Hearing Thorne's question, Shelley couldn't help but doubt her earlier judgment. The Faith War was practically an open secret among those above Legendary Tier—how could Thorne not know?
Still, she didn't dare probe, instead explaining patiently.
"When you formally join a faction, their deity's approval is required. If you harbor another faith, the deity will sense it instantly."
Thorne suddenly understood why the elves were so at ease with him. They didn't need his help yet—when they did, they'd force a test. A suspected Legendary Tier being wasn't much to them.
"Are there no faithless beings in this world?"
As an educated modern man, Thorne didn't believe in gods.
"Of course there are, just not many. Without faith, you lack divine protection, making cultivation far harder—even survival becomes an issue."
Shelley gazed at the sky, sighing softly.
Thorne realized he'd never noticed Shelley's faith. She'd used light, wind, and water magic—hard to pin down her deity.
Could she be one of those faithless ones she mentioned?
He wondered but didn't ask. Everyone had secrets; prying would only breed resentment.
"Sir, may I leave now? My injuries haven't healed, and fighting has worsened them. Without treatment soon, recovery might be impossible."
Shelley asked pitifully, cautiously.
Thorne paused, sensing her dire condition.
Fine. She's helped me plenty—time to repay her.
His Blessing had cooled down. Though not optimal for Shelley, it was better than nothing.
"Use Blessing."
A gentle white light bathed Shelley. She instinctively flinched, but the moment it touched her, a warm familiarity drew her in.
Last time, she'd received it unconscious. Now, awake, it felt like a mother's embrace—so comforting.
Her physical and mental exhaustion faded; minor wounds slowly healed.
After fifteen minutes, the Blessing ended. As the light vanished, Shelley felt a pang of reluctance.
"I can only help you this much for now. Go—may we meet again."
Glancing at the lake, Shelley's emotions swirled. She recalled their first meeting and days of fighting side by side.
Bowing, she turned to leave, a strange sentiment budding. This place felt like home.
Only after walking far did she shake off that homesick feeling, inwardly cursing Thorne's cunning for nearly ensnaring her.
Unaware of her silent scolding, Thorne saw one matter resolved. It was time to assess himself and plan his next steps.
He'd intended to kill the elf behind the beast tide, earning enough points for a double upgrade to Level 9. But plans shifted—this path was closed.
Learning the Faith War's secret on the Divine Demon Continent hinted at coming bloodshed. He needed to prepare.
"A faction of my own would make things easier."
As a lake, Thorne struggled to act freely. Solo growth was too slow.
But this desert was sparsely populated. The largest beast population was elf-controlled, and the Huang Tribe was under their watch—leaving him just these dozen weaklings.
Spending a full day analyzing his environment, challenges, and options, Thorne formed a rough plan.
The Divine Demon Continent was vast. Weak as he was, he'd rarely catch major players' eyes—only figures like Blake might notice, unable to pinpoint his true nature.
His priority: build a modest faction as his proxy to deal with outsiders, recruiting obscure or struggling minor races to serve him and gather energy points.
"Where to start?"
The Huang Tribe was ideal, but they were elf-assigned to liaise with the tide, under surveillance. Post-tide survival was uncertain.
That left ordinary wild beasts as his only accessible race.
Wild beasts and magic beasts, though related, were distinct. Magic beasts were born with bloodlines, cultivating spiritual energy, while wild beasts, with thin bloodlines, couldn't—save rare cases awakening their blood under chance circumstances, evolving into magic beasts.
The tide hit wild beasts hard, but as secondary targets, their vast numbers ensured some clever ones survived. The lake's rich spiritual energy now drew many, outshining even tasty prey.
Thorne decided to test if he could awaken their bloodlines. Success would be a game-changer, letting him forge a sizable faction fast.
This would strengthen his forces—nurturing gifted beasts, refining weaker ones for points after they grew.
First, he'd screen them. Summoning the Huang Tribe, with Gordon dead, Tylen led the dozen-plus survivors.
Thorne tasked Tylen with finding strong, smart wild beasts nearby. Though the tide lingered, the elves' orders kept a kilometer radius safe, attracting many beasts.
Catching wild beasts was routine for the Huang Tribe, especially now at Mortal Tier. Mere beasts were child's play.
In half a day, they returned with dozens of carefully selected wild beasts.