I kept my distance, carefully observing the capsule from afar. I didn't want to move any closer without properly checking everything first. The room might've looked harmless at first glance, filled with scattered junk and broken tools, but the chains wrapped around that capsule made the whole thing feel anything but safe. And I still had Elisabeth standing right next to me, a far bigger concern than any object in the room.
She wasn't moving. Her mana wasn't flaring either. She just stood there, still as a statue, like she was waiting for something. I took a slow step toward the center, testing her reaction.
The moment I did, her voice cut through the air, sharper than I expected.
"Don't move closer to it!" she snapped, almost yelling. "We don't know if it's safe, and I need you alive until we leave this dungeon."
The emotion in her voice threw me off. It wasn't the usual unsettling playfulness or lecherous teasing. This sounded dangerously close to panic, which didn't fit the situation or her usual demeanor. Not with how strong she was.
"What should we do then?" I asked, pretending as if I'd been about to inspect the capsule, if she'd not stopped me.
"I'll use one of my summons. Better it dies than you, and by extension, me…" She bit her lower lip, like she was regretting the terms of the promise she had made.
Is that promise really a thing? Or is she just playing her game again? But why would she?
I couldn't shake the unease. I might have been overthinking, but that was safer than being caught off guard, especially when dealing with someone who could kill me with a flick of her wrist. Staying a step ahead was the only move I had.
Her mana finally surged, but differently this time. The black shadowy energy didn't expand outward like when she summoned the giant beast. Instead, it condensed to her side, swirling into a small portal. The violet sphere pulsed and snapped as the ripples and sparks settled.
"Check the room!" Elisabeth ordered.
Then something shot out from the portal, too fast to properly catch. A dark mass blurred across the room in zigzags, landing on random surfaces like it couldn't decide where to stay. I only recognized it was a bird because of the sharp whoosh of air slicing from its wings. Within moments, it perched on Elisabeth's shoulder, ramming its head into her cheek, likely trying to show affection. But the thing was too ugly and its movements too rough to call any of it endearing.
"It's safe to approach, but stay beside me," Elisabeth told me as she gave the creature a quick pat on the head, then shoved it back into the portal so abruptly I half wondered if she was trying to kill it.
I adjusted my steps, keeping her and the capsule both in my line of sight. "Do you have any idea what's inside?" I asked, maintaining my tone casual even as my guard stayed up.
"Yes. That's why I'm here." She stopped walking and turned to face me fully, a smile returning on her face. "We need to discuss the compensation. What do you want in exchange for whatever's inside?"
"Tell me what's inside first," I said, holding my ground. I wasn't about to make the same mistake and give something valuable away without knowing what I was bargaining for.
"Oh, silly Avenor. If that's how you want to play..." Elisabeth's smile twisted again, but not in a threatening way. That familiar, unsettling grin returned as she started walking toward me, closing the distance slowly, savoring every step. "Information isn't free either. What are you offering in exchange?" Her voice lowered, smooth and teasing, as she played with the strand of her hair. The earlier tension in her had completely dissolved, replaced by her usual obnoxious, flirtatious self.
I hadn't realized it as clearly before, but Elisabeth's behavior shifted unnervingly fast. It wasn't mood swings, it was like her entire personality reshaped itself depending on the moment, like she wore different faces whenever it suited her.
But this time, I didn't step back. I moved forward. There was nowhere to run anyway.
"What were you thinking?" I asked, matching her tone, lowering my voice as if we were sharing a secret. If she were any taller, our noses might've been touching by now.
"Haha, I like this new Avenor. Where have you been hiding?" She laughed, genuinely amused. But it didn't last. Her smile vanished, replaced by a sharp, chilling seriousness that immediately set me back on edge.
"Pledge that you'll acknowledge Father after we leave the dungeon."
"And that's your price for information about the capsule?" I shot back, my tone staying even, maybe even bordering on disrespectful. "I've told you already, I serve no one but myself."
For a brief second, I thought she might lash out. Her face darkened, brows furrowing. She bit into her lower lip hard enough that blood welled up and dripped down her chin. The fury radiating from her was enough to make me realize I was pushing her further than I should have.
I softened my tone quickly.
"I can't pledge loyalty to any God without knowing what They stand for," I said, letting my voice turn sincere. "Your Father may be benevolent, kind, and all-powerful. But my loyalty is for life. Once I make that kind of vow, I must keep it until death and even beyond that." I spoke so passionately that even I got goosebumps. "So forgive me for not agreeing now. I would only pledge myself when I've gathered enough knowledge, when I can serve with complete faith and without regret."
Her smile returned, slowly stretching back into place as I spoke, until she was practically glowing with joy.
"It felt like I was reading Father's scripture. You'll be a perfect son for Father!" she said with absolute certainty, like she hadn't heard a word I said or that I'd just rejected her proposal. Then she leaned in, lowering her voice again, her grin turning mischievous. "Avenor… do you want to know a little something?"
"I guess…"
Her smile brightened as she continued, "The spell I used on you earlier - it's still active."
I froze. Cold sweat started rolling down my face in an instant.
"It was meant to detect your lies. And I'm so happy you've been so honest with me." She retreated, spinning in place and twirling her long black dress, clearly happy. "Even without being bound by Father's law, you still hate lies!"
I haven't lied? I don't think I've told a single full truth since I met you…
I was confused, how I managed to trick a spell cast by such a powerful mage. But then it hit me.
"And you know why I trust you?" she continued, her voice full of childish pride, as if explaining a brilliant trick to someone too slow to catch on. "Because the spell belongs to Father. There's no way it could be tricked! Even this dungeon, created by the Goddess of Elves, couldn't stop Father's power. How could you?"
It all clicked at once. Hollow Core had saved me. The spell wasn't detecting lies because it had simply failed without giving her any feedback. She thought it was still active and working as intended…
I was wrong. I'm lucky as fuck.
I finally relaxed a little, knowing that for now the immediate danger was behind me. But my gaze was still locked on the capsule standing right in front of me, sealed tightly beneath the web of chains that wrapped around it like metal vines. Whatever was inside remained hidden, but its presence was heavy enough to weigh on the air itself.
"So, Elly, will you tell me what's inside the capsule?" I asked, shifting the conversation back to the important part now that she finally seemed a little calmer.
"Of course," Elisabeth responded immediately, her face lighting up. "It's the Goddess' strongest weapon. Her most devoted believer. Her Inquisitor." She said it with open excitement, though I couldn't tell if she was more thrilled about the capsule itself or still fantasizing about me pledging my soul to her god.
"What is Inquisitor? I've never heard that term before." This time I spoke freely, without worrying about saying too much. At this point, she was fully convinced the spell was still active and filtering every word I said. As long as I stayed within certain lines, she wouldn't question anything.
"In the Goddess' case? Or in general?" she tilted her head, then smiled as if she already knew I didn't have the context. "Actually, I'll explain both."
She slowly approached the capsule as she spoke.
"You already know there are many Gods in this world. Each has their believers, even nations, and domains… but the Gods themselves aren't allowed to descend into this world freely. If they did, the consequences would be severe, sometimes it even means triggering war from other Gods. That rule doesn't only limit their descent. It also applies to how much of their power they're allowed to use directly on mortals like us…"
She paused, trailing off as her eyes traced over the capsule's surface. She ran her fingers lightly across the cold metal, still deep in thought. I kept quiet, patiently waiting. This was exactly the kind of information I needed. The rules behind the divine system, the rules I still didn't know.
"What was I talking about again?" she asked suddenly, as if snapping out of a daydream.
"You were telling me what an Inquisitor is…" I answered. I wanted to tweak my response to get more information, but she interrupted me before I could.
"Oh, right…" she continued, the smile returning on her face. "Inquisitors can channel a small portion of their God's power. Not much on its own, but if their God has a domain…"
She placed both hands gently on the capsule, lowering her voice as though sharing something sacred. "For example, Father doesn't have Inquisitors. He has Sons and Daughters. We not only draw His power, we inherit part of His domain. Like the spell I used to test your honesty. Father is omnipotent and omniscient…"
Omnipotent and omniscient my ass… he couldn't even overpower Hollow Core.
From there, she slipped into full-blown praise, practically singing his virtues like a devoted merchant trying to sell me salvation. The more she spoke, the emptier her words became, just endless adoration and blind reverence. She was trying really hard to convince me that her god was the right path for me. Unfortunately for her, I wasn't interested in conversion speeches. The real value had already been extracted from the first part of her explanation.
"So it's one of the Goddess' Inquisitors?" I asked, stealing another glance at the capsule. Now that I knew what was inside, it looked far grander than it had just moments ago.
"Not an Inquisitor," Elisabeth corrected me, her smile twisting unnaturally before her expression hardened. "Her most devoted and powerful one."
She shifted her stance slightly, glancing toward me with rare seriousness. "That's why you need to stay back and let me handle the talking. If she's truly alive… I doubt she will love seeing… us."
As she spoke, Elisabeth opened her portal again, pulling out a knife and a small vial from the swirling darkness.
"I need your blood. Your mark already triggered the seal, but for this part, I can't risk you getting hurt if something goes wrong. I'll handle the rest."
"W-what for?"
"To open the capsule, of course." Unlike before, she didn't smile when she spoke. "What? You don't trust me?"
"It's not like that…" I panicked, trying to find a reasonable excuse. "I don't like handing my blood…"
"I could take it even without your permission if I wanted to." She took a step toward me, her voice getting colder like a breath of winter. "What's the issue? Unless you plan to do anything against me…"
Shit… Shit… Shit… I'm fucked…
I cursed inwardly, taking the vial from her. This feeling of helplessness was driving me insane, but there was nothing I could do. I bit into my arm again, sinking my teeth into the flesh and drawing blood directly. I let it pool into the vial she offered.
I'll definitely regret this, but at least it will earn me some time.
The thought clung to me the moment I handed it over. Giving someone like Elisabeth even a drop of my blood felt like handing over leverage I couldn't afford, but refusing would've been worse. For now, this was the safer gamble.
Elisabeth wasted no time. She poured my blood onto her hand, then traced several sharp runes across the capsule with her stained fingertips, each stroke glowing faintly as the symbols activated. But what made my chest tighten wasn't the runes - it was when she casually slipped the vial stained with my blood back into her portal.
I knew it... Shit!
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself not to react. Demanding she give it back would only make her suspicious. The pattern was clear by now. When Elisabeth smiled and giggled, she was willing to share information and felt genuinely kind. When she wore that twisted, lecherous grin, she liked teasing and seemed horny. But when her face went cold like it was now, the warmth drained from the room entirely. That was when she was at her most dangerous and felt evil.
"Step back," she ordered, her tone cold as ice, as her mana surged. The shadows of her magic expanded outward, coating the runes in a writhing layer of black mist, while faint silver light pulsed from beneath it.
The chains reacted instantly. They trembled violently, metal grinding against metal as the entire chamber vibrated under the weight of the spell. One by one, the iron links snapped with sharp, echoing cracks that bounced off the walls. All nine chains broke, coiling and falling like dead serpents onto the stone floor.
The capsule hissed as pressure released from within. The front leaned forward under its own weight until, with a dull thud, the door slammed into the ground.
The blinding light burst out of the opened capsule, forcing my eyes shut on instinct. It wasn't just bright, it was overwhelming, pressing into my retinas like the sun itself had been trapped inside that metal shell and finally released.
But even with my eyes closed, I could still feel it. The pressure. The weight.
This magic… it feels stronger than Elisabeth's!
I forced my eyes open just a sliver, vision still blurry from the blinding flash. Through the white haze, I saw a silhouette begin to take form inside the capsule.
A figure was rising.
---------------------
Don't forget to Follow the novel so that you don't miss the updates.
If you'd like to support me and also read ahead of the public release https://www.patreon.com/GodWithWings
You can read up to 17 chapters