The underground city was no more.

  What remained of the temple had collapsed, burying all traces of their existence beneath tons of stone and rubble. To the outside world, it would appear as if the city had crumbled naturally, leaving nothing but silence in its wake. No bodies, no survivors—just ruins.

  But Aelric knew the truth.

  They hadn’t perished. They had simply moved beyond reach.

  The subspace granted by the Unknown Goddess had become their new sanctuary. It was a vast, untouched land, with rolling fields, fresh water, and dense forests. Though it still bore the remnants of the goddess’s original dwelling, something was different. It was as if she had subtly altered it—just enough to ensure their survival.

  Aelric stood at the highest point of a hill, surveying the land.

  This was no ordinary subspace.

  It was the final gift of the Unknown Goddess, her home, and now—his people’s refuge.

  The warriors wasted no time adjusting. Tents were pitched, supplies were gathered, and scouts were sent to explore the terrain.

  Kaela, after her initial survey, twirled her spear with satisfaction. “The land is stable. Fresh water sources, wildlife, and decent natural barriers. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.”

  Aelric nodded. “It’ll be more than enough. We’ll make it work.”

  Veyne, standing beside him, crossed his arms. “I still can’t believe this is real.” He looked around. “She really gave us her home.”

  Aelric exhaled. “She did more than that. This place was once hers, but it’s clear she altered it before handing it over. Not too much—just enough to make sure we could survive.” His gaze darkened slightly. “It wasn’t just a gift. It was an expectation. She wanted us to keep moving forward.”

  Nearby, the elders approached, their expressions solemn yet resolute.

  One of them knelt before Aelric. “You have been blessed by the goddess. You have led us to survival. From this moment, we will follow you.”

  The warriors followed suit, one by one, kneeling before him. Even Kaela, ever the warrior, planted her spear into the ground and lowered her head.

  Aelric felt the weight of their trust settle on him.

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  He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then spoke.

  “This is our first victory against the Order, but it will not be our last.” His voice was steady, commanding. “We survived—but that’s not enough. The Order will notice their enforcers have gone silent. We must prepare before they start searching.”

  Veyne smirked. “What’s the plan?”

  Aelric’s expression turned cold. “First, we extract every piece of information from Renard Varos.”

  Meanwhile, within the Order’s domain, in the dimly lit chamber of a grand temple, a priest clad in elaborate robes stood before an altar, hands clasped in silent prayer. Before him, a hooded figure knelt—one of the Supreme One’s Messengers. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense.

  The priest’s lips curled into a thin smile. “Any word from the squad?”

  The Messenger’s voice was devoid of emotion. “Not yet.”

  The priest opened his eyes, amusement flickering within them. “How unusual. Renard and his men always report swiftly.”

  The Messenger’s expression did not change. “Would you like me to send another squad to investigate?”

  The priest tilted his head, considering. Then, a low chuckle escaped him. “Not yet. Let us wait a little longer.” His fingers traced the engraved symbols on the altar. “If they are simply delayed, we need not waste more resources. But if they have truly gone silent…” His grin widened. “Then this is turning out to be rather amusing.”

  The Messenger said nothing, but a silent understanding passed between them.

  Something was wrong.

  And soon, the Order would act.

  Back in the subspace, Aelric sat deep in thought.

  They had won, but they couldn’t act carelessly. The Order would soon notice something was wrong. Moving too soon could expose them. For now, patience was key.

  He made his decision.

  “We stay hidden,” he told the warriors and elders. “The Order needs time to forget about us. In the meantime, we train, we grow, and we prepare for our next move.”

  His gaze shifted to Veyne, who still carried that burning determination in his eyes.

  “Speaking of training…” Aelric reached into his cloak and pulled out the magic blade of fire—the one they had taken from Renard Varos. The crimson flames flickered along its edge. He tossed it toward Veyne.

  Veyne caught it instinctively, feeling the heat pulsing from the blade.

  Aelric smirked. “Use this. Train with it. Master it.”

  He then handed over the armor Renard once wore and a book on fire magic.

  “I don’t know if you have talent for magic, but you’re physically gifted. You learned the basics of the sword fast. I won’t be surprised if you can handle this, too.”

  Veyne ran his fingers over the armor, then smirked. “I’ll make it work.”

  Aelric’s expression grew sharper. “If I’m going to take down the Supreme One and the Order, I’ll need the world’s greatest swordsman by my side.”

  The moment he uttered the name of the Supreme One, Aelric expected the usual agonizing voices to ring in his mind. The suffocating, inescapable pain.

  But… nothing came.

  Aelric’s eyes widened slightly.

  “What a blessing from the goddess,” he murmured.

  He then turned to Kaela. “Your fundamentals are strong. Stronger than most. But in my ten years of traveling, I’ve seen warriors much better with the spear. If you don’t push yourself further, Veyne will catch up soon.”

  Kaela froze, then narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?”

  Before Aelric could say anything else, she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Aww, you do care!” Kaela grinned, hugging him tightly. “I knew you believed in me! You really are the best, Aelric!”

  Veyne, still holding his new blade, scowled. “Get off him.”

  Kaela ignored him, laughing as she squeezed Aelric tighter.

  The warriors around them chuckled, the tension of the past days momentarily lifting. Even Aelric found himself allowing a small smirk.

  Inside, he thought to himself:

  This is nice. Something that I wish the people in the outside world got to experience more.

  But he knew better than to indulge for long.

  Because soon, the world would come for them again.

  And this time, they would be ready.

  Aelric turned away from the group and approached the elders and the warriors who had lived here all their lives. His eyes were sharp, focused.

  “Now that we have all the time we need… let’s start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know—about the Order, the history, and the knowledge you’ve gathered.”

  The warriors exchanged glances. The elders nodded solemnly.

  And so, the truth of their hidden history was about to be revealed.

  Chapter 14 ends