Obviously, the first thing Wepwawet did was to brag to his parents and teacher about his victory.

"Father, I did it!" Wepwawet announced the moment he returned to his classroom. "I beat Beelzebub!"

"Congratulations!" his stepmom said almost immediately. "I never doubted you, Wepy."

"Of course he won," Set replied. Much to his son's disappointment, he didn't sound particularly impressed. "Beelzecuck is a has-bin. I would have been surprised if my son hadn't mopped the floor with him."

"Has-bin, Dear?" Astarte asked, picking up on the pronunciation. "Don't you mean has-been?"

"You heard me!" Set chuckled to himself. "He's a washed up loser, and a trash-eating fly! Hence, he's a has-bin! Get it?"

As usual, Set laughed at his own terrible pun without caring whether others followed suit. Astarte rolled her eyes while Wepwawet winced. He had hoped his victory would at least earn him a pat on the back from his dad or something…

"You performed admirably, young Wepwawet," Miss Athena said with a warm smile. "Defeating an experienced god, however diminished in power, is a feat worthy of praise. I am certain other gods will take notice."

Her words immediately reminded Wepwawet of his conversation with Beelzebub. "About that, Miss Athena, I have much to report."

He proceeded to recount his battle with Beelzebub—lauding his father and stepmother's psychological warfare strategy while at it—and the information the god shared during the fight.

"A backdoor created by someone from your pantheon and exploited by the Titans?" Miss Athena frowned. "Now that would be a grave breach of Inter-Pantheon Cooperation Accords. Only a few elder deities participated in casting Elphion's System spell, and introducing a backdoor to favor one side over the other is a capital offense."

"I told you, it's my whore of a sister's doing!" Set insisted. "She would do anything to screw my superior lineage over, even ally with titanspawn!"

"Dear, language," his wife chided him.

"If the backdoor was created by a member of the Pesedjet clan, then I should be able to find the perpetrator by tracking down their godly essence… assuming Beelzebub told the truth, which is unlikely," Miss Athena replied, her hand stroking her chin. "The matter of these 'Lunarians' bothers me as well. I don't recall any mention of a civilization capable of advanced magi-technology in our records of Elphion, which would indicate they have indeed been doctored."

"Beelzebub mentioned that he was leading a whole civilization's worth of them," Wepwawet said. "The bulk of them must be located elsewhere on Elphion."

"I will inform the rest of your classmates and tell them to relay any information they can find to the rest of us in turn." Miss Athena then examined Wepwawet's mana with a system screen appearing next to her. Whatever she read drew a smile on her face. "Moving on, I have excellent news for you, young Wepwawet. It appears that obtaining five Altars finally stabilized your connection to the Nexus."

Wepwawet's back stiffened in anticipation. "So I'm finally safe?"

"Not quite, I'm afraid." Miss Athena shook her head. "You are still bound to Elphion's sabotaged System, but should you lose a Titan Incursion or your Idol while you have at least five Altars active, then your essence should be expelled back to the Nexus without being lost in transit. We could also fully transfer you back here safely, but that would mean abandoning the planet for good."

"What?!" Both Wepwawet and his father shouted at the same time. "Never!"

"I expected as much, Wepwawet," Miss Athena replied, a hint of pride showing in her smile. "I have no doubt you will see this through to the end."

Of course he would. Besides his fear of disappointing his father and shooting down his chances of becoming a major god, Wepwawet couldn't abandon his followers. What happened in Promesse only drove the point home that the titans would exterminate all mortals on Elphion should they win.

"Of course my son won't give up!" Set boasted. "He's the first of his class to reach five Altars and win two Godly Battles in a row! He's a born winner!"

"Well…" Miss Athena chuckled. "This is only half-true. Young Wepwawet did win Godly Battles, but another one of his classmates has already collected five Altars first."

Set's laugh turned to deathly silence. His eyes turned into two blazing flames shining like baleful stars.

"Which one?" he asked, his tone suddenly a lot less cordial. "If it's that pigeon–"

"You will learn the answer to that when the first test results are announced, Lord Set," Miss Athena replied, though his reaction seemed to amuse her.

Wepwawet winced as he expected his father to explode in anger, but he took the news surprisingly well. "Bah!" Set declared while crossing his arms. "His other classmate had it easy. My son fended off not one, but two would-be assassins! He would have collected at least ten Altars without this sabotage!"

"Mayhaps," Miss Athena replied. "In any case, I will check with my other students to confirm that this threshold applies to everyone and not just these two so far. I ask you to avoid unnecessary risks until then, young Wepwawet."

"Wise," Astarte said with a frown. "When is the first Titan Incursion expected to hit? Has the Titanomachy issued a formal B&C challenge yet?"

"Not yet, but this respite won't last long," Miss Athena replied. "They were likely waiting for Beelzebub to weaken my students before moving in themselves. My grandfather Kronos always targets planets hosting fellow Olympians, so he is bound to threaten Elphion at one point or another, and Apep will not miss an opportunity to fight the Pesedjet clan's heirs."

"A-Apep himself might show up?" Wepwawet had heard countless stories about his dad's nightly conflicts with the Lord of Chaos to dread its power. The nemesis of the Egyptian Pantheon was a relentless foe that constantly sharpened his deck and who had more dead worlds under its belt than any other Titan.

"No need to fret, my son," Set reassured him. "Now that you can freely return to the Nexus once more, I've organized a cram study session with the best of the best of the Storm God Alliance to prepare you for this! You'll meet Shiva, my old pal Zeus, and even the Allfather himself!"

Miss Athena studied Set for a while, and then turned back to face Wepwawet. "I see no issues with this study session, but I issue a warning," she said with solemnity. "Remember that the wisdom of your elders should not make you forget your own. Our enemies too can adapt, and trusting your instincts in an ever-changing world is part of a god's journey."

Wepwawet nodded obediently, though he knew the Titans wouldn't be his only source of concern. If his classmates all managed to stabilize their connections to the Nexus, then this removed another dissuasive limit to Godly Battles. People were always more willing to fight when their immortal lives weren't on the line.

He had to secure all of Verglane before the situation escalated any further.

Cleaning up after a battle was always a messy task.

The thawing ice had partly flooded Promesse's streets, and Wepwawet's soldiers were hard at work clearing them and burying corpses to avoid the spread of any diseases. Whereas the stone fortifications were relatively intact and the armories plentiful, eliminating the pollution tainting the so-called 'Sacred Source's' waters would take time. Its fields couldn't produce food either, so the Glarmes would have to import all of their rations for the time being.

That Raymond guy's words rang true, it would take at least a year to restore this place to its former glory.

On the other hand, Wepwawet was glad that he won that battle without incurring any casualties among his Champions. Lourson and the others would recover from their wounds soon enough and Grudu's mind-control had faded away, allowing them to free him from his icy prison once more. The weremammoth now spent most of his time carrying pieces of the flying saucer away from the battlefield and into the city for study with Mistouffe's direction. From the way he continued to sob to himself, poor Grudu blamed himself for his loss of control and remained inconsolable in spite of his partner's attempt to cheer him up.

Finally, his missionaries' work in Roynimalia—and the sight of his Altar overseeing the city—had helped Wepwawet reach past the ten thousand worshipers milestone. Not only did this bring him a hefty amount of mana each day on top of his new Altar, but this finally allowed him to complete a key quest.

Quest: Proselytism IV, completed! You've earned the Pyramid Warfare Rank 7 Doctrine.

Pyramid Warfare

Rank 7 Doctrine

All of your worshipers' weapons radiate holy sunlight within your realm of Influence, gaining both the Blessed (can harm incorporeal creatures) and Radiant (inflict additional Light damage) properties. Your worshipers must be in physical contact with the weapon for the effect to trigger. Maintenance Cost: 2.

Quest: Proselytism V

Convert over 100,000 worshipers.

Reward: Doctrine Miracle.

Oof, that one would take a long time to fulfill.

The new Doctrine filled Wepwawet with nostalgia. It was pretty much the first Miracle that harkened to his roots as an Egyptian deity. Wepwawet doubted that additional light damage would help too much against the magmorians, but he would never spit on an additional buff. Hitting incorporeal creatures always came in handy with dealing with undead too.

Wepwawet checked his deck. He now had three new Miracles to assign, each too powerful to discard. He learned from experience that Pot of Gluttony would provide an immense card advantage in a Godly Battle or Titan Incursion, while both Terraformer and Pyramid Warfare would greatly benefit his worshipers in multiple ways.

The sheer size of the Glarmes' armory and Pyramid Warfare's effect made his Sacred Weapon Miracle redundant, since he could easily outfit his entire army now, so he could safely discard that one; doubly so since Victoire would be allowed to keep her spear. Terraformer also allowed Wepwawet to generate rain at will within vast areas so this was a straight-up upgrade to the Raincloud Miracle… at least on paper.

Wepwawet examined the weather-control machine in Promesse and quickly noticed an issue: the device was incapable of subtle, localized climate alterations. Its area of effect covered the entire region.

Precision sometimes trumped large-scale destruction and Raincloud had helped against the magmorians, so Wepwawet decided to keep at least one copy for now. Finally, he decided to discard one copy of Barricade Kit. Wolf House and Ice Barrier already gave him plenty of better options to create fortifications.

There you go, Wepwawet thought as he switched Raincloud, Sacred Weapon, and Barricade Kit for his new additions. I've replaced nearly two thirds of my beginner's deck now.

He had the feeling he would increase that ratio soon. Not only did he detect relics worthy of being turned into Artifacts within Promesse's confines, but having five Altars granted him much better awareness of Verglane's mana leylines. He sensed at least three more locus points he could seize.

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Unfortunately, one was far to the southwest and located in the region under magmorian occupation. Wepwawet doubted he would be able to claim that one without a fight. The other two were located to the southeast of the Glacis Mountains and thus easier to access.

Moreover, the Grudu debacle had taught Wepwawet a very important lesson; namely, that his army relied too much on a backbone of werelings. This created vulnerabilities against foes capable of exploiting their racial weaknesses. He needed to recruit outside his core demographic, and he sensed at least three potential Champions within Promesse's walls that could fit the bill.

The flow of mana produced by his five Altars also opened many new opportunities. Wepwawet now received eight from Narc, five from Icefall, three from Insupportable's Den, four from Promesse after the Terraformer there took its mana cut, and a whopping ten from Roynimalia; the maximum amount he could earn from a single Altar. This earned him over twenty mana points to spend each day after factoring in the cost of his doctrines, old and new. He could finally exploit his stronger Miracles without having to stockpile mana for days first.

My to-do list keeps getting longer each day, Wepwawet thought while checking his active quests too in case he had missed anything. As it turned out, he did forget one.

New Quest: Holy Days, Holidays!

Choose three dates to serve as your Festivals.

Reward: Doctrine Miracle.

Oh right, that one slipped my mind. Wepwawet had already chosen one date earlier in April, but he still had two of them to assign. Should he select the liberation of Promesse as a new date? No, choosing Festival dates too close to each other would limit his opportunities to use these special occasions to replenish his mana quickly. I could always choose solstices… does a planet with two moons even have solstices?

After some consideration, Wepwawet decided to kick that can further down the line. Gaining a new Doctrine Miracle would help, but he had yet to fully exploit those he had already collected. Besides, holy days were more than arbitrary dates; they were cultural events meant to solidify a divine storytelling, or so his teachers said.

Sagesse, Wereowl Ambassador, can now Rank-Up!

Huh?

Wepwawet immediately turned his attention to Sagesse. He found the ambassador at the edge of his Influence's territory stomping on a Lunarian parasite which had survived the hivemind's collapse with her staff.

How odd. Wepwawet recalled that Sagesse assisted Rickart's part of the army during the Battle for Promesse, but she stuck to a support role by using her spells to slow down the flies. I'm seeing a pattern here…

Now that he had checked, all the Champions that reached the threshold to rank-up yesterday were all Rank 3 or below with Victoire's exception. Mistouffe in particular had started at Rank 1 and could now reach the third, skipping one stage. Meanwhile, most Rank 4 Champions like Wintresse and Bernard failed to reach the threshold to the next.

So there is an exp track of some sort for my Champions, I just can't see it. All his Champions who participated in the Godly Battle received experience, and Sagesse had just won the last tiny bit required to rank-up. The weakest of them progress faster than the stronger ones.

His first order of business would be to Rank-Up his Champions, recruit new ones, and put a Terraformer in Narc. The main limit to the town's development was its inability to sustain a large population, and warming the region's climate to make it more fertile would neatly solve that issue. Adding others to Roynimalia and Icefall could wait a bit, and Insupportable's Den could freeze into a popsicle for all he cared.

"You have fought well, my chosen," Wepwawet telepathically informed his Champions capable of Ranking-Up. "I shall bestow blessings upon you soon. Think wisely about the path you wish to dedicate yourselves to and meet me at my Altar once you are ready to receive my gifts. Victoire, bring the ones called Kale and Raymond to me as well."

Ten minutes later, and Victoire showed up with her old colleagues as he had asked. The sight of the despoiled Sacred Source brought a scowl to the Glarmes' face. Not only had the place lost all of its previous beauty, but being reminded of how they spent years protecting a monster's nest no doubt shamed them to their core. Their entire order was literally built on rotten foundations.

Wepwawet studied the newcomers. Both knights had recovered enough to walk on their own, but they otherwise couldn't be further alike. Every fiber of Lord Raymond's being betrayed his wariness and caution, while Kale's uneasiness reminded him of Filou.

"I am Wepwawet, god of this land," Wepwawet spoke through his Altar, its eyes shining for dramatic effect. His voice startled young Kale, while Lord Raymond simply stared at the statue with stoicism. "We meet at last, Knight-Commander Raymond, young Kale."

"So you are Victoire's god?" Lord Raymond asked, before bending the knee in respect. Young Kale swiftly imitated the gesture. "In the name of the Glarmes Order, I thank you for saving us. We owe you a debt of honor and shall repay it in due time."

"I have no doubt you shall," Wepwawet replied. "I wish to discuss the future of your order, and your own as well. Both of you share the potential to stand among my Champions."

"Me?" Kale finally spoke up in disbelief. "I'm… I'm not holy warrior material, your Holiness."

"I thought I wasn't either," Victoire replied with a scoff. "But our god works in mysterious ways, Kale."

Knight-Commander Raymond remained skeptical. "I cannot doubt your power after seeing your miracles, Lord Wepwawet, but our order's last god did not quite live up to our expectations."

"I do not demand your worship, only your courage and assistance," Wepwawet replied. While he would rather that his Champions have faith in him, he couldn't exactly force them to believe. "The foul creatures that destroyed your city will return to threaten you and all of Verglane. I require your assistance in fending them off."

The idea of cooperating with werelings didn't delight Lord Raymond in the slightest. "The original purpose of the Glarmes Order was to rebuild the Kingdom of Valentine and restore its royal family to the throne," he said. "After we lost our country, we sought to create a new human realm here. We share no kinship with the rest of Verglane."

Victoire squinted at her mentor. "And how did that work out for you, Lord Raymond?"

The Glarmes' leader glanced at the polluted source and the debris littering the area, then sighed. "Not well, I'll concede it… but you are a wereling god, Lord Wepwawet. Is there truly a place for us among your armies?"

"I am the god of this land and all of its people, whether humans, werelings, or any other race that walks this earth," Wepwawet replied. "This city is entitled to my guidance and protection as much as any other. I am willing to help your order bounce back from its losses and rise again from its ashes, under stronger foundations. This is your chance to begin again, Knight-Commander."

"What do you want from us?" Lord Raymond asked, his voice heavy with caution.

"Great battles and ordeals await Verglane. Our people need both protectors and training. I want your order to shift its purpose from fighting in long-dead ghosts' names to defending the living, protecting this land's citizens, and training the armies of the brave."

"You wish to turn Promesse into a training camp," Lord Raymond guessed.

"Yes," Wepwawet confirmed. "The Glarmes Order will otherwise continue to administer this city as it always did. I shall not interfere with your governance so long as you abide by my principles."

Lord Raymond crossed his arms and pondered the offer. Wepwawet caught him briefly glancing at Victoire, whose quiet confidence inspired him to go along with the proposal. "I am in no position to refuse your offer," he decided. "The Glarmes Order will fight at your side."

"Excellent," Wepwawet rejoiced. He swiftly proceeded to recruit these two as his Champions by bathing them in his holy light.

Name

Kale L'appétit, Marmiting Knight

Type

Humanoid

Rank

3

Class

Cook 1 (Crafter), Knight 2 (Fighter)

Faction

Wepwawet

Movement

Walk

Strength

Agility

Vitality

Skill

22

13

16

20

Magic

Intelligence

Charisma

Luck

11

13

13

19

Accuracy

+19

Evasion

+16

Innate Perk: Outlander

Take no penalties from Terrain effects.

Weaponmaster I

Man-At-Arms I

All Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +2 Damage.

You are adept at carrying heavy equipment; your total equipment's weight is reduced by 3 (min 0).

Cooking I

Can cook food consumables up to quality E.

Name

Raymond Le Hardis, Glarmes General

Type

Humanoid

Rank

Commander 5

Class

Knight 5 (Fighter)

Faction

Wepwawet

Movement

Walk

Strength

Agility

Vitality

Skill

32

23

24

29

Magic

Intelligence

Charisma

Luck

15

20

22

25

Accuracy

+27

Evasion

+24

Innate Perk: Knight-Commander

Grants a +2 Damage bonus to all allies with Fighter Classes within range and reduces damage taken by 2.

Weaponmaster II

Man-At-Arms I

All Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +5 Damage.

You are adept at carrying heavy equipment; your total equipment's weight is reduced by 3 (min 0).

Rider I

Armor Training I

You can ride a monstrous creature or animal of lower Rank without splitting your attention, allowing you to attack at the same time.

Can equip any armor regardless of stat requirements; other restrictions may still apply.

Two straightforward fighters, though Kale could do double-duty as an emergency cook. Wepwawet would pair him with Alpine and imbue him with the Masterworker Perk.

"You won't regret your choice, Lord Raymond," Victoire reassured her former commander.

"I hope so, Victoire," Lord Raymond replied. "I put my trust in you."

"One last thing," Wepwawet said. "I've sensed powerful magical objects in sealed vaults beneath this castle."

"You must speak of the Holy Vault," Lord Raymond scowled. "The treasures within are an inheritance that stretches back to our founding."

"The bugs tried to break inside, but failed," Kale recalled.

"Considering the situation, I would like to use these items in the field," Wepwawet said.

"I cannot access this treasure," Lord Raymond said. He seemed to hesitate a moment before speaking up again. "Victoire can, however."

Victoire blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"There is something I've been meaning to tell you," Lord Raymond cleared his throat. "About where you truly come from."

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