"Commander, I want to try," Bismarck said, her face flushed as she looked at Jason Kin.
"Are you sure? No regrets?" Jason Kin asked.
"Commander, I... I'm not good at showing feelings, but... I want you to know, I am willing to do anything for you," Bismarck said, eyes full of affection.
Seeing her so beautiful and gentle, how could Jason Kin refuse? He nodded silently, and said, "If that is how you feel, then I accept. You may begin."
"Yes." At Jason Kin's words, a happy smile spread across Bismarck's face.
So a special way to relax began.
The next morning Jason Kin woke slowly. One of Bismarck's long legs lay across him. Bismarck was still asleep. He stroked her hair gently and kissed her forehead, then stretched. He loosened the soreness left from last night's wildness.
At that moment he noticed something unexpected. The status information floating above the sleeping girl's body had changed.
[Class]: Azur Lane, shipgirl
[Faith]: Saint of the Lord of Life
[Rank]: 8th tier, Legendary Peak
[Talent]: Rigging, Battleship
[Skills]: Indomitable Strength, Ironblood Will, Corrupting Poison
[Standard Equipment]: Prototype twin main guns, twin 105mm SKC high-angle guns, Type I armor-piercing shells, super-heavy shells.
[Enhancement Equipment]: High-energy laser cannon, energy shield, terrestrial battle boots.
[Strength]: 18990
[Stamina]: 18900
[Agility]: 18850
[Spirit]: 19900
"Bismarck became my saint because of last night's madness? That is... absurd," Jason Kin muttered, stunned by the information.
He had thought of many ways to raise an apostle to saint status, but none had worked. According to the system, to raise an apostle's faith to the saint stage, the apostle's affection for their creator must reach an extremely high level. Raising affection beyond that threshold is very difficult. It requires some particularly significant event that strongly stimulates the believer. That event can differ for each follower. It might be a manifestation of the Lord of Life, a granted blessing, or even a tender word from the deity. It cannot be predicted.
No matter how he thought about it, Jason Kin could not imagine that the most important event for Bismarck would be the simplest intimate act between man and woman. That was puzzling. If such acts could raise faith levels, Effie should have long ago become a saint many times over, since they had shared so many pleasures. Jason Kin wondered if the method only worked on life he personally created. Because he was their maker, perhaps there was some unexplainable bond between creator and creation. When the two merged, the bond might spike, pushing their affection to the highest value.
If his guess was right, would he have to turn all his shipgirls into women? At that thought he could not help thinking of Laffey. Could he really not escape the five-year curse after all?
"No, no, no, what am I thinking? There must be other ways to raise them. Maybe my guess is wrong. It could be that this method only fits Bismarck, and other shipgirls are unaffected," Jason Kin said, shaking his head, feeling muddled. The discovery was simply too absurd.
In any case, little Laffey was off-limits. But maybe he could try Icarus. Jason Kin considered that.
Going from apostle to saint had doubled Bismarck's power, which was astonishing. Becoming a saint meant the faith channel between believer and deity widened and strengthened. A special bond formed that lower-tier believers did not have. Through that bond, the god's power nourished the saint, allowing the saint's strength to surge quickly. The longer that bond existed, the stronger the saint became. So the earlier one became a saint, the greater the benefit. Bismarck had been lucky.
"Eight-tier Legendary Peak, just one step from demigod. Let me help you," Jason Kin said, smiling at the still-sleeping Bismarck.
He gathered his divine power and poured it into Bismarck through their bond. Bismarck was like a soccer ball sitting at the penalty spot, so close to the goal that she only needed one kick. Jason Kin's divine power was that kick. The ball went in.
A brilliant divine light burst from Bismarck's head. She broke through.
[Class]: Azur Lane, shipgirl
[Faith]: Saint
[Rank]: 9th tier, Demigod
[Talent]: Rigging, Battleship
[Skills]: Indomitable Strength, Ironblood Will, Corrupting Poison
[Standard Equipment]: Prototype twin main guns, twin 105mm SKC high-angle guns, Type I armor-piercing shells, super-heavy shells.
[Enhancement Equipment]: High-energy laser cannon, energy shield, terrestrial battle boots.
"Finally another demigod-level follower, and a saint to boot. Last night's effort paid off," Jason Kin said with a smug expression. He had claimed Bismarck, turned her into his saint, and raised her to a 9th-tier demigod. What could be better?
At that moment Bismarck slowly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at Jason Kin. When she realized she was naked, her face flushed bright red. Memories from last night rose in her mind, and a sweet smile formed on her lips. She knew her bond with the commander had deepened.
Suddenly she sensed a surge of power inside her. Had she broken through?
"Commander..."
"Yes, your feeling is correct. You broke through. You have advanced to the 9th-tier demigod stage, the same as Icarus," Jason Kin said with a smile.
Bismarck was overjoyed. "This must be all thanks to the commander."
"Not at all. I only gave you a little help. The real credit is yours," Jason Kin shook his head and smiled.
"No, Bismarck will not take credit. Everything is the commander's doing. Without you, there would be no Bismarck. And last night you worked so hard... so it is truly your achievement," Bismarck said, blushing.
"..." Jason Kin had no reply.
"Well, what you say is not entirely wrong. But that is not important. The important thing is you broke through," Jason Kin said awkwardly.
By Bismarck's understanding, it did sound like his achievement. Thinking that felt strange. He shook his head and pushed the odd thought away.
"Thank you, commander," Bismarck said, nodding shyly and acting very obedient.
Then she hesitated and looked at Jason Kin as if wanting to say something.
"What's wrong?" Jason Kin asked.
"Commander, I... I want to break through again. I want you to help me once more," she said, then before Jason Kin could react, Bismarck lunged at him.
"!!!" Jason Kin cried out.
Virginia.
A remote small town. Dim streets were lined with dilapidated houses. Thick clouds hid the moon. A sudden gale howled through the town, sounding like a thousand evil spirits wailing, which sent chills down the spine.
A week ago the town began to experience strange occurrences. Each night an unknown mist would settle over the town and blot out the sky. At first the residents did not pay much attention, until one night a blood-curdling scream echoed out. The next day people began to disappear, and then everyone realized the gravity of the situation.
Panic swept the people. They tried to flee, but the town had become a maze. No matter which way they went, they always ended up back in town. This eerie situation terrified the residents. They knew some strange force had invaded their town. It cut off their networks and signals, turning their town into an island in a vast sea. In seven days twenty-one people had died. Something like a wicked beast lurked within the black mist. It surrounded the town and made it its hunting ground. The humans were its prey. The creature had a strange rule, it killed exactly three people each day, never more, never less. Every day three unlucky souls were dragged into the mist, and the next day they were found as dried corpses.
Because of this, the survivors had to stick together. Dozens of people crowded into the town's only church. They barricaded the doors and hung crosses. Even then fear hung over them.
It was the eighth day. A couple hugged their daughter, curled in a corner. "All children and women stay inside. Men, form a line outside. It's time to show your courage," a middle-aged man in a white robe, looking like a priest, ordered.
"Understood," the men replied, treating the priest as their backbone.
"Now everyone, follow me in praying to the Lord of Life," the man said devoutly.
"Mr. Morian, can the Lord of Life really save us?" someone asked.
"Shut up, do not blaspheme the Lord of Life. When I prayed at the temple with Priest Vog, I personally witnessed the Lord of Life's manifestation. It was that holy and radiant light that saved my life when I was near death. I experienced it myself. I would not lie. From that moment I vowed to worship the Lord of Life forever and to be his most loyal follower. Today our calamity will be cleansed by the Lord of Life's holy light, that evil outside will be destroyed," the man said with a face full of sincerity, and his faith spread to the others.
"Mr. Morian, we trust you. Then let us begin to pray," someone said.
"May that terrifying evil vanish quickly."
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Chapter Word Count: 1,531