Chapter 2174: The Hermaphrodite Nation
Not being a hermaphrodite, the townspeople were somewhat disappointed, but they still congratulated the town chief with smiles. After all, a new life had been born.
"If they aren't born as a hermaphrodite, even if they still retain dual-sex organs inside, their lifespan usually won't be too long, and it's hard for them to have children." Ahai sounded a bit regretful.
His meaning was that one must possess both internal and external sets of reproductive organs to be considered a true "hermaphrodite." Without a clear "hermaphrodite" status, there was still a distinction between male and female.
"Are there many hermaphrodites among the people in this district?" Xu Huo asked.
"Of course," Ahai said. "The holy maidens of the Goddess Cult are all hermaphrodites. This is the special ability the Goddess bestowed upon us."
Then he gave Xu Huo a brief history of their nation's origin.
The beginning of the story had a somewhat mythological flavor. Roughly speaking, their nation had suffered a catastrophe that nearly wiped out the entire population. Not only did the population plummet, but one entire gender died out completely. The future of the nation could be seen at a glance. It was at this moment that a survivor encountered the Goddess. Carrying the hope of the nation and hatred for the enemy, this survivor made a wish to the Goddess: that he and his descendants could both continue the race and possess the ability to protect the nation.
Thus, the Goddess bestowed upon the survivor the physical strength of a male and the reproductive ability of a female—the first hermaphrodite was born.
From then on, the descendants born in this nation were almost exclusively hermaphrodites. Of course, not every hermaphrodite met the requirements of "hermaphroditism." Many more were incomplete, lacking a full reproductive system. Therefore, the nation still distinguished between male and female, while true "hermaphrodites" had the opportunity to be selected into the Goddess Cult to become holy maidens, shouldering the heavy responsibility of bearing the future elite and main force of the nation.
Ahai's explanation was quite general and didn't touch on details like the nation's founding or the selection system for holy maidens. His focus was on the mystical reverence brought by religious faith, deliberately glossing over the unreasonable aspects of this "hermaphrodite" nation's origin.
"You said you also want to join the Goddess Cult?" Xu Huo asked after he finished speaking.
Ahai nodded vigorously. "Who wouldn't want to? Even if it's just to be a gardener in the Goddess Cult. Unfortunately, people from the Goddess Cult have never come to our town, so I want to go to the Holy Land."
Xu Huo understood his meaning. With such an obsession and the inconvenience of transportation, he could only place his hopes on players.
"Have any outer zone players settled in the Holy Land?"
"Yes." Ahai said he often saw it on TV. "There are even players who voluntarily undergo surgery to have children. Players have better physical fitness than us, so the offspring they raise are bound to be stronger than ordinary people."
The previous details could be listened to as a story with regional characteristics, but when it came to "outer zone players voluntarily undergoing surgery," Xu Huo knew that the "Hermaphrodite Nation" was not just an ordinary district.
"A newborn has arrived, so today we can get a cup of holy water." Ahai pushed Xu Huo to a less crowded area, saying he was going to line up.
Xu Huo nodded, signaling that he didn't need to worry about him.
From outside, he could also see the situation in the assembly hall. The so-called Goddess Spring was actually just a small, simple automatic fountain. The town chief poured some of the preserved holy water into the fountain, so everyone could get a cup of cool boiled water mixed with holy water—very ceremonial.
After Ahai got his share of water, he wanted to share half a cup with Xu Huo.
Not wanting to openly check if someone else's water had problems, Xu Huo politely declined his kindness. Ahai devoutly finished his water and even put the cup in his pocket. Thinking that Xu Huo had been outside for too long, which wasn't good for his recovery, he planned to take him to the old doctor for a check-up before heading back.
The old doctor's clinic was the only hospital in this town. It wasn't usually very busy, but today, probably because of the child's birth, many envious couples had come to buy medicine.
The old doctor had a good attitude. Seeing Xu Huo arrive, he simply took out the medicine and placed it on the counter, then stepped away to examine Xu Huo.
"Recovering very well," the old doctor patted his leg. "Young people have good bodies."
"Thank you for your care, elder." Xu Huo said gratefully.
The old doctor waved his hand. "If you want to thank someone, thank Ahai. He brought you out of the woods and spent his own travel money to get you treated."
Xu Huo looked at Ahai, who smiled at him. "If you can take me to the Holy Land, it doesn't matter if I have travel money or not."
Xu Huo didn't give any guarantees. On the way back, he asked if they could hitch a ride on a delivery truck to another city.
"We can, but the fare is expensive." Ahai had already looked into everything. "On the road, they provide food and drink and ensure safety, so it's normal for it to be expensive. But to get to the Holy Land, we have to go through several cities. The expenses for each city are considerable, and we need to find a place to stay."
Actually, it wasn't just about expenses. There was also the issue of safety along the way. Encountering xenomorphs was one danger, and encountering bad people was another. Some outer zone players would also rob locals out of curiosity. It was said that some hermaphrodites had been trafficked to other districts, and it was almost impossible to rescue them.
"But if we're traveling with a player, there's definitely no such danger." Ahai didn't directly ask Xu Huo, but his voice was filled with undisguised anticipation and longing.
"You seem to have slightly less physical strength than an ordinary 'male.'" Xu Huo said. "Is this a characteristic of hermaphrodites?"
"You noticed?" Ahai was a bit embarrassed. "The old doctor checked me. I'm a true hermaphrodite. My strength is a bit less than a man's, but not by much. The old doctor said it's because the body needs to be able to get pregnant, so the muscles aren't as solid as a man's. Once I can no longer have children, my strength will increase, and my lifespan will be longer."
Xu Huo didn't comment but asked, "Doesn't that contradict the wish your ancestor made to the Goddess?"
"Maybe descendants like me aren't strong enough." Ahai rationalized with some worry. "I've heard that the holy maidens are much stronger than ordinary men and women and have longer lifespans. Rather than being true hermaphrodites, they seem more like descendants of the Goddess."
"Is the Goddess also a hermaphrodite?" Xu Huo paused.
"Of course," Ahai said matter-of-factly. "The Goddess modified our nation's ancestor according to her own body. The Holy Land has always enshrined the Goddess's temple, and ordinary people can't see the Goddess statue."
"Can't the holy maidens see it either?"
Ahai thought for a moment. "The holy maidens probably can, since they live close to the temple."
"Do you want to know what the temple looks like?" he added cheerfully. "I have news footage saved at home. I'll show it to you. The temple is really beautiful, like a place where true immortals live. I've heard that people with malicious intent can't even look at it directly. At the very least, their eyes will bleed, and in severe cases, they'll become demented or insane!"