Gifted individual

"Does everyone nearly die multiple times in this tutorial?" John asked her.

"You're a bit of a special case. Most people go really slowly when they get mysterious powers. And they usually take a lot less risks too. You were very foolish and got really lucky. So out of curiosity, what would you ask if you could choose? Pick any three things?" asked Themis.

John was conflicted, how honest should he be with her? What could he even ask? Was asking for something still part of some test?

"There are a few things that come to mind, but I don't know how much I can expect to receive. Some would be personal requests, other pragmatic choices. Should I ask for anything even if it seems too much? Or pick small things that I have a chance to get?" he asked her.

"Ask what your heart desires, I just want your opinion," replied Themis.

"Could it be possible to remove the mark left on Vesta? Completely or just enough for her to control her temperature and live a normal life?"

"Anything else?"

"You won't respond or comment?"

"I want to hear it all first."

"The second thing is about powers. I get it that my powers are somewhat unique, is there a way to allow someone else access to at least part of them? Anna is the only one without any supernatural characteristics in my kingdom, I love her and wish she could share this aspect of my life. It doesn't even have to be as developed and versatile as my own if it is impossible, just the access to an inventory and maybe a few skills. Maybe through items that I could share with the others too."

"Interesting. Continue!"

"The last one is a more pragmatic one. It's about transportation of sorts. Only I can enter my kingdom and I always arrive or leave at the same spot. When I leave I can only return to the point where I entered. A good fix for that would be either to let a few people enter the kingdom from where they are so that we can meet there or to let me set a few locations as exit points to allow me quick travel between them. Or both of course..."

"Those are the three things that you would pick?"

"I tried to ask for things that I could not easily obtain another way. And I figured that asking for omnipotence, eternal life and world peace would be a bit childish... There could be other things to ask for, but you said three and I had to make a choice."

"This is my judgment. You did a good job making use of your powers, you used them in very inventive ways, getting outcomes from them that were not their intended purposes. You managed to survive situations that were clearly to your disadvantage, more through cunning than strength. You have made great things already with your kingdom, and are planning to continue. You have not wasted the gift bestowed upon you. Here are the gifts that the goddess grants you on this day of passage. Remove your crown," she ordered. John did not say anything and obeyed.

As soon as the crown go one feet away from his head it started to shrink and morph into a ring, a golden ring with a small blue stone.

"Both crowns of your kingdom and this ring now have a few extra powers," she said, throwing him a ring like the one he was holding, but made of silver. "The crown can now be worn as a ring while keeping its properties, but it has new ones. It grants the wearer access to an interface looking like your own, connected to the castle's computer and allowing communication through text, voice or image between those using any of the other rings or the computer itself. Secondly it also gives them an inventory of 12 slots and the same wallet system that you have. Thirdly it will allow you to let them use a single one of your non-combat skills that can only reach the level you have in it. Lastly it will grant the wearer access to your kingdom, when entering the kingdom they will leave a way point that anyone can use to exit where they entered and that will disappear when they leave the kingdom."

John smiled, his ring was mostly a way to wear his crown in public, but for Anna and one of the girls these would be really useful.

"How will the skill part affect me when I am wearing it? I can't borrow a skill from myself?" he remarked.

"This is true, but yours is the king's it provides the skills for the others, which by the way will only work if you are wearing it," she explained. "You will be able to get more of these as the population of your kingdom increases and building, improving or producing some things will unlock upgrades for them."

"This is a great gift and it answers two of the things that I desired. Thank you."

"Thank the Mother, I'm merely her messenger. Your second gift is for your kingdom, a magical library. It will contain a paper version of any book that you have read or own in digital format. Those copies won't be able to let you learn skills and won't be able to leave the kingdom, but it will bring some culture to your little realm. The last one is something that you will find a lot less exciting having known you a little. You will get a gift of 50 000$, to use as you see fit," she concluded.

The library would be a nice thing for his fantasy girls, to get some exposure to human culture. The money was always welcome, but he would have rather obtained something else, money after all wasn't that hard to come by.

"Thank the Goddess and thank you for these gifts. I'm relieved this finished this way. Isn't there anything I could do to help Vesta?" he asked the goddess in front of him. No great chance of getting answers, but it costed nothing to ask.

"Short of destroying the thing who marked her, you can only hope of having her gain more control. While it doesn't influence her, the hold that the mark has on her is too strong to be removed now," she told him. "This is the only question that I will answer and it was a reward for your kindness. Few would ask things for the sake of others. For now you can go, I'm sure you will be able to put this to use somewhere. Who knows, we might meet again one day."

John looked down. She had a goddess' body, and her toga was really skimpy. His dick was fully hard and the length of it had raised the very small bit of cloth until it revealed everything. John saw her clap her hands and suddenly the world exploded in another flash of blue light.

John blinked, he was standing in his castle, his three subjects gathered around him. He was wearing his full set of armor just like when he left. But he didn't have his crown on his head and a new ring on his right hand.

"John, are you alright? Do you need help?" asked Sylvia. All three girls had the same worried look that they had before he left.

"I'm OK, how long was I gone?"

"Gone? You just stopped and freezed for a few minutes, we were really worried," she explained. Not a dream, but maybe not real. Supposedly nothing could reach him in his kingdom, even Mrs Wentworth and Lorelei couldn't see inside of it. John noticed that he had three pop-ups

Achievement Unlocked : Lord of the rings.
You can now gain more rings or upgrade existing ones at the King's Altar in accordance with the kingdom improvements and by completing challenges.
Reward
Kingdom element: King's Altar

Achievement Unlocked: Citation needed!
Your castle now possesses a magical library where the books you have read or own in digital format will be available for consultation in paper format (books from the library cannot leave the kingdom). You will always be able to prove what you are saying!
Kingdom element: Magical library.

Kingdom element upgrade: To each according to their own.
New species.
Teal deers (magical library)
Builder bees (King Altar)

John couldn't resist letting a chuckle escape while reading the achievements. He needed to contact Anna and let her know the good news.

Failing this quest wasn't the end of this new life.