Chapter Fifty-Three: The Gift of Divinity!
Modo City.
This was a relatively busy and fulfilling day. Aside from the faint smell of salted fish wafting throughout the city, there was nothing too troublesome happening.
During this time, everyone had been eating well!
The price of fresh fish in the taverns had already dropped to one-third of its original cost, which meant that nearly every household in Modo City had stocked up on fresh fish, using the leftovers to urgently make dried salted fish. Soren could still figure out how to make fish floss, but a deity shouldn’t be putting their energy into that, so Modo City’s way of dealing with the surplus catch was to make salted fish. This was the easiest method, and coastal areas didn’t have to worry about salt.
Some low-level wizard apprentices in Modo City had already begun studying alchemy, as purifying table salt was just the most basic task in alchemy.
However, the purity currently was still quite difficult; small-scale production of pure white table salt was still manageable.
On a larger scale, it remained slightly bitter sea salt.
The higher-ups of Modo City had neither the energy nor the time to deal with such trivial matters; perhaps they would consider applying advanced alchemy to the livelihoods of the people in the future.
This period should be the easiest for slaves and laborers in Modo City.
After working each day, they could eat their fill; not only was there fish meat every meal, but they could also find various fresh seafood in the large pots.
During this period, people generally didn’t like eating these things, as many were treated as junk food for slaves.
Days passed just like this.
Counting on his fingers, the time until Soren secretly instructed the second wave of abyssal demons to strike was drawing nearer. On this day, however, something of medium significance occurred in Modo City.
The time was noon.
Suddenly, a strange glow appeared in the sky, and then the light streaked across the horizon like a meteor, directly falling onto a row of buildings on the left side of Modo City.
“Eh!?”
Within the half-elf Grand Temple at the center of Modo City, the figure of the High Priestess appeared out of thin air. She looked up at the sky in confusion and muttered, “Divinity descending!?”
The pale golden light was not very conspicuous during the day.
This light fell directly into a tall building, and immediately all brightness disappeared, as if everything that had just transpired was merely an illusion.
A teleportation spell.
The High Priestess, in her snow-white robe, instantly teleported to the location where the divine light had landed. Then she glanced at the building in front of her and murmured, “Saruman?!”
The location of the divine light’s descent was Modo City’s second-largest laboratory.
This was a forbidden area for ordinary people because it contained many dangerous plants. The divine light had fallen above Saruman’s laboratory, and with the High Priestess’s strength, she could clearly see the pale golden glow inside through the spell light.
The brilliance of divinity!
At the same time, a spiritual light also rose from the central residence of Modo City, and then Gloria’s figure appeared beside the High Priestess.
“What happened?”
Gloria looked somewhat puzzled. The defensive array of Modo City had always been managed by her, so the recent energy fluctuations had not escaped her notice.
The High Priestess had a serious expression and slowly said, “It seems Saruman has obtained some incredible opportunity!”
Gloria was taken aback by these words, then began sensing the changes within the laboratory.
………………
Alchemy Laboratory.
Saruman’s expression at this moment was dazed; everything that had just happened had occurred in an instant.
Moreover, even he had yet to understand what the situation was; he only felt a thread of golden light fall into his body, and then his entire thought process underwent an astonishing shift, as if he had suddenly become enlightened. Many things he previously could not comprehend now seemed crystal clear, and inexplicably, he had mysteriously gained a spell.
Heavenly Gift Spell!
This was not a particularly advanced spell. But it was not invented by Saruman; it was a spell bestowed upon him by heaven or the power of laws.
“What!?…”
Saruman looked at his hands in astonishment and then focused his gaze on the experiment table in front of him. This was a result he had recently been studying.
A simpler and more efficient fertilizer.
Due to the purification of alchemy, it appeared to have a hint of pale golden color. These small particles were the crystallization of Saruman’s third experiment, with both yield and effectiveness significantly higher than the fertilizer he had previously processed simply.
Of course.
These alchemical fertilizers were not meant for crops; as an ambitious wizard, Saruman would hardly be content to play farmer. He purified this fertilizer solely to further cultivate mutated plants.
In simple terms, this was a fertilizer imbued with a touch of magic, made to enhance his combat power.
But!
Unexpectedly, just as this alchemical achievement was completed, he was directly rewarded with a spell by the world, and he also subtly discovered a trace of divine power within himself.
Incredible!
Although Saruman’s strength had rapidly increased through research, divinity remained a long-desired and unattainable aspiration.
With a tinge of expectation in his heart.
Saruman slowly pushed open the laboratory door, where the figures of the High Priestess and Gloria appeared before him. Even after just receiving the heavenly gift spell and a trace of divinity, Saruman still understood that he needed to maintain humility at this moment, so he slightly bowed to the two legendary women before him, saying, “Lady Gloria! High Priestess!…”
“Did what just happened startle you?”
The High Priestess, seeing more than what Gloria did, smiled slightly and said, “Congratulations! It seems you have already traveled further than us.”
Saruman maintained his humility, though a smile had formed on his face.
He clearly understood that even though he had attained a trace of divinity, in the eyes of Soren, the supreme ruler of Modo City, he remained an insignificant figure.
He had just obtained something new; the path ahead was still very distant.
“Let us see what abilities you have gained?”
The High Priestess smiled and turned her gaze to Gloria, who looked somewhat confused, hinting that she would soon understand what had happened.
Saruman nodded, saying, “Yes.”
“I just comprehended something as well; perhaps both of you can provide me with some guidance.”
A few pale golden particles floated in Saruman’s palm.
These were the results he had just fully researched, a more efficient fertilizer used to cultivate magical plants. Additionally, it was the casting material for the new spell he had just obtained.
Incredible!
The new spell was actually cast using this result as the core material.
—“Fertility Spell!”
A light spell aura emerged, and as the spell light appeared around Saruman, those pale golden particles dispersed with the wind and transformed into tiny bits of light that fell into the soil before them.
There was no noticeable change.
At least it didn’t seem like there was any change, but those present were not ordinary people. The expression of the High Priestess suddenly became serious. She then smiled and said, “Congratulations!”
This was the second time she said congratulations.
The ground appeared to change little, but in reality, changes were indeed occurring; the land was becoming more fertile.
This was a non-offensive heavenly gift spell.
The spell’s effect was to utilize the results of Saruman’s recently completed experiment as material to cast a similar effect to the “Fertility Spell,” making barren land a bit more fertile.
It didn’t look like much.
But the significance it represented was profound.
Because this belonged to the divine domain, Saruman’s research had already begun to feedback into the material plane, and the Agricultural Temple had taken away the first batch of fertilizers he had developed. It had also begun to promote them in many places.
The domain and divine profession of the Agricultural Goddess included **Abundance**!
And the core of Saruman’s gained heavenly gift spell was an indistinct **Fertility**, a capability that belonged to the domain of abundance but was more leaning towards a non-natural field, a product of human effort.
This was a reward from the laws and mortals.
It appeared that the first batch of fertilizer Saruman made had already started to grant him some information pertaining to the realm of the divine.
As the High Priestess who oversees the temple and church for Soren, she had seen much more. Saruman had gained not just one spell and some divinity, but potentially a staircase that could elevate him to become a deity.
**Fertility Domain!**
This seemed to be an emerging domain. If Saruman could further influence reality and garner a bit of faith for himself, then he would likely secure the **Fertility Divine Profession**.
A profession that could potentially influence all farming races!
Perhaps it was not strong enough.
But for a mortal, it represented a tremendous opportunity!
………………
(Note: Saruman has gained 1 point of heavenly gifted divinity. Has acquired the heavenly gift spell ‘Fertility Spell’.)
………………
The material plane has its own rules.
Just like the druids who have long been active on the front lines of the d*ath Desert, they may be advanced to become **Arborists**, and thus master the **Plant** domain as a result of nature’s feedback.
What has now happened to Saruman is a type of feedback originating from the material plane!
A feedback that appears insignificant.
Yet it serves as a ladder to the divine path for Saruman, and this is indeed the orthodox route for natives of the material plane to ascend to divinity. After obtaining this point of heavenly gifted divinity, Saruman has the potential to advance to become a demigod.
By subtly influencing the entire material plane, he can gradually accumulate primal divinity and eventually gradually transform into a demigod.
If without the assistance of other deities, this process may take hundreds of years, and then upon advancing to become a **Demigod**, Saruman would need to establish a small church of his own or serve and follow an organization that is aligned with him, thereby slowly cultivating divine power, and after expending hundreds of years, he can step into the realm of **False Gods**.
At that time, if he openly declares himself a deity, he would be attacked by other churches as a **False God**.
However, if he continues to develop slowly, spending hundreds of years further accumulating his strength and faith, then when his existence becomes known and accepted by more mortals and deities, Saruman, having reached his strength’s critical point, can then claim divinity, grasp the **Fertility** domain and divine profession, and ultimately become a deity with **Weak Divine Power**. Of course, all of this is predicated on his survival, that his divinity and domain are not stolen by other gods, and that he does not perish at the hands of powerful legendary adventurers.
The time it takes may stretch over hundreds of years.
Throughout the long history of the material plane, some mortals have used such opportunities to become divine beings, gradually entering the realm of the gods.
Some **Weak Divine Power** gods in the Pantheon emerged in this manner.
However, these **Weak Divine Power** gods are quite weak, and after becoming true gods, they often need to serve and follow stronger deities to ensure their safety and to avoid being killed by other gods who covet their powers and divine professions.
If it weren’t for the Saint’s Cataclysm, Saruman might have been absorbed under a deity possessing the **Abundance** divine profession, becoming their divine servant or lesser god, much like the weak divine goddesses under the protection of the Agricultural Goddess. One of them is the incarnate essence of nature, a weak god that ascended centuries ago from a divine water spirit.
However.
Now is the period of the Saint’s Cataclysm, an incredibly dangerous yet opportunity-filled time.
If Saruman could receive help from other gods, then his time to accumulate divinity and divine professions would greatly shrink; for some sufficiently powerful gods, a hundred years of accumulation is merely a matter of expending a small amount of power to promote.
Being someone with a divine seed makes it much easier for him to become a god than for other mortals, and the cost of promoting him is also considerably lower.
Saruman has gained something very high.
But the foundation of this is not solid; he must first master the power of the **Fertility** domain before he can potentially reach into the realms of the divine.
As a wizard, Saruman still feels a bit weak.
Although his strength has rapidly increased during this time, he is only around level 17 in the wizard profession, quite far from the domain abilities of the legendary realm.
Until he touches the threshold of the legendary realm, it will be difficult for him to become a true divine being.
Even with today’s opportunity, he will need to put in considerable effort to reach the legendary realm, and only then may he glimpse the threshold of becoming a demigod.
There is no doubt.
Saruman is indeed very lucky, for the one promoting the fertilizer he made is the Agricultural Temple; the fact that it is operated by a church is itself quite special and completely different for the mortals affected by the fertilizer. If these things had been handed over to a commercial guild, the mortal recipients of the fertilizer would have never developed any faith changes inclined toward the divine domain. Saruman would have had no chance of obtaining today’s heavenly gifted divinity, let alone gazing so easily into the realm of the gods.
Regardless of how it is viewed.
He is now indeed standing at a new stage, as a potential mortal who might ascend to divinity, Modo City will surely give him more attention and resources in the future.
………………
(PS: This is a combined chapter. The side story has been updated.) (To be continued ~^~)
