NOVEL FROG Chapter 14: The Goddess’s Embrace
Only a few goblins survived, and upon realizing that the hobgoblin had been killed, they fled desperately into the forest. The goblin mage, witnessing this stampede, concluded that he would be the next target and wasted no time. He dashed into the forest in hopes of escaping unharmed. However, Safira was not willing to let him get away after everything that had happened. Determined, she began to chase him without hesitation, running through the heart of the forest.
The goblin mage, realizing that he was being closely pursued, launched several fireballs in different directions, creating chaos in the surrounding vegetation and setting off fires. His hope was that the fires would aid his escape, as Safira had to halt her chase to extinguish the flames before they could spread further.
Aurora, upon seeing Ekiles' critical condition, hurried to where he lay, bloodied and injured from the explosion that had annihilated the hobgoblin. With haste and determination, she knelt by his side and channeled her healing powers. However, to her growing desperation, it seemed her healing abilities were not having the expected effect.
"Please, work!" she cried out in desperation, her words filled with supplication as she desperately tried to use her magic to save Ekiles.
Meanwhile, Ariana observed the entire scene from above with conflicting emotions. She blamed herself for having initiated this situation, questioning whether she could have waited longer for the humans to develop or created the goblins farther away. The weight of the consequences of her actions burdened her, and the goddess was filled with doubt and remorse.
Safira had returned, along with the others, and they all stood there, anxiously watching Aurora. Fear was evident on Safira's face as she asked with a trembling voice, "You will be able to heal him, won't you, Aurora?"
Aurora's face was wet with tears that she shed, and with a sob, she replied, "I-I can't."
Ekiles' heartbeats were growing weaker, nearly on the verge of stopping. The situation was dire, and sorrow enveloped everyone.
It was then that, unexpectedly, an intense light radiated from Aurora. Behind her, a young girl with long green hair appeared, her beauty so dazzling that it seemed to drain the colors from the world around her. Calmly, the mysterious woman said, "Do not worry; you can do it."
Everyone around was shocked by the sudden appearance of this woman. However, it did not end there. Inspired by the words of the stranger, Aurora's healing powers were elevated to a new level. Her eyes shone with pure gold, and a wave of healing energy surged from her. Ekiles' wounds vanished in the blink of an eye, the plants damaged during the battle began to flourish and grow, and everyone's injuries were miraculously healed.
When Aurora emerged from that peculiar state and turned to inquire about the woman who had appeared, she had already vanished, leaving behind only a feeling of comfort in her heart. The encounter with the mysterious woman had been fleeting but left a lasting impression.
However, Aurora's attention was diverted to the notification that appeared before her.
[Ding]
[Name: Aurora]
[Power Level: 1 [Beginner]]
[Age: 1 year]
[Mana: 100]
[Strength: 10]
[Intelligence: 25]
[Magic: 30]
[Abilities: [Heal Lv1]]
[You have caught the Goddess's attention; she's keeping an eye on you.]
Reading the information displayed in the System, Aurora began to understand it all. She realized the reason behind her sudden temporary power increase, the cause of the sudden growth of trees, and perhaps the explanation for the abilities they had acquired. The mention that the Goddess was keeping an eye on her left her intrigued.
Ariana watched everything with a smile on her face, relieved by the turn of events. As Ekiles slowly rose to his feet, everyone gathered around him to celebrate. The fear of having lost him was evident on their faces, but now the joy of having him back prevailed.
Curious and eager to understand everything that had happened, Ekiles listened attentively to everyone's explanations. Aurora shared the information that appeared in her System, leaving everyone shocked and bewildered.
[Ding]
[+6 Followers]
[+30 Creation Points]
Ariana chuckled softly upon seeing the message in her System. She had her own reasons to be pleased with the recent developments.
While the group of humans was recovering, each of them engaged in tasks to enhance their skills and fortify the camp. Safira and Aqua worked together to restore the garden destroyed by the goblins. Aurora was determined to improve her healing ability and, in her spare time, sculpted a stone, revealing a hidden artistic talent. Ekiles, Theo, and Noah enhanced their weapons and fortified their home, becoming more vigilant and attentive to any signs of goblins. They were unwilling to make the same mistake again and were determined to protect their home from future threats.
Theo and Noah spent their days honing their skills, exploring the forest in search of Slimes. They planned to use the orbs left behind by the Slimes to create effective traps. While in the forest, they encountered a strange purple Slime emitting a faint smoke.
Theo warned Noah not to approach, as the Slime appeared dangerous. Carefully, Theo aimed his arrow and shot the Slime's orb. The resulting explosion created a massive purple cloud of smoke that devastated the surrounding plant life. The two hunters' faces contorted in concern, as it was clear that the presence of dangerous creatures in the region was increasing.
Aurora had completed her sculpture and placed it next to her home. It was a statue of an incredibly beautiful woman, clearly inspired by Ariana. Although the sculpture might have had some imperfections, it was a notable tribute to the figure she had seen.
Ariana, who was taking a nap under a tree, was awakened by a System notification.
[Ding]
[A small temple has been erected in your honor, showing that you are making an impact on the lives of your inhabitants; you will be rewarded with 1500 Creation Points, keep up the good work], said the System.
Ariana was surprised by the notification and decided to check the temple it mentioned. Her first suspicion was the village of the primordial fairies, but there was nothing there. She ran toward the humans' house and, to her surprise, found a statue resembling her.
A joyful smile spread across her face as she realized the tribute. Aurora, passing by, briefly saw a green-haired woman in front of the statue she had created. However, when she looked again, the figure had disappeared.
"I must be seeing things," she murmured with a light laugh, unaware that the goddess had been present at that moment.
Noah and Theo returned home with several Slime orbs, also sharing news about the new Slime they had encountered. When Ekiles appeared, he offered a suggestion on how to use the orbs to better protect their home.
Together, they placed some of these orbs near the trees through which the goblins had previously approached. Ekiles then asked Aqua to secure them with the tree's roots. Initially, Aqua complied but didn't fully understand Ekiles' plan.
That was when Ekiles explained the idea: "If the goblins return, you just need to use your magic to detonate these orbs and eliminate the goblins all at once." Everyone was excited about Ekiles' suggestion, recognizing it as an extremely effective trap that could catch the enemies off guard and increase the security of their home.
In the goblins' cave, the goblin mage spoke furiously to the others, as if still indignant about what had happened. He expressed his discontent vehemently, as if reprimanding everyone for their audacity.
In the center of the gathering sat a massive, chubby goblin, the group's leader. With an expression of fury, he picked up a bear bone and threw it in the direction of the goblin mage. He vented his anger, scolding the mage for venturing out without his consent and failing to inform him of their actions. His voice echoed in the cave as he grunted in anger. The leader had previously expelled many goblins for disobeying his orders, forcing them to seek a new place to live.
The goblin mage was about to complain about the bone thrown by his leader, but he didn't realize that the goblin leader was already swiftly in front of him. In a swift and violent motion, the goblin leader grabbed the mage's head, squeezing it with such force that it exploded, splattering blood and fragments across the cave floor. He then took the remaining pieces of the goblin mage's body and tossed them out of the cave like garbage. The other goblins present in the cave were horrified by the brutality they had just witnessed.
The goblin leader, after his brutal act, sat back down and looked at all the other goblins in the cave. His gaze was challenging, as if silently asking if anyone else there dared to defy him. The silence in the cave was heavy, and no goblin dared to challenge their leader after witnessing the terrible punishment inflicted on the goblin mage.