There was a misunderstanding that had occurred, and the least these people could do was give Aiden and Goddess Apophis an apology.
But people quickly started to avoid his gaze instead and started to get angry.
"Tsk, this does not prove anything."
The man who had grabbed Aiden seconds ago suddenly said these words and ran away. His lack of respect shone through his actions, and Aiden almost went after him. But the believer from before blocked his way.
"Sir Priest, did that benevolent goddess send you here to help us out because she heard my prayers?"
The man asked in a desperate voice, and since he had used Apophis’s name, Aiden could not dismiss him either. This was the perfect chance to show off his goddess’s mercy.
In the end, he had no choice but to follow the believer, but he was not alone. A lot of other people tried to discreetly follow them to see what kind of ’Miracle’ he would be performing.
The believer lived in a small house with not a lot of stuff. There were only two rooms in the house - one for the main couple and one for the younger one.
Aiden was led through the common area and toward the younger couple’s room, where the young woman was lying in bed.
Her body was red with a high fever, and she was also having trouble breathing. An elderly lady sat beside her, holding her hand and rubbing it. Meanwhile, the sick lady’s husband looked deathly pale with the fear of losing her.
"There is no need to panic anymore, dear. I have brought someone who can help us with her condition."
The believer declared this without asking Aiden. He was pinning all the hopes and dreams of curing his daughter-in-law on Aiden’s shoulders.
Now it would be truly bad if Aiden was not able to cure her.
"Please allow me to see the patient."
Aiden quickly headed toward the young woman and looked at her face. But he was not a doctor, so he could not pinpoint what was wrong with her.
’Come on! There must be something I can do to make her better! I need to think! My goddess’s honor depends on my answer!’
Aiden felt stressed and even lightheaded. His heart was also beating far too fast, which caused Goddess Apophis to pat his wrist to try and calm him down.
The scaly presence on his wrist helped ground Aiden and reminded him where he was and what he was doing.
[Ding!]
[Your strong bond with your goddess has echoed a resonance. User can now scan for abnormalities in the surroundings.]
[One abnormality has been found. Cause: Salmonella typhi. Cure is available in the Shop.]
[The cure will be considered a Miracle and will be performed under Goddess Apophis’s name. Would you like to continue?]
Aiden looked grateful for this sudden appearance of the system. But in the end, it was all thanks to his goddess’s care.
He opened the system window toward the Shop, only to run into an issue he had not seen coming. And that was the price of the medicine.
’Darn it! Why are food and daily utilities so cheap, but medicine is so expensive? Has it learned from the US medical system?’
The short answer was that Aiden did not have enough coins to buy the necessary medicine. But he was close, which made the situation even more painful.
"Sir, can our daughter-in-law be saved?"
The elderly lady asked in a hesitant voice. Perhaps she could tell that Aiden was not confident in his ability to save the young woman.
But Aiden was not completely out of options.
All he needed were some offerings to reach his goal. And there was no rule telling him he could not demand them from other people in exchange for a miracle.
"I think I might be able to save this young lady. However, it would require your help. Do you think you can do me a favor?"
Aiden’s words made everyone in the household gasp in shock. Even the people standing outside the door who were listening in looked surprised by the fact that he was guaranteeing he could help.
But then hesitation took hold of the couple.
"We might not be able to provide much given our current situation, but we can try. Please tell us what you need."
The family looked ready to offer a lot more than ’some stuff,’ which made Aiden feel relieved.
When someone was this desperate, they usually kept their word and tried their hardest.
"I need you to offer a few things at Lady Apophis’ altar in her temple. It will make her look upon you with grace. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A little bit of food would do."
Aiden stressed these words to make the family feel at ease. He did not want them to think he was asking for something extravagant as a reward for helping them.
For now, the most important thing was to show these humans a miracle.
The family looked stumped by his request and began to question what would make a good offering.
"Will jewelry do? Or maybe clothes-"
"Even food will do. But you need to hurry. Your daughter-in-law’s condition is time-sensitive."
Aiden advised, and that kicked the family into motion. The young man who was the sick lady’s husband ran toward the temple to make the offering Aiden had asked for.
After some time, the message for the offering came through.
[Goddess Apophis has received an offering. Would you like to convert it into coins?]
Aiden agreed, praying that it would be enough. But he was one coin short. It was the worst possible outcome.
"Sir Priest, was that not enough?"
The elder believer asked, and Aiden felt stuck. In the end, he decided that it would be for the best to convert the meat his Goddess had bestowed upon him into the one coin he was missing. It was better to lose the meat than to have his goddess lose face.
But just as he was about to make that sacrifice, the system lit up once more.
[You can now earn coins by playing a game. Would you like to try?]