Chapter 90: Rank 3 Goblin Warlock & Moon Favored Selene
The shout nearly shattered Aurelius’ eardrums.
His head spun, and his vision darkened, as though someone had smashed his head with a club.
When he finally recovered from the impact, the figure responsible for the voice came into view.
Green skin. Ugly face.
An aura unmistakably belonging to a monster.
Its identity was obvious.
It was a goblin.
Yet unlike the others of its kind Aurelius had encountered during his adventure with Medea and Andrea, this one looked different.
It was not small in height and fragile in stature, nor were its eyes filled with animalistic predation.
Rather, it stood more than six feet tall.
It was muscular, its body powerful enough to make any bodybuilder jealous.
Had it not been for the other party’s signature green skin, one could have very well mistaken it for an Awakener with a Brawler-type Class.
Aurelius’ eyes shrank.
Not solely because of its appearance.
The interface floating above its head was as shocking, if not even more.
[Level 42 Goblin Warlock]
Level 42!
Rank 3!
The moment Aurelius read that, every instinct in his body screamed for him to flee!
He hadn’t grown overconfident due to his recent surge of strength.
Even with the Sea God’s Trident in hand, he had absolutely no confidence in fighting against such an opponent.
His body reacted before his mind could.
Flames erupted from his back, weaving into a pair of majestic wings made of golden flames.
He then stepped closer to Selene, ready to grab her and soar into the sky.
Although the Goblin Warlock could also fly, all they had to do was survive until they reached the human settlement.
Once there, the other humans would surely help him.
Yet just as Aurelius was about to perform the grand escape he had envisioned, his expression suddenly changed.
Selene’s voice reached his ears.
"This is it..."
"Didn’t you ask me what I want your help with?"
"If possible, I want you to help me slay this goblin!" She said, pointing toward the Rank 3 Goblin Warlock.
Her words nearly made Aurelius stumble.
He finally realized why Selene had been so secretive about her goal in coming to the Goblin Mountains.
If she had told him from the beginning that her plan involved fighting a Rank 3 monster, he would have never come here.
Not even an Epic Relic would have been enough to convince him.
Granted, even though she had only revealed it now, that changed nothing.
Aurelius wasn’t prepared to make such a grave mistake.
Glancing at Selene, who took several steps back, as though afraid he would grab her and leave, he shook his head inwardly.
Then, his wings flapped, ready to help him rise into the sky.
He was about to escape alone!
He had no intention of staying here and seeking death with this woman.
If Selene wished to die, she could do so by herself!
Fortunately, Selene did not know what Aurelius was thinking. Otherwise, she might have fought him on the spot.
Seeing him look at her, she merely believed she didn’t have the confidence to fulfill her request.
And thus, she followed up.
"I know what you’re thinking. However, I didn’t come here unprepared."
"I’m capable of unleashing Rank 3 temporarily as long as I’m willing to pay a certain price."
"It is only temporary, but with you and the Epic Relic, we should be able to kill this goblin. At worst, we can always choose to escape."
As she spoke, Selene gave no chance for Aurelius to state his opinion.
She directly took action, activating the trump card she had kept hidden all this time.
Immediately, the necklace around her neck burst out with boundless silver light.
The crescent-shaped pendant on the chain flickered beautifully, resembling the moon illuminating the dark sky.
The pendant and the moon resonated with one another.
Strands of silver descended from the celestial body.
They traveled through space and descended onto Nova Roma, landing on the Goblin Mountains and enveloping Selene.
For a split second, a cluster of silver specks of light engulfed her figure.
When it faded away a moment later, Selene reappeared; her appearance was completely different.
Many strands of her black hair had turned silver, as had her dark eyes.
They turned into what seemed like two shining silver gems.
Selene’s expression was utterly blank.
It could not be described as indifference.
Rather, it was a complete lack of any emotions.
It was as though she was no longer an ordinary mortal and possessed the emotions that came with it, but had transformed into a Goddess.
Such a demeanor was perfectly complemented by the silver crown resting on top of her head, which completed her divine appearance.
It just so happened to be the same place that attracted most of Aurelius’ attention.
Not only because of this beautiful jewel, but also because of the interface hovering above Selene’s head.
Following her transformation, it had changed!
And it was far from a simple Level increase!
[Selene Novaltis—Level 41 Moon Favored (Temporary)]
Aurelius’ eyes contracted.
Level 41. Moon Favored.
He had never expected that Selene’s words were true.
She could really unleash Rank 3 power, albeit temporarily.
His thoughts of fleeing secretly cooled down.
The flames behind his back dispersed, and he intended to see what happened next before making a decision.
All of this happened in an instant.
From the Goblin Warlock’s appearance to her sudden outburst, only a split second had passed.
The goblin had yet to take action.
Even so, he had no intention of backing down despite witnessing her transformation and power,
He had plotted for so long, all for the sake of this Epic Relic!
He had been so close! Only a few more days!
Only a few more days and he would have accomplished his dream!
Why? Why had these damned humans ruined his plan?
Recalling the sacrifices—both literal and metaphorical—that he had made, the Goblin Warlock was unable to calm himself down.
His eyes grew red, dripping with bloodlust.
"Die! Die! Die!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as crimson runes engraved with blood lit up all over his skin and erupted with an overwhelming force.