"Where... am I?!"
Lux opened his eyes to find himself lying in an endless hallway bathed in soft, white light. The surroundings were empty and surreal, like a dream. As he looked down, he realized—he wasn't wearing any clothes.
"Wait… what happened to my clothes? Am I… in heaven?!"
The thought struck him like a bolt.
He stood up quickly, stretching his limbs. To his surprise, his body felt light—almost weightless. The pain from earlier was completely gone. He instinctively touched his stomach, expecting to feel the wound Blake had left—but it was gone. No scar, no blood.
He jumped a few times, then dashed forward and stopped. No fatigue. No struggle to breathe.
"…What is this place?"
He stood alone in the vast, white abyss, with no sound, no direction, and no sign of life.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a soft hum of energy. Above him, a figure began to descend gracefully from the sky, bathed in golden light.
Lux looked up, squinting as the radiance intensified. His breath caught in his throat as the figure slowly became clearer. His eyes widened in awe.
It was a woman and radiating divine. Long flowing hair shimmers like silver threads, her eyes calm. She wore a while robe. Her beauty was out of this world.
Lux instantly recognized her.
He had seen her image countless time in the church, in status, murals and scared texts. She was the goddess revered by the world , the divine protect, the giver of wisdom and strength and the one who bestowed classes upon humanity.
"Goddess Athena."
Lux whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief.
As the radiant figure descended, Lux quickly dropped to his knees and bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the glowing white floor. His body trembled with anxiety.
The goddess floated just above the ground; her form enveloped in a soft, shimmering light. Each step she took through the air was silent, untouched by gravity or the physical world.
Lux dared not raise his head.
His heart pounded in his chest as he knelt in silence. He could feel the warmth of her presence, like sunlight in the dead of winter. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to look up.
He was in the presence of a goddess, Athena, the divine protector of humanity.
"…I don't know why I'm here,"
Lux whispered, his voice trembling.
"…but I am grateful… to see my goddess before I descend to heaven."
"Heaven?"
The goddess blinked in surprise, her soft voice echoing like a bell in the void.
That voice, gentle, otherworldly, was one no mortal had ever heard. Yet Lux was hearing it with his own ears. His heart nearly stopped.
"I… I beg your forgiveness, my goddess!"
Lux quickly lowered his head again, panicking as he feared he had offended her.
"Why are you bowing?"
Athena asked, tilting her head in a curious, almost childish manner.
"…Pardon…?"
Lux hesitated, lifting his head just slightly.
When his eyes met hers, he was stunned.
She wasn't cold or distant as he imagined. Instead, her smile was bright, her expression filled with joy—like a child seeing something precious for the first time.
"I can't believe it!"
She leaned in closer, her golden eyes sparkling with awe.
"The last soul of the Aspidan people!"
"…Aspidan… people?"
Lux asked, his face twisted in confusion.
"I never imagined a survivor still existed!"
The goddess spun in place, clearly caught up in her own excitement.
"I must report this to the other gods at once—ah, but they're all occupied in another realm…"
She paused, then placed her hands on her hips, grinning.
"Well, no matter! At least I still have this boy. He alone might be enough to save the world."
Athena seemed to forget Lux was standing right there, muttering and pacing in circles like she was deep in her own thoughts.
Lux stood awkwardly, blinking.
His mind raced with questions, but the goddess beat him to it.
"Oh, my child! What is your name?"
"My name is Lux, my goddess."
"Lux… What a lovely name."
She smiled again, but her expression soon softened, almost sad.
"I wish I could speak with you longer, but… it seems you're about to regain consciousness."
"Regain consciousness?"
Lux blinked.
"But… I thought I was dead. I was stabbed… I felt it."
"Ahh," the goddess nodded. "Yes, you were close. Very close. But it seems you've unknowingly awakened your power… just enough to save yourself."
"My… power?"
Lux was lost again.
Athena stepped forward; her voice more serious now.
"Lux, you are the last of the Aspidan people—a once-glorious civilization that fell seventeen years ago. You carry the pure bloodline of their final king."
Lux's breath caught in his throat. He stood frozen, the weight of her words crashing over him.
"In ancient times," Athena continued, "the Aspidan were taught to awaken the sacred power that flowed through their veins. It wasn't merely magic—it was divine essence itself…"
She raised a hand and gently patted her chest.
"My divine essence."
Her voice trembled slightly—pride mixed with grief. Then, her expression softened into sadness as she slowly floated toward him.
"But you… you never knew."
She knelt in front of him, her form glowing faintly with divine light, and placed her hand over his heart.
"When you were on the verge of death, your body remembered. Your blood remembered. It reached for what it had long forgotten and awakened itself to protect you."
She closed her eyes, her voice turning solemn.
"If that man's blade had pierced your heart… not even your sacred blood could have saved you."
But as Lux trying ask the goddess, his voice was gone and his eye began to blur.
Those were the final words the goddess whispered, her voice fading like mist in the wind.
Light dissolved around him, and before he knew it.
[Gasp!]
He jolted awake.
The cold, damp air of the dungeon returned. Stone beneath his back. The weight of blood soaked into his shirt. His body trembled, but not from pain.
"…I'm… alive?"
Lux slowly reached down, touching his stomach.
The wound that should have killed him, was gone.
He pressed harder in disbelief. His flesh was whole. The pain, the burning, all vanished.
Then a familiar voice lit the air from a short distance.
"Hurry up. Just undress her already."
Blake barked as he took off his pants while Lowel cut Lia clothes off.
Lux stood up and shout.
"Step away from her !"
Blake and Lowel turned in shock, their expressions pale as they laid eyes on Lux.
"H-How are you still alive?!"
Blake stammered; eyes wide in disbelief.
"I thought you already killed him!"
Lowel hissed, dropping the knife he held and drawing his twin daggers instead.
"Then we'll finish him properly this time!"
Blake shouted, charging forward with sword in hand.
Lowel followed, flanking Lux.
But Lux didn't hesitate.
Blake's sword came down fast, but to Lux, it felt slow. Too slow. His eyes tracked the blade's arc with unnatural clarity. With a simple step to the side, he dodged the attack cleanly.
Then, with one swift motion, he spun around and delivered a crushing kick to Lowel's chest, sending the man sprawling across the stone floor.
"Wh-What the—?"
Lux looked down at his own hands.
"Why do I feel… so light? So strong?"
His body felt different. Alive. Every fibre of his being pulsed with newfound power.
"Shut up, brat!"
Blake roared, lunging again with a furious overhead swing.
But again,too slow.
Lux tilted his body slightly, and the blade whooshed past him harmlessly.
He stared at Blake, calm and collected.
"Mr. Blake," Lux said with a mocking in his voice,
"I think you should put on your pants first, it only half of my size nothing to show off ! Ahaha"
Blake blinked, momentarily confused then he realized that Lux was joking about his thing.
"…You little—!"
But before Blake could finish his sentence, Lux moved—a blur of motion.
He struck Blake square in the face with a powerful punch. A sharp crack echoed through the dungeon, followed by a dull thud as Blake was sent flying backward, crashing into Lowel. The two collapsed in a heap, unconscious.
Lux stood still for a moment, breathing heavily, fists clenched. The power coursing through his body still felt surreal, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
He rushed over to Lia and covered her with a cloth and lifted her into his arms. Then, he moved to where Will and Vox lay unconscious. One by one, he carried them to the first floor of the dungeon and laid them in a safe spot near the entrance.
The drug's effects still hadn't worn off, they remained unconscious, breathing slowly.
Lux returned once more, dragging Blake and Lowel's limp bodies to the entrance. He tied them tightly together with rope and placed them where they could be easily found. If they woke up and tried anything, they wouldn't get far.
As Lux stood near the dungeon entrance, he suddenly heard rustling coming from the trees in the distance. His body tense.
He quickly dove into a nearby bush, crouching low as he peered through the leaves.
A group of four emerged into view, their silhouettes illuminated by the sun light. The one at the front, tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing a familiar coat, made Lux freeze in place.
"G-Guild Master?!"
He whispered in a panic.
Trailing behind him were three formidable-looking adventurers. Lux didn't recognize them, but he seemed to know that those people might be a high rank adventurer.
Lux's heart pounded in his chest.
"I'm dead if he finds out I entered the dungeon without permission…"
He muttered to himself.
Then he paused, letting out a dry, bitter chuckle.
"…Oh, right. I already almost died once."