Chapter 34: The Wood Carvings I Create Are Lifelike

Glancing at Leodro, Hermione nodded with her usual composure and said, "Yes. Later, I will consolidate all the potion research within the tribe and systematically explain my current state to you. I look forward to the day you, too, can transcend the shackles that have bound humanity for millennia."

"Of course, I am not a true god who holds authority like the 'Giant King'."

The moment she mentioned the honorific of the "Giant King," Hermione’s spirituality was stirred by a distant, unmasked gaze.

It was the "Giant King" Aurmir.

He did not strike me down with divine punishment; it seems my actions have been tacitly permitted.

Hermione continued with calm frankness, "Even those subordinate gods could extinguish my life with a mere flick of their fingers."

"However..." Seeing the slight flicker of disappointment on the councilors' faces, Hermione explained further, "I do indeed possess divinity now, and I have acquired a mythical form."

"A mythical form?" The councilors looked at one another in confusion. They had never encountered this term, yet some recalled their experiences with divine creatures—merely catching a glimpse had been enough for the ineffable knowledge to nearly shatter their spirituality.

"Like this." Hermione’s deep black eyes transformed into golden vertical slits, and the faint silhouette of a grayish-white giant dragon manifested behind her. The manifestation vanished in the blink of an eye, yet it was enough to cause the gathered councilors to weep tears of blood.

Do not look directly at a god!

Everyone present bowed their heads low.

Hermione had anticipated this reaction. She curled her lips and continued, "I call this state 'demigod.' As the name implies, my mythical creature form is incomplete and still retains many human characteristics. Of course, the main reason is that my current ability and level for constructing a mythical form are simply too low."

"Praise be to my Lord." Leodro remained bowed as he asked, "Does that mean if your form were truly complete, you would become a god?"

"I have already suppressed that form," Hermione explained with a smile, then added somewhat vaguely, "A complete form... actually, I do not know myself, as I have only just obtained this power. Perhaps it is something like that."

At this moment, Severus spoke up again: "Your statue... do you have any specific requirements for it?"

"Smaller, and more numerous. Try to ensure every household has one," Hermione said.

The size could not exceed the ritualistic standards of the Giant King’s statues, but there were no restrictions on quantity. Hermione would certainly not miss any opportunity to win back the faith of the tribal humans.

Over the next two days, the tribal festivals continued in a flurry of excitement.

Hermione, meanwhile, enjoyed a rare moment of leisure tucked away in her dwelling.

Nominally, she was there to organize the potion system, so no one dared to disturb her, nor did anyone dare to approach her.

This tranquility was something Hermione found hard to adapt to at first—she did not mind the others, but the figure that usually occupied her home had not yet returned.

"Is the anomaly by the lake really that troublesome? I hope nothing has gone wrong..." Hermione thought, bored, her mind drifting into a mix of idle worries.

Then, she remembered Amanises asking her to be her first believer before she left.

Should I offer a prayer for her?

I am a demigod now, after all... even if I don't possess any luck-related abilities.

"Since I have nothing better to do, I might as well carve a wooden figurine to serve as a model for the statues."

Severus had previously sent her some models of her own likeness, which were divine in appearance and could be hung on walls to ward off evil.

Hermione picked one up, and as she tinkered with it, she reshaped the carving into the form of a woman with Amanises’ proportions.

"What should I carve her to look like?"

Driven by a sudden impulse, Hermione first carved Amanises’ elegant, refined face before moving on to the body.

Because the body she carved revealed Amanises’ graceful figure.

Unclothed.

Having lived and eaten with Amanises for nearly a year, relying on her extraordinary powers of observation and memory, Hermione did not need to look closely; every part of Amanises was rendered vividly under her hands.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"My humanity is holding up quite well."

As she mocked herself, Hermione crushed the wooden statue of Amanises into dust.

After using the wooden statue of Amanises for a "humanity check," Hermione reined in her wandering mind and seriously carved a six-armed goddess wearing a black dress and a veil.

"The goddess’s human form is extremely beautiful, but her mythical creature form has its own unique charm," Hermione said, holding the wooden statue in a prayerful gesture. "'Goddess of Misfortune,' your loyal believer awaits your return."

In the depths of her being, Hermione felt a mysterious connection form between her and Amanises.

It was as if they could communicate across a great distance, though Amanises did not respond.

"It seems it really works..." Hermione, who had only tried it on a whim, looked at the wooden statue in her hands with surprise.

Could this be the power of prayer and response possessed by subordinate gods of Amanises’ level?

I am a little envious... of such convenient abilities.

After thinking for a moment, she placed it among the pile of her own statue models.

Once she had tidied up, she looked down again and saw the dust left behind by the destroyed statue.

For some reason, Hermione suddenly felt a guilty, ominous premonition. She hurriedly swept the dust away, ensuring all evidence was thoroughly disposed of.

After this, Hermione felt too embarrassed to continue lying idle at home. It turned out that as long as she maintained her humanity, staying at home alone for long periods made her prone to doing some rather unconventional things.

Borrowing the dreams of some tribe members who were intoxicated, Hermione utilized "Dream Weaving," leaping from one dream to another until, after a few flashes, she arrived at the council hall.

Severus, who was on duty in the hall, saw Hermione’s figure and immediately stood up quickly and gentlemanly: "Praise be to my Lord."

Ever since Leodro first uttered those words, the entire style of the council had been skewed; Hermione heard such praises everywhere she went.

"Are you the only one here?" Hermione tossed the parchment she had brought to Severus. "This is the potion system I have organized. If you look through it carefully, you will understand my current state. If there is anything unclear, note it down and give it to me."

The parchment delineated the levels of the potion sequences and compiled the knowledge up to Sequence 7 for the paths that the tribe had researched most thoroughly.

The "Visionary" path was organized up to Sequence 4, which Hermione used specifically to explain the differences between Sequence 4 and Sequence 5.

Severus suppressed the urge to open the parchment immediately and bowed. "I follow your will."

One greeting, one farewell—between Leodro and Severus, they had it all covered.

Both of these men seemed to be excellent at proselytizing. Perhaps she should consider sending them to other tribes to spread the faith.

Just as Hermione was about to turn and leave, Severus hurriedly said, "My Lord, a formal letter from the Giant tribe was delivered not long ago. I ask that you look it over."

"A formal letter? Not a notification?" Hermione could not help but raise an eyebrow. The Giant tribe had never been this polite before. Could her becoming a demigod have made them cautious?

That shouldn't be the case...