The Power of Ritual

Sandean decided to bid farewell to the messenger of God.

In the deepest part of the library, the spirit was resting on a white bench that resembled vines.

The dream world also had day and night, and at this moment, the sun was just rising, its light streaming through the window with vibrant energy.

The soft, alluring light of dawn filtered through the window, casting a lazy hue that created an exquisitely beautiful scene.

Sandean hesitated to approach, not wanting to disturb the tranquil beauty. The words of farewell caught in his throat.

"Are you leaving?"

The spirit opened her eyes.

The strange dreams embroidered on her robe lit up with her, enveloping the library in a ethereal, starry glow.

Only then did Sandean step forward and bow.

"Messenger of God, I have memorized all the knowledge you entrusted to me."

"I wish to return to the realm of Yinsai, for it is only there that this knowledge can truly shine."

He was humble, or perhaps lacking in confidence.

He dared only say he had memorized it, not that he had mastered it.

The spirit wasn't surprised. There weren't many rituals at present, just a few types.

Given Sandean's talent, learning them wasn't difficult.

After all, these rituals were about borrowing the spirits' power. The most important thing was that the spirits were willing to lend their power, and Sandean was currently in the Spirit Country.

He was a renowned figure in the Spirit Country; every spirit knew him. He only needed to find the spirit corresponding to each ritual to easily borrow their power.

The spirit nodded: "Have you decided what you'll do when you return?"

Sandean shifted uneasily, his eyes meeting those of the messenger of God. "I only know what I should do. But... can someone like me really do it?"

He still didn't understand why someone as great as Stan Tito would choose him to inherit the saint's will and ideals.

The spirit, of course, saw Sandean's lack of confidence.

Though she vaguely understood why Stan Tito had chosen Sandean from their previous interactions, there were still aspects she didn't comprehend.

Could such a person really complete such a sacred task?

Wasn't it a bit rash to entrust him with such powerful forces?

The spirit also worried about these questions, as this matter was of great importance to her, concerning the future of both the dream world and the Spirit Country.

However, the spirit finally said: "Everything you fear and worry about are things that neither Stan Tito nor we care about."

"Because before God, there has never been any distinction between noble and lowly."

"All things in the world will decay, only God is eternal."

"God's favor has never been due to noble status, but because of a radiant heart."

"You need not concern yourself with your origins. Is there any difference between a slave and a king in the eyes of God?"

Sandean once again thought of God's realm deep within the dream world. He unconsciously turned his head to look outside the Spirit Country.

Suddenly, he felt the greatest weight lift from his heart, and his entire being felt much lighter.

Indeed!

In God's eyes, what difference was there between a noble king and a lowly slave?

The messenger of God sensed his thoughts and smiled.

"When your life comes to an end, I will personally come to bring you back to the Spirit Country. At that time, you may be able to see God, if you can still maintain a radiant heart."

Sandean knelt and bowed, thanking the messenger of God for everything she had given him, and for God's grace to all Trilobite Men.

He left the Spirit Country and returned to the world of the Trilobite Men.

Light descended from the sky, and he found himself on the same shore.

But Sandean was surprised to find that what had been a remote, desolate corner when he left had now become a bustling town, on the verge of expanding into a new city.

A grand, majestic temple had been built where Stan Tito's small cottage once stood, with the saint's relics enshrined as sacred objects.

His descent from the sky in a beam of light caused a great commotion.

Many of the devotees visiting the temple immediately fell to their knees, hailing Sandean.

Shortly after Sandean's return to the realm of Yinsai, the lord of the God-Descended City hurriedly arrived with his entourage.

It was as if they had known Sandean would return.

Noble figures that Sandean could never have approached before now seemed cautious in his presence.

"Inheritor of the saint's will, welcome back."

Sandean felt awkward and asked the city lord,

"Why has this place changed so much?"

The city lord told Sandean: "King Henir plans to build a new city here, named Stan City."

Sandean's eyes widened with joy as he gazed at the nearly completed new city. A city named after the saint - was this the city's fortune, or Saint Stan's glory?

Upon returning from the Spirit Country, what awaited Sandean were flowers and applause, power and status. And with them came the inevitable struggles such things bring.

He was escorted to the capital of Henir's kingdom, the God-Servant City. For the first time, he saw the Sacred Lake and the Sacred Mountain, as well as the Sky Temple in the clouds.

He had once thought that everyone was a servant of God, for God was the master and creator of all.

It was only here that Sandean realized that those who could become and call themselves servants of God were all top figures in Yinsai.

At the very least, they should be nobles.

Commoners and former slaves like himself were not worthy of being called God's servants.

Sandean's arrival caused a stir throughout the God-Servant City, emptying the streets.

Thousands upon thousands of people flooded the streets to see Sandean.

For they had all heard that a slave had become the inheritor of the saint's will.

He had even journeyed to God's realm and received the gifts and blessings of God's messenger.

The two completely conflicting terms, holy nobility and base lowliness, had somehow appeared simultaneously in him.

Amidst the clamor, Sandean's thoughts drifted far away.

In a state of bewilderment and confusion, he met King Henir, who had unified the realm of Yinsai, witnessed by thousands.

King Henir, holding the scepter of Yinsai, looked at this peculiar figure - a Trilobite Man with a slave's brand who had become the inheritor of the saint's will, a young man called the preacher.

"Congratulations, inheritor of the saint's will," King Henir said.

Sandean bowed: "Greetings to the great King of Yinsai."

King Henir, known for his concise speech, contemplated for a moment before announcing his decision to the crowd. "Since you are the inheritor of the saint's will, you shall become a serving priest of the Sky Temple!"

Having just entered the capital of Yinsai, Sandean became a serving priest of the Sky Temple.

And because the position of high priest of the Sky Temple was vacant, this position was essentially that of the actual leader of the Sky Temple.

King Henir's words immediately caused many people to speak out, especially the priests of the great families.

They were restless, their breathing rapid and eyes red, as if someone had gripped their throats.

"Your Majesty," one cried out, "he is a slave!"

Someone shouted: "Your Majesty! We cannot trust him, he is an impostor."

Someone roared, accusing Sandean: "Indeed, how could the divine messenger and the saint choose someone like him?"

King Henir turned to look at these people: "But he has received the approval of Saint Stan and the divine messenger. He is the one chosen by these two noble and holy beings."

"What?" he continued, his voice sharp. "Do you dare to question the saint and the divine messenger?"

Upon hearing this, the man immediately lowered his head. Though still resistant, he dared not say more in public.

Before retreating, he cast a glare at Sandean, his discontent evident. In that gaze, jealousy, anger, contempt, and incomprehension played out in rapid succession.

This wasn't just his sentiment, but that of many present.

They could accept a descendant of the great poet Tito becoming a serving priest, or even directly becoming the high priest of the Sky Temple.

But they could never accept a base person with a slave's brand becoming one of the most noble figures in Yinsai.

Sandean also noticed the gazes of those present. Malice, contempt, and doubt were their true thoughts.

He suddenly understood something.

God did not care about the nobility or baseness of one's status, nor the nobility of one's bloodline.

But mortals?

Mortals cared.

Sandean's image was reflected in the mirror. Hila, the dream spirit, was showing God scenes from the mortal world, something she had recently come to enjoy.

The Power of Dreams extended to the world of the Trilobite Men, giving the spirits a way to observe the outside world.

Hila told God about Sandean's amusing incidents, how his mad antics had frightened the little spirits in the Spirit Country, and the innocent, adorable words of the little spirits.

As she spoke, she failed to make God laugh, but ended up laughing herself.

In the end, a look of concern appeared on the spirit's face.

"God," she asked earnestly, "do you think he can succeed? Can he really bring hope and light to the mortal world, fulfilling the expectations Stan Tito placed on him?"

God looked calmly at the scene in the mirror, as if watching a farcical play.

Sandean had become a serving priest of the Sky Temple, facing malice from all directions.

"These people of Yinsai will not accept him, because he is a slave," God observed. "But this is precisely why Stan Tito chose him."

Hila didn't understand: "The reason Stan Tito chose him?"

God had already seen through Stan Tito's plans and understood all his thoughts.

"You underestimate him. He's much smarter than you imagine."

"He chose Sandean precisely because he won't be accepted by the Yinsai nobility."

"And because of this, he will bring power to everyone. He will become the force that breaks the monopoly on power."

God withdrew the light from the mirror, no longer watching the farce playing out in the mortal world.

He walked in the spacious side chamber of the divine temple, continuing to speak to the spirit.

"Stan Tito wants more ordinary people to become priests. He wants thousands upon thousands to become the force of a new era."

"Because he saw the destruction brought by the giant beasts, not just because of their immense power, but because power was entirely concentrated in the hands of kings."

"He wants to break the traditional forces' monopoly on power, at least break the royal family's hold on power," God explained. "And for such a thing, he must choose someone who won't be accepted by the royal family and nobility to do it."

God smiled: "Stan Tito wants to see an era where everyone has the chance to become a power holder."