He swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away from them. No, no, no. That can’t be it. Maybe it’s just... the way I was staring at Mira’s mom. Damn it. I don’t understand won at all.
Nolan gave them an awkward smile, hoping it would ease the sudden tension, but both Celia and Linda only exchanged glances before looking away.
A mont later, Mira’s mother, Aria, returned, carrying a tray with careful hands.
"Ah, I hope I didn’t take too long," she said warmly, her smile as radiant as ever.
"No, you didn’t," Nolan replied quickly.
Celia and Linda glanced at him again, their expressions unreadable, but this ti they didn’t hold their stares. Nolan felt the silence press against him like a weight.
"This is one of my special dishes," Aria said cheerfully, setting the tray down before them. "Olette, with so at. Please, enjoy your al."
The food was neatly arranged, steaming and fragrant. But instead of leaving, Aria lingered, her eyes resting on Nolan. He hesitated, his hand hovering over the fork.
"You’re... staring at ," Nolan finally said, awkwardly turning to her.
"It’s fine," Aria replied softly. "Just pretend I’m not even here."
"O-okay..." Nolan muttered. He dipped into the olette, took a bite—and froze.
What is this? he thought, his eyes widening. The flavors burst across his tongue, juicy, rich, and perfectly seasoned. He couldn’t stop the words from slipping out.
"This is... this is amazing! Juicy, sweet, savory—this is the best olette I’ve ever had!" His voice rose with genuine shock as he looked at Aria. "Honestly, it’s even better than Mira’s cooking."
"Oh my," Aria chuckled, covering her mouth. "I’m glad you like it."
"Mom! What did you just say?" Mira’s voice rang from the back, half-annoyed, half-surprised.
"Nothing, dear," Aria replied innocently, brushing it off.
When the al was done, Nolan stretched with a satisfied sigh. "Thanks for the al," he said sincerely, pulling out two gold coins and offering them to Aria.
But she quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. I can’t accept that. Please, keep it. Think of it as my thanks to you—for saving my life. If you hadn’t been there, I... I truly don’t think I’d still be alive."
Nolan lowered the coins slowly, nodding. "Alright then. It was my pleasure."
"And please, co again next ti. Drop by whenever you can," Aria said warmly.
"Yeah, sure," Nolan replied. "But there are still so things I left in the inn room I usually stay in. I need to pick them up."
"That’s fine," Aria nodded. "Just make sure you drop by next ti. You’re always welco here."
"Thank you," Nolan said with a small bow before walking off. Celia and Linda followed silently at his side.
They returned to their room at the inn, gathered up their remaining belongings and the gold coins they had stored, then stepped out into the cool evening air.
"Today was a stressful day," Celia muttered.
"Yeah, it sure was," Linda agreed.
Nolan glanced at them with a faint smile. "You both were amazing. Strong. I can tell you’ve grown a lot. You actually did your best."
Neither Celia nor Linda said anything, but their expressions softened as the three of them made their way back ho.
When they reached the mansion, the iron gate creaked open. In the garden—a place ant for tea and coffee—they spotted Lyra, calmly sipping coffee under the fading light.
"Hey, where have you been?" Nolan asked as he approached.
"I went to talk with soone," Lyra replied coolly. Celia and Linda entered the mansion while Nolan walked over and sat beside her.
"Lyra, I’ve been thinking about sothing," he said, lowering his voice. "How do I get better at using my ti control? It doesn’t feel like it’s improving. I just imagine ti stops, and it does. But you told I’ll eventually be able to slow it, reverse it... even restart the world. How?"
Lyra’s eyes glead faintly. "It will co with ti. Training will sharpen it. But listen—what you don’t realize is that the ability given to you is not just ti control. Your Excess Strength ability makes you sothing close to a deity—like an archangel.
At level 100, your true form awakens. Wings, robe, halo—the sa power you unleashed against in the dungeon. When that happens, you’ll stand as a deity.
When you reach it... you’ll be a deity capable of stopping or ending the world itself."
Nolan stared at her, struggling to believe it. "That’s still... hard to take in. But there’s sothing else. I want to expand—I want to ta monsters. If the world turns against soday, I need an army, not just strength. Ever since the Empire called , I’ve been thinking about this. If I don’t join them, they may see as an enemy. If that happens, I’ll need monsters under my command to protect Linda, Celia, and myself."
Lyra set her cup down. "That would be wise. Even if a thousand n ca for you, it would be nothing. And if you wanted, I could destroy kingdoms in your na. Even in my human form, I’m capable of it."
Nolan shook his head quickly. "I wouldn’t want that... but I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about it for so ti."
"I advise it," Lyra said calmly. "Ta them if you have the chance."
Nolan leaned back, exhaling. "The Guild Master gave another quest. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to chase goblins away. But there’s sothing else—he ntioned Goblin Gods. He said they’re intelligent, almost like humans, and terrifyingly strong. That won’t be a problem for to defeat, but how exactly are they a threat?"
Lyra’s face grew serious. "They aren’t just strong. They’re smart. They command. Their true ability is leadership. Goblin Gods don’t live in dungeons; they live in forests, gathering goblins around them, building civilizations. They raid villages, kill the n, enslave the won. Their goal is to create entire societies of goblins. And sotis... they succeed. That’s what makes them dangerous. Not their fists, but their reasoning. That is the most terrifying thing about them."
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