I carved the runes into the ground, and the final task was the hardest part. I needed a sturdy stone pillar at least two meters long, and I had to spend much more mana to get it. Because I could control rock with the Shape Earth spell, I knelt where I wanted the pillar and placed my hands on the ground. I closed my eyes and focused all my attention on the magic. At that point, I could sense the soil and rock beneath the ground, as if I were floating underground.
I could dive down to about ten meters because it was a mountainous area, and the ground was full of rocks, but each one was massive. I touched these rocks with magic and slowly began to shape one small piece into the form I wanted. This process took longer than shaping soil. When the stone pillar took on the shape I wanted, I began to slowly pull it toward the ground.
Seeing the pillar begin to emerge from underground, the people started whispering in wonder again, but instead of running away, they knelt nearby and prayed. After the pillar surfaced, I had to carve runes on it, but I didn't have time to use a chisel, so I used the Mold Earth spell and wrote the necessary runes on the rock with my fingers, just like writing in the sand.
Now everything was ready; we just needed to place the patients within a 20-meter radius of the circle, sacrifice a sheep, and start the ritual. The patients were gradually moved to the square, and since there wasn't enough space to accommodate them all at once, they had to do this multiple times.
Everything was ready, and I stood in front of the stone pillar holding the sheep. I raised the knife in my hand and said loudly.
"animus hen vygun, ūndegon bisa miser manes se fortuy zirş lēda aōha medi ondor! (Spirits of nature, look upon these pitiful souls and bless them with your healing power.)"
After finishing the chant, I slit the sheep's throat, and the gushing blood dyed the stone pillar deep red. At that moment, 100 mana points surged from my body, combined with the mana in the atmosphere, and along with the sheep's blood, rushed toward the rock pillar.
A few seconds later, it was as if nothing had happened, but slowly, within a 20-meter radius, the ground began to emit a vibrant green glow. These lights floated up to five meters in the air. Then, they began to fall onto the patients like floating snowflakes.
When these vibrant green lights shone on the patients, a faint green glow washed over their bodies. After about ten minutes, bathed in the vibrant green radiance, the patients' rapid breathing began to return to normal, their coughing stopped, and their high fevers began to subside.
The ritual lasted for an hour, or until 50 patients entered the ritual area. After that, it would lose all effect. They did the same thing three more times, and after the 50th patient entered the area, the remaining light rained down upon her, and then there was no more bright green glow. With that, today's ritual ended.
Chief Woer slowly approached me and knelt before me.
"I don't know if you are truly a priest of the Old Gods. One thing is true, you saved 50 of my clansmen from the brink of death today, and I am grateful to you."
"Please stand, Chief Woer; our work is not yet done. We have another 100 patients, but unfortunately, this ritual consumed a lot of my energy, so I can only do it once a day. Tomorrow, we will hold a new ritual."
"Thank you, priest of the Old Gods!"
"Thank you, Emre the Druid!"
I raised my hands to signal the crowd to stop the clamor, and then said.
"With the blessing of the Old Gods, I have come to help you, but I am not a god, and I cannot save everyone. Even if we finish this ritual, some people will still die."
Unfortunately, my current ritual was only at the beginner level and not enough to overcome severe illness. But I couldn't tell them that. I turned my head and said to Chief Woer.
"Now, I must return to the land to rest, please do not disturb me. I will return for the ritual here, and another sheep will be needed."
They all turned their heads to look at the sheep, and except for the wool, there was nothing left of the sheep. The sheep slowly turned to dust. This was the fate of things used as sacrifices.
As the setting sun went down, I raised my staff and cast the Mold Earth spell, the ground began to crack, I burrowed inside, and then closed the fissure. At that moment, the surrounding people were praying devoutly.
I opened the small breathing hole and tried to contact my familiars. All my familiars were in the forest, where I had cleared a small cave for them and put Bo in charge.
-Bo, are you alright?-
-Yes, Dad, everyone listens to me except Erebus. Even Xiaoxisi and Lika are more obedient than Erebus.-
At that moment, Erebus joined the conversation.
-I was bored and came out for a moment-
-Erebus, you must listen to Bo. In three days, I will return, and we will travel around the north.-
After talking with them, I crawled into the training space and went to sleep.
(Chief Woer's Perspective)
Today was a day of miracles, and for the first time in my life, I was overwhelmed. At the end of the day, I found myself kneeling before Emre the Druid. I still didn't know whether the Old Gods had sent him or if he had another purpose. One thing was certain, he possessed a power I could not understand.
Some of the treated patients stood up within three or four hours, and almost all of them had their fevers break. Even the end of the day brought another shock. Emre the Druid split the ground in half and burrowed underground. This person went underground to rest and claimed to still be human. Whatever his plan was, he was truly helping us on behalf of the Old Gods, and he was an immensely powerful being. Rather than being hostile to him, it was better to enlist his help.