The Snail Shaman's Debate

"Heresy? Ho ho ho, now that's a novel word."

The Snail Shaman raised his head, squinting at the figure on the dais as he spoke with a chuckle.

"But all I did was offer my own share of faith to the True God, according to my understanding."

"Silence! How dare a heretic speak of faith?"

Before the Snail Shaman could say much more, the furious worshippers around him cut him off.

To them, the Sunfire God was an inviolable boundary, and this pitch-black creature before them had clearly crossed it and committed an unforgivable act.

Isara frowned again and said in a low voice, "Then let me hear it, Snail Shaman. What exactly do you have to say?"

"A debate? Hmph, I accept your challenge."

Completely unbothered by the strange looks around him, the Snail Shaman calmly took a few steps forward, placing himself in the very center of the hall.

Are these worshippers to be my first audience now that I've fully developed my path?

Never mind that. What I say next will determine whether I can continue my research.

The Snail Shaman raised both hands and gathered his arguments.

"Everyone, you keep insisting that faith in the Sunfire God is your foundation. Why, then, do you refuse to welcome new believers?"

"Because you're pitch-black and clearly up to no good," a worshipper retorted. "Besides, you prayed without undergoing the trial, and you didn't follow the proper procedure. That's the greatest insult to the Sunfire God!"

"Hmph, is that so?" The Snail Shaman chuckled inwardly, gently waving the fingerless ends of his arms.

"Since you say my procedure was wrong, what is the correct procedure?"

"Well..."

The worshippers immediately fell silent. Although they thoroughly disapproved of the Snail Shaman praying on his own initiative, they couldn't actually explain what made a prayer orthodox.

After all, they had always obediently followed their companions, doing exactly the same things. Detailed rules had yet to be established.

"Mindlessly praying here won't help you grasp the truth. Or is this really all you're capable of?"

Pointing at the Pontiff seated high above, the Snail Shaman added a provocation to his question. "You wallow in the sense of security your god brings you, yet refuse to take a single new step. Isn't it useless fools like you who will sooner or later be abandoned by your god?"

Crack!

A surge of power instantly shattered Isara's armrest, and several cracks spread outward from where she sat.

The Snail Shaman's words had struck at Isara's deepest fear, causing her to momentarily lose control of her god-given power.

The cracks raced toward the Snail Shaman. Only after they had covered half the distance did Isara come to her senses and withdraw her power.

The surrounding bugs were badly frightened as well and backed away, but the Snail Shaman's eyes still held an intrigued gleam.

Has she also received that power from the god? I'd love to study it.

But she doesn't seem able to control it very well. Could it be...

The worshippers began whispering again. Compared with the Snail Shaman's composure, Isara's thoughts were far more complicated.

She barely maintained a calm exterior, but her thoughts were in utter turmoil, leaving her unable to concentrate.

Am I truly stuck in my ways? But even if I must change, where would I begin?

The Pontiff fell silent, and so did the worshippers. There was indeed truth in the Snail Shaman's words.

Ultimately, they insisted so fiercely on tradition because they feared the dangers that change might bring, as well as their own inability to seize its opportunities.

Now that the issue had finally been laid bare, avoiding it any further would only make them look foolish.

But if they were to face it, what could they say?

Sunfire Temple

From his vantage point high above the statue, Lin Jin had watched the entire exchange.

"Now that was unexpected. This Snail Shaman really lives up to the title of Forbidden Seeker. He keeps saying things he shouldn't."

"Still, without him, I probably wouldn't have noticed these problems," Lin Jin said with interest.

As he reflected on this, Lin Jin also acknowledged his own mistakes.

Lately, he had been so eager to expand his power that he had forgotten the vital task of nurturing the bugs' spiritual well-being.

If he kept ignoring this problem, it would surely cause serious trouble in the future.

The Moths, for instance, had been both creations and worshippers of Radiance.

Because of their god's indifference, they had chosen to follow the wiser Pale King, replacing their faith in a god with faith in law and wisdom.

If he mishandled things now, it might not lead to betrayal, but it would certainly create enormous divisions in their faith, perhaps even sparking unrest.

If that truly happened, he would be a god in name only.

He had promised that everyone who believed in him could live a safe and happy life.

Now his worshippers were struggling over how to believe in him. If he didn't step in at a time like this, what was he waiting for?

In other words, Lin Jin was about to trot out his special divine art of grand deception again.

Silence.

A long silence.

Some time had passed, but the Snail Shaman was still tirelessly expounding his ideas.

"Faith isn't merely prayer. It is also research, an unrelenting pursuit of knowledge."

"Even as mortal bugs believe in a god, they should constantly explore their own paths, understand their god, draw closer to their god, and even..."

"I think you've said enough, Dark One."

An ethereal voice seemed to come from every direction at once, cutting him off.

The Snail Shaman stopped in surprise and looked around, trying to find out who had spoken.

But by the time he realized what was happening, every worshipper around him was already kneeling, their heads pressed firmly against the floor.

Even Isara on the dais had adopted a posture of devout prayer.

"Could it be..."

Before the Snail Shaman could voice his thoughts, he felt scorching heat, waves of hot air, and light.

At the highest point of the Temple, the statue began to change.

Endless heat and light gathered in the air from every direction, gradually condensing into a figure.

Lin Jin's divine guise, the flame-wreathed Sunfire God, appeared once more.

Many worshippers were seeing their god for the first time. Though they trembled uncontrollably, they still mustered all their strength to steal a few glances at the figure above.

Now the Snail Shaman, standing in the very center, was the only one left on his feet in the hall.

The Snail Shaman raised his head to gaze at the sunlike figure in the air, whose eyes held orange-red flames.

This was his first time seeing a god, and that presence was exactly as he had imagined: majestic, powerful, and not to be treated with contempt.

"You don't seem surprised."

"Heh heh, honored would be a better word."

"Great Sunfire God, I am one of the snail shamans. I have crossed countless ages to reach this era. Please allow me to become your Priest."

[Huh?]

Isara stared at the pitch-black creature in disbelief. Has this fellow gone mad?! He still dares spout such outrageous words before my lord! He'll be burned to ashes!

"What an interesting fellow. The confidence in your eyes doesn't look like madness. Give me a reason, a reason to grant your request."

"I know many secret teachings and histories from the past, and of course, many more secrets besides. I believe you will certainly find them interesting, Sunfire God."

"Oh?"

Lin Jin was a little surprised. He had originally intended to give him a mild reprimand and leave it at that. After all, he couldn't abandon a spellcasting expert like the Snail Shaman merely for the sake of orthodoxy.

He hadn't expected this pleasant surprise. Even now, he knew nothing of what had happened in this land's past.

Given the traces of a past invasion by the Void, there was every reason to investigate exactly what had happened.

With that in mind, Lin Jin spoke again. "One chance. I will give you only one chance. Speak. Tell me something useful."

"Gladly, my lord."