Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

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Choosing to first understand this Realm before making any drastic decisions, Elayne and Mark stepped out of their “house” and into the village, which had been mostly built by the people themselves.

As she walked outside, Elayne noticed Sailor approaching with a smile. He seemed genuinely happy to see her awake and was surprised by the towering warrior at her side.

“Elayne, you’re finally awake! I’m glad,” he said. “And you must be Mark, right? Not crazy this time, I assume.”

“Yeah, it’s him,” Elayne nodded. “Sailor, please try to be nicer…”

“No, it’s fine. I was indeed mad,” Mark said. “I apologize for all the damage I caused, and I swear upon my soul I’ll do everything I can to help everyone here.”

“Ah, well, I didn’t expect you to be that kind of guy, but yeah, let’s get along,” Sailor replied. “I’m Sailor. What’s your name?”

“Mark,” he said, shaking Sailor’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Elayne told me about you and her friends. I’m really grateful you were there for her and encouraged her to keep moving forward.”

“Encouraged her…?” Sailor echoed. “Ah, well, yeah, sure… though we were all pretty depressed. Aside from Little Hope, it was more like Elayne who helped us feel better. She was the one who encouraged us to keep going and seek something new.”

“Aw, you don’t have to be so modest about it, dear Sailor,” Elayne smiled. “It’s quite alright. Now that we’re far from danger, we can finally relax and talk about everything we couldn’t before.”

“I guess so. Ah, right—I came to tell you about the people who came with us. We’ve been counting them and writing down their names to officially register them in our sect,” Sailor explained.

“Is that so?” Elayne asked. “Can I see the list?”

“Of course. That’s what we came here to do,” Sailor nodded. “Some of the people managed to bring along items they stole. Apparently, they took advantage of everyone being weakened to grab money, weapons, shields, armor… we even got a few books, ink, and paper.”

“Oh wow, that’s… well, I’m not really into stealing, but that’s good nonetheless,” Elayne said. “I just hope we don’t encourage theft. That’s just… wrong.”

“Well, Elayne, they were all pieces of trash we hated, so it’s fine, right?” Sailor asked.

“Hm, okay, but don’t use swear words in front of Little Hope. You need to be a good example for the children,” Elayne replied.

“Geez, you nag me like you’re my mom…” Sailor sighed. “Anyway, here—take this.”

He handed her a book filled with names and brief information about each person who had escaped with them when the opportunity arose.

Elayne read through it slowly, one name at a time, realizing that some of the people were quite talented—not just skeletons who knew how to swing a weapon.

“Huh, there’s a sculptor? Is this the person who built these houses?” Elayne asked with interest.

“Yes, he helped me mold them!” Little Hope chimed in.

“There are also a few others I’ve marked with a star,” Sailor added. “They’re talented or possess great knowledge. I’d like you to meet someone first before we go through the rest. She’s our eldest member.”

“…Eldest?” Elayne tilted her head.

Sailor led her to a small house on the far eastern edge of the village, surrounded by glowing crystals. An old granny sat outside, smoking a pipe.

She was small, with very long, pointy ears, a beak-like nose, long white hair tied into braids, and pale blue skin with red eyes. She looked at Elayne with a gentle smile.

“Phew, you’re finally here, missus.”

“Huh? Ah, nice to meet you… you’re not an Undead?”

“That I am not. I’m a member of the Blue Ghostly Goblin Race,” the granny explained, pointing to her forehead beneath her leather hat. A pair of white horns, each the size of a thumb, protruded from her skin.

“Wow, I thought everyone who ran away was Undead…” Elayne said. “It’s nice to meet you, miss.”

“Name’s Yaga. I was a librarian back in the city—perhaps the only one,” the old lady sighed. “They barely treated me like a person. I couldn’t stand how they treated you poor Undead, and I’d grown tired of being there. They wouldn’t let me return to my homeland, so I ran.”

“O-Oh, I see…” Elayne nodded. “I guess as a member of a noble race, they can’t just enslave you…”

“They can. They definitely can enslave us. Among the noble races, we Blue Ghostly Goblins are the lowest of the low,” Yaga laughed. “The Asuras and Rakshasas employ us as workers, paying us pennies. Jiangshi, Ghouls, and Vampires hunt us if we don’t belong to a large house—to eat us or drink our blood, which Undead don’t have.”

“Really?” Elayne was shocked. “I’m so sorry…”

“I was old and decrepit, but I had a few contacts, so I managed to get a job. Still, it wasn’t enough. In a way, they kind of kidnapped me—they wouldn’t let me leave,” Yaga sighed. “See? The Undead and us Blue Ghostly Goblins aren’t so different. We face discrimination and hatred constantly, so I empathize with your people.”

“I’m glad to have you around, Lady Yaga,” Elayne said with a warm smile, sitting beside her and feeling the heat of the bonfire the old woman had built. “I’m really new to this world… In the world of the living, we think the Netherworld is just a place where souls go to rest. We never imagined it was such a vast realm.”

“Hmph, you wouldn’t believe how many people say that when they arrive,” Yaga chuckled. “Normal folks from the living world can’t breathe here and die within seconds. But we of the noble races are certainly, and completely, alive… except for some who you might call living undead—like Vampires, Jiangshi, and Ghouls—but still more alive than any poor soul dropped here and turned into a ghost, skeleton, or zombie.”

“That’s incredible—and if I may say, fascinating. A world where the dead come to rest, yet it’s filled with living beings adapted to its energies…” Elayne said.

“Hohoho, to us this is just common sense. But I suppose for folks from the living world, it’s quite shocking,” Yaga laughed, taking another puff from her pipe. “Want some? It’s a nice herb that opens your mind and calms the soul.”

“Ah, no… no thank you,” Elayne replied with an awkward smile.

“Hmph, no fun, huh?” Yaga sighed, setting her pipe down. “Alright then, what do you want to know? This old lady can’t defend herself at her age, let alone live alone, so I’ll be happy to stay here and receive some food and attention. In exchange, I’m willing to share the great knowledge I’ve gathered over my long life.”

“Of course,” Elayne nodded. “Even if you had nothing to contribute, I wouldn’t abandon you, Lady Yaga.”

“Hoh, so you’re saying you’re kind enough to take on burdens?” Yaga laughed. “Well, well, people from the living world sure are amusing! Now girl, want to guess how old I am?”

“Umm… a few hundred years?” Elayne guessed.

“Hah! So you think I’m a child? I’ve lived for 342,000 years!” Yaga declared, slamming her pipe against the fire.

“Huh?!” Elayne and Mark both gasped.

“Oh, I didn’t notice the big one. Is he your lover?” Yaga asked. “I’m weak to love stories myself… It’s very rare for lovers from the living world to reunite in the Netherworld. A miracle, I’d say.”

“Ah yes, he’s my lover. His name’s Mark,” Elayne nodded. “We were going to get married eventually… we had a child.”

“Hm, my condolences,” Yaga sighed. “That baby… maybe you’ll find her here. Don’t give up hope.”

“No, no—I made sure the baby would live,” Elayne smiled, as Mark held her hand. “When we died… I used everything I had to save my daughter, my baby, and her friends…”

“Oh… quite heroic. Now I’m curious how you even died…” Yaga sighed. “But I’m nobody to intrude on such things. Now, ask away. What do you want to learn?”

“First… about the Netherworld. What is it exactly? Where are we? How many regions are there? How vast is it?” Elayne asked.

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