[NR] Goblin Flavored - Chapter 511

“What did I do?” Jason shrugs, “I rejected those elements. I judged them to be evil and corrupt.”

Courtney sighs, “You literally just went over how that doesn’t matter!”

Jason smiles, “Oh, but it does! You’re forgetting something I said before that. Cultivators affect the world and by being first, we have a greater control of it.

“While I am only at the starting line, I have crossed it and began my journey. I am a cultivator and there is no one else here to nay say my will! If I was to cultivate fire, my presence would push away the concept of cold.

“The temperature would constantly try to equalize to a point which those living in the area would consider warm. In a temperature controlled space like an arcology, maintenance would see a marked increase in power used to cool the areas near where I cultivate. Then, once I was strong enough, not even air conditioning could keep the temp down.

“Cultivators that focus on certain things gather in areas in which those things are ascendant. However, after a certain point, their presence will cause those elements to become ascendant no matter where they are as long as they don’t prevent it. So, when I decided those elements were bad and their act of converting others powers was corruption, they were pushed away.

“Now, if there were a bunch of cultivators around me who all used those elements, I would not have gotten very far. There aren’t any though and so I get my way. If I had kept all this to myself, it is quite possible that this world would have eventually been remade to follow my beliefs.

“I didn’t want this. Even if I didn’t share cultivation with the two of you, I would have eventually shared it with others. This world differs from what I knew in my last life and I don’t want to change that. Rather, I want to see how a place like this can take what I know and grow.”

Rosha, “As above, so below?”

Courtney sighs, “Yes, it certainly sounds like a god complex of sorts. Though the fact that those elements were pushed away in a frankly disturbingly large area must mean something.”

Jason laughs, “I don’t blame you for that view. However, I would compare it more to a collaborative art project. Cultivation represents joining the project. When it is just me, I can paint in large strokes since it won’t disrupt or be disrupted by others. Once others join, I will be forced to either work with them or at the very least deal with them painting over what I’ve already done.

“At that point, the depth of my cultivation would represent how much time I can devote to the project. At this point, it would be like being able to only make one stroke a day. My influence on the project is widespread not because I’m able to paint a masterpiece, but because even if I’ve only got a few strokes on the paper. That is all there is.”

Rosha, “Now an important thing, which I’m sure Courtney didn’t think to ask. Why are those elements something you see as corrupting and evil?”

Jason shrugs, “Past experience? While as far as I can tell, this universe and my last didn’t have some platonic Good or Evil kicking about. There were forces that, by general consensus were seen to cause harm by their very nature and existence.

“Stuff like demons and devils. Most of those beings aren’t even sapient, yet they almost seem to choose to do as much harm as possible. It is like the non-sapient goblins and kobolds in NeoRealm.

“They lack free will and so while you could view their actions like any other animal, what they do is evil. A tiger will kill and eat you, maybe it will even play with you a bit before doing so. However, a goblin will gather other goblins to go out and kill humans just because. They won’t even always loot the corpses. Despite not being able to choose, their actions are designed to be evil.”

Rosha raises an eyebrow, “So what? Those elements are goblin flavored or something?”

Jason smiles, “More sulfur if I had to put a taste to something without one. I didn’t bring up devils and demons for no reason. Though I’m not going to claim someone managed to open up a hole to the Nine Hells, the Infinite Abyss, Pandemonium, or any other similar dimension.

“There is a reason that in NeoRealm whenever high level beings of the type show up, level capped locals show up to shut it down. A simple summoning is fine. Those places likely are set up to make such a thing super easy. However, opening up an actual portal?

“Even a small one will spew endless waves of evil into the world until closed. What likely happened is instead a hole was opened to a mortal realm of sorts that was at some point corrupted by such beings. After all, even if you don’t directly summon them, just the knowledge gained from them can corrupt.

“That or maybe I’m being fooled. The powers I’ve excluded might just come from somewhere that feels similar to me at the moment. It is entirely possible that it might be from someplace like my last life but taken to a more extreme level of might makes right.

“In the end, though, what likely saved the planet from trouble is how big a universe is. Whatever hole was poked in reality, likely is just chilling out in the middle of some interstellar void no one has been to or ever will be to. Though if I ever find any of those portals, I’m closing them, even the nice ones.”

Rosha frowns, “Why?”

Jason shrugs, “Because nice is subjective. Just look at this world’s history. More than enough instances of one group forcing their beliefs on another because they truly believed they were doing good. Also, I suspect that many of the powers have become inherent to this reality.

“Even if we close the portals, our planet would likely begin to generate more of the power as it is used. There would be a danger of it at first not generating enough. However, given time, the more people who cultivate, the more power will be generated. It was never a problem of having enough to start, it was always having enough to continue.”