Sickly lady in wheelchair, but God

In the temple, Shelley stared blankly at the round statue.

It has been a long time since it has seen parents bringing their children to the temple to pray.

It used to be extremely busy, but recently it can actually be in a daze for a long time.

It stroked the First Fire Ring above its head. It once thought that the return of the First Fire Ring meant the prosperity of the tribe, but it never imagined that it was just the last ray of afterglow before disappearance.

What should I do? Should I just watch the Ring of First Fire die out?

There have been arguments everywhere in the tribe lately.

Some people say that instead of waiting to die, it is better to go south like the beasts outside.

Some people say that they have been abandoned by God and death is inevitable, so there is no point in struggling.

Shelley sensed that something was collapsing.

It was the cohesion and faith in God that were established from the ancestors who settled here, to my father, to Priest Antoine, to before this round of disaster.

It felt extremely terrified.

Those are their roots!

She couldn't imagine that any of her compatriots would question her beliefs.

She couldn't even imagine what the future of the tribe would be without that unity.

One day, even when looking at the statues of the first king and the priest up close, it began to feel unfamiliar with this tribe.

She tried to save it, but could only watch the cracks grow bigger.

In fact, it prefers to go south, and some people advise it to do so, but it does not dare to make this decision.

It was afraid that its actions would cause the division of the tribe, and it was also afraid that it would take the people who trusted it to death. This was not a sin it could afford.

but……

"It's bad, Master Priest, the fighting has started again. I'm afraid two of them... I'm afraid they won't make it."

The deacon ran over in a panic.

This was the tenth time Shelley had received similar news.

Those with firm faith and those with wavering faith can no longer be reconciled.

It realized that it had to make a decision.

45 One day, we will return to our homeland

The deacon led the way, and Shelley stepped forward to temporarily persuade the two groups of people who were fighting to retreat.

When they separated, the two groups were still cursing at each other and no longer had the closeness they once had.

【Anyone who blasphemes God will be burned to death! 】

[If God doesn’t want us anymore, why should I believe in God?]

[You, you...you take care of yourself! ]

【hehe. 】

Shelley sighed and watched the two groups of people go away.

She knew that persuading people to quit would not solve any problems.

The reason why those whose faith was shaken listened to its advice now had nothing to do with its identity as a priest, but because she was the daughter of the first king and had led the expeditionary forces to defeat those terrible monsters, so they were grateful to it.

But this gratitude has its limits.

One day, gratitude will be exhausted, and then it and those whose faith is shaken will become enemies.

To see what the fate of the enemies will be, just look at the devout believers who were injured in the conflict just now.

Shelley knelt on one knee and looked at his dying tribesmen with compassionate eyes.

"May the First Fire shine upon you forever."

Just then, it found its fingers were being held.

The dying tribesman forced his eyes open and forced a smile: "Master Priest, I am always a believer in God."

"Ah."

Shelley nodded.

I only heard this tribesman saying intermittently: "How could God abandon us? Those people are really ridiculous. I still remember that when I was a child, the tribe often lacked food. Whether adults or children, they didn't know if they would have the next meal after the previous one. It was because I ate too little when I was a child that I didn't grow tall. Otherwise, how could I have defeated them?"

Shelley shook his head vigorously: "Stop talking, take a good rest first."

This advice didn't work. The injured tribesman continued, "Later, God gave us the method of making complex stone tools and sent messengers to teach us how to grow crops and raise livestock. From that time on, we no longer had to worry about food. Without God, we wouldn't be where we are today. Not to mention going back to the state of not having enough food to eat, even if God told me to die, I would die without hesitation, Master Priest."

"Well, you said."

“Will you always believe in God?”

Shelley was stunned.

It never considered this question as a problem, but since someone asked it, its answer would naturally be no different.

"Until the moment I stop breathing, I will be a believer in God!"

The injured tribesman closed his eyes with relief: "That's great, Master Priest, I can't help you anymore, all I can do is pray for you."

Shelley was shocked, and he tried hard to hold back his tears: "Take a good rest, the disaster will eventually pass, and we will definitely find a new way out."

When it stood up, everyone was silent.

It walked alone into the night, returned to the temple, and looked at the statues of its father and Priest Antoine at the door of the temple.

The volcanic ash was blown away and the night sky became clear again, but it was still in chaos inside.

Leaving means abandoning everything here.

Leaving means the possibility of falling into an even more terrifying abyss.

but……

The image of the tribesman who had just closed his eyes forever flashed through Shelley's mind.

If it does nothing, more and more people like that tribe will die. Each of them is a faithful believer in God and never wavers until the end of their life.

"Even if they are going to die, they shouldn't die in internal friction like this!"

Go ahead.

To the far south!

A voice sounded in Shelley's heart.

If even it, as a priest, does not take the lead, who can we expect to take the lead?

At the beginning, without holding any position and without anyone’s call, my father dared to go deep into the barren land to chase the first fire.

Carrying the Ring of First Fire left by its father, it should have at least one percent of his courage.

Go ahead.

To the far south.

To get rid of endless internal friction.

Go find the second home of the original orcs!

At this moment, inspired by the deceased, Shelley took a trembling step forward.

It was so afraid that it would change its mind after waking up from the dream, so after leaving the temple, it found those tribesmen who had been claiming to leave.

Unlike the first time when the king waited for a long time and only got two companions, this time, more than half of the people responded to his call.

No one knows where their future lies, or even if they will have a future at all.

But because of the blood forged in suffering and because of their common belief in God, they came together.

They took with them their remaining food, homemade tools, and stones for making fire.

They leave behind memories of the past, attachment to their homeland and homes where they have lived for generations.

On the day of departure, everyone gathered in the square where the first king had set out.

“This is no longer our paradise, but it will always be our home.”

"Today, we are leaving here and heading south to find warmth and stability."

“We are away from the gaze of the First King and the priests, we are away from the shadow of the Mother Tree, and we are away from the idols we have worshipped countless times.”

“But it’s not because we’re rebellious.”

“This is a compromise we have to make in order to survive.”

"One year, ten years, a hundred years...even if it takes hundreds of millions of years, one day, we will return to this homeland."

"Then, the gates of the Great Wall will be opened for us, the flowers of the Pilgrimage Road will bloom for us, and we will no longer worry about food."

“May the First Fire shine forever on you and me.”

Shelley turned around and bowed deeply to those wavering believers who were unwilling to leave with him.

From this moment on, the Ancestral Orcs officially split.

From this moment on, the seeds of wisdom began to take root and sprout in many places.

From this moment on, believers began their wandering for thousands of years.

They leave a unique mark on every path they travel.

Sometimes, they would encounter a river that was impossible to cross, but after praying, the river would split apart to make way for them.

Sometimes, they would encounter bottomless cliffs and valleys. After praying, the rubble would gather together and become a floating road.

When people begin to save themselves, when courage begins to burn, God is never far away!

Seven years later, the believers arrived at their first temporary home.

The long journey brought the elderly Shelley closer to death.

It kept its vow. Even after all its relatives passed away, it did not marry and integrate into a new family. Throughout its life, it remained a holy virgin serving God.

Until his death, Shelley had only one last regret.

Everyone thinks that it is the holy priest second only to the First King and the embodiment of courage. But only it itself knows that it has never been a brave person. It has just been forced to move forward.

It has wanted to analyze itself countless times, but it is afraid that once its true self is seen through, it will devastate the people who trust it.

It can only persist and continue to persist until now, when it finally can't hold on any longer.

"Let me go to my grave with this lie."

Shelley slowly closed her eyes.

At this moment, it suddenly heard the voice of God again.

This time, God took its hand and let it see the life of Priest Antoine.

It turns out that Priest Antoine was once a coward.

It turned out that Priest Antoine was forced to continue chasing the First Fire because his father was watching him.

It turns out that courage is not only the courage like that of my father, but also the courage like that of Priest Antoine and it.

The Ring of First Fire shines, and Shelley prays devoutly.

It still has an unfulfilled wish. It wants to lead the believers back to its homeland in person and then serve the gods forever in front of the statue.

"if you are willing to."

God’s answer was still so gentle.

Shelley closed her eyes peacefully.

In the chaos, it listens to its own life.

"Shelley, from the moment you were born, you have been the pearl of the Ancestral Orc Tribe."

"When you died, your body sank into the icy coffin, and your soul merged into the Ring of the First Flame. You did not become a god like the First King, but became an eternal reincarnation. You became the First Flame that illuminated the tribe, and you kept returning until you returned to your homeland with believers."

……