|I believe The Flame Revenant has gotten out of hand, My Goddess. He burned your proteges too, in that cavern.| Dauz muttered, kneeling in the vast golden chamber. The marble floor beneath him shimmered with an otherworldly sheen, its chill biting into his palms. Above him, the towering figure of the Goddess reclined on her throne, her vast golden wings arched behind her like a radiant halo. She rested her chin on her hand, her golden eyes unreadable as they bore into him.
[... And?] Her voice echoed, not through the air but directly into his mind, detached and almost bored. The sound carried an imperceptible weight that made Dauz shift involuntarily.
|And..?| he echoed uncertainly, daring to raise his head slightly. |You already have a plan in motion. An efficient one, I might add, that would break Van Hellix soon... I admit, The Seed accepting him is an oddity, but not unprecedented. There is no need to employ... that wretch.|
[... I understand your concerns,] she began with a sigh, her tone heavy with the weight of millennia. Rising from her throne, she descended the golden steps with a deliberate grace, her every movement precise and unhurried. [But I am growing impatient. I am surrounded by incompetence. Had you stopped your old 'friend' back at the plains—the true Wretch—I wouldn't have had to resort to using a creature like him as my proxy.]
The word "proxy" dripped with venom.
Dauz lowered his gaze, his fists clenching. |I... did not expect Knight to grow so strong. I have been diligent in my training, and—|
[Hush,] she cut him off, her voice sharp but quiet. Standing before him, she tilted his chin up with a single finger, forcing his eyes to meet hers. [You grow uglier every time you speak. Especially when your words are excuses.]
Dauz held his breath, his gaze affixed into hers.
[Do you know what becomes tiresome after a thousand years, Dauz? Mistakes. Repeated mistakes.] Her golden eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a frigid whisper. [Your attempts at justification bore me. Like watching the same play with different actors—none of them impressive.]
She leaned in closer, her breath brushing against his ear. [You are my right hand, Dauz. But let me remind you why you stand there—it is neither because of your strength...] Her hand trailed down his chest, cold yet searing, stopping just above his waist. [... Nor your wisdom.]
Her golden eyes glinted, [You don't need to be reminded of what will happen if you fail to... satisfy your duty, do you?]
Dauz swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as his palms pressed harder against the marble. |I do not mean disrespect... but I am the strongest in your angel corps—|
[Were,] she corrected, her tone like the crack of a whip. [You have long been surpassed. Your strength has peaked, and you know it. The only reason you command is your familiarity with the Wretch.] Her lips curved into a faint grimace. [A familiarity that has yet to yield results. And yet I let you stay out of my infinite patience.]
He bit his lip, her words sinking into his chest like lead.
[As for my proteges in that cavern,] she continued, turning away from him. Her tone was light, dismissive, as if discussing broken tools. [They are irrelevant. There are too many to count across this continent. A few dying changes nothing.] She glanced back at him, her golden eyes narrowing. [So do your duty. That is all that matters to me.]
The Goddess ascended the steps to her throne, her hips swaying with effortless confidence. As she reached the top, she shrugged off her white and gold robes, the silken fabric slipping from her shoulders and pooling at her feet.
Her body was as seamless as white marble: plump, firm breasts, her golden hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, its length reaching gracefully to the delicate curve of her popliteal, a slim waist that gave way to the alluring curve of her hips, and long, toned legs that seemed to stretch endlessly. Her figure, shaped like a violin.
She reclined on her throne, crossing one leg over the other; her thigh artfully concealing her intimate form.
[Now.] She called; her gaze narrowing.
Dauz hesitated, his fists trembling. He forced himself to his feet, each step toward her laden with a mix of shame and anger. Stripping away his armor as he walked; revealing his toned and tanned body.
As he moved to obey, she glanced upward, her lips curling into a dark; yet tender smile. [Are you watching, my dear Hero?]
Hovering above her throne was the bound figure of Magus, his body wrapped in shimmering dark chains. His face was pale, his expression locked in stoic silence. Only his eyes, wide and unblinking, betrayed the fury and helplessness within.
[Watch closely,] the Goddess said, mockery dripping from her voice as Dauz kissed her slender neck, his lips trailing down her curves with reverent precision. Her fingers tangled in his blonde hair as he moved lower, his kisses growing more fervent.
[You need to learn,] she murmured, her smile widening as she glanced back at Magus. [Your quaint little experiences with women will seem so laughable once you experience me... And worry not...] Her voice turned husky, her tone darker. [I shall have you soon...]
Her faint laughter echoed through the chamber as Magus' chains tightened with a subtle creak. His body strained against them, his lips sealed shut, his eyes locked on the scene below.
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Van still barely felt like moving his arms and legs. Every step was a chore, every breath like scaling a mountain.
'The only reason I got out of bed today was to see what that spirit managed to fix in my house. Just that.'
He thought, enclosed within the safety of his dark helmet.
'A house I have no connection to, in a place I can't wait to leave. Funny how it spiraled from there. Now, here I am, questing with a party.'
His gaze shifted to the backs of the adventurers ahead, his thoughts wandering.
'How long has it been since I walked like this with anyone?' He glanced down at his arms, clenching his fists absentmindedly.
'When that person offered to take the quest off my hands, I could move a little better. It felt like the parchment itself was too heavy—too heavy even for me.'
'But why? Why did it seem so easy for him to take it, even after losing all his teammates? Is it experience? Or... them?'
His eyes drifted to the party, lingering on Unicus, the paladin leading the way.
And then it hit him—a flash of Amoria's face, Marcy's tear-streaked cheeks, Mika and Rika's parting words in that alleyway.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He shook his head violently, pushing the memories away.
'Stop thinking about worthless things. Focus on what you should be doing.' Van took a deep sigh as he walked.
'Status Window.'
A digital flash. A window full of stats, skills and the like began detailing itself.
Name: Van Hellix
Age: 17 (42)
Sex: Male
Race: Unknown
Level: 337
STATS:
[AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 447]
VIG (Vigor): 999 (+54,005)
STR (Strength): 999 (+34,156)
RES (Resistance): 999 (+48,072)
DEX (Dexterity): 998
PER (Perception): 660
MANA: 10 (+200) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]
INT (Intelligence): 10 (+50) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]
HOLY: [INACCESSIBLE]
ARCANE: 0 (+25) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]
'Alright... Mana increased by 200, and INT went up by 50 thanks to whatever Seed of Darkness means. It even leveled up my Arcane stat.'
'I can use magic now.'
'... Not that I ever felt like investing in Mana or INT before, or even currently. I don't have a single passive skill that boosts either of them. And learning a spell? That's a whole other nightmare. You have to master an entirely different language, decipher the concept from a Skill Scroll, and then grind through endless repetition just to get it right.'
'Magus could just understand what was written on those scrolls. He never explained how—just said, "The shapes and letters make sense to me," as if it were natural.'
'If I wanted to study a spell, I'd need to spend five years in the Academy just to grasp the basics.'
'Not an option.'
Van thought as he scrolled down to the passive section.
'I never really got another Active Skill except Hard Swing. But I got a buttload of "Normal" Passives besides my accursed Untrusted and Dark Soul.'
Passive Skills:
.............
.........
......
RANK: F
Passive: Resurrection Tolerance
Description: Reduces the physical and mental toll of resurrection.
RANK: C
Passive: Beast Tracker
Description: Grants heightened ability to locate and identify animal trails.
RANK: C
Passive: Battle-Hardened
Description: Reduces the psychological impact of injuries or near-death experiences, improving focus in combat.
RANK: C
Passive: ........
....
....
'I used to have a lot more of these passives,' Van thought, scrolling through his status screen. 'Like Iron Stomach, which allowed me to chew through mild poisons safely. But it disappeared after my Resistance transcended 999, along with other passives that had similar effects.'
'After all; Why would I need protection against mild poisons when nothing in this mortal realm can poison me to death? I could chug an entire bottle of the most toxic substance—the kind that could wipe out a village with a single drop—and all it would do is make me burp louder than usual.'
Van was then unable but to think about how he was drugged by Mika and Rika.
'... Bet it would've been useful there. If only I hadn't lowered my guard like some lovestruck teenager.' He thought, finally scrolling down to the new passive he had obtained.
Passive: Seed of Darkness
Description:
You have been infected with an essence that permeates this world, known as the Void. This essence has manifested as the Seed of Darkness, now beginning to sprout within your heart. Not to be confused with Void Energy—a force belonging solely to the Enlightened One, who exists beyond mortal and divine perception.
The true nature of this passive, and its ultimate potential, will likely remain beyond your understanding. You have neither earned your strength nor your place. However, you are permitted access to its most basic form—diminished and refined beyond trillions of iterations to prevent it from rupturing your reality—known as Arcane, the foundational magic force of your world.
Effects:
Arcane Interaction:
You are capable of interacting with the Void's refined essence, known as the Arcane—the fundamental energy upon which your world's magic is based—as though it were tangible.
Aura Perception:
You can view auras and residual magic around others. When you observe colors surrounding an individual, they correspond to the God who holds sway over them. The vibrancy of these colors reflects the strength of that deity's influence.
Vision Beyond the Veil:
You can perceive the true forms of beings, seeing beyond their material appearances.
Glimpses of the Beyond:
You can momentarily peer into realms beyond mortal comprehension.
Van's eyes widened as he scrolled down.
'This... This is too long for a passive skill!'
[Additional Notes]
'ADDITIONAL NOTES? There's MORE!?' Van's mouth tightened in disbelief as the text continued.
The Arcane stat cannot be directly increased. Its potency is tied solely to your mastery over yourself and the world around you. Should you falter and abandon your true self, this passive will consume you, erasing your existence as [The Being Veiled in Shadows] draws closer. Another wielder bears the Seed of Darkness—one in a far more advanced form.
"What's got you spooked, brat? Seen a ghost?" The dwarf squinted at him with his usual half-lidded gaze.
Van blinked, momentarily confused. 'I'm wearing a helmet. How can he even tell?' He shook his head, brushing the thought aside.
"It's nothing," Van replied quickly. "Just realized I need to stock up on potions."
'This is too much to consider... But one thing's certain: this blinding light I see around everyone must be that Godly aura. Gold around humans—so the Gold means the Goddess rules them. Silver for elves... Dwarves are gray as steel... Dragonkin reddish orange. By that logic, a dragon would be pure red. Then... Why I didn't see Aura around that server when I was at my house, and instead saw her in a cat form... That must be because of the other effect? Huh... Why would she be concealing herself? Feline Haflings are allowed in the Capital...'
"Hrm... true enough. I need to resupply, too," the dwarf grumbled, stroking his beard and snapping Van out of his thoughts.
'Guess I'll find out later.'
Unicus, the leader, turned to address the group. "Alright, everyone! We're all A- to B-rank here. Miss Thief, what's your rank?"
The human thief hesitated, glancing down nervously as she pulled out her adventurer card. "I'm... roughly A," she answered meekly.
Unicus gave her a quick nod before turning his attention to the others. His sharp gaze lingered on Van for a moment. "Let's stock up, then. This isn't the kind of quest we can brute-force with numbers... I already told you what we're going to deal with, so I trust you know what to get. I want everyone prepared. Meet back here in an hour."
The group nodded in agreement before scattering to gather supplies. The human thief lingered in the shadows, her sharp eyes tracking Van's movements.
'Right... Guess I'll play the part and buy the usual stuff. The kind of supplies I'd pick up back when I was F to C Rank,' Van mused, turning to leave.
"Wait." Unicus's hand landed firmly on Van's shoulder, stopping him mid-step.
"Where do you think you're going, brat?!" the dwarf bellowed from the side, his voice gruff and accusing.
Van froze in place as Unicus's hand remained on his shoulder. A beat later, Van stopped fully, his sudden halt causing Unicus's arm to stretch awkwardly forward, his weight seemingly dragged along with it.
'What In The Goddess's name...? Did he just... pull me?' Unicus thought, a flicker of confusion crossing his face as he glanced at Van. 'An A Rank just got pulled by an F...?'
"...To buy supplies," Van replied, his voice low, hoping Unicus wouldn't dwell on it.
Unicus narrowed his eyes briefly but brushed it off. 'Must've been my imagination. I was also holding back myself so as to not accidentally hurt him...' He thought as he then lowered his arm, returning it to his side.
"Ah... I see. Do you even know what kind of supplies to buy?" Unicus asked, crossing his arms. His tone shifted, quieter but firm. "I didn't want to say this in front of the others, but as an F Rank, I'm not letting you wander off alone. I'll tell you what to get—so stick with me."
Van raised a brow. "...Would you believe me if I said my dad told me what to buy?"
"Not a chance," Unicus shot back without hesitation. "I'm your party leader, and what I say goes. The smallest mistakes could cost us our lives."
'Whether it's some noble kid or one from the middle or lower classes, children are always impulsive,' Unicus thought with a sigh.
"...Fine," Van exhaled heavily.
Unicus nodded with a smile, as Arnolt then spat out; "Psche, looks like you got things covered, Unicus. I'll go sharpen my tools." The dwarf walked away, waving them off.
'Again,' Van thought as Unicus signaled him to follow.
'My shoulders feel a little lighter, despite this being more of a hassle than a favor.' He thought as he looked at Unicus' back.
'.. Huh. I expected more of a fight. Arnolt's hunch was right. There's more about him that meets the eye.' Unicus thought with a sighed smile; as he then looked forward.
'Don't worry, Airi.' His smile twisted into a grimace, sharp and unyielding, his gaze fixed firmly ahead. 'I'll get you out of there. No matter what.'
The haunting vision flashed before his eyes—the priestess's flesh consumed by flames, her expression frozen in agony before disintegrating, leaving only a charred skeleton.
'No MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!' His teeth clenched, his steps deliberate, his fist tightening until the golden ring on his finger bit into his skin.