Chapter 90 – Goddess Propechy

Chapter 90

Goddess Propechy

Date : Day 8 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

The world snapped back into focus with a jarring suddenness. The chill autumn wind blowing on his face. The scent of rock and distant goblin settlement—it was all overwhelming after the sterile void. The colors rushed back. The sounds returned. The sensations flooded his body. He stumbled forward. His hand reached out to steady himself. His legs felt weak. Unsteady.

"Hyoren?"

Elise's voice cut through the disorientation.

"Are you okay?"

Elise quickly caught his hand. Her grip was firm. Warm. Grounding. She pulled him upright. Her emerald eyes searched his face. Concern etched across her features.

He blinked. His vision focused on the concerned face of Elise, who was standing in front of him. She was blinking as if she'd just seen a ghost. Her silver hair caught the light of the moons. Her brow furrowed with worry.

"Did the prayer work?"

She leaned closer.

"You resolved the issue?"

A slow, disbelieving grin spread across Hyoren's face. The relief was immediate. Overwhelming.

"Worked?"

He laughed.

"Elise, you have no idea."

He sank down onto their tarp. His mind was still racing to process everything. His legs gave out beneath him. The exhaustion from the divine encounter hit him suddenly. He looked at her. His eyes were shining with a newfound light.

"Firstly, yes, my issue was resolved."

He took his card back. The familiar weight in his hands. He smiled when seeing the number. The glowing digits confirmed it.

Level: 7

Experience to next level up: 421/864

He properly leveled up. The number was real. Tangible. And when he looked at requirements for the next level, level eight needed 1.5x the amount of level seven. He was convinced. The experience curve started to flatten. On level one to five, the requirement always doubled. Then at level six and seven, it was 1.5x. And based on Elise's experience requirement he saw before, the curve would flatten again in future levels. The mathematics made sense.

Elise looked at the number and heaved a relieved breath. Her shoulders relaxed. The tension drained from her posture.

"I'm glad the issue was resolved."

She smiled softly.

"You can now properly level up… And looking at the number, I guess you'll reach level eight when we finish our campaign. Fufu."

Hyoren smiled. The weight was gone. The frustration was gone.

"Yeah..."

He nodded slowly.

"We still have over three hundred goblins to kill. That's more than 1500 experience worth. Even before calculating the bonus from my Divine Protection. Maybe I can even reach level nine."

Elise's smile softened. She settled beside him. Her shoulder touched his.

"So, what happened after you prayed?"

She looked at him curiously.

"Did you meet the Goddesses again?"

Hyoren put down his card. The glow faded slightly. He exhaled slowly.

“Yes, Elise…"

He met her gaze.

"I met Luminara and Noctynara again..."

He looked up. Weighing his options. Should he tell Elise everything or not? About Luminara being a clumsy goddess especially. But he had already vowed. He would not hide anything from Elise ever again. And he felt both Goddesses wouldn't mind telling his party members. What they warned about was him babbling it to the masses. To many people.

He then looked at Elise again. His expression was serious.

"I finally know what happened, and you need to hear this."

He shook his head slowly.

"It was a Divine Comedy."

He quickly explained everything—the prostrating Luminara. The facepalming Noctynara. The botched system. And the cause—the clumsy goddess who got overexcited and made a mistake when installing the Unique Skill. This resulted in botching his level-up system.

He told her about the upgraded Berserker skill and the cryptic warning from Luminara at the end. The words tumbled out. Detailed. Unfiltered.

Elise listened. Her mouth slowly fell open in stunned disbelief. Her emerald eyes widened with each revelation. When he was finished, she just stared at him. Her emerald eyes were wide. Shocked.

"The Sun-Queen..."

She exhaled long breath.

"Luminara... is clumsy?"

She finally managed to whisper after it settled on her. The words sounded like the ultimate blasphemy. Her voice was barely audible. Disbelieving.

"The clumsiest, Elise."

Hyoren nodded. Affirming her. 

"And Noctynara, the Goddess of Darkness, is basically her long-suffering, sarcastic twin."

Elise let out a short, sharp laugh. A sound of pure, unadulterated shock and amusement. She sat down next to him. Shaking her head in disbelief. Her silver hair swayed with the motion.

"By Sylvana's winds..."

She pressed a hand to her forehead.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

She then remembered about the Noctynara warning. Telling everyone Luminara was actually clumsy was a bad idea. People would brand him as a heretic. Zealots would hunt him. People believed Luminara's image was impeccable. Mother-like. Caring. Full of Justice. And if he started talking about how she was actually clumsy, people would not believe it. People would think he tried to spread misinformation. Tried to do blasphemy. It was really a bad thing to do.

"Hyoren, listen to me..."

She grabbed his arm. Her grip was tight. Urgent.

"You really need to heed Noctynara's warning. Please. This is really important."

She looked him in the eyes.

"You can't spread the information about Luminara being clumsy."

She shook her head. Her silver hair swayed with motions. 

"People will think you're blasphemous."

She looked him in the eyes. Her emerald gaze was serious. Sharp.  She tightened her grip.

"You can't tell anyone. Ever. It will bring you trouble."

Hyoren nodded. He already knew it. The warning was clear.

"I understand, Elise. I understand it clearly.."

He placed his hand over hers. Grounding her.

"I don't want to be labeled as blasphemous and a heretic myself."

He smiled slightly.

"My lips are sealed, Elise."

Hyoren echoed his promise to the goddess. His voice was firm. Certain.

Elise smiled softly. She then stood. And went back to their makeshift kitchen. He saw her off with warm eyes. Knowing what she was going to do. The night was long. And they had much to discuss.

She went back with two warm mugs. The tea inside was still hot. Steam curled from the surface. The aroma was soothing. Yilmint and Blue Tea. Comforting. She sat beside him again. Snuggled close to him. Her body pressed against his side. Warm.

"Here, Hyoren."

She handed him a mug.

"The night is chilly."

She settled into his side.

"Before we talk more about this situation, I want to drink tea to warm me up. Fufu."

Hyoren took the mug from her. The ceramic felt warm in his hands. The heat seeped into his palms. Soothing. He sipped the tea. The warm liquid entered his stomach. Then the warmth spread to his body. The tension eased from his muscles.

"Thank you, Elise."

He exhaled slowly.

"I didn't realize I needed this tea before it entered my stomach. Haha."

He sipped again. The flavor was calming.

"This is warming me."

Elise giggled. The sound was soft. Content. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Fufu. It is indeed nice and warm."

Hyoren then looked at the goblin settlement. The torches flickered in the darkness. Movement below. He looked down at his free hand. Flexing it. Feeling the new strength in his muscles.

"But the important part is, I'm Level 7."

He stretched his fingers.

"I can finally level up properly."

He turned to her and grinned.

"We're not just hunting goblins anymore, Elise. We're about to become their worst nightmare."

Hyoren was still in the euphoria of leveling up. The feeling was intoxicating. Exhilarating. He flexed his hand again.

"Those goblins… Will become our experience points."

His grinding mindset was back. Now the prospect of properly leveling up gave him adrenaline. His effort won’t be wasted. It excited him.

Elise smiled at him. She touched his arm. Her fingers traced the muscle.

"Fufu. That's right, Hyoren."

She squeezed his arm.

"Time to change those goblins into fuel to make us stronger."

Hyoren nodded. His mind started to calculate. The numbers. The experience. The potential.

"We have already killed eighty-five goblins. And if our estimation is correct, there should be three hundred more at least."

He calculated in his mind. And grinned. The numbers were staggering.

"With the boost from my blessing included, that's over eighteen hundred experience points. Hahahaha."

His laugh came. Unbidden.

Elise looked at the settlements. At the torches moving around. At the watchtower. The shacks. The guttural snarls which could be heard if they carefully listened. At the patrol which moved around the perimeter. Trying to protect the settlement from another night raid.

She looked at him, and smiled. Her pointed ears twitched.

"You are truly something, Hyoren. Fufu."

She giggled. The sound was light. Amused.

"Normal people would see a goblin settlement and feel dread."

She gestured toward the quarry.

"The implication of hierarchy. The leader. And you..."

She looked back at him.

"You think of them just as a source of experience points. Fufu."

Hyoren scratched his cheek. Embarrassed. Caught.

"Well… Can't be helped, Elise."

He shrugged.

If we want to get stronger, we need to level up."

He gestured toward the settlement.

"And to level up, we need experience. And if there's a chance to earn a lot of it easily… I'm not passing that up."

He grinned. He let out a short laugh.

"Hahaha."

Elise sipped her tea again. The steam curled between them.

"Fufu… But that just how your mind worked, I guess."  

She lowered the mug.

"Maybe that's a different between normal adventurers who are content to do easy work and earning decent income."

She smiled at him.

"To you, who aimed to become the strongest. Reaching Platinum-rank."

Hyoren also sipped his tea. The warmth was comforting.

"Of course, Elise..."

He nodded firmly.

"We can't become Platinum-rank by becoming lazy."

They looked at the settlement again. Observing the goblins' movement. They were definitely weaker than yesterday. The movement was more disciplined, thanks to the Lord issuing strict commands, but the overall mood of the settlement was heavy. Anxious. Fearful. The torches moved with purpose. But the bodies were tense. The shadows were darker.

They spent some time observing. Sipping tea. Snuggling. Feeling each other's warmth. The night was quiet. Peaceful. Despite the danger below. Despite the chaos to come. In this moment, they were safe.

***

But Elise started to remember Luminara's cryptic warning. If she actually warned him like that, it should be important. The words lingered in her mind. Heavy. Significant.

"But then..."

Elise's voice lost its amused tone. Became serious again.

"Luminara's prophecy..."

She turned to face him fully. Her emerald eyes searched his face.

"What did she mean?"

She tilted her head.

"Why would you need your upgraded Unique Skill soon? You just leveled up. And the goblins are in disarray."

She gestured toward the quarry.

"It will take time, but we will dismantle them."

She furrowed her brow.

"And if she's talking about the Lord... yes, Goblin Lord is strong. But it's definitely not as strong as Alpha Wolf."

She looked at Hyoren. Her expression was thoughtful. Calculating.

"And now, you are stronger compared to when we faced the Alpha."

She gestured at his armor.

"You wear proper armor now. And your weapon is properly crafted… Not a makeshift one."

She was right. It was the one dark cloud hanging over them. He had vowed to himself, and to her, that he would never use Berserker unless it was an absolute, life-or-death emergency. The cost was too high. The pain too great. Even with the upgrade, being bedridden was a death sentence in the wild. The wilderness didn't wait for the sick or injured.

Hyoren finally realized the implication. His brow furrowed in thought. The pieces didn't fit.

"I don't know, Elise."

He put down his mug. Stood up. And began to pace. His boots crunched on the stone. The night air was cool against his skin.

"That's what's bothering me."

He stopped. Turned.

"It doesn't make sense."

He held up his hands.

"We have the goblins cornered. We have a solid plan to whittle them down. We're in control of the situation."

He stopped pacing and looked out at the quarry. He carefully observed the goblins' settlement with his Aethell Sense. The magical signatures were scattered. Disorganized. They were demoralized. There was no immediate threat that warranted the use of a skill like Berserker. The settlement below was quiet.

He then sat beside Elise again. A thought forming in his mind. He took his mug again and sipped. Drank all the tea. The warmth settled in his stomach.

"Unless… Unless she wasn't talking about the goblins."

Elise's eyes widened. The implications hit her.

"You think something else is coming?"

She leaned forward. Her silver hair cascading forward, over her shoulder.

"Something worse waiting for us in the Old Quarry?Not just goblins?"

Hyoren nodded. His expression was grim.

"What if there's a stronger monster in the quarry, Elise?"

He turned to her and rubbed his chin.

"Not just Goblin Lord? Maybe higher or evolved goblins?"

Elise thought about it. Then explained the absurdity of it. Her mind worked through the possibilities.

"But, Hyoren… It was absurd. And unlikely."

She shook her head. Her hair swayed with the motion.

"There is no way something stronger than Goblin Lord exists in the quarry."

She gestured toward the settlement.

"The settlement size means it definitely is not Goblin Chieftain, let alone King."

She crossed her arms.

"Goblins ecology is already studied extensively. We know everything about them. From their evolved variant. Their hierarchy. How they build settlements. Even their reproduction rate."

Hyoren tapped his chin. Thinking about different possibilities. His mind worked through the options.

"How about some other monster that led them?"

 He looked at her.

"I don't know... Orcs? Or another strong monster who has the ability to lead? Basically a stronger monster that forces the goblins to obey?"

Elise shook her head. Her silver hair swayed with the motion. Catching the moonlight.

"No, Hyoren…"

She sighed.

"That's impossible… Monsters never worked with each other. The leader of a Goblin Settlement will be an evolved and stronger version of goblins."

She then looked at his eyes. Trying to explain and convey the information clearly.

"Sure… We sometimes see monsters working under other monsters."

She waved her hand.

"Some monsters can actually tame other creatures, just like human tamers. Goblin Riders tame wolves to ride them like cavalry. Something similar already observed on other monster."

She looked away. Her gaze swept the night sky.

"Then there is different scenario. Monsters using each other."

She furrowed her brow.

"Some monster might forcing a group of goblins to move by force, so those groups will clash with humans. Some Shadowden Collective's Warlocks use this tactic."

She tapped her chin. Trying to remember.

"If I recall correctly… The Ogre King in the far eastern territory is famous for doing this."

She turned back to him.

"He forces goblins, orcs, and other weaker monsters to attack humanity first. Then we are tied with those bunches of weaklings. His real army will attack."

She shook her head. Her silver hair swayed with the motion.

"But it's unlikely to happen here. The hierarchy on that settlement is clear. The goblins following orders. Only higher evolved goblins can lead and command other goblins with this strict hierarchy."

She concluded. Her tone was final. Certain.

Hyoren tapped his chin. Processing her explanation.

"I see…"

He nodded slowly.

"So possibilities of higher evolved goblins or other stronger monsters are non-existent."

Hyoren shook his head. Trying to dispel his thoughts. He then went silent for a while. Thinking about other possibilities. The night breeze blew across the ledge. Cool. Fresh.

"Wait a minute… I think I understand, Elise."

Elise turned her head to Hyoren. Curious.

"What did you understand, Hyoren?"

He gestured with his hand. His fingers traced the air.

"Luminara said soon."

He looked at her. His dark eyes met her emerald eyes.

"But soon can be interpreted widely. It can be tomorrow. Next week. Or even next month. She didn't specifically warn me about something we will encounter in the quarry."

He looked back toward Akela. Far away.

"And remember, the looming threat of war?"

He turned to her.

"The one Baron Akela prepared for?"

Realization dawned over Elise. Her eyes widened slightly. The pieces connected.  She nodded.

"I see. That makes sense."

She exhaled long breath.

"Shadowden Collective's Goblin King is definitely going to move his army from the Forest of No Return soon. Maybe in a few weeks to months."

She nodded.

"And the scale of the war eight years ago was definitely big. The war casualties were high. You might need to use Berserker if we face similar attack like that."

Hyoren smiled. The tension eased slightly.

"That's right, Elise. I think we should not worry about our current campaign."

He gestured toward the quarry. Waved his hand. Dismissing.

"It's basically already done. Just needs time."

He looked at the quarry. The torchlights flickered below.

"We'll stick to the plan. We'll finish this quarry quest Then, we will prepare for the war with the Goblin King from the Forest of No Return."

Elise smiled. A soft, warm expression.

"Yes, Hyoren. Let's do that."

She then looked at the three moons. The celestial bodies hung in the night sky. Then back to Hyoren.

"The night is already deep, Hyoren. Let's sleep?"

She tilted her head. Indicating that conversations is reaching it end.

Hyoren nodded. Noting how sleepy he was. His mind started to fog. Dark circles appeared under his eyes. The exhaustion from the day settled in. Heavy. Demanding.

"Right, Elise…"

He rubbed his eyes.

"Suddenly I feel sleepy."

Elise chuckled. A soft, knowing sound.

"Last night we slept so late doing night raids."

She shrugged.

"It was understandable."

Hyoren smiled wryly. A tired, sheepish expression.

"Oh right. That's true."

He stood up. And offered his hand to her.

"Okay then. Let's sleep, Elise."

She took his hands.

“Thank you, Hyoren. And yeah, let’s sleep.”

Both of them then went into their tent. The warm temperature-controlled tent greeted them. The interior was cozy. Safe. They quickly took off their cloaks. The fabric fell to the ground. Then snuggled inside their sleeping bags. The material was soft. Warm. Comforting.

Elise looked up. Her head is resting on Hyoren’s shoulder. And smiled.

“Night, Hyoren.”

Hyoren smiled back at her.

“Good Night, Elise. Sleep well.”

They then kissed each other. It was brief. Good night kiss. An anchor for them so they will sleep peacefully.

Sleep claimed them not long after. Their bodies were tired. Exhausted. And his problem was fixed. The level-up issue was resolved. The weight on his mind was lifted.

The weight of Luminara's prophecy was still there, but they decided to shelve it for the moment. The concern was pushed aside. Set aside for later.

That decision stemmed from their confidence because of how successful their current campaign had been. They had won every engagement. They had killed dozens of goblins without a scratch. They were in control. They didn’t try to look for different perspectives.

The Goddess’s prophecy was always right. It would happen. Not in a few months. Or even a few weeks like they thought. The Goddess said it would be soon.

Something sinister was brewing in the middle of the Old Quarry. The Goddess had already warned them. But they decided to ignore her warning. They really should not have. And now they were not prepared for the looming threat.