Glitched Goddess: My Skills are maxed out

The goddess arrived before the temple priest did, her presence commanding the air so strongly that the priestesses around Kana instantly fell into deep bows.

The room felt heavy with reverence, but Kana—caught off guard—hesitated before trying to mimic them.

She bent halfway down when the goddess's eyes found her, sharp and unyielding, halting Kana in place.

"You. Follow me."

The goddess said, her voice soft yet undeniable, carrying the weight of authority that silenced the chamber.

The order struck like lightning. Murmurs spread among the gathered attendants, and even Lysera's expression froze with disbelief. Irielle leaned toward Kana, whispering quickly.

"Be careful. Don't let her drag you into something dangerous."

Kana gave a small nod but knew resistance was useless. The goddess's gaze never wavered from her, and with uneasy steps, she followed.

The goddess led her into a secluded room at the back of the temple. The heavy wooden door slid shut behind them, the sound echoing like a lock on her fate.

Without warning, the goddess reached out, her cool hand gripping Kana's face firmly, tilting her chin aside as though inspecting a rare jewel.

Kana's breath caught.

"W-what are you doing?"

She demanded, trying to lean back, but the goddess's hold was steady and unrelenting.

Instead of answering, the goddess studied her silently, golden eyes narrowing as if searching for something invisible beneath Kana's skin.

After a pause, her lips parted.

"Have you awakened yourself? Have you inherited what lies within you?"

The question left Kana stunned. She blinked rapidly, heart hammering.

"I—I don't even know what that means."

The goddess released her with a faint sigh, as though disappointed.

"I thought as much. It is obvious you remain dormant."

She folded her arms, her tone sharp with impatience.

"But time is short, and it is far too important to wait. You must be awakened, whether you are ready or not. The final pillar cannot remain sleeping while the world tilts toward ruin."

Kana took an instinctive step back, her shoulders pressing against the door.

"Awakened? Pillar? I don't—"

The goddess raised her hand, power gathering in her palm like liquid flame. The air grew dense, and Kana's chest constricted under the weight of that divine presence.

Just before the goddess could touch her, another figure materialized, interposing herself between them.

Ruby.

Her pink hair shimmered faintly under the goddess's light as she spread her arms protectively in front of Kana. Her expression, usually playful and aloof, had hardened.

"That's enough. Don't put that kind of pressure on her. She's still human."

Ruby said firmly.

The dragon goddess's lips curled into a scoff.

"Human or not, she carries the burden. If you truly want this fragile system of yours to stabilize, then stop coddling her. Let her take her role properly instead of hiding behind excuses."

Ruby's words caught in her throat. She clenched her jaw, silent now, her stance wavering for just a moment.

The unspoken weight between them pressed heavily on Kana.

Kana looked from one to the other, her heart beating fast. She could feel it—that this was more than a casual disagreement.

Something crucial rested in their exchange. Straightening her back, she stepped out from Ruby's shadow.

"If it's important, then… I'll do it. I'll awaken.

Kana said quietly but firmly.

Ruby turned instantly, alarm flashing in her eyes.

"Kana, no. You don't understand. It will hurt—a lot. You're not ready for what comes with it."

Kana smiled faintly despite the knot in her stomach.

"It's fine. I don't mind the pain. I don't want to keep running away."

For the first time, the dragon goddess's lips curved into a smile, sharp and approving.

"Good. That's the resolve I was waiting for." She extended her hand toward Kana once more.

The air thickened, crackling with ancient power. Before Kana could brace herself further, the goddess's hand passed through her chest as though her body were mist, fingers closing around something deep inside.

A searing sensation erupted, so sharp it nearly stole Kana's breath. It felt as if her very heart had been grasped.

Her body shuddered violently, knees nearly buckling under the pain.

Kana gasped, the sound sharp and desperate, as if the air itself had been ripped away from her lungs.

The sensation of the goddess's hand inside her wasn't just pain—it was intrusion, every nerve screaming as if her body no longer belonged to her.

Heat flooded through her veins, molten and unrelenting, burning its way toward her core.

Her vision blurred. She clutched at her chest, trembling, but the goddess's grip held firm on whatever invisible essence she had seized.

"Breathe. Do not resist. Resistance will only tear you apart."

The goddess commanded, her voice steady, unyielding.

But breathing was impossible. Every inhale felt like swallowing fire. Kana's mind spun, a thousand thoughts colliding—fear, confusion, the faint echo of Ruby's warning.

Yet through the storm of pain, she clenched her teeth and forced herself not to scream.

Ruby stepped closer, fists tightening at her sides, her pink hair flaring faintly as if her own power strained against restraint.

"You're pushing her too fast! She's going to break if you keep forcing it!"

She snapped, her voice trembling with frustration.

"She will endure. If she cannot withstand even this, then she was never worthy of the role to begin with."

The dragon goddess answered coldly.

Kana wanted to protest, to tell them both she couldn't take it, but deep down a different instinct stirred—something ancient, something that wasn't her yet still belonged to her.

The burning pain spread wider, and with it came flashes in her mind: fragments of endless skies, silver rivers flowing between stars, a voice howling in a language older than the earth itself.

Her knees finally hit the floor. Her palms slammed down against the cold stone to steady herself, sweat dripping onto the ground.

Yet even as the agony reached its peak, she realized something.

The pain wasn't just destruction. It was peeling away layers—like walls crumbling around a hidden core. Beneath the torment, she felt power.

Raw, unshaped, terrifyingly vast.

Her eyes widened as a faint glow bled from her skin, threads of silver tracing along her arms and chest.

The dragon goddess's grip tightened once more, and Kana's heart seemed to echo with a deep, resonant thrum that wasn't her own heartbeat.

Ruby's lips parted, her earlier defiance fading into something like awe.

"She's… she's really doing it."

Kana lifted her head, teeth clenched against the burning flood, her voice hoarse but resolute.

"I… can handle this."

And the glow around her flared brighter, lighting the room like dawn breaking through storm clouds.