The Heavenly Throne, World of the Gods.
A deafening explosion occurred. Many gods were seen attacking two individuals sheltered within the Mana Barrier of one of the gods.
It was no longer a battle between gods, but a battle where one god was pitted against many at once.
"Love, what should we do?" asked a human woman named Inggrid, the wife of one of the gods.
Distraught, Inggrid realized they were surrounded by these formidable gods. "I'm scared! I don't want our newborn to be killed by them!" she whispered.
The figure she was addressing was the World Guardian God, Artemis. A handsome deity, kind-hearted, and loving towards all beings in the world, a title well-deserving.
Unfortunately, their union had made them a target, due to the forbidden relationship between a god and a mere human.
"Calm down! We'll escape from these foul gods! We'll head to the Human World and live a happy life!" Artemis tried to reassure her.
After countless attacks and skirmishes between Artemis and the gods, there was sudden silence.
Soon after, several of the Primary Gods appeared, commanding the others to cease their attacks.
These Primary Gods looked at Artemis with hopeful eyes, still wishing to win him over amicably.
"World Guardian God, Artemis! Can you explain this to me now?!" A highly revered deity emerged with a sharp look. He was the Creator God.
"I never imagined your closeness with mortals led you to have that child!" he continued in a heavy, authoritative voice.
To the Creator God's right stood the Goddess of Destruction, Frigg Asa, shivering as she gazed at Artemis and Inggrid, especially seeing a child between them.
"Wasn't my daughter, Goddess Frigg Asa, enough for you? Did you have to make her lose her first love?" The Creator God asked, his anger palpable.
"She genuinely loved you and did everything you wanted! Yet, why did you reject her?" he continued, radiating a majestic divine aura.
Hearing the self-centered remarks, Artemis glared at the Creator God and his daughter, Frigg Asa, with disdain.
Even while resisting the immense aura from the Creator God, Artemis forced himself to reply to the misguided question.
"I admit you might be right in some aspects, but you're wrong in your subsequent statement, Creator God! I've always seen Frigg Asa as a sister, I have no romantic feelings for her," Artemis responded firmly.
His gaze shifted to Frigg Asa. "I've told her this time and time again. I already have a beloved."
"The real reason I distanced myself is because of what my wife revealed!" His voice rose with growing anger.
"Since when did you have the right to use your powers to torment my wife in the human world? Don't you realize you're hurting her? YOU WICKED WOMAN!" he shouted, his anger manifesting visibly.
Not wanting to be continually oppressed, he released his majestic aura. Instantly, it sent all the gods into a frenzy. His aura was nearly as potent as the Grand Aura of the Creator God.
However, the disrespectful words directed at the direct descendant of the Creator God ignited the gods' anger, prompting them to attack Artemis once again. They were outraged that Artemis could so cruelly slander Goddess Frigg Asa.
To add to the astonishment, Frigg Asa herself spoke, "If that's the case, why did you take my purity? Why did you force me to lie with you that night? Why did you do it? Why?!" Frigg Asa shouted, tears streaming down her face. She managed to sway the sentiments of all the gods, making Artemis seem at fault in this ordeal.
All gods were in shock. In their eyes, Artemis's transgressions magnified. He should never have done that to the revered and pure Goddess who was so esteemed in the Heavenly Throne.
"It's a lie! Everything that Goddess says is clearly false!” Artemis vehemently denied all the allegations. But suddenly, a voice beside him interrupted.
"Is what the Goddess said true?" Inggrid inquired meaningfully, trying to free herself from Artemis's embrace, all while cradling their newborn.
"Do you believe her words over mine? Are you accusing me of such vile deeds too, my love?" a sorrowful Artemis countered.
Seeing his beloved almost swayed by Frigg Asa's statement deeply saddened him. But he understood that this was due to the vulnerability and fragility of human hearts.
"Please trust me, I would never do such a thing. Everything that deceitful woman said is nothing but lies!" Artemis tried to reassure his wife, Inggrid.
Things became even more convoluted when Goddess Frigg Asa presented the Sky Stone Revealer - a magical artifact capable of displaying past events.
From the stone, a scene emerged showing Artemis entering Frigg Asa's room. This recorded memory felt too real.
Shortly afterward, Artemis exited the room, adjusting his torn clothing, followed by a weeping Frigg Asa, who watched him leave.
The atmosphere grew tense until a hysterical laugh erupted from Inggrid, breaking free from Artemis's embrace. She was overwhelmed.
"Haha! It seems true, being with a god was a grave mistake! They say no god can be faithful. I, a fragile human, am just a plaything for gods!"
A heart-wrenching proclamation rang clear for all gods to hear. Inggrid was angry, jealous, and felt utterly deceived by the God Artemis beside her. She chastised herself for her naivety.
"My child, it seems you must live without a father. I never thought he'd betray me like this," she whispered to the baby in her arms.
"If only he had told me the truth, perhaps I could have forgiven him. But after all I've been through, he just betrays me like this," tears streamed down her face.
Now, Inggrid spoke to her baby, overwhelmed by emotion, unable to think clearly after witnessing the playback.
"My love, please hear me out! I never–" Artemis began, but Inggrid interrupted.
"Enough! Everything is clear!" Inggrid cried out hysterically, producing a special dagger.
"Rather than bearing this alone, and since you all probably want me dead, I'd rather end my life now, with my baby! At least my child won't experience a life played by wretched gods like all of you!"
Inggrid's heart was fragile, having just given birth to her baby. She now struggled to think rationally. In her mind, suicide seemed like the only viable option. As she drew her dagger, Artemis swiftly intervened. "What are you trying to do?! I won't allow it!" the god Artemis exclaimed. He managed to save their baby with his right hand while stopping the dagger with the other. "I will explain everything later, but trust me! Don't be swayed by that woman's words! I love you, and I've never betrayed you, Inggrid!" As Artemis spoke, Inggrid began to regain a bit of clarity. But as if fate had already drawn its line, a swift, unseen attack penetrated the shield that Artemis had cast, striking Inggrid sharply in the back. Blood spewed from her chest, her eyes widened in intense pain. The perpetrator of the attack was none other than the goddess Frigg Asa. "She wanted to die anyway! I merely helped her, there's nothing wrong with that, right?" Frigg Asa asked without a hint of remorse,
"Even if I can't retaliate against you all directly, for the death of my lover and myself." Artemis glared sharply at the gods present. "But remember, my descendant will bring you all down! Sooner or later, this Heavenly Throne will crumble because of your own actions!" gasped Artemis, nearly depleted of strength. "Black Hole! Condense and enter my child’s body! Become the energy to awaken the grand legacy I bestow upon him! Guard him until he avenges me!" he exclaimed. The Black Energy Sphere, which had not been destroyed earlier, only became stronger against Heaven’s Punishment. The combined power of the gods suddenly vanished as if nothing happened and reappeared as a marble-sized black ball. Then, the black ball filled with energy entered the forehead of Artemis's baby, activating a sky-defying mechanism, an immense power. [Introduction to the new Master completed. From now on, the Eternal Insect System will gladly merge with your soul, Little Master! Farewell to my former Ma
The woman with striking looks and long blonde hair nodded as her husband explained. Her bright blue eyes seemed to understand that something was amiss from her husband's story about the little baby in the basket. "Now I see. So, I want to ask one thing! Have you rescued someone else?" With a proportional body and elegant posture, she sought more clarity from her husband. However, her inquiry halted when she noticed something alarming. "Why is this basket stained with so much blood? Have the royal forces attacked you, my Husband?" Hilda asked, a hint of panic evident in her voice. "Calm down, let's go inside first. I'll explain everything to you. But it has nothing to do with the Kingdom," Gunnar responded, removing his shoes as he entered the house. He placed the baby basket on the dining room table. Meanwhile, Hilda quickly shut the door and took a seat not far from the table. She intently observed the little baby, who seemed so melancholic. "I found this baby descending from th
"I don't care about any of that, let his identity remain a mystery in this World of Magic and Sword.” Hilda no longer cared about her husband's wild assumptions. She continued, “What matters now is that we both take care of this baby. Honestly, I've fallen in love with this adorable little one!" “Perhaps, this is the answer from the Gods to our long-time prayers for a child. May we adopt him as our own, my dear husband?" she asked with hopeful eyes. Gunnar smiled, especially seeing that the tiny baby was now calm and soundly asleep in Hilda's arms. His heart instantly melted. "Of course, I wanted to suggest the same. This is a blessing from the Gods for us, who haven't had a child yet!” Gunnar softly stroked his wife’s hair. He then leaned closer to inspect a necklace on the baby. “It says Arte here. It seems the baby’s name is Arte!” Gunnar whispered. “How about we name him after our family name? He would be Arte Balder. That way, no one would suspect anything in the future," Gu
"Be quiet! It's better if you go to the horse stable now, and feed those horses!" shouted Hilda from behind the door. Once she made sure her husband's voice wasn't audible, she gave Arte a meaningful look. Then she asked, "At this moment, is there anything you wish to do, young Arte?" Responding to his mother’s query, Arte just bowed his head. With his sincere smile, he could feel the warmth of family from this incident. "You remain silent and smile like that, instead of answering your mother's question," Hilda said, observing Arte's lack of response. "But didn’t Mother say earlier that I should be quiet since I was constantly responding?" Arte remarked, still smiling. "You’re right ... well then, go to your room. I will take care of your father, if he's not in the horse stable, he must have gone to the neighbor's house," ordered Hilda, who, it turned out, was quite concerned after scolding her husband earlier. Arte nodded and began to leave. He walked slowly to his room, his l
That voice was none other than the Eternal Insect System, now activated within Arte. It was the grand legacy of the God Artemis to his true-born son. The Mysterious Voice in question was the very figure who had approached Arte. The Voice told Hilda and Gunnar that it was time for Arte to know the truth, as destiny awaited. Arte shouldn’t be forced to stay here, believing he is the child of Gunnar and Hilda. This belief would bind him and make him too pampered given the harshness of this magical world. “If it's indeed the time, we must take action!” Hilda and Gunnar exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. These foster parents had decided to prepare Arte. However, before revealing the truth to Arte, they waited for the right moment, at least until he was ready to accept his true identity. "You're right. Before that day comes, let's make the most of our time, imparting to him all the knowledge of our world! We'll also pass on our Magic and Combat Skills to him," Gunnar decided. "
In the daytime, the training continued, led by Hilda with lessons on the sword, spear, and arrow. It was an intense session that had always been part of Arte's training regimen. "My dear Arte! Would you like to rest for a bit after practicing with your father earlier?" Hilda offered, having witnessed her son conjure a massive Fireball. It consumed a considerable amount of Magic Mana. Thus, she wanted to give her son a brief respite. But Arte's reply was decisive. "It's alright, Mother! I still have the stamina to practice swordsmanship! Let’s begin your training!" Arte responded confidently. "You truly are gifted, my son! In that case, let’s not delay any further. Let’s start with this sword!" explained Hilda, tossing a wooden sword to Arte. "A skilled swordsman trains in various offensive and defensive movements, combining speed, precision, and agility to defeat their opponent. That's the essence of wielding a sword!" Hilda began her explanation. She continued, demonstrating a s
The rigorous training went on, and before he knew it, Arte Balder was now 20 years old, blossoming into a fearless, handsome young man. All the skills possessed by his parents had been passed down to him entirely. Nothing was left out. However, he still needed to boost the capacity of his mana. Arte had even mastered the four fundamental elements of magic simultaneously, and there wasn’t a magical weapon he couldn’t control. That's who he had become. His most significant achievement was integrating magic with weapons. This placed him alongside the genius wizards of this continent. "This is your last training day, Arte Balder, my son!" Hilda exclaimed with joy. “We have nothing more to give. Perhaps, it's only the world that can provide you with valuable lessons!” she added softly. Gunnar, having just arrived, handed over a magical staff and the finest sword to Arte, treasures of the highest caliber in the World of Magic and Swordsmanship. "You've always wanted a genuine sword, ri
That morning, as the sun just began to rise over the Flame Mountains, Arte, Imdal, and Freya prepared to continue their journey. They planned to delve deeper into the mountains to find the legendary Phoenix Ashes. However, their plans were abruptly halted when Arte received an urgent notification from the system within him. [It's urgent, Master Arte! Your shop in the city is facing serious trouble. It seems some people are causing problems. You must return immediately!] Arte, surprised by the sudden notification, paused and stared into the distance. "We need to return to the city now," he said with a serious tone. "Our shop is in trouble." Imdal, who was checking his equipment, turned quickly. "Trouble? At our shop? What happened, Arte?" Freya, who was gathering the last of the herbs from the ruins of Dragon Steel, also looked shocked. "Our shop? We need to get back immediately. Who dares cause trouble there?" Without any delay, the trio quickened their pace back to the city. The
Still in the valley of the Flame Mountains, the battle between Arte, Imdal, and Freya against the herd of Dragon Steel reached its climax. Each of their attacks struck with incredible force, creating blinding explosions and lights. Imdal's first attack, "Blade Storm," created a whirlwind of swords pelting the steel skin of the Dragon Steel. Each blade struck with fierce speed and power, making a loud clanging noise upon hitting their steel skin. Though hard, the skin of the Dragon Steel began to show signs of cracking. Freya, with her "Eternal Blizzard," enveloped the battlefield in a bitter ice storm. The ice assaulting the Dragon Steel's bodies produced a deafening cracking sound, momentarily halting their movement. The glowing eyes of the Dragon Steel now emitted smoke, a sign of the burning rage within them. Arte, using "Shadow Strike," leaped high and swung the Time of Death Black Sword with precision. Each of his sword strikes created shadows slicing through the air, targetin
As Arte, Imdal, and Freya continued their struggle against the increasingly enraged Fire Golem horde, the system's voice within Arte brought good news. [Master Arte, you have now successfully defeated twenty Fire Golems. Each Golem is worth 10 Experience Points & 1 System Point. You have accumulated 200 Experience Points & 20 System Points, and... congratulations on your initial success!] Arte, hearing the notification in his head, couldn't hide his satisfied smile. "Thank you, system. I have indeed made significant progress today," he murmured to himself while continuing the battle. Meanwhile, Imdal and Freya were busy harvesting Crystal Hearts from the bodies of the fallen Golems. They worked efficiently, storing the precious hearts in their bags. "Look at this, Imdal. These Crystal Hearts will surely be useful for our new weapons and potions," said Freya, her eyes sparkling at their harvest. Imdal, lifting one of the Crystal Hearts with his sturdy hand, laughed. "Yes, this wi
[Master Arte, remember! These Fire Golems are enormous creatures, clearly made of hot stones and flowing lava, towering in the valley of the Flame Mountains, yet they are vulnerable, and you and your guards can win!] This was the voice of the system within Arte, which continued, [With their massive bodies rumbling with each movement, they seem like the volcano itself is speaking. So, good luck on your first hunt!] Their eyes, glowing with embers, surveyed the vast surroundings vigilantly. Every move they made was filled with the power to shatter anything in their path. Arte, Imdal, and Freya now observed from a distance, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their foes. "They are strong but slow. We must use our speed and cunning," whispered Arte, his eyes focused on the nearest Fire Golem. Imdal, with his heavy sword ready in hand, stared at the Fire Golem, as if challenging it. "I'll attack from the front, drawing its attention. You two take that chance." Freya, her magic s
At the moment when silence enveloped the Sacred Dragon-Drake Shop, Arte, Imdal, and Freya surrounded a large map spread out on an old wooden table. Their eyes sharply scoured it, seeking the perfect location for their upcoming hunt. Candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, creating a mysterious aura that enveloped the room. "What do you think about the Flame Mountains?" Arte asked, his finger firmly pointing at the map. "Rumors say, there lies Phoenix Ashes and Dragon Steel, both ingredients we need for our new potions and weapons." Imdal, with his sturdy posture, nodded. "The Flame Mountains, a place full of challenges. I'm confident we'll find what we need there. But we must be cautious, the fire monsters there are no easy foes." Freya, her gaze sharp, added, "Also, if I'm not mistaken, there's the legendary Fire Golem. Its power is tremendous, but if we defeat it, we could obtain the rare Crystal Heart, essential for our magic potions." Arte pondered over these facts, weighi
Henry Pendragon sat behind his desk at the Trade Association. The large window beside him provided a perfect view of the city center, including the Sacred Dragon-Dragon Store that was beginning to assert its dominance. Sunlight streamed through the window, perfectly illuminating his room and casting delicate shadows on the marble-floored surface. With a sharp gaze, Henry observed the activities surrounding the store. "He truly is extraordinary!" he murmured, "how did Arte and his two subordinates manage to swiftly transform the face of Blue Dragon City, all starting from a shop I granted them? They are immensely talented!" He smiled in satisfaction, but that smile quickly faded as his eyes landed on an object atop his desk. It gleamed with captivating colors. An ancient artifact called the ‘Nyxion Prism’. An epic-grade artifact resembling a prism, beautifully engraved with a dragon symbol at its center and rare gems on each of its sides. These gems could refract light in a magnifi
With meaningful eyes, Henry replied, “I admire your confidence. But remember this, through diplomacy, showcasing, and respecting their game rules, you can easily prevail.” He then stood up and walked over to the large window, gazing at the city shimmering under the moonlight. “Always bear in mind, every noble has secrets, every family has vulnerabilities. You must learn to observe and listen, turning that knowledge into a formidable weapon!” “Never reveal everything, but always be prepared for any possibility. Play your cards right, and you can acquire power, wealth, and most importantly, live peacefully in this city,” he added with ambition. Freya inquired curiously, "Lord Pendragon, why share all this with us? It seems your relationship with the Firestone Family isn't in good standing, is it?" Henry offered a thin smile. "The Firestone family and I share a long history, filled with conflicts and collaborations. I tell you this because I see potential in the three of you.” “I wag
On the fifth floor of the Trade Association, silence dominated the grand and lavish room. Crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead, casting a gentle and soothing light. This room bore silent witness to countless transactions and negotiations in the Blue Dragon City. Henry Pendragon sat majestically in his mahogany chair, fixing his sharp gaze upon the three individuals before him. Arte, Imdal, and Freya stood confidently, but their demeanor conveyed respect. Henry took a deep breath and then said, "Three strangers coming into this city with a high-grade Artifact surely have specific intentions. So, tell me, what are you really after in this Blue Dragon City?" Arte glanced at Imdal and Freya, then sighed lightly. "We come with sincere intentions, Lord Pendragon. We merely wish to set up a shop here, conducting our business peacefully. This artifact is merely a sample of the quality goods we possess." Henry's eyes narrowed. He could sense something being hidden by the trio. "Many peopl
When Orion Firestone's threat echoed across the floor, his burly and valiant guards quickly moved towards Arte's dining table and his two subordinates. They all stepped forward confidently, acting as if nothing could obstruct their mission to retaliate for the impudent remarks made by Arte and Imdal earlier. Their sharp eyes, like hungry wolves, glared at Arte with full rage. It was clear they wouldn't hesitate to attack. They shouted fiercely. "You commoners are but trash in front of our noble Firestone Family. So, don't blame us if we get rough!" declared one of the guards. "Oh, then try it!" Arte's voice remained calm, now standing tall beside his table, seemingly challenging the guards. He stood firm, knowing he was up against the Firestone Family's elite forces. But just as the guards prepared to charge, two shadows swiftly darted in front of him. Imdal and Freya, Arte's subordinates, with surprising agility and speed, stood between Arte and the advancing guards, ready to co