It had been a week since the pendant fell into the hands of Leon, the young D-rank adventurer with the heart of a lion and the strength of a Knight. And what a productive week it had been.
The moment he activated my system, something strange began to happen—faith poured in like a steady stream, not just a spark. Every day, I felt a consistent pulse of Divine Power feeding into me.
I soon discovered the cause.
As a god, I could sense the rank of all beings, with the exception of a few truly hidden entities. Leon's Knight-level power confirmed something I hadn't expected at first: the stronger the follower, the more Divine Power they generate.
In Leon's case, every time he repeated the prayer—"O Silent One… God of Fire…"—I received 5 Divine Points.
And Leon, the faithful little flame, had unknowingly formed a habit of saying the prayer five times a day—upon waking, before meals, after training, before sleeping, and during danger. That's 25 points per day.
After one week, that totaled 175 points.
Combined with the 8 points I had left, my total rose to 183 Divine Power Points.
Zephry Fallus – Rank Up
Lesser God → Minor God
I chuckled in satisfaction, feeling my divine essence grow stronger, my domain burning brighter.
"So Knight-level believers grant 5 points per prayer. Interesting…"
If that held true, then I could form a theory:
Civilians / Common Mortals: 1 point per prayer
Trainees: 3 points
Knights / Equivalent Rank Mages: 5 points
Higher-tiered followers… unknown—for now.
This opened new strategy paths. It wasn't just about gaining followers anymore—it was about recruiting powerful ones, the kind whose very existence would fuel my ascent.
But of course, this was only a theory for now. I would need to test it—with a Trainee, a Mage, or even a civilian.
Still, this single follower, Leon… he had already elevated me to Minor God status.
From here on out, the fire would only grow.
The moment I ascended to Minor God, everything changed.
My divine domain—once a small, glowing platform adrift in a sea of white—expanded exponentially. Though I couldn't measure its exact size, I felt the shift. It was easily four or five times larger than before. No longer a simple god's corner of reality—this was now the beginning of my kingdom.
"Time to make this place mine… not just divine, but personal."
With a vision drawn from the memories of my past life and the ambitions of my new godhood, I poured 70 Divine Power Points into reshaping the empty space.
From the raw essence of my will, a single massive mansion emerged at the center—constructed from obsidian stone veined with glowing red lines like molten magma. It stood tall, proud, and divine—a structure both modern and majestic.
To surround and shelter it, I conjured exactly 100 colossal trees—each one towering like a cathedral, with dark wood trunks and radiant crimson-gold leaves. The trees formed a natural wall, circling the mansion on all sides like guardians of the flame. Beyond them, there was nothing but the endless white void of the outer domain.
In this world, there was only the mansion… and the forest of fire.
The Mansion of the Flame God
Inspired by the extravagant estates of Earth's billionaires and shaped by divine fire, the mansion was a fusion of mortal luxury and godly craftsmanship. It included:
Main Hall
A massive obsidian chamber with levitating flame-lit chandeliers, divine banners bearing my insignia, and walls pulsing gently with my energy.
Library of Eternal Flame
A multi-story library filled with floating staircases and empty magical shelves, waiting to house Gaia's secrets and my collected wisdom.
Hyper-Divine Gym
Complete with gravity-shifting rooms, mana resistance zones, and combat training arenas enhanced by illusion magic.
Luxury Bathing Sanctuary
A grand volcanic stone bath fed by magical lava streams, giving off warmth and spiritual restoration.
Entertainment & Memory Room
A place of comfort and nostalgia—replaying anime, books, games, and moments from Earth, all projected in divine clarity.
Modern Divine Kitchen
A futuristic kitchen designed with magic-fused appliances and endless ingredients, made for the food I used to love.
Strategy & Command Hall
A war room with a dynamic map of Gaia, system-connected observers, and a divine seat of command.
At the center of it all stood me—Zephry Fallus, God of Fire, Creator of the System, once a man from Earth… now a rising flame in the heavens.
Divine Power Remaining: 105 Points
"Only trees… and a mansion. But that's all I need—for now."
In the world of Gaia, the gods do more than watch from afar—they walk among mortals, guide them, bless them… and sometimes, fall in love with them.
These divine unions often result in the birth of demigods—beings blessed with extraordinary power, born of both mortal blood and divine essence. These children walk the world as champions, often shielded by fate itself and quietly guided by their godly parents. Some become heroes. Others kings. A few… monsters.
And now that I've awoken, I wonder… do I have one?Only time will tell.
After awakening in this realm—a blank white void of silence—I began to understand why my domain was so… empty.
The former owner of this body, the previous Zephry Fallus, was so reclusive that even the gods barely knew of his existence. I'd say only four gods total ever acknowledged him. The others? They either forgot him… or assumed him dead.
But he wasn't dead. He was broken.
Broken by his greatest enemy—the God of Water.
A natural rival. A perfect opposite.
Once, we were equals—both Lesser Gods struggling to gather worshipers and power. But the God of Water didn't rise through prayer and devotion. He rose through slaughter.
He began hunting other gods, ambushing their followers, draining their divine power for himself. One by one, gods weaker than him vanished. Two even died, their domains swallowed, their names erased from the stars. I was next.
The former Zephry tried to fight back. There was a battle—brief, brutal—and he barely escaped with his life. From then on, he vanished into solitude, hidden away, his worshipers hunted like prey.
And now… only six remain.
Leon, the bearer of my system.
And five scattered followers, flickers of faith keeping my existence alive.
If it weren't for them, I would have faded completely. It's their prayers—small, faint, but real—that sustained my divine spark long enough for me to awaken and rebuild. Now I can sense them, using one of my inherited godly powers: Divine Sense.
I can feel them across Gaia.
They still believe in me.
And because of that… I live.
"I'll help them—one day. But not yet. I refuse to fall back to a Lesser God. If I'm to fight the God of Water again, I need to prepare."
The God of Water… I'm certain he's reached High God by now. He isn't content with his domain. He wants dominion. And I'm not his only victim.
But I'll be the last.