Evergreen stood quietly, the center of every gaze.
He had not come to bask in praise. He had come to restore order.
The radiance around him slowly faded, and his voice flowed through every heart like a clear spring.
"This place will be the heart of the Land of Promise. It will be reborn, more vibrant than ever."
"But that vitality will not last forever. The Law of Sloth still lurks in the depths of this continent, never far away. It will not destroy your bodies. It will corrode your will, until you drift into nothingness amid the calm."
The crowd fell silent. The deep exhaustion they had felt earlier still frightened them.
"From today onward, the Will Trial will no longer be a punishment, but a rite of purification and growth," Evergreen declared. "Those who pass will receive the blessing of Divinity. Their bodies will grow stronger, their souls purer, and their wills as solid as stone."
He paused to let his words sink in, then pointed toward the wounded who still lay on the ground, confusion on their faces.
"As for those so deeply consumed by Sloth that they cannot break free on their own, I will purify them at a deeper level in the name of Reincarnation. Their souls will be cleansed. They will experience life's Withering and Flourishing and awaken their most primal desire to survive."
Kyle and Amina rose and exchanged a look. Each saw the same resolve in the other's eyes.
Before, they had been helpless. Now their god had shown them the way.
Evergreen walked to the edge of the purified land, where it stood in stark contrast to the untouched wasteland.
He crouched and gently touched the earth.
A new wave of Divine Sense spread from within him. It no longer stopped