Chapter22-The Seeds of the Prismatic Succulent

Over the course of a month, the four villages successfully completed the transfer of governance rights.

Thomas became the supreme missionary, the most important figure after the merger of the villages, with the authority to decide all matters concerning the settlement.

Eric, who had previously joined, became Thomas's deputy, assisting him in better managing the Divine Space.

Old John remained the village chief, overseeing daily affairs, while Kevin and Robert were appointed as deputy village chiefs.

As for Benjamin and Henry, they each led a team of 15 awakeners, forming hunting squads tasked with hunting beasts in the nearby mountains and protecting the village from spellbeast invasions and attacks.

The remaining 10 awakeners were assigned as temple guards, responsible for patrolling both the temple and the surrounding village.

A month ago, the merged village had only 26 tier-1 awakeners.

Now, another 14 individuals had received the blessing of Deus Initium, becoming tier-1 awakeners.

Additionally, Frank had shown exceptional progress and had already advanced to tier-2 awakener, now serving as the commander of the temple guards.

The strength of Annasi had grown incomparably stronger compared to the time before Deus Initium's descent. It was on an entirely different level.

"Thomas, is it time to begin the operation?"

Old John gazed at Thomas inside the temple, his expression slightly grave.

Behind him stood Kevin and Robert.

Further back were Eric, Benjamin, Frank, and Henry.

The key figures of the village were all gathered here.

"Yes. There are two months left until Deus Initium's divine decree is due. We must not only complete it as soon as possible but also do it to the best of our ability!"

Thomas nodded, his expression solemn as he surveyed those present.

"Thomas, just give the order! We will complete the task without fail!"

Kevin and Robert responded with great enthusiasm.

As the deputy village chiefs, they viewed this mission as crucial. If the village expanded, their authority would also grow, bringing them greater benefits.

Thomas watched their eager expressions, recalling his past travels and experiences. His voice turned distant and profound:

"Everyone, ever since the Caesar Empire collapsed and fractured into various kingdoms, the empire has been too preoccupied to combat spellbeasts or resist disasters."

"Most towns have become isolated, and the regions surrounding Black Iron are in complete chaos."

"Many places and villages have been overrun and divided by spellbeasts. If we are to spread the faith of Deus Initium, we need strength—without it, success is impossible."

"But now, with the blessing of Deus Initium, we finally possess the power we need!"

"It is time for the world to know the name of Deus Initium, and for them to kneel in reverence and worship!"

Thomas's voice carried an undeniable grandeur.

Hearing this, everyone present was filled with excitement and zeal.

"Eric, how many of the houses you oversaw have been built?"

Thomas turned to Eric.

Eric pondered briefly before responding seriously:

"The entire village has mobilized. So far, we have built 120 simple houses. Though they are basic, they provide shelter from the elements and serve as a place for rest and daily life."

Upon receiving the divine decree, he had immediately begun preparations.

Building so many houses in a single month was a remarkable feat.

This achievement was partly due to the unity of the villagers, but more importantly, it was thanks to the awakeners.

Their presence had significantly boosted construction efficiency.

"It's still not enough. Have the villagers speed up the work."

"Robert, how much food and basic supplies have been prepared?"

Thomas inquired next.

Robert pulled out a ledger from his coat, flipping through it before replying:

"This past month, we have continuously sold vampire corpses in Black Iron, using the proceeds to acquire six granaries, totaling 60,000 catties of soybeans, potatoes, and corn, along with over 5,000 catties of cured meat..."

He detailed everything meticulously.

The vampire corpses had been sold easily, providing the village with the gold necessary to purchase large amounts of food and supplies.

Hearing Robert's report, Thomas nodded in satisfaction.

If they wanted other villagers to leave their homes and join Annasi, faith alone wouldn't be enough.

Housing and food would play a crucial role.

Having a place to stay, food to fill their stomachs, and safety from external threats—these were irresistible incentives for most people.

It was precisely because of these preparations that Thomas had waited an entire month before beginning their expansion efforts.

"Eric, Benjamin, Frank—you will accompany me outside the village."

"The hunting squads will come along as well."

Upon receiving Thomas's orders, everyone nodded without hesitation and quickly set off.

Meanwhile, inside the Divine Effigy, Owen observed the meeting taking place among Thomas and the others, his expression becoming more solemn.

It seemed they were beginning their expansion efforts.

As a 1-Star Ancient God, his current capabilities were still limited—devotees had to be within his domain for him to receive spice points.

Only within his territory could he accumulate divine power.

If devotees left the designated area, their worship—no matter how devout—would no longer generate spice points.

Thus, for now, all his devotees had to remain within his domain.

Fortunately, Thomas had been laying solid groundwork, ensuring that this task was taken seriously and carefully planned.

"Over the past month, I have accumulated 52 divine points. Not bad."

Owen was pleased with the progress.

During this time, he had also been monitoring other deities through the Chat Channel, analyzing their divine point earnings.

Currently, he was earning 1,922 spice points per day, nearly 2 divine points daily.

In contrast, most deities were earning only around 600 spice points per day.

Some had as few as 400.

Their income was only one-third or even one-fourth of his.

Clearly, they lacked a large base of devout devotees, leading to lower spice point generation.

This reaffirmed Owen's strategic decisions—

Eliminating the Vampire Baron in a dramatic display had deeply impacted the villagers, leaving them in awe.

Distributing Awakening Scrolls had helped many villagers unlock their awakening potential, increasing their strength and loyalty.

Though it had cost a significant amount of divine points, the rewards had been immense.

A head start meant continued dominance!

From what he had observed, even those who completed the third-phase mission had only obtained seven beginner Awakening Scrolls at most.

Compared to his 40+ Awakening Scrolls, the gap was astronomical.

With so few scrolls, they couldn't rapidly convert large numbers of villagers into devout followers.

Without a mass of devout followers, obtaining spice points and divine points would be an uphill battle—leading to a vicious cycle of stagnation.

Moreover, the third-phase mission required slaying a tier-3 spellbeast.

Such creatures were no easy prey.

Most missionaries lacked the strength to hunt them, requiring massive divine point investments.

If a spellbeast was allowed to escape, it could devastate a village's faith, producing severe consequences.

Owen had avoided this pitfall by quickly executing the Vampire Baron, establishing dominance across four villages.

The difference was staggering.

Of course, he remained cautious—this world housed countless deities, and some might have secured large-scale devotee followings early on.

However, Owen wasn't too concerned. His momentum was strong, and in four months, it would be time for a grand-scale ritual.

As long as the villagers offered precious tributes, the Hundredfold Amplification effect would widen the gap even further.

Other deities, with only double amplification, could never catch up.

Owen was confident—

And so, he took action.

"Anyone selling herbal seeds for awakeners? Any type. High price offered!"

After acquiring the Enhanced Farmland Scroll, he had actively searched for suitable herbal seeds in the Chat and Trading Channels.

Then—

A red notification suddenly appeared.

A deity named Mary sent him a private message:

"I have 'Prismatic Succulent' seeds. They aid awakeners in advancing. 20 divine points."