As she spoke, her gaze swept across the Rose Knights standing ready behind Isavel, and a polite smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“And those behind you must be the Rose Knights, I presume?”
Without waiting for Isavel to speak, she stepped forward and stopped in front of her.
She performed an elegant, ancient greeting with a slight bow.
“It is truly an honor to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Adela, the current Saintess of the Divine Court.”
“I have been waiting for your arrival here in the Abyssal Ancient Battlefield for… many, many years.”
In theory, the Saintess of the Divine Court and the Oracle Maiden held equal status.
Adela did not need to bow upon meeting Isavel.
Though a bit puzzled, Isavel accepted the gesture calmly.
She did not return the formal greeting, offering only a slight nod. Then, without any small talk, she cut straight to the point.
“Adela, I want to know everything about the Root of the Abyssal Evil Dragon.”
Time was blurred within the Abyssal Ancient Battlefield.
Even Isavel did not know how much time had passed in the outside world since they entered.
To ensure they did not miss the opportunity to save the world, she refused to waste words on pleasantries with the inhabitants of the battlefield.
Adela did not seem surprised by this directness; instead, she showed a look of appreciation.
She gently raised her hand, her fingertips tracing through the air and leaving a trail of shimmering light.
“Of course. I will tell you everything regarding the Root of the Abyssal Evil Dragon shortly. That was my purpose for waiting here, after all.”
She turned toward Sana, who was standing respectfully to the side, and her voice shifted into a commanding yet gentle tone.
“But before that, Sana, please make arrangements for the members of the Rose Knights. They have traveled far through the Ancient Battlefield and surely need rest — and training.”
Knight Commander Sana immediately bowed. “Understood.”
Adela looked back at Isavel, noticing the flicker of doubt in her eyes.
“You need not be concerned, Lady Isavel,” Adela explained with a smile.
“As the Saintess of the Divine Court, I have listened to the Goddess’s Oracle. Naturally, I am aware of the Prophecy of Salvation regarding the Rose Knights, including its finer details.”
“To completely eliminate the Abyssal Evil Dragon, their Magic Level must reach Level 90 or higher. They are not strong enough yet, which is why I am arranging for their training.”
Adela’s gaze swept over Teresa, Leanna, and the others. Her golden eyes seemed to pierce through the essence of their strength.
“Sana, take them.”
With a wave of her hand, an inconspicuous silver door behind the main hall swung open with a heavy thud.
Sana approached Leanna and the others, making an inviting gesture.
Isavel withdrew her gaze from her knights and followed Adela deeper into the main hall.
……
Following Sana through the silver door, the members of the Rose Knights caught their breath at the sight before them.
They stood upon a platform floating within a brilliant sea of stars.
The ground was composed of pure magic crystals; every step they took sent ripples of faint gold light shimmering outward.
There were no walls, only the endless expanse of the starry sky rotating slowly.
The trajectories of the stars seemed to contain the very mysteries of magic.
Furthermore, the space was saturated with magic so dense it felt almost liquid.
Even though they were already above Level 80, they could feel their magic increasing spontaneously with every breath.
Sana stood at the edge of the platform, her silver-white armor shimmering like water under the starlight.
She turned to face the knights behind her.
“This is the Core Training Center of the Divine Court. By training here and utilizing the influence of this dense magic, you will achieve twice the results with half the effort. You will reach Level 90 in no time.”
Noticing Leanna’s hesitant expression, she took 2 steps toward her, her armor clinking softly with the movement.
“What is it? Is there something you wish to say?”
Leanna exchanged a look with Teresa and the others before taking a deep breath.
“Commander Sana, would you be willing to teach us the array you used earlier?”
“Once we all reach Level 90, perhaps we could use that array to slay the Abyssal Evil Dragon.”
They had all witnessed Commander Sana’s performance.
Previously, while only at Level 70, they had gained the power to kill a Demigod-level Demon by using that array.
If they learned that array and reached Level 90…
Killing the Abyssal Evil Dragon might actually be possible!
Raising an eyebrow, Sana asked, “Are you referring to the Judgment Array I performed earlier?”
Seeing Leanna and the others nod, her expression turned serious.
“That is the trump card battle array passed down through the Divine Court for countless ages. Teaching it to you… is not out of the question, but…”
Sana’s voice grew lower.
“The requirements to master the Judgment Array are extremely high. It requires not only that all members act as one, but also absolute trust. The essence of the array is far more complex than simply sharing magic.”
“To put it simply, the Judgment Array allows the Commander at the eye of the array to directly share the soul essence and magic origin of every participant.”
“This means that once the array is formed, your memories, emotions, and even parts of your self-identity will briefly flow into the Arbiter. Conversely, any damage or burden sustained by the Arbiter will be distributed back to everyone.”
At this point, her gaze darkened, as if she were recalling memories of the past.
“However, even if you all reach Level 90, the power gathered by the Judgment Array… will likely not be a match for the Abyssal Evil Dragon.”
“After all, there is an unbridgeable chasm between humans and gods. That is not something that can be changed through a simple accumulation of numbers. A deity exists on an entirely different level.”
Silence fell over the platform, broken only by the sound of their breathing echoing in the space.
Leanna remained silent for 5 seconds. She looked back at her companions, and seeing the light still shining in their eyes, she let out a soft laugh. Her voice was firmer than before.
“Commander Sana, we understand everything you have said. The risks, the disparity, and that chasm… but we still want to try.”
The Abyssal Evil Dragon was terrifyingly powerful.
Even if they reached the Demigod level, she still couldn’t imagine how they would defeat it.
This Judgment Array was a chance worth taking.
Sana stared at Leanna, then slowly scanned the faces of every Rose Knight.
After a long moment, the sternness on her face thawed, and the corners of her mouth curled into a look of near-satisfaction.
“In that case…”
Sana drew the longsword from her waist and tapped its tip against the ground.
Instantly, a miniature Judgment Array pattern expanded from the point of contact, its golden lines illuminating the entire platform.
Sana looked up, her gray eyes reflecting the determined faces of the young women.
“Then I shall teach you.”
…..
In the deepest part of the Divine Court, an archway built from starlight shards stood silently.
The surface of the gate flowed like liquid light.
Adela stopped before the archway, her platinum-blonde hair glowing softly in the shimmering light emitted by the door.
She spoke softly, her voice echoing slightly in the empty corridor.
“Before the Abyssal Evil Dragon was sealed, it left behind a sliver of residual power to maintain the existence of this Abyssal Ancient Battlefield, while also gathering strength for its own resurrection.”
“And the great Goddess… naturally left behind her own measures.”
She stepped aside to clear the path and made a respectful “after you” gesture toward Isavel.
“Beyond this door lies the Goddess Temple. As the Saintess of this generation, I am not qualified to enter. You must walk the rest of the way alone.”
As she spoke, Adela’s gaze fixed on Isavel’s face, her eyes flashing with complex, unreadable emotions.
“Perhaps within the Goddess Temple, you will learn… the full truth of this world.”
Isavel gave a slight nod without saying a word.
She stepped through the Starry Archway, and her vision was instantly consumed by a world of pure white.
She had originally thought the Goddess had remained alive after sealing the dragon, perhaps leaving this world or falling into a deep slumber due to her heavy injuries.
But now it seemed she had likely perished along with the dragon during the battle to seal it.
The reason the Goddess sat so high above was simply that she had no strength left to govern the mortal realm.
Taking a deep breath, Isavel watched as the white faded, revealing the massive gates of a temple.
She pushed the doors open and entered.
The interior of the Goddess Temple was unexpectedly simple.
The hall was circular, with a high dome that lacked any decoration, consisting only of pure white stone walls.
The floor was made of a single piece of warm white jade, with flowing golden veins faintly visible beneath the surface.
In the center of the hall stood a single Goddess Statue.
The statue was life-sized, carved from a translucent, milky-white stone.
The Goddess was draped in a simple robe and stood barefoot, her hands folded across her chest with palms facing upward in a cradling gesture.
The statue’s features were soft, her eyes downcast with an expression of mercy for all living beings.
Unlike previous statues that lacked specific facial details, this one was carved with extreme precision, as if modeled after the true Goddess herself.
Isavel walked to the front of the statue and stopped.
She looked up at the face of the Goddess, and an indescribable sense of familiarity surged within her.
However, before she could dwell on it, the light in the temple vanished abruptly.
Absolute darkness swallowed everything. It was so dark she could not see her own hand in front of her face, and even the concept of time became blurred.
This reminded Isavel of the scene when the Goddess had sent her a dream, guiding her to come to the Abyssal Ancient Battlefield.
With that thought, she did not move, simply standing silently in place.
After an unknown amount of time, a sliver of light sparked from the center of the hall.
Within the glow, a figure gradually became clear.
At first, the figure was a mere silhouette, but it solidified as the light stabilized.
She wore a robe similar to the statue’s but made of a softer material.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall; she stood tall with an aura of transcendence.
The light finally settled, illuminating her face.
Isavel’s gaze fell upon the woman.
In the next heartbeat, her pupils suddenly constricted.
Her breath hitched, her blood seemed to freeze, and even her thoughts went blank for a moment.
Because the face revealed in the glow…
Was exactly the same as her own.
The same black hair, the same deep eyes, and the same exquisite, nearly perfect facial features.
The only difference between them was the sense of aged weariness and inexplicable divinity held within the eyes of the woman in the light.
“Are you surprised?”
The figure’s voice was exceptionally ethereal, carrying a resonance that struck the soul, as if the words were echoing directly within her consciousness.
Isavel was stunned for a long time before she whispered, “You…”
“Isavel.”
The figure called her name with an unspeakable warmth. She took a step forward, the halo of light moving with her.
“You are, in fact, me. You are the Goddess who fought the Evil Dragon to a standstill all those years ago… and ultimately chose to undergo reincarnation.”
After a long silence, Isavel asked, “Are you still alive?”
The Goddess shook her head gently.
Her tone was calm, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.
“No. Like the Evil Dragon, I am already dead. What remains here is merely a sliver of my residual consciousness.”
She looked into the void, as if peering through the temple walls into the distant future.
“Those so-called oracles, the prophecies, and the revelations that guided you here — they were all instructions released to the outside world by this consciousness using the remnants of its authority over the long ages.”
“However, the power of a deity exceeds everyone’s imagination. The Evil Dragon could slowly recover using its remains and the preparations it left in this Ancient Battlefield, and as for me…”
The corners of her mouth lifted into a very faint smile.
“I chose to simply undergo reincarnation, to be the Goddess for another lifetime, and to finish what was left undone in a brand-new form.”