Bestowing Pills

June 5th.

Somewhere in an old office building near Kita-Ayase.

The Holy Infant Society had an unprecedented turnout. Fifty-eight members gathered in one hall, holding candlesticks and praying in rhythm with the president.

"The Holy Infant has descended, still battling the filthy aura of the mortal world. Yet, in His mercy, He does not wish for His followers to suffer from illness. Thus, He shall bestow a gift: those with pious faith may receive one Holy Son Pill. You may also use accumulated contribution merits to redeem more. Next, we shall hold the Spirit Gathering Ritual to condense spiritual power for the Holy Infant."

These reasons and rituals were provided to Nakai Hayato by the security guard controlled by Shiraishi Wataru. He had assigned the guard the identity of the Ninth Protector, whose duty was to protect the still-fragile Holy Infant from other evil forces.

This had kept Nakai Hayato on edge for quite some time; he couldn't even sleep well, terrified that some mysterious faction might strike at him.

The members held their candlesticks high, standing in their designated positions as instructed by the president and his assistants. The Holy Infant's coffin was placed in the center, surrounded by large amounts of rice and willow branches—in short, it was designed to look impressive and profound.

Then, the members repeated the president's words. After nine repetitions, the president knelt first and shouted, "We respectfully welcome the Holy Infant's descent into the world!"

Several core members quickly followed suit, and the remaining members hesitantly joined in the chant.

Two assistants continued to shoulder the heavy responsibility of lifting the Holy Infant.

The cold air from the coffin drifted out, clearing the minds of those standing nearby.

The hall became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. People watched the lifted child with inquisitive, cautious eyes.

In the silence, the Holy Infant opened His eyes. His gaze was devoid of sorrow or joy, as if filled with divinity.

"Few among you are qualified," the Holy Infant said softly, lifting His eyes. His voice sounded nothing like that of a child.

Before Nakai Hayato could speak, the Holy Infant continued, "I shall have the Ninth Protector select those with pious faith. Only they are qualified to receive the Holy Son Pill."

With that, He lay back down.

The Ninth Protector, who had been sitting in the corner with his eyes closed, opened them, stood up, and selected the core members, several people in wheelchairs, and a few others who appeared to be in good health.

Sato Tomomi was among them.

At that moment, she was filled with trepidation, limping along with the others as she stood before the Ninth Protector.

"Each of you may receive one Holy Son Pill. Whether you consume it yourself or give it to another is up to you. If your contribution merits are sufficient, you may redeem one more for your family or friends to relieve them of their suffering." The Ninth Protector brought out a box with individual compartments, each holding a pill.

Everyone expressed their gratitude and took one.

The core members swallowed theirs without hesitation. Under the gaze of everyone present, they all seemed to grow ten years younger, their physical conditions improving at a speed visible to the naked eye. This was an undeniable, firsthand miracle.

A commotion began to stir in the room.

Next were the patients in wheelchairs. They swallowed the pills impatiently, and within ten seconds, they were able to stand up shakily, performing a medical miracle right before everyone's eyes.

The other members couldn't help but gasp, their breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

Sato Tomomi touched her stomach and her impaired left leg before swallowing her pill as well.

Soon, a warm current flowed to her heart, followed by a heat spreading through her stomach and leg. When she tried to walk again, she was no longer limping.

Sato Tomomi was considered a veteran of the society, though she hadn't reached the level of a core member due to insufficient "contributions." However, most members knew her and had interacted with her, knowing her primary goal in joining the faith was to conceive a child.

Whether she could conceive now, she didn't know, but her leg—which had been crippled for so many years and was certainly not acting—had healed right before everyone's eyes.

From this moment on, they all knew they had encountered a miracle that only happens once in a millennium.

"P-President, is my contribution enough to exchange for another Holy Son Pill?" Sato Tomomi thought of her husband first; his health had never been good, so she asked the president nervously.

Nakai Hayato didn't actually know how many contribution merits she had. The system was originally just a point tally based on how much money was donated, now being exploited by Shiraishi Wataru.

But thinking that she was a veteran of the society and a member who made monthly contributions, her merits should be substantial.

"Of course. I have seen Mrs. Sato's contributions with my own eyes. Your merits are definitely enough to redeem another Holy Son Pill," Nakai Hayato said kindly.

Sato Tomomi looked toward the Ninth Protector, who said nothing but simply pinched a pill and handed it to her.

Shiraishi Wataru, controlling the Ninth Protector, sensed the test subjects who had just swallowed the parasites.

Surprisingly, they were all only compatible with the Steel Body ability.

In that case, the president and the security guard he had chosen, who could both adapt to two abilities, were truly talented individuals.

Hm? No, wait. This woman seemed to have a marginal compatibility with Super Strength as well, but the feedback informed him that forcing the adaptation might cause the test subject to lose control.

Shiraishi Wataru decided to observe further before making a decision.

The other members who had just swallowed the Holy Son Pill and realized its wonders also began requesting exchanges from the Ninth Protector.

However, each person was limited to redeeming only one pill with their merits. Those judged to be insufficiently pious were denied, even if they had the money to buy merits on the spot. They grew desperate, crying and begging Nakai Hayato.

Nakai Hayato, however, dared not defy the Holy Infant's will. He simply told them to strengthen their faith, saying that as long as the Holy Infant saw their piety, He would naturally bestow the pills.

The Ninth Protector finished distributing the pills, returned to his spot, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

No one dared to disturb him, so a large number of members crowded around those who had received pills and the president, all attempting to trade money or favors for a Holy Son Pill.

Sato Tomomi refused one person after another, clutching her pill tightly.

Seeing that the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control, the president walked to a wall and shouted to focus everyone's attention.

He then let out a low grunt and punched the wall. With a loud bang, a fist-sized crater was smashed into the thick wall, with cracks spreading out from the impact.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

"Did you not hear the Holy Infant's instructions?! As long as you offer your faith, everyone will receive a gift! I see some of you trying to prey on your fellow members—you can try it if you like. Even if the Holy Infant is merciful and does not punish you, I will not let such traitors go!" Nakai Hayato scanned the crowd with a sharp gaze. Everyone was startled, and those who had been hot-headed immediately calmed down.

That was right; these people were the devout followers designated by the Holy Infant. If anyone dared to make a move, there was no telling what kind of terrifying divine retribution might follow.

With that thought in mind, no one dared to harbor any crooked ideas anymore. They could only watch with envy as the club members who had successfully exchanged for the Holy Son Pill received their rewards, hating themselves for having such wavering faith; otherwise, they would surely have had a share of their own by now.

However, one wealthy member managed to trade for a pill from someone else and consumed it on the spot. Following a few bursts of laughter, the once frail and sickly fat man transformed in the blink of an eye into an agile one, making everyone else even more envious.

Hmm, [Steel Body] had a relatively minor effect on shaping one's physique; it could not be used as a miracle weight-loss drug.

Seeing that everyone's attention had been diverted, Sato Tomomi breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking that her husband would soon be free from illness and weakness just like her, she couldn't help but reveal a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

PS. The story in this book takes place in a parallel universe. If any details do not align with reality, that only further proves my point. Please go easy on me; as a new author of a failing book, I'm begging for everything.