_GREYWATER - DAY 151_
*Mira* was 9 years old. And alone.
The grey token in her pocket was warm. That meant Silas was alive.
That was all she had.
Tonight was the first gathering without him.
8 people. Cellar under Elena's house.
All of them broken.
*Ren* - back still hurt.
*Varn* - blind in one eye.
*Elena* - widow with 3 kids.
4 others from Stonewell and Riverbend. Beggars. Cripples.
Mira stood in front of them. Voice shaking.
"The... The Divine God sent me."
She said the words Silas taught her.
No miracles in daylight. Use herbs. Use lies.
She handed out bitter tea.
"Drink. The Divine God will ease your pain."
While they drank, she closed her eyes.
Felt the cold in Ren's back like Silas taught her.
Pushed warmth.
It was tiny. Barely anything.
But Ren gasped. "It... it hurts less."
`Believer 86.`
Mira nearly collapsed.
_Teacher, I did it,_ she thought.
_ASHFIELD - DAY 160_
Ashfield was the 5th village.
3 days walk. Full of refugees and lepers.
Mira went alone. Dressed as a beggar.
She spent 10 days there. Sleeping in ditches.
Healing with herbs + 1 tiny push of divine energy every night.
Word spread: "Traveling priestess. Helps the unwanted."
Day 170.
A mother brought her feverish child.
Mira healed the child.
The mother cried and knelt.
`Believer 90. 91. 92.`
Day 175.
An old man with no legs.
Mira sat with him all night. Told him stories of the Divine God.
In the morning he could feel his legs again. Not walk. But feel.
`Believer 93. 94.`
Day 180.
Ashfield Elder came to her.
"Priestess. Will your God take us?"
Mira remembered Silas's rule: _We take the lost._
"Yes," she said. "The Divine God does not abandon."
`Believer 95.`
`Day 180.`
`Mira: 9. Thread: 9.98%. 5 Villages. 95 Believers`
`Divine Body Saturation: 99.8%`
Almost there. 0.02% left.
_RIVERBEND TOWN - DAY 155_
*Silas* was starving.
1 copper a night room. No pills. No manual.
The spiritual energy in Riverbend was thin.
Like breathing through wet cloth.
The Stage 1 vein he left behind in Greywater was only slightly less than it but it was all for him but here many are sharing it.
_This won't work,_ he thought.
_At this rate I'll be EG3 for 5 years._
He needed 2 things:
1. *Spirit stones*. To cultivate faster.
2 *Stage 2 spirit vein *
He looked at the recruitment poster on the wall.
`AZURE SECT BRANCH - RECRUITING OUTER DISCIPLES`
`Requirements: Age 12-18. Pass spirit test.`
`Benefits: 2 Spirit Stones per month. Lodging. Stage 2 gathering room.`
Silas laughed. Then stopped.
Azure Sect.
The same sect that was hunting "The Divine God".
_If I hide in the light, they won't find me in the dark._
Day 185.
Silas stood in line with 40 other beggars.
All of them F-grade. D-grade. Trash.
An Inner Disciple held a crystal.
"Place hand. Don't lie."
Silas placed his hand.
The crystal flickered. F-grade.
"3rd stage EG," the disciple said.
The disciple looked at him. Tired eyes.
"We need people for night watch. Perimeter. 10km from town.
2nd to3rd stage EG needed. Just eyes.
2 spirit stones a month. Room included."
Silas nodded immediately.
"Done."
_AZURE SECT BRANCH - DAY 186_
The branch was small. 200 disciples. 1 Elder.
Walls of grey stone. 10km outside Riverbend.
Silas was given:
1. *Blue robe*. Outer Disciple.
2. *Room 44*. 8 people. Outer perimeter.
3. *Jade token*. "Watch Duty - West Wall"
The room had a Stage 2 gathering array in the center.
8 people sharing it.
The spiritual energy here was 3x thicker than town.
`EG3 [58%] → EG3 [59%]` in 2 days.
*Elder Hale* walked past on Day 187.
Foundation Establishment. 100m sense.
He didn't even glance at Silas.
"New trash," he muttered. "Put him on watch."
_WATCH DUTY - DAY 190 - NIGHT_
Silas sat on the wall. 10km from town.
Rain. Cold. Spear in hand.
He was supposed to watch for bandits. For beasts.
Instead he was cultivating.
He circulated spiritual energy from the Stage 2 array in his room during day.
At night he practiced Fireball in secret which he got from sect library as a new outer sect member each can choose 1 basic spell.
He was stealing from the sect to build a god .
_ASHFIELD - DAY 181_
Mira was packing to leave.
Ashfield was done. 95 believers.
An old woman stopped her.
"Priestess. Take me too."
Mira looked at her. Leper. No family.
She remembered Rule 1.
She nodded.
"Come."
`Believer 96.`
That night, as she slept in the ditch, something shifted.
Cold in her chest turned to warmth.
For the first time, she didn't feel empty after healing.
`Thread: 9.98% → 10.00%`
Her body flashed with golden light all over.
Mira woke up gasping.
She could _feel_ all 96 believers now. Like tiny candles.
Her use and storage of Divine energy doubled .
Her skin feels smooth and fresh and like not a child but an angel .
She could feel power in her body. She could absolutely pick 100 kg with her body alone.
She touched the grey token.
"Teacher... I did it."
_AZURE SECT - DAY 210_
Silas watched as the thread become more strong and reached 10%. When it hit 10% he can hear Mira's thought and feel her faith .
He watches Divine body with interest as it was powerful than him and from his idea it battle with EG stage 9 if needed.
*Corin* [EG8. Watch Captain] did inspection.
He stopped at Silas.
"New kid. What's your name?"
"Silas," Silas said. Head down. F-grade posture.
"From Riverbend slums."
Corin scanned him with 13m sense.
Nothing. No spiritual energy fluctuation.
Just an F-grade trash doing watch duty.
"Hn," Corin said. "Work hard. Maybe you'll reach EG4 in 3 years."
He left.
Silas exhaled when he was gone.
His heart was hammering.
He was 10km away from the people hunting him.
Wearing their robe.
Eating their rice.
Cultivating with their stones.
And no one knew.
_AFTERMATH - DAY 240_
`Silas: EG3 [65%]. Azure Sect Outer Disciple. Watch Duty. 2 Spirit Stones/month`
`Location: 10km from Riverbend. Inside the enemy.`
`Mira: 9. Divine Body 10%. 5 Villages. 96 Believers`
`Order: PUSH TO 10 VILLAGES. REACH EG4.`
Silas sat on the wall again. Night watch.
Below him, 200 Azure disciples slept.
Above him, the stars.
He whispered to no one:
"I am inside the lion's mouth now.
If I am found, I die.
If I grow, we live."
After all the secret on him is too big
A God without losing humanity is everyone dream come true.
_END CHAPTER 10_