"No," Harry interrupted. "I don't see it. Because I'm the one who created them."
Mason didn't waste any time to deny it. "You're lying. You can't... only God can create life!"
"And yet here they are," Harry said, gesturing to the house-elves who were still standing nearby, looking increasingly worried about the confrontation.
"One thousand beings, created from my will and my power. Their souls came from me, and their bodies were shaped by me."
The crowd was starting to whisper now.
They'd accepted him as an angel sent by God to save them. That was already a huge leap of faith for most people. But now he was claiming to have done something that their religions said only God himself could do.
Create life from nothing.
Harry understood their shock. In their worldview, there was a clear hierarchy. God at the top, then angels and other supernatural beings, then humans, then animals. The ability to create new life, to breathe souls into existence, that was supposed to be the exclusive domain of the highest power.
But Harry wasn't from their world. He wasn't bound by their theology or their understanding of how reality worked.
He was an angel by virtue of his cultivation, not by divine appointment.
And most importantly, he was someone who'd needed help managing thirty thousand refugees and had the power to create that help.
Mason was shaking his head frantically. "No, no, no! This is a trick! You're not... you can't be..."
"I can't be what?" Harry asked. "An angel? You seemed willing to believe that when I was saving your life. Or is it only convenient to have faith when you're about to be disintegrated by aliens?"
"Angels don't create life!" Mason's voice was getting shrill. "Angels are messengers! Servants of the Lord! They don't... they can't..."
Harry was getting tired of this. Mason's theological crisis wasn't his problem, and he had zero patience for people who tried to hurt those under his protection. The house-elves had done nothing but help these people, and Mason had tried to stab one of them because of his own sick fantasies.
It was time to end this.
"Kneel," Harry commanded.
The word wasn't particularly loud, but it carried just a fraction of his Presence.
Mason's knees hit the ground so fast it had to hurt. His eyes went wide with terror as he found himself unable to stand, unable to do anything but kneel before Harry like a peasant before a king.
Or more accurately, like a sinner before divine judgment.
The crowd took a collective step back.
Harry flew forward until he was hovering directly in front of Mason. From this angle, with Mason on his knees and Harry looking down at him, the height difference was even more pronounced.
"Let me make something very clear," Harry said. "I saved all of you because I chose to. I created the house-elves because I needed help managing so many people. They are helping because they find joy in helping others. Not because they're slaves. Not because they're lesser beings. Because that is their nature, just as your nature is to question and doubt and apparently threaten those who help you."
Mason tried to speak, but Harry wasn't done.
"I will say once more to everyone here. You will not harm them. You will not threaten them. You will not spread your poison about them being demons or tempters or anything else your sick mind comes up with." Harry's eyes seemed to glow brighter. "If you do, I will know. And the consequences will be... unpleasant."
He'd used that same phrase when he'd first introduced the house-elves to everyone. Most people had taken it as a warning.
Mason seemed to think he wasn't being serious enough.
Harry turned away from Mason and addressed the crowd. "For those of you who are wondering, yes, I can create life. If that troubles your faith, I suggest you think very carefully about whether you want to reject the help of the being who saved you from certain death."
Nobody said anything.
Whatever theological problems they might have with Harry's claims, they were also very aware that they needed his help to survive. The food and water the house-elves provided, the shelter they helped build, the medical care they assisted with - all of that was more important than abstract religious debates.
Pragmatism would win out over faith.
It almost always did when survival was on the line.
Harry looked down at Mason, who was still kneeling on the ground. The man's face was pale and sweaty, his whole body trembling under the weight of Harry's Presence. The crowd around them had gone completely silent, watching to see what would happen next.
This wasn't just about punishing one sick man anymore.
Harry knew that this moment would define how the refugees saw him going forward. They'd accepted him as an angel, a divine savior sent to rescue them from the aliens. But now he'd revealed that he could create life itself, something their religions said only God could do.
He needed to establish his divine authority here and now. His protection came with simple conditions, and they had to be followed no matter what.
Even when a million more refugees were saved.
"Put your forehead against the ground," Harry commanded. "Now."
"I... I can't..." Mason whispered.
Harry increased the pressure of his Presence just slightly. "You tried to murder one of my creations. You will show proper remorse, or things will get much worse for you."
Mason's arms shook as he slowly bent forward until his forehead touched the dirt. The position left him completely vulnerable, unable to see what was happening around him. Harry could hear shocked gasps from the crowd. Some of them probably thought this was going too far.
They were wrong.
"Again," Harry said coldly. "Two more times. And while you do it, you will beg forgiveness from the one you tried to harm."
Mason lifted his head slightly, then pressed it back to the ground. "I'm... I'm sorry," he mumbled into the dirt.
"Louder. And use her name."
The house-elf with the cleaning cloth looked extremely uncomfortable. "Creator, I don't think this is necessary-"
"What's your name?" Harry asked her gently.
"M-Milly, Creator."
Harry turned back to Mason. "Her name is Milly. Beg for her forgiveness."
Mason lifted his head and pressed it down again for the second time. "I'm sorry, Milly. Please... please forgive me." His voice cracked on the words.
"One more time."
This prostration was the hardest. Mason's whole body was shaking now. "Please forgive me, Milly. I'm sorry for trying to hurt you."
Harry looked at Milly, who was wringing her hands nervously. "Creator, I... I accept his apology. He was confused, and-"
"No," Harry interrupted. "His apology has been heard."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air.
"And it has been rejected."
Mason's head snapped up. "What? But she said-"
"She was being kind," Harry cut him off. "Far kinder than you deserve."
His expression remained impassive as he continued, "For attempted murder of one under my protection, you are sentenced to death."
Harry raised his right hand toward the sky. Azure flames poured from his palm, shooting upward in a brilliant pillar of blue fire that went fifty meters into the air. The flames burned brighter than anything the refugees had ever seen, casting everything around them in an otherworldly blue glow.
But it wasn't just fire, Soul Resonance Mist was hidden inside the pillar as well. The mist carried something with it… a feeling that pressed against everyone's minds.
Awe.
Pure, overwhelming awe that made people want to fall to their knees. The kind of feeling that ancient peoples must have experienced when they believed they were witnessing the direct intervention of the divine.
Most of the refugees actually did drop to their knees, staring up at the pillar of fire.
Mason tried to scramble backward, but Harry's Presence still held him in place. "No! You can't!"
"I can," Harry said simply. "And I will."
Harry's Space Authority activated, forcefully teleporting Mason from his knees to directly beneath the pillar of azure fire.
"Please!" Mason screamed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"
The pillar of fire descended.
It happened so fast that nobody could even blink. The azure flames crashed down over Mason's body, completely engulfing him in brilliant blue light. There was no time for screaming, no prolonged agony. The flames were too hot and too pure for that. Mason simply... ceased to exist. His body was consumed so quickly and completely that there wasn't even ash left behind.
The pillar of fire vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The Soul Resonance Mist continued swirling for a few more seconds, then faded away as well. The only sign that Mason had ever been there was a small circle of blackened earth where he had been standing.
More than two hundred people stared in utter silence at the empty spot where Mason had been.
He lowered his arm and turned to address the crowd.
"This is what happens to those who try to harm my creations," Harry announced. "I offered you salvation. I gave you food, water, shelter, and beings whose only joy comes from helping you survive. In return, I asked only that you treat them with basic respect."
He gestured at the blackened circle where Mason had stood. "Mason couldn't even manage that. He let his sick mind twist kindness into temptation, help into corruption. And when his own shame became too much to bear, he tried to murder an innocent being whose only crime was bringing him clean water."
"I am not your God. I never claimed to be. I am someone with power who chose to save you because I could. But my protection comes with rules. Break those rules, and face the consequences."
His gaze brushed across the assembled refugees until it found the group that had been standing behind Mason during his anti-house-elf speech.
The moment his emerald eyes focused on them, they all went pale.
Harry had been watching them carefully during Mason's breakdown. He'd seen which ones had nodded along with the paranoid ravings, which ones had looked eager when Mason talked about "purifying" the camp. These weren't innocent bystanders who'd gotten caught up in mob mentality.
These were people who genuinely believed the house-elves were evil.
More importantly, these were people who might try something similar in the future.
Harry clicked his fingers.
Instantly, about fifteen people from Mason's group vanished from where they stood and reappeared in front of Harry to the right. These were the ones who hadn't moved when Harry's gaze fell on them. The ones who'd stood their ground even after seeing what happened to their leader.
Harry clicked his fingers again.
Another dozen people appeared to the left. These were the ones who'd started backing away the moment Harry looked at them. The ones who'd realized they'd made a terrible mistake by following Mason.
The rest of the crowd was staring in shock at the sudden relocations.
A middle-aged woman with graying hair in the group to the right was the first to speak.
"What... what's happening? Why did you move us?"
"You followed Mason," Harry said simply. "You listened to his speeches about demons and corruption. You nodded along when he talked about purifying the camp."
"We were just listening!" a man in his forties protested. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
Harry tilted his head. "No? When Mason talked about capturing house-elves for interrogation, you didn't object. When he organized his march against them, you were ready to participate. The only reason you didn't help him attack Milly is because I arrived first."
That shut them up.
The group on Harry's left was in a completely different state. Several of them were crying, and most looked absolutely terrified.
"Please!" one of them called out. "We're sorry! We didn't know what Mason was really planning! We thought he was just... we were scared and confused!"
"We would never hurt the house-elves!" another added desperately. "They've been so kind to us! We just... Mason made it sound like..."
Harry held up a hand for silence. The babbling stopped immediately.
He looked at the group on the right again. These were the true believers. The ones who'd genuinely bought into Mason's twisted worldview and would probably try something similar again if given the chance. They were a threat to his house-elves and to the stability of the refugee community.
They needed to be removed.
"You," Harry said, "are all being exiled."
Several people stumbled backward, and the middle-aged woman who'd spoken first went completely white.
"Exiled where?" she whispered.
"Back to Earth," Harry said calmly. "The world you came from. The one currently being invaded by aliens."
The screaming started immediately.
"No! Please! We're sorry! We didn't mean it!"
"Mason deceived us! We never wanted to hurt anyone!"
"The aliens will kill us! You can't send us back there!"
Harry watched their panic with complete indifference. Earth was being invaded by Tripods with death rays at this very moment. Resources were scarce, most major cities were destroyed, and the aliens were still actively hunting survivors. These people had a much better chance of survival here in his world, but they'd chosen to threaten those who were helping them.
Actions had consequences.
"You made your choice when you decided to follow Mason," Harry said over their screaming. "You chose to see kindness as deception and help as corruption. You can live with that choice back on Earth."
Harry's true body, still meditating in the cave deep underground, stirred slightly. His Will split just the slightest bit, allowing him to maintain his Human Avatar while also walking to the cave entrance.
Through his Space Authority, Harry opened a portal directly from the Muggle World to the valley where he'd been hiding before creating the house-elves.
It was isolated and relatively safe, but it was definitely still on the invasion-torn Earth.
The group on the right continued screaming and pleading as Harry raised his hand. Their voices cut off abruptly as they vanished, teleported through the portal and deposited in the valley.
Harry closed the portal immediately afterward.
The sudden silence was deafening.
The remaining refugees stared at the empty space where fifteen people had been standing just moments before. The reality of what had just happened was sinking in. Harry wasn't just powerful enough to save them from aliens and create blessed life. He was also willing to both execute and send people back to almost certain death if they crossed him.
That was a lesson worth learning.
Harry turned his attention to the group on his left. These were the ones who'd realized their mistake and tried to back away from Mason's influence. They were still terrified, probably expecting to be exiled as well.
"Lieutenant General Barrett," Harry called out. "Please come here."
Barrett had a pale face, but she quickly hurried over.
"Sir," she said when she reached him. "I'm here."
Harry smiled at her, and some of the terrible coldness left his expression. Barrett was a good leader who'd been doing her best to maintain order. She didn't deserve to be caught up in Mason's madness.
"This group," Harry said, gesturing to the dozen people who were still crying and shaking, "needs to be imprisoned."
Barrett blinked. "Imprisoned, sir?"
"By the community," Harry clarified. "Not by you personally. I want the entire population to understand that these people supported Mason's plans and need to face consequences for that. But unlike the others, they at least had the sense to step back when they realized what they'd gotten into."
Barrett nodded slowly. "What... what kind of imprisonment are we talking about, sir?"
"Restricted movement within the camp. No access to leadership positions or decision-making. They work under supervision and eat after everyone else has been fed." Harry paused, considering. "The sentence lasts until either the outside world is safe again, or five years have passed. Whichever comes first."
"And if we don't enforce this?" Barrett asked carefully.
Harry's smile didn't waver. "I'll know if you don't. And I'll be very disappointed."
Barrett swallowed hard. "We'll do our best, sir! Thank you for your mercy in not... not sending them back as well."
The group all collapsed to their knees. They'd expected exile or death, not imprisonment within the safety of the refugee camp. It was still a punishment, but it was one they could survive.
Harry glanced at the kneeling group that were now praising him for his mercy, then turned away. The demonstration was over. Everyone had seen what happened to those who threatened his house-elves, and more importantly, they'd seen that he was willing to show mercy to those who recognized their mistakes.
That was enough for now.
"Continue with your duties," Harry said to Barrett. "The house-elves will assist you as before. Anyone who has questions about what just happened can speak with you directly."
Barrett nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. We'll maintain order."
Harry spread his wings and lifted himself into the air, rising high above the refugee camp before teleporting back to Heaven.
He opened the Hero's Journal and flipped to the page showing the Muggle World.
Day 11:
The camp was eerily quiet this morning. Barrett found that many people spent the night praying… some to their traditional gods, others directly to the Angel who saved them. The twelve imprisoned supporters of Mason began their supervised work details, hauling water and digging latrines under guard. No one spoke to them or acknowledged their existence beyond giving orders.
The Council of Free Citizens attempted to reconvene but found their numbers drastically reduced. Many former members wanted nothing to do with any organization that might be seen as challenging the Angel's authority. Their leader, a former city councilman named Joel Dean, tried to frame their group as "working within divine guidelines" but only managed to gather thirty people for the meeting.
House-elf Tineth heard that many humans now bowed when house-elves passed by, which made the elves uncomfortable.
Three separate Christian denominations held services, each claiming the Angel was fulfilling different biblical prophecies.
Day 13:
First successful well completed in Tent City Alpha after four failed attempts. The engineering team, led by a former construction foreman named Luis Armenta and assisted by elves, finally figured out the water table depth. House-elves can summon water, but having a permanent source reduces their workload significantly.
Armenta was immediately approached by five different religious groups claiming his success was due to their specific prayers.
Barrett implemented a new organizational system dividing the camps into neighborhoods of 100 people each, with elected block captains reporting to her. The imprisoned Mason supporters were housed in a separate area dubbed "Redemption Row" by the other refugees. Two of them attempted to hold their own prayer service but were ignored by everyone except the guards.
A Jewish rabbi named Yehuda Kahan caused controversy by suggesting the Angel might be testing their faith rather than replacing it. He was shouted down by a Baptist congregation who insisted the Angel's ability to create life proved he was the "new covenant" mentioned in scripture. The rabbi's small congregation of forty people moved their prayer area to the edge of camp to avoid further conflict.
Day 15:
Scouting parties discovered a herd of deer approximately 6 kilometers from camp. Debate broke out over whether these animals were created by the Angel or native to this world. Barrett authorized a hunting expedition but insisted on sustainable practices, only taking what was needed and leaving the majority to breed. The hunting party of fifteen people spent three hours arguing about whether killing animals in the Angel's world was sacrilege before Barrett told them to "just bring back some meat."
The Council of Free Citizens officially disbanded after Dean was caught hoarding food despite the house-elves' ability to multiply it. The discovered stash of canned goods and dried fruit sparked outrage, especially since Dean had been preaching about "community cooperation" in his meetings. He claimed he was "testing the house-elves' powers" but no one believed him.
House-elf Milly, who Mason had tried to stab, became something of a celebrity. Humans kept approaching her with small gifts and apologies for Mason's actions, which confused her greatly. She reported to Tineth that seventeen different people had asked her to "bless" their children, and she didn't know how to respond.
Day 17:
Weather turned harsh with a three-day storm system moving through. House-elves worked overtime managing flooding in lower areas while humans scrambled to reinforce their shelters. The storm revealed major flaws in the tent city planning, the drainage was nonexistent and many tents were placed in natural water collection areas.
Religious tensions exploded when a Catholic priest named Father Sweeney held a mass declaring the Angel a "divine messenger but not divine himself." A group calling themselves the Church of the Creator interrupted the service, insisting the Angel's ability to create souls made him equal to God. The confrontation turned physical when someone threw a prayer book.
Barrett's security forces had to separate the groups, and she instituted a rule that religious services must be held at least 100 yards apart.
Imprisoned Mason supporters used the storm chaos to attempt an escape. Three of them made it half a kilometer before being caught by house-elf Pipkin who simply levitated them back to camp. They were assigned to dig new drainage ditches in the rain.
Day 20:
Agricultural report showed mixed results. The crops planted before Mason's execution were growing but slowly. A botanist explained that without fertilizer or soil amendments, yields would be poor. She proposed composting human waste and food scraps, which sparked another religious debate about whether defiling the Angel's earth with waste was acceptable.
The Church of the Creator grew to over eight thousand members, making it the largest religious organization in the camp. They developed a simple theology: the Angel was the Creator of New Life, sent to guide humanity into a new age. Traditional Christians were horrified but outnumbered.
A small group of Muslims are holding prayers five times daily while discussing whether the Angel was a Djinn in disguise.
House-elves reported increasing discomfort with humans trying to worship them as "divine servants." One elf named Bobkin was followed by a group of twenty people who copied his every movement, believing it would bring them closer to the Creator. Tineth asked Barrett for help, but Barrett admitted she had no idea how to stop people from exercising their "religious freedom" as long as they weren't violent.
Day 22:
Successful hunting expedition brought back three deer. The meat was tough and gamey, but it was the first non-multiplied food in weeks. This sparked the "Original Food" movement, people who believed eating only what the Creator's world naturally provided would make them more worthy. They were a minority, but vocal.
Luis Armenta' engineering team completed three more wells and started work on a basic aqueduct system. The Church of the Creator claimed this was divine inspiration, while Armenta insisted it was "just basic engineering." He was forced to add a small shrine to the Creator near each well to stop people from arguing at the work sites.
Seven of the imprisoned Mason supporters publicly renounced their former beliefs and begged forgiveness from the house-elves.
Day 25:
Religious census conducted by Barrett's administration showed shocking results. Over ten thousand people now referred to the Angel as "the Creator" in daily conversation. Traditional religious leaders held an emergency meeting to discuss this "theological crisis." The meeting devolved into shouting when someone suggested combining their faiths to remain relevant.
House-elf Tineth formally requested that humans stop trying to kiss their feet in gratitude. The practice had started with one overzealous Creator worshipper and spread rapidly. Tineth's announcement that "the Creator wishes you to show respect through good behavior, not foot-kissing" became instantly accepted as divine law.
Agricultural teams discovered wild grain-like plants growing near a stream. The Church of the Creator immediately claimed the discovery site as holy ground where the Creator had blessed them with sustenance.
Day 27:
Father Sweeney and Rabbi Kahan formed an unlikely alliance, creating the "Traditional Faith Coalition" to preserve their religions. They had less than two thousand members combined. Their first joint statement emphasized that the Angel was "a powerful being worthy of immense gratitude but not worship."
They were largely ignored.
Construction began on the first permanent buildings using clay and wood. The Church of the Creator insisted on building a temple first, while practical voices argued for granaries and medical facilities. The compromise was to build everything simultaneously, with the temple being "accidentally" worked on faster due to having more volunteers.
The imprisoned Mason supporters were caught conducting a secret prayer meeting where they still referred to house-elves as demons. One guard reported hearing them say the Creator would "reveal his true nature" eventually. Barrett doubled their guard and moved them further from the main camp.
Day 30:
One month since arrival. Population census showed 30,126 people accounted for. The Church of the Creator officially registered 21,000 members. Traditional faiths maintained small but dedicated congregations. Approximately 7000 people remained uncommitted to any formal religious organization but still referred to the Angel as "the Creator" in casual conversation.
Infrastructure report: Seven wells operational, basic drainage system 40% complete, three permanent buildings under construction. Hunting parties established regular routes, bringing back small game twice weekly. Agricultural plots expanded to 50 acres with mixed crops, though harvest was still months away. House-elves remained the primary source of food and water.
Barrett noted to herself that calling the Angel "the Creator" had become so normalized that even she caught herself doing it in official documents. The traditional religious leaders were "demoralized but still functioning." The imprisoned Mason supporters remained under guard, with three showing signs of mental breakdown from isolation.
Most significantly, the camp had achieved stable organization despite the religious upheaval. People were following rules, working together, and building for the future… even if they couldn't all agree on who or what to worship.
Harry closed the Hero's Journal and sighed deeply.
He had to admit that he felt perfectly fine with almost everything that had happened. He'd wanted their faith from the beginning. Faith converted to World Power at excellent ratios, and he needed that power to maintain the Textures and protect everyone. The fact that most of the refugees now saw him as a divine creator rather than just an angel was actually beneficial.
The foot-kissing thing though... that was just super weird.
Harry shook his head. He could understand gratitude, he could understand worship, but why did humans always have to take things to strange extremes? At least Tineth had put a stop to it before it got completely out of hand.
What really amazed Harry was the sheer amount of faith being converted to World Power. The white clouds in Heaven were expanding faster than he'd ever seen before. High-quality faith from twenty-one thousand true believers, plus casual faith from another seven thousand, was generating World Power at a rate that made his previous experiences look pathetic.
If this was just the faith from around twenty thousand worshippers, how much would he get from a hundred thousand? A million? Or billions?
It was almost unimaginable. Harry had always known that faith was a renewable resource, but he'd never really grasped the potential scale. Back in his home world, many people had 'faith' in his ability to resist the Killing Curse or his ability to heal cursed wounds, but nobody truly believed he was divine and followed an organized religion to worship him.
That meant that any faith from his home world was primarily low-quality.
If Harry could establish himself as a divine figure in multiple worlds, the faith generation would be enormous. It was even possible to establish a divine feedback loop, but he had to be careful not to poison his own Virtues by becoming a corrupt god that forced people to convert.
Virtue Power was the vital core of the Heaven-Earth Soul, something far more important than World Power.
Harry had seen what happened to gods who became corrupt in the stories Nicolas had shared with him during their travels. They might gain tremendous power in the short term, but eventually their divine nature would collapse under the weight of their own evil.
Virtue Cultivation seemed tailor-made to keep divine beings anchored to mortal principles instead of letting them act without considering how those beneath them might think.
Besides, Harry genuinely wanted to help people. The refugees weren't just sources of faith to him, they were human beings who'd lost everything and deserved a chance to rebuild their lives.
If he started seeing them only as power generators, he'd become exactly the kind of monster he'd been afraid of becoming.
Still, the practical benefits were undeniable. With this much World Power flowing in, Harry could finally create the House-Elf World he'd promised Tineth and the others.
They'd been working nonstop for a month taking care of thirty thousand refugees, so they deserved a place of their own where they could rest and develop their own society.
Harry opened his eyes and began gathering his will. The first step was adjusting the time flow in the Muggle World back to normal ratios. He didn't want years or decades passing while he worked on the new Texture… that would be far too much time for new problems to develop among the refugees.
The adjustment was simple enough. Harry reached out with his Time Authority and gradually slowed the Muggle World's temporal flow until it matched the outside universe.
One second inside would now equal one second outside, just like his other Textures.
Now for the real work.
Harry began channeling massive amounts of World Power into creating an entirely new Texture. This one would have both the Laws of Physics and Magic, giving the house-elves access to their full abilities while still maintaining a stable environment. He made it roughly the size of Switzerland, that was more than large enough for a proper civilization to develop, but not so large that it would drain his reserves.
Two hours later, the House-Elf World was complete.
Harry also carved out an underground chamber similar to the one connecting the other two Textures, and then transported himself to the Muggle World's underground chamber.
"Tineth," Harry called out through a micro portal. "Please come here."
Tineth appeared with a soft pop, looking slightly concerned. "Creator? Is everything alright?"
Harry smiled at her. "Everything's fine, Tineth. Actually, everything's better than fine. I have good news for you and the other house-elves."
Her eyes brightened immediately. "Good news, Creator?"
"The House-Elf World is complete," Harry announced.
Tineth's mouth fell open. "It's... it's really finished? Our own world?"
"It's really finished." Harry gestured toward the Spatial Gate. "I'm about to change this gate so it connects directly between the Muggle World and your new home."
He raised his hand and began adjusting the Spatial Gate. The process was simple enough, he just needed to redirect the connection from the Wizarding World to the House-Elf World instead. The gate shifted smoothly, and within moments the gate was pointing to an entirely different Texture.
"There," Harry lowered his hand. "The gate now leads directly to your world. You can travel back and forth between helping the refugees and building your own society."
Tineth clasped her hands together, her eyes filling with tears of joy. "Creator, this is... this is more than we ever dreamed of! Our own world where we can learn and grow and create things!"
"You've all been working nonstop for a month taking care of thirty thousand people," Harry smiled at her. "You deserve a place where you can rest and pursue your own interests."
The thought of house-elves creating their own culture was actually pretty fascinating to Harry. Back on his home world, the house-elves had been limited by their roles as servants. They had powerful magic, but they only used it for cleaning and cooking and maintaining the castle.
What would they create if they had complete freedom to explore their abilities?
Harry was genuinely curious to find out. These house-elves had been born from his World Power, which meant they had the potential to be even more magically gifted than the ones from his home world. Given time and freedom to experiment, they might develop entirely new forms of magic.
"Creator," Tineth said, bowing deeply. "How can we ever thank you for this gift? You saved us from nonexistence, gave us purpose helping those in need, and now you've given us a world of our own!"
"You don't need to thank me," Harry replied. "You've more than earned it through your service. Besides, I want you to be happy. Helping others should bring you joy, not exhaust you completely."
Tineth straightened up, wiping away her tears. "Should I inform the others?"
"Yes, go ahead and tell them. But make sure they understand that helping the refugees is still important. You can split your time between both worlds however you think works best."
Harry had been wondering about the logistics of this arrangement. The refugees still needed assistance with their daily needs, but they were also becoming more self-sufficient as time passed. They were organizing themselves, creating wells, learning to hunt and gather food from the natural environment, and even their basic infrastructure was improving.
That seemed fair to Harry. The house-elves genuinely enjoyed helping people, but they also deserved the opportunity to build something for themselves.
"I understand, Creator!" Tineth said eagerly.
"Good. And Tineth? If you ever need anything for your world, just let me know. I want this to work out well for everyone."
Tineth bowed again, even more deeply than before. "Your generosity knows no bounds, Creator. We will make you proud of what we build."
Harry chuckled. "I'm already proud of you. All of you. You've done amazing work with the refugees, and I know you'll do amazing work building your own society too."
The house-elf beamed at him. "The others going to be so thrilled!"
"Go ahead," Harry said with a smile. "Enjoy your new world."
Tineth vanished with an excited pop, probably rushing off to gather all the other house-elves and share the incredible news. Harry could imagine the celebration that was about to break out among them.
It felt good to make them happy.
Harry took one last look around the underground chamber, then allowed his Human Avatar to dissolve back into World Power. His consciousness returned fully to his true body, still sitting in meditation deep underground in the cave he'd carved out.
The soul-deep agony from overusing the Inner Eye had finally faded to a dull ache.
His Heaven-Earth Soul was healing, though it would probably take another hour before he felt completely normal again.
Harry was about to settle back into meditation when his eyes darkened.
A new offer had come.
[Forget-Me-Not – Kingdom Hearts] – Costs 300CP, 400CP available to spend
Your memory is inviolable. Not science, nor magic, nor psychics, nor reality warping can alter your memories. Heck, even time travel leaves you with the memories of both timelines. The only thing that can cause you to forget something is yourself, as your ability to repress things is given a mental trigger only accessible by you, and only willingly at that. You may bring down upon yourself powers capable of affecting your mind, but outside of these situations, you no longer have to worry about forgetting where you left your car keys or that you just uncovered an Illithid Illuminati. As a bonus, you can craft small items that, when worn or carried by people you give them to, provide a significant degree of this protection to them as well.
Even if he had managed to gather a thousand points somehow, it would still be worth spending them all on this single ability. The thought of some all-powerful Immortal being able to mess with his memories was terrifying, becoming immune to that and being able to provide part of this protection to others as well?
Harry accepted the offer immediately only to blink in surprise.
Another offer again?
[Crown of Kings – World of Warcraft] – Costs 0CP, 200CP available to spend
A long lost crown that can be sold or worn... Looks neat. Belonged to some old geezer called "Terenas Menethil II". Should net you a large chunk of starting gold if sold at the right place.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the casual description. Some old geezer? The crown apparently belonged to someone important enough to have a full name and title, but the offer was describing him like he was just some random person.
Since it was free, Harry was fine with getting it. It seemed pretty useless for his current situation, but maybe it could be useful if he ever traveled to this 'World of Warcraft' place. The name suggested it was some kind of world focused on warfare, and you never knew what might happen with the Elder Blood.
He accepted the offer and immediately used his Space Authority to transport the crown to his Treasury. He could examine it later when he had time.
But then he gaped when a third offer appeared in his mind almost immediately.
What was going on?
He'd never gotten so many offers in such a short time before. In less than two days, he'd received five different offers.
[Ox-Ox Fruit Model: Giraffe – One Piece] – Costs 100CP, 300CP available to spend
You can transform into a giraffe or a human-giraffe hybrid.
Harry stared at the offer, then rolled his eyes.
His good luck didn't last forever, it seemed. Did he want to be able to transform into a giraffe? Not really. He could already transform into a golden eagle, which was infinitely more useful than being a long-necked herbivore.
What would he even do with a giraffe body? Reach high shelves? Eat leaves from tall trees? The hybrid form might give him some kind of enhanced height and maybe stronger kicks, but he already had superhuman strength and speed far beyond a simple giraffe.
If it was free, then sure, he might consider it just for the novelty.
But for 100 points? It was absolutely not worth it.
Harry rejected the offer and closed his eyes to rest for another hour.
When he opened them again, the constant ache in his Heaven-Earth Soul had finally disappeared completely.
"Let's go to NORAD," he muttered.
Jets of azure fire blazed beneath Harry's feet as he shot up through the cave entrance and climbed into the sky.
After gaining altitude, he glanced down at a group of survivors slowly walking through the valley below. About fifteen people, the ones he'd exiled from the refugee camp for supporting Mason's anti-house-elf crusade. They spotted him immediately and started waving their arms frantically, shouting something he couldn't hear from this height.
Harry flew past them without slowing down.
It was their own fault for standing with Mason. They'd had their chance to live safely in his world with food and water and protection from the invasion. Instead, they'd chosen to follow a sick man who tried to murder innocent beings.
Now they could deal with the consequences of that choice.
Maybe some of them would survive long enough to learn from their mistakes. Maybe they wouldn't.
Either way, it wasn't Harry's problem anymore.
Five minutes later, however, Harry had to stop mid-air.
In front of him was a forest.
But not a normal green forest. No, this forest was utterly covered in small red vines and almost all signs of green were choked by the red. The crimson growths wrapped around tree trunks like countless small snakes, hanging from branches in thick curtains that blocked out most of the sunlight. Where the vines touched the ground, the grass had withered and died, leaving only bare patches of dark soil.
What in Merlin's name was going on here?