The Goddess' Champion

'Aren't those too many stats...? and what does the [Used] clause mean in the adjourned whatever blessing…' Seeing all of that information, he had more questions than answers.

It was confusing but also, informative in a sense... if he had such a useful interface back when he was still an Emperor, it would have been so great.

[You have somehow used that blessing, I presume it was when you were almost impaled by that ant before, or perhaps whole coming here from that goddess' space… perhaps you were fated to end in a worse situation, be it as it may, the blessing activated]

'What about the other, Aurelianne's?' The more he read that description, the more he thought about a certain taxing and pleasurable bodily function that he used to engage in often...

[I have no idea… I'm not acquainted with goddesses of Life as to know how their blessings work, sounds like you have to put a seed on someone…]

'That sounds yummy~'

[Uh?] Zebellia asked in confusion, why is it yummy?

'Forget it… regarding the curse of husbands… I guess I'm guilty but… *cough* what kind of punishment would that be…?' He had the interest to know, he could see himself falling into that punishment after all.

[I can't tell about that either, most of the time the heaven's punishment is a tribulation… depending on the degree of the punishment it can transcend from difficult times to a powerful lightning strike falling on you directly from the skies…]

'That sounds awful.'

[It is, anymore questions… I need to sleep] Her voice indicated that for the first time she needed to sleep.

'Lazy Valkyrie'

[Sinning Emperor.]

'Anyway, I have more… but we need to get going, I hope you dream with a bunch of buffaloes running you over.'

[And I hope a bunch of buffaloes actually run you over! Hmph!]

"Fair enough." He smirked, though the entire time he kept his magic output normal, it wasn't until a little later when he was about to speak that he realised.

"We rested enough, let's get-"

By the time he turned, what he managed to see was the catatonic bodies of the group, squirming on the ground!

"What!?"

[It is your magic cores! stop executing your magic!] Zebellia said right away, not minding her nap.

"H-How!?" Not how he could stop them instead, how exactly was this happening, to him everything felt normal.

[Remember that you have ether cores fool!! You didn't notice the difference after the breakthrough of your cores, but they do!]

"Oh shoot!"

He immediately stopped using his magic, and rushed to assist them, placing them all against the wall as they started to cough.

*COUGH!*

At some point, the pressure had been too much for their lungs and they were asphyxiating!

"W-What was that!?" Anne kept coughing and asked with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, I couldn't control my hand for a moment there, are you okay?" He patted their backs, only a second afterwards he noticed the degree of involvement and stepped back.

"Yes, please… don't do it again, I thought I'd die!" Zamira was still sobbing, to her, this was perhaps one of the worst ways to die.

"I apologise, we can rest until you recover." it didn't sound convincing but that would have to do.

"This kind of pressure, I didn't know you were such a strong Magus, were you holding back? Why suddenly releasing that pressure?" Anne inquired with interest only to shut her mouth the next second.

They were supposed to not ask questions!

The rest of the group reproached her but he only shook his head and refused to answer.

"If you're ready then let's get going, going forward down this path is the only option…" Not waiting for them to confirm or deny, he set into motion.

They had to follow.

**

**

A little walking with weapons in hand brought them to a new environment, Constantine had expected them to need to walk more, but that wasn't the case.

"There is another clearing…" He said, regarding the entire place in amazement after leaving the channel.

It was gigantic, his flame, now brighter than before, wasn't able to light all of it, but, something else was giving them light.

"But this one is desolated and… abysmal." Zamira commented, standing beside him... her head turned to her left and there she saw a fall, one that nobody would have noticed were it not for his flame shining on the cliff.

What they encountered upfront was yet another clearing, an underground cavity that covered several dozens of kilometres in size, resembling a concealed world.

From this point, they could see shiny purple crystals on top of the cave, but the top of the cave was several kilometres away... they shone light purple stars, but the light was not strong enough to reach them this low either.

Essentially, this was like a world beneath the world.

"That's Blood of Sandork, but… I don't dare touch it, and since it is still there, either no one has reached that high, or no one is stupid enough to gamble their life…" Zamira commented while he moved to the border of what resembled an abyssal fall.

Fog and darkness covered the fate of whatever fell in this abyss.

"This is a way further into the cave, magus experts should be able to descend uninjured, but for our currents selves, it is suicidal." Anne added and the guys nodded, none dared to test their luck down there even if beneath lay the tomb of a God.

Meanwhile, Constantine was thinking deeply...

'If only I had a way to come back here…' He knew this blood of Sandork was a treasure, a hot potato, but so far he knows the location of two pieces and has them firmly marked in his memory, forget about those on the cave ceiling; the ones he knew wouldn't explode...

Yet the way they describe this cave complex, is as if it is extremely difficult to access it once they leave, all he could do was hope to prepare himself properly before coming back here, having broken through, he had yet to experiment what the difference in his magic was aside from the sheer increase in output.

[I can bring you back here whenever you wish, for a fair price that is~] The annoying Valkyrie spoke suddenly, producing a deadpan in the conqueror's expression.

'Weren't you sleeping?' He grunted inwardly.

[With a single one of my beautiful eyes closed, that is…]

'You're quite narcissistic aren't you? Whether those eyes are beautiful or not, shouldn't I be judging?~'

[An ugly duckling such as yourself? What do you even know of beauty… I don't know what was that goddess of beauty thinking…] Zebellia's tongue was as poisonous and toxic as always, but this time, he had an Ace.

'I recall we had an agreement' he even took his scammer pose, rubbing his palms together with a perverted grin.

[…?]

'For a narcissistic, you're quite forgetful, you would allow me to see your body if I saved those humans~'

[It is about time I go back to sleep for real, this time with both eyes clo-]

'It is about time you behave like the Valkyrie you are, avid on your honour and keep your word.'

[Bastard! That trick won't work forever!]

'Trust me, it will…'

[I shall show myself to you, but not now… after you leave this cave]

'Are you going to de prestige your honour, Zebellia!?'

[Hmph! Little runt, I said I'd show myself, I didn't say when... YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT I, ZEBELLIA, AM A TIME VALKYRIE!]

Her voice contained might, but in front of him, that sounded more like bravado... he hadn't fully yet understood her personality for it is still too early, but there were certain things he could understand.

'Sure, and I'm the God Emperor of Sandoria and all beautiful busty elves...' He grinned, all of his actions made the group around him have their expressions contort

[Are you mocking me?]

'That I am...'

For several seconds nothing happened.

'Aren't you going to decrease my karma points?~'

[If I decrease your points for every second you act like an idiot, we will be here forever]

'Maybe... I want to be like this with you forever...'

!!!

...

The more the silence spread, the more wicked his smile became.

'Hoho~ did you just blush?'

[Shut up! you can't even see my face!]

'So you did blush~'

[...]

The valkyrie spoke no more, going to sleep for real.

"Hahahahaha!!" The conqueror laughed, so long as he didn't go across the line and pissed off the Valkyrie, he could still come out with the upper hand.

That's the secret and what he truly knew of the Valkyrie's identity... she's a girl, not a woman... why?

Even the Conqueror knows a man can't defeat a woman in an argument, even if he wins, sleeping outside the bedroom is still a loss.

He hadn't been married to five goddesses for nothing, fifty-ish years of marriage had to serve him at least to put down this Valkyrie.

"..." Seeing Constatine laugh heartily like some mad king, the humans didn't know what to think, perhaps following this individual was the wrong call and they were better off with the ants and Luke.