Logout Error: My NPCs Now Worship Me

As Kaelus walked back into the heart of Oakhaven, the kneeling citizens parted before him like the sea before a prophet. Their faces, upturned towards him, were a tapestry of raw, powerful emotions: awe, gratitude, terror, and above all, a desperate, fervent worship. He was their savior. The fact that he was also the architect of their suffering was a truth they would never know, an irony lost to all but the silent god in their midst.

He ignored them. His attention was on the stream of notifications flooding his vision, a far more tangible and valuable reward than the adulation of mortals.

[Divine Power Gained: +5] (From the failed attack of the Hero)

[Divine Power Gained: +3] (From the despair of the Elysian Knights)

[Divine Power Gained: +12] (From the renewed, fervent worship of Oakhaven's citizens)

[Current DP: 117.01]

The hero's desperate, failed attack had generated more Divine Power than the fear of the entire city had. Her defiance, and his effortless negation of it, had solidified his godhood in the eyes of the onlookers more than the slaughter of the monsters had. It was another crucial piece of data. Power was not just about destruction; it was about the contrast of power.

He reached the center of the market square and stopped, turning to survey his new flock. He needed to leave them with a final, lasting impression, an act that would cement their loyalty and turn this city into the foundational stone of his new church.

He raised a hand. The crowd fell utterly silent, their gazes fixed on him with rapt attention.

He focused his will, not on a spell, but on the new system he had unlocked. He accessed the [Divine Power] menu, the cost of his desired action flashing in his mind.

[System Action: Domain Awareness (Minor)] - Active.

[System Action: Evoke Miracle (Lesser - Restoration)] - Cost: 50 DP.

[Confirm?]

Confirm.

Fifty points of his newly acquired power vanished. In its place, a wave of gentle, silver light emanated from his outstretched palm. It was not the cold, oppressive light of his own power, but a soft, warm, and benevolent luminescence. It was the very picture of a holy miracle.

The light washed over the entire city. It was not a physical force, but a wave of pure, restorative energy.

The wounded guards felt the pain leave their bodies. Deep gashes sealed themselves, leaving smooth, unblemished skin behind. Broken bones mended with an audible snap. A man who had lost an eye in the fighting cried out in shock as a new one grew in his empty socket, perfect and clear.

The fires that still raged in a dozen buildings were not doused; they were unburned. The charred wood reverted to its original state, soot and ash flying back into place to reform beams and walls. The destructive work of the flames was reversed in an instant.

Even the dead… were not forgotten. The silver light could not bring back the truly departed—their souls were gone—but for those recently slain, whose spiritual echoes still lingered, something incredible happened. Their bodies, torn and broken, knit themselves back together. They did not rise as undead. They were simply… made whole again, their corpses now peaceful and intact, ready for a proper burial. It was an act of profound, divine respect.

The citizens of Oakhaven could only weep. Their savior had not only destroyed their enemies; he had healed their wounds, restored their homes, and honored their dead. What goddess of light had ever shown such immediate, tangible grace?

With his work done, Kaelus lowered his hand. He gave the city one last, long look, then opened a [Gate]—a grand, swirling vortex of silver and starlight—and stepped through it, vanishing from their sight. He left behind a city not of victims, but of converts. The Church of Luminara had lost Oakhaven. It now belonged to the Silent Sovereign.

The Great Tomb of Nexus, Throne Room…

Kaelus emerged from the Gate into the familiar, cold silence of his throne room. But he was not alone for long.

The Guardians had been watching everything via a massive scrying mirror that Gravity had conjured. Their reactions were a perfect reflection of their personalities.

"Magnificent!" Gravity declared, her voice filled with intellectual ecstasy. "A flawless execution, my Lord! The psychological manipulation of the hero, the demonstration of absolute defensive power, and the final miracle to secure the faith of the populace… it was a symphony of strategic perfection! A textbook case of memetic warfare!"

Flora was clapping her hands with childish glee. "It was so beautiful! When the holy light just disappeared into you…! It was like watching a sun get eaten! And the way you fixed the dead people! It was so much cleaner than letting them rot. Very thoughtful!"

Boom and Blast stood at attention, their approval more stoic. "A worthy display," Boom grunted. "You showed them the carrot after showing them the stick. A wise ruler knows the value of both." Blast simply nodded, his respect evident.

Spidy, however, was lounging on the arm of a lesser throne, looking slightly bored. "It was a fine show, my Lord, truly," she purred, stretching like a cat. "But so… impersonal. All that power, and you didn't even get your hands dirty. I do hope you'll let me have some fun with that shiny little hero later. I'd love to see if her light shines so brightly when she's hanging upside down in my web, whispering all her secrets."

Her comment earned her a cold glare from Gravity, but before the inevitable argument could begin, Rose, the Head Maid, glided forward, her expression one of serene satisfaction.

"An excellent outcome, Lord Kaelus," she stated, her voice smooth as silk. "The city of Oakhaven is now a fertile ground for our influence. I have already dispatched agents—disguised as bereaved survivors from outlying farms—to begin organizing the populace. We will establish a formal clergy, write scripture based on tonight's events, and begin soliciting 'donations' for the 'Church of the Silent Sovereign'. The city's resources will be ours within a month."

Ravi listened to them, a sense of deep unease mixing with his satisfaction. They were all so terrifyingly competent. Rose was already weaponizing the new religion. Spidy was plotting to torture a hero. Flora thought a city-wide healing was a matter of 'cleanliness'. Gravity was analyzing it like a science experiment.

He was the god, but he felt like he was just barely managing to keep the reins on his own monstrously powerful, fanatical creations.

"Your work is appreciated, Rose," Kaelus said, his voice cutting through the chatter. He ascended to his throne and sat, the familiar weight a comfort. "See to it."

He then focused on the most important outcome. His Divine Power.

[Current DP: 67.01]

He had spent fifty, but gained back even more. And the trickle was still coming in from the stunned knights and the worshipping city. This was the path forward. Grand, public displays of power that utterly dwarfed the established order.

He had their faith. Now, he needed to give them an enemy to fear, an enemy only he could protect them from. The Kingdom of Elysia and its Church were the obvious candidates. He would let them make the next move. He would let them escalate, stumble into a trap of his own design, and then he would "save" the people from the very soldiers sent to protect them.

But for now, there was another matter. A reward for his most useful servants.

"Gravity. Spidy. Flora," he commanded.

The three women immediately snapped to attention, their rivalries forgotten in an instant.

"Your recent actions have been… satisfactory," Kaelus stated.

It was the highest praise they could imagine. Their faces lit up with ecstatic devotion.

"As a sign of my favor," he continued, focusing his will and accessing the Divine Power system again. This time, he wasn't creating a miracle. He was creating items.

[Create Item (Lesser Divine)] - Target: Gravity. Item: Orb of Starlight. Cost: 20 DP.

[Create Item (Lesser Divine)] - Target: Spidy. Item: Daggers of Silk and Shadow. Cost: 20 DP.

[Create Item (Lesser Divine)] - Target: Flora. Item: Seed of the World Tree. Cost: 20 DP.

[Total Cost: 60 DP. Confirm?]

Confirm.

Sixty points of Divine Power vanished from his pool. In the air before each of the three women, a shimmering object began to coalesce.

Before Gravity, a perfect sphere of captured starlight, swirling with miniature galaxies, appeared. It hummed with cosmic power, amplifying her control over spacetime.

Before Spidy, a pair of wicked, curved daggers materialized. One was forged from solidified shadow that seemed to drink the light, the other from a silvery, impossibly sharp silk that could cut through steel.

And before Flora, a single, glowing seed, pulsing with a vibrant green life-force so potent it made the very stones of the floor seem to hum.

The three Guardians stared at their gifts, speechless. These were not mere magic items. They were artifacts, imbued with a sliver of their master's own divine essence. They were a physical manifestation of his favor.

Gravity clutched the orb to her chest, tears of pure joy streaming down her face. "My Lord… I am unworthy…"

Spidy held the daggers, a look of genuine, predatory delight on her face. She licked the shadowy blade, her tongue leaving no moisture on it. "Oh, I am going to have so much fun with these…"

Flora cradled the glowing seed as if it were the most precious thing in the universe. "A new life… a new beginning… thank you, my Master. I will grow you a forest that will sing your praises for ten thousand years."

The jealousy radiating from the other Guardians, like Boom and Force, was palpable. They had been overlooked. But it wasn't anger; it was a burning desire to prove themselves worthy of such a gift next time.

Kaelus had not just rewarded his followers. He had stoked the fires of their competitive loyalty to a whole new level. The game for his favor was on, and the stakes had just been raised.