Stepping in through the gate, a sudden heat begins building in my chest. I feel a sense of urgency coming from my subconscious, this is the start of something. A thought crosses my mind. I still haven't finished my growth yet, I'm still only 5'11. This has to be the worst timing, now I really need to book a room at an inn. This town is fairly large, how am I going to find an inn quickly?

Well, I suppose I could try to find a large concentration of people with Aura Vision and hope that it works out. I don't think I'm that lucky though, and I could end up in a worse situation. Dammit, I have to risk it on the possibility, Lady Luck please smile upon me. I close and reopen my eyes, an overwhelming amount of Auras assault my mind. I'm not just detecting those in the city, but ones in the forest and ocean too. My eyes begin to hurt from processing all the information, but I push through the pain in order to search closely. There are three spots where there could be an inn, but the other two may be shops or brothels. I have to risk choosing one and pray that it was right.

In the center of town, to the north and to the south are the three locations. My first guess is that it would be in the center, as it's close to both the market and the gate. It seems logical as supplies and guests would be able to easily find their way to the inn.

That's also the place where the largest number of people are crowded as well, so my best chance is that building. If I had a partner or two I wouldn't need to take this risk at all and could have them check the other locations. I don't think any High Elf would willingly come here though, as most of them prefer their quiet homes in Arves.

Pretty sure they wouldn't understand my plight either, so hopefully I'll find some proper companions in Windberg. That can wait until I'm not in the middle of a crisis, panic is starting to set in. My breathing is becoming unsteady, my heart is pounding loudly within my chest, but my mind is eerily calm. I can recognize my panicked state, but it's as if I'm just watching my body panic and not experiencing anything myself. It's a strange disconnect between mental and physical.

My body moves as I command, but it's robotic in nature, like it was pre-programmed to move in this fashion. I begin to see from outside of my body as if I was switching from first to third person in a game. I think I need to hurry up, before my consciousness goes! Slowly, the mechanical movements accelerate and I begin to run. Since I'm not in total control my speed was completely unrestrained and I easily surpass 200 mph. At this velocity, it'd be very easy to overshoot the inn, so I have to time my stop perfectly. When I first entered Windberg I was maybe one or two miles away from this possible tavern. But before I could reach it I blacked out.

A voice I had not heard in some time spoke to me when I regained my consciousness.

"Hello, Lugh. It has been approximately 15 years since we last spoke." The deep and dulcet voice instantly bring up memories of my time in The Void.

"Yes, but what is 15 years to a God, especially one as powerful as you?"

"Ha, flattery will get you nowhere boy!" The space around me quivers at his laughter. " I do love your jokes, but putting that aside, you are wondering why you are here. The answer is that I felt like I needed to tell you some things."

"While I admit to being curious, I was more worried about my physical body back on Ulder."

"Well, your body's fine, I already walked it into the inn and payed for a room. It's currently laying on the bed, maturing as we speak."

"That's a relief, so what did you need to tell me?"

"Your old world is...gone. Not the universe itself, just your home planet. The star you called Sol or the Sun finally became a red giant and swallowed Earth along with a few others. Well, not that it matters too much as your family and friends died eons ago. Actually, that news too, is fairly old."

As his words hit me, I felt a series of emotions. Sadness and anger at first, but those quickly gave way to acceptance. I knew that there was nothing I could do about it, and I couldn't be angry at the God, since it isn't his job to babysit every single world he creates. A slight pain remains in my chest, evidence of what remains of my connection to my old home. I cannot allow myself to break down here and now, mourning for them will have to wait for when I'm alone.

"I still have a few things to tell you, so I'd appreciate your continued focus. The other Gods have found out about my little project here, so a few have raised demands that I erase this place. Not that I'd listen to the complaints of those weaker than me. Anyway, it is possible that they may try and meddle with Ulder. so be on the look out for strange happenings. Of course, I have placed restrictions preventing them from outright descending onto the material plane. More importantly, the young Gods of Ulder would try to fight outside influence, weak as they are as compared to older Gods."

"What Gods would try to

interfere?"

"Oh, let's see. If I remember correctly, the God of Beasts, the God of Chaos, The Goddess of Vanity, and the God of Pestilence all wanted me to destroy Ulder. Their exact reasons are unknown, but I think it can be attributed to Dragons."

"What? Why Dragons?"

"Up until now, I've never created such a being, one that's immortal and grows stronger with age. I've made creatures with just one of either of those attributes, but never both. These Dragons could become Gods if enough time passed, and that's the problem, there can only be so many Gods at a time. If more are born than needed, previous Gods will begin to die, and their Authorities passed on to new Gods. And you can see why some Gods would be against that."

"What about you?"

"Ah, I'm a special case. As God of Creation, and Ruler, I cannot die until I am defeated in combat and my Authority is forcefully stripped from me. It's one of the Rules that binds Gods."

"So, what should I be on the look out for?"

"Well, obviously strange animal behavior would be easiest. Speaking of which, I'll place some seals to prevent your Contracted Beasts from coming under his influence. Next would be, disastrous plagues. Ulder has a pretty low amount of illnesses, so they'd be ones that can wipe out entire countries if not treated. Although, Dragons are completely immune to disease, so any effort he puts in to killing them is moot. Chaos and Vanity are a bit more subtle, since their Authorities are a bit less noticeable. I'd say Chaos will probably aim at causing strife, maybe trying to start a war. Vanity, hmm, Vanity will most likely target High Elves and Humans, as they are the most vain of the Races.All the other Races are more interested in their various crafts, rather than themselves."

"I feel like that statement only applies to Dwarves."

"Wild Elves are highly respected as Alchemists for their almost innate knowledge of various plants and herbs. Vampires are deeply invested in research on how to cure themselves. Drow are the leaders of a well-known and respected Assassin's organization. Beast-Folk are all creating various forms of martial arts, they have no time for vanity in their society. And the Nas'ver Giants are a peaceful tribe, they despise conflict and seek co-existence. You mean to tell me that any of these Races are vain to the same extreme as High Elves and Humans?"

"Okay, I can see where you're coming from, but I should still look out for those who act vain, even if they're a Giant."

"I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry, so your caution is understandable."

"Is that everything then?"

"No, there still one more thing."

"What?"

"Your sister, in this world, she isn't a completely natural being."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's not truly an Elf or Dragon. Your interference in her birth caused a slight mutation."

"Is she going to die?" My voice cracks.

"No, she's gained immortality, but she doesn't experience any Tribulations. Basically she's a pure High-Elf, just immortal."

"You mean to say she might catch the attention of a God?"

"It is a definite possibility at this point, so I'm going to be placing a special Seal on her. It will make her nearly invisible to those with ill-intentions, but this means her presence will be faint. It may affect her mental development, and cause her some stress. I can remove it when this ordeal is over, but you have to do something to rid Ulder of these Gods."

"And how the hell am I going to manage that!?! I'm barely at the level of an Archaic Dragon, not really powerful enough to be taking on GODS!"My voice raises as my annoyance builds.

"Calm down, I'm offering a solution. There is a Rule about Gods directly interfering with Mundane lives, if you can get me evidence of their transgressions, I can punish them without having to calling a Meeting of Gods."

"How am I going to get evidence? I don't think Gods would be dumb enough to leave any DNA."

"Actually, your Aura Magic is perfect for the task, you'll be able to see what energies they leave behind. You just need a vessel to hold their Divine Essence and then I'll take it and I'll have sufficient proof."

Great, I'll have to play detective, "So, when can I expect them?"

"I've been shifting the position of this universe, as to delay them, but I'd say some time within two years."

"So, I have to make something capable of holding onto godly energy in less than two years?"

"That's right, but I'll be gifting you plenty of experimental materials."

Dammit, that's another thing I have to add to my schedule. This really isn't my day, but at least I enjoy smithing. Well, I have a year before I need to start, I'll use that time to become an accomplished Adventurer.

"Alright, I'll be sending you back now, don't disappoint me Lugh."

"Yeah, yeah, just do it, I'm kind of angry right now." My anger was mostly to do with this God's haphazardness, making me deal with his issues. He snaps his fingers and I slowly begin to drift off.

(Back in the Inn)

When I awoke, I was laying in a bed, staring at the ceiling. I am back in my body, but it's different. Standing up, I realize that I'm incredibly close to the ceiling, easily able to touch it by stretching my arm. My physique has completely changed as well, from balanced to buff. The changes weren't what surprised me most, that was the fact I was absolutely naked. I suppose the clothes I was wearing were shredded by my changes. Of course with my body reaching full maturity, that part grew too. It's kind of embarrassing to be naked like this, even though I'm alone. My entire body was aching and my joints were stiff, after some light stretching I felt and heard a cascade of pops and cracks. A knock came from the door, I guess it was one of the innkeepers.

I walked to the door, opening it slightly and said, "I'll be down in a few minutes." Looking at the girl, she was very well-developed, but I couldn't judge how beautiful she was as she was wearing a hood and covering her face with some cloth. I noticed her eyes were a lovely shade of purple, and her hair was auburn.

"Of course, sir!" Her voice raises slightly as a blush appears on what I can see of her face. Well damn, I wanted to avoid her seeing me naked, especially with this new club swinging between my legs. I quickly search for some larger clothes in my ring, finding a pair of woolen trousers and a decent shirt.