Day 130. Night.
The basement was freezing.
*Silas* sat on stone. EG3 [55%].
`Divine Sense: 15m`
15m. That was it.
15m of dirt, and then the wooden floor above.
Then he felt them.
2 presences. Blue robes. Walking the edge of Greywater.
Azure Sect.
His stomach dropped.
_Sect._
If they scanned down 10m, they would find him.
Energy Gathering 3. No sword. No spell. No escape.
He could be killed by a child with a knife.
Silas didn't move for 6 hours.
Didn't breathe spiritual energy. Didn't think.
Just listened to boots pass 12m above him.
They left at dawn.
Day 131.
Silas stood up. Legs shaking.
That was too close.
_This cannot go like this,_ he thought.
_I can't be in her head 24/7. One day I'll be late.
One day they'll catch her. And then they'll dig down._
He looked around the basement.
Dirt walls. A leaking spirit vein in the corner. Stage 1.
It gave him maybe 1% cultivation a month.
_Stage 1 vein is too slow. At this rate I'll be EG3 for 3 years._
_I need Riverbend Town. Books. Pills._
_And Mira needs to be able to survive without me._
He made a decision.
He spread them out.
"The gods are dead," he muttered. "That's why no one answers."
"So we make a new one."
He stared at the altar. `Lord of Lost Children` carved into wood.
"Too loud," he said. "Sect will search that."
He burned it.
Carved a new symbol. An eye, closed.
No name. No record.
"Good," he said. "Now we need a story."
Day 131. Evening.
Mira came down. Eyes swollen.
"Teacher? What happened?"
Silas sat her down.
"Mira. Listen to me. I am not just a healer."
As Mira has connection with him she knows someone was down there but thought it is connected to god that heals.
He took a breath. EG3. 15 years old. Scared out of his mind.
But his voice was steady.
"I am the *Holy Teacher*.
Sent by *The Divine God* to prepare this world."
Mira blinked.
"The Divine God?"
"Yes," Silas said.
"During the God-War, the old gods were killed.
The Divine God was wounded. He sleeps now.
Before He slept, He sent 7 Teachers.
I am the 7th."
It was a lie. A patchwork from Elder Varn's notes.
But it was the only thing that made sense.
"Why are you telling me now?" Mira whispered.
"Because I have to leave," Silas said.
"The spirit vein here is Stage 1. It's crude.
It gives me pure spiritual energy, but too slow.
If I stay, we die slow.
I need to go to Riverbend. Learn. Get stronger.
Foundation Establishment. Then I can come back."
Mira's face fell.
"You're leaving me?"
"Not forever," Silas said.
"And not unprepared.
From now on, you are not just Mira.
You are *Head Priestess Mira* of the Divine God."
For the next 9 days, he taught her like his life depended on it.
Because it did.
*Lesson 1: Doctrine*
He opened Elder Varn's notes.
"From this I learned how sects work.
They use fear and pills. We will use hope and healing."
He showed her another page.
`On Faith: The lower the talent, the stronger the faith.`
"Azure Sect wants geniuses. We want the broken.
Beggar. Cripple. Widow. They have nothing to lose.
We give them everything."
*Lesson 2: Rules*
He wrote 4 rules on the wall with charcoal.
1. *No miracles in daylight.* Only at night. Only in secret.
2. *No gatherings over 10.* Cells. Like the first church.
3. *Use herbs and lies.* "The Hidden Father sent me herbs." Never "I prayed."
4. *Never speak the name outside.* If you do, we all die.
*Lesson 3: How to Heal*
He couldn't be in her head anymore.
So he taught her to feel.
"Close your eyes. When someone is sick, you will feel cold here."
He touched her chest.
"Push warmth there. That's all the power you have.
Don't try to do more. You'll burn out."
He made her practice on Elena's fever. On Ren's back.
It worked. Barely.
*Lesson 4: The Lie*
"From now on, you are a traveling priestess.
The Divine God sent you to help the poor.
If anyone asks, you learned herbs from a monk.
If Sect comes, you know nothing. You are F-grade trash."
Mira nodded. Over and over.
Until her voice didn't shake.
Day 140.
Silas packed. Rags. Staff. 3 silver.
The crude vein in the corner pulsed weakly.
It had gotten him to EG3. But it would take years to reach EG4.
_Crude method gives pure spiritual energy,_ he thought.
_But pure is useless if you're dead._
He looked at Mira.
She was standing straight. Eyes dry.
"Go," she said. "I'll do it."
Silas almost hugged her.
Instead he pressed a grey token which was filled with divine energy into her hand.
"If you're about to die, crush it. I'll feel it.
I'll come back. I promise."
He climbed the stairs for the last time.
Outside, Greywater was quiet.
No Sect. No one.
He walked.
3 days to Riverbend Town.
Day 143. Riverbend Town.
He rented a room in the slums. 1 copper a night.
First thing he did: Buy paper. Write scripture.
`The Book of the Divine God`.
Second thing: Go to the loose market. Read everything about Foundation Establishment.
`EG3 [55%] → EG3 [57%]`
`Believers: 85. Thread: 9.1% → 8.9%` The connection was weaker now.
10km away, Azure Sect got a report.
"Greywater. No spiritual energy sign. 1 F-grade girl. Dying."
*Elder Hale* waved it away.
"Check again in 1 year."
They never knew he was gone.
_AFTERMATH_
`Day 143.`
`Silas: EG3 [57%]. In Riverbend Town. Alone. Learning.`
`Mira: 9. Priestess of the Divine God. 85 believers. 4 villages.`
`Order: SURVIVE. GROW. HIDE.`
Silas sat in his 1-copper room and stared at the ceiling.
"I can't talk to her anymore," he whispered.
"So she better remember everything."
_END CHAPTER 9_