After the Temple of Eternity was completed.
An unprecedented blaze of Faith gathered.
Almost all the tribespeople approached the great temple with hearts full of pilgrimage-like reverence, offering their most devout Faith within its halls.
As the strongest Anchor Point, the Temple of Eternity.
Left all the other temples far behind.
This also meant.
That this magnificent temple could illuminate some of the more advanced related nodes on the Tribe's Tech Tree.
Mona saw that within the temple.
The light of the Tech Tree was brighter than ever.
Related technology for the [Driftwood Boat], unavailable at other Anchor Points, had also appeared.
At the same time, illuminating a related node in the [Temple of Eternity] required less Light of Technology.
[Within the Temple of Eternity, people can more easily receive the gods' guidance.]
[Your followers will be guided by the Light of Technology more effectively.]
[The amount of Light of Technology you need to spend has decreased slightly↓]
[Displaying the researchable nodes related to the Driftwood Boat.]
[Based on the followers' current knowledge and material conditions, 3 nodes can be illuminated.]
[Propulsion Component]: Light of Technology*1. Leave snail's pace behind. Artisans and Scholars will research a random propulsion component, with a small chance of unlocking "Navigation Art lv1" for the people.
[Repair Craft]: Light of Technology*4. Mending and patching is what matters. Artisans and Scholars will accelerate their progress in a somewhat random, general repair technique and adapt it for ship repairs.
[Reinforced Materials]: Light of Technology*8. Safety is paramount when sailing the seas. The Tribe's Artisans and Scholars will research a way to reinforce the hull using 1 random material.
[Spend: Light of Technology*13?]
[Illumination successful!]
Mona could clearly see that the amount of Light of Technology required had decreased.
This saved him quite a bit of Light of Technology.
Research into [ships].
Was also something he had always hoped the people would pursue.
However.
After he illuminated the related nodes for the people this time.
No list of upcoming research appeared.
This meant the Tribe had little interest in researching it, or that other research was already occupying their attention.
After all.
The Light of Technology was a subtle form of guidance that worked upon the soul.
More than anything, it served to help people who were already making progress.
It did not forcibly change their will.
If people had little desire to research something.
Then the effect of this [acceleration] was like something temporarily put in reserve.
Now.
With the Sea Monster invasion looming.
People were focused more on building [weapons].
Earlier, Mona had also illuminated the related node for [arrows].
With the people's own initiative and the gods' encouragement.
The Tribe was making rapid progress in weapons research.
For example, when it came to Enhanced Arrows, in just a few short years people had used resin-coated hollow arrows to develop [Acid Arrows] and [Giant Arrows], which took several people to load.
As for launchers.
The [Crossbow] and [Ballista] had both appeared.
Only a small group of Artisans continued to focus on technology related to [ships].
For now, the Light of Technology's guidance only affected this group.
But that did not mean the Light of Technology would go to waste.
Once the Sea Monster crisis was over.
The research that needed to advance would continue to do so.
It was like lighting a lamp in the darkness.
The day people truly wished to take that path.
That was when the light would fulfill its purpose.
Mona switched Anchor Points.
This time.
He arrived before the Abigail Flower.
Ten years had passed since the Abigail Flower came into being.
Throughout those ten years.
The Abigail Flower had grown at an extremely slow pace.
It had remained in its embryonic state.
Clearly, this was the result of "Longevity lv3" and "Growth lv4" working together.
While it possessed an extremely long lifespan.
Its growth stages had also been stretched out immensely.
Though he had always kept a close eye on the new things the Abigail Flower brought to the people.
He was more concerned with the growth of the Apostle itself.
Recently.
The cracks in its pale blue, hardened exterior had grown denser and denser.
The increasingly powerful energy of life was continuously sending something into its interior.
The Abigail Flower had also begun to fall asleep frequently.
Mona knew.
This was a sign that its strength had accumulated to a certain point and it was about to enter its next stage.
It was about to truly grow from an embryo into an infant.
"Are you awake?"
Mona asked.
The Abigail Flower seemed to sense the god's gaze upon it.
The pale blue color of its petals deepened.
As if it were answering the god.
Or like a child showing off something.
This time, its slumber seemed to have given it something.
"Oh? Is that so? Let me see."
A smile showed in Mona's eyes as he reached out to examine what the Apostle was so proud of.
As soon as he reached out, he sensed everything inside the Abigail Flower.
Something was gestating within it.
It was a Holy Relic.
[Name]: Rot Spirit Staff
[Type]: Holy Relic · Plant Technology · Tool
[Quality]: Green
[Production Knowledge]: "Insect Manipulation lv2"
[Main Materials]: Decay Essence, Abigail Flower's heart
[Usage Requirements]: Using this weapon requires a Soul Imprint.
[Effect]: The wielder must pierce their palm with the staff to implant the Brand. The branded person will gain some of the Abigail Flower's abilities, with the degree of mastery depending on their talent. This power will grow stronger while they hold the Rot Spirit Staff. A new engraving can only be made when the branded person dies.
[Description]: The Abigail Flower's first heart, containing some of its power. It and the Abigail Flower are like a parent and offspring; when the Abigail Flower itself changes, its power changes as well.
[Your Apostle has created a Holy Relic.]
[To maintain the balance of colors within its body, it used the wisdom you bestowed upon it to create a corresponding vessel of power within itself. Thus, a second Holy Relic has come into being.]
[You have obtained: Light of Technology*25]
[The Rot Spirit Staff's model has been added to the Tech Tree.]
[You can view it under Faith.]
After learning about the [Holy Relic] hidden inside the Abigail Flower, Mona understood.
If.
Controlling those small creatures was the Abigail Flower's ability at this stage.
Then before entering its next stage, before gaining new powers and a stronger body capable of holding them.
It had to temporarily separate this power from itself.
Otherwise.
If it could not skillfully balance the various colors within its body, it would suffer the same fate as the malformed creatures he had created before:
Unable to harmonize within their swelling colors, they would rot and perish in short order.
Instead, this Apostle had used that very danger to create a Holy Relic.
For Mona, it was indeed a pleasant surprise.
The pale blue petals of the Abigail Flower glimmered softly.
It seemed to be asking the god for something, or timidly pleading with him.
"Who you choose to give this power to is up to you."
Mona said with a gentle smile.
He had no intention of interfering.
Since it was a creation of the Abigail Flower's own, the choice was for it to make.
However.
When he saw this Holy Relic.
He already knew who the Abigail Flower would give it to.
Having received the god's answer, the Abigail Flower's bright color flickered, then quickly dimmed again.
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