The chamber was still.

Aelric clenched his fists.

The last traces of golden light faded, the warmth of the Unknown Goddess’s presence disappearing into the still air.

He stood motionless, absorbing everything—the knowledge she had given him, the trials she had foretold, and the lingering question she had left behind.

“What do you want to do? And then what?”

He had answered without hesitation. He would change the world.

But for the first time, he was forced to think beyond that.

How far did his vision extend? What came after?

Before he could dwell on it further, the silence in the chamber was broken.

A sudden rustling of movement.

Aelric looked up.

One by one, the warriors of the hidden city lowered their heads—and knelt before him.

Kaela was among them, her sharp gaze locked onto his.

The elders stood at the front, their expressions solemn as they bowed their heads.

“You have conquered the trial of the Unknown Goddess,” the silver-haired elder said, his voice carrying through the chamber. “You have survived the truth that would break lesser men.”

Another elder spoke. “You have done what no one has done since our first ancestor. You are the first to stand before us, unchanged, unbroken.”

The warriors clenched their fists, nodding with respect.

“You seek to defy the Order,” the silver-haired elder continued. “We will tell you everything we know. And when the time comes… we will fight alongside you.”

Aelric watched them closely.

He had anticipated resistance. Suspicion.

Instead, they offered him their loyalty.

Not because of power.

But because of what they had seen.

He looked toward Kaela.

She was still kneeling, her expression unreadable.

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But then—she smirked.

“I knew it,” she muttered.

Aelric raised an eyebrow. “Knew what?”

Kaela rose to her feet, crossing her arms.

“I knew you were the strongest,” she said.

Veyne blinked in surprise. “Wait, what? I thought I was the strongest.”

Kaela glanced at him, unimpressed. “You’re physically the strongest. You have natural talent for battle. But strength isn’t just about muscle.”

She turned back to Aelric. “Even before you entered the trial, you already controlled the situation. You knew how to act, how to move, how to turn everything in your favor. That is true strength.”

Aelric smirked. “Took you long enough to realize.”

Kaela rolled her eyes. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Then, she gripped the hilt of her spear.

“Now that you’ve been blessed by the Goddess,” she said, “I want to fight you again.”

The warriors behind her murmured in agreement.

The elders nodded, their expressions intrigued. Even Veyne seemed eager to see what had changed.

Aelric glanced down at his hands.

He felt… no different.

The power the Goddess had entrusted to him wasn’t something he could feel, touch, or sense.

But he was just as curious as they were.

Would he discover something new in battle?

Before he could decide, a sharp sound echoed through the chamber.

Boots against stone.

Aelric turned toward the temple entrance.

Kaela’s smirk faded instantly, her hand tightening around her spear.

Aelric already knew what had happened.

They had been found.

A slow, deliberate clap rang out from the entrance.

Then—a voice.

Cold. Mocking. Sinister.

“Well, well… I have to say, I expected many things. But I didn’t expect to find this.”

A shadowed figure stepped forward, his crimson hair catching the dim light.

The commander of the Order’s squad.

His lips curled into a twisted smirk.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said, his voice laced with cruel amusement. “I am Renard Varos, Captain of the Obsidian Hounds.”

Behind him, more figures emerged from the darkness. Black-clad enforcers, their faces hidden beneath their masks.

The warriors of the hidden city instantly drew their weapons.

Renard’s gaze settled on Aelric.

“You must be the one causing all this trouble.”

Aelric met his stare without fear.

Renard grinned.

“Good,” he said softly. “I was hoping for a challenge.”

The Battle Begins

Before another word could be spoken, the warriors of the hidden city attacked.

Their movements were precise, coordinated—years of discipline honed through daily training.

Blades clashed, fists met flesh, and the hidden city’s warriors overwhelmed the enforcers with sheer skill and numbers.

Aelric watched carefully.

Despite the Order’s reputation, the squad was being torn apart.

The warriors moved in perfect unison, covering each other’s blind spots, striking without hesitation.

It wasn’t just strength—it was absolute discipline.

Within moments, the enforcers were on the defensive, struggling to keep up.

Kaela moved like a storm through the battlefield, her spear blurring with speed as she cut down enemies effortlessly.

Veyne, despite his lack of experience, had raw strength that sent enforcers flying.

Just before the battle had started, a warrior had approached him, shoving a proper sword into his hands.

“Take this,” the warrior grunted. “You’ll need something real if you’re fighting with us.”

Veyne had nodded, gripping the sword tightly.

Now, he moved better, faster.

The Order’s squad was losing.

And then—fire erupted.

Aelric’s eyes narrowed.

The temperature in the chamber rose.

The warriors closest to the flames screamed as they were set ablaze, their bodies consumed by Renard’s magic.

Aelric’s gaze snapped toward him.

Renard stood at the center of the battlefield, his red-blazing sword dripping with molten heat.

The air around him shimmered from the intensity of the fire.

The battle shifted instantly.

Warriors who had been dominating the fight fell in an instant, cut down before they could react.

Renard’s fire magic was ruthless.

Kaela barely managed to avoid a sweeping arc of flames, rolling to the side as the ground itself burned in the wake of his attack.

Veyne gritted his teeth, stepping in front of Aelric. “We need to get out of here! We can’t fight that!”

The warriors behind them nodded. “Aelric, leave! We’ll hold him off!”

Aelric did not move.

His sharp eyes analyzed everything.

The positioning. The openings. The weaknesses.

To everyone else, this looked like a battle they couldn’t win.

But Aelric saw differently.

His smirk returned.

“No,” he said calmly.

Veyne turned to him, shocked. “Are you insane?!”

Aelric didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he met Veyne’s gaze and said, “I have a plan.”

For a moment, Veyne was silent.

Then—he grinned.

“What’s your command?”

End of Chapter 11