GOD OF DECEPTION Chapter 24 - Rumors of a New God

Chapter 24 — Rumors of a New God

The convoy moved again before noon.

But everything felt different now.

Before the miracle, the refugees traveled beside us cautiously.

Quietly.

Fearfully.

Now?

They watched constantly.

Not openly all the ti.

But enough.

Whenever I looked toward them, people quickly lowered their heads or whispered among themselves.

Children pointed at from behind wagons.

Older villagers prayed softly whenever I passed.

And the worst part?

The blue divine core inside my chest reacted to every single glance.

Tiny pulses.

Tiny threads.

Tiny pieces of faith gathering continuously.

Like background electricity.

The phone vibrated occasionally too.

Follower Count Updated: 361

374

389

Every increase made my stomach tighten slightly.

Not because I disliked helping people.

But because I was starting to understand exactly how dangerous belief beca once systems ford around it.

Earth worked the sa way.

People didn’t worship technology intentionally.

They depended on it.

And dependence naturally evolved into faith.

The original Technology God probably didn’t force civilization to follow him.

Humanity chose convenience willingly.

That realization haunted throughout the afternoon.

The road westward gradually climbed into rocky hills covered in forests.

The scenery looked beautiful beneath sunlight, but tension spread through the convoy constantly now.

Scouts rode ahead and behind us continuously.

Knights remained alert.

Even Lucien looked more restless than usual.

anwhile Dorian appeared weirdly excited.

Honestly concerning behavior.

The rchant sat beside inside the carriage again while reviewing several handwritten papers.

Business docunts probably.

Or black-market divine economics.

Hard to tell with him.

Finally I looked toward him suspiciously.

"You look entirely too comfortable right now."

Dorian smiled faintly without glancing up.

"I enjoy historical monts."

"Pretty sure historical monts usually kill people."

"Only the unlucky ones."

Fair enough honestly.

I leaned back against the wooden seat tiredly.

Elena sat across from us again reading another silver-covered religious book.

Though this ti I noticed she wasn’t actually turning pages much.

Thinking.

Watching.

Worried.

Probably about .

Which honestly made dangerous emotional thoughts worse.

The carriage hit another rough patch in the road.

Outside, I heard refugees speaking quietly as they walked beside supply wagons.

"The blue god healed the child..."

"They say even the hunters failed to stop him..."

"A prophet recognized him..."

Rumors spread absurdly fast.

And every retelling made the story bigger.

More dramatic.

More divine.

Humanity truly remained consistent across worlds.

Elena finally closed her book softly.

"The stories are evolving already."

Dorian nodded casually.

"Stories always optimize themselves for emotional impact."

Interesting way to phrase that.

The rchant finally looked toward .

"Do you understand what’s happening yet?"

I frowned slightly.

"People believe in miracles."

"No."

His eyes sharpened slightly.

"They believe in possibility."

Silence followed.

Because honestly?

That answer felt important.

Dorian leaned back calmly.

"Most gods represent things people already understand."

He raised one finger.

"War."

Second finger.

"Nature."

Third.

"Death."

Then he pointed toward .

"But Technology?"

The rchant smiled faintly.

"It represents change."

The blue core pulsed softly.

"People are drawn toward change during suffering," Dorian continued quietly.

"Especially if that change solves problems."

The carriage beca silent again afterward.

Because everyone understood the implication.

Technology spread fastest during crisis.

Always had.

Wars accelerated dicine.

Communication.

Transportation.

Infrastructure.

Human desperation pushed innovation forward rapidly.

aning the refugee situation might actually strengthen my authority naturally.

That was terrifying.

Lucien suddenly rode alongside the carriage outside.

He knocked once against the wooden fra.

"We stop ahead."

The commander’s expression looked tense again.

"Scouts detected ard travelers near the western crossing."

Dorian sighed dramatically.

"See? Historical monts."

I ignored him and stepped out of the carriage alongside Elena.

The convoy slowed gradually as rocky hills opened toward a wide river crossing ahead.

An old stone bridge stretched across deep water while several wagons blocked the opposite side.

About twenty ard individuals waited there.

Not knights.

Not soldiers either.

rcenaries maybe.

Travelers.

Adventurers.

Hard to tell.

But the mont our convoy beca visible—

the group imdiately focused on .

Oh no.

One tall woman wearing dark red armor stepped forward confidently.

Long black hair.

Sharp amber eyes.

Large sword across her back.

And honestly?

Extrely dangerous energy.

Not hostile exactly.

But powerful.

The blue core inside my chest pulsed once sharply.

Recognition.

Interesting.

The woman smiled faintly as our convoy approached.

"Well."

Her voice carried easily across the bridge.

"The rumors were true."

Lucien imdiately moved his horse toward the front protectively.

"This crossing belongs to the Eternal Light currently."

The woman shrugged casually.

"I’m aware."

Her amber eyes moved toward again.

"But I didn’t co for territory."

The ard travelers behind her observed silently.

Experienced fighters.

Several carried visible magical weapons.

One older man had glowing runes burned directly into his arms.

Another woman controlled floating crystal shards beside her casually.

Definitely not ordinary travelers.

Elena quietly stepped beside .

"rcenary faction."

I frowned slightly.

"That’s a thing?"

"Several."

Wonderful.

Fantasy world sohow included freelance divine contractors.

The red-armored woman bowed her head slightly toward Lucien.

"Relax, commander."

She smiled again.

"If we wanted conflict, your scouts would already be dead."

The nearby knights visibly stiffened.

Honestly?

Fairly effective intimidation.

Lucien’s golden eyes narrowed sharply.

"State your purpose."

The woman looked directly at .

"Observation."

No hesitation.

Interesting.

Then she added—

"And curiosity."

The blue core pulsed uneasily again.

Dorian quietly muttered beside —

"She’s stronger than most regional priests."

Good to know.

The woman noticed him imdiately.

"Dorian Vale."

Her smile widened slightly.

"Still alive sohow."

The rchant bowed theatrically.

"Spite sustains ."

Honestly they felt like old troublemaking friends.

The woman laughed softly before returning her attention toward .

"So."

Her amber eyes sharpened carefully.

"You’re the forgotten authority everyone suddenly fears."

Straightforward.

I appreciated that.

"Apparently."

The woman studied silently for several seconds.

Not worshipful.

Not afraid.

Analyzing.

Interesting.

Then unexpectedly—

she grinned.

"You look disappointing."

Excuse ?

Elena’s expression instantly cooled.

Lucien looked ready to start problems imdiately.

anwhile the woman crossed her arms casually.

"The stories described sothing more terrifying."

Her gaze moved across again.

"But you just look tired."

Honestly?

Fair.

Accurate even.

I sighed slightly.

"Near-death experiences ruin skincare routines."

The woman blinked once.

Then burst into laughter.

Actual genuine laughter.

Okay.

Unexpected.

Several rcenaries behind her looked equally surprised.

The woman wiped one eye dramatically.

"Oh, I like him already."

Lucien looked deeply unimpressed.

The woman finally composed herself and extended one armored hand casually.

"Na’s Lyra."

I hesitated briefly before shaking it.

Her grip felt strong.

Warm.

Human.

Interesting.

Unlike most people lately, she treated like a person first instead of a divine catastrophe.

That alone felt refreshing.

Lyra released my hand before glancing toward the refugee groups behind us.

"Heard about the miracle."

The atmosphere shifted imdiately.

More serious now.

The rcenary leader’s amber eyes narrowed slightly.

"Risky move."

I crossed my arms.

"There was a sick kid."

"And now hundreds believe salvation follows you."

Direct.

Sharp.

Smart.

I frowned slightly.

"You say that like it’s bad."

Lyra beca quiet briefly.

Then softly answered—

"Depends what kind of god you beco."

Cold wind moved across the bridge around us.

The blue core pulsed slowly.

Lyra looked toward Lucien afterward.

"So."

She smiled faintly.

"Which council wants him dead first?"

The commander’s expression hardened instantly.

"No execution decisions exist currently."

The rcenary leader laughed quietly.

"That’s not an answer."

Honestly?

True.

Lucien remained silent.

And sohow—

that silence told everything.

Lyra noticed too.

Her expression lost so amusent afterward.

"Thought so."

The rcenary leader stepped slightly closer toward .

"Listen carefully, Technology."

Interesting hearing the title spoken naturally.

"You’re becoming famous too quickly."

The blue core pulsed again.

"Faith spreads faster during unstable periods," she continued quietly.

"And right now?"

Her amber eyes drifted toward the distant eastern horizon.

"Half the continent already feels unstable."

That sounded deeply concerning.

Dorian frowned slightly.

"You’ve heard sothing."

Lyra nodded slowly.

"Rumors."

The rcenary woman’s voice lowered.

"Ancient ruins activating."

Everyone beca still instantly.

Even Lucien looked alard.

Lyra continued carefully—

"Old pathway structures."

My heartbeat accelerated.

The pathways.

The ancient connections between worlds.

The prophet said my awakening destabilized them sohow.

Lyra’s expression darkened slightly.

"And that’s not the worst part."

The wind across the bridge suddenly felt colder.

The rcenary leader looked directly into my eyes.

"Other forgotten authorities are waking up too."