I Enslaved The Goddess Who Summoned Me

Chapter 352: Finding Ameriah and Auria

When Nathanʼs vision gradually returned, the first thing that greeted him was an oppressive darkness, thick and murky like a fog that refused to dissipate. The air was damp, carrying the scent of earth and moss, and he could hear the distant sound of water dripping onto stone, echoing through the space.

It didnʼt take him long to realize he was inside a cave—one hidden away from the world, shrouded in secrecy.

His instincts sharpened, and without hesitation, he activated Vision of Artemis. His irises glowed faintly as the ability enhanced his sight, piercing through the gloom. Shapes and figures came into focus, their auras flickering like flames against the darkness.

Three presences.

Among them, one stood out—familiar, unmistakable.

Ameriah.

He recognized her aura instantly, a presence he had long since committed to memory, just like the others back at the castle. She was here. And she wasnʼt alone.

°°°°

Inside the small, suffocating chamber, Ameriah and Auria huddled together, their bodies tense with unease. The dim light of a flickering lantern barely illuminated the rough stone walls, casting jagged shadows that only added to the ominous atmosphere. The air was stale, thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and desperation.

A man paced in front of them, his movements restless, erratic. Despite being their captor, he seemed more anxious than they were—his agitation seeping from every trembling step.

His disheveled dark brown hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat. His frame was gaunt, almost skeletal, as if he hadnʼt eaten properly in weeks. Heavy rings of exhaustion shadowed his sunken eyes, making it clear he hadnʼt slept in a long time. His clothes were ragged, torn at the edges, stained with dirt and grime.

His breathing was uneven, bordering on frantic.

”How much longer…?” he muttered under his breath before suddenly snapping.

”H-How much longer do I have to wait?!” he barked, his voice breaking into a shout.

Ameriah flinched, letting out a startled yelp.

Beside her, Auria tightened her grip on Ameriahʼs hand, her gaze locking onto the man with defiance. Though fear gripped her heart, she refused to show weakness.

”Who are you?” she demanded, her voice unwavering despite the tension coiling in her stomach. ”Do you think you can just kidnap me and the Princess of Tenebria and get away with it?”

The man stilled.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, without warning, he threw his head back and let out a sharp, unsettling laugh.

”Nahaha… HAHAHAHA!”

The crazed cackle echoed through the cave, sending chills down their spines.

As he stepped closer, both girls instinctively backed away, their hands gripping each other for support—only to find themselves trapped against the rough stone wall behind them.

His eyes gleamed with madness as he grinned down at them.

”Do you have any idea who I am?” he sneered, his voice filled with unhinged arrogance. ”I am the legendary Hero of the Empire of Light—Benjamin Clark! Chosen by the Gods themselves!” He spread his arms wide as if declaring his divine authority. ”You are NOTHING before me!”

Auriaʼs expression twisted into one of disbelief and wariness.

A hero?

This?

She had expected a formidable warrior, someone noble, strong, unwavering. But what stood before her was a man barely clinging to sanity—a wreck of a person who looked more like a vagrant than a champion.

But despite his ragged state, there was something far more terrifying than his appearance—

The fact that he hadnʼt done anything to them yet.

For all his erratic behavior, his ranting, his aggression—he hadnʼt made a single move to harm them.

And that was what unsettled her the most.

Because it meant he was waiting for something.

Or someone.

And whatever it was…

It couldnʼt be good.

”W-We also have a Hero!” Ameriah spoke up, her voice trembling slightly but firm in conviction. ”Samael will find us!”

At the mention of the name, Benjaminʼs lips curled into a mocking sneer.

”Hero?” he scoffed, tilting his head as if he had misheard her.

”The Hero of Darkness,” Auria interjected coldly, her violet eyes flashing with defiance. ”The Hero of Tenebria. He wonʼt show you any mercy.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

”Ghahahaha!”

Benjamin threw his head back and burst into another fit of laughter, his voice echoing eerily through the cavernʼs walls. The unhinged amusement in his tone sent a chill down Ameriahʼs spine.

”Hero of Darkness? Hero of Tenebria?” he repeated, wiping a tear from his eye as he struggled to contain his derision. ”Since when did these demons have a Hero of their own?!” He spat the words with disgust.

His eyes glinted dangerously as he stepped closer, forcing Auria and Ameriah to inch back against the damp stone wall.

”The only so-called Heroes those wretched creatures ever had,” he continued, voice laced with venom, ”were the ones from the Empire of Light! The ones who foolishly chose to fight alongside the Demon King! And look where it got them—they were stupid.”

His words rang with absolute certainty, as though he were speaking a fundamental truth.

Yet, unknown to him, reality had shifted.

Benjamin remained blissfully unaware that the world had changed in his absence. He had no knowledge that Tenebria had summoned a Hero of their own. He had no idea that other kingdoms had begun conducting their own summoning rituals.

For nearly two decades, the Empire of Light had been the sole nation to summon Heroes. No other kingdom had dared to follow suit—until they realized the overwhelming power these summoned warriors possessed. It was only two years ago that the balance shifted, that other nations sought to claim their own champions.

But Benjamin had been left behind.

He was a relic of the past, a man trapped in the echoes of a world that no longer existed.

Ameriah and Auria exchanged a brief, uncertain glance. His words made no sense.

”Heroes of the Light Empire… siding with the Demon King?”

That was an event from twenty years ago. A battle long since buried in the annals of history.

”Why is he speaking as if it just happened?”

Before either of them could voice their confusion, Benjamin suddenly stopped pacing. His expression shifted, his eyes widening—not in madness, but in joy.

”Finally!”

His voice was filled with an almost childlike excitement as he extended a hand toward the air beside them.

A terrible sensation coiled in the pit of Ameriahʼs stomach.

Auriaʼs breath hitched.

The very space next to them ripped open.

A swirling, luminous gateway emerged from the void, its edges shimmering like liquid silver. The force of its creation sent a powerful gust of wind throughout the cramped chamber, the very fabric of reality distorting around its entrance.

The unnatural pull of the portal tugged at their clothes, as if attempting to consume them.

Both girls recoiled instinctively.

”Jump inside. Now.”

Benjaminʼs voice was no longer amused—it was cold, unwavering, absolute. His previously erratic demeanor was gone, replaced by sheer authority.

”N-No…” Auria shook her head, her entire body rejecting the idea. A deep, primal fear slithered through her veins, warning her that stepping into that gate would be a mistake—an irreversible one.

She took a step back, pulling Ameriah with her.

But the cavern was too small. There was nowhere to run.

”I said jump inside!” Benjaminʼs voice exploded into a furious roar.

A sharp, metallic shing cut through the air.

The glint of a blade flashed before their eyes.

Auriaʼs breath caught in her throat. Benjamin had drawn a sword, its edge mere inches from her throat.

His grip was steady, his wild eyes glaring down at them with lethal intent.

”I need you alive,” he said, his voice quiet yet laced with unmistakable malice. ”But I donʼt need you in one piece.”

Both Auria and Ameriah stiffened, a cold dread washing over them.

Under his piercing gaze and the deadly gleam of his blade, they had no choice.

With hesitant, trembling steps, they inched toward the swirling void.

But a sudden presence disrupted the tense atmosphere, sending an invisible tremor through the air. A figure emerged from the shadows.

Benjaminʼs body stiffened as his instincts screamed at him. His head snapped around, eyes widening in disbelief as they landed upon the one person he least expected to see.

”Samael!”

”Lord Commander!”

But while Benjamin was paralyzed by the impossible sight, two voices rang out in unison, filled with joy and relief.

Ameriah and Auria cried out, their eyes lighting up with hope as they beheld Samael. He had come. Against all odds, against all logic—he had arrived. They could hardly believe it.

Benjamin, however, stood frozen, his mind racing.

How?

This place should have been impenetrable. He had covered his tracks flawlessly, ensuring that no outsider could ever follow him. The tree—an ancient and untraceable gateway—should have been the ultimate safeguard. Even if someone had managed to locate the right one, breaking through its barrier should have been impossible. And yet, Samael stood before him, a living contradiction to everything he believed.

A cold voice shattered his thoughts.

”How many are you?”

Benjaminʼs breath hitched as his gaze snapped to Nathan.

”W...What?”

Nathan took a slow step forward, his golden eyes glinting with an eerie light.

”I asked,” he repeated, voice laced with cold steel, ”how many of you bastards from the second summoning survived?”

Benjamin remained silent.

He wanted to scoff, to mock the question, but for some inexplicable reason, his voice refused to come out. His fingers tightened around his sword hilt, sweat beading along his forehead. A gnawing unease settled deep within his chest, something foreign... something akin to fear.

Why?

He was a Hero. He was supposed to be powerful. No one in the entire kingdom of Tenebria should be able to strike such fear into his heart. And yet—

His instincts screamed.

Without hesitation, Benjamin swung his sword in a desperate move, unleashing a powerful wave of magic that carved through the air like a silver crescent. The force of the attack sent Ameriah and Auria hurtling backward, straight toward the swirling portal behind them.

”Hyaaaaa!!”

”S...Samael!!”

Their voices cried out, fading as their bodies were swallowed by the glowing rift.

Nathanʼs gaze flickered, a sharp glint passing through his golden irises. Without a momentʼs pause, he moved.

No—he vanished.

Benjamin barely had time to process what had happened. Before he could react, he felt a crushing grip close around his arm.

”Wha—?!”

His body lurched as he was yanked backward, his momentum disrupted before he could follow the others into the portal. Panic surged through him as he looked down—Nathanʼs fingers dug into his arm like a vice, refusing to let go.

The portal was closing.

A thin sliver of light was all that remained, and Benjamin could feel his body being pulled toward the vanishing rift. But so was Nathan.

”I... Impossible!!” Benjamin gasped, struggling to break free.

Nathanʼs grip only tightened, his golden eyes now burning with a deep, ominous glow. His fingers, crushing inhumanly strong, bore down on Benjaminʼs arm like an executionerʼs shackles.

Benjamin gritted his teeth and twisted, wrenching his body violently. In a last-ditch effort, he managed to slip free, his arm tearing out of Nathanʼs grasp.

And then—he was gone.

But Nathan didnʼt stop.

His arm shot forward, plunging into the rapidly closing portal without hesitation.

The energy rippled dangerously, crackling with unstable force. The risk of losing his arm was real—any sane person would have pulled back. But Nathan wasnʼt thinking about safety. He wasnʼt thinking at all.

He released his magic.

A monstrous wave of pure darkness erupted from his body, pouring into the rift with overwhelming force.

BA-DOOOOOM!

The very air quaked. The portal, instead of sealing, twisted and contorted as shadows consumed it. Then—

It detonated.

A cataclysmic explosion of void energy swallowed Nathan whole.

And then, silence.

The cave was left in eerie stillness, as if reality itself held its breath.

And Nathan was gone.