The Second Believer

Pete was instantly at a loss for words.

Right.

What about the prayer?

When he first established contact with Noven, he had been desperately clutching at a lifeline on the verge of death. He had no idea which line from his prayer had reached the God of Knowledge.

Could he really teach Lena the words, "Any god will do, just someone please save me," and have her repeat them to see if she could establish a connection with the God of Knowledge?

More importantly, that hardly sounded like a proper prayer!

Fortunately, Noven did not leave Pete in an awkward spot for long. A new divine revelation soon descended.

A prayer was nothing more than a phrase that pointed to a certain god through keywords.

After reading through the revelation in his mind, Pete breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that he had the prayer, all he needed to do was have Lena repeat it in the proper format.

"It's very simple, Lena. I'll say one line, and you repeat it after me. Remember, stay focused while praying and feel the connection between you and the God of Knowledge gradually taking shape."

Lena asked curiously, "God of Knowledge... can we pray to Him directly from here? This environment... um, won't He dislike it?"

"Don't worry, it's fine. Noven, the God of Knowledge, is a very tolerant deity and doesn't care about such formalities," Pete reassured her.

Pete understood what Lena meant.

For major gods like the Goddess of Magic and the God of Radiance, strict ritual requirements had to be observed during the special occasion of one's first prayer and offering of faith.

Take the Goddess of Magic, for example:

First, one had to choose a private, quiet place and ensure they would not be disturbed;

Then, they had to prepare an item connected to the Goddess of Magic, such as a gem containing magical power to serve as a medium;

Before formally beginning the ritual, they also needed to cleanse their body with clean water and dress neatly to show respect and reverence for the goddess;

Only then could they attempt to pray, reciting the corresponding prayer with a devout heart and seeking the goddess's response.

Not one of these steps could be omitted. If they were not done properly, then unless someone was exceptionally gifted—practically the Goddess of Magic's own son or daughter—they could never establish a connection with her. They might even offend the goddess through some mistake in the process and get "blacklisted," leaving them unable to receive the Goddess of Magic's blessings for a long time afterward.

A place like the Moni Brothers Tavern carried symbolism more suited to beings like the God of Fine Wine.

Of course, Noven naturally wanted as few of these cumbersome rituals as possible right now!

As for whether he was being offended or not, he was not that particular.

As long as mortals recited the prayer correctly and he could receive the message and establish a connection, that was enough.

Noven cut out all those messy symbolic procedures wherever possible, retaining only the most essential elements.

He was desperately short on believers right now. The simpler the method, the better—ideally simple enough that someone could attempt their first prayer and offer their faith immediately after hearing the explanation. That was the best and most convenient way to spread the faith!

"In the boundless universe, I pray to You devoutly, great God of Knowledge," Pete said solemnly.

Lena followed him and repeated earnestly:

"In the boundless universe, I pray to You devoutly, great God of Knowledge."

"When I am lost, please grant me guidance and let me find the way forward;"

"When I am confused, please grant me answers and let me resolve the questions in my heart."

"May Your wisdom shine as brilliantly as the Milky Way, guiding me onto the path of knowledge, allowing me to learn without cease and progress without end."

"May Your truth illuminate the earth!"

Lena heard a soft chime by her ear.

"Ding!"

[New believer detected.]

[Believer identity registered. Welcome, Lena Monia.]

[New believer benefits issued.]

[You have obtained 10 Knowledge Points.]

A flood of information suddenly appeared in her mind, and Lena's eyes widened in surprise.

"Mr. Pete, I felt it... Is this the divine revelation of the God of Knowledge?"

At the same time, Pete received a corresponding notification:

[Mission: May My Lord's Truth Illuminate the Earth (Repeatable), completed.]

[You have obtained 5 Knowledge Points.]

"Yes. Once you become a believer of the God of Knowledge, you can try praying to Him and ask what you need to do to solve the difficulties you're facing." Having gone through it himself, Pete already had experience and explained the specifics to Lena.

"Don't I need to prepare offerings that the god likes?" Lena was like an endlessly curious child, asking one question after another. "I even have a small statue of the God of Radiance in my room. That's how I can feel the radiance blessings He grants when I pray."

"No, no, no. As I said, Noven, the God of Knowledge, is different from other gods. You don't need to worry about whether He is willing to respond to you."

"Or rather, the God of Knowledge will clearly tell you exactly what you need to do to receive His help!"

As Pete spoke, he could not help feeling emotional himself.

Before offering his faith to Noven, he had been a shallow believer of the Goddess of Magic and also worshipped the God of Radiance.

Both major gods had countless believers.

When Pete sought the Goddess of Magic's help—for instance, when he wanted to learn a new third-circle spell—he had no idea during prayer whether the goddess had even received his request, whether his method was correct, or even whether she was willing to grant him power!

For most people like Pete and Lena, their prayers were often merely prayers, and they would not receive any additional blessings from the corresponding god because of them.

But things were completely different with Noven, the God of Knowledge!

Though he had not yet had the chance to properly put it into practice, Pete had already realized the value of [Knowledge Points] through comparison with the past!

If he needed the God of Knowledge's help, he would not need to worry about whether his efforts were futile. After making a prayer, he would receive Noven's clear response and learn exactly how many [Knowledge Points] were needed to fulfill his request.

If he did not have enough points, he could find a way to save up enough himself!

This was a path he could clearly "see," one where he could know exactly what needed to be done!

As long as he was willing to work hard, he could receive the God of Knowledge's help!

At most, it would take a little longer and require a little more effort.

But at least it was a method with a visible progress bar, unlike the other major gods, whose requirements could never be known or when they might finally be satisfied.

Pete felt that Noven's attitude toward believers was worlds apart from that of the other major gods.

"Try praying to the God of Knowledge now. Let's see how He responds to your request."

Lena obediently closed her eyes and softly said, "Honored God of Knowledge, Your believer Lena is willing to offer You this insignificant faith. Could You please tell me... what should I do... to help my father and everyone in the Stonemasons Brotherhood stop Dursley's harassment?"

[Believer request detected.]

[Recommended strategy: conduct a professional aptitude test.]

[Requirement: 5 Knowledge Points.]

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