Chapter 179: A Thousand Years
In the depths of the adventurer guild headquarters, a man with platinum hair and a black hood opened his eyes.
"It has begun..."
Muttering to himself, this man was Ouranos, the deity controlling the guild and responsible for maintaining the 'Prayer,' also being the first God to bless mortals.
*BROMMMM
Feeling the tremor and incredible energy building up in the dungeon's depths, Ouranos merely furrowed his brow.
"More than a thousand years have passed... With the Champion in the world, this battle can finally end."
Sighing in tranquility, Ouranos closed his eyes again, simultaneously reclining on his prayer throne.
"Go forth, Champion... I will pray for your victory; only you can save this world."
Thinking of the many heroes born and fallen during these thousand years, Ouranos felt sorrowful. The battle against that 'thing' had taken quite a toll, and for years, thousands had fallen victim to its servants. It was too powerful; even the greatest hero from a millennium ago and the Zeus and Hera family were defeated by a mere servant of that 'Thing.'
That's why Ouranos felt at ease; if a hero couldn't defeat it, only a Champion could. No matter what happens, Champions do not lose, and Ouranos was determined to confirm this legend.
"With this, I can finally rest..."
A thousand years had passed, and Ouranos remained true to his promise to protect this world. Although much of his divinity was lost, he was the only one enduring, keeping the monsters confined.
---
"They went overboard, huh?"
Casually walking, Tiona placed both hands behind her head.
She couldn't keep up with Yuki and Ais in the end, choosing to stay with Inori, Est, and Lefiya.
"Is he always like that?"
Turning her head, Tiona blinked, looking at Inori walking at a slow pace.
"No..."
Shaking her head, Inori was also a bit surprised; Yuki acted like a little child who found a new toy, quite different from his mature personality.
"Your name is Inori, right?... Can I call you that?"
"Hm! I don't mind."
Nodding, Inori had no issue being called by her first name. Despite coming from Japan, she thought those formalities were a pain.
"All right, Inori then."
Showing her teeth, Tiona patted Inori's shoulder. This girl was more approachable than she seemed. Inori, despite not saying a word unless asked, was easier to get along with than even Ais, who didn't fare well in conversations.
"That reminds me, how did you two meet?"
"Yuki... He answered my call."
Lowering her head with a blush on her cheeks, Inori didn't hesitate to spill the beans about herself and her world.
Unfortunately, her face was covered by a mask, so no one could see her.
Lefiya, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. Tiona took the liberty to joke with Inori, a Hero. This brought internal chaos to Lefiya; she had done the same with Yuki.
[Well, I'll say it again, even if you're living inside Adam, that doesn't give you the right to seduce him... Understand?]
"Seduce him? No, I'm his."
[No! It's precisely that annoying mentality! You're encouraging him to be unfaithful to me! Spirit thief!]
While Tiona and Inori chatted and Lefiya was in chaos, Mana seized the opportunity to interrogate Est, who answered all her questions with an expressionless face. At the same time, she took the chance to brainwash her, being jealous of her position.
But it's a pity; Est was a tough nut to crack. No matter how much Mana tried to change her mindset, Est insisted that she belonged to Yuki.
And Mana, knowing her boyfriend, knew that this bad wolf wouldn't miss the chance to make a move on this spirit, especially with her tender appearance and dangerous words.
This left Mana defenseless, as she now regretted not having control of the body; otherwise, she wouldn't bother brainwashing this spirit but would take action and attack her again with her enormous sword.
*BROMMMMM
While the group was in a heated discussion, the dungeon began to shake.
"Tiona-san! What's happening?"
"Don't ask me! I don't know either!"
Gripping her staff for support, Lefiya couldn't help but ask Tiona. After all, among the group, she had the most experience as an adventurer.
But even Tiona didn't know what was happening; this hadn't happened before.
"Master..."
But that didn't mean no one knew. Est, who was conversing among souls with Mana, felt a calling.
"He needs me..."
Feeling her master's spiritual pulse, Est placed a hand on her chest.
[Eh? Does Adam need you? What's happening?!]
Hearing Est's murmur, Mana furrowed her brow. After all, Est was sensing something even she couldn't.
However, Est ignored Mana, as a companion and weapon of Yuki, she had to be by his side. So, turning into a beam of light, Est didn't hesitate to heed his call.
[Bitch! Tell me what's happening!]
Watching Est speed away, Mana ground her teeth.
Tiona and the rest of the group, on the other hand, were left speechless by how quickly events unfolded.
"What's happening?"
Tiona, being the first to recover, turned her head, looking at Inori.
"It's Yuki... We have to go."
*Bam
Stepping firmly on the ground, several white circles formed under her feet, simultaneously following Est. After all, she had also heard Est's murmur and understood that something big was happening, for Yuki to ask for help.
"Wait!"
Stretching her hand, Tiona tried to stop her, but failed, so she pouted; she didn't like being left out.
"What do we do, Tiona-san?"
Approaching, Lefiya asked, very nervous at this moment, as the dungeon shaking was something she had never witnessed before.
"Of course, we follow them! Come on, Lefiya..."
"Ehhh?"
Taking the elf's hand, Tiona ran after Inori. After all, her instincts told her that something big was happening, and she didn't want to miss the fun.
Lefiya, on the other hand, could only follow helplessly behind Tiona.
-----
TN: Courting death?!?!