I stared at the glowing interface hanging in the air before me. My name pulsed there in bright letters, and beneath it, new words shimmered into place.
Divine Positions: God of Protection, God of Swift Judgment.
I stepped away from the crystal ball, still trying to process what that meant. The receptionist was watching me with a faint, knowing smile.
"A dual god, huh?" he said, adjusting his blue spectacles. "Rare existence, that. Not many come through with two positions at once when they awaken."
I raised a brow. "So… I got promoted?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Not exactly. Think of it more as… revealed. Divine positions are what you are, your nature boiled down. Protection, impulsivity, judgment—"
"Hold on," I cut him off, pointing at him. "Protective? Sure, maybe. But impulsive? Nope. Not me."
The man's smile widened as if he'd heard that argument a hundred times. He didn't bother replying, just waved for me to follow. We walked back to the reception hall, and as soon as we entered, Ramona perked up, her golden hair catching the light.
"Well?" she asked, tilting her head with an almost bored expression.
I smirked. "God of Protection."
She blinked once. "Ah, so you're one of the good ones then?" Her voice was flat, as if she'd already slotted me into some category.
The receptionist snorted. "Not exactly. He's neutral, really. He's also the God of Swift Judgment."
I spun around and glared at him. "Nosy!" I said, scooping up a mock rock from nowhere and tossing it his way. He ducked lazily, grin still plastered on his face.
Ramona's brows rose. "Swift Judgment? So… what, you just look at someone and decide their fate on the spot?"
"No! I don't." I crossed my arms.
"The crystal doesn't lie, little daemon," she said softly, almost amused. "Take the God of Violent Death, for example. Before they gained their position, they'd never even killed a fly. But afterward? They became the most dreaded god among mortals in the boundary." Her lips curled into a faint, teasing smile.
That made me pause. "…Wait. There are mortals in the boundary too?"
"Of course." Ramona looked at me as though I'd asked if water was wet. "Anywhere a god exists, there are subordinate races to serve them. That's how we grow. They are not like the mortals we create ourselves, these ones can feed our divine essence, push us to ascend further."
"Ah," I said slowly. "That… explains why my mortals didn't give me anything back. Even though they prayed, I got nothing."
Ramona laughed lightly, a sharp edge to it. "Exactly. They're a part of you, Adam. Worshipping yourself doesn't work. It's like…" She tilted her head, smirk widening. "Cosmic masturbation."
I blinked. "…That's disturbingly vivid."
"Disturbingly accurate," she corrected.
Her words pulled me back to my memories of draining Arcana from sacrifices. I didn't reply, just followed as she moved toward the massive doors. I bowed quickly to the receptionist before jogging to catch up.
"What's next?" I asked her.
"What's next is nothing. I helped you out of the void, and now we're even. I don't owe you a thing, little dae—" She stopped mid-sentence, glancing at me. "What is your name, anyway?"
"Adam," I said with a grin. "Just call me Adam."
She repeated it softly, almost testing how it sounded. "Adam." Then, without another word, she flew off into the golden sprawl of the city. I watched her until she was just a speck in the horizon.
A voice brushed against my mind, hers.
Go to a place called the World Emporium. That's where you'll get your answers. Walk to your left. You can't miss it. I turned left, muttering, "Hopefully she's right," and started walking.
Sure enough, a massive building rose into view. Its walls were made of shimmering blue glass, and above the doors hung a glowing planet-shaped logo.
I pushed inside, stopping at the sight of a red-haired receptionist behind a tall desk. He looked up at me, eyebrows shooting high.
"I just registered with the council and I—"
"Oh, a new god." He didn't even let me finish. Hopping down from his seat, he waved for me to follow. "Come on. Let's get you sorted with your pool."
"My… pool?" I echoed, jogging after him.
He led me into a circular room lined with tall golden mirrors, each gleaming with strange energy. He gestured toward them with a sweep of his hand. "Pick one. That'll be yours."
I walked slowly around the room, taking them all in. Some mirrors were jagged, some round, some taller than me. But one caught my eye immediately, an oval, with gilded feathers etched along its edges.
"That one." I pointed, and the mirror floated into my hands. Its surface rippled like water when I touched it.
The redhead nodded approvingly. "Good choice. That's your divine pool. Think of it as your window into the mortal world. You can peer through it, reach through it, even travel through it if you want. Handy little thing, huh?"
I stroked the feathered edges, staring into my reflection as the surface shimmered. "So basically… a cosmic TV with a travel function."
The man grinned. Then quickly frowned, "what's a T.V?"
"It's basically a device that lets you watch things without actually being there," I said, shrugging.
The red-haired receptionist tilted his head, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Hmm. Never seen or heard of such a thing." His expression shifted as if he'd filed the thought away for later, then he suddenly grinned. "Want to test it out?"
Before I could answer, he gestured at the pool in my hands. The mirror slipped free and floated before me, its surface rippling like disturbed water.
"Walk into it," he said simply.
I gave him a long look. "If this swallows me alive, I'm haunting you."
He only smirked.
So, I stepped through. I emerged into open sky above a ruined city. Smoke spiraled into the heavens, ash drifted in the wind, and below me the streets were littered with corpses. My feet touched down on cracked stone, and I started forward, boots echoing in the silence.
The deeper I walked, the worse it became. Broken homes. Collapsed spires. The dead piled higher toward the city's center. The weight of this sight pressed on my chest.
I clicked my tongue and turned away—
cough, cough
The sound cracked through the silence like thunder. My head whipped around.
Leaning against a crumbled wall was a man, blood on his clothes, eyes glazed with exhaustion. He looked ready to join the others scattered around him.
"Hey!" I called out, striding over. "You alive?"
He lifted his head weakly. The moment his gaze met mine, his eyes widened. He stretched out a trembling hand as if reaching for something just out of sight.
I caught it in my own, letting divine essence flow through my palm. Golden light flared, knitting his wounds shut, steadying his breath. Slowly, he pushed himself upright, staring at me in disbelief.
"…Are you a god?" he asked, voice hoarse.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, though I already knew.
"You… you're radiating holy light, my lord." His words trembled.
I gave a small nod. "Close enough." I helped him to his feet, but he immediately dropped to his knees.
"Please," he whispered, voice breaking, "allow me to worship you."
Welcome him. He will be your first follower in the boundary.
The receptionist's voice echoed in my mind, calm.
I set a hand on the man's shoulder. "My name is Adam, god of Protection. From this day forward, you will be my first apostle. Your name shall be… Enoch."
His eyes filled with tears, and a smile cracked across his weary face. "Thank you, my lord. My master." Then he collapsed fully onto his face, forehead pressed to the dirt.
Something stirred in my chest, a sharp tremor that wasn't mine alone. A tether, a bond, alive and pulsing. My first follower.
I turned to leave, stepping lightly through the rubble, but his voice called out again.
"Wait, my lord! Your servant begs for a blessing."
I stopped, raising an eyebrow. "…Bold."
He bowed even lower. "Our city is gone. We are scattered, hiding, and few remain. If I return to them carrying your blessing, it will give them strength… hope to crawl out of the shadows."
Silence stretched between us. I could see sweat bead on his brow as he waited.
Finally, I stepped back to him and rested a hand on his head. A pulse of divine essence slipped into him, faint but steady, a spark that would never die out.
"I await your triumph, Enoch," I said, turning away once more. "Convince them, convince more humans to follow me"
He looked up at me with awe before pressing his face back into the dirt. As I rose into the air, he whispered something I couldn't hear, but the faith in his voice bound itself to me even as the scene melted away.