Gospel of Blood

Granting divine blessings to followers, helping them gain extraordinary power?

Charlotte fell into deep thought after hearing Lilith’s words.

Indeed, Gods could bestow extraordinary powers upon mortals. Charlotte could do the same.

In fact, even before Charlotte kindled her divine flame, she could achieve this through the Gospel of Blood by signing a Blood Contract or using the divine blessing abilities of the Gospel.

In other words, Charlotte could grant divine blessings without developing followers. More precisely, God does not need the recipient to be a follower to bestow divine blessings.

The idea that only followers can receive divine blessings is just a means for God to strengthen faith and control over the extraordinary. Charlotte realized this truth after turning Yurst into a blood servant and kindling her divine flame.

Of course, this was a secret among Gods. Most mortals were unaware of this. Lilith assumed Charlotte couldn’t bestow divine blessings without developing followers, as she did not know this secret.

However, divine blessings vary among Gods. Generally, there are two ways to grant these blessings.

The first and most common way for Gods is to lend their power directly to mortals.

This method is the least taxing for Gods and provides the quickest power boost for mortals. However, it’s the most unstable way for mortals because if the God retracts the power, the extraordinary person loses their power.

Those who gain extraordinary power this way are essentially clerics.

The second, less common method is to help mortals awaken their extraordinary potential by infusing their bodies with extraordinary bloodlines, aiding them on the path to the extraordinary.

This method is what Lilith referred to as granting extraordinary seeds. This way, the extraordinary person’s power doesn’t come from the God but from themselves, merely aligning with the God’s nature.

However, this method also has its flaws. Not everyone can withstand the God’s blessing. Whether one can receive an extraordinary seed depends on their physical condition and potential.

Even if one obtains an extraordinary seed, their progress depends on themselves, similar to those with extraordinary bloodlines in later generations.

Charlotte had read many ancient texts in the royal library. By comparing various sources, she believed that most non-clerical extraordinary individuals in later generations gained their power through this method. This explains why many church texts describe extraordinary power as originating from Gods.

However, some exceptionally gifted individuals could awaken extraordinary power without divine blessings, like Lilith and Harald.

For those granted extraordinary seeds or those who awakened their powers, Gods couldn’t easily retract their power like they could with clerics. These extraordinary individuals owned their power, and Gods could only suppress them through their rank and power.

Because of this, Gods rarely granted extraordinary seeds to mortals. Even if they did, it was usually to their followers. This way, Gods could receive feedback from the growth of extraordinary individuals through the faith network.

This is why Lilith assumed Charlotte couldn’t grant divine blessings if she didn’t spread her faith. Lilith might not know that divine blessings don’t require faith, but she believed Gods wouldn’t help non-followers awaken extraordinary power.

For Gods, cultivating non-followers’ extraordinary power was a losing deal.

The same applied to Charlotte. Having traveled to this era, she hadn’t yet found a stable way to replenish her divine power, let alone consume it to cultivate extraordinary individuals.

So, in a sense, Lilith’s words weren’t wrong.

However, since Lilith and Harald asked for her help, Charlotte decided to lend a hand after some thought. It could be a good deed.

After all, Lilith and Harald were likely the True Ancestor of Blood and the Creator God of later generations, making them valuable investments.

Even if Charlotte misjudged their identities, their teacher-student bond warranted some help.

Consuming some divine power wouldn’t hurt. Since she agreed to be the ‘Savior’, she should do what a ‘Savior’ does.

As for divine power, she could always take from other Gods in this myth-filled era. This time was full of opportunities, with mortals even stumbling upon divine fragments and becoming Gods.

Helping the Free City-State cultivate extraordinary power wasn’t a bad thing either. A stronger Free City-State could become her eyes in this era, helping her gather information and resources. Who knows, she might even find something valuable.

With this in mind, Charlotte nodded and said to Lilith and Harald.

“Helping the City-State awaken extraordinary power? No problem. Even without spreading faith, I can do that.”

She smiled.

“After all, I have already agreed to be the ‘Savior’ of the Free City-State.”

…

In a vast forest.

In the depths of a vast forest stood a towering temple made of rough-hewn stones, housing a large statue of a snake-headed, human-bodied God.

Inside, slender figures dressed in animal robes continuously prayed to the statue. Their bodies were covered in scales, revealing them as snake-folk.

Suddenly, a dark green light flew from afar into the temple. The immense pressure caused the snake-folks to prostrate themselves, trembling in fear.

Only when the blood-red light lit up on the snake-headed statue, the terrifying pressure subsided.

A majestic voice then echoed in the temple.

“Guests have arrived. You may leave now.”

Upon hearing this, the snake-folks rose, bowed respectfully to the statue, and departed.

The statue’s eyes glowed slightly, its crimson gaze fixed on the dark green light.

“Alador, what brings you to my temple?”

Asked the blood-red statue.

The dark green light faded, revealing the God of Abomination and Deformity, Alador, who looked solemnly at the blood-red statue.

“They… has returned.”