-One Hour Earlier-
"Aghh! ! "
I screamed in pain as I jolted awake from my peaceful slumber beneath a tree. Every inch of my body ached, feeling as if I had been crushed under a heavy load. It was like all my bones were broken, and the sharpest pain radiated from my skull and neck, which felt as if they were shattered and detached from my body.
"Huff! Huff! Is my [Death Prequel] activated? Did I just die from being crushed? "
As I recalled the events leading up to the activation of [Death Prequel], I remembered three figures plummeting from the sky—one pregnant woman and two armored knights. It was supposed to be a graceful scene, like angels descending from the heavens, but instead, I had met my end being struck by these three human bodies.
"If I stay here, I might get crushed again. Should I leave? But that pregnant woman is down there too. If I abandon them, their chances of survival are slim. They fell from such a great height. "
Gazing up at the clear sky, I resolved to wait and prepare to save these three mysterious figures who had fallen from above. It would be unbearable to think that I could save them but chose to do nothing.
For the next hour, I lay there, staring at the sky and waiting for them to appear.
To be safe, I activated my [Body Enhancement 2] spell. At a height of about 100 meters, I spotted three shadows descending rapidly.
"They're falling from such a high altitude—100 meters! No wonder I met my demise when they fell on me. "
"Oh, I have to help them! [Feather Fall]! "
I quickly cast the wind magic [Feather Fall], creating a high-pressure wind that gradually slowed their descent. The wind rushed beneath them, controlled and steady, steadily reducing their falling speed.
As the air continued to blow consistently, their fall transformed from a rapid dive to a gentle drift, like feathers floating in the sky. Just before they landed, I reinforced my magic to completely halt their fall, allowing them to touch the ground softly.
"Phew, this magic really drains my [Em] energy. I only have 20% left. Are they okay? " I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
I approached them to assess their condition. To my dismay, they were covered in blood and wounds. Both armored knights had numerous lacerations, but the pregnant woman was in much worse shape. An arrow was lodged in her back, dangerously close to her heart, and nearly penetrating her swollen belly.
"They're all seriously injured! " I noted. The two knights could be treated with [X-Healing], but the pregnant woman needed the advanced healing spell [Shine Healing].
"What to do? I don't have enough energy for [Shine Healing]; I can only cast [X-Healing] twice. . . "
In the midst of strategizing, I spotted the bottle necklace crafted by Michael that I used to store {Magic Beads}.
"Oh, maybe this could work! "
First, I directed my magic toward the two armored knights.
"[X-Healing]. "
The gashes on their bodies began to close, and the pallor on their faces was replaced by a healthy color.
Now it was the turn of the pregnant woman, and I found myself with only 1% energy left. This meant I had entered a phase of energy deficit. My head was spinning, my body trembled, and I felt utterly weak. Yet, I forced myself to stay conscious. I pulled out the arrows that were embedded in her and took one of the Magic Beads, placing it into the pregnant woman's mouth for her to swallow.
Once I saw her swallow it, I activated my [Shine Healing] magic, albeit with very little energy, connecting it to the energy from the Magic Bead that I had compelled her to take in.
The energy linked up, reacting with the [Shine Healing] spell, creating a magical explosion that significantly enhanced the spell's effectiveness.
As my consciousness began to fade, my [Mana Sense], always active in the background, detected the residual energy from the magical explosion being absorbed into the swollen belly of the pregnant woman.
*******
Feeling something soft beneath my head, I slowly opened my eyes to find a large belly in front of me.
'What is this situation? '
"Are you awake, dear? "
As I pondered my circumstances, the woman, who was cradling my head, spoke up.
"I'm fine..." I replied, still feeling weak from the depletion of my [Em] energy.
"Why were you sleeping here? " the pregnant woman asked, her voice tinged with caution, while the two knights beside her watched warily.
'Hmm, they're quite guarded. I could try to make excuses, but it's just the three of us here. No matter what I say, they will likely remain suspicious. Besides, this is a prime opportunity to recruit new followers for the Will of God cult. '
Seizing the moment, I forced myself to stand upright, despite my weakness, folding my arms and speaking with an air of arrogance.
"Be grateful, fortunate mortals! It is I who saved you from your fall from the sky. "
The three of them looked at me in disbelief, exchanging glances. Then the pregnant woman smiled and asked, "Is that so? Thank you. What is your name? Is there anyone else nearby? "
Noting their skeptical expressions and hearing her question, I replied, "Hmm? You don't believe me? Trust me, there's no one else around except for me, William Greyrat. I am the deity of the Will of God cult, and it was I who saved you. You should all be thanking me! "
*Shiing! *
As soon as I finished my declaration, both knights drew their swords, pointing them at my face, and shouted angrily, "You heretic! How dare you claim to be a god! "
I whispered under my breath, "Strengthen my body [Body Enhancement 1]," focusing intently on my [Mana Sense] to track their movements. Fortunately, the spell activated without their notice, as their emotions clouded their judgment.
'The energy I had managed to recover is down to 1% now,' I thought, maintaining my focus on [Mana Sense].
"Is drawing swords against a child part of your faith teaching? Especially when I'm the one who saved you," I said with a serious and icy gaze directed at the knights.
We shared a silent stare, tension hanging in the air.
"Hey, both of you, stop! " a pregnant woman shouted, stepping in to push between us.
The knights, sensing the potential danger of their swords harming the pregnant woman, quickly sheathed their weapons.
"I'm so sorry, young one. Are you truly the one who saved us? " the pregnant woman inquired gently, reaching out to stroke my head.
"Yes, I'm the one who saved you. You fell from a height of 100 meters, and were seriously injured. My energy was completely drained healing you. Also, please refrain from touching me like that; my body is not for everyone to touch freely. " I gently brushed her hand aside and sighed, feeling both exhausted and relieved.
If I were to fight them in my weakened state with no energy left, the chances of my survival would be slim. Especially since [Death Prequel] was still on cooldown.
"Oh, I'm sorry, William-kun! It's impressive that you can use magic at such a young age," the pregnant woman said with a smile, disregarding my gentle rejection.
"I'm sure you're in a difficult situation. If you join my cult, the Will of God, I can help you settle in this village. If you refuse, you might find it hard to enter here. I believe you want to hide from someone searching for you," I remarked with a sly grin, walking away with my hands behind my back.
The knights clenched their fists, looking ready to confront me, but the pregnant woman whispered firmly,
"Hey, we should listen to the child. He's from this village, and it seems he isn't lying. After all, our wounds have healed. "
"But your Highness, how can we align ourselves with a strange cult led by a child? " one knight, who was actually a woman, whispered.
"Exactly, why should we take advice from a kid? " grumbled the other knight, a man.
"That may just be the musings of a child; he might only be playing at being a god. Our priority now should be to find a place to rest," the pregnant woman said, a slight sheen of sweat on her brow.
Seeing her condition, the two knights fell silent for a few moments. Then, they both nodded in agreement with her proposal.
'It seems they don't realize that I can hear their whispers thanks to the [Body Enhancement 1] magic I activated earlier. It appears they've already made the decision to join in the same mindset as if they were playing a children's game. But that's fine; I also understand that I still lack the absolute power to force them into submission.' I thought while eavesdropping on their conversation.
Once they reached a consensus, the three of them approached me and bowed their heads.
"We will join the cult of the Will of God ! "
"Hehe, welcome to the cult of the Will of God..."
/////////////////
(A/N: Sorry, guys T_T. I got addicted watching "Orb: On the Movement of the Earth" yesterday! I had planned to write all the remaining chapters of volume 1 and release them at once, but my writing speed is slower than I expected. . . (._.). I didn't want to leave you all without any updates for three days, so I decided to release the chapter I've completed. I might finish volume 1 this week, which means I may not update for a few days afterward. Once I've written all the chapters, I'll do a mass release! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o. By the way, my favorite characters in the anime "Orb" are Rafal, Gras, and Schimdt. They are underrated characters, and they so me! (❤️ ω ❤️) )
You can support me on Ko-fi and Trakteer to buy me Nasi Padang for my meal. The link is in my Instagram bio /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
Follow my Instagram @kai_chan71722
Can you guys comment? Or just give your opinion? Or even hate comments? I get lonely （〃｀ 3′〃）
I need more motivation from you guys. Your reactions are my greatest motivation ヾ(≧▽≦*)o