The Silver-Haired, Blood-Eyed Goddess!
The most obvious difference between gods lay in their bearing. Goddess Astraea was gentle and tender, but when it came to nobility and cold pride, she fell far short of the goddess before him.
Though the silver-haired goddess was clearly sitting on nothing more than a slab of bluish stone, Roy felt as if she were enthroned upon a lofty seat of honor. Like an empress ruling over all beneath the heavens, she radiated an overwhelming pressure, as though she stood upon towering clouds, gazing down upon the mortal world with icy indifference.
With a mere gesture, she could decide the fate of countless lives.
Of course, that was only Roy's illusion.
When he looked again, the silver-haired goddess—her divine power sealed—was simply sitting alone on a rock.
"Thank you for the warning, Goddess," Roy said gratefully. That cave seemed to possess an eerie power capable of bewitching the mind. If she hadn't spoken up, he might already have lost himself.
The silver-haired goddess waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Just a whim."
"May I ask for your name, Goddess?" Roy asked. He had never seen this deity before, and even with the knowledge from his previous life, he could find no clues.
"What's there to say about a failure?" the silver-haired goddess clicked her tongue.
Though she referred to herself as a "failure," Roy could see no trace of dejection on her face. Every word and gesture still brimmed with pride and unshakable confidence.
Her gaze then fell upon the treasure map in Roy's hands. "Let me take a look at that map."
"This—"
Roy hesitated. He recalled the story of some unfortunate soul who had painstakingly cultivated the "Mystery" Development Ability to its utmost limit, stepped into the realm of the gods, and forged a Philosopher's Stone that granted immortality. Brimming with joy, he had presented it to his patron god.
Only for that god, struck by a playful mood, to shatter the Philosopher's Stone on the spot while laughing loudly, utterly unaware that he had destroyed countless years of effort.
If this goddess were to destroy the treasure map outright, Roy felt he might be seized by the urge to cut her down on the spot.
Seeing his hesitation, the silver-haired goddess snorted. "If you won't show it, forget it. I don't care to see it anyway."
"Please, Goddess."
After hesitating again, Roy handed over the map—but not without taking precautions. He stepped within five meters of her. Unlike fragile crystals, a parchment scroll wasn't so easily destroyed. At this distance, with his speed, he could stop her if she tried anything.
Seeing him act as though guarding against a thief, the silver-haired goddess sighed inwardly. Kids these days were hard to fool. All because of certain idiots who went around doing stupid things.
Taking the map, she examined it closely. A hint of confusion surfaced on her face. "So something like this exists… No wonder you were able to find this place."
"Well then," she continued, gesturing toward the eerie cave, "do you want to go inside?"
Roy keenly caught a trace of playful amusement in her expression—no different from other gods who delighted in mischief. "I want to go in and look for something."
The silver-haired goddess handed the map back to him and chuckled. "Sure. Go ahead."
"Goddess, what's inside?"
"Weren't you guarding against me like I was a thief just a moment ago?"
"That was then—this is now!"
"Hahahaha!"
Amused by Roy's shamelessness, the silver-haired goddess laughed, but she still revealed nothing. "I can't say, can't say. If I did, it wouldn't be fun."
The smile on her face only deepened, as though she wanted to see whether Roy truly had the nerve to enter.
The map's built-in teleportation was a one-way trip.
If he gained nothing and had to trudge miserably all the way back to Orario, Roy would be so frustrated he might spit blood.
He had to go in—but not blindly.
Roy moved closer and began kneading her stiff shoulders, grinning as he spoke. "Goddess, look—I've come all this way, crossed mountains and rivers, endured countless hardships. Can you really bear to watch me suffer calamity in that creepy cave?"
As he spoke, he even squeezed out two tears, wailing as though the heavens and earth were moved to sorrow, hoping to soften her heart. He rambled on and on for a good ten minutes.
The silver-haired goddess replied calmly, "I can."
Roy's face stiffened. So the massage was for nothing. His expression turned even more tragic—no technique, just raw emotion.
Gods could sense lies. The more exaggerated Roy became, the more amused she found it.
She laughed. "You little rascal. You're just trying to pry information out of me, aren't you? Quit the act—and press harder."
Hearing that, Roy immediately put more strength into it.
Perhaps tired of his pestering, the silver-haired goddess spoke leisurely while enjoying the massage. "You may enter. But remember—only follow the route marked on that map, and then return the same way. No matter what you see or hear along the way, do not enter any other areas, and do not trust anyone."
Roy asked cautiously, "What happens if I enter another area?"
"You can try it and see," the silver-haired goddess said with a bell-like laugh, swaying with mirth.
Roy shook his head like a rattle drum.
The silver-haired goddess picked up the bamboo basket beside her and lifted the cloth covering it. "I still have a piece of cake I haven't finished. Trade me your boots or your bracer for it."
Roy glanced at the cake. Baked to a golden brown and coated in a layer of honey, it looked so appetizing he could almost imagine the satisfaction of taking a bite.
But no matter how he looked at it, it was just an ordinary piece of cake.
Then he looked at his boots and bracer, speechless. Trading a honey cake for his epic-grade equipment—she might as well be robbing him.
Her eye for value was sharp, though. She had immediately singled out the two most valuable pieces of gear he had.
"Unhappy?" the silver-haired goddess asked.
Roy gave a dry laugh and said nothing.
With a knowing smile, she said, "You could go buy one yourself, but there isn't a single household within several hundred kilometers. And once you leave, finding this place again won't be easy."
Roy's pupils shrank. Remembering how the treasure location on the map constantly shifted, he asked, "Goddess, what does this cake have to do with that cave?"
The silver-haired goddess snorted. The message was clear—take it or leave it. Miss this chance, and it's gone.
After getting nowhere despite repeated questioning, Roy's gaze wavered between the Gale Boots and the Steel Bracer.
In the end, he removed the Steel Bracer.
The Steel Bracer could even block magic from a Lv.3 adventurer, but the Gale Boots increased his chances of survival. Besides, Roy didn't favor defense—he excelled at offense.
The silver-haired goddess accepted the Steel Bracer and smiled. "A smart child. May the God of the Earth bless you."
Roy muttered inwardly. Please, no—I'm planning to punch through your Earth God someday.
"Farewell, Goddess," Roy said, lifting the bamboo basket and walking toward the cave.
Watching his retreating figure, the silver-haired goddess toyed with the bracer and murmured softly, "Little rascal. I'm the one who took the loss here. Back in the day, this kind of trash was something my newbies used."
As she spoke, a trace of loneliness surfaced on her face. At this point… what more was there to say?