Chapter 24: Chapter 24 - Rumors of a New God
Chapter 24 — Rumors of a New God
The convoy moved again before noon.
But everything felt different now.
Before the miracle, the refugees traveled beside us cautiously.
Quietly.
Fearfully.
Now?
They watched me constantly.
Not openly all the time.
But enough.
Whenever I looked toward them, people quickly lowered their heads or whispered among themselves.
Children pointed at me from behind wagons.
Older villagers prayed softly whenever I passed.
And the worst part?
The blue divine core inside my chest reacted to every single glance.
Tiny pulses.
Tiny threads.
Tiny pieces of faith gathering continuously.
Like background electricity.
The phone vibrated occasionally too.
Follower Count Updated: 361
374
389
Every increase made my stomach tighten slightly.
Not because I disliked helping people.
But because I was starting to understand exactly how dangerous belief became once systems formed around it.
Earth worked the same way.
People didn’t worship technology intentionally.
They depended on it.
And dependence naturally evolved into faith.
The original Technology God probably didn’t force civilization to follow him.
Humanity chose convenience willingly.
That realization haunted me throughout the afternoon.
The road westward gradually climbed into rocky hills covered in forests.
The scenery looked beautiful beneath sunlight, but tension spread through the convoy constantly now.
Scouts rode ahead and behind us continuously.
Knights remained alert.
Even Lucien looked more restless than usual.
Meanwhile Dorian appeared weirdly excited.
Honestly concerning behavior.
The merchant sat beside me inside the carriage again while reviewing several handwritten papers.
Business documents probably.
Or black-market divine economics.
Hard to tell with him.
Finally I looked toward him suspiciously.
"You look entirely too comfortable right now."
Dorian smiled faintly without glancing up.
"I enjoy historical moments."
"Pretty sure historical moments usually kill people."
"Only the unlucky ones."
Fair enough honestly.
I leaned back against the wooden seat tiredly.
Elena sat across from us again reading another silver-covered religious book.
Though this time I noticed she wasn’t actually turning pages much.
Thinking.
Watching.
Worried.
Probably about me.
Which honestly made dangerous emotional thoughts worse.
The carriage hit another rough patch in the road.
Outside, I heard refugees speaking quietly as they walked beside supply wagons.
"The blue god healed the child..."
"They say even the hunters failed to stop him..."
"A prophet recognized him..."
Rumors spread absurdly fast.
And every retelling made the story bigger.
More dramatic.
More divine.
Humanity truly remained consistent across worlds.
Elena finally closed her book softly.
"The stories are evolving already."
Dorian nodded casually.
"Stories always optimize themselves for emotional impact."
Interesting way to phrase that.
The merchant finally looked toward me.
"Do you understand what’s happening yet?"
I frowned slightly.
"People believe in miracles."
"No."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"They believe in possibility."
Silence followed.
Because honestly?
That answer felt important.
Dorian leaned back calmly.
"Most gods represent things people already understand."
He raised one finger.
"War."
Second finger.
"Nature."
Third.
"Death."
Then he pointed toward me.
"But Technology?"
The merchant smiled faintly.
"It represents change."
The blue core pulsed softly.
"People are drawn toward change during suffering," Dorian continued quietly.
"Especially if that change solves problems."
The carriage became silent again afterward.
Because everyone understood the implication.
Technology spread fastest during crisis.
Always had.
Wars accelerated medicine.
Communication.
Transportation.
Infrastructure.
Human desperation pushed innovation forward rapidly.
Meaning the refugee situation might actually strengthen my authority naturally.
That was terrifying.
Lucien suddenly rode alongside the carriage outside.
He knocked once against the wooden frame.
"We stop ahead."
The commander’s expression looked tense again.
"Scouts detected armed travelers near the western crossing."
Dorian sighed dramatically.
"See? Historical moments."
I ignored him and stepped out of the carriage alongside Elena.
The convoy slowed gradually as rocky hills opened toward a wide river crossing ahead.
An old stone bridge stretched across deep water while several wagons blocked the opposite side.
About twenty armed individuals waited there.
Not knights.
Not soldiers either.
Mercenaries maybe.
Travelers.
Adventurers.
Hard to tell.
But the moment our convoy became visible—
the group immediately focused on me.
Oh no.
One tall woman wearing dark red armor stepped forward confidently.
Long black hair.
Sharp amber eyes.
Large sword across her back.
And honestly?
Extremely dangerous energy.
Not hostile exactly.
But powerful.
The blue core inside my chest pulsed once sharply.
Recognition.
Interesting.
The woman smiled faintly as our convoy approached.
"Well."
Her voice carried easily across the bridge.
"The rumors were true."
Lucien immediately moved his horse toward the front protectively.
"This crossing belongs to the Eternal Light currently."
The woman shrugged casually.
"I’m aware."
Her amber eyes moved toward me again.
"But I didn’t come for territory."
The armed travelers behind her observed silently.
Experienced fighters.
Several carried visible magical weapons.
One older man had glowing runes burned directly into his arms.
Another woman controlled floating crystal shards beside her casually.
Definitely not ordinary travelers.
Elena quietly stepped beside me.
"Mercenary faction."
I frowned slightly.
"That’s a thing?"
"Several."
Wonderful.
Fantasy world somehow included freelance divine contractors.
The red-armored woman bowed her head slightly toward Lucien.
"Relax, commander."
She smiled again.
"If we wanted conflict, your scouts would already be dead."
The nearby knights visibly stiffened.
Honestly?
Fairly effective intimidation.
Lucien’s golden eyes narrowed sharply.
"State your purpose."
The woman looked directly at me.
"Observation."
No hesitation.
Interesting.
Then she added—
"And curiosity."
The blue core pulsed uneasily again.
Dorian quietly muttered beside me—
"She’s stronger than most regional priests."
Good to know.
The woman noticed him immediately.
"Dorian Vale."
Her smile widened slightly.
"Still alive somehow."
The merchant bowed theatrically.
"Spite sustains me."
Honestly they felt like old troublemaking friends.
The woman laughed softly before returning her attention toward me.
"So."
Her amber eyes sharpened carefully.
"You’re the forgotten authority everyone suddenly fears."
Straightforward.
I appreciated that.
"Apparently."
The woman studied me silently for several seconds.
Not worshipful.
Not afraid.
Analyzing.
Interesting.
Then unexpectedly—
she grinned.
"You look disappointing."
Excuse me?
Elena’s expression instantly cooled.
Lucien looked ready to start problems immediately.
Meanwhile the woman crossed her arms casually.
"The stories described something more terrifying."
Her gaze moved across me again.
"But you just look tired."
Honestly?
Fair.
Accurate even.
I sighed slightly.
"Near-death experiences ruin skincare routines."
The woman blinked once.
Then burst into laughter.
Actual genuine laughter.
Okay.
Unexpected.
Several mercenaries behind her looked equally surprised.
The woman wiped one eye dramatically.
"Oh, I like him already."
Lucien looked deeply unimpressed.
The woman finally composed herself and extended one armored hand casually.
"Name’s Lyra."
I hesitated briefly before shaking it.
Her grip felt strong.
Warm.
Human.
Interesting.
Unlike most people lately, she treated me like a person first instead of a divine catastrophe.
That alone felt refreshing.
Lyra released my hand before glancing toward the refugee groups behind us.
"Heard about the miracle."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
More serious now.
The mercenary leader’s amber eyes narrowed slightly.
"Risky move."
I crossed my arms.
"There was a sick kid."
"And now hundreds believe salvation follows you."
Direct.
Sharp.
Smart.
I frowned slightly.
"You say that like it’s bad."
Lyra became quiet briefly.
Then softly answered—
"Depends what kind of god you become."
Cold wind moved across the bridge around us.
The blue core pulsed slowly.
Lyra looked toward Lucien afterward.
"So."
She smiled faintly.
"Which council wants him dead first?"
The commander’s expression hardened instantly.
"No execution decisions exist currently."
The mercenary leader laughed quietly.
"That’s not an answer."
Honestly?
True.
Lucien remained silent.
And somehow—
that silence told me everything.
Lyra noticed too.
Her expression lost some amusement afterward.
"Thought so."
The mercenary leader stepped slightly closer toward me.
"Listen carefully, Technology."
Interesting hearing the title spoken naturally.
"You’re becoming famous too quickly."
The blue core pulsed again.
"Faith spreads faster during unstable periods," she continued quietly.
"And right now?"
Her amber eyes drifted toward the distant eastern horizon.
"Half the continent already feels unstable."
That sounded deeply concerning.
Dorian frowned slightly.
"You’ve heard something."
Lyra nodded slowly.
"Rumors."
The mercenary woman’s voice lowered.
"Ancient ruins activating."
Everyone became still instantly.
Even Lucien looked alarmed.
Lyra continued carefully—
"Old pathway structures."
My heartbeat accelerated.
The pathways.
The ancient connections between worlds.
The prophet said my awakening destabilized them somehow.
Lyra’s expression darkened slightly.
"And that’s not the worst part."
The wind across the bridge suddenly felt colder.
The mercenary leader looked directly into my eyes.
"Other forgotten authorities are waking up too."
