CHAPTER 262: CHAPTER 261 - AN APOSTLE.

Raven stood there like someone had just punched him in the soul.

His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

Then, he blinked a few times, lifted a hand, and slowly pointed to the empty air like it might make a difference.

"I’m sorry. Did you just say... the progenitor of my family killed the Black Dragon?"

"Yes," came the simple, unbothered reply.

Raven staggered back a step. "You can’t just drop lore like that! That’s not a fun little side fact! That’s a whole new genre!"

She chuckled softly. "Your reaction is amusing."

"Oh, I’m so glad you’re having fun," Raven muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "You do realize the entire history of the Vaise family is a blank page until we became a ducal house? Like, people think we just popped into existence one day, all mysterious and powerful. There’s no mention of dragons, gods, or saving the damn continent!"

He paced a few steps, then stopped, spun on his heel, and pointed to the air again. "And now you tell me the founder of my bloodline was the one who killed the greatest threat the world’s ever seen?! That’s like being told your grandpa invented gravity and just... forgot to mention it at dinner!"

"If it helps," the voice said lightly, "it wasn’t common knowledge, even then."

"That doesn’t help!"

The voice hummed with amusement again, but her tone softened. "You said that the founder of your bloodline killed the greatest threat the world has ever seen... but unfortunately, you are half wrong."

Raven froze. "Wait, what?"

"No one could defeat that creature alone—not even the gods. It was beyond us. The only reason it fell was that the entire world turned against it. Once it had wiped out the divine presence on this continent, it set its eyes elsewhere. The other gods—dragons, celestial beasts, even those who once warred against each other—they all joined forces."

Raven’s brow furrowed. "So they ganged up on it?"

"Yes, but even then," she continued, "they only wounded it. Gravely. The Black Dragon, once the embodiment of calamity, was forced to retreat. It came back to this continent—the one it had already conquered."

Raven folded his arms, eyes narrowed. "Why here?"

"Because it was the only place left that feared it. That bent the knee. That remembered. It had nowhere else to go."

"What about its wounds?"

"Severe," the voice whispered. "It had to burn its lifespan just to survive. Its power fell. Bit by bit. Until it was no longer divine. No longer untouchable. Until it became..."

Raven finished for her, "...Mortal."

"Yes."

He exhaled deeply, shaking his head in disbelief. "So it was basically clinging to life."

"Clinging to dominion," the voice corrected. "It still ruled. For over a hundred years. Even crippled, no mortal dared to stand against it."

"But my ancestor did?" Raven asked, his voice quieter now.

"Yes. In the end, he was the one who rose. Not as a chosen one. Not as a god’s puppet. But as himself."

There was respect in her tone now—unexpected and almost eerie.

It was as if even she felt that those actions were commendable, which they were.

After all, he had risen up to fight a being that gods feared, even if it was weaker at that time.

But then, Raven frowned. "Hold on. Did you say that it ruled for a hundred years? Does that mean it stuck around for a hundred years after the fight with the gods?"

"Yes."

"Why the hell did the gods not come to finish the job?"

"No god could." The voice turned serious now, almost reproachful. "You don’t understand how our laws work. Once the Black Dragon fell to mortality, he became... untouchable to us. Divine hands cannot kill what no longer shares our realm. It became a matter for mortals to resolve."

Raven stared blankly at the ceiling. "So... let me get this straight. A demigod murder-lizard gets curb-stomped by an alliance of angry sky-beasts, crawls back to its deathbed on this continent, and then—because it’s basically mortal again—everyone decides it’s not their problem anymore?"

"That’s exactly what happened."

Raven threw himself onto the floor with a dramatic groan, arms sprawled wide.

"I swear, the more I learn about this world, the more I’m convinced nobody knows anything. Myself included."

He stared up at the jagged stone above, the crystals casting eerie glows across his face.

All of this was mind-shaking.

His previous knowledge of this world seemed to be fading into nothingness as the new ones replaced it.

The silence returned—this one not ancient or divine, but oddly personal. Shared.

He still didn’t know if the voice was lying about being a goddess, but he knew that it wouldn’t lie about the world’s history—it had nothing to gain by doing so.

Then, after a long moment, he muttered to himself, "No wonder all those ancestors in portraits never smile. They had all probably died trying to know more about our past."

The voice let out a quiet, amused sigh.

"...You’re taking this rather well."

"No, no," Raven replied, voice hollow, eyes still fixed on the ceiling. "This is just my coping mechanism. I’m probably yelling internally."

Silence again.

Not the ancient kind this time, not heavy or sacred... but the kind that made you feel like the next sentence might ruin your day.

Raven let out a breath and dragged a hand through his hair, still lying on the cold floor like a man who’d lost a bet with fate.

"So..." He said eventually, "What do you want me to do now?"

No answer.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did the divine voice vanish on me?"

Still nothing.

Then—without warning—the wall at the far end of the cave flickered. Like a mirage catching a sudden breeze, it shimmered and peeled away, revealing a winding corridor bathed in a soft blue-green glow.

Moss—phosphorescent and lush—lit the path like quiet stars underfoot.

"...Alright," Raven muttered, rising to his feet and dusting off his coat. Omni remained in his hand, though his grip had eased.

He gave the path a once-over and sighed. "Lemme guess. I’m supposed to walk into the ominous glowy hallway like some clueless protagonist?"

"Yes," the voice finally said.

He made a finger gun in the air. "Knew it."

Stretching his limbs a little—because divine existential bombshells tended to lock up the spine—he strolled forward, boots crunching softly against moss-covered stone.

The air grew warmer and sweeter, as if breathing in nostalgia itself.

At the end of the path, the cave opened into a vast circular chamber.

There, at the center... was her.

A platform of smooth white stone sat like an altar in the middle of the room, and lying atop it, still as moonlight, was a woman.

Raven stopped in his tracks.

She was stunning.

A kind of beauty that didn’t try—like the first snowfall or old poetry.

Delicate features framed by long, ethereal hair that shimmered between silver and seafoam green. Skin untouched by time, lips faintly parted, breath so light it was barely noticeable.

"I suppose it’s time you knew my name," the voice echoed—not from the ceiling or the walls, but now from her. From that still form. "I am Ivelia."

Raven nodded slowly. "Well... now you look like a goddess."

He didn’t mean it to be a compliment. It just came out.

But his eyes narrowed after that.

Omni twitched faintly in his grip, and he stepped forward, sword still in hand, his voice cold again.

"And you’re just going to show me this? Your real body? Lying here in a coma? Don’t you think that’s a little... risky?"

A beat of silence.

Then came soft laughter.

"I’m not afraid of you, Raven. You could try if you like... but you wouldn’t be able to kill me."

His gaze sharpened.

She went on, almost playfully, "I used every ounce of power I had to create this sanctum. This ruin is an extension of me. My body may lie exposed—but it’s untouchable here. You could kill me a hundred times in this space, and I would not die."

"...That’s comforting," he said, deadpan.

"Oh, and before you ask," she added, "No, you can’t destroy this place. Not from within. Only from the outside. And no one leaves until I deem them ready."

Raven groaned, rubbing his temples. "You’re really thorough, huh?"

"To live long," she replied, "you have to be."

He crossed his arms, pretending to be wounded. "I thought we were friends now. Sharing dark pasts. Bonding over apocalyptic dragons. I thought maybe you’d trust me just a little."

"Trust comes later," Ivelia said with a warm smile in her voice. "When everything’s over."

That made him grunt.

He looked down at her sleeping form, then back at the platform, then up at the softly glowing ceiling.

"...So what exactly do I do now?"

"Step onto the platform," she said. "Place your hand on the slab. Then say the words: ’I will become your apostle and spread your name far and wide.’"

Raven raised a hand.

"Okay, pause."

He squinted at the body on the altar like it had personally insulted him.

"You want me to what now?"

"Become my apostle. A vessel of my will in the world."

"Hm, I see," he nodded on the outside, but on the inside, he wasn’t that calm.

He was wondering what he should do.

He couldn’t become an apostle. If he did, he would lose his right to use Omni.

Heck, the voice that had judged him worthy had said that if he followed any god or became a god, then the sword would be his death.

That sounded ominous, so he couldn’t become an apostle.

Above all, there was a yandere goddess in his life who had strictly denied him any interaction with other goddesses.

One couldn’t even wonder what she would do if he told her that he had become an apostle of a goddess.

The problem was that this goddess didn’t seem to want to take a no for an answer.

So, silence took over the hall.

Raven wondered if he should try his luck by using Omni, trying to kill her. After all, Omni was a god-slaying sword.

Maybe he would be able to solve everything.

But what if he couldn’t?

What if she didn’t die?

Wouldn’t that mean he was signing his death certificate?

Just then, when he was racking his brain, trying to find a way out of this situation—

A low, familiar groan echoed inside his head.

’...is it?’ Raven whispered inwardly, his eyes going wide.

Omni stirred.

"Damn," the sword yawned. "That was a sweet nap. You feel that air, bro? That’s premium dungeon humidity. Ahhh."

Raven’s eye twitched.

’Oh, great. You’re awake now.’

On the inside, however, he was happy and relieved to have his sword buddy back in the game.

But Omni didn’t respond at first.

He kept quiet, which was unusual.

’...Okay,’ Raven spoke to Omni, voice low and confused. ’What’s going—’

Before he could complete his words, Omni, who had finally broken out of his reverie, screamed.

"YO, BRO!"

Raven winced.

"WHAT’RE YOU DOIN’?! KILL THAT THING!!"