(Freya POV – Tower of Babel, 50th Floor)
"Are you satisfied now?" Ouranos asks gravely as I watch Riven lie broken upon the stone. "He won't survive much longer."
I don't answer.
Everything except the mirror might as well not exist.
My fingers curl against the armrest of my seat, nails digging into it as my heart pounds far too loudly for comfort. My breath feels shallow, and my chest feels tight.
'He won't die here…' I tell myself, as though the thought could somehow change this reality.
From the moment he challenged Black Goliath, I had been unable to look away.
His stamina.
His endurance.
That unyielding will that refused to surrender when all seemed hopeless, and no matter how much he was hurt.
It had been intoxicating.
And then—
'Why did his emotions disappear?'
They vanished so suddenly. One moment, excitement and resolve burned in his soul… and the next, there was nothing. Only cold clarity.
Yet even then…
'It was beautiful.'
The way he fused Elven and Falna magic.
The way he danced through Goliath's strikes.
The way he endured the final Roar.
It thrilled me.
It terrified me.
And now—
'I'm… worried.' The thought startles me.
He lies motionless, blood coating the burning stone, and I find myself unable to understand him.
Is he afraid?
Does he regret it?
Or, is he really calm?
I don't know.
And I hate that I don't know.
My pulse races as I watch him… waiting… begging for him to overcome it.
Then—
His emotions return, and what I see, shocks me.
'…He's at peace?' His soul looks almost tranquil. 'Is he… accepting death?'
No.
No, that won't do.
I refuse that ending.
A part of me whispers that I shouldn't care.
If he dies, then he was never my Odr.
If he dies, then my feelings were merely another mistake. Directed at the wrong person.
That is what I should believe.
'Yet…' My hand presses against my chest, feeling a slight ache. 'I don't like that.'
It's unsettling, because I don't understand why I feel this way.
'If even he isn't my fated partner… then who could it be? No one else can even compare.'
I'd need to search again. Possibly for centuries… maybe even millennia.
'That would be so… disappointing.' I rationalise coolly. 'That's why I don't want him to die.'
Yes. That must be it.
My reasoning is flawless.
I continue watching him, just lying there… until his eyes finally close and he passes out.
A quiet ache spreads through me.
'…So I was wrong?' I think sadly, clenching my fist tightly.
More than ever before, I wanted to be right.
Maybe it's foolish hope, or simple denial… but I don't look away.
'I'll witness this to the bitter end… I'll be certain.'
Then—
"What… is this?" I murmur as his soul flares.
Then, his bleeding halts, while his flesh knits back together and wounds seal shut.
My eyes widen, and I grin widely as I confirm something I had been suspicious of.
'Black Goliath's regeneration…'
'He'll live.' Relief washes through me, followed instantly by exhilaration. 'And his potential is higher than I could've ever imagined.' I cheer internally.
Finally…
"Notice: Auto-Battle mode activated."
His voice reaches me, as the blue, regal light in his soul takes over.
I watch him sit up, and…
He angles his head, turning to look directly at me.
My heart skips a beat as warmth blossoms across my cheeks as his beautiful, mysteriously red eyes meet mine. They're cold, and mercilessly sharp.
For one impossible instant…
It feels like he sees me.
Across space, and through the dungeon… his gaze penetrates all just to meet with mine.
Just for me.
My breath catches, and before I can even process it all…
The mirror vanishes.
I turn sharply, silver eyes narrowing on the culprit.
"Our agreement was for the duration of Goliath's battle." Ouranos says calmly, his voice carrying a sense of finality. "Now that it's over, continuing to use the Divine Mirror would violate the rules."
I hold his gaze for a long moment.
"…Indeed." I sigh helplessly. "How unfortunate. I was enjoying myself."
I rise from my seat, smoothing my dress as though nothing of importance has been taken from me.
"Still, thank you for granting my request." I say lightly.
"There is no need for gratitude." Ouranos replies, also standing. "Afterall, you paid extensively for this."
He turns to leave, his footsteps echoing through the chamber as he departs.
I walk to the tall window and look out over Orario, the city glowing faintly beneath the tower.
'…That wasn't Riven.' I analyse. 'Not entirely.'
I have seen similar phenomena before. Split personalities, multiple souls in one body… but nothing quite like what just occurred.
"A second self?" I whisper. "Or a fragment of his soul capable of functioning independently?"
Either way…
"It was beautiful."
Cold, silent, and perfectly focused.
So far, I've seen three versions of him.
"He keeps surprising me." I say with a soft laugh. "How cruel of him."
There is so much I wish to know.
But I can't just meet him.
'He avoids me.' I muse, a quiet giggle escaping my lips. 'As if he thinks he can escape a goddess.'
How adorable.
'I misjudged him.' I admit inwardly. 'At Level 1, defeating a Level 5 Monster Rex… even Zeus and Hera's Familia couldn't accomplish that.'
'I thought I'd need to wait and let him fully mature first…'
But now—
'If I wait too long, and someone else claims… it'll be too hard to get him back.' My chest aches with irritation at the thought.
"That would be unacceptable."
I turn from the window and stride toward the exit.
My guards immediately fall into step behind me, but I don't pay them any mind.
'It's a lot earlier than I expected, but it's time he and I talked.' I think, smiling in anticipation.
'Soon… he'll be mine.'
(GS POV – Dungeon, Floor 17)
[Arcanum energy source has dispersed.]
I withdraw my attention from the air, and ignore the monsters converging on my position.
I step sideways and retrieve the weapon embedded in the scorched stone.
The original greatsword.
The Adamantite is warped and half-liquefied, its outer shell peeled back to expose the mithril core beneath.
For any craftsman, it would be scrap behind repair.
But that's irrelevant.
I absorb it into Stomach and analyse every deformity in nanoseconds, and begin reconstructing it at the atomic level. The process is so fast, it's almost instant.
[Sword restoration complete.]
I close my fingers around the hilt.
Only then do I turn to face the horde.
The floor ahead has become a sea of bodies. Hundreds of monsters surge toward me, claws scraping stone, jaws foaming, eyes burning with instinctual fury.
"[Notice: 638 entities identified. Commencing elimination.]"
Ariel activates, first, followed by Elven flame magic.
Wind and fire interlock without resistance, forming a continuous tempest around my body.
[Notice: Regeneration exceeds damage. Maintaining Blazing Wind.]
The floors temperature surges once more, the stones beneath me regaining their red glow.
I rotate my shoulders once and swing Sword horizontally, slicing through the air.
Blazing Wind, condensed on its edge is blasted forward in a wide crescent moon of compressed, superheated wind that spreads outward.
Some monsters ignite before it even makes contact as their fur and scales burst into flame, flesh vaporizing as the wave arrives.
The vanguard is erased, leaving no bodies.
The second rank is bisected, before being turned to ash.
The back rank is burnt all the same, dying instantly.
Even then, the attack does not stop.
It slams into the tunnel leading to the 16th Floor and cleaves deep into the dungeon wall before detonating. Flame and debris roar through the passage, incinerating everything inside it.
A heavy silence follows, punctuated only by the crumbling of stones.
Smoke rolls throughout the floor as charred limbs are carbonised.
I observe the result.
"[Notice: All 637 hostile entities neutralized.]"
I dismiss Sword into Stomach to prevent obstruction and begin walking.
My objective is singular.
[Notice: Executing primary task. Return home safely.]
My pace increases, to a speed much faster than my body can handle.
Muscle fibers tear under strain, but Regeneration compensates and repairs the damage instantly.
I disappear into the passage, and reach the 16th Floor almost instantly.
Immediately, multiple entities focus on me. Their roars batter my ears, bloodthirsty eyes tear into my body, and they immediately charge at me.
I don't stop for a moment.
I inhale.
Black Goliath Roar + Howl + Sonic Scream.
The sound tears from my throat with tangible force. Against my will, the rebound forces my body to a sudden halt.
The corridor convulses as cracks spread across the walls. The floor ripples outward as if struck by a hammer, and the shockwave tears through the monsters like a tidal wave.
They all freeze.
Some are even blasted backwards.
But without exception, they all collapse.
Blood pours from ears, eyes, and mouths. Their internal organs rupture from resonance alone.
Several stronger varieties—Minotaurs and Silverbacks—remain alive, but incapacitated.
[Analysis: Inefficient. Some targets survive, and bodies impede movement. Switching to magic based attacks.]
I act immediately, burning any body that stands on my path. Magic stones clatter onto blackened stone.
I absorb those nearby, while ignoring the rest.
I then continue moving.
Each floor is flooded with monsters.
All of them are reduced to ash.
I don't feel triumph.
I don't feel fatigue.
I single-mindedly continue upward toward the surface.
Nothing manages to stop me…
Until I reach the 10th Floor.
The first half of the floor is… more peaceful than the floor below.
There are still hordes of monsters, but they're suddenly less dense. And I quickly discover the reason.
Organized groups of adventurers move with practiced efficiency. Commands are barked sharply, formations maintained as monsters are culled and magic stones gathered.
"Don't slow down! Kill anything that moves and collect the stones!" One, who looks like the leader, shouts.
"Yes, sir!" The adventurers reply uniformly.
They advance like a net tightening.
I adjust my route, long before they can notice me, altering my trajectory to avoid unnecessary contact.
It delays me by a few minutes on each floor, but eventually, I reach the First Floor.
And then… out of the dungeon.
The plaza is empty.
Unnaturally so.
There are no adventurers or guard…
Except for one person.
"I've been waiting for you." Her voice is warm, pleasant… almost playful.
She reclines in an elegant chair placed directly in my path, one leg crossed over the other, fingers resting lightly against her cheek. Her smile is slow, indulgent, as though she derives great joy from this situation.
"What should I call you?" She hums. "Riven?"
A soft laugh escapes her lips. "No… that wouldn't be quite right, would it?"
I do not respond.
[Analysis initiated.]
[Probability of immediate escape: 32%.]
[Probability of hostile engagement: 11%.]
[Probability of capture if conflict occurs: 99%.]
[Conclusion: Peaceful resolution advised.]
I adjust posture imperceptibly, weight distributed evenly, prepared for sudden movement, despite resolving to discussion.
"[Query: What does individual, Freya, seek?]"
She raises an eyebrow, amused rather than offended.
"Straight to the point." She says approvingly. "I like that."
She leans forward slightly, smiling faintly. "Nothing frightening. I simply wished to see you."
Her gaze flicks past me, just briefly.
"And since you didn't immediately try to run…" She continues lightly. "I assume you noticed Ottar?"
Footsteps sound behind me.
Heavy and measured.
Ottar emerges from the dungeon entrance, walks past me quietly, and comes to a halt at her back, standing silently with his arms folded. His presence alone makes the air seem heavier, his body radiating a deadly threat.
He had been following me since the seventeenth floor.
I recalculate my chances with his changed position, and despite my chances for escape dropping… so too do the chances for hostile engagement.
Freya watches me closely, her smile widening in satisfaction.
"Relax." She sighs, rising gracefully from her chair. "If I wanted to take you, I wouldn't have waited this long." She steps closer, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Today, I only wished to speak. To Riven."
Her gaze lingers on my face, settling on my eyes.
"But I suppose that isn't possible right now." A soft note of disappointment slips through.
She turns away, beginning to walk, then pauses.
"Oh… do tell him something for me." She adds, glancing back over her shoulder. "That I wish to speak with him properly." Her smile sharpens, just a touch. "He knows where to find me."
"And if he doesn't…" She chuckles. "I may be forced to visit him myself. That would cause such a fuss, wouldn't it?"
"[Acknowledged.]"
She nods, pleased.
"And one more thing." She says lightly. "I quite enjoy the view."
I do not respond, nor do I understand what she refers to.
But, regardless, she departs, and Ottar follows behind her without a word.
Only once they are gone does the pressure lift.
I step forward immediately, rushing toward the church.
[Primary objective resumed.]
Return home.
*********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
I guess, the first thing I'd like to mention, is Freya's comment at the end, about enjoying the view. Anyone figure out what she meant? Well... His shorts survived, at least, but as for the rest of him... It's quite a view. And GS just doesn't consider such things yet.
Freya has finally met Riven! Kinda... And there are a lot of things happening with her character. It's simple to miss, but... Her dialogue about if Riven dies, and him not being her Odr... She's in denial. Or at least, trying to convince herself of what she's saying. That's all I'll say.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at Patreon.com/AMV_WEAKLY
Anyway... That's all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁