NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: So I'm A God Now
The moon does not fear its own fading, for it shall rise anew. Out in the forests of the east, in a nation that shall call forth heroes, we shall meet again under a full moon.
—Chapter 9 of the 8th book of The Lunar Truth, written by Lunareio.
…
Rikuya sat upon the grand throne in the heart of The Lunarium, the vast chamber bathed in the ethereal glow of silver moonlight—the same place he had awakened earlier.
Suspended beside him, his Phantom Moon Spear hovered silently, its cosmic-black metal shifting like the void, constellations swirling across its blade.
Before him, an immense congregation of followers knelt in reverence, their heads bowed so low that their foreheads nearly touched the polished floor.
Vampires, demons with curling horns and ember-like eyes, dwarves in intricately forged lunar armor, Asura warriors with four arms and moon markings on their bodies, humans, beastfolk with fur and scales glistening under the celestial glow, and elves—both ice elves with their frost-kissed skin and dark elves—all united in faith.
All together, their voices rose in a chant:
"Glory to the Luminous One, whose light guides even the lost. Hail the Moonborn Sovereign, the Eternal Night's Radiance! May the silver heavens tremble in his wake!"
The sheer force of their reverent voices sent a chill down Rikuya's spine.
Although unnerving, that was not his current focus.
'This is insane.'
He thought, his glowing blue cosmic eyes narrowing. 'Guardian was bad enough, and now there's another one?!'
As if responding to his thoughts, a second system window appeared alongside Guardian's usual purple system interface.
This one was deep blue, swirling with cosmic energy, its edges lined with silver constellations.
⫷『 You have fulfilled the prophecy you handed down to your beloved followers, the Children of Lunareio. 』⫸
⫷『 Faith in you has reached historic grade. 』⫸
⫷『 Due to your divine presence, the blessings you bestowed have been reactivated. 』⫸
Rikuya exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the armrest of his throne.
'...Just what the hell did I get myself into?'
'No—I have to stop thinking like that. I am already here now, so I have to embrace it. The life of a god can't be that bad. And since I'm now one, I have to act like it.'
Rikuya exhaled, letting his fingers lightly tap against the armrest of his throne.
"Rise to your feet. I am most pleased to see you all gathered here to welcome me. You have my gratitude."
Like the tide responding to the moon, his followers obeyed, standing as one.
Then, from the sea of followers, among the seven that stood closest to the throne, a lone figure stepped forward—Lilith.
Her hips swayed slightly as she slowly clasped her hands together near her chest, pressing them against her ample bosom.
A sultry smile curved her lips as she lowered her head ever so slightly.
When she spoke, her voice was smooth, reverent, and filled with adoration.
"But of course, O Luminous One. To do anything less would be blasphemy against your divine grace. Your return is the celestial event of an era—how could your humble children not stand in rapturous devotion?"
Rikuya observed her… The intensity in her voice… She was… devoted.
Still, he chose to focus on the gathering before him. His gaze swept across the vast expanse of figures, their sheer numbers pressing against the towering walls of the Lunarium. It was a truly staggering sight.
"So," he spoke, leaning forward slightly, "is this everyone?"
His tone was merely curious, but from Lilith's perspective, his words seemed to carry disappointment.
Her head lowered further, and her entire posture shifted—shoulders stiff, fingers clenching against the fabric of her robes. Then, she sank onto her knees. Slowly, she lowered her head, her curly dark purple hair cascading over her shoulders.
"I… I have failed you, my lord," she murmured. "This is all I could gather in the five hundred years of your absence. Many lost their faith after your divine passing, and though I scoured the lands to keep the faithful from faltering, I could not hold them all."
Her breath hitched, her body trembling as her fingers curled into the cold stone beneath her.
"But... I have no excuse. To present such a paltry offering of devotion before you… it is an unforgivable disgrace."
Then, to his shock, she lowered herself completely, pressing her forehead to the floor in absolute submission.
"I deserve only your divine wrath, my lord. I humbly accept any punishment you see fit to bestow upon me."
She said with conviction, her body visibly trembling as she lifted her head and clasped her hands again.
Yet despite the solemn tone of her words, there was something unmistakably obscene about the way her flushed cheeks, the way her chest rose and fell with soft panting from her open mouth, revealing her slit tongue. It made her look… eager.
A glistening string of saliva slowly slipped past her parted lips, trailing down onto the soft curves of her slightly exposed cleavage.
The sight left Rikuya momentarily speechless.
Was she… enjoying this?
Rikuya inhaled sharply.
'She's a bit… wild.'
He sighed, leaning back into his throne.
"That won't be necessary," he said firmly.
Lilith's body tensed at his words. For a brief moment, something akin to disappointment could be seen on her blindfolded face.
She slowly lifted her gaze, her expression a mixture of longing and hesitation. Then, her lips parted.
"But… I have sinned, my lord," she murmured. "Should I not be punished?"
Rikuya exhaled, resting his chin against his knuckles as he gazed at her.
"Well, you are forgiven."
A soft gasp escaped Lilith's lips. She clasped her face between her delicate hands, her fingers trembling as if she had just been blessed with something divine.
"I am undeserving of your mercy, my lord," she whispered. "And yet… I am not one to refuse what you have graciously given me."
Rikuya nodded. "Good. You may rise."
Lilith's expression shifted once more—this time, her lips curled into a slow, almost teasing smile.
"My lord, I fear I may not be able to do so."
Rikuya's glowing cosmic-blue eyes narrowed. "And why is that?"
Lilith lowered her blindfolded gaze.
"I was so overcome with emotion," she admitted, tilting her head ever so slightly, "that my legs have given out on me."
Rikuya let out a quiet sigh.
'This woman…'
He shifted his gaze to one of the female demons standing behind Lilith—a tall beauty with onyx horns.
"You," he pointed, "help her up."
The demon woman immediately stepped forward, gently grasping Lilith's arm to assist her.
As Lilith was lifted to her feet, Rikuya straightened, his gaze now fixed on the seven figures standing at the forefront of the gathered masses.
His eyes gleamed as he addressed them.
"Alright," he said, "though I have returned, my memory is fractured. I demand that the seven of you reintroduce yourselves."
Yeah... That wasn't true. He had no memories of being this god in the slightest, but hey, he had to know the names of the ones who seemed like they were in charge here.
....
A/N: Good day, dear readers of mine! It's your friendly author here. Just wanna point out that uploads will be happening daily this month, so encourage me with those power stones!
Phew, now I'm kinda proud of the way the novel has unfolded so far—so much potential ahead! So if you have any suggestions for me, don't forget to share 'em!