Three months had passed since Riku's encounter with his Lord. During this time, he and the humans lived in an earthly paradise—a place under the protection of Shikama Doji, where there was no longer any need for worry.
The dry and barren lands around them had blossomed with the blessing of their god, and farming had become an easy task.
But today, in the grand church built by humans to worship Shikama Doji, Couronne saw Riku praying as always.
Except this time, his face seemed filled with sorrow. His white and golden robe shimmered in the sunlight, but his gaze was distant and heavy.
"What's wrong? You look upset…" Couronne asked softly.
"It's nothing… I'm just thinking about how useless we are to our Lord," Riku replied without turning his head. "All we can offer is our faith and loyalty. But compared to all the blessings he's given us, what value do these really have?"
Couronne looked at him. "But besides that, what else can we give? Our Lord is the all-powerful sun. He needs nothing."
To Couronne, humans were weak creatures. What could they possibly offer a god who had everything? But just as he was thinking that—
[Prophecy]
An image echoed in the minds of all the humans in the city. Everyone, whatever they were doing, stopped in their tracks.
Shocked, they moved toward the main square of the city. Riku, as their leader, stood at the front.
Suddenly, the sun in the sky radiated a blinding light. The light grew so intense that everyone instinctively fell to their knees and began to praise with passion and devotion.
"Praise the Sun!"
"Praise the Almighty and Omniscient!"
"Praise the Light that illuminates the world!"
Their voices united, harmonious and resolute. The sunlight intensified, then, like a rain of stars, brilliant particles began to penetrate the bodies of the humans.
Shikama Doji, observing in the form of metaphysical aether, watched the scene calmly. To him, this event was no surprise.
For months, he had been pondering: how to make humans powerful?
The problem was that humans, unlike other races, had evolved naturally, and their bodies instinctively rejected magic.
Even if he gave them magical knowledge, they couldn't use it. So he found another solution: to bestow fragments of his own divinity.
These fragments, like pieces of his essence, fused with the souls and flesh of humans, granting them divine power.
The purer and stronger a person's faith, the more powerful the divine fragments became.
This system resembled fantasy world clerics who drew their power from faith.
In truth, humans were now clones of Shikama Doji.
If their faith reached a sufficient level, they could even become demigod—half-human
And in the midst of all this, Shikama Doji could always guide their will—the stronger their faith, the easier his control.
Upon awakening, Riku prayed with indescribable joy.
The information that had suddenly surged into his mind made him understand what that light was. Humans now possessed power that could help them stand against other races!
And at that moment, Shikama Doji's voice once again echoed in the minds of all:
"From this moment on, Riku Dola shall be my Pope and chosen one. He is my voice in the mortal world."
Riku, a wise and loyal man, was the best choice to lead the humans.
Shikama Doji didn't want to get involved in their day-to-day management. He had greater plans…
The spell to destroy Artosh.
During this time, the humans' faith—however small—had made him stronger.
Now it was time to focus that power. In two years, he would strike Artosh, eliminate him, and become the one true god.
And meanwhile, his other half was busy analyzing the Spirit Corridor...