How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 753: A Goddess’s Advice to Godhood 9.5

I’d already seen enough situations where raw strength wasn’t enough to solve a problem.

I needed control.

Understanding.

Something that would let me use this power properly instead of simply throwing more of it at whatever stood in front of me.

"Better training can only get me so far," I said quietly. "If I don’t even understand what I’m training..."

I looked directly at Eris.

"...Then I’m just relying on instinct."

For once, Eris didn’t immediately tease me.

She simply looked at me over the rim of her teacup.

Then she smiled.

"A very good question."

She placed the cup down.

Technically, Eris had already taught me a little about the basics of Authority and Divinity.

I understood the general idea.

I knew that Authority wasn’t simply another form of magic, and I understood that Divinity was closely tied to the nature of the god who possessed it.

But understanding the basics and actually understanding the intricacies behind it were two completely different things.

There were still too many gaps in my knowledge.

Too many things I could feel within myself but couldn’t properly explain.

And whenever I tried to push further, I always ran into the same problem.

I didn’t really understand what my own Divinity was supposed to be.

"Fufu."

Eris smiled as she rested her cheek against one hand.

"The answer is actually quite simple, Riley. You’ve already understood most of what you need to know about Divinity."

"Most?"

"Yes."

She picked up her teacup again.

"The only thing holding you back now is your own understanding of the nature of your Divinity..."

She took a small sip before continuing.

"...And the power of faith that influences it."

I frowned slightly.

"Faith..."

I leaned back in my chair.

"So you’re aware that some people are worshipping me?"

Eris smiled.

"Of course."

There wasn’t even a hint of surprise in her voice.

"I’m the creator of this world, after all."

She casually gestured toward the meadow around us.

"The very nature of this world is something I’m fully aware of. That includes the Divinity possessed by the other gods."

"So even if I don’t tell you about them..."

"I can still perceive them."

I nodded slowly.

That made sense.

Eris was the creator of this world, there wasn’t much that could happen within it without her knowing about it.

Then she added something that caught my attention.

"Although your Divine Energy is similar to that of a lesser god..."

Her eyes narrowed slightly with amusement.

"...Its quality is comparable to mine."

I paused.

"Comparable to yours?"

"If anything..."

She smiled.

"It may even be higher in certain aspects."

I stared at her.

"...Higher than yours?"

"Fufu~."

She seemed far too amused by my reaction.

"Don’t look so surprised."

"You also possess the Divinity of my sister."

Erebil...

Her smile became a little more knowing.

"That’s one of the reasons your Divinity is so unusual."

I thought about that for a moment.

"So you’re saying my Divinity is purer than yours?"

"To a certain extent."

Eris raised one finger.

"But I wouldn’t call it pure."

"...Then what would you call it?"

She paused.

For once, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

"Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that your Divinity doesn’t possess an actual form."

I frowned.

"No form?"

"Most gods have a very clear nature."

She began explaining patiently.

"A God of Fire possesses a Divinity that naturally follows the concept of fire. A God of War possesses a Divinity connected to battle, conflict, victory, and everything else that defines their existence."

She looked directly at me.

"You don’t have that."

"I don’t?"

"No."

Eris smiled gently.

"Your Divinity doesn’t seem to want to settle into a single definition."

That sounded familiar.

Far too familiar.

"My nature as an anomaly..."

"Exactly."

She nodded.

"You are the God of Anomaly, after all."

Her expression softened.

"An error in the universe."

"...An error."

"That’s one way of putting it."

Eris gave a small shrug.

"You exist outside many of the normal rules that govern this world. Because of that, your Divinity doesn’t behave like the Divinity of an ordinary god."

She tapped her finger against the table.

"It’s difficult to define something that was never supposed to have a proper definition."

I remained silent.

That explanation actually made sense.

Maybe the reason I couldn’t fully understand my own Divinity was because I was trying to force it into a category that didn’t exist.

I wasn’t the God of one simple concept.

I was an anomaly.

Something that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.

Eris looked at me for a moment before continuing.

"To be honest, Riley, the only advice I can give you now is to continue doing what you’ve already been doing."

"Training?"

"Yes."

She nodded.

"Continue strengthening your Divinity. Learn how it reacts to your Authority. Experiment with it. Explore the different ways you can use it."

Her expression became more serious.

"More importantly, discover its limits."

"My limits?"

"Every Authority has boundaries."

Eris lifted her teacup.

"Even if those boundaries are difficult to find."

I nodded slowly.

"Then what else?"

Her smile returned.

"And lastly..."

She leaned slightly toward me.

"Take advantage of your followers."

I blinked.

"My followers?"

"Yes."

She smiled as though she’d just given me the most obvious answer in the world.

"Faith is not merely something people give to gods."

"It is also something gods can use."

Her golden eyes gleamed.

"The more people believe in you, the stronger the connection between them and your Divinity becomes."

"So if I already have people worshipping me..."

"Then you already have a source of power waiting for you."

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"...You’re telling me to use them."

"Not abuse them, take advantage of them"

Eris laughed softly.

"There’s a difference."

She placed her cup down.

"Your followers believe in something that represents you. That belief can strengthen the nature of your Divinity."

She paused.

"And considering what you are..."

Her smile became strangely amused.

"...I’m very curious to see what your followers will eventually make you into."

I didn’t like the sound of that.

"Why?"

"Because you’re an anomaly."

"I can understand the first few parts..."

I rubbed my chin, thinking about what Eris had said.

"But how exactly am I supposed to take advantage of a group of fanatics?"

"Fufu."

Eris smiled.

"It’s as simple as it sounds."

She placed her teacup down and looked at me with an almost amused expression.

"Use them."

"...That’s your advice?"

"Yes."

She said it so casually that I almost wondered if I had heard her correctly.

"Setting aside how they came to worship you, whether their reasons were good or bad, they believe you are their god."

Her golden eyes glowed faintly.

"They will follow your commands because of that belief. And as I said the purer their faith in you becomes, the stronger the connection between them and your Divinity will become."

"So..."

I frowned slightly.

Their faith directly affects my Authority....

"Does that also mean it might weaken it as well?"

"Exactly."

She nodded.

"Faith and belief become truth for the divine."

That sentence stuck with me.

Faith becoming truth...

It explained more than I initially realized.

If enough people believed in a god’s nature, then that belief could eventually shape the god themselves.

"But wouldn’t that be blasphemy against you, Goddess?"

I asked.

"If I’m using a group of people who worship me while also worshipping me..."

"Hm?"

Eris tilted her head.

"Not really."

She smiled.

"I was the one who gave you the advice, after all."

Then her expression became slightly more amused.

"Although..."

She tapped her finger against the table.

"For my followers, it might be a different story."

"..."

"And besides, I seriously doubt your followers will ever exceed mine."

She laughed softly.

"And even if they somehow do..."

Her smile didn’t change.

"...I can erase them."

She paused.

"And so can you."

"..."

I stared at her.

She’s surprisingly scary when she smiles like that.

She said it as casually as someone commenting on the weather.

No anger.

No hostility.

Just a simple statement.

For some reason, that made it worse.

Eris soon returned to her usual expression.

"Regardless, you don’t have much time."

"Time?"

"You have far too many things waiting for you in the mortal world."

She lifted one hand.

"So perhaps I should teach you how to track down your followers."

I blinked.

That’d make things easier both for me and Lavine.

"You’re willing to teach me?"

"Of course."

She smiled.

"It’s a very simple trick."

She raised her finger.

"You’ve already established a connection with them through your Divinity. You simply need to learn how to recognize that connection."

"Like sensing their faith?"

"Exactly."

Eris nodded.

"And here’s another piece of advice."

She leaned slightly forward.

"Showing yourself to them personally can greatly strengthen their faith."

"So I should actually meet them?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Imagine what would happen if the people who worship you suddenly saw their god standing before them."

"They’d probably lose their minds."

"Most likely."

Eris laughed.

"And perhaps give them a reward or two."

"A reward?"

"Something that proves you acknowledge them."

She shrugged.

"It doesn’t have to be anything grand. A blessing. A miracle. Perhaps even a simple word of praise."

Her expression became thoughtful.

"Who knows?"

"They might become useful to you in the battles to come."

I went silent.

The more I thought about it...

The more I realized the Goddess was right.

I’d always treated the cult surrounding me as a problem.

Something that needed to be dealt with eventually.

A group of fanatics worshipping an anomaly wasn’t exactly something I wanted growing unchecked.

But I had never considered another possibility.

I could actually use them.

They already believed in me.

They already followed me.

And their faith was directly connected to my Divinity.

Why had I never thought about it that way?

"...Maybe I’ve been looking at this the wrong way."

Eris smiled.

"I knew you’d understand."

Then she suddenly patted her lap.

"Now then, child."

She looked at me innocently.

"Come closer and sit here."

"...Excuse me?"

I stared at her.

Eris continued smiling.

"You want me to teach you, don’t you?"

"Yes, but..."

I glanced at her lap, then back at her face.

"...Why exactly do I need to sit there?"

"Because it’s easier."

"How?"

"It just is."

She patted her lap again.

"Come here."

I stared at her.

She stared back.

That smile...

For some reason, it made every instinct in my body tell me that something was wrong.

Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in danger?