Daniel cast his final glance at the dragon realm.
His conversation with the false god had not only failed to answer all his questions, but had also created even more.
A beast that even a false god feared. A world that had been destroyed. And a tree that could create a true god.
And a system that had perhaps been confronting a threat no one knew about for a long time.
Furthermore, this made him curious to know whether their world might also be nurturing a divine fruit to create a true god in response to a very great threat, on the level of that monster?
If that were the case, it would be very good. With the help of another divine fruit, he could take an even greater step and perhaps reach the power of a Demi-God directly.
But that was just a guess, and for now, he couldn’t find answers to those mysteries.
At least not tonight.
White light swirled around him, the space before him split open, and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the sky above the holy city of Eternity.
The wind passed through his white hair, and his gaze fell downward.
And for a few seconds, he just looked. The city spread out beneath him, larger than he had expected.
Wide, newly built streets stretched like white veins across the entire city.
Buildings with light architecture and white stones lined both sides of the streets.
The symbol of Eternity could be seen on walls, squares, and the entrances of main buildings. Silver flags danced in the wind.
Caravans entered through the city gates. Markets were still crowded.
The sounds of vendors, the sounds of children, the sounds of endless conversations. The entire city was alive.
And at its heart stood the Church of Eternity. A structure easily visible even from this height. Tall white columns, gleaming domes, and a tower stretching toward the sky like a luminous spear.
"Larger than I expected," Daniel murmured quietly.
Only five or six months had passed, but the city’s population had multiplied several times. He could see thousands of people moving through the streets.
Pilgrims who had come from various places, merchants, Awakened, and families who had apparently moved here for permanent residence.
This was no longer an ordinary city. It was becoming a true capital.
He had come here once before, for a very short time, during those three months when he had free time and was attending to his affairs.
At that time, the city had not been this alive, and in such a short time, many changes had occurred.
Daniel remained in the sky for a few more moments, then concealed his presence, hid his power, and a simple robe appeared over his body.
And he quietly descended to the ground. No one noticed his arrival. He entered the city streets like an ordinary traveler.
His steps were slow, but his gaze observed everything. At first, he just walked.
Without a destination, without hurry. He passed by shops, walked through markets, listened to the voices of the people.
And he soon realized that what this city lacked was not faith.
It was infrastructure.
Near one of the squares, a man in work clothes was arguing with the owner of a building.
"I said we have no more room!"
"All the rooms are full!"
"Then where should my family go?"
"Don’t ask me! Ask the city council!"
Daniel passed by without interfering, but he heard their words.
Housing shortage.
A few streets later, a group of women were discussing water shortages in one of the new neighborhoods.
A bit further away, some young people were discussing a lack of healers. And in the southern part of the city, a group of merchants were complaining about the state of the roads.
None of these were crises, none were disasters. Just the natural problems of a city that had grown too fast.
Daniel thought about all of them in silence. Perhaps an urban development council needed to be formed. Perhaps part of the church’s income needed to be spent on infrastructure development.
Perhaps more schools and clinics needed to be built.
For the first time, instead of thinking about battles and monsters, his mind was occupied with the ordinary problems of the people.
And these "perhaps" needed to be addressed as soon as possible. If this was to be the holy city of their religion, it should have no problems or shortages.
A little later, he reached the city’s central square. In the center of the square was a large fountain. Dozens of pilgrims sat around it.
Daniel also sat on a bench. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man sat beside him.
He was dressed in simple clothes, his hands were rough, and he was probably a farmer.
"Did you come from another city?" Daniel thought for a moment and then asked.
The man smiled.
"I came from the west of Zulgar country. We were on the road for three weeks."
"For a pilgrimage?" Daniel nodded.
"Yes, and also for a new life."
"Why the religion of Eternity?"
The man thought for a few seconds.
Then he said:
"I don’t know."
"Maybe because it was the first religion that actually sent help when our village was attacked by monsters."
"Maybe because it was the first place that didn’t take taxes from us so we could survive."
"Maybe because I finally felt that someone cares whether we live or die."
"This was the only place that was willing to help us when the people of my village were being killed, when my children were in danger, and when my country’s army had retreated."
Daniel was silent. A few others joined the conversation. A merchant, an old man, and even a young Awakened. Their answers were different.
But in the end, they all converged on the same point.
Hope, a sense of belonging, and the belief that someone hears their voice.
Daniel looked up at the sky. He had never rebuilt this religion for such a purpose. At first, it was just to expand his influence, and then because of the power of faith.
But apparently, it no longer mattered what his original goal had been, because now this religion belonged to millions of people.
He now understood how a religion could transform lives, could be hope and purpose for others.
After leaving the square, he continued on his way. On one of the side streets, he witnessed a dispute between a merchant and several pilgrims.
But before it could escalate, two young guards stepped in.
They didn’t shout, didn’t use force. They just sat down and listened.
And a few minutes later, they resolved the issue. Daniel smiled faintly. Fortunately, at least for now, there were no signs of corruption or abuse of power in the city.
Perhaps this was because the solidarity among the people, due to having been saved from similar circumstances, was still very high.
He liked this and would need to make sure it remained this way.
Along the way, he heard Evangelin’s name many times. Sometimes from children, sometimes from old people, sometimes from merchants.
"The saint stayed awake for three full days to take care of the patients."
"Did you hear that she personally went to the northern villages?"
"They say she even forced the city’s governor to expedite the water supply project."
"No, that’s a rumor."
"But saving that child is true."
The more he heard, the more he realized that Evangelin was no longer just the prophet’s disciple. She had become the symbol of this religion.
And the people truly loved her.
The sun slowly moved toward the horizon. Finally, Daniel stood before the Church of Eternity. He saw it up close for the second time. The building was massive.
White columns like giant guardians flanked the entrance. Stained glass windows turned the evening light into thousands of different colors.
The symbol of Eternity shone atop the tallest tower. Thousands of believers were coming and going.
For a moment, he felt like he had truly arrived at the heart of a nascent civilization.
He quietly entered the building. No one recognized him. He walked through the long hallways, passed by prayer halls.
He climbed the stone stairs.
First floor.
Second floor.
Third floor.
Until he reached the section reserved for high-ranking officials. The guard standing there first looked at him indifferently.
But a moment later, his eyes widened, his face changed color, and he immediately bowed.
"Your Holiness..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Daniel had already passed by him. The final hallway was quiet and calm.
At the end of it... was a large door. The saint’s office. Daniel stood before the door.
He placed his hand on the handle. From behind the door, the sound of papers being turned could be heard.
The sound of a pen moving across paper, and the quiet voice of someone who, apparently after hours of work, was still sitting at their desk.
A faint smile formed on Daniel’s face.
"I feel a little bad for dumping all the responsibilities on you."
And there, he paused.