Chapter 78: First Clash with a God
She just stood there, but she was the center of the universe. The very space around her began to crumble at her presence, the earth silently cracking apart. This was the power of a god, a power so great that her true form was not even permitted to descend.
"G-Goddess..." Eirik's teeth were chattering uncontrollably. His legs were shaking. He had never thought he would be so close to a god. The sheer force of her presence was terrifying, so powerful that it was annihilating everything around her. The pressure was suffocating. He felt that if she were to just take a single step towards him, his body and soul would be shattered by her power. Gods were truly terrifying.
But he forced himself to stand, not to kneel. He would not bow to this terrifying being. If he fell here, he would never be able to catch up to Rhodes. He would not be the one who was always protected, always in the rear. Not anymore.
But it was clear that the Goddess didn't care about Eirik. Her gaze swept over the group and landed on Rhodes.
In her eyes, this little insect was a great threat, a being with the potential to challenge her very existence. It was an ability unique to the gods, the power of foresight. The other two ants also had this potential, but it was weak, a less than one in ten thousand chance of ever coming to fruition. They were nothing compared to the threat of the one who now held the Divine Right Sword, Org.
Her predecessor had scattered her power, and her ability to see the future, across this world. The Dwarven King had not only found this power, but had also used the dwarves' technology to imbue it into the sword. And so, the one who was acknowledged by the sword would also gain the power of foresight, a power that should belong only to the gods.
If it were just that, she wouldn't be concerned. But in the hands of this particular insect, things were different.
With just a single glance from the Goddess, Rhodes felt as if his bones were about to break.
"Foolish ant, you have blasphemed against the authority of a god. Your sin is punishable by death!" Her voice was devoid of all emotion, like a clap of thunder. She slowly raised her hand, and a beam of pure, concentrated energy shot from her fingertip.
"Watch out!"
Serie was the quickest to react. She shouted and threw up multiple magic barriers, but the beam pierced through them all and struck Rhodes. The divine blow went straight through his stomach, leaving a fist-sized hole.
"RHODES!" Serie's scream tore through the air. She had watched, helpless, as the divine light had pierced through him. It had all happened too fast, so fast that none of them could react.
Blood gushed from the wound, and he let out a muffled grunt, falling to one knee. It was the first time he had ever been so seriously injured. He could feel his life slipping away. But he couldn't fall. Not yet.
His face was deathly pale, but he forced himself to stay upright, his trembling hand gripping Org. He raised the sword, and the runes on its blade began to flash frantically. The sword's own power was nearly depleted. Now, he had to draw on its last dregs of power, and the power of the 'Light of Ersten' as well.
"It's not over yet!" he gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Org, give me all of your power!"
The sword had a will of its own, but it was not the sentient 'sword spirit' of a fantasy novel. It was more of a programmed mechanism. But it was enough.
The holy sword let out a deafening hum, and all the runes on its blade lit up. The last of its mana erupted, and a silver-blue flame engulfed Rhodes. With this massive surge of power, he managed to stop the bleeding. But it was only a temporary measure, like cauterizing a wound with a red-hot iron. Without proper medical attention, the wound would only get worse. But with no healing magic, it was the only thing he could do.
"A dying struggle," the Goddess's cold voice rang out as she raised her hand again. "It is just a fraction of the former master's power. How much of it can you even wield?"
She had no intention of hiding her true identity from them. Dwarves, insects... they were all the same in her eyes. So what if they knew the truth? So what if they had been acknowledged by Org? They were all going to die here. What right did these lowly creatures have to touch a power that should belong only to the gods?
The second beam of light shot through the air. This time, Rhodes swung Org, and a silver-blue barrier appeared in front of him. The beam and the barrier collided with a deafening roar.
The Goddess frowned. The dwarves were always playing their little tricks. Not only had they infused this sword with so much power, but they had also hidden it away when she had sent her demon army to their kingdom centuries ago. At the time, she had considered just ordering the Sky-Winged to use a Divine Strike on the ruins and be done with it. But she had needed a suitable base for the demons, so she had abandoned the idea. And now, these little insects had slipped through the cracks.
Her thought was but a fleeting one, and she had already unleashed a third beam of light. The power of Org alone could not possibly withstand it. And this time, she was aiming for his head. Once the wielder of Org was dead, the others would be of no consequence.
The third beam of light shot through the air. But this time, Eirik suddenly rushed forward. "You won't have your way!" he shouted, holding up a magic amulet. It was an ancient relic he had found in the dwarven treasury, one of the few items that had survived the destruction, along with their grimoires. The amulet exploded in a brilliant golden light and, for a brief moment, deflected the beam's path.
The beam shot past them and into a mountain behind them, blowing a massive hole straight through it. It was clear just how powerful her attack was. If not for Serie's multiple magic barriers weakening the first strike, Rhodes would have been more than just pierced through.
"Eirik!" Norne cried out in alarm. He had no idea his friend had such a trick up his sleeve. It was a pleasant surprise.
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