First, I wanted to confirm if he was worth the trouble.
"Status Window"
✦ Status Window ✦
⟡ General Information
Name: Roy
Rank:Bronze
Race: Velmoryn
Age: 249
Status: Normal
God: Verde
Title: None
Class: None
⟡ Attributes
— Physical Traits —
• Strength: 9
• Dexterity: 12
• Agility: 13
• Constitution: 8
• Endurance: 8
• Fortitude: 9
— Mental Traits —
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 5
• Perception: 11
• Insight: 9
• Willpower: 14
• Empathy: 6
— Magic Traits —
• Mana: 7
• Magic Power: 6
• Magic Control: 5
• Magic Resistance: 8
Total Attribute Points: 138
⟡ Faith
Devotion: 30/100
Bronze? I felt disappointed as soon as I saw his rank but decided to check the rest of his stats anyway.
He had no title or class yet, which meant that once he obtained them, his attributes would increase even further. Unlike Aria, Roy was clearly physically oriented. His body was stronger, however, it was his perception and willpower that stood out the most.
If this guy becomes my devoted believer, with his high willpower, he'll be incredibly reliable.
In games, high Willpower usually represented one's ability to resist mental attacks such as fear and hypnosis. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that blessing him was worth the effort.
Even creating a guardian from the oak tree did not consume much Divinity Points, so blessing a Bronze Rank believer shouldn't cost more than that. I thought, making up my mind. I was curious to see the result, but more than that, I wanted to show the rest of the tribe that following me came with nothing but benefits. My goal was to gain more Divinity Points and establish control over the entire tribe as soon as possible.
It was strange - emotions like anxiety, confusion, fear, and even empathy felt distant and remote. But my curiosity and desire to obtain more Divinity Points felt unusually strong. It felt like I was instinctively driven to grow my divine power as quickly as possible.
Is the system influencing me? Or is this just something that comes with being a god?
I still lacked knowledge about this world and even my own condition. But there was nothing I could do about that right now, so I did what I always did in such situations, focusing on what I could control as I shifted my attention to Roy.
This is exhilarating.
A thrill ran through me as I observed the young Velmoryn kneeling before my statue. I felt the surge of power and, more than anything, the feeling of control.
I realized that with just a thought, I could end every single one of these creatures. Wipe them out. Reshape this settlement however I pleased. The sheer superiority of my position sent a shiver through me.
But something about it felt… wrong. Or rather, I thought I should feel like it was wrong, so I forced myself to calm down. I hated the idea of not being in full control of my own emotions and judgment, but there was nothing I could do.
Instead, I focused on Roy. He was visibly younger than Aria, with long gray hair tied back and crimson eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. Unlike most Velmoryns, he wasn't wearing a robe but rather leather armor.
Perhaps I should bless Aria? I hesitated. No! It's safer to test it on the bronze rank first. I can't risk ruining my strongest believer.
If I was going to bless him, I wanted to maximize the effect. That meant choosing a class for him myself. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I was going to picture it clearly in my mind before willing the blessing into existence.
I checked his status window again. His primary attributes - perception, dexterity, and agility suggested that he would excel as a hunter, an assassin, or a scout. I hadn't seen him in action, but based on his stats, he should be nimble, fast, and precise.
Still, there were other factors to consider.
I have no idea if this tribe has rivaling groups nearby or if hunting the beasts here will help them grow stronger. Instead of choosing between the two, I'll find a middle ground.
I studied him closely. His lean build was clearly unsuited for brawling or any other strength-based combat. I had a hunch that close-quarters fighting wouldn't be his strong suit. Instead, I needed something that would allow him to fight from a distance. As an archer, he could serve as a scout, hunter, and assassin all at once. His attributes were perfectly suited for that role.
So I pictured it. His new class. His fighting style. His purpose.
And then, I willed it.
[Warning: Passing The Divinity consumed 0.5 Divinity Points]
The notification window popped up next to me, but I moved it to the side just like before, and I felt a part of me leave. The sensation was familiar, but much weaker than when I created the guardian.
Looks like blessing a Bronze Rank believer doesn't require much Divinity Points, unlike creating a guardian.
That reminded me - I still needed to check the oak tree's attributes and rank. I had been so focused on spreading my religion and strengthening my believers that I had completely forgotten about my first guardian, whatever that truly meant.
I snapped out of my thoughts as a crimson light slowly descended. I had imagined something dramatic - Roy rising into the air, the divine energy flooding into his chest or mind. But, instead, the light simply settled over him.
He flinched. Then fell back in shock, scrambling away from the glow. But as soon as he realized what was happening, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground, his body trembling with reverence.
I could feel the connection with Roy strengthening rapidly, it was already more vivid than with Aria. For a moment, I focused on it, trying to understand if it had any tangible effect.
At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, I started to feel it. Roy's emotions.
They weren't as clear and vivid as my own, but I could sense them nonetheless. Not in words, not as distinct thoughts, but as an impression, a rough echo of his mind. I was about to pull up his status window to see what had changed when the crimson light flared once more, this time sinking into his body.
Roy remained motionless at first, still kneeling. Then, his head lifted and I saw the markings on his face shifting. The crimson vein-like patterns that had once been confined to his cheek spread upward, slithering over his forehead like ink bleeding into parchment. The moment the markings settled, the connection between us stabilized.
I was so immersed in the moment, excited to see what new class he had gained, that I nearly forgot the real reason I had blessed him in the first place.
The other Velmoryns were still watching. They stared in stunned silence, their expressions shifting from disbelief to something more uncertain - realization. Now they knew that I was watching them, that I could affect them directly if I wanted to.
Once again, I felt it - that intoxicating sense of control. It was like I held all their lives in the palm of my hand.
That's right. Bow before me if you want to be blessed like Roy. I chuckled inwardly, well, how else could I chuckle without a mouth…
The Velmoryns were wavering. I could see it in their eyes - the hesitation, the doubt. They were loyal to their God, far more than I had anticipated. That was a good problem to have. It meant that once they accepted me, they wouldn't turn away easily.
But right now, they needed one final push. And I already knew how to deliver it.
Roy looked bewildered, shifting his gaze from Velmoryn to Velmoryn, then back to his own body. He could feel the newfound strength. His hands clenched into fists as his breathing steadied.
Then, his expression hardened.
"The God has blessed me," he declared in a strong, unwavering voice. "I felt His presence. He is real - He watches over us. Praise be to the God of Velmoryn!!"
He slammed his fist against his chest, standing tall, his crimson-marked face turning toward those with silvery markings.
A ripple of chants ran through the crowd.
"Praise be to the God of Velmoryn!"
"All praise to the God of Velmoryn…"
One by one, my twenty-four believers joined him, their voices growing stronger as they placed their right fists on their chests.
When Roy made that gesture and called me the God of Velmoryn, I initially thought it was just an impulsive cry, a moment of ecstasy. But now, I was beginning to think it was part of their belief, something ingrained in their culture. That name would most likely stick with me.
Roy receiving some new God's blessing was not something everyone loved. Some Velmoryns whispered, hiding their discontent. Among them, one of the older Velmoryns, whose body was covered with scars, looked away, fists clenched. Then, he shook his head, sighing, and walked away.
As my believers chanted, the roots of the Oak Guardian stirred. One of them emerged from the ground in front of Roy, twisting upward until it reached his height. Then, slowly, it began to change. The bark smoothed, its shape narrowing. It bent, stretched, transformed - until it finally became a bow. The very first weapon I had created.
A notification flickered before me.
[Warning: Creation consumed 0.3 Divinity Points]
I had bound the weapon to Roy, placing a restriction on it in hopes of reducing its cost. The bow was incredibly durable, nearly indestructible, since it had been crafted from the root of the Oak Guardian. But its most valuable trait was its effect.
Roy could imbue his mana into his arrows, igniting them on impact. The more mana he poured into his shots, the stronger the effect.
It wasn't some game-breaking weapon that would turn him into an unstoppable force. But it didn't need to be. This was a gift from a god, an undeniable sign of my power. If this wasn't enough to convince the other Velmoryns that I was both powerful and benevolent, nothing would be. This was not the godly image I had originally planned, but I needed Divinity Points.
Roy reached out, fingers trembling slightly as he grasped the bow. The moment he touched it, a crimson glow pulsed along its surface before fading. His breath hitched. His crimson eyes widened, glistening. I could feel his emotions, he was overwhelmed by gratitude, relief, hope, and, unsurprisingly - pride.
"What more must you see?" Aria called out, stepping forward, her gaze sweeping over the silvery-marked Velmoryns.
"A hundred years we waited, watched our prayers go unanswered. And now, when a God finally reaches out… will you truly turn away?"
The Velmoryns hesitated. Then, one of them lowered her head and knelt. The rest also followed. One by one, their silvery markings shifted to crimson as they pledged themselves to me.
"We accept the new God."
"We offer our lives."
With every new believer, a familiar sensation washed over me, a pleasant tingle that left me wondering - was it the gain in Divinity that made me feel this way, or was I just enjoying it too much?
The notification window in front of me was going crazy. Dozens of new messages flooded my vision, but I ignored them for now. There was something I needed to confirm first.
I scanned the crowd, searching for that one old Velmoryn, the one who had slapped Roy. I wanted to see if he had remained loyal to the previous god, the god, who was most likely long dead. I found him quickly. He had already turned away from my statue, leaving without hesitation.
For a brief moment, I considered killing him on the spot. A public execution would send a clear message. It would prove that I wasn't just some benevolent god who granted blessings, I could be merciless when necessary.
But I dismissed the thought. There was no need to terrorize the Velmoryns, at least not yet. They could enjoy the mercy for now, because it's more terrifying when they know it could run out.
Now that my goal was accomplished, it was time to check my notifications.
[Congratulations, you have gained a new believer and a Divinity Point.]
[Congratulations, you have gained a new believer and a Divinity Point.]
[Congratulations, you have gained a new believer and a Divinity Point.]
…
The notifications continued. 143 new believers.
It was good news, the majority of the tribe were my believers and I was confident the rest would also follow very soon. But I could not finish analyzing as I noticed that among the flood of blue messages, one stood out - a golden notification.
A color I had never seen before.
It glowed differently - more proud, more dignified.
I stared at it for a few seconds too long.
[Congratulations, Verde! You've raised a Rank!]
The window itself was different. More ornate, far more beautiful than any of the previous notifications. But none of that mattered as much as what it said - I had raised my rank.
I did not know what it meant.
But something inside me had definitely changed.
**
A/N-
The next chapter will be available in 3 hours. Don't forget to Follow the novel so that you don't miss a new chapter.