Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby-Chapter 320: Vísenda Tveirham

Eleanor became vigilant the moment she noticed the woman seated before the door. She carefully surveyed her surroundings. There was only the forest, the woman, and the temple. Aside from towering trees, fallen leaves, and scattered bushes, she could sense no other lifeforms.

As she pondered what to do, the woman opened her eyes, a bright smile blooming on her lips. A sudden sense of familiarity washed over Eleanor. In the next moment, the woman rose to her feet, and Eleanor understood why. She was the priestess from the vision she had seen earlier in the trial.

The white-haired woman, clad in the same flowing white robes, spoke gently. "Greetings, Challenger. I am Vísenda Tveirham, High Priestess of the Tveirham Clan of Faydale. I welcome you to the Trial of Inheritance of our clan."

Eleanor hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Elder Vísenda. I am Eleanor. I come from Midgard."

Vísenda smiled softly. "Ah, Midgard. My forefathers once lived among the fjords. We never returned after they migrated to Vanaheim and built Faydale. Faydale became the home of our clan."

She sighed lightly. "Alas, it has been centuries since Faydale was destroyed. What you see before you is merely a fragment of my soul. Our Goddess blessed me with the duty of personally choosing the successor to our clan’s inheritance. I have slept here ever since, waiting for one who could wield my Lightning Spear. You are the first, after countless centuries, to reach this place by successfully passing the Trial of Temperance."

She paused, then added at once, "I do not have much energy left to sustain this form, so I will be brief. The fact that you were able to participate in the Trial of Temperance means you are a werewolf with lightning in your bloodline. By passing the trial, you have proven your ability to wield the Lightning Spear."

Her gaze sharpened slightly. "You now stand before two paths. You may stop here, and I will grant you the cultivation technique of our clan. Or you may proceed to the next trial to obtain the legacy of the Lightning Spear itself."

Eleanor was startled by this revelation. It was the first time she had heard of a trial that allowed its participants to stop midway. She decided she needed to understand both outcomes before making a choice.

She asked cautiously, "If you don’t mind, could you explain both options? I need to understand them before choosing."

Vísenda smiled. "Our clan’s cultivation technique demands great mental fortitude. Those who can pass the Trial of Temperance are naturally worthy of inheriting it. After our Goddess transformed us into werewolves through her Lightning Spear, we gained the ability to wield lightning. She then bestowed upon us a lightning-based cultivation technique. Those were times of war, when we prepared to defend ourselves against constant threats. We named the technique after her, the Goddess of War. It is a powerful cultivation method, tailored specifically for werewolves."

A proud smile appeared on her face as she spoke. She continued, "The Lightning Spear, however, is an entirely different matter. Our Goddess wielded it in countless battles in her earlier years. Later, she took up the sword and gifted the spear to us. I was its wielder until the world was destroyed by demons. It is an exceedingly powerful weapon, and to obtain it, one must pass the final trial."

"What does the final trial involve?" Eleanor asked.

Vísenda shook her head gently. "I do not know. When the Goddess warned us of the world’s inevitable destruction, my only wish was to pass on the legacy our clan had built over generations. The Goddess said that while we could leave behind our cultivation technique for future generations, the truly worthy successor would be chosen through the trial itself. I know only that there are two stages... the Trial of Temperance and the Trial of the Spear. As for what occurs within them, I do not know."

Eleanor fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What will happen if I fail the Trial of the Spear?"

Vísenda answered calmly, "You will not die physically if you fail. You will still receive our clan’s cultivation technique. But if you succeed, you will obtain the Lightning Spear itself. It is a soul weapon. You will also inherit a spear art that complements our cultivation technique. I mastered that art in my lifetime. It holds immense potential... I had reached the level of a demigod before my death."

At these words, Eleanor’s eyes lit up. There was a reward if she succeeded, and no penalty if she failed. After enduring so much pain already, why would she stop now? A little more suffering meant nothing to her. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"I will take the trial," she said resolutely, determination clear on her face.

"Very well," Vísenda replied, stepping aside to clear the path. "Please enter the temple. I will remain here, awaiting your success."

Taking a deep breath, Eleanor stepped forward and pushed open the doors.

The temple within was old and dilapidated. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the walls, and ferns and moss clung to the stone inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind her with a resounding bang, and a blinding light swallowed her vision.

Eleanor awoke slowly, groggy and disoriented. Such an awakening had become all too familiar during these trials. This time, she found herself lying on a carpet of green grass. Gathering herself, she sat up, brushed the dried blades from her uniform, and surveyed her surroundings.

She was in an open field dotted with rocks and flowers, encircled by green trees and dense shrubbery. It was daytime, and the scene looked serene, almost picturesque. Yet a faint sense of foreboding lingered at the back of her mind.

Suddenly, she looked up and froze.

Two suns hung in the sky, glaring down at her. At first she thought her vision was playing tricks on her, but after checking several times, the truth was undeniable. There were indeed two suns... one slightly brighter than the other.

A beast’s roar shattered her thoughts, snapping her focus back to the present. Determination flared in her eyes as she shoved all questions aside.

"I’m inside a trial," she muttered. "All I can do is go with the flow and finish it as quickly as possible."

The roar she had heard earlier belonged to a powerful monster, which meant danger could be upon her at any moment. She prepared herself, ready for an attack from the beast.

"Oh! My powers are back." She stared in surprise as sparks of lightning danced across her clenched hand.

With a single thought, her status screen appeared before her. The sight of it brought a measure of relief. She dismissed it at once... there was no time to check anything. The beast roared again, closer than before.

Turning towards the sound, she saw it emerge from the trees nearby.

It was the size of a large wild bear, but the resemblance ended there. This was a creature she had never seen before, not even in photographs. Its thick fur was pitch black, covering a massive torso of rippling muscle that extended down into four powerful legs, each ending in a broad paw tipped with gleaming claws.

Its head seemed far too large for its body, wide at the base and stretching into a long snout that allowed for an impossibly vast maw. The mouth resembled that of a crocodile, though shorter, while its small, beady eyes looked like swirling black vortices.

Before Eleanor could act, the beast lifted its head and spotted her standing in the open field. With an enraged roar, it charged straight at her, moving at a speed that belied its stocky frame.

Her combat instincts kicked in. Taking a stance at once, she delivered a perfectly timed punch to the side of the monster’s neck while twisting her body to evade the incoming attack. Lightning flared at the point of impact, and the beast was thrown off course by its own momentum. A clear burn mark scorched its neck.

It wheeled around and roared at her, then charged again.

This time, she understood its capabilities. It was clearly stronger than her, but its agility and intelligence were far inferior. As the monster leapt, she hurled a bolt of lightning at it. Stepping out of its line of attack, she partially transformed her hand into a claw and struck viciously at its exposed belly.

Driven by both her own force and the creature’s momentum, her claws tore deep into its flesh. A wide gash opened across its abdomen, and blood immediately poured out.

Eleanor froze when she saw the colour of it... black blood splashing onto the grass. Horror followed as she watched the ground react; the green blades beneath the spill began to turn grey. A thick stench, like that of rotting flesh, rose from the blood, making her stomach churn.

Then pain unlike anything she had ever known exploded in her mind. Her vision blurred, her thoughts scattering as her judgement faltered. She shook her head in a desperate attempt to clear it, but the effect was minimal. It took her more than ten seconds to regain enough clarity to think.

Realisation struck at once. "This is demonic blood."