Starting Out As The God of Beasts

A soft, golden chime echoed directly within Roy’s origin core, followed by a sequence of pristine, floating text that materialized before his vision:

[Congratulations, Player Varanus]

[You have surpassed the 10,000 Follower milestone]

[Follower Count: 15,586]

[You have reached the required number to ascend into a True God]

[Would you like to ascend?]

[Yes] / [No]

Roy strolled through the wide, bustling thoroughfares of the Holy City, disguised in a simple cloak that concealed his divine majesty.

Looking at the floating prompt, a faint, amused smile touched his lips.

"So I was really given an option, huh?" he murmured quietly to himself.

Around him, the Imperial Capital was practically bursting with vibrant, prosperous life.

The central marketplace—a massive expanse constructed from smooth Varanite blocks—was packed with merchants, craftsmen, and citizens from every corner of the newly unified realm.

Shops and stalls lined the stone avenues, doing roaring business under the watchful eyes of the city guard.

Traders weighed and exchanged mana cores harvested by the thousands from slain Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, and Goblins during the border campaigns.

Butcher shops displayed fresh, high-energy meat harvested from wild Beast-stage F-class Abominations, feeding a growing population of robust beastmen.

While luxury trade like rare jewelry was currently exempted from heavy regulation, strict laws prevailed: killing another citizen for mana cores or resources carried an absolute death penalty.

Order was absolute.

Roy looked back at the system window hovering before his eyes.

He raised his hand, hovering his clawed finger over the glowing [Yes] icon.

The temptation was undeniably immense.

To ascend meant stepping into the absolute hierarchy of the universe, unlocking the full, terrifying potential of a True Deity.

Yet, he drew his hand back and let the notification remain pending.

Ascending now meant abandoning the mortal plane.

Under celestial law, a True God could no longer casually walk among mortals without triggering cosmic interference.

It was simply too early.

He still had nine full years left on his mortal clock, and he had no intention of wasting a single second of that grace period.

To make the most of this time, Roy had already laid down a silent, monumental foundation for the kingdom’s future.

Not long ago, he had quietly accessed the Divine Market, burning a significant portion of his divine reserves to acquire two highly specialized graded relics.

The first was a space-time relic capable of local temporal acceleration; the second was a divine fertility relic designed to drastically enhance divine vigor, quicken gestation, and guarantee multiple healthy births.

Roy had subtly embedded both relics deep within the foundations of Saint Jarden’s Cathedral.

The divine influence radiated silently throughout the city.

Expectant beastman mothers who came to the Cathedral to offer prayers to Lord Varanus were subtly touched by the relics’ lingering warmth.

Under this divine influence, what normally took months of pregnancy was condensed into a few short, painless weeks.

Furthermore, almost every birth resulted in healthy quadruplets or even quintuplets.

The temporal relic then gently accelerated the growth rate of the newborns, allowing infants to mature into strong, healthy youths in a fraction of the natural time—all without stripping away a single day of their natural lifespans.

The moment a child reached the ripe age of eighteen, the relic’s influence naturally faded, leaving behind a fully developed adult.

Through this hidden mechanism, Roy was rapidly multiplying the kingdom’s population and military baseline without taking any overt, suspicious actions.

To the citizens, it was simply accepted as the miraculous, loving grace of Lord Varanus.

"Master Jarden."

A familiar, sharp voice pulled Roy from his thoughts.

Duchess Alisa materialized silently behind him in the crowded alley, her cloak pulled low. She bowed her head respectfully.

"The Dukes have gathered," Alisa reported in a low tone. "The Supreme Assembly is ready for your presence."

Roy nodded, closing the floating system interface with a flick of his mind. "Lead the way."

A few minutes later, the heavy metallic doors of the assembly hall clanged open.

Roy walked into the cavernous chamber, his crimson wolf-man form radiating a quiet, collected majesty.

Alisa followed half a step behind him.

Looking across the grand obsidian table, Roy noted that every seat was now filled.

At the far end sat Duke Attaris Etho, his dark feather-mantle draped over sleek armor, looking every bit the proud ruler of the Sixth Duchy.

The moment Roy stepped onto the raised dais, every single Duke pushed back their stone chairs and rose to their feet in unison, bowing deeply.

"Hail the Apostle of the God of Beasts!"

Roy moved to the head of the table, took his seat, and casually waved his hand.

"Sit."

The nobles took their seats without a sound, their eyes locked on him with undivided attention.

Roy looked across the council, his gold-flecked eyes lingering on each face. "I commend every one of you for your speed, efficiency, and dedication during the unification.

Through your efforts, the entire region now stands united under the banner of the God of Beasts."

He paused, his voice deepening as he delivered a royal decree. "And according to the direct will of Lord Varanus, the name ’Hudeii’ shall exist no longer.

From this day forth, this land shall be known across the world as the Varanial Region—an independent, sovereign domain under the supreme divine protection of the God of Beasts."

A quiet murmur of pride swept through the assembly.

The shame of being known as a desolate, forgotten desert was erased forever.

"Now," Roy continued, folding his hands over the table. "Give me a full report on our internal progress."

Grand Chancellor Manuses adjusted his spectacles, standing up with a leather-bound ledger in hand.

"Lord Jarden," Manuses began respectfully.

"Thanks entirely to the overwhelming grace of Lord Varanus, the total registered population of the Varanial Region has officially passed fifteen thousand citizens.

Furthermore, based on our current demographic growth rates, we project our numbers to reach over one hundred thousand within the next five years."

Manuses turned a page, his eyes shining with administrative excitement. "To accommodate this rapid explosion, urban expansion is proceeding at maximum speed. Streets, housing sectors, and administrative centers are being built daily.

The secondary nobility framework is settling smoothly; Baronies, Viscounties, and Counties are being finalized across all six Duchies."

"On the military and economic fronts," Manuses continued, "our scouts and hunters are actively capturing and taming wild Beast-stage F-class Abominations. The weaker beasts are utilized for agricultural farming and meat production, while the stronger specimens are being trained for logistics and cavalry.

Furthermore, our mining sectors are harvesting and mass-producing high-density Varanite and ultra-rare Varanium at an unprecedented rate. It is a golden age, Lord Jarden."

Roy nodded slowly, a satisfied expression settling on his crimson features. "This is precisely the progress I expect from this council.

Excellent work, Grand Chancellor."

"I merely serve the kingdom, my Lord," Manuses bowed before settling back into his chair.

"That concludes my primary report for today."

Roy looked around the table. "Does anyone else have anything to bring forth?"

Silence held for a brief second before Duchess Alisa cleared her throat softly.

All eyes turned toward her as she stood up from her seat, retrieving a tightly sealed, official parchment stamped with a black wax emblem..

"What is it, Alisa?" Roy asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Alisa walked forward and respectfully handed the document across the obsidian table directly to Roy.

"Mandraxx has summarized our intelligence network’s preliminary investigation," Alisa announced, her voice turning grim and sharp.

"Regarding the Ten Continents..."