Chapter 213 Goddess
"Damn it!" Veronica shouted angrily, and her aura burst outward, declaring her presence in the surrounding space.
"..."
No one attempted to stop her; they simply moved away, unwilling to be caught in the stray bullet of her anger. Even Izo, who was usually the first to scold her for such disrespect, remained silent.
The reason was simple: the Goddess of Light, with her arrogance and a tone that implied they were beneath her, had angered them. Even if many of them supported the gods, they did not accept such an attitude.
However, would these people do anything about it? Naturally, no. They would just swallow it and follow every order, not wanting their comfort zone to be disturbed.
"Darn it..."
Amarantha was furious but could only contain her emotions. She joined this expedition only because she needed the Abyss. There, she had to become stronger to help Adam.
"Damn gods. I'll get to you someday!"
***
Meanwhile, Adam stood aside, lips pressed together, watching as a large sphere filled with yet another stream of energy, and the pressure in the room made even him tremble.
"What a dreadful power... I can't even imagine what will happen when the Goddess's consciousness is summoned," he thought, observing how monster cores and other creatures' essences filtered into pure magical energy.
It served as a reservoir that could sustain the Goddess's consciousness, allowing him to negotiate with her. However, his well-being deteriorated, and he felt as if he had swiftly ascended a mountain.
Breathing was interrupted by coughs, and hearts pounded loudly, sensing intense strain. Adam stood still, but the pressure on him was already significant.
"What horror. It's incredibly challenging to envision the power of the Goddess Veridia. In ancient times, she was almost the primary goddess until followers of the Goddess of Light displaced her," he thought and sighed, feeling fatigued. "Having a goddess as an ally will be very useful, but I'm not sure if she'll agree. No one knows how their minds work."
The Goddess of Truth and Justice. An indispensable figure in the ancient history of the world, where her power instilled fear and worship in every follower and inhabitant of ancient lands. Despite her religion not claiming monotheism, most believed only in her.
Her most faithful followers possessed the ability to see through lies and use the power of [Heavenly Wrath].
"Heavenly Wrath... this ability works very strangely and unpredictably. If the target is evil, lightning immediately turns them to dust, but if they're good, it only strengthens them."
It was unpredictable. The determination of whether a person was evil or good was decided by the gods' worldview, and they were quite peculiar in that regard.
"So I need to be careful."
***
Veronica and the others faced a long journey. Unfortunately, the situation was such that new coordinates were weeks away even at the fastest speeds. Space was vast and challenging to explore, with many hidden places and dangers. Various cracks could lead to separate worlds.
However, beneath the attractive facade lurked great danger. There were cases where practitioners successfully broke through the cracks and entered a world, only to lose contact afterward. Darkness surrounded them every time they delved deeper, following in the footsteps of Ada. Many struggled against the poison in the unknown energy.
"We've been traveling for two days already," Amarantha thought, feeling the moral fatigue of having no one to talk to. In her thoughts, memories of their daily conversations with Adam emerged. These memories served as a source of energy, sustaining her. Yet, they also brought a sense of loneliness and a desire to return.
"Adam... I hope he's safe. According to Sierra, problems have arisen in the mortal world, likely due to Ada's appearance," Amarantha pondered, sighing heavily. She clenched her fists, looking into the distance. "There's still a challenging path ahead."
Ahead, Veronica, with two other practitioners, led the flight. She, too, was lost in thought, recalling the moment when the practice was dragged into Ada. Then, she distinctly felt her brother's magical energy.
"But how is that possible? My brother disappeared before Ada vanished. I thought the Demon King took him," Veronica agonized, trying to find some justification, but nothing came to her. "All the facts pointed to him. Could he be alive?"
She knew nothing about it.
***
On the surface, portals still appeared, releasing demons that were promptly slain. It became a part of everyone's life, and they gradually adapted to it. Unfortunately, there were still many losses.
Avalonia provided financial aid and sent reinforcements, helping poor villages avoid destruction. However, the world mourned. Every person felt that the world was gradually changing. The familiar sky took on a bloody hue, and rains seemed to corrode the soul. It was the beginning of a catastrophe.
"Have they found Adam?" Elira asked anxiously, and Ekaterina shook her head negatively.
"No, Lady Elira. Unfortunately, his trial ended in the office, and it's challenging to track further. But the crystal of life is still intact, indicating that he's alive," Ekaterina replied in a soft voice, trying to comfort the girl.
"Darn!"
On the second day, they searched for him but found no clues. He simply vanished, as if dissolved in the air. Despite the tense situation, the girls had to make a considerable effort to keep the city of Sedyon intact and safe.
Aurora sighed sadly and shook her head. She had just left Anna's room, who was in a severe psychological state, doing nothing but crying. This added to the problems, considering everyone in the mansion was in a bad mood. Amarantha's absence left everyone in confusion, not knowing what to do. The overall spirit was low due to Adam's absence.
"So many problems... where could he have disappeared to?" Elara muttered irritably.
And suddenly...
WHOOSH!
A strong gust of wind suddenly appeared from the direction of the bookshelf, which was quickly destroyed under the force of the wind, revealing a passage for the girls. From there, they felt a powerful energy of an unknown type, reminiscent of Light Magic. Exchanging glances, they ran into the passage and began to descend quickly.
***
"..."
Adam silently watched as the streams of wind engulfed the entire room, and the sphere began to melt under an incredible temperature. This was the manifestation of the emergence of the Goddess's consciousness, gradually forming into a white sphere. Adam watched with trepidation, trying to maintain the circulation of magical energy within himself, in case of any adverse reaction.
And now, five minutes had passed, even more. Adam squinted discontentedly when he felt that the unknown energy began to erode the protection, created by the armor. He felt the energy trying to reach him, but the defense helped, although there were signs that the armor was breaking.
"What a terrible force... is this the power of the Goddess Veridia?" he muttered, not expecting to get an answer. However...
"Of course not. This is not my true power, mortal... I'm more interested in why you summoned me." A deep female voice responded, carrying notes of authority and might.
She appeared in the form of a white sphere, bearing no resemblance to a human, but Adam seemed to see her appearance. She was a tall, beautiful woman with golden hair straight down to her shoulders, and her green eyes sparkled brightly in the daylight, while her smile seemed to replace the sun. Dressed in a simple, modest white dress, she wore a rose wreath on her head.
"I sensed that mentions of my name have increased. It happened only once in a millennium, and even then it was researchers. And you... seem to have efficiently used my identity, haven't you?" she asked, chuckling cheerfully and tilting her head to the side. Her smile was radiant.
"I apologize for that. I pursued only pure motives," Adam replied, watching her attentively. He smiled, though he felt very tense inside.
"Hmm..."
The Goddess just snorted and looked around, narrowing her eyes. Adam felt a powerful flow of energy passing through him, through his body, and then through the entire castle. This created a strong pressure that instantly carried them away. Adam held his breath, feeling exposed before her, unable to hide anything.
"Damn... system!" he exclaimed in his thoughts, praying that the existence of his power remained unknown.
***
The girls descending suddenly froze, feeling an intense gaze upon them. They stood in shock, bewildered and unsure of what to do, while the pressure gave them the sensation that they could die at any moment.
"W-what is this?" Elira asked in horror as soon as the pressure subsided.
"I don't know... but we need to hurry!" Elara shouted and ran down.
Aurora held her breath and began to descend with them, as did Ekaterina. After a few minutes, they found themselves in a room where Adam stood in front of a massive sphere.
"Adam!" Elara called his name, but he showed no reaction.
She gasped in horror and looked at the white sphere, which gradually took the form of a beautiful woman. In her hands, she held an olive branch, and she smiled brightly. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was.
"Veridia..."
She was the prototype for Adam's company logo, named after this goddess. In ancient times, she was arguably the most powerful, holding power over the entire world. The Goddess of Truth and Justice, Veridia.
"So, this is the state of this world... as expected from Stella, her control over mortals is extremely effective."
"Stella?" Adam didn't understand, but he decided not to ask questions.
The goddess simply smiled, looked around, and noticed the stunned girls.
"Oh? Are these your women?"
To be continued...
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