The morning light was pale, almost hesitant, as it filtered through the cracks of the city's concrete and glass. Nova moved slowly down the narrow stairwell of his apartment building, each step heavier than the last. The Divine Spark from the previous storm still thrummed inside him, a low, persistent hum that made the air around him feel charged. He flexed his fingers, sparks flickering briefly across his skin, and swallowed hard. Yesterday, the world had changed. Today, it would notice.
He stepped onto the street, rain-soaked asphalt reflecting neon signs in the distance. Cars splashed puddles onto the sidewalks, and the city smelled faintly of ozone and wet asphalt. His coat clung to him from the previous night's storm, but he barely noticed. Every sound, every shadow, every movement set his nerves alight.
And then it happened.
A child ran too fast across the street, chasing a rolling soccer ball. A truck horn blared. Time seemed to dilate. Nova reacted before he thought. Sparks leapt from his fingertips, arcing in tiny blue-white streaks. They formed a protective halo around the child, halting him mid-step as if invisible hands had lifted him from danger. The truck screeched to a halt, tires hissing on wet asphalt.
Nova froze, his heart hammering. The child's mother, rushing toward the boy, froze as well, staring in disbelief.
"Did… did you just—?" she stammered.
Nova's lips parted, but no words came. His chest heaved. Then, a clean, mechanical chime sounded in his mind:
[System Notification] First Believer Acquired.
Belief Points: 13 (+10)
Power: 2.5%
Followers: 1
Minor Authority: Sparks Manipulation Upgraded
Quest Progress: Gather Believers 1/10
The notification vanished almost immediately, leaving Nova's vision empty again, but the knowledge of what had occurred was undeniable. The mother looked at him with awe and fear, her eyes wide, and the child clung to her, still trembling.
Nova stepped back, unsure if he should speak. "It's nothing," he muttered, though the word felt hollow even to him.
The mother shook her head. "No… it's everything." She whispered something he couldn't catch before gathering her son and walking away, eyes never leaving him. The city carried on around him, oblivious, yet a new thread had been woven into its fabric. A seed of belief had taken root.
He turned down a side street, heart racing. Sparks danced over his fingers involuntarily, as if testing him, whispering of power he had barely begun to grasp. He could feel the system watching, waiting.
[System Notification] Quest Update: Gather Believers – 1/10
Reward Pending: Minor Authority Upgrade
Nova exhaled, feeling the weight of the interface's cold, mechanical logic. Belief fueled power. Recognition was no longer abstract. It had a tangible effect on him, on the spark inside, on the city itself.
---
By midday, the whispers began. Small murmurs on social media, forum posts, and private messages spread like sparks across dry kindling. Someone had captured the moment with a shaky smartphone camera: a child suspended mid-step, protected by a strange, glowing light. Headlines weren't yet printed, but the urban rumor mill churned faster than the morning coffee lines.
Nova walked among the crowds, inconspicuous yet aware of the subtle shifts around him. People stared briefly, then looked away, as if something in the air told them not to understand. He could feel the system humming faintly in his mind, evaluating the spread.
[System Notification] Indirect Belief Accumulation Detected: +3 Belief Points
Current Belief Points: 16
The notification blinked and receded, its presence faint, a silent observer guiding him forward. Nova flexed his fingers, sparks dancing in the sun for a fraction of a second, and wondered how many had noticed. The city was a labyrinth of witnesses, each one a potential node in the chain of faith.
---
That evening, Nova returned to his apartment, exhausted but electrified. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the mechanical overlay hovering faintly in his vision:
[Godhood System – Candidate Overview]
Power: 2.5%
Belief Points: 16
Followers: 1
Minor Authority: Sparks Manipulation, Level 2
Observers Detected: 2
A soft chime followed:
[System Alert] Rival Candidate Detected!
Location: Unknown
Threat Level: Low
Nova's eyes narrowed. He had felt it before—a shadow at the corner of his vision, a ripple in the hum of the city. The Divine Spark was no longer his secret.
He rubbed his temples, sparks flaring briefly, illuminating the room in flashes of blue-white. The power pulsed, and with it, the weight of responsibility. Belief was power, yes—but every believer was also a target, a link in a chain he had yet to understand.
---
Late into the night, Nova wandered the rooftops, testing the limits of Sparks Manipulation. He lifted debris, formed glowing constructs, and practiced small healings on stray animals. Each success brought mechanical notifications, the cold logic of the system measuring his progress:
[System Notification] Minor Ability Unlocked: Sparks Shaping
Belief Points: 18
Power: 2.8%
He paused to watch the city. From above, it was a tapestry of light and shadow, unaware of the invisible hand guiding events. The mother and child he had saved earlier were just two among millions—but the first domino had fallen.
A shadow shifted on a nearby rooftop, golden eyes glinting in the faint streetlight. Nova stiffened, sparks coiling around his fingers like serpents. The interface chimed a warning:
[System Alert] Rival Candidate Approaching
Location: Unknown
Threat Level: Moderate
Nova's chest tightened. He wasn't alone. Others had been chosen, others had powers. Perhaps some were already hunting him, some waiting to test his limits. The mechanical screen pulsed faintly, its cold logic reminding him that the world was far larger, far more dangerous, than he had imagined.
---
By dawn, the first believer had begun spreading rumors. His mechanical overlay reflected the new status:
[System Notification]
Belief Points: 20
Followers: 1 (Confirmed)
Minor Authority: Sparks Shaping Level 2
Observers Detected: 3
Quest: Gather Believers – 2/10
Nova flexed his fingers, sparks dancing across his knuckles. The city stirred below, alive and unaware, a labyrinth of potential faith and opposition.
He smiled—not tired, not weak, but sharp, hungry, and certain.
> "Let them see," he whispered. "Let them believe. Let them witness. I… I will become more than a man."
Above, unseen, the first stirrings of ancient gods awakened, their attention drawn by the light and faith growing in a single, unremarkable human. The storm that had changed him was over, but the real storm—faith, power, rivals, and gods—was only beginning.
---