Sel’s routine fell into line over the next few weeks. Day in, and day out, he would complete the daily quests, get three hours of gym training with Mason, and then work part-time at the temple, intermittently swapping with Felicia to take care of his mother. To save time traveling, he performed the daily pushups and sit-ups in the gym, slowly becoming a mainstay of the gym. 

However, he made a clear stance to not associate himself with the gang fully, refusing to attend any of the drinking parties or pub crawls. Especially not when his aunt was in the mix as well.  

Finally, two weeks after he got the Deity Interface, he purchased his first skill from the Shop. 

[Passive Skill: Fatigue Endurance (F) – Reduces the User’s reliance on sleep and rest. Ability to go without sleep at maximum rank. Purchase Cost: 120 Faith/360 Trust.] 

 The effects of this was immediately apparent. Sel could work and train for longer hours than others, maximizing his time each day. He managed to acquire it faster than expected, thanks to an unexpected source of Faith.  

Videos of his second statue’s glowing have recently been garnering attention, with spiritual hippies or curious tourists coming to the temple to see him. Sel had lost count of the number of times he had to put on a mask and touch the second statue, causing it to glow multiple times and earning Faith directed at him.  

[+35 Faith Received] 

He never received any Faith randomly through the net, so Sel postulated that there was a maximum range limit for gathering Faith.  

Attendance and donations in the temple steadily grew, though not as fast as Sister Angelina would have expected.  

“Damn it! That stupid Lady Justice Statue in the capital is hogging all the attention in the news? They can’t even make it glow again. Why in the world are all the news media outlets continuously covering it? They should be covering us!” 

“This is good enough for now. Our temple’s finances are recovering, albeit a bit slower than you would have expected,” Sel replied as he scrolled through the accounting spreadsheet, checking the weekly expenditures.  

“Yeah, sure, and then inflation and expenses come in and wipe us out again. That was fun.” 

While Angelina continued to grumble to herself, Sel secretly checked his Faith balance.  

[Name: Selas Trind] 

[Aspect: Tenacity] 

[Faith: 4 (F-)] 

[Trust: 2(F-)] 

[Followers: 0(F-)] 

[Current Deity Rank: Unknown (31)] 

He would have more left if it wasn’t for him buying that stupid rat in the Shop to distract the guard. And even then, it didn’t distract much either, not even buying him enough time to escape. Just three days' worth of Daily Quests, nothing big. Stupid Rat. 

Sel half expected the rat to be something special, like a spirit or something. But it was indeed an average rat, at least in the short two seconds in which it suddenly appeared in midair before scampering off toward the guard. What a waste. 

Regardless, Sel took yet another look at the shop, aiming for his next milestone.  

[Upgrade Deity Rank: 300 Faith/ 900 Trust] 

[Upgrade Aspect Grade: 500 Faith/ 1500 Trust] 

[Active Skill: Resurgence (F) – Recover swiftly, restoring strength and vitality of the User and improving regeneration. Activation Cost: 1 Faith per second, 300 seconds for full regeneration. Cooldown: One week. Purchase Cost: 60 Faith/180 Trust.] 

[Active Skill: Aura of Perseverance (F) – Radiates an aura that inspires those around to remain steadfast. Activation Cost: 1 Faith per second, maximum duration of 120 seconds. Cooldown: One day. Purchase Cost: 60 Faith/180 Trust.] 

[Passive Skill: Physical Fortitude (F) – Reduces the damage inflicted against the User for physical attacks. Note: does not reduce amount of pain felt. Purchase Cost: 120 Faith/360 Trust.] 

I’ll need Physical Fortitude and Resurgence for the tournament. Resurgence would be my trump card, seeing as it has a very long cooldown. Sel calculated it would take about 30 days total to acquire both of them with just the daily quests.  

His eyes glanced at the Upgrade options, wondering if they could give him any boosts. If I could upgrade the rank or Aspect Grade, maybe I would get something special, or slightly stronger. I’ll take anything that can give me an edge.  

Sel had stopped applying for full-time jobs, instead focusing most of his time on the training. At night, he would do small side gigs, like delivering or weekend shifts at the bar to make ends meet in the meantime.  

He also noted that by the tournament, he would only have 180 Faith total to use for Resurgence, meaning that he could not achieve full regeneration either. I need to find some other way of gathering Faith.  

“Urgh, Lady Justice, Lady Justice, Lady Justice! They are everywhere!” Angelina ruffled up her own auburn hair in exasperation. “Look, they even have cosplayers now! What the hell is going on?” 

“That’s it!” 

“Sorry, what?” 

“That’s it, cosplaying!” 

“Cosplaying what? I don’t watch animated shows if that’s what you’re implying.” Angelina looked at Sel with disgust. “Also, please don’t tell me you’re into crossdressing.” 

“No, the masks! The uniforms! We can do a parade in town! Why wait for people to discover us when we can just go out and show it to them directly!” 

----------- 

Five days later… 

“Alright, ready guys? It’s going to be a long walk.” Sel donned his usual ceremonial mask and robes, leading at the head of the procession with a makeshift staff made from the nearby fallen branches behind the temple. Not that anybody would know.  

Behind him, on the center of the street outside of the temple, was the entirety of the temple’s staff – all two dozen of them, to be exact, arranged in two long columns. All of them carried as many ornamental items, real or fake, as they could, along with four acting as porters for a sizeable ‘float’, a simple litter to carry the statues, and the Shaman himself. 

“We got the approval for the parade?” Sel asked Angelina, who was packing medicine and additional water into another staff member’s backpack. 

“Yep, police will be on-site to keep the crowd under control, but only at the main square.” 

“Not a problem.” 

“We’re running late, Sel. We have to hit the lunch crowd soon!” Angelina urged as she triple-checked all of the staff’s outfits, some of them barely thirteen years old in oversized robes. “Walk slowly, alright! If you feel like you’re about to trip, just pull them up. No one will blame you.” 

“Okay, ritual team, check?” Sel motioned to two pairs of dancers, both pairs holding up a large decorated monster costume above their heads – one at the front, one at the back, their legs decked out in fuzzy sparkling leggings.  

“Statue team, check?” The porters nodded in response. 

“Music team, check?” A low and long gurgling horn sound replied him. 

“Support team, check?” Angelina’s team nodded, prepped with everything to supply the others. 

“Alms collection team, check?” 

“Check!” Four young altar girls shot their arms up, though some of their hands was barely able to make it past the oversized sleeve of her robes.  

“Good, now all that’s left is Shaman Peris.” 

“I’m here, I’m here!” The shaman hurriedly exited his office, jubilantly walking as fast as he could up to the litter. Some of the porters took deep breaths after seeing his extravagant and elaborate ornamental robes, steeling themselves. 

“Don’t worry. I did my business this morning, so I’m lighter now. If you know what I mean.” The Shaman joked as he climbed up the steps of the litter with the help of two other staff members, believing he was not that heavy. The porters begged to differ.  

“All set. Music only starts once we hit the high street. Akama Temple’s parade, begin!” Sel raised his makeshift staff, starting to walk off.  

None of them were trained in synchronized steps, so Sel and Angelina didn’t bother; all of them simply walked. Maybe for later parades.  For now, Sel just needed to spread the word locally. 

Already, they were getting attention from the curious families peeking out of their windows, kids already screaming in joy as their fathers struggled to prevent them from joining the procession.  

“We’ll be parading in the central business district and then the main square! Come along if you’re free!” Angelina announced to any curious onlookers, spreading the word as much as she could.  

“Central business district?” The sparse onlookers and regular attendees of the temple were confused as to why the parade was going there. 

It was quite a sight, Sel leading a long trail of temple staff trailing behind him. Many locals who had yet to visit the temple were astounded by the masks and robes worn, their curiosity getting the better of them as they began to follow along from the side.  

The hot sun was bearing down on them, the dry heat radiating from beneath the street, but the temple staff endured, having mentally prepared for this from weeks before, though Angelina’s medical team still made sure that the younger ones were properly hydrated. 

Sel checked his watch. Perfect. Lunchtime in the high street. With a grunt, Sel lifted the staff up high, holding it by the end for the temple staff to see. As practiced, the music team donned their gear, the horns coiling around themselves in their hands as a few notes were blown to ensure no blockage and that it was tuned.  

“Music!”  

A low bone-chilling cacophony of horns immediately began, filling the air with a dense vibration that immediately attracted every person on the street. At the same time, the dancer teams split up from the procession, covering their heads with the monster costume and moving towards the side, going as near as they could to the curious onlookers who cheered in response, some of the more timid kids screaming at the sight of the costume. 

None of this was new to the temple staff – the ritual they were performing now was done every three months in the temple, though it was the first time they were doing it out in the open, especially on the move.  

Already, the members could feel the sweat accumulate on every pore of their back, a film of water clinging to their robes as it stuck onto their skin. Some began to pant heavily as they continued moving, but the sights of so many onlookers gathering to see them invigorated them much more. 

“Is today a holy day for the temple, or something?” 

“No, I haven’t seen anything like that before…” 

“Want to check it out?” 

Just like that, more and more people gathered along, moving behind the procession in what seemed to form an impromptu mass parade. The small tiny alms collection girls ran through the nearby crowd, collecting donations and tips that began to accumulate into the hundreds of demas.  

And this is only the first hour. Sel grinned under his mask, knowing he hit the jackpot. Even Shaman Peris was already smiling like he never smiled before, waving to the crowd, who waved back at him.  

More than two hundred people followed the procession as they began to move towards the central business district, where all the office workers were entranced by the sudden parade of masked ceremonial temple staff marching past their quaint little cafes and restaurants.  

Sel raised his staff once more, though in a different position, prompting the parade to stop under the shade of a tall office tower in the middle of the wide pavement. The dancers immediately moved into the nearby restaurants, along with the alms collection team, pleading for donations from the well-to-do workers and passersby.  

At the corner of his eye, while he still stood firm in a stoic act, he saw a hundred demas deposited into the box by a worker who clearly had his heartstrings tugged by the pleading alms collection young girls. Sel turned his head slightly, only to see Angelina having the widest grin under her mask as well.  

That’s right – the real cash cows are here! 

Sel motioned to Angelina, who quickly ran up to the litter that the Shaman was sitting in, whispering. The Shaman nodded, quickly standing up from his chair and raising his hand, the horns dying out.  

“The Akama temple brings well wishes and blessings to all of you! Recently, we have received a sign from our gods – to spread the word of the temple’s revival! Behold!” The Shaman held up the second statue from the temple, the god of fortune, showing it all for to see.  

The uninitiated onlookers barely understood what that statue was. “What is that? Looks like an old relic; what sign is he talking about?” 

“I’ve seen that before in the temple, but what’s so special about it?” 

Sel slowly walked up to the litter, the porters holding up the litter already exchanging glances of suffering as he ascended the stairs. As he grabbed the statue from the Shaman, and raised it to the sky, the statue shook violently once more, a dim but clearly visible light emanating from it like an incandescent lamp.  

[Warning: Incompatible Relic Discovered. Conversion would result in zero Faith. Would User like to proceed?] 

Zero Faith? Haha! Look at all the Faith I am about to receive! Of course I won’t convert it! 

“Did you see that? The statue just glowed!” 

“What? That’s impossible!” 

“That must be a magic trick, it must be! There’s a lightbulb inside or something, guaranteed!” 

“Idiot, the entire statue is made of stone! If there’s a lightbulb inside, how is it possible to shine through?” 

[+10 Faith Received] 

Sel handed the statue back to the Shaman, before descending once more and restarting the procession again, circling the central business district.  

This time, the office workers were far more intrigued, a heavy debate erupting among them. Sel stopped the procession two more times, demonstrating the same glow of the statue multiple times.  

[+160 Faith Received] 

“Is this related to the Lady Justice Statue glowing? I can’t believe there’s something similar right here in our backyard!” The word spread like wildfire, people taking videos and witnessing it with their own eyes, their hearts half converted.  

However, Sel could sense that the temple staff was starting to become tired. Already, he could see the exhausted faces of the dancers and the horn players, all eyeing and hoping that the parade could end right now. Angelina and the Shaman too, were becoming lethargic, the fatigue of the long walk building up in their muscles.  

No, just a bit more! Sel quickly took out his phone during a break inconspicuously, quickly navigating to the shop interface through muscle memory.  

[Active Skill Purchased: Aura of Perseverance (F) – Radiates an invisible aura that inspires those around to remain steadfast. Activation Cost: 1 Faith per second, maximum duration of 120 seconds. Cooldown: One day. Purchase Cost: 60 Faith/180 Trust.] 

Aura of Perseverance! 

An invisible yet palpable invigorating force began to emanate from Sel’s person, rushing through the temple like an ammonia implant had just hit their noses, the striking spicy feeling shooting right up their brain and waking them up.  

With the added boost, the temple procession reached their final destination – a large main square right smack in the middle of the small city’s centre where a crowd was already building up.  

“Come on, guys. Final push! Let’s make it count!” Sel urged the others, pumping them up. In a burst of energy, the horn players and dancers let out everything they had, performing the ritual once more while Sel held out the statue once more at the top of the litter, awing the crowd.  

[+200 Faith Received] 

Sel spotted Mason and his gang in the crowd, the other onlookers keeping a clear berth of them. Mason gave a knowing smile, along with a thumbs up, before he took out a thousand-dollar dema nota, placing it in an alms collection box.  

[Warning: Maximum duration exceeded. 120 Faith Consumed.] 

The Aura of Perseverance subsided, the fatigue creeping back into the temple staff once again. Sel knew this was as far as he could push them. He quickly raised his staff up high once more, shaking it violently twice to signal the end, the music coming to a natural halt like a finale.  

A rousing cheer erupted from the amassed onlookers, the applause resounding across the expansive square. All of the temple staff members were exhausted, with Angelica and her support team immediately taking the younger ones out of the parade and giving them rest under shade.  

The Shaman, too, was baking in his ornamental robe, but he persisted, standing up to address the crowd with a pre-prepared microphone. “People of the city of Akama! The temple invites you to donate to a good cause – the continued existence of our heritage. The temple has always been a part of the city since its founding. With your help, in any amount of dema that you can afford, we can continue to survive and bring joy and help to those who are needy among us.” 

Sel did not see any increase in donations, even as the collection boxes was put in front of the onlookers. Some of the onlookers began to disperse even, knowing the parade had come to an end.  

The Shaman then passed the microphone to a young alms collection girl, who was barely thirteen years old. “My entire life has been spent in the temple’s orphanage since my parents died, and the temple is my family. Please help me keep my family together. Please!” 

The sob story was an instant hit, and the more empathetic ones immediately donated what they could afford. Before long, the collection boxes were overflowing. Sel had to take out a backup collection box, something he thought might never have been used.  

As more and more orphans helped by the temple gave their stories on the microphone, the donations came pouring in like a waterfall. Angelina was not grinning anymore, her mouth completely agape at just how much was coming in.  

Sel knew this money wasn’t for him, but it cleared one more burden off his shoulders. And in the process, he got an even better reward – the accumulated Faith. 

Hook, line, and sinker.