Rowan sat silently upon the grand throne of the Holy See, his face an intricate mask of frustration and helplessness. His gaze, unfocused and distant, lingered on the vast chamber before him, yet his mind was a maelstrom of turbulent thoughts.
The Radiant Church was teetering on the precipice of an unprecedented catastrophe.
The divine arts had vanished—completely and utterly erased from existence.
There was only one possible explanation: the god they worshiped, the Radiant God, had fallen.
A minor deity within the pantheon of light, the Radiant God had once spread his faith across this plane, establishing his dominion through the unwavering devotion of his followers. But now, with the divine arts rendered null, the church's strength had plummeted to a mere shadow of its former glory.
The vultures were circling.
Hostile factions had caught the scent of weakness, and their ambitions stirred like embers in the wind, ready to ignite into a raging inferno.
Rowan exhaled slowly, a wry smile creeping onto his lips. It had been forty years since he first arrived in this world—a soul from another plane, once an ambitious young man from the Dragon Kingdom of Earth. He had clawed his way up through the ranks, overcoming countless trials and tribulations, until at last, he had seized the highest seat of power within the church.
And now? Now he was nothing more than a powerless husk.
The very foundation of his strength had always relied on the divinity of another. Without faith, without a god to empower him, he was weaker than even a common soldier.
How laughable.
Had he known it would come to this, he mused bitterly, perhaps he should have pursued a simpler path—taken a wife, started a family, and indulged in the pleasures of this world while he still had the chance.
Just as he was lost in regret, a crisp "Ding!" echoed in his mind.
[System detected: Host has lost the will to fight. Loading 'Marriage & Offspring Power-Up System'...]
Rowan's breath hitched. His heart pounded in his chest.
A system?
As an avid reader of transmigration novels in his past life, he knew exactly what this meant.
This was his chance.
Every protagonist with a system eventually rose to the pinnacle of power, reshaping the world as they saw fit. If fate had given him such an opportunity, how could he not grasp it with both hands?
"Ding! System initialization complete."
Rowan barely contained his excitement. "System, what are your capabilities?"
[Host will receive rewards upon marrying the system-recommended candidates and producing offspring. The greater the compatibility, the more powerful the reward.]
Rowan's mind whirred. "Are rewards based on the child's potential? Or the spouse's compatibility?"
[Both factors contribute to the evaluation. The stronger the bloodline, the greater the reward.]
A thought struck him—every transmigration novel started with a beginner's gift.
"System, do I get a starter pack?" he asked hurriedly.
[Would Host like to claim the 'Newcomer's Gift Pack'?]
"Claim it!" Rowan declared without hesitation.
[Congratulations! Host has obtained the divine art: Holy Judgment. Would you like to learn it now?]
"Learn!"
[Congratulations! Host has obtained the Radiant God's Divine Persona. Would you like to merge with it now?]
Rowan's pulse quickened. His breath came faster. This was beyond his wildest expectations.
"Merge it!" he commanded.
A torrent of divine power surged through him, fusing with every fiber of his being. Light engulfed him, illuminating the grand chamber in a resplendent glow.
When the light faded, Rowan exhaled sharply. He had ascended to the rank of a Lesser Divine Servant—still a lowly position in the divine hierarchy, yet a hundred times stronger than before.
It seemed that the Radiant God had not merely fallen but had lost his dominion across multiple planes, leaving this one as his final foothold.
From this moment onward, Rowan was no longer just a mere pope—he was the only beacon of his god's dwindling divinity.
The structure of godhood was clear:
Lesser Divine Servant, Demigod, False God, Lesser God, Intermediate God, Greater God, Supreme God, and finally, the Almighty.
Each tier had three levels: Low, Mid, and High.
Ordinarily, only Lesser Gods and above possessed divine personas and could absorb faith directly. Divine Servants and Demigods relied on their patron gods to bestow power upon them.
But Rowan was an exception.
Thanks to the system, he had obtained his own divine persona at the very first step.
Meanwhile, outside the chamber, a wave of relief swept through the ranks of the Radiant Church.
The divine arts had returned.
Although weaker than before, their resurgence was enough to reignite the faith of the people and bring stability back to the church.
Rowan clenched his fist, sensing the trickle of faith energy flowing into him.
The church's influence spanned only a single kingdom—a mere speck on the world map. If he could spread the Radiant God's faith across the entire continent, the influx of divine power would be immeasurable.
And to achieve that, he would need power.
Power that the system would grant him—through marriage and offspring.
His contemplation was interrupted by the arrival of a rotund figure, waddling into the chamber like a rolling ball of flesh.
It was Cardinal Raymond, his most trusted subordinate, the man who had played a crucial role in his rise to power.
"Your Holiness!" Raymond gasped, his chubby face alight with joy. "The divine arts have returned! Our god has not fallen! We are saved!"
Rowan cast him a measured look. "I have sensed it as well. However, our god has suffered grievous wounds. His power has weakened significantly."
Raymond's expression grew solemn. "Yes, I have noticed. The divine arts are far less potent than before. Your Holiness, what should we do next?"
Rowan's gaze turned sharp. "Immediately organize mass prayers and divine rituals to stabilize the faith of our followers. Monitor the royal family of Lann Kingdom closely. We must maintain control over this nation at all costs."
Raymond bowed deeply. "Understood. If the royal family dares to plot against us, we will replace them with more obedient rulers."
Rowan nodded approvingly. "Do what must be done. Do not hesitate."
As Raymond left to carry out his orders, a new notification echoed in Rowan's mind.
[Ding! Candidate detected: Alice, a potential Holy Maiden, possesses the 'Pure Radiance Physique.' This physique purifies negative energy, ensuring the bearer remains eternally untainted by darkness.]
[Recommendation: Host should marry Alice.]
Rowan's lips curled into a smile. The system had finally provided its first candidate.
"System," he inquired mentally, "what happens if I refuse the recommended candidate?"
[Host is free to choose. However, if Host rejects the recommendation, the system will not suggest another candidate, nor will Host receive any rewards.]
Rowan's smile froze.
So it was 'optional,' but with consequences.
Outside the grand cathedral, Alice and four other Holy Maiden candidates stood in anticipation, their eyes filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
None of them knew that fate had already chosen for them.