“They're here! The new NPCs are here!”
“Holy crap, that's a lot of people?!”
As the white light faded, the moment the first batch of Windhaven Town believers stepped out of the teleportation array, Temple Square instantly erupted.
The players looked like they had been injected with chicken blood. Their eyes lit up one by one, their faces plastered with warm, enthusiastic smiles. In a flash, they swarmed forward, deftly reaching out to take the bundles from the newcomers' hands.
“Take it easy, old-timer! This luggage is heavy, let me carry it for you!”
“Ma'am, just hold your baby! Leave the bag to me! I promise to deliver it safely!”
“Hey kiddo, want big brother to carry you? It's crowded up ahead, don't get squished!”
This sudden burst of enthusiasm caught the residents of Windhaven Town completely off guard.
Their faces were filled with hesitation and surprise.
Levinel stepped forward to reassure them, “Don't worry. They are the God-Chosen Ones summoned from another world by Her Goddess Ladyship. They mean no harm; they're here to help us.”
God-Chosen Ones?!
Does that mean they are the legendary divine envoys?!
The believers' eyes widened in an instant. Overwhelmed by the favor, they hurriedly waved their hands in refusal, their faces filled with trepidation.
“No, no, no! Lord Divine Envoy! I can manage by myself!”
“Yes, yes! Divine envoys are of noble status, how could you do such heavy manual labor!”
“We are just simple country folk. We can carry and move things ourselves. We wouldn't dare trouble you, my lords!”
“No need, really, it's not heavy at all!”
The believers declined desperately, showing their simple and honest nature.
But how could the players care about that?
What a joke!
Escorting a single resident to the settlement area rewarded 1,000 EXP and 200 Merit Points, with no limit!
Wasn't this basically free candy?!
Not only did they get experience and Merit Points, but they also farm NPC favorability and boost their personal reputation. It was a three-in-one deal; only a fool wouldn't charge in!
Those with slow hands couldn't even grab a job!
Indeed, after publishing the server-wide announcement, Iluvia had issued a side quest for the players to assist in settling the believers. Not only were there extra rewards, but there was also no limit on the number of times it could be completed.
Thus, despite the believers' persistent refusals, the players employed a mix of sweet-talking and gentle luggage-snatching, moving at an absurdly fast pace.
In the end, the simple residents of Windhaven Town were completely no match for these energetic God-Chosen Ones. Touched yet embarrassed, they blushed and thanked them repeatedly.
“Thank you, Lord Divine Envoy! You are all so kind!”
“I have never seen such gentle and warm-hearted nobles in my entire life!”
Hearing the sincere praise from the native NPCs, the players instantly switched to their standard pious customer-service faces. Puffing out their chests with solemn expressions, they maxed out their acting skills.
“It's just a small matter!”
“We crossed worlds precisely to help everyone rebuild your home!”
“If you want to thank someone, thank Her Great Goddess Ladyship! Praise the Light!”
The synchronized chorus of “Praise the Light” warmed the hearts of the believers, bringing tears to their eyes.
Her Goddess Ladyship was truly too benevolent and great!
Even the divine envoys from another world were so pious and kind!
Reverence surged wildly in everyone's hearts. They spontaneously turned to face the majestic, holy Goddess Statue in the center of the square, bowing and kneeling in unison.
“Praise the Light!”
“Praise Life!”
“Praise the great Ruler of Angels!”
Thousands of devout prayers gathered, echoing throughout the entire Temple Square.
The next second!
The towering Goddess Statue suddenly burst with brilliant, gentle sacred light. Countless tiny white particles of light cascaded down from the sky, gently enveloping every kneeling believer.
Warm divine power slowly permeated their limbs and bones. The discomfort caused by the teleportation array instantly vanished, and the strain, chronic illnesses, and old injuries accumulated from years of hard labor were completely smoothed over and healed.
“A miracle! This is a miracle!”
Someone cried out, their voice choked with tears.
“Praise the Goddess!!”
Everyone prostrated themselves, pressing their foreheads to the ground, pious to the absolute extreme.
Meanwhile, the players helping with the luggage were utterly stunned.
One player whispered, “Holy crap, did we overact a bit...”
The moment the words left their mouth, they were harshly nudged by a teammate next to them, who glared with disappointment. “Shut up! Don't say stupid things. Can't you see these NPCs are crying from being so touched? Do you still want your rewards?”
The player immediately shut up and also lowered their eyes to pretend to pray.
Once the worship ended, under the players' guidance, the believers of Windhaven Town quickly began walking toward the settlement area in an orderly fashion.
As they walked along, everyone's eyes were filled with awe and curiosity. They couldn't help but look around, murmuring in amazement.
“Is this Castellan? It's beautiful! It's practically a paradise on earth!”
“I've never seen this style of architecture before. It's so unique yet grand, clean and tidy!”
“The streets are flat and clean, and the plants are arranged so neatly. This is over a hundred times better than our Windhaven Town!”
Hearing the various compliments from the native NPCs, the leading players' vanity instantly swelled. They held their heads high, their tails practically wagging in the sky, wearing expressions of shared glory.
“You bet! We worked for nearly a month just to build this town!”
“We reclaimed and rebuilt it from a pile of ruins, entirely handmade from start to finish!”
Schutard, who was blending in with the crowd, paused slightly at those words, his eyes filled with shock and emotion.
He had been quietly observing along the way and was already shaken by the reborn Castellan.
But when he learned that this clean, magnificent, and burgeoning town had been built by hand in just one month by the God-Chosen Ones from another world, nothing but endless awe remained in his heart.
In just one short month, a new city rose from the flat ground.
If this had been a thousand years ago during the peak of the Church of Light, it would have been nothing—the church's craftsmen had divine spells to assist them back then, allowing them to erect an outpost in ten days.
But now, these God-Chosen Ones had no divine spells to assist them, nor did they have the support of a church. They relied entirely on their own hands and energy.
This group of God-Chosen Ones was not only diligent, resilient, and passionate, but they also held the Light in their hearts.
“Her Goddess Ladyship...” Schutard looked up slightly, his gaze resting on the statue in the center of the square, which was glowing with a faint afterglow. “These God-Chosen Ones you summoned from another world are truly a diligent and pious group.”
“With them here, I believe the day when Light returns to the continent and humanity reclaims its glory is just around the corner.”
...
Ultimately, the native believers were settled on the west side of the Player Town, where many vacant wooden cabins had already been constructed.
However, looking at the map, that area was more accurately the western district of the Castellan ruins.
Indeed, the Player Town was actually a part of Castellan, located in the eastern district of the city.
Previously, because there were few players and the Temple of Light was also in the east, most players developed here, and the Player Town expanded outward with the Temple of Light as its center.
Now, with the addition of the Windhaven Town believers, the western area of Castellan was also being put to use. The believers of Windhaven Town would live and reside there in the future.
Meanwhile, the players remained in the eastern part of Castellan.
Because of this, the players divided Castellan into two areas: the Castellan West District and the Castellan East District.
The Castellan East District was the Player Town, which was the player area.
It felt a bit like West Berlin and East Berlin.
But overall, with future development, Castellan would become the players' main city.
And they believed that before long, Castellan would return to its former prosperity.
Rate on N.U.
