The group were nearing the dungeon according to Fecius' estimation arrival time.
There had been no discussions about what happened in the camp—what Arnold did. Despite there being a tense atmosphere in the air, there were still light conversations between them. Many of them expressed to each other that they can safely return home without worrying about putting others in danger.
Hofir's death flag was still active. What surprised Arnold was how his was the only Death Flag in the whole group.
He had been receiving hateful glares since the incident but there were a few troubled gazes amongst them. Maybe those from the latter dind't know how to feel or were grateful but didn't want to express it outwardly, fearing everyone else's reaction of them siding with a murderer.
In regards to Madilith's body, Arnold—with Sabrina by his side—teleported to the empire. Arnold left the talking up to Sabrina but he told her "It's best that they wait to tell the empire what happened. Tell them that they can publically come forward when an official announcement comes from the empire or the academy."
The Berkley House's enemies will find a way to twist the narrative of what happened if they find out about Madilith.
Arnold didn't know what else Sabrina and Madilith's parents spoke about throughout the remainder of that short hour that they stayed in the empire. He didn't even bother to ask what their responses were. Sabrina also kept it to herself.
Their journey back to the dungeon was rather quiet.
They met up with the rest of the group who had already packed up and went to the dungeon.
When meeting with them in the forest, they were presented with some good news: Fleridine survived.
According to the group, it was roughly only half an hour into the group's journey to the Divine Temple that the womb sack tore open. What appeared wasn't a monstrosity of unknown origin but a pale skin woman with brown hair—Fleridine. The mucous of the cocoon had melted all her clothes off so she was naked when she broke free from the cocoon. Other than that, she didn't appear to be injured.
The first thing she did wasn't hugging her savior but vomiting all over the ground and screaming incoherently. The healers tried their best to calm her with calming charms and Sabrina tried casting exorcism spells, thinking some residue of the curse might still be left. However, Fleridine—through her tears and snot—said that she had seen horrible things inside the womb sack. Slimy things entered her body and tore it apart. They used their teeth like a sculptor's fingers to shape her body into something that was best left up to one's imagination.
Flora told Fleridine after she calmed down somewhat while pointing at Arnold: "That guy saved you so you better go thank him. None of these ungrateful bastards have done so yet". She needn't ask why or how; she only flew into Arnold's arms while still covered in that disgusting mucus. She shed tears but not those to reflect her suffering or trauma.
In any case, the group arrived in an open clearing after exiting the forest that they had been traveling through for a while now. Just like Fecius said, there were many monster corpses littering the area. Arnold could recognize a few of the monster types since they were always reused in the game. They're mostly reused for protecting the small dungeons in the game and you rarely encounter them outside a dungeon's vicinity.
If an explorer is experienced enough then they'll be able to sniff out a dungeon just by following the monster types that are always seen near dungeons. That was the method to look for dungeons hundreds of years ago. These days the empire—among many other nations—had sophisticated technology that can look for dungeons through their output of mana—which is always massive since dungeons are one of the main reasons why mana is so abundant in the Nine Realms.
Arnold and the rest of the party looked forward as they walked through the monster corpses. Not far from them was a gigantic outcrop of a cave, reaching the height of a two-story mansion. The outward appearance of the dungeon wasn't anything special to look at, which means it serves its purpose as the perfect place to build a temple in the image of your goddess where you can worship her in peace.
Just as Arnold was about to take a step forward, he felt an immense pressure weigh down on his body. It didn't hold a candle to Gederick at full power but it was still very powerful.
"Eek!" one of the guys fell down after his trembling legs gave out. A few others stepped back when they felt that power, their bodies trembling as well.
Those who could resist the pressure remained standing but didn't continue walking forward.
Did their cowardice finally get the better of them?
Arthur, who was at the front of the party continued walking to face the pressure coming from inside the cave.
He suddenly bumped into something, well, it appeared that way. There was even a reverberation of a vibration, one you'd hear deep in ice.
"So that's what prevented the fief lords from sending their people into the dungeon." Daraia said something from beside Arnold.
Arthur punched the empty air in front of him, however a rumble resounded as if his fist struck a solid object.
**
Arthur took a few steps back, inhaled deeply and then—
"I, Arthur of the Tivurgian House, request an audience! I have come to claim what is rightfully mine, the Holy Sword! I was born in the countryside and faced tragedy at the hands of a situation I could not control and fight against. I lost my parents and friends because there wasn't anyone to save us! My sister and I ran, left everything behind that day to escape with our lives! From the ashes of that fateful day, I rose with a vow etched in my heart: no soul should endure the torment of losing their loved ones as we did. I have trained relentlessly, pushing past the boundaries of my own despair, to become a worthy protector that my village needed that day but never had. The pain of my past fuels my resolve, and the memory of those I lost drives me forward. With the Holy Sword in my grasp, I will ensure that no one else is left defenseless in the face of such suffering and evil. I will be the shield against the storms of fate and the beacon of hope for the innocent. I shall also be the thorn in the side of my enemies! None shall be forgiven for bringing suffering unto others! This is my destiny, my purpose, and my unwavering pledge to the gods! Grant me this power and divine weapon, not for my sake, but for all those who suffer and yearn for a savior!"
Silence followed Arthur's determined words and outburst of emotions, the stillness almost mocking his heartfelt words. He stood there, his heart pounding in the void, feeling the weight of his unacknowledged sorrow. Doubt over his own power and destiny began to creep into his mind.
However, something strange happened—particles of golden dust rose into the air, forming a wall of sorts.
The particles were then pulled apart.
A brilliant golden energy suddenly engulfed him and his companions. The ethereal light shimmered and danced, bathing them in its divine glow.
The entrance to the dungeon lay open before them, unguarded and inviting. The gods had spoken, not through words, but through action. Arthur's resolve was acknowledged, his mission sanctioned. With renewed determination, he stepped forward with a confident glare, ready to face whatever trials awaited him within.
**
The group arrived at a dimly lit but grand hall.
This majestic space was supported by towering pillars arranged in two orderly rows. Clinging to these pillars like divine apes depicted in legends were marble statues of women, their stone forms gracefully poised as if caught in mid-climb with one hand fusing with the pillar they were clinging onto. Their faces were covered up by strange stone masks, each with different jewels and crystals carved into them and arranged in varying formations.
On the left side, the statues outstretched their hands towards their counterparts on the opposite row. Their fingers extended delicately, each reaching across the space with a sense of unity or perhaps longing.
Opposite them, the statues mirrored this gesture, their hands meeting at the fingertips.
The statues themselves were masterfully crafted, each detail meticulously chiseled to convey the essence of the goddess which led Arnold to believe that they were indeed crafted in Melis' image. Their robes flowed with lifelike grace despite being as solid as rock, cascading down their voluptuous bodies in rippling folds of stone that seemed almost soft to the touch.
Above, the ceiling of the hall soared high, with even larger magic orbs floating above and created a sea of different lights illuminating the cave walls.
The thought "a fitting place of worship for a god" crossed Arnold's mind when he saw this place. It was not only humongous but beautiful too, that even royal palaces in their world would pale in comparison.
Arthur came to a stop in front of a fountain that also had a goddess statue standing atop a pillar in an erotic pose, her robe barely covering her large breasts and hips.
'I wonder if the craftsman actually saw what Melis looked like or if they were just crafting her with some image in their head that they hoped matches what she actually looks like.'
She was said to be perfect in every sense of the word, possessing qualities that no mortal race could hope to match. Her face could boost morale in any war, the sweat of her body could be used to heal the wounds of soldiers, her eyes could enchant even the most hostile enemies and her voice could win the hearts of millions just from one song alone.
This is what people from Diacree think of when trying to picture a goddess. Of course, mortals do not have the right to decide what a god looks like based on their standards alone. In order to be granted that right, they'd have to actually ascend to the divine realm.
Arnold sat on the edge of the fountain just before Arthur spoke up.
"I think we should split up first." Arthur put down his bags next to the fountain.
"What for?" Daraia asked after approaching him. The group gathered around the fountain on this side of the hallway.
"I want to speak to the Divine Titans first. Showing up with a large group will only make them wary. I was the one who requested an audience after all."
'I don't think they'll see us as a threat even if we go with the whole group.'
One hundred level 10s couldn't hope to beat a single level cap player. So how could mortals actually hope to defeat demigods?
"What makes you think they'll let you come out of there alive if you fail to prove you're worthy?" Arnold said from the side.
Arthur's eyes turned cold for a second but he replied in the same tone as before, "If I am to become the gods' champion then I need to show them that I have the determination to prove I'm worthy. If they kill me now then they'll probably wait another 100 years for the next hero."
'…'
"I understand where you're coming from," Daraia spoke again, "However, we can't risk it. Those things don't know you, only that you bear have Sky God's blessing. Anyone can turn evil at the drop of a hat. To be safe about this, about ten of the strongest members will accompany you, myself included."
"All right…" Arthur glanced around, "Arnold, will you join us? I don't know what level you're at currently but I think we'll benefit greatly from having you there. If those things turn hostile then we need to escape as quick as possible to join up with everyone else and take the holy sword by force."
Arnold answered as if he was waiting for this, "I know you're determined to go through with this but remember that many of us will die if the titans are dissatisfied with you. You are not facing any ordinary monsters; you are facing demigods."
Even the most powerful individuals who braved through the dungeon to get the holy sword were annihilated by the titans. This piece of information is relayed to the player through a narration, depended on which ending you got for one of the major arcs that took place during the demon arcs.
One of the ending screens after Luke's demise went like this:
Due to the crisis of demons invading the world, the military powers gathered all of the most powerful known warriors and knights to take the trial of obtaining the holy sword, only to meet their end. No one could replace the Hero Luke unless one possessed a god's blessing. Freya could not withstand the demon forces alone and fell by Ekterina's magic. Flora was trapped in a different dimension by Arsnoria. Alitus was kept a slave under the Demon King castle forced to slave away for eternity. Stella was killed by the demon forces after leading a rebellion as the last standing resistance against the demons. The world was thrown into chaos… A century later, when all nations were converted to breeding camps and human farms, a new hero was born from a malnourished 12-year-old girl who died shortly after giving birth. Through his powerful blessings, the birthed child survived and grew up to be a powerful hero who bore Promethius' legacy with pride.
The mantle was now given to Arthur.
"We know what's at stake." Shirley said from beside Arthur, "But this is something we have to do. All nations, whether our enemies or allies, come united under the hero's strength and the holy sword. With Arthur, we can put an end to wars forever and fight the demons together if they ever choose to invade us. As the princess of the Demihuman Kingdom, I can say with pride and certainty that my people will follow Arthur with their lives on the line."
"It's the same for the empire." Daraia said, "Even if the monster waves impacted hundreds of thousands of people and created conflict with the Elves, we must still stand together against a common foe."
"You'll gladly lay down your lives to ensure Arthur comes out of there alive should the divine titans turn hostile?"
Arnold's question was met with silence. However, the expressions on everyone's faces were enough of an answer.
"Alright then." Arnold looked further into the dungeon on the far end of the hall where all that pressure was coming from, "I'll assist you."