NOVEL WEB Episode 001: Introducing The Hero Hub Part 03
"Okay, the jungle's at the edge of the map... Are there any other ways of replenishing your Resource Points?"
"Outside of working with Heroes, I'm not too sure..." She noticed the weird stare I was shooting her and waved her hands frantically. "I mean to say this is kind of new to me too! The extents of what I can do are still being incorporated into this new reality."
"Hmm... Odd... Hey, there's a hierarchy of gods and whatnot... Do you have a direct superior?"
She started sweating again, this time stammering as her eyes darted around. "Sort of? It's kind of hard to explain, but yes, I have someone that oversees my work."
"Okay. Don't worry; it's not important. Anyway, come on. Let's check out the jungle—I'm actually kind of hungry—"
Right as I was about to turn, I noticed a glow coming from Svilran.
"Fainn..." she said feebly.
I turned on my heels immediately and looked at her to see a feeble smile and many balls of light radiating from her and disappearing when they got too far.
"Svilran? What's wrong?"
The balls didn't stop floating out of her.
"The truth is, Fainn, I didn't have any points... The building we created—I created them using the last of the deific power I kept from my time as one of Earth's deities."
I reached for her hand, and it broke into many dots of light. "Wait. Waitwaitwait. What? No—"
"It's okay, Fainn. The goddess, Svilran, stopped being so centuries ago... It's okay."
"Wait, I don't understand—the points—"
"They're something that has to be earned. I never had any because, like you, I walked into an entirely new reality... I fabricated them."
"So, I'm being left alone again?"
She shook her head and smiled with her eyes closed. "No, you'll have a companion with you who will help you."
"But... No, what if I like you?"
Her eyes went wide as she whispered something I couldn't make out.
"You're the first person I've talked with in months—you can't just leave," I said. "That's not fair—"
"I'm... not worthy of fairness, Fainn."
"Hey, come on, don't say that." I reached for her shoulder, but my hand went right through, breaking it into more balls of light. "Svilran."
"It's okay, Fainn," she said. "This is my farewell as Goddess Svilran..."
It was only a second. She lasted for only a second after her farewell. After that second had passed, no trace of her was left.
My hands fell to my side, and I took a deep breath in. "See ya... Svilran."
Light radiated from behind me. It must have been the companion she mentioned appearing. I turned around to greet them.
"Hey, I'm Fainn; nice to meet you— huh? What the?"
"Hi, Fainn!" The person before me hopped on a leg and posed. "Super Servant Extraordinaire, Svilran, ready to help!" said Svilran, now wearing a modest but still asset-accentuating french maid outfit.
My jaw fell slack.
"Hahaha! Are you surprised, Fainn? I got you, didn't I? Hahaha—NO, Fainn! Don't! Where are you going?!"
She ran after me while I marched to the jungle. "What even was all of that?"
"Those were my final moments as a goddess! I'm not a goddess anymore! I mean—Earth's not around anymore, so kind of hard to be a goddess of a planet when said planet doesn't exist anymore."
"So, what are you now?" I asked, still miffed and with my eyes locked on the jungle ahead.
She ran ahead of me and posed with her hands on her hips. "I'm a Hub World Facilitator! Fainn! Stop! Look at me, Fainn!"
"Great," I said succinctly.
I heard her groan in frustration behind me—it sounded slightly adorable, but I kept my wits about me.
Then, she got me by surprise when she popped her head out from behind me. Fighting to keep my frown, I looked at her.
"Fainn!" she said. Her hand was firmly holding mine. She smiled brightly when we made eye contact. "I like you too! I'm happy to be working with you! Let's make the best Hero Hub!"
She broke me, and I smiled back. "Fine. Let's do it. Don't think I'm forgetting this one, though."
"Nooo, Fainn! Come on! It was a joke!"
"Why are you even wearing a maid outfit?"
Svilran skipped ahead and posed. She winked at me and sent a gold star flying out of her eye. "Do you like it? It's cute, isn't it?"
I committed her outfit and all her curves to memory as I walked past her silently.
"Fainn! It's cute right? I've always wanted to wear one!"
"Glad you're getting to live your dreams there, bud."
Truth be told, she was exceedingly cute and incredibly alluring. She didn't need to know that though.
