Before him, some particles of light hovered.
What are these things?
Kael couldn't comprehend them. Though he couldn't sense danger, he couldn't bring himself to lower his guard. Who knows, these things could be dangerous?
He looked behind to alert others, but paused as he noticed that these particles only floated around him.
If he was the source, then he didn't want to drag others with him.
"Kael…"
The voice was faint, but Kael felt as if someone was calling him. This surprised him, and he couldn't help but look around him in distress.
"Kael…"
Who? Who was calling him?
For a while, he failed to comprehend. He searched around him, but he couldn't locate a single soul. The voice was unfamiliar, but it sounded divine at the same time as if this voice didn't belong to this world.
Besides the hovering light particles, he couldn't think of anyone else.
"Could these things be calling me?" He wondered.
Curious, he raised his hand to reach out to the particles. He was still reluctant to touch these things.
However, just as he touched one of the hovering light particles, the entire world around him changed.
"What? What's happening!" Kael's heart rate spiked as he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
Just a moment ago, he was guarding the entrance of the cave. But now, he was in an entirely different location.
Verdant fields stretched into the horizon under a sky dipped in gentle gold, the kind of warm hue one only sees moments before dusk. A crystalline river snaked through the meadows, its waters clear enough to see the riverbed shimmer like glass. Fruit-laden trees swayed in a wind that carried no chill, only peace.
The gentle breeze rustled through the dancing stalks of lush plants.
There were no sounds of battle. No growls. No frostbitten winds. Only birdsong, gentle rustling, and… that same voice.
"Kael…"
But the voice was even more distinct and audible than before.
Now, he could hear it.
"Kael…"
It echoed again, not in his ears but rather through his bones. The voice wasn't demanding. It was as if the very land was calling for him.
Unlike before, Kael could trace the source of the sound this time. He turned around to find who was calling for him.
Just as he turned around, his muscles coiled. His pupils shimmered under the golden glow of the sun as it widened in reverence.
From amidst the sun-dappled mist ahead, a figure emerged.
The being stood tall and possessed an aura that shimmered like moonlight in water. His body was humanoid, lean but with divine musculature.
His face bore the sharp contours of a noble human but framed by a wolf's regal ears, eyes like burning amber stars, and a mane of curled silver-and-brown hair that caught the breeze like it was alive.
Draped in flowing robes embroidered with ancient sigils, he carried no weapon.
Yet Kael knew, instinctively, that this being had the power to shatter mountains or breathe life into barren plains.
Just who was this majestic being?
Before Kael could even figure out what was happening, he collapsed to the ground, kneeling in reverence. It was as if his body was reacting on its own.
He could feel his cells twitching in reverence.
"You have wandered far, Kael Blackfang… Cast aside by kin, burdened by honor."
The voice was the same one from before.
Kael raised his head to look at the being as he asked, "Who… are you?"
The divine figure raised a hand slowly, and behind him, a glowing tapestry bloomed, showing images of Kael's life.
Kael couldn't believe the images flashing before him. Those images were an accurate depiction of his life from birth to the present moment.
He couldn't fathom those images.
His pupils dilated as he stared at those images.
"It matters not who I am. I am the echo you've felt in every moment of doubt. The answer your soul has been clawing toward. Call me what you will… savior, guide, voice in the dark. I am what you've been searching for, and now, I am here."
Kael's breath caught in his throat, Ethan's voice echoing in his head.
Before he felt the hope dissipating, however, hope blossomed in his heart again upon hearing Ethan's voice.
For some reason, he couldn't help but feel like wanting to trust his words. He wanted to believe his words. He wanted to believe in him.
Ethan could tell from a glance that his words were having an impact on Kael. Truth be told, he didn't need to put on such an act. He could just select an apostle and start the game.
He wanted to see how someone who had never heard of God would act upon encountering one.
Still, he was elated to see such a precious reaction.
"If you are the savior I've been looking for, then would you lend me your strength?" Kael's voice wasn't demanding, but rather it sounded like someone asking for salvation.
Ethan smiled as he heard his request. Well, he was going to lend him the strength whether he liked it or not.
Smiling, Ethan stepped forward with grace and gently placed his hands on Kael's shoulder.
The moment Ethan placed his hands on Kael's shoulder, a luminous sigil shaped like a crescent moon intertwined with a fang appeared on Kael's chest.
This crest was proof that Kael had been chosen as Ethan's apostle.
[Apostle Chosen: Kael Blackfang]
[Please select the blessing you would like to bestow upon your first apostle]
[Bonus Triggered!]
[Because of the high faith of your apostle, you have unlocked "Farming"]
Ethan couldn't harness the miracle himself, but he could bestow a blessing on his apostles. The more his believers' faith grew in him, the mightier he got.
But he hadn't expected to trigger a bonus reward.
Ethan felt quite delighted about the reward. Something that might have taken years to complete, he accomplished in one fell swoop.
Though Ethan knew about Farming, he couldn't just reveal it to his followers at whim. He could drop hints, but he couldn't get directly involved in it. The world had its laws and orders.