[Vol. 8] Chapter 127: Thunder and Ice
Although the three walked side by side, they silently agreed not to talk to each other. None of them tried to test the others or attack without reason.
This was the goddess’s trial, the holy place of the god. The eyes of the divine had been watching them from the very beginning. Doing something foolish would only lower their final score and reduce their chance of winning. It would only bring shame.
No one had to explain these rules to them. But to be chosen by the [Gate of Heaven], to be one in a million, each of them naturally had wisdom and observation skills far beyond ordinary people. Understanding this wasn’t hard for them.
They walked forward between columns of gold and jade on either side. Looking out, the sky sparkled like a sea of stars. The light itself took form at the end of the path. Bathed in a grand and holy glow, the three figures arrived near the presence of [God].
There was no dangerous challenge, no swords or battles blocking their way, because such things were meaningless before the path of [Heaven]. And so, the Goddess simply stood there quietly, waiting for their arrival.
At the end of the grand temple, over a hundred tall warriors in golden armor stood with swords and shields.
Even their heads were hidden inside golden helmets, replacing the golden columns seen along the way, standing like statues.
But, they were alive. and each one gave off a terrifying energy far beyond normal limits, at the level of transcendent or even pseudo-gods.
These were the Guardians of the Gods.
The one in front held a massive golden sword in both hands. His presence was as steady and huge as a mountain. Just by standing there, he felt like an unbreakable fortress. The strongest shield under the goddess’s command.
But even such a fearsome force, powerful enough to destroy nations, now seemed like nothing more than a background for the light that truly mattered. The three chosen ones stopped.
Two women and one man dropped to one knee, bowing respectfully toward the figure bathed in holy light. The same divine figure they had once seen in the sky above the Grand Church, now clearly revealed as the Goddess herself.
“Greetings, Your Divineness the Goddess.”
[......]
Surrounded by glowing light, her true face couldn’t be seen clearly. Only the graceful shape of a woman could be made out, with six beautiful white wings spreading out from her back. She turned away from the stars she had been looking at, and rested her gaze on the three before her.
Just that one glance made all three of them shiver slightly at the same time. It felt like their entire beings were completely exposed before the all-seeing, all-knowing goddess. In that instant, their thoughts rose up, and their heads bowed even lower in awe and respect.
[The Gate of Heaven] represented special status.
Only they had the right to come this close to the goddess, to be looked upon and questioned directly by her. This test had no battles, but it was full of hidden dangers.
To stand before a god, even one small mistake could cause them to lose their chance, or even be punished…
But at the same time, it was also a great opportunity.
In just a moment, the three of them understood this.
Without speaking another word, they stayed kneeling, heads lowered, silently accepting the goddess’s gaze. Since she was all-knowing, introducing themselves would only be unnecessary and foolish.
And sure enough, after only a short pause, she spoke.
Her voice was grand and pure, echoing through the entire temple. A beautiful holy sound that revealed their identities one by one.
[Farnell Stephens. Only son of the Stephens family, noble protectors of the Human United Kingdom. Pure-blooded human. A legendary-ranked adventurer, with the title [Thunderlight]. You carry… a fragment left behind by the [God of Thunder].]
[Why have you come?]
The young man with black hair was slightly shaken when his identity and background were seen through so easily. Even the source of his identity as a [God Favored] was revealed, using knowledge he himself didn’t even know. It felt like a divine revelation. He immediately lowered his head even more respectfully.
“Your Divineness the Goddess, I, Farnell, may not be a follower of the church. But in times of disaster, those with power should step forward to protect the weak, to protect our homeland and the people. Yet with the power I have now, I’m still not strong enough to do that well. That’s why I’ve come before you.”
[Mm.]
The goddess made only a calm sound in reply. She gave no comment on Farnell’s honest answer. Her eyes, which seemed to see everything, slowly shifted to the second candidate.
[Nolan Sinong, First Princess of the Northern Ice and Snow Empire, of the Pure Snow Tribe, High Priestess of the [Eternal Winter Temple]. You are a priestess, and carry the divine blood of Sinong, the Ice God. So why have you come to seek blessings from me?]
Hearing her name called, the young girl, whose long, flowing hair was pure white with hints of light blue like ice, wore a dress in cool colors, and looked as beautiful and pure as a snow lotus, finally lifted her head slightly.
Though she was the most noble of the snow people, a Pure Snow tribe. Apart from the glowing ribbons of light floating around her and the eight-petal snowflake pattern in her eyes, she didn’t look much different from normal humans.
Facing the goddess’s question, the girl named Nolan remained respectful. But she didn’t answer right away. Instead, she asked back in a calm and serious tone.
“The world calls the Goddess of Primordial Light the highest of all beings, all-knowing and all-powerful. Even greater than my people’s ancestor, the great Ice God Sinong. If that’s true, then shouldn’t you already know the answer to your own question? Why bother asking me at all?”
“Clang!!!”
As if they sensed disrespect and offense toward the divine, the golden-armored warrior standing like a mighty fortress beside the goddess slammed his holy sword to the ground. At the same time, hundreds of Guardians raised their swords with a thunderous sound!
A wave of terrifying killing intent and holy pressure rushed out like a tsunami!
“Ugh!”
That overwhelming force gathered and fell directly on Nolan alone, like a mountain crashing down. She almost fell to the floor, only managing to stay up by gritting her teeth and pushing down with both hands. Even so, she barely avoided completely collapsing in shame.
But despite this, the Crown Princess from the land of snow remained calm and proud. She neither showed fear nor begged for forgiveness. She said nothing, quietly enduring the punishment from the divine guards. As if she were simply waiting for the goddess’s reply.
[…What an interesting child.]
With a soft, heavenly laugh, a pure and glowing hand reached out from the surrounding light. She gently waved it, and the crushing pressure on the snow girl vanished instantly. The divine guardians quieted again, as if following a silent command. The goddess then answered in a voice as light and clear as the sky.
[You want to test my power, to see if the goddess worshiped by the Church is truly stronger than your people’s Ice God. You want to understand why I say this world is on the brink of collapse, and where your god, the long-vanished Ice God [Sinong], has gone.]
[Is that right, child of Sinong~]
Her voice was not really a question. It was more of a calm, certain statement. Only at the very end did her tone rise slightly, as if teasing.
Hearing this, Nolan, who hadn’t bowed even under the divine guards’ crushing pressure, suddenly froze.
For the first time, something changed in her cold, snowflake-marked eyes. And slowly, she lowered herself and bowed deeply in devotion.
“Great Goddess of Primordial Light, please grant this humble soul your guidance.”