Primordial Goddess: Awakening in the New Era

Chapter: The Gathering Before the Palace

As time passed, more and more people gathered before the grand palace, turning the once-quiet scene into a bustling spectacle.

Rowan stood among the crowd, his expression calm as he observed his surroundings. He quickly noticed that the gathering wasn't just composed of ordinary adventurers and warriors from distant lands—several powerful religious orders had also sent their elite envoys. These envoys radiated formidable auras, making it clear they were the best of the best.

Rumors had spread that they had all received divine revelations, guiding them to this forsaken land in pursuit of its long-lost treasures.

The barbarian tribes, initially confident in guarding the palace entrance, were now growing uneasy. As stronger individuals continued to arrive, the tribe's leader swiftly gathered his most trusted warriors for a hushed discussion.

An elder among them furrowed his brows and spoke in a deep voice, "Our people entered earlier and should have secured some advantage according to the plan. But now, these outsiders are growing stronger by the minute. If we continue blocking their way, we might suffer heavy losses once the fighting starts."

The others nodded in agreement.

After a brief deliberation, they decided to stand down. The chieftain cleared his throat and raised his voice, his tone laced with mockery.

"You all seem so eager to throw your lives away. Fine, we won't stop you. But don't say we didn't warn you—this palace is filled with deadly dangers. If you die inside, it's on you."

With that, the barbarians stepped aside, opening a path forward.

The crowd surged like a flood, pouring toward the palace entrance.

Rowan, blending in with the masses, moved forward silently. But as he neared the palace's gate, his sharp eyes noticed something peculiar—what appeared to be an ordinary door was actually a portal, shimmering faintly with an enigmatic glow.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

A flash of light blinded him, and the next moment, he felt a powerful pull. The world spun around him.

Then, silence.

Chapter: A Deadly Welcome

As Rowan steadied himself, he found himself within the palace's interior, a vast and eerie hall.

Before he could take in the surroundings, movement caught his attention.

Three adventurers materialized nearby, their eyes gleaming with greed and malice. Their battle-hardened auras indicated they weren't amateurs. One of them grinned, his voice filled with excitement.

"Well, well, looks like luck is on our side. We ended up in the same place, and we even got ourselves an easy target!"

His gaze locked onto Rowan, his tone turning sharp.

"Listen up, kid. Hand over everything you've got, or you won't be leaving here alive."

Rowan met their threats with a look of pure indifference. He had no interest in wasting words.

With a casual flick of his wrist, three radiant Blades of Light materialized in his grasp, their brilliance cutting through the dim atmosphere. Then, like bolts of lightning, they shot toward the three adventurers.

They barely had time to react.

Their faces twisted from arrogance to horror as the deadly projectiles pierced through their vital points.

Not even a scream escaped their lips before their bodies crumpled lifelessly to the ground, blood pooling beneath them.

Rowan barely spared them another glance.

Chapter: Beasts of the Abyss

Following the guidance of his system, Rowan ventured deeper into the palace.

Strange and ominous creatures soon blocked his path.

Some resembled massive oxen with six muscular legs, each stomp causing the ground to tremble. Others slithered like giant serpents, but with enormous wings that shimmered with an eerie glow. There were even monstrous bats with grotesque, demonic faces, their fanged mouths emitting bone-chilling screeches.

Each time Rowan encountered these beasts, they would lunge at him with terrifying ferocity—snapping jaws, swinging claws, exhaling clouds of poisonous mist. But he fought back relentlessly, cutting them down with his searing Blades of Light.

Yet, rather than collapsing as normal creatures would, their bodies disintegrated into black, writhing smoke—proof that they were not mere beasts but twisted manifestations of dark energy itself.

With every battle, Rowan grew stronger. And with every fallen creature, he felt he was getting closer to something… something ancient.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached a towering stone door embedded with pulsating runes that shimmered eerily in the dim chamber. The air crackled with dark energy.

Rowan exhaled and reached forward, placing his palm against the cold stone. He channeled his Divine Light, letting its radiance seep into the door's carvings.

With a sudden pulse of energy, the door came alive, its symbols flaring to life with a cold blue glow. Then, in an instant, Rowan was pulled inside.

Chapter: The Cursed Goddess

Staggering forward, Rowan quickly steadied himself, his senses on high alert. The chamber he had entered was small, its stone walls inscribed with countless arcane symbols that shimmered with an eerie light. A chilling energy permeated the air.

At the center of the room lay a woman bound to an ancient stone altar.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, but her once-radiant complexion was marred by tendrils of inky black mist that coiled around her wrists and ankles, writhing like living shadows. With every passing moment, the dark tendrils seeped further into her pale skin, draining the very essence of life from her.

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of Rowan's approach. When their gazes met, a flicker of hope surfaced in her weary, pain-ridden expression.

However, that hope was quickly replaced by skepticism as she studied him. Her voice, weak but sharp, cut through the air.

"How did you get in here?" she demanded. "This is not a place that just anyone can enter."

Rowan met her piercing gaze, his tone steady.

"I have my ways."

The woman's lips curled into a faint smirk, though exhaustion laced her words.

"If that's true, then you should also know… there's no saving me. I've fought for so long. The corruption runs too deep. Even if you found me, there's nothing you can do."

A small, confident smile played on Rowan's lips.

"You underestimate me."

She scoffed. "And why would you, of all people, think you can save me?"

Rowan didn't miss a beat. His golden eyes gleamed with resolve as he said,

"Because you are the Primordial Goddess… and I've come to make a deal."