Under the velvet shroud of night, Ebonheim's eyes shone with a luminous golden light as she dashed through the forest. Her graceful steps carried her weightlessly, her divine aura emanating from her body in waves. As she raced, her eyes darted from side to side, her sharp senses tracking the movement of Kungwans in the darkness.

In the blink of an eye, she shifted from a run to a full sprint, her dagger flashing in the moonlight as she attacked. Her target, a Kungwan Blightfroth, turned to face her, its maw open wide as it spat a stream of toxin at her.

She rolled to the side, dodging the attack while simultaneously swinging her blade at its underbelly. The creature screeched, its toxic spittle sizzling in the damp foliage. Her dagger bit into its flesh, the ebon blade slicing through the layers of gristle and fat with ease.

The Blightfroth lurched, its body pulsating with a sickly green light as it unleashed a torrent of noxious fumes. Ebonheim recoiled, jolting back as the toxic haze enveloped her, burning her nostrils with the acrid smell. Her eyes watered, tears streaming down her cheeks as the vapors stung her eyes and lungs.

[Divine Aura] 192/300

Her divine aura managed to absorb the acidic nature of the miasma, but couldn't counteract the toxin that permeated the air. The noxious fumes caused her to cough and choke, her body reeling from the effects.

But she had to continue—a Kungwan's natural regeneration meant that leaving them wounded didn't guarantee a kill.

[Essence] 340/680

Steeling herself, she gritted her teeth and focused her Essence on Tempest of the Grove. A small cyclone enveloped the area around the Blightfroth, causing its toxic breath to be drawn inward as it was swept into the spinning vortex. The toxic cloud spiraled around the creature, trapped within the tempestuous winds.

[Essence] 315/680

Eight petal-shaped leaves shimmered above her shoulder, their soft radiance illuminating the area around her. An arrow of incandescent light formed as the bowstring drew back, causing the air to ripple with energy. Her fingers trembled with the strain as she kept the bow at the ready.

She fired the arrow, its brilliant light streaking through the air as it pierced the swirling column of mist. The vortex dispersed, the toxic haze fading away as the projectile exploded against the Kungwan, causing a tremendous boom to echo throughout the forest.

Not a moment later, Ebonheim used her Arboreal Stride, teleporting through the verdant pathways of her inner world and emerging in another location—several trees away from the ongoing skirmish.

[Essence] 290/680

Ebonheim breathed heavily, her muscles burning with exertion as she took in her surroundings. Her body was covered in a layer of sweat, her clothing soaked through with perspiration. The lingering effects of the toxic fumes still stung her nose and throat, making her voice raspy and weak. Her hands shook as she struggled to keep herself upright, her legs threatening to buckle underneath her.

Despite her efforts, the Kungwans' numbers didn't seem to thin out.

How many of them were left? How were the Seraphidae faring on their battlefront?

The latter question made her bite her lower lip—their whole battle plan depended on her and Calyxia performing well. The Seraphidae only had one chance to deal a decisive blow to the Kungwan nest while she and Calyxia served as distractions.

This far into the battle, the Seraphidae should've started their attack. Hopefully, they hadn't failed.

A deafening explosion shook the ground around her, causing her ears to ring. The concussive force threw her from her feet, sending her tumbling across the dirt.

A Flamecaller rose, its fiery maw igniting the very air. It reared its head, exhaling a stream of flames and setting alight to the entire area. Branches, leaves, and even entire trees burst into flame, creating a conflagration that blazed all around her.

Ebonheim's Divine Aura protected her from the fire, but she could still feel its oppressive intensity.

The forest floor crackled and popped with embers as the blaze spread. Ebonheim backed away, her feet skidding on the ground as she moved further away from the inferno. Smoke billowed into the sky, blotting out the stars with an ominous dark haze. The scent of scorched earth and smoldering wood filled her nostrils, causing her to cough and wheeze.

Out of all the Kungwan types she had faced so far, the Flamecallers were the most troublesome to deal with—even more compared to the Titans. Not only did she have to kill them, but she also had to contend with the rampaging fire caused by their attacks. It was enough that she had resorted to asking the Akashic System to find her a power that would deal with the problem—Lifespring Wells.

[Name] Lifespring Wells (Rank I)

[Effect] Drawing from hidden reservoirs beneath the earth, you summon geysers of pristine water to spring forth. These geysers can douse flames directly or create temporary ponds that provide water to nourish and rejuvenate the land.

[Range] 50 meters

[Target] 40 meter area

[Duration] 15 minutes or until canceled. The formed pools may linger for a few days or until all the water is depleted.

[Cost] 40 Essence

[Requirement] Lesser God - Ascendant Stage

[Restriction] The intensity and lifespan of the geysers hinge on the land's inherent moisture and its history of water blessings. In arid regions, or those cursed with drought, summoning these geysers may prove more challenging and may require additional Essence.

A pulse of energy rippled outward from Ebonheim's body, causing the ground to shimmer with a translucent green light. From within the earth, a network of tiny veins snaked out from the area around her, spreading across the forest floor as they converged in a web-like pattern.

[Essence] 270/680

Then, with a resounding rumble, fresh, cold water began to burst forth from the earth. All around her, geysers erupted like blue-white pillars reaching skyward, their droplets glinting in the sunlight and casting fleeting rainbows amidst the ashen skies. The hiss of steam filled the air as the water collided with the smoldering flames, extinguishing them instantly.

The Flamecaller charged through the falling waters, its flames blazing anew as it lunged at Ebonheim—only to be met by two Essence Bolts fired simultaneously, slamming into its face. It crashed to the ground, skidding to a halt at her feet.

It lay unmoving, its lifeless form crumpled on the ground.

In moments, the fires had been reduced to a sizzling mess of wet ashes, with only a few patches of burnt grass here and there remaining. The Lifespring Wells power had done its job well.

Ebonheim surveyed the devastated landscape, taking note of the scorched trees and charred vegetation, and shook her head in dismay. This would take a long while to recover from without her direct intervention. But that'll be for later.

There were still Kungwans to fight.

----------------------------------------

Morning arrived.

Ebonheim groaned, leaning against the trunk of a tree as she tried to catch her breath. The sun's rays peeked through the branches above, casting shafts of golden light across the forest floor. The air smelled faintly of smoke and ash, and the wind blew through the trees with a mournful sigh.

She rested on a small mound of earth, the ground beneath her feet worn from constant travel. Her limbs ached, and her joints were stiff and sore from prolonged combat. Even with her powers enhancing her endurance, there were limits to how long she could keep up her stamina—not to mention she was oh so hungry.

As if summoned by the thought, her stomach grumbled in protest.

Ebonheim winced, pressing her palm against her abdomen as she fought to control her hunger.

"Sorry..." she muttered to her grumbling stomach, "just hold out a little longer."

She glanced at her status window:

[Divine Aura] 103/300

[Essence] 317/590

Thanks to her agility and focus on defensive maneuvers, her Divine Aura still held. If it was ever completely destroyed, she wouldn't be able to manifest it again until a full day had passed. Her Essence reserve was slowly replenishing thanks to her passive regeneration, but she still needed to spend a great deal of time not using any of her powers and instead relied on her nimbleness and using the terrain to elude the Kungwans while sniping them with normal arrows. Still, the night had been arduous keeping the Kungwans' attention while ensuring that she didn't get overrun.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The last of the enchantments on herself had faded. Without those boosts to her attributes, she probably wouldn't have fared as well against the Kungwan variants. So, the first order of business was to replenish their effects.

[You have activated the following abilities: Mystic Roots of Foundation, Crystalline Veil of Knowledge, Luminous Grace of the Moonlit Shadow, Immutable Pillar of Serenity, Rites of the Empyreal Confluence, Legacy of the Boundless Ether, Element-Resisting Aura]

[Your relevant stats have increased by 6 points]

[Essence] 325/680

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, maybe I'll have time to find some fruits to eat before—"

A rustling sound caused her to glance up sharply. Through the trees, Calyxia emerged, slithering towards her with an easy, fluid grace. The Lord of the South appeared somewhat haggard, with dirt and soot covering her clothes and scales. Bloodstains marred her once immaculate outfit, while mud smeared her skin.

However, despite this, she maintained a regal air, as if the chaos that surrounded them mattered not. Her eyes glowed with a faint radiance, reflecting the sunlight shining through the canopy, and her scales shimmered in the morning light.

"You look like a wreck," Calyxia pointed out.

Ebonheim sighed in resignation, her shoulders slumping forward in exhaustion. "Yeah, you too."

Calyxia tilted her head to the side, a smirk playing upon her lips. "How many of those vile toads did you take care of so far?"

"Ugh...I stopped counting after fifty. I'd guess maybe almost a hundred or so—there seem to be a lot of them. And your count?"

"More than you," the Lamia said with a haughty sniff, her smug expression unchanged.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Ebonheim folded her arms across her chest.

Calyxia chuckled. "We shall see. Speaking of which, you might want to turn around."

Ebonheim didn't question her friend's words; instead, she whirled around, her hand instinctively nocking her Essence Bolt and firing in the same motion.

An explosion sounded as a Skyclinger that had been descending upon her while camouflaged crashed into the ground, its body writhing as blood spewed forth from its wounds.

An ember beam of light streaked passed her, hitting the Skyclinger in the face and turning its head into a fine, sizzling powder.

"Now, what's the verdict?" Calyxia asked, her lips curved upward in a slight smile.

"That doesn't count," Ebonheim said with a wave of her hand, brushing away Calyxia's claim. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "But whatever, the main issue is we haven't heard any news about the Seraphidae and their campaign on the enemy nest."

Calyxia shrugged. "There's been no signal to retreat yet, so they're either still fighting, or something unexpected happened."

"What do you think happened?" Ebonheim inquired.

"My guess? It depends on how many of the Kungwan Titans and Regenerators were lured into fighting us instead of defending their nest. If none remain, then the Seraphidae can probably wipe the remainder with relatively fewer casualties, especially with the element of surprise."

Ebonheim frowned. The thought of losing more people to the Kungwan wasn't something she liked thinking about—even if they weren't part of her village. "Let's hope the Seraphidae has it under control."

Calyxia nodded. "Agreed."

The serpentine woman leaned back against a tree and stretched, yawning loudly as she arched her back. Her body seemed to flow like liquid as she relaxed, her posture changing from stiff and alert to a loose, casual stance. She eyed the dead Kungwan's corpse before turning to look at Ebonheim.

"Since there's nothing to do for now, why don't you tell me a story?"

"A story?" Ebonheim raised an eyebrow, regarding Calyxia quizzically.

Calyxia gestured to the forest around them, specifically at the Kungwan corpses littering the area. "We have plenty of time and scenery."

"...Alright, what story did you have in mind?"

Calyxia grinned, revealing sharp fangs as she replied. "A story of how you came to the Eldergrove and managed to find that village that you've now claimed as your domain. I find it very peculiar how you've managed to convince them to take you as their goddess—considering how your form doesn't exactly exude power and authority, at least compared to mine."

Ebonheim gave Calyxia a flat stare.

The serpent-woman winked at her, then snickered. "Or is there more to the story than meets the eye?"

Ebonheim sighed and pursed her lips as she considered Calyxia's request. No way was she telling her anything about her origin. But as long as she didn't flat-out lie, since Calyxia could have some sort of ability to detect deception, she should be able to give enough information without raising her suspicions.

"I coincidentally stumbled upon the village, and I liked the people there after observing them for a bit of time. So, I decided to reveal myself and introduce myself to them."

"And they believed you without any doubts or suspicion at all?"

Ebonheim scratched her cheek and blushed, making an awkward expression. "Ah, well, there was a bit of a mishap where they actually assumed I caused one of the old folk to have an apoplectic fit—which, maybe I did by accident but it wasn't my intent and I fixed him up right away so I saved his life and..." Ebonheim paused when she noticed Calyxia's brow raise, "I got captured and locked in a wooden cage and interrogated. Then I managed to escape, and later that day a couple of Kungwans spotted me and chased me back to the village."

Calyxia blinked twice, staring blankly at her.

Ebonheim nervously rubbed her arm. "Long story short, I helped as much as I could to fight the Kungwans but I've never been much for combat at that point. I'm generally a peaceful being, you know. But eventually, we defeated them, and uh...after some talking and convincing, they finally managed to come around and accept me as their patron deity."

Calyxia burst out in a peal of laughter, her fangs flashing as her head tilted backward.

Ebonheim stared at her incredulously. Her story was hardly funny! It was a trying time and the ordeals she had to go through deserved sympathy and headpats!

When Calyxia calmed down, her gaze held amusement as she wiped the corner of her eye. "A simple, but amusing story. Though I must admit, I did not expect the part where the villagers put a goddess into a prison cell."

"It was...a wooden cage that was meant to hold pigs or something, I think." Ebonheim crossed her arms across her chest, puffing her cheeks in a pout. "It wasn't very pleasant or comfortable, but in hindsight, I can understand their paranoia and misplaced concern about a stranger suddenly claiming to be a deity appearing in their village when I look like this."

Calyxia inclined her head. "Indeed. Some lesser mortals can be rather foolish in that regard. In my experience, the stronger the creature appears, the harder they will rebel against such claims or refuse to acknowledge such a fact. Sometimes, being gentle and benevolent may work in your favor as you gain their trust over time and prove yourself through actions, as opposed to demanding their submission."

"Mhm."

"Although, in certain circumstances, showing force and strength can be an effective tool to instill obedience and respect as well. It's a matter of individual personalities and cultures, I suppose."

Ebonheim grimaced. She didn't like that implication one bit. "Force isn't always necessary," she mumbled in a quiet voice, a hint of displeasure present in her tone.

"True, but the fact remains that most mortals are unintelligent, superstitious beings who live in constant fear. They'll worship whoever can provide protection or benefits first; however, if a tyrant shows up and declares themselves as a god, the majority will follow them blindly just because of their perceived superior strength, or sometimes, purely due to ignorance."

"So, what's your relationship with the Seraphidae then?"

"Oh, them?" Calyxia scoffed, a flash of annoyance crossing her features for a brief moment. "They decided for themselves to revere me, even though I'm not a deity. I gain no direct benefit from their devotion, and at times it can be annoying. But...I've grown accustomed to their antics. Besides, the company is pleasant and it helps keep boredom at bay."

Ebonheim felt a bit better after hearing Calyxia's admission. "And do you wish for them to stop?"

Calyxia tilted her head to the side, humming thoughtfully. "No, not yet. We have a mutualistic relationship. In time, they will realize this for themselves, and move on."

There was a momentary lapse in conversation as the pair stared out into the distance, contemplating their current situation. Eventually, Ebonheim broke the silence.

"Guess we keep fighting here, huh..." Ebonheim massaged her throbbing head, closing her eyes to block out the light. "This is going to be another long day."

Calyxia gave an exaggerated yawn. "I'd say that we're only halfway done with killing the ones around here. At least, by my rough count. There are only so many more of them to go."

"Thanks for the reassurance, I needed that," Ebonheim said sarcastically. "Still, I wonder why they don't all just attack at once, instead of constantly splitting apart their forces to send them in waves?"

Ebonheim's words hung in the air like an omen of a soothsayer, and as if to prove her right, the stillness of the air was disrupted by a quiver in the earth—a low, rhythmic tremor that gradually escalated.

Both turned their gaze towards a distant hillock, where from its crest, a horde of Kungwan shambled forth, their gait heavy and lumbering.

Sunlight struck their slimy, glistening hides in streaks, giving the horde an almost spectral appearance as they advanced.

Flamecallers trailed the fringes of their ranks, their skins aglow with fiery red and orange, leaving trails of smoldering underbrush in their wake. Their flames flared and danced, casting eerie, erratic shadows on the trees.

Frostscales flanked the formation, the ground beneath them crystallizing with every step they took, a vivid contrast to the flame that scorched the center.

The Kungwan Titans were at the center, their towering forms easily distinguishable amid the crowd of lesser Kungwans. They strode forward with heavy footsteps, pushing aside shrubbery and trees in their path, their jaws agape and tongues lolling. It was easy to count their numbers—ten in all.

Regenerators, the vanguard of the horde, gathered at the forefront, forming an armored wall between them and the enemy.

High above, Skyclingers glided effortlessly through the canopy, their adaptive skin camouflaging them among the dense foliage. Occasionally, they'd burst forth from their cover, their gusts of wind rustling the treetops and drawing attention to their deadly descent.

Lastly, Blightfroths loomed at the rear, their gaping mouths drooling copious amounts of toxic mucus onto the soil. The trees around them wilted and withered from the poisonous liquid, the foliage blackened and shriveled.

All in all, a veritable army, a formidable foe.

"You just had to ask why they didn't attack all at once." Calyxia gave Ebonheim a sideways glance, one brow raised inquisitively, the snakes atop her head all facing her. "Well, it seems you have a gift for prophecy. Couldn't you have imagined us in a hot spring instead?"

Ebonheim groaned. "Every single time I make an offhand comment, the realm finds some way to twist it into a cruel joke."

Calyxia shrugged, her gaze turning back to the approaching horde. "Maybe you've just discovered a hidden talent. Prophesying through complaints."

Despite the peril of the moment, a huff of laughter escaped Ebonheim. "Trust you to joke at a time like this. Didn't think you had a sense of humor."

"Having dealt with Elmsworth's and Liselotte's antics over our long history, one must develop a sense of humor to cope with such things." Calyxia smirked, her fangs gleaming.

"I'll make sure to let them know you said that," Ebonheim retorted.

The Kungwans drew closer, their ranks undulating as they flowed through the underbrush, their pace increasing by the second.

"Are you ready?" Calyxia asked.

She took a deep breath and straightened. "Ready. At least this time, I'll be fighting side by side with you."

Calyxia chuckled. "Indeed. They might have numbers, but we have something they lack."

"And what's that?" Ebonheim quipped, preparing her Essence Bolt, the arrowhead gleaming in the morning sun.

Calyxia grinned, extending her claws. "Style."