Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 500: The Forgotten Goddess (2)

The goddess appeared in this world.

Her face was exotic—not just beautiful but strikingly different from the norms of human appearance.

Taesan considered this. The goddess had disappeared during the war against the High Gods, an era so distant that even human skeletal structures might have changed over time.

The other gods didn’t feel alien, though. Do they adjust themselves?

For beings like gods, changing their outward appearance was a trivial matter. Taesan shrugged off the thought and studied the goddess.

Her skin was alabaster, pale as an albino’s. Her hair and eyes were a dusty ash gray, giving her an ethereal, otherworldly quality.

Unusual, yet not unpleasant.

It was like gazing upon the work of a master artist.

The goddess stepped onto the labyrinth floor.

Akasha let out a faint sound.

[Arilnan... my goddess.]

“Akasha.”

The goddess turned her gaze toward Akasha, her eyes brimming with affection and longing.

“You’ve become a ring. What happened to you?”

[A great many things... have happened.]

“I see,” Arilnan murmured, her voice tinged with curiosity.

“Still, it’s a relief that your sense of self remains intact. I thought you might have lost it, wandering alone in oblivion. But you’ve endured.”

[Is it truly... you, Arilnan?]

“It is.”

Arilnan declared it without hesitation.

“I am your only master, the one you serve—Arilnan.”

[I see...] Akasha’s voice trailed off.

Arilnan’s expression tightened slightly, as if sensing something was amiss.

“This isn’t the reaction I expected. Have you not fully recovered your memories?”

[I’m sorry. While I remember that you were my goddess, much of my memory remains fragmented.]

“That is disappointing.”

Arilnan sighed with genuine regret, her face shadowed with melancholy.

“I gave so much to save you, yet you can’t remember it.”

[I’m sorry.]

“Well, it’s fine.”

The goddess raised her hand, her pale palm catching the light.

“I didn’t expect to return like this either. If my faithful servant doesn’t fully remember me, it’s a small matter in comparison.”

Her self-examination complete, Arilnan turned her gaze to Taesan.

“All of this... is thanks to you.”

She looked at Taesan, her expression unreadable.

Yet, he felt nothing from her—not the overwhelming presence of a transcendent, nor the immeasurable strength or elevated status they typically exuded.

She was utterly empty, a void.

But there was one thing he could discern:

Nobility.

Even without perceivable power, Arilnan was unmistakably a goddess.

“...You.”

Suddenly, her gaze toward Taesan shifted, twisting into one of hostility and suspicion.

[Arilnan?]

Akasha moved instinctively, activating her powers to shield her master.

Seeing this, Arilnan looked between Akasha and Taesan, her expression softening as she pieced things together.

“I see. I’m no longer your master.”

[I’m... sorry.]

“No matter. I am nothing as I am now.”

Arilnan turned her gaze back to Taesan, her expression calm.

“I suppose I have no need to worry.”

[Pardon?]

“This is between us,” Arilnan said, shaking her head.

“If he is your master, I can accept it. After all, he’s the one who brought me back into this world. It was unsettling, but there’s no need to dwell on it.”

Having reached her conclusion, Arilnan composed herself with a grace that seemed unshakable, even in the midst of change.

“For now, I must thank you. What is your name?”

“Kang Taesan. You can call me Taesan.”

“Very well, Taesan. Thanks to you, I have returned to this world.”

“It wasn’t me. It was Akasha. She’s the one who remembered you.”

“No. Akasha’s current master is you. Ultimately, it was your actions that made this possible. Accept my gratitude.”

Arilnan spoke with gentle authority.

“In that case, I will,” Taesan replied, bowing his head slightly.

“Were you conscious when you gave me the quest?”

“No. At that time, I lacked true consciousness. I was little more than an unconscious fragment drifting in the void. However, your prayer reached me, allowing me to respond.”

Arilnan looked around, her gaze tracing the labyrinth’s walls and structures.

“This place is fascinating. What exactly is it?”

“It’s a place designed by the Magician,” Taesan explained.

“The Magician?”

“Yes. Though they’ve changed their name, you likely know who they are.”

“Hm.”

Arilnan approached the labyrinth wall, her fingers brushing its surface as if inspecting its intricate patterns.

“Arilnan.”

“Formalities aren’t necessary,” she interrupted, her fingers still tracing the wall.

“I’m no longer a goddess. You’ve reached the realm of transcendence, haven’t you? By status alone, you outrank me now. I should be the one showing deference.”

“I won’t do that,” Taesan said firmly.

Arilnan chuckled, her smile playful.

“That’s a relief. I was wondering how I’d respond if you insisted.”

She’s more easygoing than I expected.

From Akasha’s demeanor, Taesan had anticipated someone cold and severe. But Arilnan’s personality leaned more toward lighthearted mischief.

“You seem to have many questions. Ask them. I’ll answer whatever I can.”

“In that case,” Taesan began, organizing his thoughts. “What were you originally the goddess of?”

Essence had mentioned that Arilnan must have once governed a concept, given that she had been devoured by the Usurper, leaving only Akasha behind.

“I was the goddess of...”

Her words faltered.

A part of the language itself seemed to vanish from existence, as though the concept she spoke of no longer belonged to this world.

Even attempting to read her lips proved futile.

“It seems only my name remains,” Arilnan murmured, unaffected. “The concept I once governed has been lost to the Usurper and cannot return.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Taesan said.

“I expected as much. I never believed I’d reclaim my former power. For now, this is enough.”

“Who was responsible for your fall?”

“The Usurper.”

The name didn’t surprise Taesan.

“In the war against the High Gods, the Usurper took everything from me. My apostles, my fragments, my traces—all erased from the cosmos, leaving only Akasha behind.”

“I thought as much,” Taesan said.

“Oh? You already knew?”

“I wasn’t certain, but I had a strong suspicion.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

“Do you remember anything about him?”

Arilnan’s lips curved into a wry smile.

“What an odd question. Do you think I’d forget the one who devoured me?”

Taesan’s eyes sharpened.

The Usurper.

Arilnan, having fought against him directly, might know more than anyone else—even Essence.

“You seem quite interested in him. Very well, I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Thank you.”

The Usurper—a being who seized worlds.

Taesan’s instincts told him there was a connection between them.

“What should I tell you? His appearance is meaningless, so I’ll skip that. He devours worlds, absorbing concepts and every aspect of the universe into himself. Though it’s all mimicry, it’s a feat no other High God can achieve.”

That much aligned with what Essence had told him.

But Arilnan continued.

“This is common knowledge among the gods. But here’s something only I know.”

She sneered.

“The Usurper admires this universe.”

“...Admires it?”

“Yes. It wasn’t something I originally understood, but when I was devoured, a part of his emotions bled into me. I realized then that the Usurper covets and yearns for this universe.”

Admiration.

It was a word that seemed wholly out of place for a High God.

“Perhaps his desire to usurp this universe stems from that longing. But it’s an unattainable goal. He’s a High God—a twisted existence. No matter how much he consumes, it will always be an imitation.”

Arilnan laughed, her voice dripping with contempt for the Usurper.

“And by the way,” she added, her expression softening into a mischievous smile.

“I planned to mention this after you finished your questions, but I can’t hold it in any longer.”

She looked directly at Taesan.

“For some reason, you smell like him.”

***

“...You sense that on me?”

“I’ve lost my power, but I was once one with the Usurper,” Arilnan said, her tone sharp. “Because of that, I can recognize its presence anywhere.”

Her narrowed eyes focused on Taesan.

“There’s a faint trace of its scent on you. It’s barely perceptible unless I concentrate, but it’s definitely there.”

“...I see,” Taesan replied calmly.

“Do you have any idea why that might be?”

“I have a few thoughts.”

A flash of his inner world crossed Taesan’s mind, but he said no more.

“It’s not a significant issue,” Arilnan continued, her tone light. “It’s just a trace—a mere scent. But even that shouldn’t exist.”

She let out a soft laugh.

“That’s why I suspected you at first.”

Her initial hostility and murderous intent now made sense.

“I thought the Usurper had hidden itself and infiltrated through you. But it seems I was wrong. Twisted as you may be, it’s hard to see you as part of that entity. I can’t be certain, but it’s not something I need to involve myself with.”

Arilnan straightened her posture.

“This is your issue to unravel. You should figure it out for yourself.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“No need to thank me. It’s me who owes you gratitude,” Arilnan said with a chuckle.

“You saved me. That fact doesn’t change, so I must repay you.”

She extended a hand toward Taesan’s head. A gentle warmth brushed against him, then receded.

[Divine Blessings [Unnamed Goddess’s Blessings of Restoration, Soul, and Will] have evolved into [Arilnan’s Blessing]. The power and status of the blessings have greatly increased.]

The blessings Taesan had previously received from her were unified into a single blessing, their strength and rank significantly enhanced.

“I’d grant you my true authority if I could, but I’m not yet capable of that,” Arilnan admitted.

“Is that an impossibility? Perhaps with the faith of others...”

Taesan, with his current abilities, could easily cultivate faith for Arilnan. But she shook her head.

“Such a small concept won’t suffice. No matter how broken or lost I am, my foundation is rooted in a concept itself.”

“I see.”

“Still, there is a way.”

Arilnan’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

“I told you, I was once one with that entity. Through that union, I discovered a secret.”

Her tone became quieter, almost conspiratorial.

“The Usurper devours the universe, but it cannot fully claim what it consumes. So where do the things it devours actually go?”

Taesan’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing.

“Not now,” Arilnan murmured softly.

“I’m too weak as I am. Like Akasha, my memories are incomplete, and I need time. So, until then, I’ll have to rely on you.”

[Special Quest Initiated.]

[The Forgotten Goddess: Arilnan seeks to reclaim what she has lost. To do so, her strength and status must first stabilize.]

[Objective: Help Arilnan recall what was taken from her.]

[Reward: Enhanced Blessings from Arilnan and a linked quest.]

Taesan nodded. With the immediate conversation settled, Balbabamba appeared.

[Kept you waiting, didn’t I? It was a bit of a hassle, but I’ve wrapped everything up. Now, let’s get to the matter at han—]

Balbabamba stopped mid-sentence.

His gaze landed on Arilnan, who was watching him with curiosity.

“Is this one of the tools created by the so-called Magician? How fascinating,” Arilnan mused, inspecting Balbabamba with an amused expression.

[What... What is going on here?]

Balbabamba’s voice was filled with confusion and disbelief.