The sun was just peeking over the horizon, turning the harbor gold. I had followed my daily route perfectly: dock, market, cliff. Seven hours of blessings, smiles, and carefully staged spectacles.
> [Faith Bar: 100% — Threshold Reached]
[Divine Rank Advancement Available]
The system interface appeared before my eyes, crisp and mechanical, with no emotion — just options.
> [Rank 1 Unlocked — Choose Ability Upgrade]
Human Form Option: Blessing of the Tides — Can grant temporary protection to mortals, boosting Faith Points gained by 50% per interaction.
Monster Form Option: Maelstrom Strike — Command a violent surge of water within your domain, devastating enemies and asserting dominance.
I paused. Both had appeal. Human form meant faster Faith farming, faster growth, and more influence among mortals. Monster form meant raw power in the sea, a step closer to breaking my curse entirely.
> [Timer — Human Form Remaining: 00:15:00]
The countdown reminded me that I had little time. Carefully, I selected my choice.
> [Ability Selected: Blessing of the Tides — Human Form]
[Ability Activation — Ready]
[Faith Points Gain in Human Form Increased by 50%]
Instantly, I felt the subtle hum of power. I raised my hands slightly over the crowd below the cliff, letting sunlight reflect off my damp hair and cloak. The whispers, prayers, and awe felt stronger than before.
> [Faith Points +105 — Daily Maximum Achieved]
[Progress Toward Rank 2: 10%]
The system confirmed everything mechanically. No voice, no emotion, just numbers. Efficient. Precise.
I glanced at the timer again. Fifteen minutes left. Enough time to disappear before the transformation began.
> [Human Form — Safe Withdrawal Recommended]
I moved quickly, slipping toward the hidden cove where I could safely dive back into the sea. The saltwater enveloped me, and the familiar coils of my monster form returned beneath the surface.
> [Transformation Complete — Monster Form Restored]
The Faith Points I had gained glimmered faintly in my mind, a reminder that progress had been made. Rank 1 achieved. The next step — Rank 2 — was still far, but the path was clear.
> [System Status — Operational]
[Objectives Updated — Prepare for Further Divine Ascension]
I sank beneath the waves, six heads coiling through the currents, already thinking about tomorrow's seven-hour window. Tomorrow, I would push further.
Dawn broke again over the Strait of Messina. The system timer blinked faintly in my vision: 07:00:00. Seven hours. One window. One chance.
But this time, I had a plan that went beyond just Faith farming.
Step one: Human Form — Influence and Faith Points
I appeared at the dock as usual, hair damp, cloak flowing, offering simple blessings to fishermen and their families. But today, I added subtle cues — small acts of protection for their nets, gestures that suggested I could control the tides, nods toward the horizon when storms threatened. Faith Points ticked faster than ever.
> [Faith Points +157 — Source: Enhanced Blessing of the Tides]
Step two: Monster Form — Domain Surveillance and Combat Readiness
Before the seven-hour limit, I disappeared quietly, diving into a hidden cove where no one could see me. There, my monster form patrolled the strait. Shadows stirred beneath the waves — predators, intruders, or stray sailors — all targets for Essences. The system counted each kill, each absorbed energy, each display of dominance over my locked domain.
> [Essence +80 — Source: Domain Enforcement]
Step three: Feedback Loop
By alternating forms strategically, I discovered a pattern: the more Faith Points I gained in human form, the stronger my monster form felt in the water, as if belief itself added weight to my power. Likewise, asserting dominance in the strait made humans more awed when they saw me at dawn.
> [Faith Points Gain in Human Form +50%]
[Monster Form Attack Efficiency +15%]
I spent hours mapping the currents, noting where the fishermen went, where the currents would push small prey toward me. Every detail mattered. The system tracked it all, cold and precise: numbers, percentages, progress bars. No encouragement, no judgment — only efficiency.
By the end of the seventh hour, I was already planning tomorrow: a tighter route, bigger crowds, more dramatic gestures at the cliff, a slightly longer patrol in monster form.
> [Faith Points Today: 205]
[Essence Today: 80]
[Progress Toward Rank 2: 20%]
The sea welcomed me back completely, six heads coiling around me, currents brushing my scales like fingers. I had learned to combine forms.
Human form to grow influence. Monster form to maintain dominance. Seven hours of balance. Seven hours that could push me toward the next divine rank faster than ever.
> [System Status — Operational]
[Next Objective: Continue Faith Farming and Domain Mastery]
And tomorrow, I would push it even further.
----------------------------
Like that 2 weeks passed
The sun barely cleared the horizon when the system pinged.
> [Faith Bar Full — Divine Rank Advancement Available]
[Rank 2 Unlocked — Human Form Duration Increased]
I blinked at the HUD overlay. The numbers changed instantly:
> [Human Form Duration: 24 Hours]
[Cooldown Between Transformations: 3 Hours]
[Blessing of the Tides Enhanced — Faith Point Gain +50%]
[Monster Form — No Changes]
Twenty-four hours. One full day.
I could stay human all day if I wanted, instead of racing against the old seven-hour limit. The cooldown ensured I couldn't abuse rapid transformations, but three hours of restriction was manageable.
The implications hit me immediately. I could now plan Faith farming over an entire day, touching more people, performing more spectacles, and stacking points faster than ever. I could even coordinate small "miracles" in sequence, giving the illusion of a continuously present goddess.
> [Faith Farming Potential: Maximum — Human Form]
I tested it immediately. I walked the docks, blessing nets, helping repair boats, offering words of encouragement. The system's bar ticked faster than ever. Fishermen, merchants, and children stared in awe — whispers of the "sea maiden" spreading like wildfire.
> [Faith Points +300 — Day One Post-Rank Upgrade]
When the first three hours passed, the cooldown triggered:
> [Human Form Transformation — Locked 3:00:00]
No problem. The system tracked everything in the background. I slipped into a quiet cove and allowed my monster form to patrol the strait. Even while my human form was locked, the Faith Points I had already accumulated enhanced my presence in the domain.
> [Monster Form Efficiency +20% — Passive Effect from Human Form Faith]
By the end of the first day, the strategy was clear:
Human form for influence, blessings, and Faith Points.
Monster form for dominance, hunting, and maintaining control.
Use the cooldown to balance the two forms efficiently.
> [System Status: Operational — All Objectives Active]
[Next Goal: Expand Human Influence and Maximize Faith Accumulation Before Monster Patrol]
The tides hummed beneath me, six heads coiling in the water. Tomorrow, I would push the strategy even further.
With 24 hours to work with, the humans below had no idea the "goddess" they worshipped was only half of what I truly was.