I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 61 --Tier-4 Ganoderma

Inside Annasi Temple.

The colossal statue of Deus Initium stood like a towering pillar in the center of the temple. Its eyes, filled with divine majesty, gazed down upon those below.

At this moment, Thomas stood before the statue, his expression more devout than ever.

In front of the statue, a row of polished marble tables, exuding an aura of solemnity, had been arranged. On them lay simple offerings of chicken, duck, and fish.

Behind Thomas stood Old John, Benjamin, Mia, Frank, and more than a dozen others.

These individuals remained the core members of Annasi, with the weakest among them having reached Tier-1 Peak.

Meanwhile, Old John, Frank, and others had ascended to Tier-2 or even Tier-3.

Compared to the past, their strength had grown immensely!

"Thomas, all the villagers have gathered outside the temple."

At this moment, John glanced toward the temple entrance before looking at Thomas, his tone solemn.

Thomas nodded at him before turning to face the crowd outside the temple. In a loud and clear voice, he proclaimed:

"Fellow villagers, I am honored to have received the blessing and recognition of Deus Initium, becoming a missionary under His divine banner."

"You all know me—I am Thomas. Six months ago, I was just an old man waiting to die here."

"But thanks to Deus Initium! He made me a missionary, spreading His faith, and in an instant, I was restored from my aging state to the youthfulness I have now!"

"Six months ago, our village suffered from the torment of spellbeasts. Many were devoured, and even those who ventured beyond the village to farm or gather firewood were cruelly slain."

"Annasi stands as it does today—we stand as we do today, able to live without fear, with food and shelter, able to stand tall against spellbeasts—because Deus Initium has granted us strength! He has led us to purge the spellbeasts from the Fallen Lands!"

"It was Deus Initium who saved us from destruction. Many of you were not originally from Annasi. You came from different villages, even from the Fallen Lands."

"But now, under Deus Initium, we have become one people. From now on, we will support each other as family!"

"As humans, we must understand gratitude and reverence!"

"Fellow villagers, today’s ceremony is first and foremost to thank Deus Initium, for bestowing His power upon us and guiding us in eradicating the spellbeasts!"

As he spoke, Thomas took the lead in bowing deeply before the statue of Deus Initium, his face filled with sincere devotion.

Hearing his words, the villagers felt as though his voice resonated directly in their hearts, stirring their souls.

In that moment, regardless of whether they had always been faithful or had only recently joined the village, they all gazed at the statue of Deus Initium with faces full of reverence and gratitude.

They all knew Thomas spoke the truth. Their current lives of peace and prosperity were all thanks to Deus Initium.

Thus, one by one, they followed Thomas in bowing toward the statue of Deus Initium.

A minute later, Thomas straightened up, then took out a package of finely prepared incense from his robes, raising it above his head with both hands in a gesture of utmost respect.

"Great Deus Initium, you are the wish of all beings, the savior of humanity. Annasi shall forever offer its devotion and reverence!"

"We thank you for your care and favor toward Annasi!"

"Once again, we sincerely pray for your continued protection over our village, to keep us safe under your divine grace!"

As he finished speaking, Thomas bowed once more to the statue and respectfully placed the incense offering upon the marble altar, leaving it for Deus Initium to receive.

Seeing this, the other villagers also raised their own incense packets above their heads, silently offering their prayers to Deus Initium.

At that moment, a rich fragrance filled the entire temple, making it feel almost like a dreamlike paradise.

"Great Deus Initium, we pray for your continued protection over our village!"

The villagers once again bowed, their reverence deepening to another level.

Even the ghosts and Infernal Envoys of the underworld followed suit, bowing with fervent devotion toward Deus Initium.

At the same time, in the Wailing Cavern, the Zerg Queen led her swarm in bowing toward Owen’s location.

As Owen’s strength continued to grow, the Zerg Queen became increasingly convinced that her decision to follow him had been the right one.

After all, serving a deity meant never having to fear for her safety—she only needed to focus on expanding her brood.

Meanwhile, in a distant place, Isabella, who had transformed back into a demonized pine tree, also bowed toward Owen’s temple.

Beneath her shade, numerous pinecones lay scattered on the ground, quietly sprouting roots. These saplings would one day serve as hosts for her future parasites.

She firmly believed that as long as she performed her duty well, she would surely gain the recognition of Deus Initium!

As everyone in Annasi completed their incense offerings and prayers, Thomas’s eyes gradually burned with passion.

"Great Deus Initium, this is the tribute our village has prepared for you. Please accept our humble offering."

At his words, several villagers carried a wooden table covered with a silver cloth to the front and placed it before the statue.

A month before the ceremony, they had carefully deliberated over what treasure to offer Deus Initium.

This was the most precious item they had found.

They didn’t know if Deus Initium would be pleased, so they were all somewhat anxious.

At that moment, Owen’s gaze swiftly locked onto the new offering.

A sacrificial tribute!

He had been waiting for this moment!

Only tributes offered during such grand ceremonies would receive the system’s hundredfold enhancement, an opportunity for an enormous power boost.

It was this hundredfold enhancement that had allowed Owen to advance to 1-Star Peak Ancient God within just six months.

He still possessed numerous divine points.

But his rapid rise had all stemmed from that initial hundredfold enhancement!

Without it, he wouldn’t have outpaced the other gods so drastically, seizing the lead at every step.

It was because of this advantage that he had completed phase missions ahead of others, gaining crucial information.

With superior knowledge and a higher Godhood Rank, he had been able to trade Hellish Artifacts for divine points, rapidly accumulating resources.

And as a 1-Star Peak Ancient God, his expanding domain had allowed him to detect and capture strange entities, obtaining Order Fragments.

Everything was interconnected—one success leading to another.

And it all traced back to the hundredfold enhancement!

"In the battle among gods, the further we go, the more ruthless it becomes. Once you fall behind, catching up becomes nearly impossible!"

Owen shook his head slightly.

With the impending Divine War, even if one could catch up, there might not be enough time.

After all, once the war started, countless gods would perish, and the balance of power in this realm would shift drastically.

But for Owen, this was nothing but an opportunity—as long as today’s sacrificial tribute was valuable enough!

Taking a deep breath, Owen waved his hand, summoning a gentle breeze that lifted the silver cloth, revealing the offering underneath.

Beneath the cloth lay a soil-brown ganoderma, its surface swirling with a rich concentration of earth elemental energy, as if forged from the essence of the land itself.

With just a glance, Owen was thoroughly satisfied.

This ganoderma had reached Tier-4 standards!

A Tier-4 ganoderma!

Its value was immense, brimming with earth elemental energy, yet incredibly rare and nearly impossible to obtain.

They had truly given him a pleasant surprise!

Now, he eagerly anticipated what this Tier-4 herb would transform into under the hundredfold enhancement!

With a single thought, Owen transported the Tier-4 ganoderma into his Divine Space, where it was instantly enveloped by radiant golden light.