I hovered above the Crimson Guardian and the stars attached to it, trying to understand what kind of god I was to all of them and how it could help me shape my new identity.
I had been trying to come up with a concept for the God of Many Faces. But without success. No matter how I approached it, I couldn’t form a clear image in my mind. Not the appearance I would commit to, nor the type of believers I wanted to target.
Unlike the velmoryns, who were fewer than ten thousand in number, humans were far more numerous. I didn’t know the exact population, but in the single city Lucas had visited, tens of thousands lived.
That was obviously an advantage. The larger the sea, the more fish to catch.
But only in theory.
Humans had ten gods. Or nine, as Athena had corrected me. All nine were competing for influence over that same vast sea. And I was about to step into that competition.
Should I ignore humans entirely and search for a different race? Something closer to nature. Wilder than velmoryns…
As I observed the bright stars of my believers, the idea of targeting a more primitive race instead of cynical humans sounded appealing. Even Athena, who clearly held a higher opinion of humanity than I did, had admitted that they often changed gods.
That didn’t surprise me. And I didn’t necessarily condemn it either. Just because fanaticism benefited me when directed at me didn’t mean I couldn’t recognize that blindly believing in anyone or anything was foolish.
If I were human in this world, where gods could provide tangible proof of their existence and grant real boons, I would constantly look for better options too. Why devote myself to a god who couldn’t or wouldn’t help me when I needed it?
I’m getting distracted again…
Even after limiting my multitasking, it still affected my thought process.
I shut down the noise in my mind and allowed myself a brief moment of silence. Then I returned to the real question.
If I were mortal and heard the name God of Many Faces, what kind of deity would I imagine?
Just as I had shaped the God of Velmoryn who now sat on the throne, I decided to create a separate dominion for this one.
But first, I needed the image. And I needed a doctrine.
As the God of Velmoryn, I had established myself as a fair deity. I had made it a rule to always return what I received.
But what about this new identity?
I looked at the crimson energy swirling within my realm, waiting for my intent to shape it. As I watched it, an idea formed.
I moved past it to a space beside the Crimson Guardian and willed a new hall into existence. If the God of Velmoryn sat within a grand hall of living roots, this place would be different. Gray marble floor formed first, smooth and cold, then four walls and the ceiling. The walls were covered in thin gray mist, not thick enough to conceal, but enough to distort vision.
Then I willed a throne into existence. Carved from the same gray marble. Upon it would sit the God of Many Faces.
As the dominion solidified, I got excited for the next steps. The moment the throne completed its form, crimson energy surged toward it and began shaping the manifestation.
His pale, bare feet formed first. Above his ankles, a dark gray cloak draped over his body, concealing everything except his four hands. The cloak was engraved with golden masks, each showing a different emotion. His face remained fully veiled - only faint yellow eyes shimmered in the darkness beneath the hood.
His white hands were visible at arm’s length, though three of them would be veiled to mortal eyes, the gray mist obscuring them enough that what he held would not be visible. The fourth arm would hold a galaxy filled with brightly shimmering stars. Even the shadows the cloak created, including those within its folds, showed that same galaxy.
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As the manifestation settled onto the throne, I realized something was wrong.
It sat too symmetrically.
The image in my mind had been of a chaotic god. Eccentric. Unpredictable. One who despised stagnation.
The God of Many Faces.
The Authority granted me control over vessels. But this deity would represent something more. Much more.
“Many are born with the sole purpose of serving the few,” I said, my voice losing God of Velmoryn’s commanding edge and turning low and rasping. “Those in power will never accept a new god, no matter what I offer them. They do not need a better world. They will not risk their standing unless it benefits them greatly.”
A symbol began forming on the marble floor.
“But most people are different. Most struggle just to survive another day. What if I offered them a new beginning? What if I offered them a new life?”
A symbol of a mask formed on the floor in front of the throne, split in half. The left side darker, smiling. The right pale and emotionless.
Dozens of ideas circulated in my mind. I could create an underground organization, usurping the lives of those undeserving and granting them to those in need. All I had to do was change how they looked. And I was certain I could do that.
That would take the God of Many Faces to a completely different level.
But it was dangerous.
Not only because it could brand me as an evil god and turn me into an enemy of humanity and their gods, but because I wasn’t certain that was the kind of deity I wanted to become.
So I decided to take another approach.
The God of Many Faces on the throne tilted his body and hunched slightly as the aura around him changed.
“Yes. I will grant them new lives.” My hoarse voice vibrated through the mist-filled dominion. “I will grant them new identities. As long as the one who seeks a new beginning is worthy of it, as long as they are willing to give everything they have, I will change their destiny…”
As my words settled, the darkness around the God of Many Faces’ second arm faded. A new symbol formed - a golden thread and a needle hovering above his palm.
How?
I was bewildered, and that confusion deepened when I suddenly felt weak.
Then came intense pain.
My head trembled and my vision blurred. My body rippled as though my limbs were about to burst. But thankfully, it ended as abruptly as it had begun.
And then I sensed it - a new divinity within me.
Extending my hand, I willed it to take form. Crimson energy swarmed my palm, violent and overwhelming. I had to force it away. As the red mass dissipated, a tiny golden wisp remained in its place. It was weak, but despite that, it lacked no presence.
What the hell is this?
As if answering my confusion, a golden notification flashed before me.
[Congratulations, Verde!]
You have achieved yet another unprecedented feat. No deity has ever succeeded in splitting their divinity, nor has any dared to attempt it.
The Radiance of your newly formed divinity is equal to your original. However, should you attempt to improve their Radiance, both divinities must be purified. Failing to do so will disrupt the balance between them and result in severe consequences.
The nature of this new divinity must be explored through your own discovery.
Note: Your Authority, God of Many Faces, has evolved. It now encompasses believers who willingly accept your symbol upon their flesh.