Chapter 31 – Revelation
Chapter 31
Revelation
Date: Day 25 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The transition was instantaneous and disorienting. One moment he was screaming in the frozen grasslands, the next he was standing on space that seemed to stretch into infinity. There was no up or down, no source of light, yet everything was illuminated.
He was in the white space—the endless void.
“Where in the world is this…..”
He was shocked. Then he saw them. Standing before him were two figures.
Their appearance was a paradox. Their beautiful ethereal faces. Their hairstyles. Their figures. Their robes' shape. All exactly the same.
But every other aspect was the exact opposite.
One of the figures was a woman in pure white robes with golden accents. The robes were etched with symbols of two suns. One golden. The other silver. They sat on top of a balanced scale of justice.
Her hair was blonde. Her expression showed an aura of compassion. Her image was that of a motherly saint.
He had never seen her before. But somehow, deep inside his mind, he knew—Goddess Luminara.
Hyoren glanced to her side.
A woman in dark midnight robes with silver streaks. The color of her robes was like the void. Sucking in every light and color. Devouring the illumination around her.
Her robes were embroidered with a symbol of an eye opened on top of open books. And there were three moons orbiting the eye.
Her hair was silver. Like moonlight on a winter night. Her expression was stern. Calculating. But with deep knowledge. And full of confidence.
Goddess Noctynara.
Hyoren stood still. He was in the presence of gods.
Finally, one of the figures moved. The one in white robes. Goddess Luminara.
She looked at Hyoren. She smiled.
"Child."
Her voice was like a chime. Melodic and soothing.
"I am Luminara. And we sincerely apologize."
She bowed her head slightly. A gesture of genuine remorse.
"We should have met you when you were first transported to this world. We wanted to give you an explanation first. And give you our blessing. So you could enter the world prepared."
She paused.
"But something happened. And our link was severed before we could make contact."
Hyoren tried to speak His mind formed questions. But before he could utter a word, he was shocked by the other figure's yell.
"That's because you were careless!"
Noctynara's voice was sharp.
"That's why I said to you, Luminara, don't be distracted if you want to perform a summoning from another world!"
She stepped forward. Her silver hair seemed to fluster with irritation.
"You let your focus waver for a single moment. And the connection shattered. And we lost him!"
Luminara's apology was cut short. The goddess in white seemed to cower a bit. Her expression shifting from remorseful to slightly embarrassed.
Seeing the two Goddesses paused, Hyoren get enough courage to ask.
"You two… You are Goddess Luminara and Noctynara, right?"
The two goddesses turned to him. Luminara with her warm smile. Noctynara with her stern gaze.
"Can you... please explain it to me so I can understand? I'm confused."
Luminara’s expression softening.
"Child, I know you need an explanation. Let us explain to you."
She gestured gracefully. As if welcoming him to listen.
"Firstly, you were summoned into this world by us. We have a pact with your world's God. The Earth God."
Hyoren's eyes widened. Earth God? Earth got God too?
"Every few centuries, we will take one powerful soul who recently died to bring to our world of Kresneger."
The revelation shocked him. But there was more important information that made him freeze.
"Died?"
His voice came out as a whisper.
"But I should be in the middle of lecture! I should be alive!"
His mind reeled. He remembered sitting in the lecture hall. Professor Aki’s voice droning on about something.
He was alive. He should be alive.
Noctynara spoke next. Her voice had returned to its calm but deep tone. The irritation faded. Replaced by something almost like—sympathy.
"You actually died, Hyoren Enjo."
The name echoed in the void.
"You don't remember?"
She tilted her head. Her silver hair shifting.
"It seems the botched summoning also did something to your last memory."
She paused.
"There was an earthquake. You died because a piece of rubble fell and crushed your head."
The words hit him.
"The Earth God picked up your soul at that exact moment. You were indeed destined to die, even without our intervention. But we intervened. We gave you a second life. Not on Earth again. But here..."
Hyoren stood frozen. Then the memories came.
A sudden, violent shaking. The ground trembling beneath his feet. The screams of his classmates. The sound of glass shattering. The ceiling cracking.
And then—nothing.
The memory came flooding back to him—he had actually died—crushed under rubble in an earthquake.
"So I... died."
His voice was hollow.
"I thought I was suddenly summoned here. Leaving everyone I know wondering where I went."
He paused—processing and accepting.
"But if I was actually dead... then I can peacefully move on."
His face became serene. Accepting that he had already died. His old life was over. His friends. His future.
But he was given a second chance—a new life in a new world—he definitely wouldn't waste it.
"But wait."
He looked up at the two goddesses.
"You said you pick powerful souls? But I'm not powerful!"
He gestured at himself.
"I'm just a university student who knows some basic survival knowledge. Why not pick some veteran soldier or something? Someone with combat experience? Someone who could actually fight?"
Luminara smiled warmly. Her golden hair seemed to glow brighter.
"Child, what we mean by powerful is not the body or skill."
She stepped to the front. Touching his heart with her hands.
"It's the soul."
Her voice grew serious. Then stepped back again.
"Transferring a soul to a different world requires a strong soul. Or there is a risk the soul would shatter under the pressure. The journey between worlds is... treacherous. Only souls with exceptional strength can survive it intact."
She looked at him with something like admiration.
Then Noctynara spoke next.
"And Hyoren Enjo, you have already proven it enough from the past month."
She approved him with a simple nod.
"You actually survived the treacherous Forest of No Return. Without any preparation. Without knowledge. Without gift from us."
Noctynara paused a bit. Her face glanced toward Luminara beside her. The goddess in white flinched slightly under her gaze.
Then she continued.
"We should have summoned you here first. Before you entered the world."
Her voice was matter-of-fact. Explaining the proper procedure.
"We would have explained everything slowly and properly. We would have given you our blessing. To help you survive in this harsh world."
Her hands gestured to his body.
"You would have been attuned properly to Aethell and our world's system. Also, we would have placed you near civilization. So you could easily reach a town to start your new life."
She shot a glare at Luminara again.
The goddess in white shrank slightly. Looking appropriately chastised.
"But Luminara was careless. She was too excited while summoning your soul. Her focus wavered as she thought about what kind of man you were."
Her voice grew sharper.
"Then the connection was lost. You fell into the world. Without meeting us first. In the middle of a dangerous forest."
She paused.
"Hyoren Enjo, we expected you would die within a few days. Without our explanation. Without our gifts. A soul dropped into the Forest of No Return. With nothing. No knowledge. No power. No allies."
Luminara's expression shifted. From genuine remorse. To something else. Something that a goddess should not have—awe.
"But we were amazed, child. Your tenacity is really... amazing."
She stepped forward. Her white robes flowing around her.
"To survive the Forest of No Return. To forge a strong bond with the first person you met. To unlock a skill on your own. To actually unravel the puzzle of our world's system by yourself..."
She shook her head in disbelief. Her smile was radiant.
"You have surpassed all our expectations, Hyoren. Not even us, gods, can predict all of this."
***
Hyoren’s mind was chaotic. Processing the impossible truth of his existence.
But there was still one question. He needed to know why he was summoned.
There was a classic fantasy trope. A hero from another world. Summoned by gods.
He had heard Elise talk about the Demon Army. The threats that loomed over Kresneger. Was that his purpose? Was he supposed to be the hero who would turn the tide?
He looked up at the two goddesses.
"Am I here because you want me to fight the demons?"
He paused. Organizing his thoughts.
"To be your champion against Demon? To become a Hero?"
Luminara's reaction was immediate. She shook her head strongly. Her golden hair swirling around her. Her hands raised in front of her.
"No! No… It's not like that at all, Child."
She stepped forward. Her white robes flowing around her.
"We always try to add fresh minds into our world. To avoid stagnation."
She pressed her hand to her chest.
"We want to introduce a new variable. A new way of thinking. A new soul that is not bound by the traditions and histories of Kresneger."
Her eyes gleamed with something like excitement.
"We want to induce change. We don't want you to be a champion who fights for us. We want you to be a catalyst who shakes the world."
She stepped closer. She touched his face briefly.
"We need the spark of something new. Something unburdened by the weight of our history."
The words didn't match his expectations. He had braced himself for a hero's burden.
Noctynara stepped forward. Her presence a stark contrast to Luminara's passionate hope. She was calm—cold and calculating.
"We are pragmatic, Hyoren Enjo."
She said. Her gaze fixed on him. Seeing through him.
"Demon God Gidol and its Demon Army was indeed outside of our expectation. A threat that emerged without our foresight."
She folded her hands before her.
"But inhabitants of this world are strong. We have our own heroes. We have our own champions. They have faced threats before. They are not helpless."
She shook her head slowly.
"We don't need to bring someone from another world to become our Heroes. We already have a multitude of them."
She looked at Hyoren. Her expression unreadable. But he could feel the weight of her unspoken thoughts.
"We did not summon you because this world needs a savior."
Her voice was precise.
"We summoned you because this world needs a surprise every once in a while. To avoid stagnation"
She paused.
"We are betting that you, with your strong mind and your otherworldly knowledge, will be the one to do something different. To advance this world to a greater degree."
She tilted her head. Her silver hair shifting.
"You are not our hero."
Her words echoed in the void.
"You are our gamble."
Noctynara concluded her explanation. Her words sinking into Hyoren's soul.
He felt something else—relief—he wasn't bound by prophecy. He wasn't shackled by destiny—he was free.
"So… What should I do next? Is there something I need or should do? As your agent of change?"
He had already resigned himself. No matter what the reason. The fact remained that he was already summoned into this world. He needed to move forward.
Luminara's face lit up with a radiant, beautiful smile.
"You are free, child. We give you freedom."
She spread her arms. A gesture of openness.
"We are not your masters. We are your... patrons."
She smiled gently.
"We just want you to live. To grow. To interact with this world. We want you to stimulate growth. To be the stone that creates a thousand ripples in the pond."
She lowered her arms. Her eyes meeting his.
"How you do that, what path you choose, who you love, who you fight... that is up to you."
Noctynara gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. But her eyes held a flicker of agreement.
"Your choices are your own, Hyoren Enjo."
She spoke with firm voice.
"We will watch. We will be interested. We will not interfere, unless absolutely necessary."
She paused.
"We might ask you to help the people of this world from time to time. But you don't need to worry. It's not a mandate. You can ignore it if you want."
Her gaze was steady.
"Your life is your own to live."
Hyoren looked from the pragmatic Noctynara to the hopeful Luminara.
"I understand."
He finally spoke carefully.
"So that means... I can live freely? I'm not bound by some divine quest or a prophecy?"
Luminara and Noctynara looked at each other. A moment of silent communication between the twin goddesses.
Then they turned back to him. And spoke at the same time.
"Yes, child..."
"That's correct, Hyoren Enjo."
The two goddesses’ words echoed in the vast void.
***
But as he understood his purpose and how he was actually summoned into this world, he remembered something crucial.
The memory of the grasslands.
"Elise!"
They were in this timeless void. But the real world was waiting.
"Elise! I have to go back! Now! She's going to die!"
The words tumbled out. He looked from the two goddesses to the featureless white space around him.
"Please calm down, Hyoren Enjo."
Noctynara's voice cut through his panic.
"The time is frozen in the real world while we are conversing here. She is in no danger... for now."
The words registered slowly.
Luminara smiled.
"Don't worry, Child… You should be able to save her after this."
Hyoren's breathing slowed. His racing heart began to steady.
Noctynara spoke again.
"Hyoren Enjo. Currently, thanks to Luminara's carelessness, your connection to this world's system is not complete."
She glanced sideways at Luminara. Her expression perfectly deadpan.
"Your attunement to Aethell is broken. And you haven't received our blessing as intended."
Luminara was pouting. Her earlier serenity replaced by a petulant expression. Her sore spot of carelessness being reminded yet again.
"Child..."
Luminara spoke up. Trying to regain her composure.
"Now, we will give you our original gift to survive this world and fixing your connection."
She had seen his desperation.
"Hyoren Enjo."
Noctynara raised her hand
"Now, for the gifts we should have given you from the start."
Luminara also raised a hand.
A complex symbol appeared in the air between them.
"We will both grant you our Divine Protection. This is a tier above a simple Goddess Blessing. It is a direct infusion of our power. A mark of our patron."
Luminara lowered her hand.
"Child, with this, you will have an easier time to Attune to the Aethell."
Her voice warm. Like a mother explaining to a child.
"This means you will have an easier time leveling up. Raising or getting new skills. Learning magic."
Her expression thoughtful.
"The effect is subtle. Don't expect twice the growth rate. It encompasses all things, so we can't give you too much of a boost without drawback."
She tilted her head.
"Maybe around twenty-five percent?"
She smiled before stepped back.
"And child. This protection can also affect your companion. People you truly trust."
Noctynara then stepped forward.
"Hyoren Enjo. We also fixed your broken connection to our world's system."
She folded her hands before her.
"With this, you will finally be properly attuned to Aethell."
Her dark eyes seeing into him.
"You will hear the proper Voice of the Aethell whenever you level up, get new skills, or level up your skills."
So it wasn't like he was an anomaly who couldn't hear the Voice of the Aethell unlike the inhabitants of this world.
The system was broken for him. Thanks to the botched summoning.
Luminara's smile softened.
"Child, with this protection, if you pray earnestly to either of us, you might be able to enter this realm again."
She paused. Her expression growing serious.
"We do not suggest doing it too often, however. The strain of crossing realms is... bad for your mortal body."
Her hand then reached out. Touching Hyoren's chest.
"And child… Consider this a gift and apology from us. A reward for showing us such incredible tenacity."
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Surviving the forest without our explanation and blessing. You will see what it is when you are back in your world."
Her hands glowed brightly.
"With this, if you use it properly… and I know you will… you can save your partner."
The light faded. Luminara stepped back.
***
Luminara and Noctynara had watched him. They had judged him. Weighed him. Evaluated him.
And they had found him worthy. But even then, his next words surprised the two goddesses.
"Actually… Thank you, Goddess Luminara, for your carelessness. For actually botching the summoning."
Both goddesses froze.
Luminara's serene expression shifted. Her perfectly composed features showed a crack of surprise.
"If the summoning had succeeded properly… I would have woken up not in the Forest of No Return, right?"
The admission hung in the air. A gratitude born from a realization of cause and effect.
Noctynara's dark eyes narrowed slightly. Her head tilting. Studying him like a curious specimen.
"That's true, Hyoren Enjo. We would have dropped you near any town you chose. So you could start fresh. Near civilization."
Her gaze piercing him.
"Then why thank Luminara for her carelessness? Thanking her for making you experience hardship? For nearly getting you killed in a forest of death?"
Luminara was shocked. This human was actually thanking her carelessness?
"Yes."
Hyoren nodded. His voice filled with conviction. A conviction that surprised even himself.
"And if that had happened… I would never have met Elise."
The goddesses were silent.
"She would have died. Or worse. Become a goblin's plaything."
His jaw tightened. His hands clenched at his sides.
"If I hadn't been dropped into the Forest of No Return. No one would have saved her. She was captured. Helpless. At the mercy of monsters."
He looked up at the two goddesses. His eyes burning with intensity.
"She has already become my anchor in this world. My first friend. My first partner. Someone who taught me. Guided me. Believed in me."
His voice grew quieter. But stronger.
"And the thought of never meeting her. Or her tragic end if I hadn't saved her… It terrifies me."
Hyoren's voice was steady.
"It might have been because of carelessness. But I want to think of it as Fate."
Luminara's shock melted into a look of bliss.
She had expected resentment. Anger. Accusations. At the very least, a plea for better luck in the future.
"Child… Your mind truly works differently. Never have I seen one who thanked me for my mistakes."
Noctynara spoke next. Her voice carrying a new note. Something that hadn't been there before.
"Hyoren Enjo. You truly are something."
A faint, rare smile touched the lips of the Goddess of Darkness. A genuine expression of interest.
"I can't wait to see how you're going to entertain me with your out-of-the-box mind."
She tilted her head. Her silver hair catching light that didn't exist.
"You are a gamble that is paying off in ways we hadn't anticipated."
The two goddesses exchanged a glance. A silent communication. Twins. Opposites. Yet united in this moment.
Luminara turned back to Hyoren. Her expression softening.
"Now..."
Her voice was gentle.
"Go save your princess."
Noctynara also gave a sharp, approving nod. Her dark eyes gleaming with something that might have been anticipation.
The white void started to fade. The edges blurring. The infinite space contracting.
He felt a pull. A sensation of being hurled backward. Being drawn away from this divine realm. Being thrust back into his body. Back into the frozen moment on the grasslands.
The last image he saw was Luminara's serene smile and Noctynara's knowing gaze.
***
Hyoren was suddenly back on the grasslands, the world still a monochrome painting, time still frozen. The Alpha Green Wolf was in the middle of charging at Elise. Her shocked expression as she tried to run.
Hyoren stood in the center of this, the only thing moving in a universe that had held its breath.
And then, he heard it. A voice, not in his ears, but in his mind. It was a mechanical sound, like a system notification from a computer game.
“Divine Protection of Twin Goddesses - Received”
“Unique Skill - Berserker - Received”
So this was The Voice of the Aethell Elise spoke of. The voice that guided the inhabitants of this world. The voice that announced their growth. Their achievements. Their skills.
He had finally heard it.
The knowledge of what Berserker could do flooded Hyoren’s mind. It was a skill of unrestrained fury. It would explosively increase all his physical parameters.
It’s the antithesis of how Hyoren always fights, he always calculating and analyzing. But this unique skill will hinder his thinking. And there was another cost. A debilitating cost.
When the rage subsided, he would be left in a state of extreme exhaustion, his body wracked with a pain so severe it would feel as if every muscle had been torn and every bone shattered.
But I don’t care. I would do anything to save Elise.
He closed his eyes, reached for that new unique skill. A gift from Luminara to save his first partner of this world.
Here I come, Alpha Green Wolf.
The world snapped back into existence. The monochrome slowly replaced by a violent explosion of color and sound. The wind rushed back into his ears and the Alpha's roar became real. Time was flowing again.