Chapter 232 The Mother Goddess of Abundance: I’m Breaking Down (Four-in-One)
“Hoo… the process of corrupting divine faith seems more troublesome than I imagined.”
“But, I must say.”
“This feeling of playing a divine stick in front of the world is quite exhilarating.”
“Also, is this the so-called power of faith?”
Shaya let out a long sigh.
Through the ethereal Spirit World, he could feel wisps of invisible and traceless yet incredibly pure essence transmitting through the spiritual connection of the Spirit World, perceived and sensed by him.
While these wisps of invisible power were tiny in volume, their quality per unit was extremely high. Unlike the usual way he used extraordinary materials or refined the ambient magic in the air through Meditation Cultivation, transforming external power into his own, this power was incredibly aligned with him.
Shaya had encountered the power of faith before. The holy artifact made from the skull of a Flame Giant King stored a vast amount of faith power that the Lord of Ashes had obtained from the Ash Cult.
However, that was the faith power belonging to the Lord of Ashes. The faith power Shaya was perceiving now belonged entirely to Shaya himself, pure and untainted.
He had a premonition that with just a thought, he could absorb this power effortlessly.
Although the faith power he perceived now was meager due to the small number of believers, with his current status, it wouldn’t be difficult if he truly wanted to spread his faith.
The Empire, the White Tower… these were regions where Shaya had significant influence.
If Shaya truly went all out, he could single-handedly establish a new church that could rival the Holy Divine Kingdom.
At that time, Shaya’s own power progression speed would far surpass any existing deity…
“It’s truly… a temptation to ascend to heaven in one step.”
“No need for day and night Meditation Cultivation, nor honing oneself through countless battles—”
“No need to be trapped before the chasm of advancement, watching the limit of lifespan draw closer, desperately seeking a breakthrough in the dire straits of life and death.”
“Doing nothing, yet regularly harvesting faith power from believers, with one year’s gain equivalent to decades or even a century of arduous cultivation.”
Shaya spoke his thoughts softly.
“No wonder those deities can’t let go once they’ve touched the power of faith. Even when they have to hide in the Astral Realm for survival, they still can’t bear to abandon their believers and foundations in the Prime Material Plane.”
“Even if the cult was destroyed time and again, they would tirelessly descend holy artifacts and power.”
“This way of ‘lying flat’ cultivation where one can advance in status just by breathing, if it were me, I’d be tempted too.”
“However—”
His soliloquy paused slightly, and he chuckled silently.
“Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it…”
“I’m always suspicious. In all my years, only Little Ai and a few others can I truly trust.”
“How could I entrust the source of my power to a group of strangers I’ve never met.”
Shaya gently extended his hand, closing his fist slightly.
In the Spirit World, that faint trace of faith power dissipated and turned into nothingness.
Shaya also withdrew his diverted attention.
Using the Spirit World as a medium, he once again projected his consciousness onto the Prime Material Plane, to a corner of the Western Continent, to a small kingdom called Loertala.
Or, more accurately, to that young girl named Rosha.
Rosha herself thought she had accidentally triggered some kind of restriction, thus glimpsing the secrets of the Glorious Era before the Great Calamity, and even before the birth of the gods.
Little did she know that Shaya had actually spent considerable effort selecting her as his proxy in the Western Continent for his plan.
“Despite her humble origins, she hasn’t been swept along by popular opinion, and still harbors curiosity about the world, questioning the Goddess of Abundance, who symbolizes authority.”
“Such people are hard to find in those so-called divine kingdoms ruled by deities.”
Shaya’s mental energy stirred slightly.
However, choosing Rosha was only the first step.
The biggest hurdle still lay ahead.
That was—finding a way to blind the deity of Abundance in the Astral Realm to the Western Continent, so that she wouldn’t notice everything Shaya was doing in her divine kingdom on the Western Continent.
“So—”
“Is this what they call a master of tactical conversion?”
“Or, obscuring the heavenly ears and deceiving the court and the populace?”
Shaya couldn’t help but smile.
In the next Moment, his spiritual body rapidly expanded within the Spirit World.
A wispy, ethereal grey mist silently enveloped the entire Spirit World.
The grey mist appeared formless and insubstantial, seemingly having no effect on anything within the Spirit World, nor did it evoke any subconscious alarm from powerful Mythical Creatures dwelling there.
However, when certain information flowed through the subconscious ocean of the Spirit World, it was contaminated by the grey mist.
Then, silently, it was disguised and altered into something else.
Western Continent, Kingdom of Loertala.
The anomaly that occurred at Rosha’s home quickly caused a stir.
The remote border town had a small population, and secrets couldn’t be kept. Coupled with Rosha’s subtle push from behind the scenes—
Before long, the divine gift called “Kin Kola” and its formula and production method spread like wildfire.
In this era, there was no internet. In fact, due to the current poverty of the Kingdom of Loertala, even the spread of letters was extremely limited. The most common way for information to spread was through word of mouth from person to person.
However—
As the saying goes, food is the paramount necessity of the people.
In this kingdom, which had long been plagued by poverty and famine, everyone harbored a yearning for abundance and a bountiful harvest.
This was the result of the collaboration between the Order of Abundance and the kingdom’s nobles and royalty—
A truly prosperous kingdom, when all its people no longer have to worry about sustenance, would then pursue higher spiritual needs, and their faith would naturally fall upon the God of Music, the God of Drama, and the like.
Only in a perpetually barren country afflicted by famine would the populace focus all their hearts on praying for harvest, and their faith in abundance would naturally be more devout.
However, their calculations at this moment provided fertile ground for Rosha’s actions.
After all, within the Kingdom of Loertala, no farmer didn’t wish for their land to be more fertile and their harvest to be greater.
One spread to ten, ten to a hundred.
Soon—
“God’s Chosen.”
“Recipient of the Greatest Revelation.”
“One who performs divine miracles.”
So many titles were quickly bestowed upon Rosha, a simple maiden from the countryside.
Rosha did not deny these appellations.
She truly believed she had received a revelation and become a so-called God’s Chosen.
However—
The bestower of this favor and grace was not the Goddess of Abundance as the world imagined.
Rather, it was a great existence far more exalted than the Mother of Abundance… who had created Everything and defined the very concept of abundance.
However, Rosha was not foolish.
That great existence who defined abundance must be a profound secret and taboo of the Old Era; the lack of any prior records of His deeds and titles was solid proof.
If she were to rashly reveal His name, it would undoubtedly arouse the vigilance of the Order of Abundance, which currently controlled the Kingdom of Loertala.
Therefore—
Rosha, while using her identity as God’s Chosen to spread those miracles within the kingdom,
was also, among her followers, calmly selecting trustworthy confidantes, and then spreading the name of that great existence who created abundance.
From any perspective, her actions were no different from the “heretics” spoken of by the Order of Abundance.
Yet, Rosha firmly believed.
As that great being with black hair and black eyes had said, the definition of abundance had been distorted by the Mother Goddess.
And what she had to do was to correct past mistakes.
Then, reveal the truth of the old days to the world.
One year passed.
Rosha once again stood before the Church of Abundance.
However, unlike her impoverished and cautious demeanor when she first arrived a year ago,
Rosha was now surrounded by many followers.
Among them were common farmers, and even those who had achieved extraordinary power, and some minor nobles.
Extraordinary individuals and nobles were indeed the upper class of this kingdom, but not all of them chose to align themselves with the interests of the Order of Abundance and the royal family.
Among them were those who wished to change the impoverished state of the Kingdom of Loertala, but the situation meticulously crafted by the joint efforts of the Order of Abundance and the royal family had plunged this once-prosperous kingdom into an inescapable mire, leaving them powerless.
But at this very moment, in Rosha, they saw hope.
Hope for their homeland to become prosperous, for the populace to be freed from the scourge of famine and live in abundance, having hope for the future.
“God’s Chosen Rosha.”
Inside the Church of Abundance, an old man wearing a red bishop’s robe, with an emblem of maces and laurel leaves embroidered on his chest, looked at Rosha, who was still wearing a plain robe and was not tall, even appearing somewhat slender.
A hint of wariness flickered in his aged eyes.
“In the past, whenever the Earth Mother bestowed divine favor and revelations, we apostles of Abundance would also receive vague prophecies and visions, using them as clues to find newly awakened God’s Chosen.”
“But this time, we received no visions whatsoever regarding you, God’s Chosen Rosha.”
The red-robed bishop of the Order of Abundance glanced at Rosha’s followers outside the church, his eyes filled with increased wariness.
“Emotionally, I am willing to believe that you, Rosha, have indeed received the favor of the Earth Mother.”
“However, as an apostle of Abundance, my duty compels me to verify your identity once more.”
He looked at the slender Rosha before him and spoke slowly.
“The greatest difference between a God’s Chosen and an ordinary believer is that as one favored by the Lord, one can receive the Lord’s revelation through prayer.”
“Therefore, I hope that you, God’s Chosen Rosha, will pray with me before the statue of the Mother Goddess for a new revelation.”
The new doctrine that Rosha had been spreading among her followers—
including the great existence who created the Mother Goddess of Abundance and even defined the concept of abundance itself.
The Order of Abundance had also become aware of this information.
After all, Rosha’s goal was to reveal the hidden taboos and truths of the past… and to achieve this goal, along with the spread of such past secrets and taboos, it was only a matter of time before the Order of Abundance became aware of it.
Upon learning this, the high-ranking officials of the Order of Abundance also became vigilant.
After all, the doctrines bestowed by the Mother of Abundance at the time never mentioned such a greater being who defined abundance, and even created the Mother Goddess.
However—
At this moment, with Rosha’s followers growing in number, and the immense prestige she had accumulated among the populace for spreading the gospel.
The Order of Abundance could no longer solve the problem with violence or assassination as they had initially planned.
In this era, the populace was ignorant, yet also wise.
They might be swayed by nobles and royalty to believe in the so-called Mother of Abundance.
But compared to the so-called divine officials and bishops who were always aloof, claiming to have received divine revelation and blessings of abundance, yet never bestowed even the slightest actual benefit upon the populace…
The populace was more willing to believe and follow Rosha, who had brought them tangible benefits and harvests.
Even though the Order of Abundance had never truly confirmed Rosha’s identity as God’s Chosen.
As of today, all the high-ranking officials of the Order of Abundance could do was to implore the Mother Goddess.
Hoping to use the Mother Goddess’s revelation to completely deny Rosha’s legitimacy as God’s Chosen.
“You will naturally not receive any revelations about me.”
“Because, the doctrines you received, and everything you have done in this country, were wrong from the very beginning.”
Rosha looked directly at the imposing red-robed bishop, her eyes showing no fear.
If the initial decision to promote the divine gift called “Kin Kola” was purely out of kindness, wanting her neighbors to have enough to eat.
Then at this moment, with countless followers gathered behind Rosha, and with her own hands helping countless citizens of the kingdom escape poverty and famine, leading them to a life of abundance and a glimpse of future hope.
Those myriad expectations had transformed into the weight of the destiny and prosperity of an entire nation, entrusted to Rosha’s delicate shoulders.
This was a responsibility and pressure that could crush a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, but in Rosha’s eyes, it was also the driving force that propelled her forward, allowing her to develop from a farm girl to the leader guiding countless people today within the span of one year.
“Since the past was wrong, it needs to be corrected.”
“As for prayers and revelations, please, Your Excellency the Bishop, feel free to verify them.”
“From beginning to end, we have been walking on the correct path.”
Before the statue of the Mother Goddess of Abundance, Rosha spoke with such firm words.
She closed her eyes slightly and began to pray devoutly.
“You are the autumn wind of the harvest moon, and also the embodiment of universal love.”
“Please guide me to explore the source of the abundance You bestowed.”
“That great existence you admire and revere… the Unspeakable Great Being.”
After reciting the prayer, Rosha closed her eyes and waited, feeling a little anxious.
She was unsure if the revelation she saw last time was a casual act of that great being, and perhaps she had not received their favor.
In the next Moment.
Just as Rosha had felt a year ago.
A warm and gentle light enveloped her softly.
Not just Rosha.
Even the red-robed bishop, who was praying devoutly before the silver statue of the Mother Goddess beside her, felt the scene before him shimmer with radiance.
Has the Mother Goddess finally responded to my prayer?
The red-robed bishop rejoiced inwardly.
These days, they, the high-ranking officials of the Order, and other God’s Chosen had also attempted to pray to the Mother Goddess.
But without exception, their prayers for revelation had not been answered by the Mother Goddess.
This had caused some wavering among the ruling class of the Kingdom of Loertala, making them suspect whether the Mother Goddess had abandoned them.
And now, their sincere prayers had finally paid off.
The Mother Goddess has not abandoned us!
If that’s the case, then Rosha, this heretic who deceives the followers, should face the divine punishment of the Almighty.
As soon as this thought arose.
In the next Moment, the red-robed bishop’s mind jolted violently.
The scene before him gradually shifted from illusory to clear and real.
It was a world of pitch-black darkness.
There were no stars or moon, no sense of direction, and no distinction between north, south, east, or west.
In fact, even the passage of time seemed to slow down considerably here.
And within that nearly stagnant time, a youth with black hair and black eyes stood in this dark world.
He looked down upon the desolate and silent world before him and suddenly extended his finger.
“Let there be light.”
Those soft words were like Word of Power, rewriting the laws of the world.
In the next Moment, the entire dark world was instantly filled with brilliant light.
Darkness was dispelled by light, revealing the glistening sea below.
“The boundary between water and land shall be clarified, and from henceforth, land and sea shall be distinct.”
Another voice sounded.
Immediately, the ocean roared and surged, converging into one place.
Then, the tide receded, and land appeared.
“There shall be the sun, moon, and stars in the sky, to mark the rotation of day and night.”
…
When Rosha and the red-robed bishop returned to reality from that marvelous scene, they felt dizzy and disoriented.
At this Moment, she finally understood what kind of being that black-haired youth, who had created the very concept of abundance, was.
The Creator of the Glorious Era?
With Rosha’s current status, she was also qualified to read ancient scrolls and had learned about some of the more secret histories of the past.
But then, she dismissed this thought herself.
The Creator of the Glorious Era identified himself as the Sun God.
However, how could the great existence whose tip of the iceberg she had glimpsed possibly be described by the mere title of “Sun God.”
Light and darkness, sky, land, and sea, and all celestial bodies.
All of this had been personally created by Him.
And far more than that—
Rosha touched her forehead.
She felt that, just like when she learned about the great artifact called “Kin Kola,”
many new pieces of knowledge were being imprinted into her mind, being memorized by her.
“Through cross-breeding and selection… combining the excellent traits of plants.”
“Then, creating entirely new varieties with higher yields, and greater resistance to pests, severe cold, and heat.”
The light in Rosha’s eyes gradually brightened.
While the secrets of history were indeed shocking, they were, after all, only the past.
It was this knowledge that brought Rosha even greater joy.
If—
the divine gift called “Kin Kola” previously could only help some residents of the kingdom survive this famine, but could not truly change the kingdom’s situation.
Then, the knowledge she had obtained now.
Was the key that could truly make the Kingdom of Loertala prosperous and forever free from the scourge of famine.
Three years later.
Kingdom of Loertala, Royal Capital.
Headquarters of the Great Church of Abundance.
Amidst the roaring cheers of thousands of people in the plaza below the Great Church.
Rosha looked at the scepter and crown symbolizing the Pope of the Order, handed to her by the former Grand Pope of the Order of Abundance, but did not accept them.
“I don’t need these things.”
She spoke with a blank expression.
Then, Rosha turned towards the bustling plaza below.
Looking at the people with rosy complexions, no longer gaunt, and with life in their eyes.
A hint of a playful smile, unfitting for her current status as leader of the Order of Abundance but fitting for a girl under twenty, finally appeared on Rosha’s face.
“I believe that with the formal development of hybrid rice.”
“Famine and barrenness, these two words, from today onwards—”
“Will be completely erased from the kingdom’s dictionary.”
She turned her body slightly.
Behind Rosha stood the magnificent silver statue of the Mother Goddess of Abundance, dignified and opulent.
However, behind the statue of the Mother Goddess of Abundance.
At this very Moment, a new statue stood tall and majestic.
It was a youth with black hair and black eyes, his eyes profound, like a secluded ancient spring.
Looking at the statue of the black-haired youth.
“The origin of abundance, the Father of All Gods, the master of the pantheon…”
“King of Heaven, Emperor of the Sea, Divider of Light and Darkness, Shepherd of the Stars…”
Rosha slowly opened her lips.
Then, she offered a devout prayer.
“You are the One, and yet the All.”
“You are the instant, and yet eternity.”
“You are the Creator, and yet the Sovereign.”
“Your will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Astral Realm.
A prosperous palace suspended at the end of the sky.
“A pure-blooded High Golden Elf.”
“Is it a remnant of that Elf Royal Court from the Glorious Era?”
“Such a commotion erupted over five hundred years ago, yet I didn’t expect there to still be stragglers from that royal court.”
On a lavish and opulent throne, a melodious whisper slowly sounded.
It was a plump and beautiful woman, with maces growing at her feet, surrounded by springs, wearing a crown woven from laurel leaves, her flowing robes rippling, adorned with various flowers.
The Goddess of Abundance, the Mother Earth.
As a deity born in the Glorious Era, she was also one of the few deities among the many Mythical Creatures who had descended into a semi-insane state after the Great Calamity, but who had recovered their sanity earliest and begun planning for the next era.
Her current human-like form was proof of this.
The true form of the Mother Goddess of Abundance was not human… however, the era of magically infused wolves, giants, elves, and ancient dragons had faded.
After the divine era subsided, the rise of humans was inevitable.
The subsequent years belonged to the human race; they would become the new masters of the Prime Material Plane, just as the Undead Phoenix, Griffin, Giants, and Ancient Dragons had done before.
This was the grand trend of history, unyielding.
The Goddess of Abundance, with her keen perception of this historical tide, had long ago planted chess pieces within human kingdoms, even altering her form to be closer to humans.
And with the status of the Goddess of Abundance, she had naturally received the broadcast that Heiser had sent to the entire Astral Realm.
“Magic, and Arcane Arts.”
“The second path, outside the Ascension Stairway…”
“This is a declaration of war that completely negates us gods, aiming to make us enemies.”
“It seems this war is unavoidable.”
The Goddess of Abundance’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Unlike some of the stubborn old fogies among the Mythical Creatures whose minds were still stuck in the glory of the Glorious Era.
Abundance did not object to the rise of the human race.
Since the divine era had receded and the rise of humans was inevitable, it was not impossible for her to withdraw from the stage of the Prime Material Plane and remain hidden behind the scenes.
After all, as long as her believers existed, the more prosperous and flourishing the human race became, the greater the rewards she could reap, inexhaustibly.
She knew clearly that her current accumulation was insufficient to contend for the Throne of Heaven of this era.
By lying dormant for a longer period, continuously accumulating strength through her believers, and waiting for the future direction of history to change and the era to conclude, then would be her opportunity; there was no need to rush.
However, that High Elf named Heiser, and the Black Tower she was about to establish, along with wizards and magic… were different.
They fundamentally denied the gods, denying her who had trod the Ascension Stairway.
Moreover, the potential she displayed could not be underestimated.
She was a newly risen powerful being after the Great Calamity, yet she had reached a level comparable to her own in such a short time.
Even—she had contained the “Silver Fire” that had never been found in the depths of the Astral Realm.
And that human named Shaya Egut, whose name had been spread by Heiser.
The Goddess of Abundance’s thoughts grew colder.
She extended her fair finger, and a bit of light golden divine power emerged, coalescing into an illusory image.
It was a youth with black hair and black eyes, his eyes profound, as if containing the Sea of Stars.
According to what that Golden Elf had said, he was the true founder of the Black Tower.
And also the source of that so-called magic and arcane arts.
According to the information Abundance herself possessed—
This human was suspected to be related to the great upheaval that caused the fall into the Abyss five hundred years ago.
“The Master of the Holy Spear.”
“He even seems to have inherited part of the legacy of the Creator from the Glorious Era.”
“Not only that, he is a pure-blooded human.”
“And if I recall correctly, that lucky snake hasn’t appeared for a long time either… what if that snake also followed him…”
The Goddess of Abundance gazed at the illusory image, her eyes growing colder.
“The darling of the era.”
“The protagonist of the new era, chosen by destiny?”
The potential he displayed was too terrifying.
And most importantly, the magic he created fundamentally denied the legitimacy of the gods.
This point alone meant that there was no room for negotiation between him and the Mythical Creatures.
This was a grave concern for all gods.
If that were the case, then they had to join forces with other deities and, at all costs, completely erase him before he fully grew…
Wait—
Erase?
Abundance’s thoughts suddenly paused…
“Why would I have such violent thoughts towards him?”
“What blasphemy, what wickedness is this.”
“How could I harm him, how could I be qualified to harm him, how could I dare to harm him?”
“Even harboring the thought of blaspheming against him is a grave sin, punishable only by death.”
The Goddess of Abundance silently watched the black-haired youth in the illusory image.
For some reason, a slight flush and beads of sweat appeared on his fair and flawless skin.
The Mother Goddess of Abundance felt a sudden tremor deep within her soul, causing her to involuntarily extend her fair and tender fingers…
Then, she slowly reached out to the face of the black-haired youth in the light screen.
Yearning.
Admiration.
Reverence.
And those faint threads of inexplicable emotions evolving from admiration and attachment.
These mundane emotions, which should have been completely discarded by the Mother Goddess of Abundance several epochs ago, suddenly surfaced in the depths of her mind without any warning.
Then, in her divine heart, which had been as still as an ancient well and unchanging for eternity.
Ripples began to spread, circle after circle.
On the face of the Goddess of Abundance, her normally dignified and sacred expression could no longer be maintained.
Her beautiful eyes revealed an uncontrollable tremor.
Thoughts of admiration and attachment turned into a surging tide, and the emotion called guilt washed over her entire spiritual world, almost engulfing the heart of the Goddess of Abundance, making it difficult for her to even think coherently.
“He is just a mere human—”
“He is destined to be an enemy of us gods, a hidden danger that must be eliminated from a rational perspective.”
“I am…”
“Breaking down?”
