GodWithWings
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Ch 46 - He Who Inherited Her Sword
🕑 Added 2025-06-14 23:36:12 +0000 UTCA/N -
Finally, Patreon is +14 chapters ahead xD The goal is to get +20 until the end of June tho
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“You bear the Goddess’ mark, don’t you?” she asked again, that same lecherous smile spreading across her face, making my skin crawl.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered, waving my hand even though she couldn’t see it. But Elisabeth’s expression didn’t shift. If anything, the smile deepened, becoming even more unsettling.
“And here I thought I’d earned your trust,” she said as she stepped closer, lowering her voice. She then found my hand, inspecting it with her cold fingers. “Just above your right wrist, there’s a mark there, isn’t there?”
She was referring to the spot where that strange snake had bitten me back in the chamber of trials.
“I was bitten there. What does that have to do with a goddess?” I shot back, trying to keep the act going.
“Oh, you don’t know?” Her grin faltered for the first time, surprise flashing behind the amusement. “That’s the Goddess’ mark. It’s the key to a chamber meant specifically for you - her chosen one.”
If she was telling the truth, then stepping into that chamber with her had meant sharing whatever the Goddess had left behind - something divine, maybe even more soul essences. The idea alone made my stomach tighten. I wanted all those treasures for myself.
“How do you know that?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. Was she trapped back there in that dark room as a punishment because she tried but couldn’t enter? Or had she managed to get inside once before without the mark and was punished for it?
“Because I tried to enter it and failed. I’ve been looking for the key ever since,” she said, turning away with that same grin still plastered across her face. “There’s a reward for clearing this room, beneath where the dragon was. You can take it if you want. I’ll be waiting for you in the main hall.”
Without another word, she headed toward the exit, already pulling out another bottle from her portal and happily drinking as she walked.
Finally… I can breathe again.
Even with the non-aggression deal we’ve made, walking beside someone I couldn’t trust, who was far stronger than me, felt like crossing a thin wire, where one misstep would mean death. If there had been any way to avoid entering that circular chamber, I would’ve gladly left. But there wasn’t.
I turned away from the dragon’s corpse, deciding I’d deal with it after I saw what was inside the reward chest.
Is she so high level that she doesn’t even care about dungeon rewards?
It was unsettling that she hadn’t looked twice at anything except that strange essence, the one that likely contained divinity, and whatever was waiting in the chamber meant for the Goddess’ chosen. I was starting to suspect that keeping me alive had nothing to do with any promise to her god. She clearly knew about the mark. That was likely the only reason I was still breathing. Once we entered that chamber and I was no longer useful, she would probably kill me.
Let’s just see what’s inside the chest first…
Dwelling on what I couldn’t change would only chip away at my nerves. Better to focus on the reward and then analyze my situation.
Digging it up took longer than I expected. I used my greatsword as a makeshift shovel, hoping the blade wouldn’t dull from scraping through the soil. It was forged from tough monster chitin and tempered with divine power, but even so, it wasn’t meant for this kind of work. Finally, the blade struck something solid with a sharp metallic thud, not the dull scrape of steel on stone, but the clean, heavy sound of metal hitting metal.
I cleared away the dirt as fast as I could. Unlike the smaller wooden chests I’d opened before, this one was built from dark metal, heavy and reinforced, its lock thick and far sturdier. But nothing ever stood in the way of a desperate man eager for loot. I slammed the hilt of my sword against the lock, again and again, ignoring the growing ache spreading through my hand. My fingers throbbed, and the handle vibrated painfully with every strike, but finally, with one last hit, the lock gave in and snapped open.
My eyes lit up the moment I saw what was inside. The first thing that practically jumped out at me was the heavy silvery armor. It wasn’t as thick or bulky as the one the Velmoryn Huanir had killed was wearing, but even to my untrained eyes, the craftsmanship was clearly better. Or at least it looked better, which for me mostly meant it was shiny and had a much better design.
I pulled the armor out and set it down beside the chest, knocking on it like that’s how the armor quality had to be tested. I was eager to see what else was waiting for me so I dove right into it. Piece by piece, I found gauntlets, arm guards, greaves, and most importantly, the boots. The boots had soft lining inside, no crude stitches poking out or tearing into flesh with every step. That alone nearly made me scream with joy, but I held myself back. There was more to check.
Despite finding a nearly complete set of equipment, there was no helmet or weapon. Instead, I found three potions I couldn’t identify, five gold coins, and an earth-brown essence roughly the size of a fingernail. Without a doubt, this was the best reward I had found in the entire dungeon. Even if I combined everything from the previous two chests, it wouldn’t come close to what was sitting in front of me now.
I quickly moved the essence and the vials into my Veilspace. As I did, I noticed the available space was almost gone. The idea of gutting the dragon and harvesting its heart was off the table now. I didn’t even know if the heart would hold any real value, but if all those fantasy stories had taught me anything, dragon hearts were usually worth something. At the very least, it felt like a waste not to try.
With the smaller items safely stored, I turned my attention back to the armor. Moving around in the leather gear I’d been wearing made no sense anymore. It offered next to no protection and was uncomfortable on top of it. The new armor was heavier, but the difference in quality was night and day.
Piece by piece, I replaced my old equipment, adjusting the fit as I went. Each part slipped into place like it had been made for me from the start. Not too loose, not too tight. No awkward rubbing or pinching at the joints. Even the boots felt like my own footprints had shaped them.
The dungeon must’ve locked in the reward once I broke the chest. Otherwise, these pieces should’ve been meant for Elisabeth, not me.
That seemed like the most logical explanation. The other option was that I was simply absurdly lucky, but I wasn’t foolish enough to count on luck in a place like this.
Once everything was secured, I flexed my fingers inside the gauntlets, testing the movement. The armor was solid but surprisingly flexible. I didn’t know how much protection it would give if something like Elisabeth or her summon struck me directly, but compared to what I’d worn before, this was as close to proper gear as I’d ever had.
I stood up and walked alongside the dragon’s corpse, my gaze pulling toward it with a regret I couldn’t quite shake. I wanted to take its heart. At the very least, I wanted to try. But my Veilspace was full, and there was no way I could drag something like that around. It was simply impossible. Actually, even if my Veilspace hadn’t been full, there was no guarantee a heart of such a massive creature would even fit inside.
The frustration only deepened as I moved closer to the exit. After everything I had learned about Elisabeth, her knowing I bore the Goddess’ mark, her obsession with the chamber, I was more convinced than ever that a fight between us was inevitable. Whether it happened the moment we stepped inside or after we secured whatever reward waited, I was certain this wouldn’t end peacefully.
“It took you less time than I expected,” Elisabeth’s voice reached me the moment I stepped into the circular hall. She sat casually near the Goddess’ statue, resting against the fountain that had once saved my life, already drinking from yet another bottle.
Does she not get drunk?
At first, I thought I’d seen signs of it. But no. We hadn’t even spent an entire day together, and she’d easily gone through five… perhaps even more bottles on her own. If she still hadn’t succumbed to the alcohol by now, she probably never would.
“I didn’t carve the dragon,” I said, explaining briefly. “I couldn’t carry its heart.”
“Why would you even want its heart?” she replied lazily, not sounding particularly invested. “You should’ve taken the egg, or the glands. But this one was created by the dungeon. All those things would’ve vanished the moment you stepped out of this space anyway.”
She spoke like commenting on something she had absolutely no interest in, lifting the bottle one last time before standing up. “Now, shall we enter the chamber?”
“Alright then,” I answered, doing my best to sound calm, and not like someone preparing for the fight of their life the moment that door opened. “Where is the chamber?”
I glanced toward the stone arches scattered across the room, assuming one of them led to the place she spoke of. But instead, Elisabeth turned toward the statue itself, the same Goddess statue standing tall within the fountain, and tapped her fingers lightly against its surface.
“This is the entrance. Right here.” She kept tapping on the Goddess’ figure like it was making a statement or diminishing its value.
“There’s an inscription on this statue near the sword,” she continued, her hand still tracing across the surface like she could see it as clearly as I did.
“How do you even know that? Considering…” I started, but she cut me off before I could finish.
“Considering I’m blind?” she chuckled softly, pulling roughly on the stitches covering her eyes. The sight made my skin crawl. “Avenor, just because someone cannot see with their eyes, doesn’t mean they’re blind.”
She moved with slow steps, circling the statue until she reached the sword.
“This inscription says, ‘He who inherited my will shall wield my sword.’ And the one who seems to have inherited the Goddess’s will… is you, Avenor.”
There was no grin this time, no playful tone or unsettling cheerfulness. Her voice was level and composed, colder than anything she’d shown before, and it made my muscles tense even more.
“How do we open the chamber?” I asked, stepping closer.
“I believe a drop of your blood should be enough. Right into the fountain,” she said, pulling a small knife from her portal and handing it to me.
I glanced at the blade but didn’t take it. Instead, I removed my bracer and bit down on my own wrist, breaking the skin myself. I trusted my own teeth more than I trusted her blade anywhere near my flesh.
She shook her head, a faint smile returning as she slipped the knife back into the portal. “You truly are like a demon,” she whispered.
The cut came out a little deeper than I intended, and I pressed my free hand against it to slow the bleeding as I held my wrist above the fountain. My blood mixed with the water, swirling faintly as the surface shimmered, catching the light in silver flashes. Then, slowly, the statue moved.
The Goddess spread her wings wide in a slow, graceful motion. As the shadows cast by them reached outward, a portal formed in their center, shimmering softly behind the statue.
“Avenor,” Elisabeth’s voice turned even more serious, far from her usual playful games. “No matter what happens inside, stay close to me. If one of us dies, Father may see it as intentional negligence… and punish us both.”
For a brief moment, I actually wondered if she might be telling the truth. The weight in her tone was different this time. But I quickly pushed the thought aside. Whatever her intentions were, trusting her now was still a risk I couldn’t afford. I would follow for now, but my focus would stay on finding the right moment. The moment I needed to finish this, before she finished me.
This portal wasn’t as unsettling as the dungeon’s entrance, but the moment I stepped through, a wave of dizziness hit me anyway. It passed quickly, but I still had to steady myself as we entered.
The chamber was brightly lit, far brighter than anything I’d seen in the dungeon so far. But any sense of awe was gone the moment I looked around. The entire place was a mess. Broken furniture was scattered across the floor. Piles of unfinished weapons, pieces of armor, discarded helmets, scraps of metal… all dumped together like someone had abandoned a forge halfway through building an army.
Is the Goddess’ sword supposed to be one of these worthless pieces of junk?
For a second, disappointment sank in. After everything I’d gone through to reach this place, I hadn’t expected a glorified storage room filled with garbage. But as my eyes swept across the chaos, something in the center caught my attention and instantly wiped every other thought from my mind.
Suspended from the ceiling, chained in place by thick metal links, was a capsule. It wasn’t transparent. There was no way to see what was inside. No movement, no hint of what lay within. But the moment I looked at it, I just knew.
There is someone inside!
A/N -
And with this, we are very close to the climax of the dungeon "arc" and a big reveal :3
