Chapter 47

After issuing the commands and pinpointing the vulnerable spots in the formation, I awaited the perfect moment to strike. Besides destroying the portal, it was crucial to kill the cultist, as these people would likely attempt to bring the Black Goat into this world again.

As the cultist approached Feylina, I recognized it was the perfect moment, as his emotions betrayed satisfaction with the work he had completed.

"Tun, get ready," I said, closing the distance between myself and the cultist.

"1," I continued, drawing my bastard sword as I further narrowed the gap.

"2," I was now close enough that a single leap could bring me to the cultist's neck.

"3," I mentally prepared for the impending strike.

"NOW!" I shouted over the communication.

BOOM

At that instant, heavenly retribution descended into the temple. A branched strike targeted all the points I had indicated to Tun. The moment Tun's magic-laden lightning touched the points in the rune array, something spectacular happened for me, and disastrous for the cultist.

The cultist managed to turn towards the noise, which was hard to miss. Although he realized what was happening, it was too late to correct anything. By the time he turned around, I had already swung and decapitated him in one smooth motion.

THUMP

Feylina, witnessing the cultist's head fall to the floor, looked at me incredulously.

"It's time to get you out of here," I said as I retrieved the keys from the dead man to unlock her shackles.

Feylina, finally realizing what had happened, couldn't hold back her emotions and simply cried. She didn't resist as I freed her, the leader of the cultists now dead. As soon as I unlocked her, an incredibly powerful force began emanating in waves from the supposed destroyed magical rune array.

Feylina, seeing me suddenly turn around in alarm, asked, "Is something wrong?"

I didn't need to explain, as a visible crack in space appeared. Although it was the same size as the one I'd seen at the start of all this, the gaze from the other side carried so much malice and helplessness that it made up for the size of the crack.

Seeing the crack rapidly expand, I understood that this creature couldn't stay here long. Apparently, maintaining such breaches in space isn't easy, even for a being of this kind.

"What do you want, goat?" I asked, shielding the woman who had gone into shock from what she had seen.

"This is not the end... Child of Destiny... You naive fool, do you think this is over? Hahahaha, you don't understand the meaning of 'Child of Destiny'... Let me explain, I will pursue this child as long as necessary... And take what is rightfully mine!" the Goat finished his monologue just as the crack was almost closing. I felt a slight disturbance in the magic.

After which I noticed a strange mark appear on Feylina's abdomen.

"Damn!" was all I could think.

Ting

Quest Completed

Prevent the Coming of the Black Goat 1/1

Reward: Regeneration

"KHAAA!!!"

"Daeron!" Feylina cried out, rushing to my side as I convulsed.

At that moment, when I received the reward, I also felt excruciating pain throughout my body, as if something was being carved out of me. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally subsided, and covered in sweat, I murmured:

"I'm alright..."

"How can you be alright after that?!" Feylina asked, clearly agitated.

With a strained smile, I responded:

"It's a side effect of receiving a gift..."

My words didn't comfort her much, and she looked like she wanted to say more, but then Avus's group arrived.

"Did someone scream?" Avus asked, looking around.

"Yes, it was Daeron," Feylina said.

"It's okay, just a slight pain from new abilities," I explained, seeing their worried looks.

They were not reassured, but knowing there was more pressing work, they decided not to delve into the topic of the new ability for now.

"Is everything finished?" Diya asked, surveying the room.

I simply nodded weakly, too exhausted to explain, and passed out...

Several hours later

I woke up in a different place, judging by the surroundings. It was clearly daytime. The reason I could calmly think through everything was that I had already scoped out the area using Empathy and then with my own eyes.

My friends were resting; Avus was also asleep, while the women chatted about everything under the sun, seemingly in good spirits.

"Daeron, how are you feeling?" Tun asked through our connection, able to sense my activity.

"Yes, do not worry..." I replied, sensing his deep anxiety. "Tun, how far have we strayed from Qohor?"

Without a word, Tun simply showed an overhead view of our surroundings, the area thick with trees... It appears we are moving roughly southeast.

"It seems the guys are still heading toward Volantis..."

"Thank you, Tun," I said softly.

In response, I received a look of embarrassment from the bird, which made me smile. While my partner continued to enjoy the flight, I began to check my reward.

Regeneration—different from my previous rewards, and if I'm guessing correctly, none of the rewards I have received come from nowhere. Empathy, in fact, was an ability possessed by a spirit, whereas my new reward is something stranger. It is essentially a runic array embedded in my skeleton, muscles, nerve endings, and on my soul. Regeneration works differently from the usual acceleration of my healing through magic. The runic array, upon injury, absorbs energy from the space around me and uses this energy to heal me.

"How are you feeling, Daeron?" Dia asked me, sensing something amiss and deciding to check on me.

I just smiled and replied, "Overall, not bad, and I've acquired quite an interesting item."

Seeing Dia's intrigued look, I decided to elaborate on what I had acquired: "It's a long story, let's wait for everyone..."

And when everyone had gathered, I explained the situation and assured them that they needn't worry about me. After demonstrating my new abilities, I managed to convince everyone that I was indeed all right.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dia asked again, to which I simply smiled crookedly and affirmed.

"Dia, don't worry, I'm sure I'm fine... But we shouldn't leave Faylina in Volantis."

"What? Why?" the Arphenians asked simultaneously, while Faylina remained silent.

"This Goat has marked her and added that he would chase her until the end of time... And I think he left something on the child; we can't just abandon them now."

As soon as I finished explaining, the Arphenians reacted quite swiftly: "If that's the case, you needn't have asked our opinion," said Avus's wife on behalf of everyone.

Her family nodded in agreement, and I could only marvel at how lucky I was to have such compassionate friends, considering their history...

"So where are we headed?" Avus asked.

Catching my gaze, he seemed to read something in my eyes and said, "Braavos."

"Exactly, ideally we would take her somewhere in Westeros... But as I can't head there just yet, I still have a couple of things to handle here."

Avus sighed sorrowfully and looking at me, spoke, "When will we inform our own?"

"Perhaps upon arrival in Kroyane?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Do you think Qohor's influence reaches that far?"

"I'm certain."

"Avus is right... In that case, there's only one thing left to do..."

"We need to split up. We'll send a message to our ships to pick you up soon. Before we approach Kroyane."

The Arphenians, though reluctant to leave me alone, understood that there was no other choice. But to reassure them, I added, "Tun will be with me. He definitely won't abandon me in trouble."

"Good, when do you think our transport will arrive?"

I concentrated, recalling which of our vessels were nearby, and quickly remembered a few that were on the Lys-Volantis route.

"Considering the speed of the birds, delivering the message will take no more than a day, and given the approximate distance of the vessels from us, they should arrive in about two weeks. But if all goes well, I'd say roughly three weeks."

"Do you think these cultists will follow us immediately?" Avus asked thoughtfully.

"I'm not entirely sure... The Black Goat clearly overdid it, and it seems he might have violated some cosmic laws, at least that's my impression..." I said uncertainly. "But we should still be prepared even for that."

"Can we defend a specific spot until the ship arrives?"

"I'm not sure about that... I suggest we give a rough area where the ship should arrive, and as it approaches, we provide the exact location."

"Do you want to track the ship's location through the birds?"

I simply nodded, and our conversation ended there. We then had to draft a letter explaining our actions and include a map of the area where we would roughly be. Once the action tutorial was created, I had to take the bird and embark on an exciting journey. And after about eight hours, the necessary ship was found, whose captain, understanding what was required of him, decisively headed for the specified area.

Meanwhile, my group and I, encountering no problems, moved forward. During this time, Faylina became even more attached and integrated into our group, which was pleasing, considering her situation, as this convergence of circumstances would help her.

If one considers the most useful thing that brought to our group, it is the revelation of the secret of reforging Valyrian steel. She managed to learn this because she was a wife in the Mott family.

The main ingredient, as expected, was the sacrifices made to the Black Goat, after which this cruel god imbued the fire with magical properties. And this fire could melt Valyrian steel.

"Looks like Tobho is also making sacrifices?"

After 16 days

As I expected, the ship entered the designated area in about two weeks, fortunately, no one hindered them, nor us. And there, I sent the most precise meeting location between my group and the vessel.

"Be careful again, Daeron," Avus said yet again before boarding the ship.

"I promise, and you be careful too."

Faylina wanted to say something, but sensing her emotions, I simply said:

"You be careful, Faylina, after all, we still don't know how far the claws of the Black Goat cult have penetrated."

The future mother just nodded resolutely, and I had no reason to doubt the seriousness of her intentions. Indeed, this could be understood, considering how fervently she protected her unborn child, but what I did not expect was how Dia, grabbing me in an embrace, kissed me on the cheek with the words:

"Be careful."

After which, the princess walked away amid her parents' chuckles... And I was momentarily stunned...

"Heh, see you in Volantis..." I said, watching as the ship increased its distance.

"It seems we're left to explore Kroyane..." I thought, slightly altering our course.

Meanwhile in Qohor

From a third person perspective

Philes, a six-year-old child, was experiencing the worst day of his life... It became known that his father had been killed, and soon his mother followed after being unable to bear the loss... And from that day, the child became a complete orphan, as he had no one left besides his father and mother.

"O-Sob-father... Mom... Why did you leave me?!" the child screamed, who was shown one of the worst sides of the world.

"Why? For what?" and similar questions tormented the rather perceptive boy, but no matter how clever the boy was... He remained a child, a naive child...

"Philes... Do you want to avenge your father and mother?" a terrifying voice suddenly asked in the boy's head.

"Who's there?!" the frightened boy asked, looking around.

"Look in your mother's mirror..."

The boy's curiosity overcame his fear, and despite being scared, he looked in the mirror... And there, instead of his reflection, he saw the deity of Qohor... The Black Goat.

"I will help you... You just have to listen to me... As your father once did..."

Hearing such words from the being he had been taught to believe in from an early age had a profound effect on him:

"O-okay..."

"Excellent..."

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Chapter 63 has already been published