Roland Phils stood by the window of his manor, watching as Tony Stark's sleek private jet took off in the distance. The billionaire genius was heading toward his fateful encounter in the Middle East, though Roland doubted Tony himself realized what awaited him.
As the jet dwindled into a speck, Roland's smile lingered. His eyes glimmered with amusement, though his mind was far from at rest.
A ripple of power brushed against his senses, tugging him away from worldly concerns. His smile deepened.
"So it begins again."
That ripple was not ordinary. It was the unmistakable resonance of his faith. A powerful spiritual tide connected him to the prayers of his followers. It was the unmistakable sign of sacrifice.
Three months had passed since the first grand offering. Now, the second cycle was ready to unfold. This time, he had more than one priest. Two pillars of faith now stood in his church. Vog and Effie, each leading their own congregations, would conduct ceremonies simultaneously.
That meant twice the offerings. Twice the rewards. Twice the miracles.
Last time, Vog had taken his words to heart and offered up a Benson-class destroyer. The ship had been transfigured through divine power into something far greater, a Feitian-class vessel, strong and radiant with celestial energy.
This time, Roland had not dictated Vog's choice. The priest had been given freedom, and with freedom came the thrill of anticipation. Roland did not know what would be placed upon the altar, and the uncertainty only heightened his excitement.
Effie's path, however, he had chosen personally. Her sacrifice was a relic from the Roland family's vast shipyards in Virginia. A battleship, decommissioned but once mighty. In mortal hands, it was scrap. In divine hands, it could become something else entirely.
At the Virginia port, Effie knelt before the towering statue of the Lord of Life. Behind her, a thousand believers prostrated themselves upon the stone. Their voices rose like the tide, solemn and reverent.
"Great Lord of Life, you have given us hope."
"You have illuminated our path."
"You are the source of all things."
"You are our faith."
"You are the Supreme Being."
"May your divine power endure forever, and your divine fire never fade."
"Please accept our offering. Please bless your humble believers."
Their chants echoed across the dockyard, rising in a cadence that shook even the waves against the shore.
Effie's clear voice carried above the rest, each word resonant with authority. When her final plea ended, the believers behind her cried out in unison, their voices a single thunderclap.
"Great Lord of Life, please accept our offering!"
Roland felt the surge immediately. The channels of faith blazed brighter, the tether between god and follower strengthening with every word. Through that bond, he extended his will, reaching into the mortal world.
The decommissioned battleship floated silently in the harbor, rust streaking its once-proud hull.
Then, light fell.
A column of radiance speared from the heavens, enveloping the vessel in pure divinity. Before the eyes of the gathered believers, the steel giant shimmered, dissolved, and was gone.
Gasps filled the air.
Dozens of mouths hung open, awe written across every face. None could fathom what they had witnessed, and yet the truth blazed in their hearts. It was a miracle. Their god had spoken, and the sea itself had obeyed.
Already devoted hearts swelled with newfound conviction. Nearly half of those who had been lukewarm in their devotion found their faith transformed. In the space of moments, hundreds crossed the threshold into true belief.
Their voices erupted again, unbidden and unanimous.
"Great Lord of Life, may your divine power endure forever, and your divine fire never fade!"
In his divine realm, Roland extended his hand and drew the offering in. His senses filled with system notifications, the crisp clarity of divine accounting.
[Log]: Your believers have held a devout sacrifice in your honor.
[Log]: Your believers have sacrificed a decommissioned Elite-class battleship.
[Log]: You have received 50,102 points of Faith Power.
[System]: Your offering has received a critical blessing. Its quality has been magnified a hundredfold.
[System]: You have obtained a Tier 6 Feitian-class battleship.
Roland's laughter rang in the endless skies of his divine realm. "Again. Another critical increase. And again, a Feitian-class. Excellent."
From a worn relic of steel to a weapon of the heavens. The transformation leapt four full levels, a testament to the boundless potential of sacrifice.
He summoned the new vessel's information panel, its details unfurling in luminous script before his eyes.
Offering Information
[Name]: Battleship
[Tier]: Tier 6 Feitian-class
[Equipment]: High-Performance Fire Control Radar
[Weapon 1]: Twin 406mm SKC Main Guns, Twin 105mm SKC Anti-Aircraft Guns, Type-1 Armor-Piercing Shells, Super-Heavy Rounds
[Weapon 2]: High-Energy Laser Cannon, Energy Shield
Roland's gaze sharpened at the final line. "An energy shield. Now that is new."
The rest of the upgrades he recognized. Improved radar, artillery, shells, even the high-energy laser cannon — all familiar to him from his growing arsenal. But the energy shield was different. It was a new variable, one designed for defense.
He pictured it, the shield flaring around the great ship, absorbing salvo after salvo while its guns roared in reply. A fortress upon the sea, untouchable, unstoppable.
"The ability to strike others while remaining invulnerable," he murmured. "Truly terrifying. Truly magnificent."
His excitement surged. Already the battleship was a fearsome gift, but it was not yet complete.
He extended his will and descended into the divine dockyards where the vessel awaited. The Tier 6 battleship floated before him, immaculate and gleaming, its steel hide polished to perfection by divine fire.
Roland placed his hand upon the hull. A pulse of life energy spread outward, sinking deep into the metal.
"It is time," he whispered. "Time to awaken you. To grant you a soul. To see the shipgirl that fate has hidden within you."
Who would emerge from this steel chrysalis? A legend like Tirpitz or Bismarck? A stalwart like Warspite? Or someone entirely unexpected?
He did not know. That was the beauty of it. Each awakening was a mystery, a gift wrapped in steel and faith.
His anticipation mounted, and with a single command, the ritual of enlightenment began.
The divine realm shuddered, and light poured over the battleship. Somewhere in the radiance, a voice stirred, faint and feminine. The beginning of something new.
Roland's lips curved. "Let us see who you are."
The sacrifice was complete, but the story of this battleship was only beginning.
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