The space was torn apart as a crack appeared near the center of the circular hall where the stone table altar was situated, then a godly figure walked out of it. "She" stride with soft steps like a noblewoman whose dignity couldn't be tainted, but she's exuding a dark blue aura that resembled the deepness of the night.
Russell's mouth was agape as if his jaw would be detached at the sight of the figure that walked out of the torn fabric of space, and before he knew it, he was already covered with a thick, dark blue barrier that depicts the sea of stars, a galaxy, as though countless twinkles were swirling around through it. It's the cosmic skill he's not qualified to know that the above-heavenly figure had cast on him.
Aside from giving him tranquility, calming his state of mind, to avoid fainting, one of the purposes of the skill that "She" used was to avoid accidentally killing him just by showing "Her" presence.
He would instantly die the moment the thick, dark blue barrier was lifted, and even though he was covered with it at this very moment, a mouthful of blood still leaked out from his mouth. It's not because there might be a flaw with "Her" cosmic skill, but rather the System only stated that he wouldn't die, which means that he might still suffer the physical consequences of standing in front of "Her" presence.
...
After a minute or two of "Her" materialization, "She" took out something from "Her" Dimensional Inventory. This 'something' floated in the air, prompting Russell to follow it with his eyes, causing him to form a confused expression as he recognized the 'thing' that was floating.
'...It's an Egg.'
He mumbled in his mind before he retracted his gaze from it and looked at the ground made of thick roots. He only saw the feet of the majestic figure through his peripheral vision as he maintained his kneeling stance which was an instinctive reaction from him.
"She" has many cosmic titles or nicknames according to what Russell remembered in his unpublished novel, but she's well known as the Goddess of Night.
The Goddess of Night looked at him with a gentle expression, but he knew very well that a wrong move or words were tantamount to his death.
Then, without directly looking at the eyes of the Goddess of Night, as he bowed his head, seemingly having a staring contest against the ground made of thick, sturdy roots, Russell heard the dignified, yet the gentle voice of "Her".
"Don't be afraid."
The Goddess of Night said in a calming tone that causes Russell's soul and heart to feel relieved inexplicably and strangely.
'Wh-what do you mean don't be afraid...?'
Russell inwardly thought. Although he's calmed down due to the mysterious, cosmic skill that the Goddess of Night had used on him, he still couldn't think straight with the above-heavenly presence standing in front of the puny man like him.
"It seems you are afraid of death. Heh heh."
The Goddess of Night smirked at the small man, not in a literal sense, kneeling in front of "Her" before "She" said, maintaining "Her" dignified yet gentle tone.
"As I said, I want to make a contract with you.
"You asked about the conditions, in which I only have two."
The Goddess of Night looked at the bowing Russell who was not daring to look at "Her".
Russell only listened at this moment, waiting for the Goddess of Night to say the conditions or reasons for asking him to be "Her" champion.
"Look at the Egg."
This time, Russell felt like he lost control of his will as he directly looked at the Egg, which has the size of an ostrich. Mysterious symbols were engraved on its outer shell, and for some unknown reason, he was being drawn closer to it.
"My condition is only for you to take care of this Egg until it hatches.
"And while in your care, take this Egg around your world.
"With this, the contract shall be made."
...
The Goddess of Night stated the two conditions: (1) take care of the mysterious Egg until it hatches, and (2) take the mysterious Egg around his world.
Russell's expression had a mix of confusion and anxiety with the very peculiar conditions in exchange for a contract with the Constellation in front of him.
"W-why me...?"
With an inexplicable mix of anxiety, fear, and confusion as his heart raced, he mustered up the courage to ask "Her", putting his thoughts into words.
'I-I need to calm down.'
He repeatedly tried to convince himself, but his mind couldn't process everything logically this time as he again looked at the ground of roots.
"Don't you want to?"
The Goddess of Night asked as though something like refusing was possible, but Russell didn't believe so.
This was a lifetime-to-never encounter opportunity that was happening for stupid and rather mysterious reasons; stupid as he didn't account for "Her" eyes to be cast on this Hidden Dungeon, and mysterious as he couldn't understand the thought process of the Goddess of Night, but upon thinking about such a thing, he realized how stupid he was for trying to understand, even slightly, the thought process of the Primordial Goddess.
At this moment, with the help of "Her" cosmic skill's tranquility effect, Russell mustered up everything he got, although he was still kneeling, he started to look up to clearly see the face of the Goddess of Night that he didn't manage to scrutinized upon her arrival earlier due to his instinctive reaction to kneel and bow down.
"She" looked straight into his eyes, and the moment their eyes met, Russell felt an indescribable thumping of his heart. It was the kind of beating that was forbidden and detrimental.
He quickly composed himself, brushing off the unnecessary feeling as he scrutinized the Goddess of Night's physical features.
"She" looked like she was in "Her" middle 20s with a slender body and fair skin that was beyond perfection, pitch black, waist-length hair, thin almond, deep blue eyes which pierces Russell's very soul as he looked at them.
"Stand up, mortal. I don't need such polite acts."
Russell stood up from kneeling, feeling a slight pain in his knees as he didn't know for how long he's been doing it. With the words that came out of "Her" mouth just now, and with his calming state of mind, he gradually remembered the characteristics and details about the Goddess of Night based on his unpublished novel.
|| "She" didn't need any praises or worship as some of the existing Constellations didn't even know "Her" existence. ||
|| The Goddess of Night was born out of Chaos itself and was the ruler of it for countless years. ||
|| "She" barely to seldom took an interest in the business of the other Constellations, which "She" even considered as kids, so how much more in taking an interest in a human? ||
The moment Russell recalled some of the lines in his unpublished novel, he grew increasingly confused as the Goddess of Night took an interest in him. It could only mean a thing... that he's f*cked up at this very moment.
"I-I just want to know the reason, why me...?"
He asked curiously while grasping the height of "Her" which was about at least 170 cm.
"You seem to have calmed down, now, mortal.
"If you are asking for the reason why I wanted to make a contract with you, making you my champion in the process...
"It's simply because... You are a strayed soul, and at the same time are not."
The Goddess of Night said in a way that seemed to indicate something mysterious about Russell's existence.
He felt goosebumps all over his body as he realized the possible indication of "Her" words.
'D-does "She" know I'm a reincarnated person...?'
"W-what do you mean?"
He asked with resolve, appearing to not have any guesses about "Her" previous words.
"...You know very well what I mean, mortal."
"Her" gentle voice vanished as a cold with a mix of arrogance and dignity reached his ears.
He didn't open up about his reincarnation, instead, he only assumed that the Goddess of Night might already know about it.
Russell thought a ridiculous idea, somewhat feeling a sort of comedy that his reincarnation didn't have the usual plot armor unlike some novels had read in his previous life where even an omnipotent god or an omniscient goddess didn't know that the person was reincarnated, transmigrated, or regressed to the past.
"Figure it out yourself, mortal."
The Goddess of Night added, cutting Russell's ridiculous, but somewhat very plausible thoughts.
"...What's your answer then, mortal? Will you accept my offer or not?"
After weighing everything down in his head, Russell responded firmly.
"I accept... I accept the conditions."
"A wise decision.
"Here, take the Egg, take care of it, and travel with it around your world.
"You will know the reason why it should be that way, eventually."
The Goddess of Night said before the Egg floated up from its initial place to Russell's hands with a wave of "Her" hand.
After observing the mysterious Egg for a bit, he asked if he could put it inside his Dimensional Inventory to which "She" replied with a nod.
...
Just after Russell put the mysterious Egg in his Dimensional Inventory, "She" approached him who was standing at least two meters away from "Her", then closing the gap between them, "She" extended "Her" fair-skinned right hand, placed it on his chest, but it didn't make physical contact with him due to the mysterious barrier that's surrounding him.
"The contract shall now be made, mortal."
The moment the Goddess of Night spoke those words, a mix of purple and dark blue aura emanated from "Her" hands, which then pervaded his chest.
'T-this is not how a contract is done...'
Russell thought inwardly, and along with his thoughts, without any warning, he suddenly felt that his heart was being carved with something, prompting him to scream out loud.
"You are right, this is not how a contract is done... if it's a normal contract that is.
"It's a brand I engraved in your heart, mortal."
As if the Goddess of Night had read his thoughts like a book.
"W-wh–"
The excruciating pain was unbearable as he couldn't manage to let out a single word.
"It's a contract, but a stronger one.
"So, sleep well, mortal."
The Goddess of Night said with a casual, but a somewhat solemn expression. "Her" words didn't register in his auricular sense as he felt like his heart was being poked by thousands of needles without anesthesia.
"Aaarrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!"
His scream reverberated throughout the Hidden Dungeon, "Oldest Root of Yggdrasil" before he passed out.
...
After an unknown period of time, inside the "Oldest Root of Yggdrasil", the dungeon that seemed to co-exist with the Chaos Aura that exudes from the Goddess of Night.
"She" looked at the face of the mortal, Russell Moon, whose head was sitting on "Her" lap as "She" sat on the ground. A faint smile was painted on her beautiful lips.
"...Russell Moon...
"##########."
"She" muttered his name, and said some words in a language unknown to humanity, then "She" grabbed his left hand, took out a certain seed from "Her" Dimensional Inventory with "Her" right hand, then placed it on Russell's palm before clenching it.
"She" gently placed his head on the ground, then snapped "Her" fingers.
After some time, "She" vanished from inside the Hidden Dungeon through the same, torn fabric of space, where "She" earlier came from, leaving the passed-out Russell on the ground.
Silence then covered the entirety of the dungeon.