Chapter 198: The Goddess’s Missing Gift
A few moments later, Luke finally calmed himself.
However...
A question that had bothered him for a long time resurfaced in his mind.
’System.’
’I’m supposed to be the Hero of Light.’
’So why don’t I possess the Light element?’
The question echoed silently within his thoughts.
It had never made sense to him.
From the very moment he arrived in this world, everyone had referred to him as the Hero of Light.
Yet. He couldn’t use Light element. Not even a trace of it.
In the beginning, he had assumed it was because he was too weak.
He believed that once he reached the Body Temper Realm, the Light element would naturally awaken.
But it never did.
Even after all this time. His Aether remained completely neutral.
The only elemental properties he could wield came from his Titan transformations.
When he became Nyx, his Aether took on the characteristics of the Void.
And in his Cosmic Titan form, it carried traces of cosmic energy.
Of course, those weren’t truly his own powers.
They were merely fragments of the Titans Aether characteristics, borrowed through the transformation rather than awakened within himself.
Which only deepened the mystery.
If he truly was the Hero of Light. Then where was his Light?
[Luke, a true Hero is only born after undergoing the Hero Awakening Ceremony.]
[Before that... their body is merely being prepared to contain the element they were chosen to inherit.]
Luke’s eyes widened. ’Hero Awakening Ceremony?’
He had never heard of such a thing. from the Holy Light Church.
However, when he tried asking about hero awakening ceremony. The System remained stubbornly silent.
[Figure that part out yourself.]
It dismissed the question before continuing.
[After completing the Awakening Ceremony.]
[A Hero gains maximum mastery over their designated element.]
[Second only to the god or goddess governing that element.]
"..."
Luke’s mind went blank for a moment.
Maximum mastery? From the very moment of awakening?
"That’s crazy!" Unable to hold himself back, Luke blurted it out loud.
Luke’s voice echoed throughout the ancient temple.
His heart couldn’t help but race. If what the System had said was true...
Then after completing the Hero Awakening Ceremony, every Light element would naturally respond to his will.
Even attacks imbued with Light would lose much of their effectiveness against him.
Of course, he would still need to learn Light-based spells and techniques.
But with such a high mastery. That process would be unimaginably easy.
"You... are real." Then Nyx’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Luke turned toward him.
The usually composed Void Titan was staring at the stone giant with an expression Luke had never seen before.
It was the look of someone witnessing a legend they had believed existed only in myths.
Beside him, Caelith wore the same expression.
She said nothing.
Yet the flames covering her body burned brighter than ever, surging with excitement as if they had sensed the significance of the being before them.
So Luke turned toward Myrkhal, hoping to see at least a hint of surprise on the Faceless Titan’s... well, faceless head.
But how wrong he was.
"..."
Luke’s eyelid twitched.
’This menace.’ He couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
Myrkhal was now casually sitting on top of one of the ancient wall lamps, seemingly enjoying the blazing flame beneath him.
It was as if the revelation that the being before them was the Origin Titan wasn’t worth reacting to.
’Just what is his body even made of?’ Luke became genuinely puzzled.
Before Luke could think any further, Nyx spoke again.
His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and awe.
"So it wasn’t just a myth..."
"A single Titan capable of carrying the powers of every Firstborn Titan."
Luke’s breathing hitched.
’A Titan, with every Titan’s power?’ His eyes widened in disbelief.
’That’s insane!’
Every Titan he possessed was already absurdly powerful on its own.
And now he was being told that a single Titan had once possessed all of those powers at the same time.
How was that even possible?
"Nyx..." Luke looked toward the Void Titan.
"Is that really true?"
Before Nyx could answer. Caelith spoke instead.
"Yes." Her gaze remained fixed on the colossal stone giant.
"But that isn’t what made the Origin Titan truly special."
Luke blinked.
A bewildered expression spread across his face.
"...What?"
"A Titan possessing every Firstborn Titan’s authority."
"And you’re telling me that wasn’t the important part?"
Caelith slowly shook her head.
"It was extraordinary."
"But it wasn’t the reason the Origin Titan became a legend."
Her voice grew noticeably heavier.
"The Origin Titan possessed something else."
"Something that shattered the balance of the cosmos itself."
Luke unconsciously held his breath.
Even Nyx remained silent, allowing Caelith to continue.
"That..."
"Is why we believed the Origin Titan was nothing more than a myth."
As Caelith finished speaking, Nyx silently nodded in agreement.
Even Myrkhal slowly turned his head toward the stone giant.
"..."
Luke’s eyes narrowed.
’Wait...’
’His head is on fire?’
He blinked twice.
Sometime during the conversation, Myrkhal had somehow managed to set his own head ablaze by continuing to sit inside the ancient lamp’s flame.
Yet. He looked completely unbothered.
If anything, he seemed perfectly content.
’How are you even doing that?’ Luke couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or concerned.
Shaking those thoughts away, he focused on what Caelith had just revealed.
His mind drifted back to the System Quest.
*The One whose true name was struck from history... because even those who ruled eternity feared to speak it.*
Luke’s gaze instinctively shifted toward the Origin Titan’s shattered face.
’No wonder they erased hi—’ His thoughts stopped midway.
He corrected himself.
"Or at least..."
"...they tried to."
He muttered under his breath.
Throughout the entire exchange, the Origin Titan remained silent.
He simply listened.
Then.
The ancient giant slowly nodded. His deep voice echoed across the vast temple.
"And you..." He looked directly at Luke.
"Were sent here to inherit my power."
Silence engulfed the temple.
Then came the next words.
Words that made even Nyx and Caelith stiffen.
"The power Of the Origin Titan."
Luke’s eyebrows rose.
’The power... of the Origin Titan...’
Though the giant titan continued. "And it seems they have failed at the start, when you were summoned."
"Failed?" Luke muttered unconsciously.
Then a forgotten detail resurfaced in his mind.
’The Goddess’s gift.’ From the very beginning, he had been told that every Hero received a divine gift from the Goddess.
Yet. Even after all this time. He had never received one.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
’Then was the SSS-Rank Titan Knight skill given by the System...’
’...or by the Goddess?’
Another thought immediately followed.
’Did the System take the Goddess’s gift...’
’...and simply release it later as a quest reward?’