Chapter 15: The Goddess’s Gift

“Praise the Goddess!”

No one knew who shouted it first, but the crowd instantly erupted, and then more and more voices joined in, calling out, “Praise the Goddess.”

Buzhaci, Beikeze, and Griffind also turned to look at Mu Xuan, their expressions solemn and devout.

“Praise the Goddess!”

The pillar of light soaring into the sky intertwined with the radiance around Mu Xuan, quickly bathing the entire village in light, sweeping away the darkness that had covered it under the black mist.

The excitement of the people, as well as the addition of six new strands of Faith Power in the scepter, made Mu Xuan smile.

This is exactly the effect I needed!

Without further hesitation, Mu Xuan quickly split five strands of the eight strands of Faith Power within the scepter and injected them into the giant stone behind him.

Under the cleansing flow of Faith Power, the giant stone slowly rose higher, its shape constantly changing, as if a pair of invisible hands were kneading it, molding its form.

Bathed in radiance, the stone rapidly transformed into a statue of the Goddess. Its face was vague, but the sense of benevolence, sanctity, and brilliance it exuded was unmistakable. The Faith Power was enough to reveal the grandeur of the Goddess’s form!

At this moment, Mu Xuan turned slightly.

Looking at the petite but sacred statue of the Goddess, Mu Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Now that’s more like it. The Goddess statue in my memories was way too tall—those legs were longer than my life! That’s just impossible, come on! But now, without a pedestal, a statue only one meter fifty-six tall is just right!

With the appearance of the statue, the crowd grew even more excited. Nearly everyone knelt down, bowing repeatedly to the statue.

“May the Goddess protect us!”

“Praise the Goddess!”

“……”

Although many wore tattered clothes and their bodies were thin and haggard, under the illumination of the light and the appearance of the statue, their eyes brimmed with hope for the future!

Now, no one doubted that Hel had betrayed the church…

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that the Pope had truly received a revelation from the divine! The Goddess had truly bestowed her protection!

At this moment, Mu Xuan’s prestige among the crowd soared. Before, they followed the Pope for survival, but now, they truly saw the Pope as the envoy of the Goddess…

It could be said that if Mu Xuan now declared that entering the black mist would send them to the Goddess’s divine kingdom after death, many in the crowd would truly believe it and be willing to enter the black mist!

This is the power a deity commands in a world engulfed by calamity… Only after experiencing despair, when the divine bestows protection once again, does faith in the deity reach its pinnacle—and becomes unshakable!

At this moment, Mu Xuan sensed that thirty-two new strands of Faith Power appeared in the scepter. Apart from two or three shallow believers, the rest had all become devout followers.

However, among the shallow believers, Kaman was a surprise to Mu Xuan.

It wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t become a fanatic, but rather the degree to which his faith fluctuated.

Everyone else was straightforward; whatever level of believer they were meant to be, that was the faith they possessed. But Kaman’s faith kept rising and falling, several times nearly dropping below the minimum for a shallow believer.

Was he still attached to Hel emotionally?

Recalling Kaman’s past evaluation of Hel, Mu Xuan couldn’t help but think so.

But before Mu Xuan could think further, Kaman’s gaze suddenly grew firm, a fervor shining in his eyes as he looked at Mu Xuan.

At the very edge of shallow belief, Kaman’s faith abruptly surged, climbing straight to the level of a fanatic!

However, as Mu Xuan sensed those two new strands of Faith Power, his expression stiffened.

That faith didn’t seem to be directed at the Goddess, but… at him?

Meeting Kaman’s fanatical gaze toward him, Mu Xuan immediately broke out in goosebumps and quickly averted his eyes.

Is this kid gay!?

Suppressing his chaotic thoughts, Mu Xuan turned back to the crowd.

“Quiet!”

“The Goddess has already bestowed her protection upon us. As her devoted followers, we must demonstrate the sincere faith of her believers to the Goddess!”

“Now, follow me—let us praise the Goddess together!”

As Mu Xuan turned and knelt before the statue, the three—Beikeze, Buzhaci, and Griffind—immediately followed suit.

Griffind placed one hand over his chest, while Beikeze and Buzhaci pressed their palms together before their chests. At this moment, there were no dissenting voices, all were fervently praising the Goddess.

Then, solemn words of prayer flowed from Mu Xuan’s mouth.

“You are the incarnation of countless stars!”

“You are the master of billions of lights!”

“You are……”

“……”

Behind him, the gathered believers also closed their eyes one after another, adopting postures of utmost reverence as they prayed to the Goddess.

Because of the believers’ prayers, the statue seemed even more sacred at this moment. Radiance poured down, and the feedback of Faith Power was also injected into Mu Xuan’s body.

In the stream-like current of light, Mu Xuan’s vision blurred, then suddenly brightened.

Endless radiance poured down—sacred, solemn, and stretching to infinity. Looking to the horizon, Mu Xuan’s pupils shrank as he saw a graceful yet awe-inspiring figure appear at the edge of the sky.

She wore a golden robe as if woven from light itself, her features vague yet exquisite, and behind her, three pairs of wings composed of countless points of light spanned the entire sky, shaking Mu Xuan to his core.

The deities of this world still exist!

This was thrilling for Mu Xuan, but right after came an irrepressible doubt.

Since the gods still exist, then why does this world…

Daring not to think further, Mu Xuan quickly lowered his head. After all, this was in front of a deity…

At the same time, Mu Xuan felt a bit nervous…

After all, he wasn’t the original Pope. More importantly, among all the believers, he was the least devout as the Pope… If the Goddess found out and settled accounts with him later…

“Pfft~”

As if sensing Mu Xuan’s thoughts, a melodious laugh seemed to drift from the distant sky, carrying a hint of playfulness.

“You’ve done very well~”

The ethereal voice echoed, and it wasn’t hard to hear the happiness within.

!?

Mu Xuan instantly realized—the one speaking was the Goddess!!!

Does this mean I’ve been acknowledged?

Before Mu Xuan could think further, an even more magnificent power suddenly poured into his body. The overflowing light wove itself around him, replacing his tattered clothes and forming a set of splendid, solemn robes.

“This is your reward~”

As the Goddess’s words faded, Mu Xuan’s vision blurred again. When his surroundings cleared, he was back before the statue.

The people behind Mu Xuan, upon witnessing his transformation—especially the change in his presence—became even more devout.

Mu Xuan, feeling the power within his body, was filled with joy. The divine gift, though unspoken, was clear to Mu Xuan the moment it descended.

The Goddess had improved his body’s compatibility with light.

If, before, his body was like a balloon, destined to burst as more light accumulated, and able only to wield light without being nourished by it, now, not only could his body store an unlimited amount of light, but it would also be slowly nourished and continually strengthened!

But…

Mu Xuan looked at his hands, once covered in calluses, now smooth and fair—even a little… dainty? Mu Xuan’s expression grew a bit complicated.