For a long moment, silence pressed over the chamber.
Thor remained bowed before him, forehead pressed into the cold stone floor, her hammer still abandoned at her side like a penitent offering. Astensia stood in rigid stillness beside them, waiting for her lord's judgment.
After the mention of a punishment, Asleroc's thoughts wandered places they shouldn't. If she wanted a punishment so badly, he wouldn't mind obliging at all.
Besides, it wasn't out of place to suggest, considering that had been the way of things in the light novel.
The Heroines weren't just Asleroc's soldiers. They were bound to him—heart, body, and soul. Hence, it was natural for them to be romantically involved with him.
And as fate would have it, all of them were already entwined with him in one way or another.
Loyalty blurred the line between devotion and desire. Just as the Heavens intended.
But as tempted as he was, rationality struck Asleroc just as fast.
It would look terrible for him to grovel straight into the legs of a woman, seeking sex right after waking up from an eternal seal.
The world was collapsing on itself, and lust couldn't be the first thing on his mind. He'd look like an indulgent, distracted fool.
If Thor suspected him of being a fraud before, she'd definitely condemn him if he pursued pleasure before demonstrating any real purpose or resolve.
He was sure that even Astensia, unwavering in her faith, would be disappointed.
So instead, he exhaled softly, mourning over the missed opportunity to actually sleep with a fictional crush.
He looked from Astensia's concerned face down to Thor's crumpled form.
"Rise, Lady Thor," he said finally. "I have no wish to punish you. But I am moved by the Heavens to hold you to account."
Thor lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes shivering, still pleading.
"Your loyalty to me must be proven, again and again, during the course of our battles and our journey. That is how I will judge you."
After a charged silence, Thor reached for her hammer and lifted it carefully, ashamed, before standing to her full height once again. Her blue eyes aglow with gratitude yet shrouded by guilt.
She bowed low, placing her right fist to her chest.
"…Thank you, my Worship," she said gravely. "You honor me with mercy I do not deserve. I shall earn it, however I can."
Asleroc tried to keep his eyes level and cold, but he quickly found out how difficult it was to do.
They moved on their own, catching the way her armor bent as she bowed, her butt rising behind her like two curves of a stormy sea. And when he looked away, his eyes stopped at her breasts which bounced softly when she lifted her head once more.
Asleroc's throat tightened. Had he just missed out on an opportunity?
He quickly turned to Astensia, determined to escape his perverted thoughts. "Astensia," he said, clearing his throat. "What do you think is our best course now?"
The golden-haired Heroine lifted her chin, feeling a relief that the Hero had deescalated the situation quickly. She returned her greatsword to its slot in her back.
"Because of the Rupturing Abyss, the world will only continue to suffer," she said. "More regions will be taken over until Heilmaster is powerful enough to devour it all."
She narrowed her eyes fiercely. "But you can stop it, my Worship. You can defeat Heilmaster and his Villainesses, and purge Cinriten of its corruption. You must only make it to the Tower of Heaven where your awakening should have taken place. There, you will claim your weapon—the Kingdom Sword—and your Power, the Might of Heaven itself."
Asleroc felt his pulse quicken at her words. The Kingdom Sword.
He knew what it was supposed to be: the blade that could cut through time, space, that could slice mountains and a hundred demon spawns with a single arc.
It was one of the most overpowered weapons he'd read of in fiction.
Thor's voice cut in, adding more information. "As expected, the path will not be so simple. Every province we must pass is shattered. With the fall of the king, barons rule with fractured law. Many have fallen to greed, others to despair.
"Worse still, the Ruptured Regions lie in our way, each commanded by Villainesses who grow more powerful the longer the Abyss lasts. Every place we must thread to get to the Tower is even more dangerous than the last."
Asleroc stayed silent, thinking to himself. All of that was right.
The one thing that was fundamentally different in this game compared to the novel was that the Rupturing Abyss had already happened.
In the novel, Asleroc's journey was to prevent the Abyss. He had started long before its emergence.
After awakening in the Tower of Heaven, he traveled, leveled up, gathered the Heroines, helped provinces, and finally faced Heilmaster on the very day the Rupturing Abyss came.
It had been a cleaner story—streamlined, ordered.
But in the game, Asleroc had slept through the Abyss.
And now, the world he was supposed to save was already burning, already conquered, already broken.
His own challenge was to cleanse the world from the effects of the Abyss. At this point, Heilmaster and his Villainesses were stronger than they'd ever been, while he—supposedly their ordained champion—had nothing.
He hadn't even awakened yet. He had no weapon. No mana core. Just two Heroines who were half-drained from mana corruption.
And two skills.
SSS skills, but still.
'If these are my only weapons,' Asleroc mused. 'I need to master them. I need to learn exactly what this Character Building System is. Seeing that the Skills are SSS, I expect this to be some kind of cheat… something I can use to tilt the board in my favor.'
He looked at the two women—Astensia, eyes bright with faith, and Thor, shadowed by the remnants of guilt yet unwilling to break.
For a moment, the thrill of new adventure was eclipsed by reality. Things were becoming serious.
If Asleroc knew anything from his time reading manhwas and light novels, this was his life now. There was no going back to his old world.
Responsibility was quickly settling in.
Asleroc straightened his shoulders, setting his voice to command.
"I will be honest with you both. I am new to all of this. I barely know what I'm doing yet. But I will do my very best to make sure we reclaim Cinriten. That is my vow."
He bowed his head slightly, gratitude tinging his voice. "…Thank you again. For saving me."
Astensia's lips curved into a gentle smile, her braid slipping forward as she inclined her head. "My Worship, there is no need to thank us. We are your soldiers. Fated only to you. We could never leave you."
She stepped forward.
"More of us are still out there, captured or hiding because they're afraid to fight. You have to gather them once more. The Hero is stronger when his Heroines are united."
She stepped beside Thor, radiating pride and hope. "When they see you again, they will gather the faith and courage to fight. And together, we will be stronger than ever before."
Asleroc found himself already moved by Astensia's words. It was typical of her.
A gift from one of the Skills she had—Brave Tongue. A Skill that made her words incite courage and bravery into her teammates in times of despair.
It was one of the few Skills he saw in her character profile panel that floated luminous beside her head.
「Character Profile: Astensia – Heroine of Blade and War Affairs」
「Rank: 5 Star Gold」
「Level: 15/50」
「Class: Vanguard/Commander」
「Loyalty: 88%」
「Powers: Strength, Weapon Comprehension, Battle Comprehension」
「Ultimate Skill: War Might」
「Leveling Path: Soul of the Sword」
「Character Evolution: Available」
Asleroc stared. Some of that was basic information but the Character Evolution column still tingled his curiosity.
He clenched his fists. 'I really need to figure out what this system is all about. And to that, I need some time to myself.'
He looked at the Heroines. "Astensia. Is there a map of the realm here in the Fort?"
She nodded toward the far end of the dark hall. "Yes, my Worship. Etched upon the stone slab at the center."
Asleroc gazed at the slab. "Good. Let's gather there and begin planning."
The three of them headed towards the slab in unison, their footsteps echoing in the ancient hall.
Asleroc summoned the system with his mind.
'While I find out exactly what this Character Building System can do.'