: MENDING THE SKY

【 MENDING THE SKY 】

After returning to Seigües, Evé did not linger for long.

With the help of her network of faith, she carried the essence she had extracted from the shattered divine kingdom before projecting her consciousness into the demirealm of Ouros.

Within Ouros, the ceremonies across various cities and villages were still ongoing. Devout believers continued their prayers at the altars with unwavering devotion.

Evé did not perform a divine miracle this time. Instead, she manifested a temporary incarnation and directly entered the place where the Provenance of Ouros was stored.

Compared to the shattered Divine Kingdom of her predecessor, the Provenance of Ouros was much smaller and significantly dimmer. If not for the few golden chains stabilizing it, the entire space would likely have already collapsed by now.

Even so, the demirealm’s provenance was on the verge of total collapse, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that its destruction was only a matter of time.

Without any external intervention, this demirealm would last no more than ten years. After that, it would either collapse and shatter entirely or break away from Seigües, as it fall into the depths of the Abyss.

But now, Evé had arrived, and with her arrival, its inevitable demise had changed.

After donning the Crown of Nature and raising the Scepter of Life, she activated the powers of both divine artifacts. Then, she gently extended her other hand and released the divine essence she extracted.

A sphere of radiant, multicolored light emerged from her palm, which circled around her body before surging into the surrounding space.

In the next instant, the entire space trembled slightly before suddenly being engulfed in radiant light.

A strange rhythm pulsed outward from the source, as it quickly spread across the entire demirealm of Ouros. Like ripples across a still pond, it resonated with every altar scattered throughout the cities and villages. At the same time, each statue of the Goddess shimmered with renewed light, and in the blink of an eye, dazzling pillars of multicolored light erupted from every altar, shooting straight into the sky like radiant beacons.

A vast and boundless power, brimming with vitality, surged forth from those radiant pillars, quickly spreading across the entire demirealm.

At that moment, all living beings within the Ouros demirealm sensed that something profound was stirring.

Birds took flight in flocks, and beasts cried out in alarm or awe. Meanwhile in the cities, residents instinctively paused, glancing around with wonder and apprehension, while the believers gathered at the altars turned their eyes skyward, their expressions shifting from confusion to growing reverence and excitement.

“A miracle! It’s a miracle from the Goddess!”

They cried out fervently, voices trembling with awe and devotion as they dropped to their knees in prayer. Their chants grew louder, more unified, echoing through the cities and villages like a sacred hymn rising to the heavens.

The pillars of light atop the altars flickered continuously, casting vibrant hues across the land as the tremors beneath the earth persisted in a steady rhythm.

Over time, some of the demirealm’s more sensitive and magic-attuned individuals began to detect a profound shift. The once-thin ambient mana within the air was now gradually increasing at a constant rate.

Those who had long been stuck at bottlenecks, particularly the high-ranking experts at the peak of Tier 6 (Upper Iron-Rank), suddenly felt an unprecedented opportunity. For the first time in ages, many of them sensed the tantalizing possibility of a breakthrough almost within reach.

At the same time, in the vast forest now renamed Seigües Forest (formerly the Elven Forest), vegetation began to grow at an accelerated pace. Many plants even began to exhibit sign of magical traits.

It was a sign of evolution.

However, the most dramatic transformation was seen in the sky.

As those multicolored pillars of light pierced through the heavens, the massive crisscrossing spatial rifts that had scarred the sky of Ouros for hundreds of years and grown increasingly grotesque over time began to slowly heal.

The first to notice this change cried out in astonishment:

“L-Look! The cracks in the sky… they’re vanishing!”

His voice trembled with disbelief, drawing the attention of those nearby.

Soon, more and more people began to notice the phenomenon.

They raised their heads, gazing upward in awe and confusion.

“It’s true… the cracks are disappearing…”

“By the Goddess! What am I witnessing?!”

“A miracle… It’s a miracle!”

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, the spatial rifts that had been ever-present in their skies since birth were slowly being filled with vibrant, multicolored light. Piece by piece, the sky gradually mended itself, the jagged scars dissolving into nothingness and giving way to a radiant glow that pulsed with divine warmth… ṛᴀŊȰ𝔟Εṩ

The meaning behind this strange phenomenon was unmistakable to the people of Ouros.

For over a thousand years, an apocalyptic prophecy had been passed down from generation to generation, foretelling that the cracks in their skies were omens of their world’s end. Once the sky was completely covered in fractures, their land would inevitably fall into ruination.

Yet now, at this very moment, those harbingers of destruction were slowly vanishing before their eyes.

The implications of this miraculous event weren’t lost on anyone, as a collective understanding dawned in everyone’s hearts:

The doomsday scenario everyone was once terrified of was finally receding!

Before the altar in the central plaza of Seigües City, Taylor Rocksand, who had by now become the demirealm’s High Priest, stood in awe, his heart pounding with a mix of reverence and disbelief. His eyes were wide as he gazed up at the unfolding miracle, his hands trembling in fervent devotion. With a voice choked with emotion, he exclaimed to the gathered crowd:

“It’s Her Grace, the Goddess doing! It is the Goddess who has intervened! She heard our prayers, and now She is mending the sky! She is saving our crumbling world from its demise!”

“Our world… has been saved!”

“Praise be to Nature! Praise be to Life! Praise be to the Great Goddess Eve!”

Hearing Taylor’s exclamations, the other believers in the plaza snapped out of their stunned silence as they, too, began chanting in awe and reverence, their voices rising with the same undeniable passion:

“Praise be to Nature! Praise be to Life! Praise be to the Great Goddess Eve!”

The intensity of their chants grew louder and more unified with each passing moment, each word filled with gratitude and fervor.

Gradually, the chants began to spread, reaching beyond the plaza and sweeping through the entire city. One by one, more and more people—non faithful and believers alike—joined in, their voices rising in harmony.

Their collective joy and worship spread like wildfire, until eventually, the chants echoed across the entire demirealm.

From every corner of the land, waves of praise rose into the air as anyone who gazed up at the mending sky were overcome with joy and excitement.

And within Eve’s Divine Kingdom, in the starry sky representing her Network of Faith, countless new stars which signify new believers began to light up one after another like wildfire sweeping across a plain.

At that moment, the local residents who witnessed such a miraculous event actually began to convert their faith on an unprecedented scale!

Ten thousand… twenty thousand… thirty thousand…

The number of believers that the players have gained after months of hard work is further skyrocketing!

After all, nothing garners faith more effectively than saving the world.

In that moment, even those local residents who had never listened to the players’ sermons found themselves sincerely moved as their hearts were filled with reverence and gratitude toward the Goddess.

Conversions spread faster and faster. The number of new believers soon surpassed the total gathered by the players’ efforts, and continued to grow at a staggering rate.

A hundred thousand… two hundred thousand… three hundred thousand…

As vast numbers of local residents were converted into believers simultaneously, the resulting surge of faith became almost tangible. Even the holy statues which were enshrined across the altars, began to radiate divine light.

Sensing this sudden explosion in believers and divine power, Evé herself was momentarily stunned.

While she had expected that mending the Provenance of Ouros would garner her some new believers, she hadn’t anticipated results this overwhelming.

In just a few short moments, her number of believers had soared by hundreds of thousands, and her divine power had increased by more than five hundred points.

And this was despite most of the gathered faith still being channeled into the network and her holy statues, rather than being directly absorbed into herself!

Even so, this wasn’t the end.

The transformation in the skies continued.

Under the awestruck gazes of the local residents, the radiant light continued to spread—until the spatial cracks that had marred their sky were finally completely healed.

A sky as clear and blue as a sapphire was reflected in the eyes of every resident, and all who saw it fell into a stunned silence.

“This… this is the true sky! The one recorded in the ancient scriptures left by the Divine Beings!” exclaimed one scholar, overwhelmed with emotion.

“Indeed… it’s exactly the same as the sky in the Higher Realms!” cried a resident who had once purified their bloodline.

Their once-marred sky was finally whole again!

Eventually, the multicolored pillars of light slowly faded, giving way to a stunning aurora of radiant hues.

Particles of glowing light drifted down like snowflakes, flowing into every local resident, magical beast and every plant within Ouros…

Every living being felt their bodies strengthen significantly.

It was a natural reaction from the demirealm itself, which was an innate boon bestowed upon its denizens after its origin had been healed.

Even those players who hadn’t fought in the Desert of Death and had remained in the demirealm to complete their priest tasks shared in this blessing.

To their astonishment, their experience points skyrocketed with many of them instantly leveling up right there on the spot.

As they felt the changes in their bodies and looked up at the dreamlike clear skies right above them, a realization dawned upon the people of Ouros:

The apocalypse was over.

Their world had been reborn anew.

A wave of elation swept across the land.

Some residents, overcome with emotion, even wept.

They had waited for so long for this moment.

How many years had they lived under the shadow of impending doom?

Although few dared speak of it openly, the doomsday prophecy had always loomed over them like a sword hanging by a thread, poised to fall without warning.

Every natural or man-made disaster in the past century had, in one way or another, been seen as a sign—another step toward the inevitable end foretold in ancient scripture.

Whispers of despair had taken root in their hearts. Thus, over time, everyone felt as if their world had come to feel like both a home and a prison, with no hope of escape, nor promise of tomorrow.

But now, that long nightmare had finally come to an end.

It was now over.

People looked up at the sky, crying, laughing, and cheering.

Once more, fervent cries rang out from cities and villages alike—but this time, they came unbidden, from every soul:

“Praise be to nature, Praise be to life, Praise be to the great Goddess Eve!”

The voices boomed like thunder, rolling across the land in endless waves…

Standing beneath the newly healed sky, the demirealm’s High Priest, Taylor Rocksand, suddenly felt a profound revelation.

The Goddess was merciful and magnificent.

What could represent that mercy more than saving an entire world for the sake of her believers?

Only by spreading her faith, by sowing the ideals of her divine will, could true salvation be found!

In that moment, a brilliant holy light erupted from his body.

His power of faith intensified, and his soul underwent a sudden and total transformation as his belief further deepened.

He became the first fanatical believer among all residents of Ouros.

Taylor’s change was not unique.

Many believers also advanced in their faith, shallow ones becoming devout, and many devout followers, following in Taylor’s footsteps, changing into fanatical one after another.

Of course, the divine radiance surrounding Taylor remained the most dazzling of all.

At that moment, the faith of all believers in Ouros was uplifted to varying degrees, and the number of new believers devoted to Evé reached yet another unprecedented height!

Feeling the dizzying surge of new believers, Evé found herself joyfully overwhelmed.

And within the Provenance of the demirealm itself, the origin of Ouros finally completed its fusion with the remnants of the shattered divine kingdom.

Brilliant beams of multicolored light energy lit up the skies, sweeping away the aura of decay that had once blanketed the land. In its place surged an overwhelming tide of vitality.

The restoration of the Ouros demirealm’s provenance was finally complete.

Sensing the revived and vibrant life force radiating from the Ouros demirealm, Evé was deeply satisfied.

The crisis that had plagued the demirealm was now completely resolved.

And more than that, due to its fusion with a higher-grade origin, the overall energy level of the realm had increased.

Previously, it could only accommodate those who were at the peak of the Silver-rank. But now, its mana had risen enough to support those of the Lower Gold-rank.

With a small nod of approval, Evé withdrew from the space in which Ouros’ origin was stored and returned to her divine kingdom.

Within her Divine Kingdom, even the starry skies had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Before, the blue stars that symbolized players and the green stars representing her believers had stood in balance, each numbering over a hundred thousand.

Now, the sky was awash in an endless sea of green stars.

They formed a magnificent river of starlight across the firmament, breathtaking in its brilliance.

Still, their color felt slightly off.

Evé thought the blue stars had looked better.

With a faint thought, she willed the stars to change, turning their green hues into a radiant gold, which was the symbol of divine life energy.

There, much better...

She nodded again, pleased.

As she expected, the restoration of Ouros’s provenance had brought immense benefits to herself.

Sensing the outcome, Evé discovered that resolving Ouros’ apocalyptic crisis had earned her over 1.5 million new believers!

Combined with her previous believers within the demirealm, her total believer count now approached 1.7 million.

It could be said that nearly half the population of Ouros had been converted in the aftermath of this entire event. And even those who hadn’t officially embraced her faith had developed a profound admiration for her.

Of course, the vast majority of these new faithful of hers were only shallow believers. While her devout followers numbered fewer than 100,000, and there were fewer than a hundred fanatical believers.

Nonetheless, this was already a staggering numbers.

In terms of both numbers of believers and devotion quality, Evé had already surpassed and utterly outclassed Uller at this point.

Unfortunately, this kind of events was unrepeatable.

After all, world-saving opportunities didn’t come by every day.

Aside from her increased number of believers, Eve’s divine power had also increased, gaining over a thousand points thanks to the influx of new faithfuls.

Overall, she was overjoyed.

But despite her delight, her mind remained calm and clear.

The growth of a true god was like a snowball—once it started rolling, it only grew faster and larger.

Now that she had ascended to the rank of Intermediate Divine Power, gaining both believers and power of faith had become significantly easier and faster.

It was much like earning money in her past life:

The hardest part was making your first million. But once you accumulated enough cash, everything else came much easier.

The same applied to true gods.

Compared to weak deities, powerful gods boasted an overwhelming advantage in both number of believers and divine power reserves.

The more believers a god had, the more stable their network of faith will became.

Powerhouses like the Eternal Lord, whose believers numbered in the hundreds of millions, possessed a foundation far beyond the reach of lesser deities like Uller, who had only a few hundred thousand at most.

Only the unique properties of divine kingdom and divine domains gave weak gods a means of survival—allowing gods of all power levels to stand as equals on paper.

But even so, mythical powerhouses were still widely revered and feared. They often accepted weaker gods as vassals under their command.

Still, within the mythical hierarchy, most deities were of minor or weak divine power. Those possessing Intermediate or higher divine power were relatively rare.

In fact, if one were to model the divine structure of the universe, it would resemble a pyramid capped with an Eiffel Tower: the base filled with weak divinities, and the peak crowned by the few who held Great Divine Power.

Indeed, it very much resembled the income distribution of citizens back on earth.

Intermediate Divine Power marked the connecting point between the pyramid and the Eiffel Tower.

Having now reached that level, Evé had set one foot into the ranks of the powerful among mythical beings.

What’s more, Those deities who have Intermediate Divine Power also gained the qualification to establish their own divine factions.

“I must keep striving,” Evé reminded herself. “A thousand years ago, even the World Tree despite being a Great Divine Power was outnumbered and overwhelmed. I may be stronger now, but the gap is still vast.”

“Also, the level of mana in Seigües are rising up again. The opening of dimensional passageway might come sooner than expected. After the commotion I caused in the Desert of Death and slaying Uller, the God of War is sure to respond in some way.”

“I’ve officially entered the sight of those mythical beings outside. Some things I’ve been hiding from from may come knocking soon.”

With a quiet warning to herself, Evé turned her attention back to the Desert of Death.

The players had already broken the orc army’s resistance. The vanguard had reached the walls of Sandstorm City which was once the pride of the orcs.

Its fall was now only a matter of time.

With their patron god slain, the orcs were now finished.

“My strength has grown. I can now expand the players’ operating zones. And… it’s time to summon more.”

Gazing up at the blue stars that symbolized the players, Evé murmured softly:

“I guess now is the perfect time to open up the game for the second batch of public beta players.”

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