Chapter 287: Chapter 287


    ?


    Audrey stood momentarily stunned by Martin''s question.


    Proof?


    There was no tangible evidence she could offer to prove she had been blessed by a god.


    Even if those who had witnessed the miracle vouched for her, these skeptical young people would likely dismiss it as collusion or a fabrication.


    Seeing is believing, as the saying goes, and Audrey understood this.


    However, the anticipation and nervousness on the faces of Martin and his friends faded, reced by disappointment and doubt as they observed Audrey''s hesitation.


    "Is there really no proof?" Martin asked, his tone incredulous. "If that''s the case, I don''t know if we can trust you..."


    While they wanted to believe in the so-called God of Light, Baldr, they weren''t willing to be deceived.


    After waiting for a while without any concrete evidence, their disappointment deepened.


    Audrey opened her mouth to exin, "Lord Baldr truly blessed me. I swear this is real. But I don''t have anything to prove it..."


    "And faith in a god is a sacred matter. We can''t approach it with selfish motives-" Before she could finish, Sarah, the young woman in the group, snorted derisively.


    "Hmph! We''re not falling for your lies."


    Grabbing Martin and Mauro by their arms, she dered, "Let''s go!"


    Martin and Mauro hesitated briefly but ultimately didn''t resist as Sarah dragged them out.


    Even without Sarah''s insistence, they were already considering leaving.


    As the trio left the room, Arn, the bearded man who had brought them, turned back to Audrey, his expression grim.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" he demanded, addressing the retreating trio.


    Sarah''s disdainful response came from the doorway. "What do I think? I think you''re all frauds!"


    "If you can''t even provide proof, why should we believe anything you say?"


    With that, she led Martin and Mauro out of the house entirely.


    Arn sighed heavily, turning to see the sadness on Audrey''s face.


    "I''m sorry, Audrey. I didn''t realize they were like this," he said apologetically.


    Audrey shook her head and replied, "It''s fine. I expected this. Even if it wasn''t them, others would eventually question me too."


    "And besides, faith is sacred. If they won''t approach it with sincerity, it''s better they don''t join at all..."


    Though her words were calm, Arn could hear the sorrow in her voice.


    He sighed again, a deep, resigned sound.


    From the otherworldly connection between them, Syd had observed the entire scene.


    The exchange yed out clearly before his eyes.


    In the past, when he cared little for faith energy, he would have ignored such a situation. But now...


    His gaze lingered on Audrey.


    She deserved something to help her spread her faith.


    If Audrey had tangible proof of a blessing, it would be far easier for her to inspire belief in others.


    This was a low-risk, high-reward investment, one Syd couldn''t afford to ignore.


    Faith may be sacred in theory, but expecting people to believe purely on goodwill was na?ve. Proof of miracles was a necessity to inspire mass devotion.


    With this thought, Syd began considering what he could offer Audrey.


    Blood?


    Divine energy?


    As he contemted, inspiration struck.


    "I remember now... my divine speech can grant blessings," he realized.


    At Level 5, his divine speech had unlocked the ability to bestow blessings and curses, much like the gods of ancient mythologies.


    He thought of the Greek gods, who were known for their infamous blessings and curses.


    One well-known example was Pandora, the woman the gods collectively blessed-or cursed -with gifts.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In Greek, Pan means "all," and Dora means "gifts," signifying "the woman endowed with all gifts."


    Hephaestus, the god of fire, gave Pandora a magnificent golden dress.Aphrodite, the goddess of love, granted her beauty and the power to seduce men.Hermes, the messenger god, bestowed upon her eloquence and persuasive speech.


    Nearly all the Olympian gods contributed to Pandora''s creation.


    But their intentions were far from benevolent. Pandora was crafted as a punishment for humanity after Prometheus stole fire from the gods. She was the harbinger of the infamous Pandora''s Box, which contained both disasters and hope.


    When Pandora''s curiosity led her to open the box, cmities like greed, jealousy, pain, and deceit escaped to gue humanity.


    Only hope remained trapped inside the box-a detail that has been interpreted in multiple


    ways.


    Some view hope as humanity''s saving grace, allowing people to endure suffering.


    But Syd suspected otherwise.


    The gods of Greek mythology were often indifferent, even hostile, to humanity. Why would they leave behind hope out of kindness?


    In some interpretations, hope itself was a curse, an unrealistic longing that often leads to


    despair.


    Reflecting on these myths, Syd turned his attention to his own ability to grant blessings.


    Previously, he had experimented with animals but had never found the opportunity to test it


    on humans.


    This might be the perfect chance.


    With a spark of curiosity and a desire to test his power, Syd made up his mind to proceed.


    (End of Chapter)


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