Aiden looked at the screen in shock, still wondering if this was some kind of joke. But the screen did not change. The snake was moving one tile per second, and Aiden hesitated to touch it.
But his goddess decided to smack his wrist, snapping him out of his daze, and Aiden’s eyes filled with determination.
’100 points? That’s easy to score.’
There was not a single person in his generation who had not mastered this game, and Aiden was no exception.
Thanks to the larger ’prey’ in the game that awarded five points, he was able to finish it in record time.
[Game Cleared.]
[Reward: Healing Elixir ×1]
[You can retrieve your reward from your inventory. Please reach inside and take what you need.]
Aiden looked at the system screen before pressing his left hand against it and reaching inside. His hand passed through space and into something cold before he could even process what had happened.
He pulled his hand back out of the inventory and found a potion bottle resting in his palm. It sparkled in the sunlight and instantly looked like a divine relic.
But he did not give it to the sick grandson immediately.
Instead, he waited for the old lady to bring him some water. Once he finished drinking, he extended the bottle toward her.
"Here, this is a token of my gratitude. Please accept it. If you give it to your grandson, he should recover in no time."
Aiden did not know how quickly the grandson would recover, but since the system had given him the item, he decided to trust it without question.
After all, it was also helping him raise his goddess to the position she deserved.
The old couple looked hesitant before trying to hand the bottle back.
"I am afraid we cannot accept this. We have no money, and we cannot even afford the temple’s prices. There is no way we could afford something this valuable."
The old lady had good eyes to recognize the magnificence of the offering. But she was also an honest person and refused to accept what Aiden had given without compensation.
But Aiden could not allow them to return the Healing Elixir and hinder his goddess’s progress.
So, he put on the best business smile his parents had taught him, and his expression softened.
"I am not asking for money. Rather, I am simply returning the kindness you showed me. That is something my goddess has taught me, and I would never go against her teachings."
The said goddess smacked his wrist in embarrassment, which almost made Aiden chuckle. But as much as he wanted to pay attention to her, he needed to make the most of this opportunity.
"Please use the Elixir. It is about to lose its potency anyway, so I would rather see it put to good use."
Aiden was a smooth liar, so the elderly couple did not question his words. Instead, they accepted the Elixir with hopeful expressions and carefully poured it into their grandson’s mouth.
His complexion immediately began to improve, and within seconds, color returned to the grandson’s face. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his grandmother.
"G-Grandmother..."
He whispered as he looked at the elderly woman, and she let out a sob before pulling the child into her arms.
"Oh, thank goodness you woke up! I was so worried! Sir, thank you for your help. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to repay this favor."
The elderly couple looked at Aiden with gratitude in their eyes, and he knew that now was the perfect time to strike while their hearts were still moved.
"Please don’t worry about it. I came here and met you because this is what my goddess willed. So naturally, everything that happened today was under her grace as well. If you wish to show your gratitude to anyone, then I would rather you show it to her."
Aiden gently guided the elderly couple in the direction he wanted. They were too grateful to question his words or his teachings.
"Of course! We shall offer our gratitude to that merciful goddess. Please tell us what we can do."
The moment had finally arrived.
Aiden had found Lady Apophis’s first followers.
"My goddess is Lady Apophis. She once had a small temple on the outskirts of the village, but it was destroyed some time ago. I am currently restoring it. Please stop by to offer your prayers whenever you have the time."
Aiden’s request was more like a command to the grateful couple, and they quickly nodded to show that they understood.
[Goddess Apophis has gained 3 new followers.]
[You have been promoted to the First Apostle of Goddess Apophis.]
[Current Objective Progress: 3/10 Followers.]
It was nice to make progress, and Aiden felt his energy returning as soon as the notifications appeared.
His goddess must have also noticed the increase in her power because her tail wrapped around his wrist even tighter in excitement.
Unfortunately, that was the only success he had that day. The presence of the other god’s temple nearby made it difficult for Aiden to accomplish much else. So, he returned to the shrine and decided to try again tomorrow.
But his good deed produced another result he had not expected.
More of the goddess’s temple had been restored, and the one working on it was a healthy young man Aiden did not recognize.
The man noticed him and quickly looked him up and down before speaking.
"Are you the priest who healed that old granny’s grandson? I owe her a favor, so I decided to repay it by helping restore this temple. But I have to say, this is a beautiful place. The people who built it must have truly loved it."
The worker praised the shrine as he looked around in awe. He seemed like he wanted to admire it even more.
His goddess’s tail tightened happily around Aiden’s wrist at the praise, making his arm the victim once again.
[Goddess Apophis has gained 1 new follower.]
And just like that, Aiden and the temple had gained another follower.