Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 25: Building a Church

"Dungeons have completely changed from the low-level ones where we could kill monsters to leave. Now, we have to complete difficult tasks before we qualify to exit. Countless traps are hidden behind unannounced rules, so we must be extra cautious when facing anything or making choices inside the dungeon."

"Take [The Glutton] as an example. The rules we compiled after the [The Glutton] dungeon closed include: do not go outside at night, do not let Leo touch you, do not mock Leo, do not eat meat at the table, and always maintain your identity as a detective. These rules were dangerous and undisclosed—sometimes, we even had to break them to obtain clues. However, those clues were incredibly vague. Without the Prophet, humanity might never have achieved victory as we have now. But since this dungeon has closed forever, I won't dwell on it. Instead, I will summarize the general rules for dungeons in the future."

"Be cautious of the rules. Taking risks may lead to clues, and danger often comes with information. In the early stages, as long as we do not violate the rules and maintain our identities within the dungeon, we can avoid being attacked by monsters. Do not show fear in front of them."

This compiled information would soon be released to all of humanity. Whether they wanted to accept it or not, everyone knew that future dungeons would be as challenging as this one. Only by understanding them—even just partially—could humanity have hope.

"Now, onto the main issue—potentially the greatest hope for humanity. The gods. Specifically, the Prophet, a deity who can foresee the future."

Even Drake, who had seemed drowsy, perked up at this moment. Though his face was twisted in discomfort, it was unclear what bothered him.

Layla spoke while pressing the controller in her hand. The large screen in front of everyone instantly displayed a video of the Prophet's appearance.

"The Prophet introduced himself as the most useless god. Clearly, he doesn't like talking or being around others—he's rather peculiar."

Jessica suddenly interjected, "It's just that we're not worthy of conversing with him!"

Drake sneered, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the Prophet's chosen believer."

Jessica smiled sweetly. "At least I'm not disrespectful to him like you are."

Drake pressed his lips together, visibly irritated but unable to argue back.

Layla ignored them and continued, "At first, we believed that the Prophet could only predict the future, and every time he used his ability, he seemed to weaken. But..."

The screen now showed footage of the Prophet eliminating a monster. Since this was recorded outside the dungeon, there was no audio, yet the sheer spectacle of the scene left everyone breathless.

"The Prophet reversed the monster's time, turning it from a colossal beast into nothing more than a wisp of cosmic energy. However, the system never lied to us about the Prophet's abilities. So, what do you all think about this?" Layla asked.

Drake shrugged. "The Prophet is powerful—just pretending to be normal."

A few people nodded in agreement, but they couldn't explain why the Prophet would suddenly act this way.

"But wouldn't the system be able to distinguish between strong and weak gods?" someone questioned.

Cocona spoke softly, "Perhaps the Prophet is weaker than other deities. After all, the system did call him the weakest god. But that doesn't mean he's weaker than monsters or humans."

Frank nodded, leaning toward Cocona's reasoning.

Drake frowned, deep in thought. Just then, Silas spoke up, "Maybe, when he first appeared, the Prophet was the weakest god. I think it's more likely that his powers were sealed. Do you remember when he asked us whether we would worship him?"

Although the Prophet had been inside the dungeon at the time, Silas felt sure that he had been speaking to all of humanity outside, not just Drake's group.

Drake sneered, "But no one was worshiping him back then. At least, I don't think his sudden increase in power has anything to do with how many people believe in him."

When he wasn't angry, Drake was quite sharp. Silas made a lot of sense, but Drake wasn't wrong either.

At that moment, Layla suddenly said, "It looks like we'll have to wait for an answer from Priest Silvanus. But it seems we can't invite him here for now."

Frank stood up and said, "Alright, we'll discuss this again once we have information from Priest Silvanus. For now, everyone can rest—you've all worked hard. We don't know when the next dungeon will appear, so be prepared for anything."

What followed was a wave of gratitude and praise for those who had contributed to closing the dungeon.

Jessica left the headquarters of The Association of Espers. As she walked, a black cloak appeared over her shoulders, adorned with flame-like patterns along its edges. Moving at an astonishing speed, she attracted curious and bewildered gazes from the pedestrians—almost as if they were witnessing a rare creature.

She lowered her hood and swiftly traversed multiple streets before stopping before a grand cathedral. A colossal angelic statue stood at its peak, but its wings were stained black, and flames coiled around its body. The angel's eyes, filled with fury, stared downward as if ready to incinerate everything.

This was the temple of the fallen angel Lucifer, built by his devoted believers. No guards stood watch, but if one were not a follower of Lucifer, they would be unable to enter.

Jessica stepped inside, finding herself in a seemingly endless corridor. She lowered her head and walked forward without hesitation. Then, the sound of whoosh, whoosh echoed around her.

Countless flames burst to life, igniting the walls and even the ground beneath her feet, filling the air with an unbearable heat.

Sweat trickled down Jessica's cheek, dripping from her chin onto the stone floor.

High above, a dark figure appeared. Jessica lifted her head to meet Lucifer's cold, piercing gaze. Even knowing it was just a projection, she quickly bowed her head and spoke urgently:

"I have seen him, my lord. He is the Prophet. As you predicted, his power is beyond imagination."

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"The Prophet?" Lucifer murmured, amusement lacing his tone. His golden eyes narrowed as he whispered, "To think you would appear this way... how interesting."

Then, he lowered his gaze back to Jessica. "Tell me everything that happened inside the dungeon."

Jessica recounted the events in detail, focusing on the Prophet—she knew that was what Lucifer wanted to hear.

When she finished, Lucifer chuckled. "No matter what, he is undeniably powerful, isn't he?"

Jessica couldn't quite hear what Lucifer had muttered to himself, but instinctively, she felt he was... pleased. She hesitated, daring to glance at him in doubt.

Lucifer waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, you may go. Remember—revere the gods as you revere me."

Jessica immediately lowered her head in acknowledgment, her doubts vanishing.

Lucifer watched her leave, a satisfied smile on his lips. "Finally, a little more freedom... You're late, my lord."

It was unclear whom he was speaking to, but his voice gradually faded along with his figure, and silence returned to the temple.

—

Meanwhile, at The Association of Espers, Frank clapped his right fist into his left palm, his eyes lighting up. "We need to build a church for Priest Silvanus. That's the only way to spread the faith properly, right? As of now, we know nothing about the gods. The believers of the Prophet need a guide!"

No sooner had he finished speaking .ke kicked open the door. "What do you mean by that?! Are you saying I can't guide the Prophet's new believers?! I'm the top believer—handpicked by the Prophet himself!"