Seeking the Temple of God

The poet Tito made preparations for his long journey. He packed his belongings into a woven, oval-shaped pouch that he could carry on his back by slipping his hand through.

Meticulously, Tito organized his things. He took out an ancient Yesael Route map stone tablet, a family heirloom, and placed it into his travel bag. This was the most important reference for his journey.

With it, Tito could avoid dangerous areas while not losing his way.

He would follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, embarking on a journey of return once more.

He also packed a precious sword bestowed by the Queen, forged from the shed shell of a Ruhe beast. He had even prepared himself for the possibility of battling the People of the Abyss if he encountered them.

"Done!"

Tito let out a long sigh of relief. Despite being very nervous earlier, he felt completely relaxed at this moment before his departure.

"It's time to set off."

A shadow appeared at the door of the room, and the light dimmed slightly.

Tito stopped what he was doing. Without turning around, he knew who had come.

"Father!"

His father called out his name sternly, "Tito, it's not too late to change your mind."

Tito replied, "I have never been one to regret."

But his father said, "When you fall into the abyss, when you face death, when you lose everything..."

"You will realize how ridiculous your words are right now."

"And once you set foot on the path to seek the God-Given Land, these are things you will inevitably encounter."

"Stop now!"

"You have already surpassed me and your grandfather. What more could you want?"

Tito put down the woven basket he was holding and paused for a moment.

It seemed as if he was hesitating and wavering, and his father believed this to be the case.

His father's tone softened as he advised Tito,

"The Yesael Route has long been completely abandoned. That antique map stone tablet of yours is no longer usable. Now, the seas are filled with the People of the Abyss. Those monsters block the path to the God-Given Land."

"Not to mention, God once cast down a curse. We can never return to the God-Given Land."

"You cannot cross these chasms and reach the temple of God."

After hearing this, Tito did not stop. Instead, he slowly slung the woven backpack onto his shoulders.

His movements were slow but steady, just like his current resolve.

"It is precisely because of the danger and the fact that ordinary people cannot do it that makes it great."

"Some are born as kings, some are born as God's priests, and some are born with extraordinary wisdom."

"As for me..."

"I was born to write the greatest chapter in this world."

"This is my mission and my destiny."

Father: "You will die."

Tito: "I am prepared for that possibility. Shouldn't someone dedicate themselves to a great cause?"

His father pointed at Tito, furious beyond control.

"You are too arrogant. Do you think you are greater than King Yesael?"

"King Yesael died on the path to seek and return to the God-Given Land. What makes you think you can accomplish what even King Yesael could not?"

Tito looked his father in the eye and shook his head, "No, it's the people of Yinsai who have forgotten too easily. It's the descendants of King Redlichia who have long lost their faith."

"We have long forgotten our past and our ancestors."

"I'm not trying to do something greater than King Yesael. I just want to find our lost past and origins, our beginnings and birth."

"And then..."

"Engrave it for posterity."

Tito walked past his father and stepped out onto the street.

Many people in the city already knew that Tito was about to embark on a journey to seek the God-Given Land. They gathered on both sides of the street to see him off.

They crowded around, watching Tito leave his residence.

The people cheered in unison, rushing towards Tito.

"Lord Tito, are you really going to search for the God-Given Land?"

"I heard that the Messenger of God gave you guidance and opened the door to the realm of God. Is that true?"

"Lord Tito..."

"Lord Tito..."

Tito passed through the crowd, and everyone was filled with excitement, constantly approaching him with questions.

Tito did not speak; he only looked at them with a smile.

He finally arrived at the city gate of the God-Servant City, with thousands of people gathered behind him.

"Lord Tito!"

"You must return safely!"

Tito waved his hand and left along the steep mountain path of the sacred mountain.

Tito set out from the God-Servant City, planning to pass through the cities and towns of the Star Luo Kingdom before embarking on the Yesael Route at the seaside God-Descended City.

Wherever he went, he caused a great commotion.

Everyone had heard of his name and knew his story. Quite a few had even heard that he was going to seek the God-Given Land.

Some mocked his audacity, while others admired his courage to challenge such a great goal.

God-Descended City.

This gradually declining city was no longer the royal capital. Aside from its symbolic significance, it had lost everything, just like the once-existent Yinsai Kingdom.

At a banquet, the lord of the God-Descended City asked Tito,

"I know your story. I heard you are about to embark on an even greater journey?"

Tito nodded, "I am preparing to seek the God-Given Land."

Everyone present burst into laughter. No one believed Tito could accomplish this; they all thought he was going to his death.

They looked at Tito with pity and mockery in their eyes, as if he were a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world.

Faced with all this, Tito remained unmoved.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke in a loud, resonant voice,

"Is forgetting the past and our ancestors something to be proud of?"

"We were once the masters of land and sea, the lineage of God's firstborn."

"Now, we have lost the ocean and are left with only land."

"In the end..."

"We have even forgotten our past glory and memories."

Tito slowly ascended to the high table of the banquet and called out,

"This time, I am going to seek and reclaim everything we have lost."

"I will forever engrave our glory, our faith, our origins on stone tablets and in our memories."

"I want all future generations to remember that we came from the God-Given Land, that we were once the glorious firstborn of God."

With these words, the entire hall fell silent.

The lord of the God-Descended City stood up and bowed to Tito.

"Blessings to you, great poet."

"May the power of Yinsai always protect you, and may you have a smooth journey."

Tito arrived at the place where Polo and Star had once lived in seclusion, gazing out at the sea.

As night fell and the stars descended, the Divine Cup in his woven backpack suddenly radiated light. In the darkness, he vaguely saw a beam of light rushing towards the distance, guiding him in the direction to proceed.

"Lord Polo, Messenger of God."

"Is the temple of God at the other end of the light?"

He leaped into the sea but felt no discomfort. In the past, they were a part of the life in the ocean.

As he traveled further and further, he looked back at the shore in the darkness.

The light from the lighthouse stone of the God-Descended City merged with the stars in the sky, shining brilliantly.