✨Chapter 52: Blessing of the Divine
🌍 August 3, 91 BCE — Late Summer 🌾
Relic illustration:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JGXeXJBs9k3ClN02hZVieBBqXLe6ZlgE/view?usp=drive_link
Too bad Webnovel doesn't let me embed pictures in here like other sites do. 😉
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
🔮 The Batcave: Crafting the Relic
The cavern was cool and damp, its breath carrying the faint tang of metal and stone. The sound of dripping water echoed in a patient rhythm. Claudia hugged her arms around herself, eyes roaming the piles of metal stacked neatly on stone benches: bars of platinum, coils of copper, and glinting ingots of titanium that caught the torchlight like frozen lightning.
"So this is it?" she asked, her voice low, unsure whether she was speaking to Junjie or to the bracer on his wrist. "The start of... everything?"
Junjie ran his hand across one of the ingots. "Yeah. Nano says belief alone won't hold forever. They'll need something they can see and touch. This relic is going to be the heart of the faith."
Nano's voice hummed into the cave, calm yet playful. "Not to oversell my genius, but this will be the most impressive paperweight you've ever owned."
Claudia let out a laugh despite herself. "Paperweight? Junjie, your god-spirit has a terrible sense of humor."
Junjie smirked. "He does it on purpose. Keeps me from thinking too hard about what we're doing."
Claudia tilted her head toward the metals. "So how does this work? You melt them? Forge them?"
"No," Junjie said, shaking his head. "I guide it. Nano does the heavy lifting."
"Think of it as sculpting with light and atoms," Nano added. "Stand back if you like, unless you want a front-row miracle."
"No," Claudia said firmly. She moved closer, planting herself beside Junjie. "If this is for the people, I need to see it with my own eyes. They'll ask me what it looked like, what it felt like. I should be here."
Junjie looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "All right. Stay close."
The nanobots activated, and the air began to shimmer. From the cavern floor, molten strands of titanium pushed upward like glowing roots, branching into a wide three-legged base. Gold streamed through the titanium like living veins, curling around each leg in spirals. At each joint, Nano set a crystal ornament, splitting the light into shards of emerald, sapphire, and rose that danced across the cavern walls.
Claudia's eyes widened. "It's... growing out of the earth."
"More like growing out of me," Junjie muttered, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he steadied his hand.
"You're doing fine," Nano reassured him. "Keep your focus. The stand must be flawless; this relic will rest on it for generations."
When the stand was finished, gleaming with gold tracery and crystal fire, Claudia took a deep breath. "It looks like a throne."
"It is," Junjie said quietly. "A throne for something divine."
Above the stand, molten metal and crystal dust spiraled upward. Slowly, impossibly, they formed a perfect sphere, smooth and radiant. Platinum gleamed under the nanolight while veins of crystal refracted like constellations caught in ice.
The orb descended and settled into the cradle of gold and titanium, fitting perfectly as though it had always belonged there. The entire construct pulsed with a steady glow, alive with some deeper rhythm.
Claudia stepped forward, almost afraid to breathe. "It feels... aware."
Junjie swallowed, staring at the relic with awe. "Not an object. A covenant."
Nano's voice, unusually solemn, echoed in the cavern. "Call it what you wish. But from this moment, it is theirs."
Claudia reached out, brushing her fingertips against the golden stand. Warmth surged through her hand, less heat than a living current, racing up her arm. She shivered, then bowed her head. "Then I'll guard it. Always."
The relic pulsed once, bright and steady, as though sealing her vow.
🐾 Animal Relic
Nano's voice broke the silence. "There's another need you haven't spoken aloud."
Junjie frowned. "The herds. The beasts that serve."
"Precisely," Nano replied. "A smaller relic, tuned for multi-species resonance. Less output, but broad biological reach. It will strengthen immune response, enhance cellular repair, and optimize growth patterns across diverse genomes. The livestock will become hardier, more disease-resistant, faster to mature, and more productive, each better suited to the work nature and your people ask of them. Shall I begin?"
He paused, his tone turning dry. "But a word of caution: ensure none of these enhanced specimens wander beyond the valley. If they breed unchecked, they could alter the planet's biosphere within a few generations. Let's not give future archaeologists another extinction event to puzzle over."
Claudia arched an eyebrow. "You mean we could break the world by blessing it too well?"
"Precisely," Nano said, the faintest trace of amusement in his voice. "Divinity should come with boundaries."
Junjie nodded. "Then they, too, deserve a covenant."
At his signal, the nanobots swarmed once more. From the air, they shaped a second sphere, smaller, pale green and gold, its glow softer, more organic. When the tripod formed beneath it, the difference was immediately clear: each leg bore sculpted figures of living strength, a horse rearing, an ox bending to the yoke, and a bird mid-flight, cast in warm bronze and veined with gold. Their forms met at the top, cradling the orb as if life itself upheld it.
Claudia stepped closer, awe softening her features. "It looks alive... like it's breathing."
Nano's tone lowered to a hum. "It's meant to. This one is for the world that labors beside you."
The orb pulsed gently, a faint heartbeat of green and gold. The sculpted animals shimmered in its light, as though the metal remembered motion.
After a pause, Nano's voice returned, quieter, more contemplative.
"The cats will be the problem. They're hunters, solitary, restless, endlessly curious. If even a few slip past the ridgelines, the lowlands will empty of small life in months."
He hesitated, circuits humming faintly. "But we already have the framework. The sensor lattice that tracks off-world drones can project a low-frequency deterrent field. Imperceptible to humans, but every enhanced feline will feel it as a boundary they cannot cross. The field will encompass the valley, allowing them to hunt freely within the farms and forests, but not a step beyond."
Claudia nodded slowly, her voice almost reverent. "A divine border, for beasts as for men."
"Precisely," Nano replied. "Even miracles need fences."
Junjie gave a quiet, approving nod. "Then the covenant stands. The valley itself becomes the garden, and no creature shall stray from it."
🌟 The First Miracle at the Shrine
The shrine had always been a humble place: a circle of carved stones and a few relics of the old world, an astrolabe, a polished bowl, a small wooden idol, set upon the rough-hewn altar. That night, Junjie called everyone to gather, claiming the gods had sent him a dream.
Claudia stood by his side, her presence lending gravity to his words. His parents and the elders were up front, solemn but curious. The rest of the villagers crowded close; even the newcomers, the tall, wary elves and the stocky mountain-born dwarves, stood apart with cautious dignity, while the slaves clustered at the back, their eyes filled with uncertainty.
Junjie raised his hand, voice carrying over the hush. "I have seen the altar in my dreams," he said, eyes burning with conviction. "And in the shrine, the gods placed their gift to us: a blessing to bind us as one people, chosen and set apart."
When Junjie lifted his hands, the air filled with a sharp, blinding flash. The villagers gasped and shielded their eyes. For an instant, the entire shrine was flooded with brilliance like a second sun, and then silence.
As the light faded, a new shape gleamed before the altar, massive and radiant, where only simple offerings had stood moments before. Upon a base of titanium and gold rested an orb the size of a man's chest, its surface alive with faint shifting patterns of crystal light. The stand's golden legs rooted themselves into the stone floor as if they had grown from it, immovable and eternal.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some fell to their knees, others pressed hands to brow or heart or whispered prayers. No one doubted that this was no trick of stonecarvers or smiths. It had appeared from nothing, dazzling and impossible, a miracle made solid.
Claudia stepped forward, her hand hovering reverently above the relic. Her voice carried with strength and certainty. "The blessing of the divine is here among us. But understand this: the villagers have already received their blessing. It was given when the gods delivered us through famine and war. You have endured your trial already."
At once, the villagers' backs straightened. A swell of pride passed through them, chests lifting as if they shared one breath. "That's right," someone whispered. "We are already blessed," another said, and soon murmurs of agreement rippled outward.
💫 The First Wave of the Blessed
Claudia turned then to the newcomers. "Tonight, only those who are willing, those with courage to be the first, may step forward."
The villagers stood behind her like a wall of faith, pride burning in their eyes. The newcomers shifted uneasily. The slaves kept their heads low, but among the elves, a tall huntress stepped boldly forward, and a dwarf elder followed without hesitation. Others soon joined: two more elves and another dwarf, forming a small line before the relic.
Claudia nodded solemnly. "Then let it be so. You shall be the first to receive the blessing."
A hush fell over the shrine. The boldest among them stepped forward, ten hunters of the elves and eleven dwarf craftsmen. The villagers murmured with pride, their earlier courage now mirrored in these strangers.
Claudia lifted her hands, pressing her palms against the great orb's gleaming surface. "Step forward, one at a time," she said, her voice steady and commanding.
One hunter approached, hesitant at first, then laid both hands against the opposite side of the relic. A pulse of light flared between Claudia's fingers and his, rippling through the orb like liquid fire. He staggered back, blinking in wonder, a hand clutching his chest.
Soon, another hunter followed, then a dwarf. One by one, each brave soul came forward, touched the relic, and received the blessing. Each time, a faint hum filled the shrine, as though the mountain itself recognized the covenant.
When the last had stepped back into line, the ten hunters and eleven dwarves stood together, breathing heavily. Their skin glistened with sudden fever, and murmurs rippled through the onlookers.
"Do not fear," Claudia said, lifting her hand to calm them. "The blessing feels like sickness at first, a fever that burns away the weakness of the old flesh. But it will pass. When it does, you will rise stronger, faster. You will no longer fear disease. Your bodies will endure. Your lives will lengthen."
Among the crowd, whispers rose, not of fear but of longing.
⏳ The Flood of Requests
Among the elves, a quiet hunter named Theron returned to his hut burning with the three-day fever. His wife, Lira, hovered beside the low bed, wringing cool cloths and whispering prayers, her worry deepening each time the fever climbed. He tossed and muttered through the night, skin damp and blazing, until on the third dawn the fire broke. When he woke, clear-eyed and breathing steadily, Lira felt the strength in his grip and saw the new quickness in his gaze. Fear gave way to awe. She kissed his brow and whispered that the gods had not only spared him but remade him.
The fever ran its course. By the end of the week, the blessed emerged renewed. Their eyes were sharper, their movements quick and sure. One dwarf hefted a hammer with effortless ease, striking stone until it split with a single blow. A huntress loosed an arrow farther and straighter than any before.
Their kin watched, astonished. The whispers began immediately.
"They are stronger..."
"They do not tire..."
"The gods have favored them..."
By the time Claudia returned to the shrine, she was met with a crowd. Elves pressed forward, eager to follow their kin. Dwarves clutched their beards and nodded, declaring it was their turn. Even the once-timid slaves lifted their heads, eyes alight with longing. None wished to be left behind.
Claudia's brow glistened with sweat as she worked through them, one by one. Her hands never left the relic, guiding each soul who stepped forward. The fever struck them all, but her calm reassurances carried them through.
"You will endure this trial," she told them again and again. "And when it passes, you will stand stronger, ready for the days to come."
Hour after hour, the line wound forward. The villagers, already blessed, watched with pride, their chests swelling as if to say, We were first; we were chosen.
By the time the last slave stepped forward, trembling, Claudia's arms burned with exhaustion, yet the hidden strength Nano had woven into her kept her steady while Junjie's unwavering gaze anchored her resolve.
When it was over, the shrine was filled with the soft hum of whispers and prayers. A new people had been bound together, not just villagers, not just hunters or dwarves, not just freed slaves, but all of them, united in the same divine gift.
The Illuminati had been born.
📝 The Batcave, Later That Night
The glow of the shrine's ceremony still lingered when Junjie, Claudia, and Nano retreated into the quiet steel-and-stone cavern. The Batcave hummed with the faint echo of nanotech still active in the walls, but here, away from the villagers, they could finally drop the prophet-and-priestess act.
Junjie exhaled a long breath, leaning against a workbench. "Well... that was something. The way their eyes lit up when the relic appeared, I thought half of them were going to faint."
Claudia let out a weary laugh, rubbing her shoulders. Junjie stepped behind her and gently rubbed them too, his warm hands easing the stiffness. "They weren't the only ones. My arms feel like they've been through a war. First came those twenty-one brave ones, ten hunters and eleven dwarves, and then a week later, the floodgates opened. Every last newcomer wanted their turn. I've been touching that relic until my hands cramped."
"You'll manage," Nano said, his voice carrying its usual smug amusement from the bracer. "Besides, think of the symbolism. A priestess worn down by the act of blessing her people makes the ritual look even more sacred. Pain adds drama."
"Easy for you to say," Claudia shot back with a tired grin. "You weren't the one standing for hours while every trembling soul filed past."
"Don't worry about the relic itself," Nano said. "The stand is fused into the bedrock with molecular locks, and the orb is sealed tight to it. Nearly indestructible. If anyone tried to carry it off, they'd end up dragging the whole mountain."
Claudia's shoulders eased, her smile softening. "Then the people can come to it freely, as they should."
"Exactly," Nano agreed. "It's safer there than hidden away. Besides, the people need it in sight. A god that hides is no god at all."
Claudia nodded slowly. "The villagers already carry the blessing, but now the newcomers do too. And every one of them knows it came through that ceremony. That matters."
"Hey," Junjie said, pointing a finger at her with mock offense. "Don't make it sound like my speeches don't matter."
"They matter," Claudia teased back. "Just not as much as the miracle sitting on that stand."
"Thank you, Claudia," Nano said smoothly. "Always a pleasure having someone else point that out."
Junjie groaned, throwing his hands up. "I should have known the two of you would gang up on me."
Their laughter rang off the stone walls, tension dissolving into quiet pride. For a moment, the prophet, the priestess, and the voice of the machine were not staging miracles but simply a family, tired and satisfied with what they had built together.
🌙 The Elder's Lesson
Later that evening, as Junjie and Claudia returned to the shrine, they found one of the elders seated stiffly by the altar, clutching a worn staff. His gaze swept the shadows, sharp and watchful.
"Elder," Junjie asked gently, "why are you still here?"
The man straightened, voice firm despite his age. "Guarding the relic. A treasure like this cannot be left alone. What if someone tries to steal it?"
Claudia traded a knowing look with Junjie and smiled faintly. "That won't be necessary."
At her nod, Junjie stepped forward, braced himself, and pressed both hands to the golden stand. He heaved, yet nothing moved. The orb sat in perfect stillness, as if rooted in the bones of the mountain itself.
"Try for yourself," Claudia urged.
The elder shuffled closer, gripping the stand with gnarled hands. He strained until his staff slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor. Still, the relic remained unshaken.
Eyes wide, the elder drew back, breathing hard. "By the gods... it truly cannot be moved."
Claudia's tone softened, gentle but firm. "Exactly. It belongs here, safe and permanent. Leave it unguarded and let the people come to pray freely."
The elder stooped to reclaim his staff, but this time relief lined his features. "Then it is a true gift of the divine. Stronger than stone, stronger than men."
By morning, word of the relic's immovability had spread. Villagers came and went freely, kneeling with offerings, prayers, and whispered thanks. The shrine, once humble, now stood as a sanctuary: faith made visible, touchable, unshakable.
🐾 The Animal Blessings
After the villagers had all recovered from the blessing fever, Junjie summoned the elders, the shrine maidens, and the master herders to the Grand Temple. The hall shimmered with reflected sunlight, its pillars gleaming like new-forged metal. He stood before the altar, the faint scent of cedar rising around him.
"Last night," Junjie proclaimed, "the Light spoke once more. Heaven's voice revealed that our covenant is unfinished. The blessing that renews humankind must reach the creatures that share our toil. All that breathes shall be made whole."
He pointed toward the temple's rear doors, where open fields stretched beyond.
"Build a courtyard for them, broad and clean, enclosed by stone. At its heart, a platform for the Light to descend. Tomorrow morning, when the first rays touch the horizon, Heaven will deliver its gift. Gather every herd, every flock, every beast that serves, and bring them there."
The elders bowed, accepting his vision as law.
By mid-morning, the city rang with hammers and chisels.
All through the day, the people labored. Masons shaped smooth river stones into a low circular wall behind the temple, leaving a wide archway facing east. At its center, Junjie oversaw the shaping of a flat stone platform, scarcely knee-high, its surface carved with shallow spirals that caught the light.
Claudia instructed the shrine maidens to hang garlands of herbs and cedar branches along the walls. "Let every breath carry the scent of peace," she said. "Heaven will find us by it."
When the final stone was set, Junjie lifted his staff and spoke.
"Before another sunrise, bring forth the herds. Let no creature be left uncounted."
The next morning dawned clear and bright. Long lines of villagers led their animals through the eastern gate: horses first, proud and restless; then oxen, goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens carried in baskets. The courtyard filled with life and sound, snorts, bleats, and the shuffle of hooves.
As the sun crested the horizon, the air trembled. A beam of golden light pierced the sky and poured down upon the platform. Within it, an orb appeared, smaller than the one in the main temple but dazzling, alive with swirling colors of blue and green and gold. It settled softly onto the stone, radiating calm warmth.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. The animals fell silent.
Junjie raised his staff.
"Behold, the Heart of Beasts, Heaven's covenant with all that lives!"
🐎 The Blessing of the Horses
The first to enter were the horses. Their manes shone with oil, their hooves polished to mirror the light. As they stepped onto the courtyard floor, the orb brightened to a pure golden hue. A low hum filled the air, deep and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the earth.
"For the horse," Junjie intoned, "strength and endurance. Let their steps never falter and their breath never fail."
The light rippled outward, touching each animal. The horses pawed the earth and tossed their heads, eyes gleaming as if dawn itself had entered them.
🐂 The Blessing of the Oxen
Next came the oxen, steady and immense. The orb shifted to an earthen green, pulsing softly.
"For the ox," Junjie said, "endurance and patience. Let their yoke be light, their will unbroken."
The animals exhaled in unison, clouds of steam rising like incense. Their hides glowed faintly, the muscles beneath hardening with divine vigor.
🐐 The Blessing of the Goats
The goats were led in next, small but fierce-eyed. The orb turned silver-white, flickering like mountain snow.
"For the goat," Junjie proclaimed, "sure-footedness and vitality. Let them climb where none dare tread, and thrive upon the narrow ledge."
They bleated softly as the light swept across them, their coats shimmering with health.
🐑 The Blessing of the Sheep
The sheep followed, their fleece brushed and perfumed with wild herbs. The orb shifted to soft ivory.
"For the sheep, abundance and peace. Let their wool be rich, their lambs strong, their flocks ever multiplying."
The sheep bowed their heads as the radiance moved through them. Even the lambs, pressed close to their mothers, seemed to gleam faintly in the dawn light.
🐖 The Blessing of the Pigs
Then came the pigs, snuffling and snorting, their hides glistening. The orb brightened to rose gold.
"For the swine, growth and health. Let no sickness touch them, and may their strength fill our tables with gratitude."
They quieted beneath the glow, their restless motion easing into calm stillness as Nano's unseen work refined their bodies, strengthening bone and blood alike.
🐔 The Blessing of the Birds
Last came the baskets of hens and roosters. The orb's colors merged into white and gold, flickering like feathers in sunlight.
"For the birds, abundance and life. Let their song awaken the dawn and their gifts nourish the children of Heaven."
A shimmer passed through the air like a soft wind, and the birds began to coo and rustle, their plumage catching iridescent light.
🐕 The Blessing of the Dogs
The dogs were brought in next, tails wagging, alert but obedient. Hunters, guardians, and herders each had served faithfully since the founding of the valley. The orb's glow deepened to amber, warm as hearthfire.
"For the hound and the guardian," Junjie proclaimed, "fidelity and courage.
Let their hearts be steadfast and their senses keen.
Let them guard the hearth and guide the lost,
faithful to man, faithful to Heaven."
As the light washed over them, the dogs grew still, ears pricked. Some pressed their forepaws to the ground as though kneeling in instinctive reverence. When the glow faded, they lifted their heads and barked once, sharp and pure, a sound that carried like a salute to the gods.
🐈 The Blessing of the Cats
Last came the cats, carried gently in woven baskets by the children. They were creatures of silence and shadows, eyes gleaming like polished jade. The orb shifted again, this time to a silver-blue radiance that shimmered like moonlight on water.
"For the cat, keeper of balance," Junjie intoned, "let their sight pierce the darkness.
Let them walk between shadow and flame without fear.
Let them guard the grain, the home, and the unseen paths of the spirit."
A hush fell over the courtyard as the light rippled through them. The cats' eyes glowed for a heartbeat with the reflection of stars, and then they purred softly, weaving between the villagers' legs. Even Nano murmured through the bracer, "Efficient creatures. I approve."
🌙 Aftermath
When every creature had received its share, Claudia raised her voice in the common tongue of the valley, joined by the shrine maidens in a lilting chant:
"One breath unites us,
One world sustains us,
One light redeems us all."
The orb pulsed one final time, sending a wave of radiance skyward. For a heartbeat, it seemed the heavens themselves answered. Clouds parted, sunlight poured through, and every creature stood perfectly still.
Then the glow subsided. The orb dimmed to a gentle internal shimmer.
All that day, the villagers led their animals through the courtyard in fresh groups until every creature of the valley had passed beneath the light. The air carried the scent of cedar and warm earth, and the sound of hooves echoed like a hymn.
By evening, the people could already see the change: brighter eyes, glossier coats, stronger limbs. Even the oldest beasts moved with renewed vigor.
An elder spoke softly beside Junjie.
"The gods' mercy is wide as the sky."
Junjie inclined his head, his gaze lingering on the glowing orb.
"The covenant is complete," he said. "The Light blesses all that labors under Heaven. But these blessings are ours alone, meant for this valley and these people. Let none of the sacred beasts wander into the greater world, or we may burden the earth with more than it can bear."
The elder bowed deeply. "As you command, Prophet. The valley shall guard its own."
As dusk settled, the villagers dispersed, leading their animals home in quiet reverence. The orb remained upon its low stone platform, its steady glow reflected in the watering troughs and the eyes of the beasts, a silent reminder that faith and life had become one, bound together in the covenant of Light.