MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

  As Ren and Pamela continued their journey through Cloudy Forest, the dense mist seemed to grow thicker with each step they took. Pamela's incessant chatter had become a constant backdrop to their travels, her voice echoing through the mist like a never-ending stream of words.

With Pii leading the way, they made steady progress towards the exit of Cloudy Forest. Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as they reached the halfway point, knowing that they were one step closer to escaping the treacherous forest.

Ren checked on the progress of the others, only to find that they were moving at a snail's pace. It seemed as though they were taking their sweet time traversing the forest.

"Great," Ren muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice. Azazel and the others must be exploring the forest with the goal of sightseeing.

Turning his attention to Evie, Ren felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw that she was steadily making her way out of the forest. Despite being alone, Evie seemed to be managing just fine.

With a sigh of relief, Ren realized that at least one member of their group was making progress. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride knowing that Evie was holding her own in the forest, not that he was doubting her one bit.

"Are we nearing the exit yet?" Pamela wined. Ren had lost count of how many times she had asked that question, but whenever he answered, she took it as her cue to launch into another round of storytelling.

But just as they were about to press on, a sudden burst of wind swept through the forest, forming into clouds that coalesced into the shape of a boy. Dark-skinned and clad in armor made of clouds, with a hair full of clouds. He grinned from ear to ear as he introduced himself.

"I am Aeolus, the God of Clouds," he declared, his voice echoing through the mist. "And it seems you've stumbled into my domain."

Ren tensed at the sight of the god before them, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon. Pamela, on the other hand, appeared unfazed by Aeolus's sudden appearance. Despite the ominous clouds forming around him, she frowned and greeted him casually, "Hello there, Aeolus. How have you been?"

However, Aeolus seemed to completely disregard her presence, his attention solely focused on Ren, as if Pamela were nothing more than a passing breeze.

"Hoi! Don't ignore me!" Pamela growled, her frustration evident in her voice.

Aeolus finally tore his gaze away from Ren and turned to face Pamela, his expression shifting from indifference to annoyance. "Ah, it's you," he remarked dismissively.

"What do you mean, 'it's me'? I'm a goddess, you know!" Pamela retorted, her voice rising in indignation.

Aeolus let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "I guess. A minor goddess with weak stats is still a goddess, at least in terms of formality," he conceded, though his tone dripped with condescension.

Veins began to bulge on Pamela's forehead as she bristled at Aeolus's patronizing tone. "Huh? What are you saying? You're just a minor god too! We're on the same level!" she shot barked back.

Ren observed the exchange silently, noting the tension that hung in the air between the two divine beings. While it was true that both Pamela and Aeolus had weak stats compared to the major gods, their unique domains of power in their territory, which was unique to them, made them formidable in their own right.

Despite Pamela's bravado, Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Gods and goddesses held sway over their respective territories, and Aeolus's domain over the clouds presented a formidable challenge in this Cloudy Forest, especially for someone as impulsive as Pamela.

As if sensing Ren's apprehension, Aeolus's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing at Pamela. "Don't compare myself to you, you lowly thing," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "I have a territory, while you're just drifting into nothingness. I'm not like you. I may be a minor god, but my powers are more potent than yours, especially here in my domain."

Pamela clenched her fists, her anger bubbling to the surface. She knew that Aeolus's words held some truth, and she resented him for it. She couldn't deny that her powers were limited compared to his, especially within the confines of Cloudy Forest. But she refused to let Aeolus belittle her, not when she had come this far on her journey. With a confident smirk, Pamela harbored her secret weapon, knowing that once she retrieved Lorelai from Ren and the others, she would ascend to become the most powerful goddess in this realm.

Her silent laughter echoed within her mind, but the evil gleam still danced in her eyes as she concealed her true intentions. The smile managed to slip through her face and she appeared creepy while snickering.

Both Ren and Aeolus looked at her funny. Pamela cleared her throat, and squared her shoulders and met Aeolus's gaze head-on. "You may have your domain, Aeolus, but don't underestimate the power of luck and fortune," she declared as she hid behind Ren.

"Let's just pretend that she isn't here," Ren suggested, shooting Pamela a pointed glance before turning his attention to Aeolus. "Is there something that you want from us?"

Aeolus's brow furrowed slightly at Ren's dismissive tone, but his grin quickly returned. "I don't like the sound of your tone. You're just a puny soul; learn your place. You're speaking to a God!"

With a flick of his finger, Aeolus summoned clouds to coalesce towards Ren, their fluffy masses aiming to suffocate him with their weight.

As the clouds approached Ren, he could feel the oppressive weight of even a single one, as if each cloud weighed hundreds of kilos. They were also surprisingly sticky, clinging to him like glue. Ren knew that if he allowed himself to be enveloped by these hundreds of tiny clouds, he would surely be squashed to death.

A God's feelings is really a fragile thing. Ren said to himself.