Goddess Kaleidoscope

It is no exaggeration to say that through this theatrical performance, Luther successfully made almost all the audience members present remember the names of these gods and, without their knowledge, offer their faith.

If Lud were to get up and go to the temple entrance, he would see countless tiny spots of light converging on his temple from all directions, far denser than before. Lud estimated that this phenomenon would continue for some time, until the excitement from the play began to cool down.

In just one night, Lud collected enough faith to "activate" the Three Goddesses of Craftsmanship. After all, the initial value wasn't very high; what really mattered was nurturing them. In this respect, the Three Goddesses of Craftsmanship were far superior to Aina and Shanis, as they had the entire Steelwhip Clan of over 30,000 dwarves as their base from the start, ensuring their future growth would be quite rapid.

Lud plans to activate the three goddesses before the dwarves even after the second show ends tonight, and then put on a show for Gulig and the dwarven elders he has gathered, performing a descent of the goddesses.

In essence, this was undoubtedly a "deception," but Rudd was fooling people in order to inspire their faith. Only by making the dwarves, who were in the process of becoming believers, believe that the goddess was a god could more faith be generated.

Since Lud had already attended yesterday's premiere, there were basically no dignitaries present for tonight's second performance, except for a few noble knights who couldn't resist wanting to see it a second time, and the dragon wouldn't be there either.

It's worth mentioning that before leaving last night, Tawawa solidified the illusion she left behind, which can continue to function for about a month. When the magic is almost exhausted, Tawawa can come and recharge the spell.

So, in honor of the dwarves who built the opera house and Tawawa who provided the key "projector" for the opera house, Ludwig officially named the opera house that belonged to him "The Opera House of Dragons and Dwarves," which can be said to be extremely easy to understand.

That evening, the second performance of the play was once again sold out. Although it lacked the surprise and some of the hype of the premiere, this did not affect the audience's experience. In fact, thanks to some unscrupulous spoilers who gave "precautionary warnings" to those who hadn't seen it yet during the day, the number of audience members who fainted this time was less than a third of the previous day—truly commendable!

After the play ended, Lud, who was guarding the temple, actively accelerated the absorption of the audience's faith into the temple. Having spent a long time fused with the primordial fire, Lud now had increasingly better control over it, and had even figured out some interesting little tricks, one of which was accelerating the collection.

The crimson orb of light belonging to the three goddesses of craftsmanship had more than doubled in size since this time yesterday. In Lude's eyes, it resembled a large red lantern hanging high above the ground.

Lude reached out and touched it. The orb of light wasn't activated; instead, it visibly shrank, quickly shrinking to one-tenth of its original size. Based on the size of the orb when Aina was born, Lude estimated that this should be enough for three goddesses.

Since the creation of a deity is not entirely controllable, even if personality, preferences, and intelligence are predetermined during the "deity design" process, significant deviations will still occur when the deity is actually awakened. The difference is so great that it's comparable to the difference between a buyer's show and a seller's show.

So, just in case, Rudd used the second spark technique he had mastered to absorb most of the gathered faith power. As a mortal, Rudd couldn't use these powers directly, but he could use his body as a storage container to store this portion of faith within himself.

It feels like receiving lucky money during Chinese New Year. When children are looking at a stack of bills with great joy, planning how to spend them, their parents always appear out of nowhere at the happiest moment, taking away most or even all of the money, and saying, "I'm saving it for you, so you can use it when you need it!"

Lude was also afraid that the three new goddesses would be unruly after their birth, so he deliberately played a trick.

The statues of the three new goddesses have all been sculpted and have been publicly displayed in front of tens of thousands of audience members through a theatrical performance. Therefore, the three basic conditions required for creating goddesses have been met, and only the final step of activation and awakening remains.

The awakening ceremony took place in the temple hall. During dinner, Lude secretly put some sleeping powder into Romian's tea. The little girl had already gone back to her room to sleep, and unless there was a huge commotion, she would not wake up.

Apart from her, all the other members of the temple gathered together, including Aina, Shanis, and Fallen Leaf. Even Elaine and Hydra, who usually hid in the basement, were called up. Including Hume, who was away on a long trip, this was the entire core team of Lud.

Humans, gods, divine messengers, undead, and monster girls—this peculiar and unparalleled team composition emphasizes "diversity"!

Among the group of members present, Hydra the Snake Girl considered herself to be in the "lowest position among the group members," so she stood tremblingly to the side, her slightly bent knees ready to kneel down at any moment.

She didn't know why the "demon master" had summoned her up here, nor could she see the crimson ball of faith energy in the center of the hall. But the scene reminded her of the sacrificial ritual of the Grayscale Clan, where a group of lizardman priests would stand in a circle, and the one surrounded would be the sacrifice.

So the snake woman was afraid, afraid that she would be the sacrifice today.

However, the terrifying scene I had imagined did not happen. What was enclosed were not living creatures, but three small statues.

Previously, when Lud was sculpting the statues in the basement, he had asked Hydra to come out and help him, so she knew who the three statues were.

The beautiful woman with light blue curly hair, holding a pipe, and possessing a mature charm is Atropos, the eldest of the three goddesses of craftsmanship. The one with short black hair, bangs, and wearing overalls with a bare back is the second sister, Clotho. The last one is a petite loli with golden twin ponytails, but she holds a giant long-handled hammer that is taller than herself in one hand. This is the third sister, Lachesis.

When Lud explained the origins of the three statues to Hydra, he clearly told her that these three were goddesses from the divine realm, and that he had a way to bring them down to earth and use them for his own purposes.

Snake Lady was skeptical of Lud's explanation. She knew what gods were and that her master was not human (not in a derogatory sense), but to enslave gods, especially three at once, seemed highly improbable.

So, with this question in mind, the snake girl Hydra stood obediently to the side, following the so-called "court etiquette" taught to her by the female ghost, waiting to see Master Lu show off his cheat code!

End of this chapter

"Master, we're all ready, let's begin!"

With everything ready to create a god, Lude rubbed his hands together, feeling a tiny bit nervous.

This is the second time he has used the primordial fire to create gods, and the objects to be awakened are not just one, but three. The three goddesses created by the craftsman are a group, and although they are three goddesses, they are also a "whole", which makes their respective faiths indistinguishable and all integrated together.

This is also why Lud is worried. If something goes wrong during the awakening process and triggers a special effect similar to "fusion", resulting in a "three-headed goddess", then he will have no way to explain it to the dwarves.

With this trepidation in his heart, Lud finally reached out and touched the ball of faith. The tiny flame that gathered on his fingertip was like a ball of methane that exploded in an instant.

To the snake girl watching from the side, this scene looked as if Lude had casually torn the void with his fingernail.

Their strength is so formidable that it absolutely deserves the description "terrifyingly powerful"!

"This...this is the power of the master..."

Perhaps because the idol used was too small, this time when Rude was awakened, unlike when he awakened Aina, his faith did not first merge into the idol. Instead, it split into three parts and began to condense in mid-air, quickly transforming into human form.

However, when Ludwig met the eyes of his eldest sister, Atropos, who was facing him, he keenly sensed that she was looking down on him, the creator of the three sisters, with a superior gaze.

"Mortal, you have awakened us. As a reward for your service, I now mercifully grant you permission to offer your loyalty to us. This is the highest honor. Kiss the insteps of this goddess!"

"..."

Looking at his eldest sister Atropos, who was floating in mid-air and putting on airs like a goddess, Ludwig remained silent for a long time before letting out a sigh. He thought to himself that if it were a more private place, he wouldn't mind.

As expected! A goddess's initial personality and knowledge are influenced by the thoughts of her first followers. Before being awakened, Aina's faith came from the original four hundred or so villagers of Pine Village, so this girl was born with a simple and honest nature.

Shanis's first followers were an underground church organized by old astrologers, consisting of more than two hundred drugged old perverts! But most of them were literate intellectuals, so Shanis's cultural level was far higher than Aina's, and she also knew a lot about aristocratic etiquette.

In contrast, the initial faith that gave rise to the three goddesses of craftsmanship had a much more complex origin. It included skilled dwarven artisans as well as self-important noble knights. While these individuals provided the goddesses with much initial knowledge, they also inadvertently introduced them with many vices.

The attitude of the eldest goddess, Atropos, said it all. From the moment she opened her eyes, she knew who she was and understood the humble and fearful attitude that mortals would show towards them, these "gods." Therefore, she, who was not "stupid," like other primordial gods, automatically and consciously adopted the proud posture befitting a "goddess."

Unfortunately, Atropos's vast store of initial knowledge did not contain any "true information" about Rudd. The mortal standing before her was the number one blasphemer, and the truth he believed in did not exist in this world!

The continued silence quickly created an awkward atmosphere in the hall. Ludès stared calmly at Atropos, showing not the slightest bit of awe despite the latter's superior position.

This isn't a public place, so he doesn't need to pretend to be a devout believer anymore.

"Miss Goddess, why don't you come down and talk first? You've already exposed yourself."

"You...you mortal, something's not right with you, is it?"

Because it completely contradicted her "common sense," Lude's indifferent reaction left the goddess-like woman in front of her somewhat bewildered. But Atropos at least understood the word "wardrobe malfunction," so she glanced down at her skirt, which was fluttering lightly without wind, and hurriedly pressed her hand against it. Her rosy little face showed a surprisingly innocent side.

At this moment, Croto, the second sister, couldn't stand it anymore. Her personality was very much in line with the character Ludo had given her: a tomboy with a fiery temper. She came down from mid-air and angrily scolded Ludo for offending her older sister.

"Hey, you old man, don't go too far! I am a goddess! You're just a mortal, disrespecting a deity will be punished by heaven!"

Why are you yelling so loudly?!

With a disdainful sneer, Lude pointed to the left and right. The three newly born goddess sisters then realized that there were two "kindred spirits" beside them. But judging from their almost identical expressions, it was clear that they were on the side of the mortal old man who dared to disrespect the gods.

Especially the tall, black-haired goddess, with black thorns that looked like tattoos slowly crawling on her exposed skin, gave the impression that she was not a proper goddess. Croto could sense a very dangerous aura emanating from her.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was becoming tense, Lu De didn't want to make things too awkward right away, but if he couldn't get these three goddesses to let go of their self-important "goddess mentality," it would be difficult for them to get along in the future.

So Lud felt it was time to show his true "power"!

"Ladies, I apologize for not having had a chance to introduce myself since this is our first meeting. My name is Lude, and my public identity is that of a priest of the Pantheon. But my true identity is that of a creator of gods. I created the three of you, so... you should be the ones showing me more respect."

"The creator of gods!?"

"Yes, it is I."

"Heh! You old mortal have quite the nerve. You even created us sisters, so are we supposed to call you Father?"

"Forget about being called 'father,' just call me 'good brother.'"

"You, you, you're courting death!"

"Whether you're courting death or not, you'll find out soon enough. By the way, didn't you just say you were going to unleash divine punishment on me? Come on! I'm standing right here, giving you a chance to show yourself and see if I'm just boasting."

With a beaming smile, Lud stood with his hands behind his back, speaking in a nonchalant tone, but the attitude revealed between the lines was arrogant enough to enrage the gods.

The hot-tempered second sister, Clotho, laughed angrily and said to Ludwig through gritted teeth.

"Fine! You're very good! Old man, you asked for this!"

As Croto spoke, he raised his right hand, which was the God's right hand. Instantly, a ball of blazing orange-red flames erupted from his palm, swirling and condensing into a huge fireball with a diameter of nearly one meter. It looked incredibly powerful!

Crotos was the god who controlled fire and temperature, so he was naturally a master at playing with fire.

Seeing this, Lude thought to himself that the efficiency of collecting faith through theatrical proselytizing was higher than he had expected. He had just taken away most of the faith, leaving only one-tenth, which he had to distribute equally among the three goddesses. However, his second sister, Clotho, was still able to cast divine spells, which was obviously much stronger than Aina when she was first born.

Ludwig nodded and commented without fear.

"good."

Unlike Lud's composure, the snake girl Hydra and the ghost secretary Eliven, unaware of his true nature, were terrified by the real "Wrath of God." Eliven, being an undead, was forced to hide back in her pendant, while Hydra trembled, completely bewildered.

To be honest, in terms of actual combat strength, Hydra's native power could easily overpower these three newly born goddesses. However, divine power is a higher level of power than magic, and it has a clear suppressive effect. Hydra, who can only sense the strength of magic, has no way of judging the true power of the three goddesses in front of her. Therefore, she subconsciously follows her instincts and believes that those who are "unfathomable" are "far stronger than herself".

"Master, Master, let's run!"

Seeing that her "unparalleled" divine power had successfully terrified the big-breasted woman with purple hair dressed in a strange outfit (maid outfit), the second sister, Cloto, couldn't help but show a smug look on her face. However, she soon noticed that Ludwig remained unmoved and even picked at his earwax with his little finger, completely ignoring her.

This made Croto, who had only intended to scare him, feel very embarrassed. So he lost his temper and his brain overheated. Without thinking, he hurled the fireball at Ludwig's face. His older sister, Atropos, didn't even have time to stop him.

However, the expected cruel scene did not occur. The scorching divine fireball disappeared without a trace before it could even touch Lud's body, leaving only a warm breeze that ruffled Lud's hair.

Krotor looked on in disbelief. His divine spell, which he had concentrated all his strength on, had failed to harm the mortal in the slightest. Hydra, who was standing to the side, saw it even more clearly than Krotor. The terrifying fireball was absorbed by an invisible barrier when it was still a few centimeters away from its master.

This scene made Hydra even more convinced that her unfathomable master was definitely not human (not in a derogatory sense), but a super demon whose power surpassed that of the gods! The frustration of being enslaved vanished, replaced by a secret joy of clinging to a super powerful and invincible figure.

Rudd's ability to withstand divine magic completely shocked the three newly born and naive goddesses of craftsmanship. They were momentarily unable to comprehend how a mere mortal like Rudd could disregard divine magic; this blatantly contradicted the "common sense" they had been given from birth, leaving them utterly bewildered!

But in fact, it's not that Lud is so powerful, but rather that the primal fire within him bestowed upon him another important talent—divine magic immunity.

No matter how devastating the offensive divine spell, it cannot directly harm Rudd. If you really want to break through his defenses, it's simpler and more direct to find a good golf club.

Lude knew this, which is why he deliberately provoked the hot-tempered Croto, inducing her to unleash "divine punishment" upon him.

"Is that all? That's it?"

Looking down at his perfectly intact robe, Rudd reached out and patted off non-existent dust, then smiled at Croto. But it was this seemingly harmless smile that sent chills down the spines of the three goddesses.

At this moment, Ludwig took a step forward, a seemingly unintentional movement that caused Atropos and Croto to instinctively take two steps back. Meanwhile, Lachesis, the third sister who had remained silent until now, landed safely on both feet, clutching her hammer and pretending to be obedient to the side.

Under Rudd's relentless advance, Croto, whose face had turned deathly pale from exhausting her divine power, quickly retreated to a corner. Rudd, just like Croto had done with her divine magic earlier, raised her right hand, frightening the goddess into closing her eyes.

However, when Croto's shoulder was pressed down by this hand, the terrible pain did not come. Instead, he felt a warm current that soothed his heart and soul, flowing into his body through the other person's palm. This made Croto, who was almost exhausted, suddenly become energetic again, even more so than before.

Lud said it in the tone of an elder instructing a younger person.

"That must have been your first time using divine magic! It's understandable that you were a bit clumsy and unfamiliar with it. I'll give you another chance. Come on!"

"me……"

Having hastily replenished his mana, Krotor's mind was completely in a state of chaos. Faced with Lud's repeated requests for help, he was utterly at a loss.

Fortunately, Atropos, as the eldest sister, was the first to come to her senses. She realized that Rudd was not a "mortal." The incredible things about this white-bearded old man made her believe everything.

The Lude before them was the creator of the three sisters, a father figure, or even greater!