Chapter 35: Chapter35-Parasite
"Parasite ability?"
Owen murmured to himself.
This ability was quite interesting. While it only provided a temporary boost to his devotees' combat strength, its significance in the Divine War could not be overstated.
Even if they encountered a powerful enemy army, the explosive enhancement granted by Parasite could be a decisive factor in turning the tide of battle.
However, there was a crucial concern—
In a war between gods, only devotees and their belongings could enter the divine battlefield.
Any external foreign objects were prohibited from crossing into the sacred war zone.
The spores released by the pine maiden—acting as parasites on devotees—technically counted as external elements.
Would they be allowed in the divine battlefield?
That was the key question.
A Desperate Gamble
Seeing that Deus Initium remained silent, the pine maiden grew increasingly anxious.
Her Parasite ability was the only thing that set her apart from other spellbeasts.
If it failed to impress Deus Initium, she had no other means of proving her worth.
Just as her nerves reached their breaking point, the divine voice of Deus Initium resounded once more.
"From now on, you will remain in the village. Your task is to gradually spread your Parasite spores among the awakener villagers."
"Do your job well, and you shall be rewarded."
Hearing these words, the pine maiden immediately let out a deep breath of relief.
It seemed that she had finally gained the god's recognition.
This was everything to her.
More than anything, she had feared being deemed useless—that she would fail to atone for her past.
"Great Deus Initium, rest assured! I will complete this task perfectly and live up to your expectations!"
She declared without hesitation.
A Key Revelation
Within the Divine Space, Owen nodded at her determined attitude.
He had just analyzed the Parasite ability.
Although the spores started as foreign elements, once fully integrated into a devotee's body, they merged completely with their host.
At that point, they would no longer be considered external objects, meaning they could enter the divine battlefield.
However, this fusion process took time, meaning he had to start preparing immediately.
With the pine maiden's role settled, Owen shifted his focus to Thomas, who was currently within the temple.
A Devotee's Growth
Thomas had already reached tier-3 advanced awakener, and possibly due to Owen's last Divine Descent, he now showed signs of breaking through once more.
This was excellent news.
Owen wanted his devotees to improve through their own efforts—not just through divine blessings.
He could aid them in key moments, but he did not want them to grow dependent on his power, turning into helpless infants.
Thomas, in particular, possessed a strong will to advance.
Ever since becoming a missionary, his sense of duty had only grown stronger.
Thus, he had never slacked off.
A Divine Revelation
"Thomas."
Suddenly, in the depths of the temple, Thomas heard the divine voice of Deus Initium echoing in his mind.
His eyes widened in joy.
In the past, Deus Initium had spoken to him only through dreams.
But now, the god was speaking to him directly.
Could this mean that his efforts had been acknowledged?
Could it mean that Deus Initium had drawn him closer?
Overcome with excitement, Thomas immediately responded:
"Great Deus Initium, your missionary hears and obeys your divine will!"
Sensing Thomas' growing devotion, Owen nodded in satisfaction.
Previously, he had relied on Dream Revelation to communicate, as a precaution.
But now that he had ascended to 1-Star Peak Ancient God, his abilities had drastically improved.
There was no longer a need for indirect methods—he could transmit his will directly.
This also allowed him to strengthen his bond with his devotees, making them feel both cherished and humbled by his divine presence.
"Thomas, the pine maiden is now under my command."
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"She will begin implanting Parasite spores into the awakeners. Do not resist. This will benefit you."
Upon hearing this, Thomas immediately nodded in agreement.
He was already aware of the pine maiden—a tier-3 mid spellbeast, a formidable being.
Her eventual submission to Deus Initium had not surprised him.
Before a true god, even the strongest spellbeasts were nothing but insects.
All he needed to do was obey.
"Additionally, near the center of the four villages, near the Howling Cavern, resides a Zerg Queen, cultivating her species."
"Do not interfere. Allow her to develop freely."
"Understood, Divine One! Your will shall be done!"
After receiving the divine decree, Thomas turned his gaze toward the pine maiden.
Since Deus Initium had instructed him to cooperate with her, he would take this matter seriously.
The Herbal Essence Trade
Back in the Divine Space, Owen's focus shifted to the herbal essence spheres in his hands.
These lush green orbs, brimming with pure elemental energy, were undoubtedly tier-2 treasures.
He wondered how much they could fetch in the divine system's pawnshop.
Without hesitation, he sent a single essence sphere into the pawnshop for evaluation.
Moments later, the system returned a trade value:
[Herbal Essence]
Tier-2 treasure, contains vast amounts of condensed elemental energy. One sphere can be exchanged for 2 divine points.
Reading this, Owen's face lit up with excitement.
Even with the pawnshop's harsh pricing, it still valued them highly—meaning their true worth was likely much higher.
He possessed 150 spheres in total.
If sold directly, they would yield a staggering 300 divine points—an absolute fortune!
Previously, after relentless effort forging Hellish Artifacts, he had only managed to earn a few dozen divine points.
Yet now, with one lucky discovery, he had struck gold.
Indeed, true wealth came from seizing the right opportunities—not just grinding endlessly.
Once his territory expanded further, he was sure to uncover even greater treasures.
Rather than laboriously farming divine points, seeking opportunities was far more efficient.
However, Owen knew that finding another Zerg Queen would be impossible within his current territory.
Still, with continued expansion, more opportunities would arise.
Selling to the Gods
After a moment of thought, Owen decided against selling to the pawnshop.
This was premium merchandise—best sold to other gods.
The herbal essences could greatly enhance devotees' strength, making them highly valuable to gods preparing for Divine War.
"I'll price them at 4 divine points each."
"Even the pawnshop offers 2 divine points per sphere—this is completely reasonable."
He immediately listed them in the Trading Channel:
[Selling 50 Herbal Essence Spheres – 4 Divine Points Each – Limited Stock!]
After posting the offer, Owen ignored it.
Even if the price seemed high, the demand was there—eventually, they would sell.
And even if they didn't, he could use them to strengthen his own awakeners.
A New Threat Approaches
Just as Owen finished, he felt a disturbance outside the village.
His gaze snapped toward the distant mountains.
There—he sensed a Claw Tyrant and a black goat-woman approaching.
Their aura was strong—tier-4 level.
They were undoubtedly some of the most formidable spellbeasts of the Fallen Lands.
In the Forest Outside Annasi
A Claw Tyrant and Lady Black Goat advanced toward the village.
At first, their pace was swift.
But as they drew closer, Lady Black Goat's expression darkened.
A strange unease gnawed at her.
The closer they got, the more she felt like she was stepping into hell itself.
Her skin tingled with unseen pain.
And yet—
When she focused her perception, the village felt completely normal.
Claw Tyrant noticed her hesitation and asked,
"What's wrong? Is there truly something strange about this village?"
Even he was beginning to feel uneasy.
After all, Lady Black Goat was even stronger than himself, and after her recent hibernation, her power had become even more terrifying.
Even the Stone Titan, a formidable spellbeast, might not be her match anymore.
So why was she so hesitant before this seemingly ordinary village?
Claw Tyrant knew of this village.
It was nothing more than a small, insignificant settlement—utterly unremarkable.
Could the spellbeast pretending to be a god actually be stronger than Lady Black Goat?
If that were truly the case, then why would such a monstrous entity choose to hide away in such a remote place?