[#Using your Minor Miracle skill, you could grant an answer to this prayer; it would cost you 8,000FP. You also have the option of restoring their rivers and curing those who were afflicted with an additional 6,000FP. Are you willing to proceed? Y/N#]
I stared at the still-floating prompt for a moment, wondering what to do.
’Hmm, I have enough faith points for both miracles, but they only asked for one,’ I thought, stroking my nonexistent beard.
"But I’m assuming if I did all that, I’ll have a higher chance of increasing my followers’ level from Casual; otherwise, the system won’t recommend it", I said with a mix of certainty and scepticism, unsure if the system threw it in for pizazz or if it knew what it was doing.
’Well, what do I have to lose,’ I thought as my finger hovered over the yes button for a brief moment, before finally pushing down on it.
[#Minor miracle confirmed
Faith points:-14,000#]
Upon hearing the notice, I turned my gaze away from the system panel to look down at the village folk at the altar, as well as the village, waiting for the miracle to take effect; because even I was half-expectantly waiting to see what would happen.
Meanwhile, down on Vethyris, the grounds beneath the village began to tremble as the once barren soil began to darken and sprout plant varieties I had never seen back on the blue planet: silver flowers with ethereal iridescent glows, star-shaped fruits that smelled of ozone and honey, and other weird plants.
Similarly, the sky above the now restored soil darkened, the gathering clouds a bruised grey mass of rain and lightning.
"Rain wasn’t part of the miracle, was it?" I asked the system, looking down at the gathering clouds
[#No host. I decided on it as a better means of executing the miracle; the rain will restore the rivers and nourish the restored soil. The rain will also contain the essence of vitality, curing villagers afflicted by the curse; it’ll be feeding two birds with one scone#] The system responded, its deadpan tone as logical as ever
The rain clouds down in the village were beginning to slow their gathering, the air thick with the smell of ozone, the pressure in the atmosphere a gentle weight on the back of the bewildered villagers’ ears.
In the span of the next breath, lightning tore across the sky, accompanied by violent wind and a torrential downpour of rain pelting down on Vastyi; from the people of the land to the land itself.
The wind yanked roofs off their huts, exposing afflicted villagers to the revitalising rain, their sickly complexion now a healthy rosy caramel.
Villagers who were sick suddenly stepped out of their huts, with a baffled look on their faces; their sudden health was one thing, but the sudden fertility of the land and fullness of the rivers.
[#Miracle successful
Followers: +7 fanatics, +5 devotees, +28 casual#][the recently healed inclusive]
The old man stood with a mixed look of shock and happiness. Unable to voice what he felt, he simply fell at the altar one last time and said, *Thank you, oh great one*. He held the position for a couple of minutes before getting back up in silent reverence.
"System, how much divine energy would it cost me to project my voice into the mortal plane?" I asked the system, an idea already forming in my head.
[#That would cost you 100DE, you currently possess 216#]
"216? I had just 200; where did the additional 16 come from?"
[#Your divine energy regenerates at a speed of 10DE/hour, but maintaining your shelter ability costs 2 divine energy for each hour it’s active. Making your net regeneration rate 8DE/hour#]
"Ohhh, I see, that actually makes more sense", I replied, now understanding this aspect of the system’s mechanics.
[#Would you proceed with voice projection?
Cost: 100DE
Yes/No#]
The obvious choice was yes; a God just helped them, and they need to know which God.
Down in the village, the old man was about to depart from the altar. Seeing that everyone else had already left, he decided to do the same. The newly restored village needed to be overseen, especially in this budding phase. Just as he took the first step to leave the altar, he heard a voice, and the voice said
"You have done well, my child."
Upon hearing the voice, the old man spun around in shock. "Who’s there?!" He asked in puzzled amazement.
"The one who answered your prayers...obviously", I replied calmly, awaiting his next reaction or response.
In the next moment, I witnessed the man fall into prostration so rapidly and suddenly that his head collided with the stone altar. ’Oof, that had to hurt,’ I thought, noticing tints of red spreading around the area where he banged his head on the stone.
*Oh, great one, thank you for restoring our land and bringing abundance and health to us all. Without your intervention, this village would have been a forgotten name in history.*
"You may rise", I replied, enjoying this role of God a bit too much now, also noticing how blood began to trickle and roll down his face from where he smashed his head ’Fanatics indeed’, I sighed internally as I shook my head in exasperation.
’System, deduct from my faith points and heal that injury,’ I commanded the system internally.
And almost immediately, a system notification appeared
[100FP deducted successfully].
Without delay, the wound on the old man’s forehead began to close, muscle and skin knitting shut at a visible pace, and of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by the old man, who was about to smash his head into the altar again, in what I assumed was excessive gratitude, but before he could, I interrupted him.
"Although a bit excessive, your devoutness is admirable. Which is why I have a task for you," I said, pausing for dramatic effect and also to ensure the man was listening, thought majorly for dramatic effect "Currently, there are members of this village who don’t fully trust in my existence. I’m currently assigning you the task of ’converting them fully’, if the term fits."
The old man stood in awe. *It would be this mortal’s utmost pleasure to accept the grand honour of becoming the great one’s medium.*
Satisfied with his response, I continued, "From today and henceforth, you shall address me as such, as I am the God of shelters, Divine Lord of Vasyti; I am Astrael."
[#Congratulations, hidden system quest completed...#]