.”

The holy aura left the statue, leaving Jake with his embarrassment. Jake had previously wondered if his thought was heard and hoped it wasn’t, but he supposed he had that coming to him. The demoness snickered, while both the valkyrie and lamia had confused looks on their faces. They left the shrine to gather in their living room. 

They discussed the topic of whether they were all-in on this world, or if they would plan to assist the other as soon as their [Fortress Assault] was completed. Fhesiah and Ophelia were both going for the other world, and Berri didn’t have a preference. Jake was for going where they were needed, so it was unanimous. 

Plus, the words the goddess had said: ‘I think you will find this world very interesting, based on your family’s desires,’ Jake hoped she wasn’t talking about just Fhesiah’s desires, her priorities crooked, but his. It was clear there was plenty of glory to be had wherever they went for Ophelia, so the residents of this world perhaps having the unique energy type and meshing well with his family was of course the most important to him, as he had just thought about this before. 

Jake and family came up with a plan for the [Fortress Assault]. They would plan on assaulting before the end of two weeks. They would once again train, and hope or shoot for reaching as close to level fifteen as possible, the challenge level range already locked in. They would mix incursions with rifts, and even participate in higher ones, as they had the opportunity for more CP and experience for increasing levels.

Jake hoped that more of them could obtain [Technique]’s as well, as this was the biggest force multiplier available to them at this time. They also confirmed to the Goddess that they would strive to head to the other world, as soon as possible.

Of course, these were far from the only progression methods available to them. They each had their crafts, magics, skills, equipment, and consumables to work on. They also had to work on forming a [Battlegroup] with people of a maximum level of level 18, and find a fifth party member. Jake was most worried about the last detail, as finding someone that was level 15 and at the caliber of being any help against an enemy champion seemed questionable, based on what he’d seen.

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