My fingers tightened around the cold, metallic key, its weight pressing into my palm. The urge to throw it away surged through me, yet for some inexplicable reason, I held on, my grip refusing to loosen—as if my own hand was no longer mine to command.

  The chest in the cave. That had to be it. Did she want me to open it? And then there was the woman she mentioned… someone in the cave who could be of use to me.

  I scanned my surroundings, trying to steady my breath. The world felt distant, like I was drifting in and out of reality. Suddenly, Victor surged forward, splashing into the creek without hesitation. He waded through the water quickly, climbed onto the massive orc where I stood, and came to my side, his breath heavy from the effort.

  He extended a hand toward me. “...You’re an idiot, you know.”

  Without hesitation, I grabbed it. My limbs felt sluggish, weighed down as if gravity itself had doubled. It took effort just to stand, but thankfully, Vic was there to pull me up.

  “Shut… up,” I muttered between ragged breaths, each word an effort.

  I glanced around, searching for the others. Across the creek, Milio stood watching. When our eyes met, he gave me a thumbs-up and grinned—his expression almost like that of a proud father watching his kid.

  Then, my gaze shifted to a woman with red hair. The color was close to Vic’s, but that was where the similarity ended. She was built like a warrior—muscular, strong, her presence alone commanding. If I had to compare, she carried the same intimidating aura as Jacquinn… perhaps even more terrifying.

  She began to clap, a slow, deliberate rhythm, as if acknowledging my attention. The moment our eyes met, she vanished.

  A sudden sound beside me made my heart jolt—she was already there, standing atop the fallen orc, as if not a single movement had been wasted. It was as though she had materialized out of thin air.

  “Name,” she demanded, her voice sharp and commanding.

  I took a deep breath before answering. “Bel Scriv .”

  Her eyebrows arched in surprise. Then, a smirk tugged at her lips. “You’re not even from one of the great families,” she mused, amusement flickering in her eyes.

  She studied me for a long moment before speaking again. “Mel Inferna.” Her gaze locked onto mine. “Remember that name, Bel—I have a feeling we’ll meet again.”

  Without another word, she turned to face her group.

  “We’re leaving, boys!” she called out, her voice ringing with authority.

  In an instant, she vanished once more—only to reappear beside her group. Without hesitation, she turned and began walking away.

  Vic placed a steadying hand on my shoulder, keeping me upright as we made our way toward Milio.

  “Where’s Sarah?” I asked, my voice still strained.

  “In front of the cave… why?” Milio replied, glancing at me curiously.

  "Let's go. I need to tell her something"

  We walked toward the cave, the weight of exhaustion settling over us. Sarah stood at the entrance, peering inside as if waiting for someone to emerge. The moment she heard our footsteps, she turned sharply and rushed toward us.

  "Where is he?" she asked, her voice tight with urgency.

  I let go of Victor’s shoulder, straightened myself, and met her gaze.

  "Sorry... he's dead."

  Her expression froze. "What?"

  "Kai... he died in the cave. That orc killed him."

  She stared at me, unmoving, her face void of emotion. Then, without a word, she dropped to her knees, her head bowing as if the weight of reality had crushed her in an instant.

  She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She just sat there, staring at the ground—like someone who had lost everything.

  Her fingers curled slightly, as if grasping at something invisible. A tremor ran through her shoulders, but still, no tears came. It was a kind of grief deeper than sobbing—one that left a person hollow.

  I didn’t know what to think. I barely knew Kai, yet watching him die like that made something inside me twist. I wanted to throw up. To run. To disappear. A part of me felt like it was my fault.

  I almost wished Sarah would hit me, scream at me, blame me for it. But she didn’t.

  Her silence was worse.

  Without another word, I stepped past her and turned my gaze toward the cave.

  "I'm going in. I saw a woman inside... I'm going to save her."

  Victor and Milio stepped past Sarah as well, coming to stand beside me. They didn’t say a word, but I understood their silence. They were coming with me.

  As we entered the cave, Milio handed me a torch. I took the lead, the flickering light casting long shadows on the damp stone walls. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of blood and earth.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Every step felt like I was wading through lead. My body ached, exhaustion dragging at my limbs. I had a feeling that my ability to harden myself with ice was gone—at least for now. But despite that, an unshakable certainty burned within me.

  I would save this person.

  Save, huh…?

  The thought didn’t feel like my own. It was as if something else—someone else—had planted it in my mind. That goddess. The one who wanted me to hate the gods, to kill them.

  I didn’t understand her game. The more I thought about it, the more confused I felt.

  It was like my actions weren’t entirely my own, like I was being pulled by an invisible force, following a path that had already been laid out for me. A cruel, predetermined fate.

  But I pushed those thoughts aside. Right now, I had a promise to keep—to honor Kai’s wish.

  I would save this person.

  And then, maybe, I’d figure out what the hell that goddess really wanted from me.

  We pressed on, venturing deeper into the cave. The further we went, the more unsettling the silence became. No goblins. No movement. It was as if they had either vanished or were hiding in the shadows, watching.

  We passed the room with the chest, leaving it behind as we continued forward.

  “Too bad we couldn’t open that chest,” Milio muttered.

  My fingers tightened around the key.

  I held my breath and kept moving.

  As we stepped into a chamber illuminated by the soft glow of fireflies, we finally spotted the goblins. They weren’t attacking. Instead, they were huddled in the corner, trembling. There were about ten of them, pressed together as if seeking comfort in their numbers.

  Something felt off.

  They looked lost—confused. As if, without a leader, they didn’t know what to do. The orc must have been their commander. I hadn’t realized goblins were so dependent on a master to guide them.

  “Should we kill them?” Milio asked, his voice casual.

  Victor unsheathed his sword. “Yeah, we should. I need the experience.”

  I didn’t have the strength to fight. My body was too drained. So I simply stood there, watching as Victor and Milio moved in to finish them off.

  It felt wrong—killing enemies that weren’t even fighting back. The sight of it wasn’t pleasant, but I was too exhausted to dwell on it. As Victor and Milio handled the goblins, I decided to move ahead and see what lay further inside.

  As I walked forward, the faint scent of iron grew stronger. Then, I saw it—a pool of blood, dark and glistening beneath the dim light.

  Two entrances lay ahead, but my eyes were drawn to the body lying between them.

  Kai.

  His corpse lay still, his head missing, his body lifeless in a growing puddle of red.

  I stepped closer, standing over him.

  My mind was blank. No thoughts. No emotions. Just emptiness.

  I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to feel.

  I just stood there, staring at Kai.

  I stepped past the entrance—the one Kai and I hadn’t taken before.

  The air grew heavier as I moved forward, the dampness of the cave mixing with an unbearable stench. Feces, rot, and something even worse.

  Then, in the dim light, I saw her.

  A woman, frail and emaciated, slumped against the wall. She wore a tattered gray dress, dirt and grime caking her pale skin. Her long blonde hair hung in unkempt strands, and her arms were shackled to the stone behind her.

  She didn’t move.

  Didn’t even lift her head.

  It was as if she didn’t have the strength to.

  I took a few steps closer, the overwhelming stench clawing at my senses.

  " ...you... okay?"

  Silence. No response.

  Only the suffocating stench of suffering filling the space between us.

  I crouched down, wanting to get a closer look. Was this the woman the goddess spoke of—the one who would help me?

  I studied her face. She wasn’t even conscious.

  Her features were nearly unrecognizable, swollen and bruised, dark patches covering her skin. Dried blood trailed from the corner of her mouth, a sickening confirmation of the torture she had endured.

  My jaw clenched. I gritted my teeth.

  A few minutes later, Victor and Milio entered the room. Their eyes fell on the woman, and without a word, Victor stepped forward, drawing his sword to cut through the chains.

  I wanted to help, to carry her myself—but I had no strength left. My body was drained.

  Milio stepped in, carefully lifting her onto his back.

  With nothing left to do here, we turned toward the exit.

  Just as we reached the entrance, my eyes landed on Kai’s corpse. His lifeless body still lay there, discarded, forgotten by the world.

  “We shouldn’t leave him here,” I muttered, my voice low.

  I turned to Victor. “Can you carry him for me?”

  Victor met my gaze, nodded, and without hesitation, lifted Kai into his arms.

  As we made our way toward the exit, I suddenly came to a halt.

  "Can you guys go ahead? I need to do something."

  Victor turned to me, puzzled. "What do you mean? We can do it together. What is it?"

  I hesitated, glancing away. "No… I just—well, I just want to take it in for a moment."

  Victor studied me for a second, his gaze searching for something in my expression. Finally, he exhaled, crossing his arms. "Don’t take too long."

  I nodded, watching as Victor and Milio walked ahead, their figures disappearing into the darkness with the unconscious woman and Kai’s lifeless body.

  Once they were gone, I took a deep breath and turned back toward the cave. My feet moved on their own, carrying me toward the chest.

  As I reached the chest, my hand instinctively went to my pocket.

  The key.

  I pulled it out, the cool metal pressing into my palm. I stared at it, my fingers tightening around it.

  I could still feel the weight of it, heavier than it should have been. Like it wasn’t just metal—but something more.

  I clenched my fist around it, my knuckles turning white. Why hadn’t I told them? Why did I feel like this was something I had to do alone?

  I clenched my fist, steadying myself as I slid the key into the chest's lock. My hands were slick with sweat, my breath uneven. Why was my heart racing like this?

  The lock clicked.

  I gripped the edges of the chest and slowly lifted the lid.

  And then—darkness.

  Not the kind that simply fills a room when a torch burns out. No, this was something else. Something alive.

  The torch in my hand flickered for a brief second before it was consumed, swallowed whole by the abyss spreading from the chest. The shadows that had lingered in the cave before were nothing compared to this—it was deeper, hungrier, endless.

  And then... I felt it.

  Something was watching me.

  The presence was overwhelming, suffocating. It didn’t feel like a beast lurking in the shadows. It felt aware.

  A few seconds passed, and the darkness began to shift.

  And then—it moved.

  It lunged toward me, engulfing me in an instant.

  It didn’t wrap around me like mist—it forced itself into me.

  Like a parasite invading a host, the darkness poured into my mouth, into my lungs, into every inch of my being.

  It burned.

  I collapsed to the ground, writhing as my body convulsed. It hurt—a searing pain unlike anything I had ever felt. I clawed at my throat, trying to force it out, but it was useless.

  "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

  I screamed, my voice raw, my limbs thrashing like a worm caught under a scorching sun.

  And then—it stopped.

  The pain vanished, as suddenly as it had come.

  I gasped for air, my body trembling, my hands clutching at the ground beneath me. The cave was silent once more.

  The darkness was gone.

  Shaking, I forced myself up and whispered the only thing I could think of.

  "Status."

  Level 8

  Name: Beliah Scriv

  Age:20

  Title: [??????] ( …. Processing … Dev… Error)

  Affinity: Bitter Chill – The Goddess Nyvara (C Rank)

  Affinity Abilities: Frost Manipulation , Frozen Vitals, Mark of Nyvara

  Passive Ability: Minor Cold Resistance.

  -

  Level 1

  Affinity :True Darkness - The Goddess Erebus ( A rank )

  Affinity abilities : Grasp of the Abyss

  Passive abilities : Erebus’ Favor

  Buffs :

  Debuff : Sunbound Weakness