novelraw Chapter 51 : The Forgotten Goddess
Chapter 51 : The Forgotten Goddess
The afternoon sun slanted through the window, painting Mama’s face in gold as she sat across from me. A worn leather book rested in her lap, its edges frayed from years of use.
“This,” she said, tracing a finger across the faded text, “is a story I once read in the Imperial Library. Few remember it now… perhaps fewer still want to remember.”
I leaned forward, eyes wide. “What kind of story?”
Her voice dropped, low and careful.
“A thousand years ago, this land wasn’t corrupted. It was a nation. A nation under the protection of the Goddess of the Tree—the elves’ goddess. Her domain was fertility, growth, and the harmony of nature.”
The book creaked as she turned a page, revealing an illustration of a towering tree surrounded by elegant figures with pointed ears.
“Elves once flourished here. Their fields grew without end, their rivers flowed with clarity, their forests stretched forever green. But when the corruption came… even the goddess’s blessing couldn’t hold it back. The elves fought, but they lost ground, little by little.”
Her violet eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought I saw grief there.
“And no one came to help them. Not the humans, not the dwarves, not even the beastkin. The elves’ cries went unanswered. When their nation fell, the goddess vanished… and the land was left to rot.”
I furrowed my brows, staring at the picture. “…But if humans abandoned them, why would this book be in a human library? Why would they paint themselves in such a bad light?”
For a heartbeat, silence. Then Mama smiled faintly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face.
“…Too smart for your own good,” she whispered. “Because this isn’t human history. It was copied from elven scripture. A rare relic the Empire kept.”
I sat back, chewing on her words. So the truth of the corruption came from the very people who suffered it.
Mama’s gaze sharpened suddenly, and she shut the book with a snap. “…Rooga. You told me you found that seed in the house. Is that true?”
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My chest tightened. For a second, I thought of lying again. But Mama’s eyes… I couldn’t.
I lowered my head. “No. I got it from a fairy. She came at night and gave it to me.”
Her breath caught. She leaned back, one hand trembling against her chest. “…A fairy. Then… the goddess still has kin in this world.”
I opened my mouth to ask more—
THOOM.
The walls shuddered. Dust fell from the rafters.
Father’s voice roared from outside. “Selene! Rooga! Inside, now—beasts!”
The HUD blinked furiously in my vision:
[Alert: Hostile Presence Detected]
[Distance: 150m → Approaching]
My heart pounded. The goddess’s seed, the corrupted land, the tree—
It all came crashing together in a single thought.
The beasts have come.
The ground shook, over and over, as if a thousand drums pounded at once.
From the tree’s direction came the sound of splintering branches, snapping roots, and the guttural cries of beasts driven mad.
I stood frozen in the doorway, the HUD flashing warnings in red.
[Hostiles Detected: 47]
[Class: Corrupted Beast – Rank C to A]
[Threat Level: Overwhelming]
Mama’s eyes narrowed, her voice low. “They feel it. The tree’s power. That’s why they’ve come.”
Father stepped forward, his hand gripping his sword. Even pale and weaker than before, his presence was sharp as steel. “…Then let them come. I’ll cut until I fall.”
But Mama moved ahead of him, her violet hair whipping in the wind. Her words cut firm.
“No, Darius. Stand back. Tonight—let me show you what our miracle taught me.”
The first beasts broke through the treeline—wolf-shapes with twisted horns, a six-legged bear, winged things shrieking overhead. A wave of corruption, rushing to devour us.
Mama raised her hand. This time, I didn’t see destruction first. I saw protection.
Her voice rang clear:
“Fire Resistance. Body Strengthen. Mana Shield.”
Warm light wrapped around her, etching glowing runes across her body.
The HUD blinked—
and suddenly, the same warmth filled me
.[Buff Acquired: Fire Resistance Lv.1]
[Buff Acquired: Body Strengthen Lv.1]
[Buff Acquired: Mana Shield Lv.1]
My breath caught. She’s… sharing them with me.
Then came the fire. Not wild. Not chaotic. A vermillion flame pulsed in her palm, smooth and controlled, as if it obeyed her heartbeat.
The beasts howled and charged.
She pinched her fingers together, compressing the flame into a flawless sphere.
“Burn.”
She flicked.
The world turned red.
A perfect column of vermillion fire roared outward, clean and absolute. The beasts screamed once before their bodies evaporated, vanishing into cinders. The flames cut through the night, leaving nothing but glowing ash drifting on the wind.
The HUD shimmered:
[Skill Acquired: Vermillion Spark – Perfect Form]
I stood speechless, heart pounding.
Mama lowered her hand, her body trembling, but her face…
She was smiling. Not grim, not broken. Just a smile full of relief, like a weight had been lifted.
Father stepped forward, catching her shoulders before she collapsed.
And I thought to myself—
If that’s what she calls my miracle… then I’ll make sure it never turns into her curse.