After a passionate and enchanting night, Todd woke up in bed, looked at Deirdre lying beside him, her cheeks still flushed, smiled and gently stroked her hair before walking down the stairs.
After dressing neatly and having a quick breakfast, Todd pushed open the door to the small building. He had only taken one step when he was surprised to see Ivy leaning against the door: "How long have you been here?"
Ivy glanced inside the door, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Not long."
Seeing that Todd still looked confused, Evie straightened up: "Are you ready?"
"Prepare? Prepare for what?"
Ivy gave a thumbs up and pointed towards the temple in the center of the basin: "You've been gone for so long, of course it's a pilgrimage ceremony!"
Todd sighed and was about to leave when Evie grabbed his arm.
Todd frowned and asked, "What is it now?"
Evie pointed to his clothes and said helplessly, "You're not planning to meet your followers like this, are you?"
Todd then realized that the believers were worshipping his tyrannical form, not his current appearance.
After folding and putting away his clothes, Todd activated the Tyrant Virus within him and began his transformation.
When the tyrant, which was tens of meters tall, appeared in the center of the basin, a wave of fervor swept through the believers.
Believers from various kingdoms and tribes in the north knelt around the temple, devoutly chanting hymns of praise to the gods taught by the shaman.
As the tyrant's enormous body passed by them, every believer was overwhelmed with excitement. People placed their most precious treasures or possessions on both sides of the tyrant's path, hoping to gain the favor and attention of the Son of God.
Looking at the temple, surrounded by layers upon layers of surging crowds, within a radius of two kilometers, Todd was somewhat astonished.
With so many believers combined, the number probably exceeds ten thousand, and people are still trying to squeeze in. If Alfonso hadn't been leading the army to maintain order, the temple would probably have been trampled into ruins.
Under the watchful eyes of the believers, Todd lowered his head and squeezed through the temple gate.
The interior of the temple has been greatly improved compared to the past.
The originally cramped temple space has now been expanded to six times its original size. Standing at one end of the temple, a shout can echo continuously throughout the vast hall.
The original tyrant statue, the throne of the gods, and the ceremonial platform have been transformed from stone and wood into gold and precious stones.
Dozens of enormous obsidian totems were erected around the temple, inscribed with complex runes.
The throne was piled high with all sorts of jewels and coins donated by believers; on the walls, barbarian painters used gold powder and mineral pigments to vividly depict every victory the tyrant had achieved.
Sitting cross-legged on the high platform, Todd first looked at the astronomical chart inlaid with colorful gemstones on the ceiling, then looked down at the gold coins and treasures that left him nowhere to step.
The word "nouveau riche" slowly came to mind.
Evie stood beside Todd and poked his scales with the hilt of her sword, indicating that the followers of the gods were awaiting an audience.
Todd realized what was happening and nodded, indicating that they could begin.
The bravest, most skilled, and most devout believers in Froststone were selected by the shamans according to their contributions and merits. They lined up in a long row and came one by one to Todd, kneeling at his feet and offering their most precious goods or spoils of war with both hands.
Todd was initially quite interested in this form of worship, but after a while, he found it extremely boring.
The forms of dialogue are nothing more than this:
"Son of the supreme gods! I am your humble servant, your fervent believer! I am xxx from xxx, and to restore the glory of the gods, I offer you my most precious xxx! I am willing to xxx for you, and I beg you to grant me the blessings of the gods..."
After hundreds of repetitive conversations, Todd would initially say a few words every now and then, but later he simply stopped talking and just waved his hand to end the conversation.
However, amidst the pilgrimage of so many people, he did discover a few things that interested him.
One was the shaman Minnie, who led a group of fellow shamans to present him with newly made, top-quality snuff.
Due to the size difference, the small jar of snuff that Minnie held turned into a small pinch of powder in Todd's hands.
However, after trying it himself, Todd was extremely satisfied with the taste, aroma, and quality. To reward the shamans for their achievements, in addition to mass production in Froststone, he granted them a limited license to cultivate, improve, and trade the products on their own.
Another was a tribal elder named Kamamurion, who, representing the alliance of forty-four southern tribes, presented Todd with a divine symbol of submission—a mysterious mask made of black metal.
Legend has it that this mask, known as the "Pillar of the Gods," has existed between heaven and earth for thousands of years, and those who wear it can gain the power to communicate with the gods.
Todd held the strange mask in his iron claws, feeling that it was somewhat familiar. He asked Kamarmurian if he had ever seen anyone wear it.
The tribal elder told him that, to his knowledge, everyone who tried to wear the mask had their soul extracted and turned into a walking corpse.
Todd immediately became interested, and while accepting the mask, he naturally agreed to the conversion of the forty-four tribes to the faith of the gods.
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