Gaia's Quest

Gaia. The one and only god of this land, and a name more familiar to Otherworlders as the GM. One who has never manifested in the World herself, but whose existence is undeniable. And... the Administrator of the World, possessing divine power, a countermeasure against Demons. Though her name 'Gaia' might suggest only earth-related abilities, she was surprisingly a god who did many things. Wasn't it she, after all, who bestowed the miracle of 'quests' upon the Otherworlders?

As a god responsible for such a vast domain, her religion was deeply rooted in this World. Even I had offered prayers to her at some point. Of course, it wasn't by my own will; it was forced upon me due to the nature of the Orphanage. *...It was so boring.* If I had spent that time helping out the Bakery Owner instead of praying, I might have at least gotten a piece of bread. Back then, to me, that so-called god was nothing compared to the Bakery Owner who occasionally tossed me bread. The God of Baking, who baked amazing bread even in this unremarkable medieval era. *Oh, so praying brings peace and well-being? I can find peace myself with just one damn piece of bread.* It was a thought so blasphemous that if the Nuns at the Orphanage had heard it, they wouldn't have hesitated to smack me on the head.

Well... perhaps as punishment for not praying diligently back then, I became a Manifestor. After being relentlessly hunted by Knights and even exiled from civilization for a time, I suppose I received my just desserts. Anyway, to sum it up... to me, God was a being both close and distant. As a power that was super effective against Demons, it was also quite a burden for me, a Manifestor. Of course, I made good use of the holy water Priests produced... but I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling.

It felt like as soon as I stepped into the Temple, someone would shout, *Where do you think you're going, you blasphemer!* and try to Purify me. Of course, I knew that wouldn't happen, especially since I'd received a direct invitation from a Priest last time... Still, I couldn't help but feel a rising sense of unease. Regardless, my footsteps steadily led me towards the Temple.

It seems the quests are different for each person. I listened to Hanbyeol Shin's explanation as we walked. This was what I liked about being with Otherworlders. I didn't even have to open my mouth; they'd just provide all sorts of information. "No, to be precise, the themes are the same. But the difficulty between them varies so wildly... people are even saying it's Discrimination among us. Of course, I'm happy my quest is easy..." She said that the quests Otherworlders received this time were divided into three categories. In order: Martial Prowess (Martial Prowess), Valor (Valor), and Devotion (Devotion). Otherworlders had to complete one quest for each theme, and after completing one, they...