In the Name of God

In the name of god, eliminate the heretics lurking in the royal capital?

Even Gron had not expected those words. He had assumed the trial would merely involve some rituals or sacrifices.

But eliminating heretics? That sounded like a job that would get a lot of bugs killed.

Isara, however, did not mind at all. Rather, all this young girl, who had spent years wandering without a home, felt from the god before her was an unparalleled sense of safety.

She was willing to do anything for her god.

After a long, thoughtful silence, Gron finally decided to ask, "Um... Lord God, what exactly do you mean by heretics?"

"Heh." Lin Jin chuckled inwardly. He had been waiting for that question.

Before the assembled bugs, the great ball of fire began to take shape.

Under their incredulous gazes, the fireball slowly floated over to Gron, its flames taking the form of an armored bug.

Lin Jin had based this appearance on the Hollow Knight, with a few modifications.

He had changed the original black and white to orange and red, colors closer to flames, and added black stripes to accent the finer details.

After all, Lin Jin had not seen many gods. This was the appearance he considered most suitable.

Finally seeing the god's true form, Gron was filled with awe and trepidation.

Horns flawless in both length and color, a perfectly formed black carapace, and, most striking of all, a flame-shaped marking stretching across half the mask.

Standing still, he could easily have been mistaken for an exquisitely polished sculpture.

Isara was utterly spellbound, and deeply regretted her own rashness.

I repaired the god's statue too soon. Now look at it-it doesn't resemble the real god at all!

Isara resolved to alter it immediately after the trial ended.

Feeling his faith points increase once again, Lin Jin knew his debut had been a success.

The persona he had painstakingly designed transcended male and female. It possessed a pure beauty that every bug could appreciate.

"Long ago, I guarded this land, and its people revered me as their lord. But the Void invaded. I was gravely wounded, and my followers suffered terrible casualties."

"The Void?"

The bugs all looked bewildered.

Lin Jin understood. Not everyone was privy to knowledge of this ultimate enemy of all life.

He had brought it up precisely because those who knew nothing of the Void were entirely ignorant of it, while those who knew of it paled at its very mention.

When the Void was involved, no amount of caution was excessive. Examples of that were everywhere.

"Yes, the Void, the great enemy of all life. But at the final moment, I still managed to drive it back underground."

"Afterward, gravely wounded, I fell into slumber. Your prayers awakened me."

"Now my realm lies in ruins. I need you to help me rebuild my kingdom."

Then the god raised a flame-wreathed arm and pointed toward the corridor behind the temple.

"This is your first step. Eliminate the Counterattack Flies lurking in the corridor, and prove yourselves to me."

So that's it. That makes sense. Gron nodded quietly. His questions had been answered.

He had been wondering why the god had chosen him. So this was the reason.

It seemed he truly was fortunate. The clan's prayers had awakened the god.

The destruction of a kingdom with tens of thousands of bugs was already beyond his imagination. In his eyes, a clan of fifty was enormous.

In the past, such a mighty being would have been far beyond someone like him to approach.

Amid his astonishment, learning that the trial involved eliminating Counterattack Flies also made Gron breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it isn't an impossible task.

Gron was ready. He would never let this opportunity slip away.

As long as they could win the god's favor during this trial, the clan would gain divine protection.

They would never again have to endure the miserable life of wandering the wilderness, going hungry, and having nowhere to call home.

Taking up his spear and shield, Gron's gaze was utterly calm, yet filled with determination.

For now, he did not need to think about the clan's future. He only needed to fight as a warrior, pure and simple.

"My clansmen! For our god!"

"For our god!"

Gron and the bugs behind him roared their battle cries together.

Though they carried only crude equipment made from the shells of yesterday's Counterattack Flies, their confidence was boundless.

It was a feeling they could neither explain nor describe, but they would come to understand it. This was faith.

"Go, in my name, in the name of the Sunfire God!"

"Sunfire God!"

"Sunfire God!"

"Sunfire God!"

Shouting their god's name, the bugs charged into the passage.

Gron led the charge. Well fed and well rested, he displayed tremendous strength.

The gusts from his swings alone were enough to scatter the Counterattack Flies' formation.

Isara fought with tears streaming down her face. She had heard her god's divine title.

As the twin blades in her hands danced, her agile body leaped rapidly between the walls, keeping her briefly airborne.

Swish, swish, swish!

Several Counterattack Flies were sliced in half in an instant. If her young body had already reached maturity, the position of clan chief might not necessarily have belonged to Gron.

The chief swept forward with unstoppable momentum, while the clan's other warriors fought with all their might.

Though they were merely ordinary bugs, under their god's gaze, they unleashed astonishing fighting power.

Several times, bugs were nearly struck by Counterattack Flies, only to dodge by a stroke of luck at the last moment.

Seeing this, their nearby companions grew even more confident, believing their god was protecting them.

The battle went smoothly, and the front line advanced steadily down the corridor.

In truth, their god really was protecting them.

As these were his first followers, Lin Jin genuinely did not want to lose any of them for any reason.

Whenever a bug encountered danger in battle, Lin Jin used his Psychokinesis to engineer a coincidence that spared them from harm.

Each time Lin Jin used a divine ability, the bugs' steadfast faith restored his energy.

After this repeated cycle of expenditure and replenishment, even his gauge's maximum capacity increased a little.

His stats rose steadily, but it was still not enough.

Lin Jin also knew that, at present, he was no more than a demigod at best.

To become a true god, he would probably need faith points numbering in the tens of thousands.

But since he was now a ghost, free of any limit on his lifespan, Lin Jin was in no hurry.

He had not forgotten Glimmer's fate. Because the Pale King's ideals were superior to hers, her followers, the Moths, had abandoned her one after another.

Rather than the number of followers, their quality was clearly what deserved his attention.

"Hisss!!!"

That sound again. It was the Husk Bully King.

Gron, Isara, and the clan warriors all looked troubled.

Ordinary bugs were manageable, but a single charge from this great flying monster could seriously injure a warrior or even put them out of action.

They knew no spells to restore their health and had no medicine for their wounds. Getting hit was practically a death sentence.

Only the clan chief, Gron, and Isara could match this monster.

Yet as a purely melee fighter, Gron had no way to get close.

Isara was fast enough, but her bone blades could not pierce the Husk Bully King's hard shell.

For a time, neither side could overcome the other, and the battle reached a stalemate.

Even so, not a single bug fled or showed fear, because they knew their god was watching them.

"For the Sunfire God!"

With another battle cry, the bugs resolved to wear the monster down, even if that was what it took to kill it.

"Truly remarkable."

Seeing this, Lin Jin knew it was time to apply a buff.

His followers had proven the devotion of their faith. Even against an enemy they could not defeat, they fought to the death without retreating.

Next, it was his turn as their god to prove his worth.

How could a god not bestow blessings on his followers?

What would distinguish him from a bastard boss who forced employees to work twelve-hour days six days a week, or around the clock every day, and made them work the National Day holiday without overtime pay?!

Locking onto Gron, the clan chief, Lin Jin waved his right hand, and his faith points instantly dropped by a large amount.

But Lin Jin knew it was worth it.

Gron, who had still been facing off against the Husk Bully King, suddenly felt something.

A scorching power erupted from within him. Marks like the traces of burning flames appeared on his body, and a flame pattern resembling his god's emerged on his mask.

"Your loyalty has passed the test. Accept this blessing." Lin Jin suddenly appeared and spoke slowly.

His voice reached every bug's ears with perfect clarity. "Let your body be the kindling, and the flame burn without end!"