I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 156 --The Ceremony Begins

After receiving the oracle from Deus Initium, Thomas turned to look at Camilla, who stood beside him.Camilla was clearly curious about the oracle from Deus Initium, but she knew well that there were some matters that should not be asked about proactively. Thus, she suppressed the questions swirling in her heart and lowered her head without speaking.

Thomas chuckled and said, "Camilla, Deus Initium has spoken. In ten days, a ceremony will be held to bestow the title of Protector of the Village."

As he said this, a somewhat complex expression crossed Thomas’s face.After all, Camilla had once been an ordinary livestock farmer in the village. Yet in such a short span of time, she had caught the attention of Deus Initium and was now about to become a deity!

"A ceremony to bestow the title of Protector of the Village?"Camilla looked at Thomas in astonishment. Deus Initium had already granted divine thrones to James and Tommy.Now, another divine throne was to be bestowed?

This was astonishing beyond words!

At that thought, she blinked her eyes with a touch of envy and said slowly,"Ah, I wonder who the lucky one will be to earn the favor of Deus Initium. To become a deity—that’s the dream of countless people."

Seeing her say this, Thomas couldn’t help but laugh heartily."Camilla, you’ll find out soon enough!"

"This time, Deus Initium’s bestowal of the Divine Throne will certainly draw everyone’s attention."

"Oh, by the way, Camilla, aside from you, who do you think would be suitable to manage the medicinal herbs of Rich Soil?"

Camilla thought for a moment and replied, "There is someone. His name is Ymir. He’s two years younger than me, but he’s extremely meticulous and diligent. He used to be my assistant and already has considerable experience cultivating spiritual herbs."

Hearing this, Thomas nodded slightly.Camilla’s promotion by Deus Initium clearly meant she would be entrusted with greater responsibilities, and the cultivation of spiritual herbs remained a top priority. It was necessary to have a successor ready.

As for this Ymir Camilla mentioned, Thomas had some impression of him.

On one hand, Ymir was exceptionally devout toward Deus Initium and had received blessings from him many times.On the other, he was extraordinarily hardworking. Often deep into the night, Thomas would spot her (Ymir) tending to the spiritual herbs under the moonlight.

Thus, once Camilla became Protector of the Village and Rich Soil was entrusted to Ymir, Thomas felt he could rest easy.

Time flew by quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the ceremony arrived.

At dawn, those who had long heard that Deus Initium would be granting the title of Protector of the Village today had already gathered, faces brimming with excitement, filling the square outside the temple.Their chatter and curiosity about the event reached a fever pitch.

A deity!Today, they would witness the birth of a new deity!

What made it even more thrilling was that the one chosen by Deus Initium would surely be someone from among them—someone familiar.

The expectation and fervor were so intense that many had been too excited to sleep the night before.

After all, deities were exalted, omnipotent beings in their hearts.And now, such a legendary figure would be born right before their very eyes!

Many villagers who had joined after James and Tommy’s ascensions were even more curious.They had already heard countless tales about the Water God and the Earth God.

Thus, the importance and intrigue surrounding this ceremony were even greater than before.

In no time, the plaza outside the temple was a sea of people. Tens of thousands of villagers had gathered here, and the air was thick with the noise of their animated discussions.

Outside the temple—

Eric, Robert, Camilla, and Henry had already gathered together, looking somewhat puzzled at Thomas.

"Thomas, why did you call us over so early?" Eric asked.

"I heard that this time, Deus Initium will be granting the title of Protector of the Village to four individuals. Is that true?"

The group was visibly confused.

Thomas swept his gaze over the four of them and nodded."Yes, it’s true. This time, Deus Initium will bestow the Divine Throne of Protector of the Village upon four people."

"Are you all ready?"

Hearing this, the four of them froze, stunned.

"Thomas... are you saying that the four who will receive the Divine Throne from Deus Initium... are us?"

Camilla looked at Thomas in utter disbelief.

Of course, she longed deeply to become a deity. Yet she had never dared imagine that she would one day be selected by Deus Initium himself!

In her heart, there were many others with deeper qualifications, with greater merit; how could it possibly be her turn?

And yet, here she was, standing at the edge of an unimaginable transformation.

Deep down, she had once harbored a faint hope: perhaps, after long years of devotion and hard work, she might one day be accepted as one of Deus Initium’s lesser followers.But now... it was happening so soon!

A deity!Even if it was just a Protector of the Village, it was still a deity!

Memories flooded her mind—back then, their village had been ravaged by spellbeasts.They had been little more than prey, helpless and desperate.

And now, she was about to become a deity, to protect the village herself!

Eric, Robert, and Henry were equally overwhelmed by the revelation, utterly unable to extricate themselves from their shock.

Deities!They were about to become deities favored by Deus Initium!

Especially Eric—he had once been a village chief, struggling desperately to protect his people.He had tried every possible method, yet spellbeasts were simply too powerful for mere mortal awakeners to resist.

He had lived in constant terror, watching friends and family fall victim to spellbeasts, powerless to stop the tragedy.

Now, not only was the village safe under the protection of Deus Initium, but he himself was about to ascend, to become a protector of others!

The thought made Eric’s heart pound wildly with excitement and disbelief.For someone who had lived a life of ordinary struggle, believing that a peaceful death was the best fate he could hope for, this was a transformation beyond his wildest dreams.

As for Henry and Robert, they were just as stunned.Being young leaders in the town, they had never even dared to dream that they would one day catch the attention of Deus Initium and ascend into the ranks of the divine!

However, compared to Eric and Camilla, the two younger men regained their composure much faster.Though they were thrilled, their minds remained simple and steady:

No matter what future awaited them, they would obey Deus Initium’s will and carry out his commands faithfully.

"Prepare yourselves," Thomas said, his gaze filled with complex emotion as he looked at the four of them."Today, you are the stars of this ceremony. Everyone will be cheering for you, proud of you."

Thomas had been deeply impressed by all four of them.Seeing them recognized by Deus Initium filled him with heartfelt joy.

As a missionary, any devotee under his guidance who was favored by Deus Initium reflected glory back onto himself as well.

Moreover, these four would soon stand equal to him in rank, as Protectors of the Village.Thus, his tone carried a sincere note of congratulations.

Henry, Camilla, Eric, and Robert exchanged glances and nodded solemnly, bowing respectfully to Thomas, who had taken care of them all along.

Then, with pious hearts, they turned toward the temple.

Before long, the ceremony began.

Thomas stood solemnly on the high platform in front of the temple, offering fragrant incense and adjusting his ceremonial robes.

Henry, Camilla, Eric, and Robert stood before the temple as well, following the same ritual.

Behind them stood Revan, Frank, Benjamin, John, and others—all high-ranking figures within Annasi Town.They looked on with envy at the four chosen ones.

After all, those four were about to receive the Divine Throne of Protector of the Village from Deus Initium himself.

Becoming a deity had always been the greatest dream in their hearts.

Although they already held great power and prestige in Annasi Town and were deeply respected by the townsfolk, compared to ascending to godhood, such mortal achievements seemed almost meaningless.

Deities transcended humanity.According to what they knew, the lifespan of a deity was unfathomably long, stretching into the endless future.

Moreover, they might one day directly serve by Deus Initium’s side—a thought that made their hearts burn with envy.

Behind these prominent figures, stretching all the way to the horizon, were the countless devotees of the town.

As Annasi Town’s population had swelled dramatically, the square in front of the temple had been expanded many times over.Now, a sea of more than a hundred thousand villagers knelt or stood there, facing the temple with solemn faces.

From the platform, it looked like an endless, black tide of humanity, every individual filled with reverence, awe, and expectation for the ceremony about to unfold.