The fleet, laden with supplies and devout believers of Linley, sailed slowly towards the port under the gentle breeze, finally anchoring at the dock. The believers, stepping onto this land for the first time, cheered with joy, as if they had discovered a paradise.
At this time, the Isle of Dionysus was lush with greenery, its entire surface covered with sturdy vines of Dionysian grapes, save for the rocks. The welcoming believers sang hymns of praise, expressing their adoration for Linley.
As the ship came to a stop, the unloading began immediately. Grain, salt meat, cloth, medicine, and tools, all manner of goods, were quickly carried off the ship, instantly filling the narrow dock.
As the sun rose, its rays bathed the island, causing the Dionysian grapes to sparkle. Under the sunlight, the clusters of small, crystal-clear grapes hung from the vines, like gems.
Among the grapevines, many goats strolled leisurely. They were noticeably fatter than when they first met Linley, their diet having been significantly improved. Previously, they had to forage for weeds and shrubs in the mountains, but now they feast on the grapevines and leaves, a far richer diet.
Linley returned to the temple. There had not been any rain in the past few days, so the water level had dropped slightly, though it was still plentiful. Linley dived into the water, and Pandora was already waiting for him at the bottom.
Linley smiled at her. A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
This trip had consumed a great deal of Linley's divine power, especially during his confrontation with the angel, when he had poured nearly all his divine power into the slingshot. However, on the Isle of Andros, surrounded by enemies on all sides, he had been forced to endure, unable to rest.
Fortunately, many new believers had brought with them new faith power, allowing Linley to hold out until he returned to the Isle of Dionysus. This is why, despite having united the Isle of Andros, Linley had not chosen to engage in a decisive battle with the Roman fleet. The Isle of Andros had a weak foundation and a low fighting force, and Linley himself was exhausted. Another major battle, and he feared he wouldn't survive.
After an unknown amount of time, Linley awoke to find himself in his divine realm. The vineyard here was even more extensive, and a large section of the fog had dissipated. He could faintly see people working in the distance, but he was unable to approach them or see their faces clearly.
The house in the center of the vineyard was even more magnificent, even possessing an archway. Sunlight streamed through the archway, illuminating the vine-woven chairs, rivaling the temple of Zeus on Andros.
Linley sat on a vine-woven chair, and countless voices reached his ears.
"Dionysus, I praise you. Our Isle of Dionysus is becoming more prosperous by the day."
"Dionysus, it's been a long time since I've had a drink. When will we be able to drink our fill? The rainwater is starting to stink."
"Thank you, Dionysus, for bringing us to this land of freedom. Thank you for making us free people… However, Dionysus, this island seems to have no produce. How will we sustain ourselves in the future?"
"Dionysus, I regret it somewhat. Would it have been better to stay on the Isle of Andros? At least there we had houses to live in. Here, we don't even have enough houses, and we have to live in rock crevices. What will we do if it rains?"
These were all the prayers of the believers. Currently, there were about a thousand people on the island who were believers of Linley. The others remained unaware that Dionysus had died and Linley had taken his place as the god of wine.
If everyone knew Linley's identity, the prayers would constantly reach his divine realm. Linley didn't need to respond to every prayer, but if the believers did not receive a response for a long time, their faith might decrease.
However, responding one by one was inefficient. Was there a more efficient way?
"Sure, you can choose how you like to present the prayers of your followers and respond to them," the system said.
"The way I like?" Linley's mind stirred, and a chat screen appeared before him. The followers' prayers became voice messages, and he could also reply with messages.
This method was not only more intuitive but also avoided the jumble of voices. So he pulled all the followers into a group called "Followers" and posted an announcement: "Rest assured, the Island of the Wine God will get better and better."
The followers responded enthusiastically, their messages brimming with gratitude and emotion: "The Dionysus responded to me!" "Great, great!" "I will persevere!"
Linley's simple words sparked a profound emotional response in his followers, a testament to the very essence of divine power. However, Linley's power was still limited, the number of followers was small, and the power of faith was insufficient, which led to his relatively weak divine power.
After replying to the followers' prayers, Linley noticed a new system notification: "Task: Train an animal as a mount."
"Train?" Linley asked, puzzled.
"This is the main mission and it has to be done." The system answers.
"I am the god of wine not the god of animals, what animals to train?" Linley said angrily.
"Trust me, the tasks I give you are all necessary for you." The system responds firmly.
Linley looks around, finds nothing new, and quits the kingdom of God to return to the divine realm. He found himself still in the water, being held in Pandora's arms.
"Why are you here?" Linley quickly stood up.
"I see you have been sleeping for several days, and I am worried." Pandora explained.
"Nothing, I just slept a little longer." Linley said, "Thank God you sounded the alarm in time, otherwise we would have been blocked in the harbor by the Roman fleet."
Although the Nemo had lookouts on duty, it was too late when they spotted the Roman fleet. While the Nemo might have made a timely escape, the merchant ships in the harbor were doomed.
"This is what I should do," Pandora said.
Speaking of which, thanks to your tears, I killed an angel with them," Linley said.
"An angel?" Pandora asked in confusion.
"An angel of Holiness," Linley took out his grapevine slingshot and showed it to Pandora, "I killed an angel with this slingshot."
"That's great, it's a pity I can't cry at will," Pandora said happily.
She excitedly swam around in the water a few times, then stopped and suggested, "Why don't you beat me, Lord, beat me until I cry."
"Didn't you say it wouldn't work?" Linley remembered that Pandora had said so.
"It definitely won't work if someone else beats me, but it's different when it's you. When I was a child, my father spanked me, and it hurt so much that I would cry," Pandora said a little embarrassed.