Happy Enough to Die

At this moment, Kubana's incompatibility with this world became starkly apparent.

When the others saw the deity emerge from the light, they were instantly dazed, their minds blank and unable to comprehend. But Kubana, though equally stunned, did not lose himself—instead, his pupils sharpened instantly, his face filled with disbelief and a trace of fervent eagerness. Perhaps, amid the endless anxiety gained from prolonged contemplation, he harbored not reverence for the deity's existence, but some inexpressible anticipation. An anticipation that the personified embodiment of great power could answer the questions he could not share with others! That it could engage with him on an intellectual level—equal, no, higher!—unlike his tribesmen, who only grinned, clapped, and parroted "The wise one is mighty," "The wise one is unmatched," "What are you saying, wise one?" at his vivid explanations. They understood nothing of rat-beasts! No communication. No resolution. It left Kubana utterly lonely and anxious.

Now, however, a sacred being had appeared, and she said she could answer his doubts! Kubana immediately knelt on the ground, gazing at the deity's exquisite face and radiance, and said fervently, "You... what are you?"

The exquisite goddess looked down at him and said, "I am... a deity, the personification of natural forces and the Universal Rules."

Kubana looked puzzled and asked, "Deity, what is the universe?"

The exquisite goddess pointed to the starry sky and said, "The deep firmament you mortals cannot see, along with the earth beneath your feet, is the vast thing called the universe."

Kubana fell silent again, muttering unformed, obscure words under his breath. After a long while, a gleam of insight flashed in his eyes, and his face filled with shock. "The stars in the night sky—are they each a continent? Only because they're too far away, we see just specks of starlight? Then why do stars only appear at night... because the sun's light blocks their rays during the day?"

The exquisite goddess gave Kubana a deep look and said, "What you've guessed is close to the surface of the truth."

Kubana muttered blankly, "Close to the surface of the truth? Then it's not the real truth! And you call it the surface, so there must be deeper meaning? O god, please tell me the true essence!"

The exquisite goddess shook her head and said, "Kubana, my descent was prompted by the cry of your thoughts, but you mortals must not presume to command a deity. If you wish to gain something, it depends on what you can offer in exchange."

Kubana thought for a moment and said, "What do you need me to do? What can a mortal like me offer you, O deity, to earn your blessing?"

The exquisite goddess said with authority, "Remember my form, comprehend my majesty, praise my true name, and spread this majesty to every corner of this continent."

Kubana answered without hesitation, "I will devote my entire life to spreading your faith!"

The exquisite goddess said, "Then speak what you desire. Whatever power you want, I can grant it to you."

Kubana quickly replied, "This is my honor! O god, I seek no power. I only ask that you answer three questions for me, and Kubana's life shall belong to you alone!"

The exquisite goddess frowned and said, "Ask."

Kubana pointed fervently at the earth, then at the distant starry sky, and said, "What is this world made of? What lies in the depths of the stars? What is the meaning of human existence?"

Tang Chuan was stunned.

What's going on here?

You're a mortal from a primitive society! You should be driven by instinct, by the desires in your bloodline! Yet you tell me you don't want power, don't want authority, don't want a harem—you just want me to answer these three questions? Then how will you spread my faith, how will you contend with those two lucky ones? These three questions are the ultimate ones that only later humans, with more developed material and thought, would raise. You're already pondering them now?

Tang Chuan shook his head and said, "If you don't gain power from me, you cannot spread my glory to every corner of the continent. Kubana, as a lowly mortal, how dare you presume to deceive a deity?"

Kubana thought for a moment, then arrived at an answer and said bitterly, "Yes, without supernatural power, I cannot become humanity's ruler, nor widely spread your glory. But I yearn too much to know the answers. O god, could you grant me two wishes? I'm not bargaining—Kubana only humbly begs you to answer those three questions. Even if... even if it costs me my life this instant, I want to see the answers in the moment before death. Compared to the answers, death is utterly trivial."

Tang Chuan really couldn't hold it together anymore.

You're not even afraid of death? I haven't established the Reincarnation System in this world yet. You all don't even have a clear concept of a soul—once you die, there's nothing. Just to glimpse the answers for a moment?

Tang Chuan still refused and said, "You may have only one wish. However, if you truly make my light remembered across the continent, then in the moment before your death, I will descend and tell you the final answer."

Kubana said, "Good! Then I... um..."

Kubana wanted to say, then tell me how to become a god.

After becoming a god, I had ample time, energy, and most importantly, power to dissect the answers to all questions.

But seeing the frowning Goddess, his heart suddenly felt that if he opened his mouth and spouted nonsense, Her Ladyship the Goddess might, in a fit of anger, directly slap him to death!

Tang Chuan used the "mind reading" attribute to analyze Kubana's thoughts.

She really wanted to grab this guy by the collar and yell: That goes without saying!

You want to become a god?

If you become a god, then what am I even doing here?

The first two lucky ones had limited thinking and vision.

But you—your thinking is seriously over the line!

Kubana seemed to sense the dangerous aura, stammering and stuttering as he changed his tune: "Um, I, I want some... knowledge? Like how tying a stone and a stick together can make an axe, how fire can be spread, drive away beasts, and cook things...

Knowledge like that... weapon knowledge that mortals can grasp?

Goddess, can you grant me this?"

Tang Chuan's gaze was deep, and he fell silent, which made Kubana's heart pound.

Am I being too much?

Wanting the deity to teach me the use of natural forces like fire—is that overstepping?

Or did I not explain clearly, and the deity didn't understand?

But Tang Chuan was actually, in his mind, having Quintessa help create a crude set of "Enlightenment Books."

For example, how fire can forge Iron Ore, how substances like saltpeter can be refined into gunpowder, the structural formula of concrete, and so on...

A moment later.

A stack of golden-glowing papers drifted down from the air.

The papers existed between matter and illusion, and directly, under Kubana's dazed gaze, floated into his mind.

Tang Chuan: "These are the basic knowledge I have granted you. To prevent damage or theft by others, they have entered your mind. Just close your eyes, and you can browse and study them.

Kubana, mortals are like ants, yet I have chosen only you. Do not disappoint me, and even more so... do not attempt to deceive a god!"

Kubana was overjoyed and quickly nodded, saying, "The deity is my one and only! Knowledge is the path to spread your glory! Deity, please tell me your name!"

Tang Chuan: "I am the embodiment of wisdom and order, the God of Truth, Aethelred! Go, do what you must, and I will gladly watch."

With that, his form slowly dissipated.

Kubana said dryly, "Aethelred my lord, before I die, you must appear!"

Don't break your promise.

I really want to know the answer!

"I will always be watching you."

"I look forward to your arrival!"

This was the first person who was happy to die right away...