A week later.

Inside the chapel of the village of Soledad, a group of people was attentively listening to the mass. The priest, a middle-aged man with an increasingly pronounced bald spot, enthusiastically preached the word of God. The congregation sang, clapped, and stood up to encourage each other.

-*** *** Goddess of Charity *** *** bless us *** amen-

-Amen, Father- the group of people present said in unison.

-*** *** Key *** *** Come here-

Martin stood up and walked to the front. In the eyes of all the attendees, the priest blessed his head and gave him a drink of a greenish liquid that tasted quite bad.

“At least it tastes better than those throat medicines,” thought the young man with dark hair, making a slight bow to the audience.

He still didn’t fully understand the language, but he was starting to catch some words thanks to the help of the young girl S’wei. This was a significant improvement, as it meant he didn’t have to rely solely on the elder S’yei, who was usually busy with his duties as the village chief.

The mass ended, and Father Cole called Martin. They had met during the week through Elder S’yei, and this man could also speak and understand Spanish.

-Messenger Key, how did you find today’s mass?-

-It was quite fun and lively, Father Cole. But why did you call me to the front?-

-It was just an act of goodwill to show that you are close to us-

-Oh, I see. I hope the others can relax. I don’t have any bad intentions-

-Let’s hope that’s the case- Father Cole said with a smile on his face.

Martin looked at him strangely at the comment, but the priest started laughing and patted him on the back.

-Hahaha, it was just a joke, don’t be so tense-

“Don’t make me more anxious, you old man. I have enough with not understanding a single word and everyone looking at me with fear,” thought Martin to himself, nodding with a stupid smile on his face.

-Getting to the main issue, I found someone among my acquaintances who can help you. They speak Spanish and are not a believer of any god-

-Really? That was quick. I thought it would take more time- said the young Martin with bright eyes.

A few years ago, there was a problem with the last apostle of the god Desty. The other churches got angry and decided unanimously to ban its believers. The resentment lasted for a while until the problematic apostle died, so the other churches decided to lift the ban. However, there was no trace of the religion left.

A bad image of the god had been created, and the population did not look kindly upon matters related to this. For this reason, no one in the village wanted to help Martin except for Chief S’yei and the young S’wei.

-They will arrive in about two days when the blue star moves two tam-

-I understand, Father. Thank you for your help- with a slight bow, Martin left the chapel and went for a walk under the night sky.

The village was quite small, with a total population not exceeding 200 inhabitants. In about 10 minutes, one could cross from one end to the other. The houses were simple and made of rocky materials, with no luxuries. Unlike his world, here the night lasted several days, and people measured time by the movement of the blue star. A “tam” was equivalent to 24 Earth hours, a rather curious fact for Martin, as they used the Earth’s scale for their day-to-day activities.

“Damn, I haven’t made any progress at all. I don’t have any system or special power. What kind of poorly made isekai is this?” while eating a sulfur scorpion sandwich, Martin reflected on his available options. Thanks to Father Cole, he learned about the gods of this world and divine powers.

Father Cole could exert sacred power to heal diseases and minor injuries. If a patient’s condition worsened, they had to refer them to the capital, where other priests with more experience and skill could treat them. Therefore, each priest had the task of acting as a doctor.

On the other hand, there were 10 gods present in the world, of which 7 wielded sacred power and the remaining 3 wielded ethereal power. Martin did not want to keep asking to avoid being exposed. He did not know what ethereal power was or who the 10 gods were. So far, he only knew 3 gods.

-God Desty, at least give me a sign or something. I don’t know my purpose or why you gave me this opportunity- Martin spoke softly, hoping for some response from this god. He felt a strange familiarity and was sure that this “being” was the one who revived him and sent him to this world.

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After speaking softly without a response and under the gaze of the bright, starry night, Martin distractedly observed the horizon where hundreds of torches were visible. They were sulfur extraction posts where people earned their living. He had seen dozens of men leave and return during the week. They sold the sulfur in the villages and paid a certain amount as a tax to the churches due to the “benevolence of the gods” since they blessed the land and distributed the riches.

Martin found the situation amusing. The church charged a tax for extracting sulfur, which supposedly the goddess herself had distributed to the population. But as a foreigner, he said nothing about it. He himself was a “messenger” of a little-loved god.

-Hello, Key- a soft and cheerful voice came from a nearby alley.

-Hello, S’wei- Martin replied while waving his hand in greeting.

-Umm… Father Cole, what want?- S’wei had learned some Spanish thanks to the teachings of Chief S’yei and Father Cole. However, she had not had the opportunity to practice it until Martin’s arrival, who over the days grew closer to the little girl who reminded him of his sister.

-He found me a guide and assistant to go to the capital-

-You go soon?- S’wei asked with a sad tone.

-In 2 tam- Martin replied while pointing to the starry sky.

-Why?-

-Hmm… let’s say God is waiting for me-

-Ah… bad God- said the little S’wei with a pout.

“Pretty bad and incompetent, I don’t even know anything about it,” Martin agreed in his mind with the little girl.

-Don’t say those things, S’wei. Be a good girl-

-Bad God, bad Key- S’wei replied while sticking her tongue out at Martin.

-Hahaha, I have to go study magic, just like you study Spanish-

-Magic?- with a face full of confusion, little S’wei reflected for a moment, then, as if understanding something, stretched out her hand, and a small flame ignited, illuminating the space between her and Martin.

-What is that?- Martin shouted incredulously at the situation that took him by surprise.

“This girl just summoned fire out of nowhere. That’s magic. I knew it… that damn priest was hiding things from me,” Father Cole only spoke to him about sacred power and never mentioned anything about magic.

-Not magic, fire. Magic there- S’wei said while pointing to the chapel.

-Does the Father use magic?- Martin asked, trying to understand the situation.

-Yes, Father magic- the little girl raised both arms and began to pray as if she were the priest.

“I see, for her, sacred power and miracles are magic,” Martin quickly understood what the girl was saying.

-Can you teach me?- with a face full of anticipation, young Martin was euphoric about this discovery.

-You no, fire mine- the little dark-skinned girl responded with a pout.

-Hmm, how can I have my own fire?-

-Form soul, have fire- S’wei responded while pointing to herself.

“Damn, I don’t understand anything,” Martin thought.

-How do you form the soul?-

-Soul alone, just wait-

-How long?-

-12 years… S’wei be little slow- the little girl scratched her head with embarrassment while smiling shyly.

“Don’t screw with me, that’s too long. I guess someone fast must be about 8 years. I can’t wait that long to summon a damn fireball… at least I know the first step now. Maybe forming that soul is like creating your Qi or magic core as I’ve seen in some anime,” while forming a plan, the little S’wei watched Martin’s face intently, often staying silent and thinking deeply about things.

-Talk God?-

-No, S’wei. I was just thinking about how to form my soul faster. I have an idea about it-

-I help!- the little girl said animatedly.

-Okay, explain to me step by step how you make the fire-

-Feel strange, heat in me, fire appear-

Martin watched the little girl intently, simply faking a smile while thinking that S’wei was an idiot.

-I understand, S’wei. Thanks. Now I’ll go back to my house and practice-

-Okay, tomorrow again- the little dark-skinned girl smiled and left for the village. Even though it was completely dark, it was barely midday.

“What a silly girl… I guess she can manifest her power innately and doesn’t need to think about it. Should I mentally focus and feel the mana?” With this question in mind, Martin arrived at his house, which was lent by the village chief. It was located on the outskirts of the village, probably due to the rejection there was for the god Desty.

Sitting on a bed of straw and animal skins, Martin crossed his legs and assumed a pose

similar to that used by cultivators in the Chinese novels he read.

“Put your mind blank…”

“Feel the mana in the environment…”

“Circulate the energy through your meridians…”

“Accumulate power in your lower region…”

“Form a magic core…”

Hours passed, and the night grew deeper. The village activity decreased, and the bustling crowd dispersed. Martin was trying different methods he had read and seen in his previous life, but none worked.

“AAAAHHHH! Nothing works! What the hell should I do? S’wei is of zero help right now. The rest of the inhabitants avoid me, and the priest gives me a bad vibe…” feeling frustrated and irritated, Martin stood up and went for a walk. The hours sitting cross-legged had numbed his lower half, and he needed to stretch.

“I feel too lonely in this world. I hate it. There are no comforts or anything fun. People live precariously, and the church deceives them… maybe I should wait patiently for Father Cole’s acquaintance,” lost in thought, Martin wandered off the village on a dirt path into the desert, which had a yellowish-green color, unlike the deserts he remembered.

A cold wind blew through the dunes, lifting dust while the temperature dropped constantly, causing Martin to shiver and snap out of his reverie, realizing he had wandered away from the village.

-Uhh, I wandered off without realizing it, but at least the village is still visible- said the young dark-haired man, whose hair was messy due to the strong winds.

-It’s better to return quickly; the gusts are too cold- turning to head back, he saw something black sticking out of the sand.

Martin cautiously approached and observed from a safe distance. Seeing no signs of activity, he took a few steps and began to unearth the black object. Seconds passed, and a claw became visible.

-A sulfur scorpion, I hadn’t seen them in their entirety- the young dark-haired man only knew these animals in sandwich form.

As he continued digging, he saw the head and stinger of the sulfur scorpion, which seemed to be the size of an average dog on Earth. A sting could be lethal.

“I’m sure this is how they are in Australia,” a smile formed on Martin’s face.