I Am Not a God

Gray handed the waterskin to Rouge again, letting his wife taste clean water she had not drunk in over a decade.

Watching Gray and the others drink so cautiously, Art Student pulled several more bottles of water from behind his cloak and tossed them to those still waiting for their turn to taste clean water.

"Drink as much as you want. I have more," Art Student told them.

Fearing they would not believe him, Art Student pulled several more bottles from behind his cloak, held them in his hands, and tossed one to each person who had not yet received water.

Everyone held the clean water in their hands with disbelief. To people who had spent so many years drinking polluted water, even water that was only slightly cleaner was incomparably precious.

Those who had lived in the Underhive for decades had never seen clean water. Looking at the clear water in the bottles, no one dared drink it at first.

"Drink as much as you want. I have more if that isn't enough."

Seeing their hesitation and reluctance to drink, Art Student could only repeat himself helplessly.

A few people hesitantly copied Gray, unscrewing the caps and taking tiny sips.

"This water is so sweet! And it doesn't have any strange taste."

"That's because you don't understand. This is truly unpolluted water, the kind only upper-level nobles and important figures get to enjoy."

After tasting the clean water, some people could not help discussing it among themselves.

They clutched the unfinished bottles in their arms even tighter, afraid that such precious water might vanish from their embrace.

"Burp! It's so good."

After taking a sip, Lilith's eyes lit up. This was the best thing she had tasted in twelve years. Hugging the large bottle with her small body, she secretly drank more and more, until her belly was round and swollen. Only then did she stop reluctantly, clutching the bottle as she gazed worshipfully at the giant before her.

The crowd had filled themselves on water alone before finally stopping. Once they came to their senses, they stared blankly at Art Student's cloak, unable to wrap their heads around it as they wondered just how much it could possibly hold.

Art Student did not realize it at first. To him, it was merely an ordinary bottle of water, but to them, it was a huge bottle—enough to meet most of their needs for an entire day.

A bottle of water weighed around 1.5 kilograms. How could Art Student's expensive cloak possibly hold dozens of kilograms of water?

Having been alone for so long, Art Student had not given much thought to what the others might think.

Taking things from inside his cloak was merely a cover. During his ten years since crossing into this hive world, Art Student had already mastered all the knowledge related to technology that the Void Dragon possessed.

As for the vast memories unrelated to technology, Art Student often browsed through them when bored, drawing inspiration for his research.

Art Student had also become proficient in the dimensional space controlled by the C'tan. For now, he used it as his personal storage space, where he could keep all sorts of useful items.

"All right. Follow me."

Seeing that the crowd had gradually calmed down, Art Student turned and headed in one direction. Everyone behind him followed closely in silence.

Art Student led them through all manner of ruined buildings in the Underhive. Damaged massive pipes and collapsed walls blocked their way at every turn.

Gray, following behind Art Student, seemed to want to speak but held back, wanting to ask something yet not daring to.

"If you have a question, ask it. What I hate most are people who speak in riddles."

Though Art Student did not turn to look at Gray's expression, he could sense Gray's complicated emotions and spoke first.

Gray formed countless sentences in his mind. In the end, he gritted his teeth and asked.

"My lord, may we know your name?"

Art Student could not help rubbing his forehead with a bitter smile inwardly. He had been putting on such an enigmatic act that he had forgotten to introduce himself. His subordinates did not even know what to call their leader.

"You may call me Lord of the Stars."

Art Student spoke calmly.

He did not feel embarrassed in the slightest about choosing such an overly dramatic name.

One could never be too careful out in the world. One more alias meant one more layer of protection. In the vast universe of Warhammer, no one knew how many powerful beings still existed.

Even someone as powerful as the Night Haunter had been ambushed by the gods of the Aeldari at his peak and even lost his divine artifact.

Thus, Art Student was extremely cautious. For ten years, he had kept a low profile and never revealed his power before others. Only now, when he could not win but could at least escape, had he come out to recruit followers and seize territory.

"My lord, are you a god now?"

Thinking of the miracle Art Student had displayed earlier, Gray asked with a worshipful expression.

"No. I am not a god. At present, I can only be considered a demigod. I have yet to reach the level of a god."

Art Student answered calmly.

He did not correct Gray's form of address.

Nor did he care about the crazed worship in the eyes of those behind him after hearing his answer.

Gods!

Powerful and mysterious, possessing endless lifespans and boundless might—they were existences beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

The crowd silently followed behind Art Student, their hearts unable to settle. They had never imagined that ordinary scavengers like themselves could, because of their leader's decision, follow a god and receive a god's protection.

That was even harder to accept than believing in the illusory Emperor.

Gray especially had merely seen Art Student wearing power armor and wanted to find a powerful patron. He had never expected his patron to be this powerful.

Not a single person believed Art Student's claim that he was only a demigod. In their hearts, it was simply a humble statement from a merciful god who pitied them.

Art Student led the group through many secluded areas until they reached an ordinary wall. A protrusion on its surface extended and fired a laser that continuously scanned them.

"Ding!"

After a soft chime signaled the end of the scan, the protrusion withdrew.

The wall before Art Student silently parted to either side, revealing a corridor ten meters tall and ten meters wide.

"Let's go!"

Art Student called out, waking the crowd from their stunned daze.

"Yes, my lord."

The crowd followed Art Student into the corridor. Once everyone had entered, the wall silently closed again.

Art Student led them quietly through the broad corridor. The people behind him looked around curiously. The outer entrance had appeared utterly ordinary; without Art Student's guidance, even if they had stood beside that wall, they would never have discovered the hidden space within.

All four walls of the corridor were golden, and the lighting was soft. Even for those who had spent their lives in the Underhive with little exposure to light, it did not seem glaring.