Chapter 260: Storm of Providence
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With how huge that pillar of light was, it's more challenging to not see it instead of noticing it.
Everybody couldn't help but look at it; it's as if there's a strange force compelling them to witness this very moment, urging them to etch this sight in their memories and never forget about it.
As the light dimmed just a bit, a few people could make out a silhouette of an enormous eastern dragon. It was majestic, noble, and radiated a mystical prowess—one that's not easily understood. It's form was in between reality and illusion. It released a soft snort before lifting its head and opening its maws.
Roar!!!
A resounding roar shook the souls of all who heard it. This isn't a roar of rage or wrath. It's a roar brought forth by freedom, revival, and recovery. It contained excitement, happiness, and righteous fury.
The Dragon of Providence stayed within the domain of humanity, and the people who saw it couldn't help but feel awe upon looking at it.
With a slight movement, it then flew all over humanity's territory, leaving behind a curtain of aurora in its wake before disappearing completely.
Just as people began wondering where it was, a crisp sound of thunder caught them by surprise. The wind kicked up, and a few droplets of rain began falling.
There were no clouds whatsoever; this rain came from the aurora above them. And as soon as it started, it didn't take long for it to turn into a proper storm.
[Alert! Alert! Alert! ]
[The Origin Energy Storm is happening. The system highly encourages everyone to bathe in it while maintaining order.]
[Reminder: This is an equal opportunity for everybody. Your gains will depend on your luck.]
The follow-up notice was nice and all, but in truth, only a handful of people noticed it. That's because the majority are already immersing themselves in the rain.
Wherever you look, you'll see people sitting down and basking in the fierce storm fearlessly. Some were standing up, some were lying down—young, old, somewhere in between—no matter what position they're comfortable with or how old they were, they enjoyed the bountiful storm of blessings raining down on them.
The raging storm, the crisp sound of thunder, and sightings of lightning were all welcomed by humans. They embraced it with open arms and let it increase their innate providence.
They felt the changes within. It's as if something within the very depths of being clicked was finally complete—like, they retrieved something that's always been missing. The feeling left a complex sensation for them, but they're going to have to deal with that later because there were other things that needed their immediate attention.
The fortune people received up front varied greatly; some broke through the bottlenecks of their potential, leveling up a couple of times in a row or even reaching the next tier or realm of power scaling.
Some gained epiphanies—enlightenment that allowed them to improve their skills or law comprehension.
Those who were blessed with a unique physique, such as Garrick Stoneheart, who had the Indestructible Vajra Body, experienced a heavenly change. He could feel his body changing and his strength elevating into something quite incomprehensible. His heartbeat roared in his ears, and his skin turned a deeper shade of tan with a faint diamond sheen, which also appeared in his muscles and bones.
He never thought that his physique could evolve even further, yet here it was.
The rain of fortune also blessed those who had really high aptitude ratings; Isabella Frostwind felt changes happening within her too.
As she sat on the roof of an isolated house, her body released pulses of cold air, which turned into snowflakes that hovered around her. Within her perception, she saw her blood cells seemingly turning into crimson snowflakes as they coursed through her body. A cold and piercing clarity followed it, causing her to momentarily feel as if she had transcended.
A pure white ice lotus bloomed beneath her, making her look like a true fairy. Subconsciously, she knew that she had awakened some kind of physique, similar to Garrick. She just doesn't know what it is for now. Nevertheless, it was a good thing.
Chrissy and Erica also greatly benefited.
Erica was inside an isolated chamber with an open ceiling, allowing the rain to pour down on her. She was sitting in the middle of it; her entire body was soaking wet, but it didn't phase her. Her focus was on the changes happening within her.
A faint mark appeared on her palms, taking the shape of a horseshoe on the left and a cursive lower-case letter 'a' on the right. Her body was releasing buzzing waves of light that wrapped around her like a cocoon.
Chrissy, on the other hand, was lying on a pool of murky and bubbling substances. Like Erica, she's also experiencing a great change within her, one that she doesn't understand completely just yet.
Purple veins could be seen all over her body. They pulsed visibly, seemingly absorbing the pool of miasma around her. A streak of black smears appeared like tearstains on her face, and a black rose blossomed on her chest. Despite these visible changes, Chrissy remained in her peaceful slumber.
Like what was mentioned earlier, the changes brought by the rain of fortune varied from person to person. It depended on their innate luck, aptitude, and accumulation. This isn't to say that this was the end of it, though.
Unbeknownst to everybody, that missing piece they never knew existed, which was finally returned to them, was in fact the seed of providence. It's a mystical force that will change their lives moving forward.
Just because some people didn't experience a huge change during the Origin Energy Storm doesn't mean that this is as far as they went. As they continue on their path, the seed of providence within them will eventually bloop and allow them to fulfill their fate and destiny.
This is the mystical force that has been missing from humanity—the very thing that the Demon Race has been suppressing through their corruption.
As for the person who caused all of this, he's still within the depths of the cave.
A peaceful and serene smile graced his handsome face as he witnessed everything that's happening to his people.
He didn't mind the fact that he's actually missing the chance to gain some benefits for himself. To him, seeing and knowing that he made this much contribution to his race was more than enough to make him happy.
Cedric was still paying attention to the leylines. Despite freeing humanity's providence, he remained attentive to his original purpose here.
Fortunately, he didn't fail. He's now witnessing the lively pulse of the spiritual vein in front of him. He could feel its vigor and the changes it was making.
Others might not sense it, but he could. The quality and quantity of energy and mystical forces around him were increasing exponentially as minutes passed by.
This, in addition to the great changes that the Origin Energy Storm brought, caused life to flourish. In the near future, humans will feel more energized, and their innate longevity will be extended. The future generation will be stronger than the old. Crops will be abundant; some will even mutate into rare treasures.
Geniuses will experience more epiphanies, contributing greatly to humanity's effort to resist the horde of demons.
And more importantly, hope will never fade again. There will always be people who will inherit the spirit of heroism and become beacons that will lead humanity into a brighter tomorrow.
This isn't Cedric waving the white flag; he's not giving up just yet. He will continue improving and fighting as long as he's still alive. But just in case he ultimately fails in the end, at the very least, humanity's future is secured this way.
Swoosh!
Cedric blinked in surprise as he felt a sudden breeze of wind. Then something materialized before him.
It's a female spirit, as he noticed from its appearance. Her facial features were blurry. All he knows is that she's wearing a long dress that fluttered as she moved.
"You are..."
"Thank you, child."
A voice that sounded like the faintest whisper flowed in his ears, causing him to involuntarily sigh dreamily.
The spirit fluttered towards him and placed her hand on his face, caressing it gently like a mother inspecting her child.
A smile appeared on Cedric's face as he subconsciously avoided her gaze, even though he couldn't see her eyes.
"It's what I should do," he humbly replied.
"And I can't leave such actions and efforts unrewarded. You, of all people, deserve this just as much as the rest do."
Cedric wanted to argue that he's already fortunate enough; he obtained the godking's eyes, which turned his life around; he didn't do more than this.
But before he could say anything, the spirit brought her face close to him and planted a kiss on his forehead. A sigh left Cedric's lips as he immediately fell into a deep slumber.
As he curled into a peaceful sleep, the spirit brushed the stray hairs away from his face and said:
"This world and its people are incredibly lucky to have you."