Prologue: The Price of Preserving Humanity
"Please save me Mommy Evernight!"
….
Amanises quietly stared at the girl before Her.
After being pulled into the Dream, the girl had immediately dropped to her knees, raising her head and looking up at Her with a pitiful expression, resembling a kicked puppy that had lost its way.
Honestly speaking, despite the countless epochs that had slowly eroded Her humanity, despite the endless years spent standing above the world as an aloof deity, She found the girl's appearance and manner of pleading to be… rather adorable.
There was a strange purity surrounding her, unrelated to the traces of Sunlight she carried.
"You are not Melissa Moretti."
And wasn't that an unexpected surprise?
Only moments ago, Amanises had assisted in the descent of the newest Transmigrator from Sefirah Castle, allowing the soul to enter the body of the deceased Klein Moretti.
And mere seconds later, She received a prayer from the very same location She had been observing, from Melissa Moretti, the younger sister of the deceased Klein Moretti.
Amanises only needed a single glance to understand the reason behind the prayer.
"You are corrupted."
This discovery was enough to have Her maintain the Concealment on the Moretti Family's location and also bring this anomaly into a Dream.
"What is your connection to Higher-Dimensional Overseer?"
"Nothing!" The brunette shook her head rapidly, as if even the slightest delay affected Her judgement, "I am a proud inhabitant from Blue Star, from another universe, a hub world which intersects with countless other dimensions, thereby granting us otherworldly knowledge. And I am also Melissa Moretti, little sister of Benson Moretti and Klein Moretti…"
The young girl's earnest explanation trailed off, confidence wavering as tears suddenly began spilling from her eyes.
"Huh? W-why am I crying?" She stared blankly at her own tears, clearly unable to understand her body's reaction.
Amanises silently observed Melissa, coming to a conclusion.
The brunette hadn't lied.
The grief hidden beneath those tears and the love toward Klein Moretti were undeniably real.
Even after the fusion of another soul, there remained something within her that belonged unmistakably to Melissa Moretti.
For a moment, Amanises did not know what thought had come over Her.
Perhaps it was the humanity that She had done Her best to preserve through countless years, or maybe it was simply the girl's strange innocence.
Whatever the reason, Amanises did not dwell on it. She took a step forward, lowered Her body, and gently embraced Melissa.
"Eh? A-Amanises?"
Melissa froze at the sudden contact.
The Evernight Goddess didn't say anything, merely hugging her.
….
….
….
"Chaos Gacha…" Amanises softly repeated the name Melissa—or rather, the Transmigrator fused with her—had given to her cheat after listening to the explanation of its nature.
It was absurd.
Absurd to the extent that, for a fleeting moment, even She wondered whether this was the work of the Original Creator—the true Primordial Chaos, the Exception, the Inconceivable—attempting to revive through Melissa.
She had not completely dismissed the possibility.
Even if the probability was exceedingly low, and every piece of evidence currently pointed elsewhere, Amanises would never lower Her vigilance regarding Him.
This also reflected Her attitude towards Melissa's existence.
…
Amanise's hand gently combed through the brunette's soft hair as Melissa lay on Her lap with an expression of complete serenity, one that even carried a trace of smug satisfaction.
Evernight Goddess' lips curved upward by an almost imperceptible degree.
Looking at the girl now, no one would ever imagine that this seemingly harmless existence was a wildcard among wildcards, one whose future strength could rival even Hers depending solely upon the outcome of a single roll of dice.
From the perspective of investment…
Melissa surpassed Klein Moretti, or rather, Zhou Mingrui.
The latter possessed the potential to become the Lord of Mysteries, but that potential still required time, countless arrangements, and the tempering of fate itself before it could blossom.
Melissa, however, only required an opportunity worthy enough to trigger her growth, something that could arrive at any moment.
It was also one of the reasons Amanises had indulged the girl's rather peculiar request…to receive a lap pillow from 'Mommy Evernight.'
….
For the sake of Her own peace of mind, She chose not to inquire how such an irreverent title had come into existence.
As for the other reason…
"Do you possess a Trait similar to a Demoness' Charm?"
The girl resting upon Her lap visibly stiffened, her brown eyes cautiously drifting toward the face hidden behind layers of black veil.
Amanises, however, merely continued stroking her hair with the same unhurried gentleness, causing the tension that had suddenly appeared in Melissa's body to disappear as quickly as it came.
"I am not displeased," the Evernight Goddess calmly clarified. "I am merely curious. Despite the disparity between our statuses, I find Myself unusually at ease in your presence and… inclined to view you favourably."
Melissa slowly nodded.
Then, as though remembering something amusing, a teasing smile blossomed across her face. "Are you sure you want to know, dear Goddess? It's rather embarrassing."
That earned Her attention.
Amanises silently regarded her, signalling for her to continue.
"Goth Magnet. As the name suggests, it makes it easier for emos and goths to look upon me favourably. According to the Trait's description, it also includes those with daddy issues."
Amanises' hand paused. Involuntarily, the image of Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea surfaced within Her mind.
…
"Hehe~ So that's a double whammy for you, Lady Goddess." The young girl's teasing smile turned victorious.
"As for the other one, one makes good-aligned beings naturally like me more." She paused, quietly looking up at Amanises with sincere admiration. "It's also one of the reasons I recited your Honorific Name instead of the Eternal Blazing Sun's. I trust you more than Him."
"Unlike you, He would purify me the moment He sensed the corruption."
"You are a good person."
"…."
Amanises stared in those brown eyes that carried unwavering trust without emotion.
It wasn't that She didn't feel anything, no, it was in fact quite the opposite.
"Do you know what I did to the Demonic Wolves?" She suddenly asked.
"You killed them all. Every last one of them." Melissa nodded in her lap.
"And you still believe I am good?"
"Mm," The young girl nodded once more, explaining, "The Demonic Wolves preyed upon humanity. They toyed with humans and devoured them. They possessed neither compassion nor humanity. As a human... eliminating humanity's predators and preventing future tragedies is only natural."
"Amanises, you are a good person." Melissa repeated with a serious expression, raising a hand, hesitating for a brief moment, before resting it on Her cheek. "…Even after the Apocalypse, you released Mother of Sky, letting Her reunite with Antigonus, giving them the best ending possible in a universe this mad."
Amanises remained silent.
She had lived for countless years, walking through schemes, betrayals, conspiracies, and wars where even the smallest mistake could result in the collapse of everything She had built.
She had long become accustomed to seeing everything through the lens of benefits, consequences, and necessity.
Yet this child in Her lap looked at Her as if those cold calculations did not erase the meaning behind Her actions.
As if the blood on Her hands did not matter when compared to the lives She had saved.
Within those brown eyes, there wasn't worship, fear, nor blind faith. Only simple trust.
The kind of trust that had long since become foreign to Her after countless epochs.
….
"Soft…"
The solemn atmosphere that had been accumulated with such painstaking difficulty shattered in an instant, as Melissa began rubbing Amanises' cheek with her thumb, blurting out her inner thoughts without the barest hint of restraint or propriety.
"It really is soft."
The Evernight Goddess suddenly found herself afflicted with a certain worry, one that She had not anticipated in all Her millennia of existence.
Melissa wouldn't get seduced by a random Demoness, would she?
After all, considering the girl's disposition, the possibility did not seem entirely impossible.
Should I ask Arianna to deal with that Demoness of Pleasure in Tingen?
The thought only lasted a brief moment, before Amanises looked towards the boundless starry sky, Her gaze piercing to see beyond the Dream and into the real world.
"We do not have much time."
The gentle words immediately caused Melissa to withdraw her hand and sit upright attentively.
"The Concealment surrounding your family's location cannot be maintained indefinitely. Continued interference will inevitably draw attention." Amanise' voice remained as tranquil as ever, yet they carried unmistakable gravity. "The One upon the Moon is exerting Her influence upon the world, a Blood Moon, taking the attention of everyone else, but it won't last."
The brunette nodded repeatedly, her expression becoming unusually serious."So…" She suddenly reached forward and grasped Amanises' hands."Can you give me a mystical item that conceals my thoughts and presence from the Outer Deities?"
The Evernight Goddess didn't even blink at the request, answering soothingly, "Arianna will give it to you." She already had this in mind in the first place.
However, it seemed this young girl was not done asking for more, as she added, "Can you also make me your Blessed? You don't need to publicise it, only grant me a blessing and acknowledge me."
Feats…
Amanises gave a subtle nod, immediately understanding what the girl was trying to accomplish. There was nothing wrong with such thinking. On the contrary, She found it to be the correct course of action
In this world, where madness, corruption, and schemes lurked behind every corner, making full use of every resource at one's disposal was not contemptible, but worthy of affirmation.
Yet…it seemed She had still overestimated Melissa's intentions. Or perhaps She had underestimated the girl's capacity for saying the most astonishing things with complete sincerity.
…
"The only one allowed to dye me in their colours… is you."
Those utterly shameless words were spoken beneath an incomparably pure and innocent smile.
+++
A/N: Blame this snippet on the traits that I happened to get that perfectly targeted Amanises.
[Godslayer Apostle Flames]
|Elite Ability|
Elden Ring - Allows you to wield and control the Godslaying Flames of the Godskin Apostles. While these flames are already plenty strong on their own, when against the divine, these flames get significantly hotter and more potent. The more divine the enemy is, the more potent the flames
[Goth Magnet]
|Uncommon Trait|
Goths and emos are drawn to you for some reason, making it easier for you to garner affection and favor from goths or those with daddy issues. In addition, people turn a blind eye to your less-than-favorable actions more easily, just like how those fathers turned a blind eye to their daughters.
[Canis Companion]
|Uncommon Trait|
You have great affinity with dogs, canines, wolves, and creatures that are aligned with them. Making it easier to earn their affection and favor, and form relationships with them. Thanks to your affinity with the Canis, your sense-based abilities and traits are more potent, and it is easier to control your own senses.
Curses:
[Yandere]
|Severity 8|
There is a yandere out there yearning for your love, and she won't take no for an answer, and she will not be very willing to listen to reason.
|Resolve: Find the Yandere and either dispatch or pacify them. This will not get rid of their romantic feelings towards you, but will stop the gacha from supplying them with a Yandere Rage towards you.|
[1/2]
|Severity 8|
This is gonna be very confusing. When exposed to cold water, your gender reverses; your genderswapped form looks exactly like how you would have looked if you were born the other gender. And if exposed to hot water, you turn back to your original gender.
|Resolve: Acquire a genderbending ability/trait or apply a Elite rank or higher cursebreaking effect on yourself|
[Mortal Enemy]
|Severity 18|
Someone REALLY strong is REALLY mad at you. The moment you awaken in your world, someone at least Epic Familiar in strength or a target closest to that level is going to be imbued with absolute hatred towards you and will stop at nothing to tear you apart.
|Resolve: Kill or neutralise your mortal enemy.|
[Nightwalker]
|Severity 18|
All of the problems of vampirism without any of the upsides, the moment you touch natural sunlight or something analogous, whatever part that was exposed disintegrates and turns to ash very painfully.
|Resolve: Acquire a trait that increases your light affinity above rare rank or acquire the pardon of a sun god or change your race| Canceled out by Warrior of Sunlight
[Neat Freak]
|Severity 3|
You are bound by compulsion to be neat, making you very uncomfortable when you are dirty and slightly decreasing your energy recovery and output when you are dirty.
|Resolve: Achieve Adept level Discipline or a trait that increases your mental resiliance.|
[Milkaholic]
|Severity 1|
You are addicted to milk, you can't get enough of it, and you NEED to drink it. If you go for extended periods of time without drinking milk, you will suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms regardless of your resistance or immunity.
|Resolve: Get sober, or drink milk from 3 or move Rare or above sources|
Pulls after Curses:
[Power Lifter]
|Elite Trait|
You are a natural-born strongman, or more like a stronger man. You possess greatly enhanced physical strength, allowing you to exert far more physical force with your body than you otherwise would be able to.
[Mana Substitution]
|Elite Trait|
Whoever said you needed paltry things such as blood, food, water, or air to breathe were liars. You can substitute any of those things with your own mana but don't depend on it for too long, or else you may instantly die when you run out of mana.
[Warrior of Sunlight]
|Elite Trait|
Dark Souls - You are a Warrior of Sunlight, a Warrior that praises the sun and devotes their faith in it, receiving powers in return. As a Warrior of Sunlight, you possess increased vitality. In addition, all Lightning and Fire-based abilities are slightly more potent and carry traces of sunlight within them, further increasing their potency against Undead and Dragons. Beings aligned with the Sun and Light may favor you more.
[Kamino]
|Rare Ability|
Jujutsu Kaisen - By chanting "Kamino" you can manifest a fire arrow with immense power behind it, although the wind-up is slow, its sheer destructive power and heat more than makeup for it.
[Lesser Curse]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you to put a curse on a target through physical contact; this curse decreases a chosen physical attribute of a target, such as Strength, Resilience, Stamina, Vitality, and Agility. The potency of the curse applied and its duration are relative to the difference in strength between you and the target, as well as the amount of energy you expend. Only one curse may be applied to a target at a time.
[Sunshine Charm]
|Uncommon Trait|
You exude a vibe of goodness and purity, good-aligned beings like you more. It is easier to convince that you are doing good.