Chapter 28

Chapter 28
## Chapter 28: The Descent of the Goddess

New Level Attained!

The capabilities of Dryads vary significantly based on the essence of the woodland they inhabit.

Initially, the Rustling Forest was a domain shaped by earth spirits; however, since wind spirits had taken up residence there, every inhabitant had gained the fundamental mastery of wind-based techniques.

“Begin the drive!”

“The hunt starts now!”

“Hiririririri—!”

More than fifty dryads surged through the established gateway. As these level 7 powerhouses poured onto the field of battle in massive numbers, the momentum of the fight shifted instantly.

Leaping forward with the gale at their backs, the dryads tore through the vanguard of the dark goblin army without resistance.

Guoooo!

Kwaaaang!

The onslaught didn’t stop there.

The wreckage of shattered masonry and broken timber pulled itself together, knitting into the form of a towering nature golem.

With every heavy swing of the nature golem’s limb, dozens of dark goblins were pulverized into a crimson mist.

“This is a favor for a companion! Clear the path directly to the gateway!”

High Dryad.

【Lv.9】

Yet, her level 9 status was deceptive.

The high dryad functioned as the forest’s divine protector, its sovereign, and the absolute monarch of all dryads.

She was nothing less than an elite raid boss.

The kind of entity that typically demanded a coordinated strike team of nine level 9 warriors to bring down.

There was a very good reason he had contemplated immediate flight the moment he first laid eyes on her.

With her intervention, the path to the gateway was cleared with unprecedented speed.

Fwooooosh!

Star Claw.

A barrier of starlight erupted, obliterating the malfunctioning gateway.

《One overloaded gateway destroyed. 1/3》

《Countdown until ‘Black-Skinned Hybrid’ invocation: 9 minutes 01 seconds》

《’Hybrids’ are manifesting through the gateways.》

Standard hybrids began to crawl out from the two remaining portals.

These creatures looked like colossal violet cephalopods drifting through the sky.

Each one was the size of a multi-story structure.

【Lv.8】

Their power levels were daunting as well.

Even a basic hybrid was a match for a standard boss creature.

“Abyssal filth! What repulsive things!”

“Can you manage them?”

“Consider it done, my friend!”

The high dryad radiated absolute certainty.

Bolstered by the spirit egg that had breathed new life into her woods, her martial spirit was reaching a fever pitch.

Moments later, a massive bow and spear—both woven from living vines—materialized in her grasp. She notched the spear against the cord and unleashed it at the hovering hybrid.

Kwarrrrrrung!

The projectile tore through the air with a roar that shook the ground, plunging directly into the center of the hybrid’s vision.

“One is finished!”

The high dryad gave a nonchalant shrug as she observed the dead hybrid fall.

…Truly an elite raid boss. Her power existed on an entirely different plane.

Furthermore, she appeared even more formidable than the typical high dryads he had encountered in his past knowledge.

‘A high dryad’s strength is a reflection of her forest’s health. The spirit egg from the Spirit Tower is vastly superior to common spirits.’

That was undoubtedly the catalyst.

Essences sourced directly from the Spirit Tower possessed power several magnitudes greater than ordinary entities.

He had placed such a treasure in the care of the forest. Consequently, the woods had flourished beyond measure, and the high dryad had ascended to new heights of strength because of it.

‘If that egg actually hatches, she might hit level 10…’

Would that transform her into a transcendent dryad?

He was profoundly grateful that she stood as an ally rather than an antagonist.

Pushing those wandering thoughts aside, he sprinted toward the next objective.

《Second overloaded gateway destroyed. 2/3》

《Countdown until ‘Black-Skinned Hybrid’ invocation: 8 minutes 05 seconds》

《’Hybrids’ are manifesting through the gateways.》

《’Dark Warriors’ are manifesting through the gateways.》

In the space of a few heartbeats, he had neutralized two of the points.

Only one remained.

“Listen! Friend, our strength fades the longer we remain outside the canopy.”

The dryads were reaching their limit.

The fierce energy that had carried them forward was beginning to flag.

This was a metropolis of stone and mortar, not a lush forest. It was an environment hostile to their biology.

They were like deep-sea creatures struggling to breathe on the shore.

As evidence, their once vibrant, supple skin was becoming parched and lined with wrinkles as the minutes ticked by.

“…You’ve already done more than enough. My thanks, friend.”

He understood the gravity of the sacrifice they had made by coming here.

Portals opened via the Teleport Book were restricted to once per day and functioned only in one direction.

Having made the jump, they were stranded until the following day.

If this city were consumed by the dark space, they would be wiped out alongside it. Yet, they had crossed over without a second thought, simply because he was their ‘friend.’

So sincere… and so dependable.

Far more so than most humans.

He held their commitment in the highest regard.

He offered his silent respect to their devotion and their bravery—every single one of them.

He shifted his focus.

‘Dark Warrior.’

The real threat was the dark warrior.

It shared the same level as the hybrids but possessed terrifying speed and coordination.

While hybrids were slow and predictable, dark warriors were precise.

Trying to bypass that sentinel to reach the final gateway would be incredibly perilous.

“Father Andrew!”

He bellowed toward the elderly priest in the distance.

As the solitary cleric of the Goddess in the Knight’s Garden and the director of the sanctuary, he was the only one who could provide the necessary support.

“Focus your prayers on me! Offer your devotion only to me!”

—

Father Andrew’s brow twitched.

The command had reached his ears with crystalline clarity.

He tried to dismiss it, but the nature of the request was deeply unsettling.

‘Just now… did he ask for the prayer of adoration?’

The worship prayer. The incantation of absolute devotion.

It was a ritual of self-sacrifice reserved for the highest echelons of the clergy—those who had directly felt the touch of the Goddess.

Praising the Goddess carried no cost, but redirecting that absolute adoration toward a mortal transformed the act into a lethal sacrifice.

Demanding a high priest perform such a rite for a human was essentially asking him to forfeit his life.

Particularly when the recipient lacked any divine spark—the danger of a fatal backlash was nearly certain.

‘How could he possibly know I am capable of the worship prayer?’

Setting aside the Saintess, there were fewer than ten priests in the entire faith who were initiated into the rites of redirected adoration.

Father Andrew was a member of that hidden circle.

However, he had guarded that secret, sharing it with only one individual in his life.

The reason was simple: every priest who utilized the worship prayer met a tragic end.

‘Venerating any entity other than the Goddess is the ultimate transgression.’

It was the definition of ‘sin.’

It was an act that branded a person as an irredeemable heretic immediately.

Because of this, he had hoped to live out his remaining years in quiet service at the relief center.

‘Knight King Wilhelm… he was the only one I told.’

An outsider should have had no way of knowing.

And yet, the command had been unmistakable. Worship only him. Pray only to him.

Was it a lucky guess? Or did he truly know?

“He is the one who carries the legacy of the Knight King, Father Andrew.”

Marquis Waiser moved closer, his voice low and urgent.

“Serengeti has recognized him. That is proof enough.”

“Ah……”

If Serengeti—the companion who had stood by the Knight King’s side more than any other—accepted him, then the truth was undeniable.

‘It makes sense now. I knew there was something in his eyes…’

The spirit in that man’s gaze was a perfect mirror of Knight King Wilhelm’s.

The pieces finally clicked into place.

If he was the successor, then the Knight King must have shared the secret of Father Andrew with him.

He carried a heavy debt to Wilhelm.

He had received a pardon once, but it felt insufficient.

For Wilhelm, he would have gladly laid down his life.

But Wilhelm was gone.

Father Andrew inhaled a ragged breath.

“O Goddess of infinite mercy, Eternal Spirit present at the dawn of time, glorified for all ages…”

He pressed his palms together and began the sacred chant.

Yet, the focal point of his spiritual energy was not the divine Mother, but this man—the heir to the Knight King.

The radiant energy pouring from Father Andrew’s soul surged outward, enveloping Randolph.

It flowed toward a man without a divine title.

Toward one who held no right to it.

It was a transgression that demanded his life as payment.

“Ah……!”

A collective gasp rippled through the air.

“The—the Goddess!”

“The Goddess has arrived!”

“Aaah!”

…The entire crowd was witness to the miracle.

The ephemeral image of the Goddess descended upon Randolph.

Her form, shimmering with ripples of golden radiance, leaned down and pressed a kiss to his brow.

—

《All overloaded gateways have been destroyed.》

《Total time elapsed: 3 minutes 56 seconds》

《’Main Quest 4: Seal the Dark Space Rift’ successfully finished.》

《Calculating rewards.》

《Standard reward processing failed due to ‘Singularity’ interference.》

《Final score: ??? points. Recorded in the ‘Hall of Fame.’》

《Received ‘Large Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule.’》

《The observers of the Citizen War are displeased.》

……

……

《The ‘Golden Rule Shop’ is now accessible.》

《Information: The Golden Rule Shop permits the acquisition of unique abilities, artifacts, and tonics using fragments of the Broken Golden Rule. It includes items of ‘Mythic’ rarity.》

……

……

《The ‘Dark Legion’ has been banished back to the void.》

《The ‘God’s Skin Hybrid’ observes you from the shadows, waiting for the next opportunity.》

……

……

《Level Up!》

—

The city had been spared.

The broken gateways were gone, and the nightmare armies had retreated into the rifts.

But the survivors were left reeling from a sight that defied logic.

‘What was that?’

The arrival of the dryads and their queen had already sent their pulses racing.

It had been a spectacle of overwhelming power.

But they had seen something that transcended even that—something that defied mortal understanding.

‘There is no doubt… the Goddess appeared.’

The divine figure had descended and blessed Randolph with a kiss.

It wasn’t a mere byproduct of a priest’s spell; it was a genuine manifestation of divine favor.

It was a phenomenon without precedent. No record in history mentioned such an event.

Even the most powerful saints or emperors could not summon the Goddess’s physical presence through prayer.

Marquis Waiser blinked, rubbing his eyes.

The apparition of the Goddess that had hovered over Randolph vanished like a fading dream.

But the impact of what he had seen remained.

In that brief, flickering second… during the moment the dark warrior was struck down… Marquis Waiser hadn’t seen a mere successor. He had seen the return of the true ‘Knight King Wilhelm.’

The man known as the Knight of the Goddess.

Thud—

In the heavy silence that followed, Father Andrew collapsed to his knees.

He knelt before Randolph. Before the Knight of the Goddess.

Thud, thud.

Gradually, everyone watching followed suit, sinking to the ground one by one.

No command had been given.

It was an instinctive reaction.

They had been touched by the sublime. They had stood in the presence of the divine.

What mortal could remain standing in the wake of such a revelation?

Marquis Waiser was among those who bowed his head.

“To offer worship to a mortal—the penalty for your sin will be severe.”

Randolph walked toward Father Andrew.

Despite his role as the Knight King’s heir, he was still made of flesh and blood.

Directing a worship prayer toward a human was a crime that would lead to immediate excommunication if the church found out.

Father Andrew, having drained every drop of his internal light, looked as though he had aged ten years in a moment. It would take a lifetime of penance to recover what he had spent.

Of course, there would be no time left for penance now. But he felt no remorse.

The man standing over him finally spoke.

“The Knight King promised that he would take your transgressions upon himself. He intended to use the pardon you once gave him to protect you.”

…Years ago, Father Andrew had bestowed a pardon upon Knight King Wilhelm.

High priests of the faith were granted only three such pardons in their lifetime, and Father Andrew had used his only one on the King.

A pardon possessed no physical weight.

It was the spiritual authority to erase a single grave sin.

However, such things were not meant to be inherited. The heir to the throne had no legal claim to use it.

—I look forward to our next meeting, Father Andrew.

Those were the parting words he had left at the relief center.

He hadn’t understood how a stranger could speak with such familiarity, but now he knew.

“Ahh.”

Father Andrew found he could not speak.

He could only weep, the tears falling without end.

The weight of the moment held everyone in a suffocating silence.

Slowly, the man reached down and rested a hand on the priest’s shoulder.

“I cleanse you of your transgressions, Andrew.”