The roar shook the entire Abyssal Forest.
The fairy birds fled in iridescent flocks, the green mist swirled, and giant roots burst from the ground like whips.
Rafaela, still barefoot and confused by her new goddess like body, could only manage to say:
—Okay, this definitely doesn't sound like a magic bunny…
The beast emerged from the trees like a living earthquake.
An Alpha Spore Dragon:
Dark green skin covered with bark like bony plates,
The back covered in pulsating, luminous mushrooms,
Reptilian yellow eyes that dripped venom,
And each exhalation raised a toxic cloud that melted the moss in its wake.
When it saw Rafaela, it lowered its neck, opened its snout, and prepared an attack.
The guide floated beside her, very calm for the situation.
—An Alpha level corrosive breath attack is approaching. Avoidance or countermeasures are recommended.
—Recommended? Dude, that thing is for me! —Rafaela shouted, taking a step back.
The Dragon inhaled deeply.
One second.
Of the.
Three.
And then
KRRRSHHHHHHH!!!
The attack exploded toward her like a green blast of living acid.
The entire ground sizzled. The black bark of the trees melted instantly.
Rafaela only managed to raise her arms out of pure reflex.
The attack enveloped her… and nothing happened.
Literally nothing.
When the toxic cloud dissipated, Rafaela was exactly the same, without a scratch, her white dress intact, her silver hair shining as if it had a beauty filter.
—Ah…? —she looked at her hands
—But what…? Didn't it even sting a little?
The guide blinked.
—Its divine resistance surpasses the composition of the attack by an approximate margin of… 3400%.
—WHAT? But that thing melted a tree! —Rafaela pointed at the trunk turned into green soup.
The Dragon roared in frustration, struck the ground with its claws, and charged at her like a living mountain.
Rafaela raised her fists, trembling.
—Okay… well… let's see how this whole goddess thing works out…
When the beast opened its mouth to bite her, she acted purely on instinct.
FIVE!
She punched it straight in the jaw.
A punch.
Nothing else.
The sound was like a tree splitting, followed by a monstrous shriek.
The enormous Spore Dragon flew backward, dragging dirt, uprooting roots and trunks, and crashing into a rock that shattered into a thousand pieces.
Several giant teeth shot into the air like projectiles.
Rafaela stood with her fist outstretched, blinking very slowly.
—…
—Critical impact. Fractured jaw. Four teeth knocked out.
Rafaela lowered her hand, impressed.
—Hmm… I think I went a little overboard with that…
The Dragon, dazed, tried to get up slowly, its breathing heavy and tongue lolling out.
It looked dizzy, confused… and terrified.
Rafaela approached, still unsure of how to proceed.
—Um… guide… what do I do now?
—Use your Fairy Authority to subdue him.
—And how do I do that? Do I throw glitter at it?
—With your voice. A direct order should suffice.
—Ah.
Rafaela cleared her throat.
—Okay… dragon… stay still and don't move… okay?
She said it half hesitantly, half scared.
But the effect was immediate.
The whole earth trembled.
An invisible wave surged from her throat, as if the air itself were obeying.
The Dragon's mushrooms went dormant.
Its muscles froze.
Its claws stopped trembling.
And the enormous reptile remained motionless as a statue.
Obeying.
Completely submissive.
Rafaela's eyes widened in shock.
—BUT WHAT?!
The guide floated beside her.
—Congratulations. You have activated your Divine Voice Authority. Any creature with less faerie mana than you is now bound to obey simple commands.
Rafaela looked at the motionless Dragon… then at her hand… then at her mouth…
And finally she put both hands to her head.
—BUT I ONLY TOLD HIM "DON'T MOVE"! THIS IS TOO WEIRD!
WHAT IF I ACCIDENTALLY TOLD SOMEONE TO DIE?
—That's why you need to learn self control.
—DON'T TELL ME I CAN KILL PEOPLE JUST FOR SAYING IT!
—Can
—NOOOO!!!
The Dragon let out a tragic groan, still very still, unable to move.
Rafaela took a deep breath and approached him, gently placing her hand on his giant snout.
—It's okay… sorry for knocking out your teeth…
I don't know what I'm doing either… I'm new to this whole goddess thing.
The Dragon blinked slowly, like a scolded dog.
—Do you want to release him from the "don't move" order?
—Yes, but only if you promise not to attack me anymore.
Rafaela cleared her throat, trying to sound important:
—Okay… dragon… you can move… but don't attack me.
The divine wave came out gently this time.
The Dragon stood up without making a sound… and bowed its head before her.
A gesture of absolute submission.
—Really? —Rafaela tilted her head.
—Now I have… a saddle?
The guide replied:
—He has an alpha subject from the Abyssal Forest. A fitting start for a deity.
Rafaela smiled for the first time since she arrived.
—Well, we're off to a good start, aren't we?
The Dragon roared softly, as if saying yes, boss.
--------
The Alpha Spore Dragon, still bearing visible gaps where fangs had once been, crouched down so Rafaela could climb aboard.
She blinked for a moment, gazing at its enormous, spiny back.
—How am I supposed to get on here without getting my buttocks pierced by these spikes, or worse… getting into places they shouldn't? I don't want to become addicted to certain sensations! —she muttered nervously.
—The spikes will retract when you climb. It acknowledges your authority. —the guide replied without any shame.
And indeed, the bone plates rearranged themselves like petals opening.
—Well… let's see what it feels like to be a horse goddess. —she said with a determined breath.
She propelled herself gracefully (courtesy of her new body) and sat upon the Dragon's back.
Vibrations of power coursed through her entire body.
The Dragon roared softly.
WHOOOOSH!
With a colossal leap, it rose among the enormous trees, running along trunks, jumping over rocky ledges, making its way through dense clouds of glowing spores while Rafaela clung to the creature's neck.
—IS THIS SAFE?! —she shouted as her silver hair waved like a flag.
—Yes. The Alpha Spore Dragon is completely subdued and prioritizes keeping her alive above any offensive action. —the guide replied calmly.
—OK, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME HE JUMPED SIXTY METERS, OK! —Rafaela shouted, gripping the dragon tightly.
As they moved through the forest, Rafaela tried to observe her surroundings.
Everything was enormous, ancient, alive… but something felt off.
—Guide… why don't I see any fairies? —she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
—I mean… Myriam told me I was the goddess of fairies. Where are my… subjects? My companions. Whatever.
There was silence.
Then another pause.
—You can't see fairies because… there are no fairies, Rafaela. —the guide finally responded in a serious tone.
Rafaela's heart skipped a beat.
—What? What do you mean there aren't any? That doesn't make sense! Where are they?!
—Extinct. —the guide replied solemnly.
The cold wind hit her face.
Rafaela gritted her teeth.
—Explain yourself.
—When Myriam accepted your position, she relinquished her active role as a Fairy Deity. But in reality… she had neglected her duties for a long time.
—What duties? —Rafaela asked, confused.
—Maintain the fairy population. —the guide replied.
Rafaela blinked slowly.
—What exactly does that mean?
—Fairies do not reproduce through biological processes. Each fairy is a fragment of the fairy divinity, embodied in a nucleus of life. When Myriam was active, she could "exhale" part of her power to generate new fairies.
—…I mean…
—Each fairy existed because Myriam gave them direct origin.
—And when did she stop doing it?
The guide hesitated for a moment, a small luminous glitch flickering in her form.
—About 65 years ago.
Rafaela opened her mouth slowly, horrified.
—SIXTY FIVE YEARS?! How on earth did the species survive for so long?!
—They did not survive.
The Dragon kept running, but Rafaela felt the world stop.
—No wonder… —she murmured, a mixture of sadness and frustration in her voice.
No wonder she was mentally exhausted…
They depended entirely on her to be born, to grow, to exist…
And she simply stopped creating new ones…
She put a hand to her forehead.
—Myriam… what on earth happened to you…? Did it exhaust you that much…?
The guide continued.
—Now you wield your authority. And the world feels your absence. The fairies were responsible for multiple vital functions.
—Like what?
The guide displayed a data panel.
—Effects of a world without fairies:
Loss of magical pollinators.
Natural manna becomes unstable.
The Abyssal Forest grows uncontrollably in certain regions.
Fairy beasts become corrupted faster.
Nearby kingdoms lose trade in fairy crystals.
Seasonal protection rituals weaken.
The anti-abyssal barrier deteriorates 0.5% per year.
—…wait. —Rafaela murmured, clenching her fist as her wings vibrated with a silvery glow.
—Are you telling me that… if there are no fairies… the whole world starts to fall apart?
—Correct.
—And that Myriam was the only one who could make them be born?
—While she held the divine position, yes.
Rafaela frowned, staring at the dense, dark forest in front of her.
Her chest felt heavy. Not from guilt… but from the weight of responsibility that had just fallen on her shoulders.
—So… nothing remains? Not a single fairy? Not a single fairy light lost somewhere?
—Detecting… —the guide emitted a soft sound— Negative. Population = 0.
The Spore Dragon roared softly, as if sensing the tension.
Rafaela took a deep breath.
—Guide… tell me something. How… serious is this? How exactly does the absence of fairies affect the world?
The guide stopped completely.
Her voice resounded, clear and solemn:
—It affects everything, Rafaela.
—Everything…?
—Everything.
—What do you mean?
—The fairies were the living embodiment of magical balance. Without them, the world can survive… but not thrive. Seasons become violent. Mana becomes erratic. Creatures are more easily corrupted…
Rafaela felt a chill run down her spine.
—And eventually…?
The guide responded with mathematical coldness:
—If there is no active goddess to regenerate the fairy population… the natural cycle of the world will collapse in 300 years.
Rafaela opened her eyes wide.
—COLLAPSE? THAT BLUNTLY?
—Yes. —the guide replied.
The cold wind pierced the trees.
The forest seemed to wait… silent… empty.
Rafaela clenched her fist tightly.
—So… I guess it's up to me to clean up the mess Myriam left behind…
The guide nodded with a soft glow.
—You are the new Fairy Deity.
Rafaela exhaled, her wings shimmering in the pale light.
—Well… let my workday begin then.
I have a forest to heal…
And a world I refuse to let die, for that would weigh heavily on my conscience.