MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

Ren's heart sank as he realized that he had failed to rid himself of the unwanted company. He cursed under his breath, frustrated by his own incompetence.

But perhaps it was due to her divine domain as the Goddess of Fortune and Luck that fate seemed to favor her, even though she appeared weak.

Ren found himself baffled by this realization. Could it be that he couldn't lay a finger on her because of some passive ability granted by her divine status?

The thought sent a chill down his spine. If that were the case, it certainly didn't bode well for him.

As Pamela picked herself up from the ground, Ren braced himself for her inevitable anger and accusations. He knew that he would have to think fast to come up with an excuse for his actions.

But to his astonishment, Pamela simply pouted and pushed out her cheeks in a childish display of frustration. "How dare you ignore me?" she growled at Ren, stomping her foot, and pointing her finger at him. Ren watched in disbelief as the girl continued to sulk, her attention seemingly focused more on her wounded pride than on the fact that he almost killed her.

Ren couldn't help but wonder if Pamela was simply oblivious to the danger surrounding them. Was she . . . an idiot? He mused silently to himself, eyeing her warily.

"Who are you?" Ren finally asked, his tone curt and to the point. He didn't particularly care about her identity; he simply wanted to get the interaction over with and continue on his way.

He must have triggered some event or something, but Ren didn't have time to play along. Maybe after they found Lorelai, he could entertain whatever this event was.

So far, he was thankful that the goddess wasn't hostile and wasn't attacking him . . . at least not physically.

Pamela paused in her frantic battle against the creatures, blinking in surprise at Ren's question. Then, with a flicker of a smile, she introduced herself. "Ah, hello! My name is Pamela, and I'm the Goddess of Fortune and Luck!"

Ren's surprise was evident, expecting her to be more secretive about her divine identity. However, he reasoned that gods and goddesses were often too proud to conceal their status.

"I see. Is there anything you want with me?" Ren inquired, his gaze still fixed on Pamela.

Pamela placed her hands on her hips, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself? It's only proper manners to introduce yourself after someone has told you their name!"

Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Ren reluctantly replied, "Ren," before turning to leave.

But Pamela wasn't about to let him slip away so easily. "Hey, wait! Are you going to leave me here alone?!" she called out after him, panic evident in her voice.

"I don't know you," Ren simply stated, continuing on his way without looking back.

He had little desire to engage with the goddess any further. The less interaction he had with her, the better.

However, much to his dismay, Pamela hopped to his side, refusing to be left behind. "Take me with you! I'm lost in here," she pleaded, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

"You're a goddess; this should be a breeze for you," Ren remarked, his tone tinged with annoyance.

Pamela's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Yeah, but I'm not good with directions. And you have a pet tracker, hi there!" she exclaimed, beaming at Pii, who seemed oddly comfortable around her.

Ren couldn't help but lower his guard slightly at Pii's interaction with her. "A goddess is asking for your help, so you should feel honored," she added, her voice carrying a hint of pride.

Ren paused and turned to face her fully. "I don't need honor. I need something. What can you give me?" he asked, his expression serious.

Pamela hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by Ren's request. "G-give you?" she stammered, her mind racing to come up with a suitable offer.

Ren extended his palm towards her expectantly. "An item or equipment. A goddess must have a lot of valuable treasures with her, right? If you want my help, then you have to pay for it," he stated firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Perhaps this was an opportunity to acquire some valuable items, Ren thought to himself, his mind already calculating the potential benefits of striking a deal with the goddess.

Pamela's offer of a piece of candy caught Ren off guard. He stared at the pink cotton candy in his hand, incredulous at the situation. Was she serious? Placing her safety on a piece of candy seemed utterly ridiculous to him.

"You're giving me candy as payment for taking you out and possibly saving your sorry life?" Ren asked, his tone a mix of disbelief and incredulity.

Pamela beamed at him, unfazed by his reaction. "Of course! It's the best dessert in this realm, in my opinion. Sweet and flavorful, it's sure to bring a smile to your grumpy face. Be grateful that I have given you my last piece."

Ren sighed inwardly, resisting the urge to berate her and pound some sense into her head. He couldn't believe he was dealing with a goddess who seemed more like an airhead than a divine being.

"Right," Ren muttered, unsure of how to respond to Pamela's bizarre gesture. "Thanks, I guess."

Before Ren could say anything else, Pamela darted off, shouting, "Now let's go comrade Ren!" Ren watched her go, shaking his head in bemusement. Whether it was the absurdity of the situation or Pamela's eccentric behavior, he couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

With a resigned sigh, Ren realized that he had no choice but to tolerate Pamela's presence for the time being. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not when the creatures of Cloudy Forest could attack at any moment.

Tucking the cotton candy into his pocket, Ren reluctantly followed after Pamela, steeling himself for whatever would happen next.