CHAPTER 465: CHAPTER 231: GODDESS OF ABUNDANCE: WHAT... IS HAPPENING TO ME? (4-IN-1)

"Huff... the process of eroding belief in deities seems to be even more troublesome than I imagined."

"However, I must say."

"This feeling of playing a divine trickster in front of the world... is quite thrilling."

"And, is this what they call the Power of Faith?"

Shiayar exhaled deeply.

Through the ethereal Spirit Realm, he could sense the thin, invisible, yet extremely pure and intangible power streaming through the connection with the Spirit Realm, perceived by him.

These threads of invisible power are minuscule in volume, but the quality of each unit is extremely high, unlike using Extraordinary material or refining the freely floating Magic Power in the air, which requires meditation to transform external power into one’s own. Instead, it resonates deeply with him.

Shiayar had previously encountered the Power of Faith, particularly the Sacred Relic made from the skull of the Flaming King of Giants, storing the massive Power of Faith obtained by the Lord of Ashes from the Ashes Cult.

However, that was the Power of Faith belonging to the Lord of Ashes, whereas the Power of Faith that Shiayar perceived now belonged entirely to himself, pure and unblemished.

He had a premonition that with just a single thought, he could absorb this power effortlessly.

Although due to the limited number of followers, the Power of Faith Shiayar perceived was minimal, given his current status, spreading his faith would not be a difficult task.

The Empire, the White Tower... these are regions where Shiayar holds significant influence.

If Shiayar truly opened up and acted, he could single-handedly establish a new Church to compete with the Holy Creed Kingdom.

At that time, Shiayar’s speed in enhancing his power would far surpass any of the existing deities...

"It truly is... a tempting offer of ascending in one step."

"No need for overnight meditative cultivation, nor for honing oneself through countless battles—"

"No need to be trapped at the relentless chasm of ascending, watching the limits of lifespan approaching bit by bit, forced to seek a breakthrough opportunity in the brink of life and death."

"Without doing anything, one could periodically harvest the Power of Faith from followers, achieving what would take decades or centuries of hard practice in just one year."

Shiayar murmured softly.

"No wonder those deities once they come into contact with the Power of Faith, find it hard to give it up. Even if they must hide in the Astral Realm to preserve life, they still can’t part with their followers and foundations in the Main Material Plane."

"Even if the evil cult is destroyed time and again, they still persistently bestow Sacred Relics and power."

"This laid-back cultivation method, where one’s rank rises just by breathing, would tempt even me."

"However—"

His murmuring paused slightly, as he smiled silently.

"Water can carry a boat but also capsize it..."

"I’m habitually suspicious, lived so many years, and genuinely only trust Ennie and a few others."

"How could I entrust my source of power to a group of strangers I have never met."

Shiayar gently extended his hand.

And within the Spirit Realm, that faint Power of Faith dissipated, vanished into nothingness.

Shiayar also withdrew his divided attention.

Refocused his spirit, using the Spirit Realm as a medium, directing his attention back to the Main Material Plane, to a corner of the Western Continent, to that tiny kingdom named Lortala.

Or more precisely, to the young girl named Rosa.

Rosa herself thought she had inadvertently triggered some sort of restriction, thus glimpsing secrets from before the catastrophic change, even before the Glorious Era, before the birth of the deities.

Unaware that Shiayar had painstakingly chosen her as his agent for his plan in the Western Continent.

"Despite coming from an insignificant background, she doesn’t go with the flow of public perception but maintains a curiosity about the world and doubts towards the symbol of authority, the Goddess of Abundance."

"Such individuals are hard to come by in those so-called Divine Kingdoms ruled by deities."

Shiayar’s spiritual power fluctuated slightly.

However, choosing Rosa was merely the first step.

The greatest challenge lay beyond this step.

That is—finding a way to conceal from the deity named after Abundance in the Astral Realm, the sense of Shiayar’s actions in the Western Continent, in her Divine Kingdom.

"Therefore—"

"Is this the so-called master of all tactical transformations?"

"Or, deceive the heavens above, and hoodwink the masses below?"

Shiayar couldn’t help but smile.

In the next moment, his Spiritual Entity swiftly expanded in the Spirit Realm.

A mist of Ashes silently enveloped the entire Spirit Realm.

The mist appeared intangible and weightless, seemingly having no effect on the entities within the Spirit Realm, nor did it alert any powerful Fabled Creature’s subconscious in the Spirit Realm.

Yet—

When certain information flowed through the ocean of subconsciousness in the Spirit Realm, it was tainted by the mist.

Then, in silence, it was disguised and altered into another form.

...

The Western Continent, Kingdom of Lortala.

The anomaly occurring at the Rosa Home soon caused a great stir in the surroundings.

This remote border town already had few people, unable to hide any affairs, coupled with Rosa herself secretly fanning the flames—