Chapter Seventy-Two: God Is in Heaven and I Am on Earth

"You may ask your question now, Lady Vannikampbell."

Adam had never considered himself a deity, nor did he ever affect divinity in his tone.

To Adam’s mind, the very notion of gods was misplaced in this world.

If possessing great power alone made one a god, then was godhood not far too cheap a thing?

If there truly must be a god in this world, then it could only be his magnificent father.

Thus, Adam, by nature composed and steady, would never pretend to be a so-called god.

He was simply a fortunate being, one who happened to be favored by his father.

He should have been as ordinary as these humans, perhaps even less, if not for his father’s blessing.

That was the source of his power and position now.

Having examined the nature of his own existence, Adam was all the more certain of his place.

So, even when Ji Yu left him to handle these so-called believers who revered him, Adam never once regarded himself as divine, much less aspired to be.

For Adam held a god in his own heart.

One so near, so benevolent.

Adam’s demeanor was remarkably close to Vannikampbell’s ideal, even to the current Druidic conception of divinity.

And so, at this moment, Vannikampbell grew all the more reverent and devout.

She did not presume upon Adam’s gentleness; rather, it made her all the more formal and pious.

For before her, the Oak Adam was her god, the sole object of her faith.

Amid this devotion, Vannikampbell calmed her excitement, steadying herself.

At last, she raised her head slightly, careful not to gaze directly at her object of faith, and asked with the humility of a seeker:

“Your Grace, forgive my ignorance. There are so many questions in my heart, I hardly know where to begin.”

“So, if you would, I beg you to grant me and all your followers some measure of guidance.”

At that moment, Vannikampbell embodied the posture of a student; her humility and wisdom only increased Adam’s appreciation.

“Is that so?” Adam smiled, then cast his gaze over those present.

He saw Barton’s devotion, Simon’s confusion, and the curiosity, wonder, and questions in everyone’s eyes.

At length, Adam sighed and spoke.

“If I could, I would tell you everything. Yet I, too, am ignorant of much in this world, and so I do not know what I should tell you.”

“You do not know either?” Vannikampbell’s face was full of disbelief.

She was not alone in this; all those who heard Adam’s words wore similar expressions of doubt, confusion, and uncertainty.

Adam was not disturbed by their skepticism; rather, he continued,

“Yes, I, too, do not know.”

“Perhaps you see me as a god, but I do not consider myself one. There is only one god in this world, and there can be only one.”

“There is only one god?”

Everyone was bewildered. The impact of that statement was immense.

Could it be that even an entity such as the Mysterious Tree was not a god? Or was godhood itself something abstract, never meant to exist in this world?

But the Mysterious Tree had said that there was a god, and only one.

Was this a sign of something greater?

At this, the spectators from Xiyo grew visibly excited.

Who could say why they were so thrilled? Adam certainly paid their emotions no mind.

Vannikampbell reined in her wandering thoughts and, maintaining her composure, asked:

“Your Grace, forgive me for my ignorance, but may I ask: to whom do you refer when you speak of God?”

Such a question bordered on blasphemy.

At least in mysticism and theology, this was not a question one ought to ask; yet Vannikampbell asked it.

Everyone waited expectantly, hoping for some great revelation.

But this time, Adam would disappoint them.

For his openness did not mean he would say everything.

After gazing deeply at Vannikampbell, he answered with deliberate meaning,

“I am never in the heavens, nor do I dwell in a divine realm. I am nature; I exist with life, and I strive against death.”

“God is in the heavens. As for me, I am upon the earth.”

With that final line, Adam had spoken almost as a philosopher.

To those who heard him, however, his words held another meaning.

“God is in the heavens, and I am upon the earth?”

Vannikampbell’s face lit with admiration.

The Mysterious Tree was truly learned; this alone made Vannikampbell feel greater reverence for it than ever before.

“He is God—he simply does not see himself as such.”

That was how Vannikampbell understood Adam’s words.

And this realization made her feel that if there were any other gods in the world, they should be as the Mysterious Tree was.

Her heart ought to have been calm, yet she felt only more fervor and excitement.

At that moment, Adam could sense the shift in her emotions.

He had nothing to say to this.

Humans were, indeed, a species prone to their own imaginings.

Adam sighed, but did not wish to dwell further upon the subject; he believed these humans would one day witness his father’s power.

Then they would know what a true god was.

So, seeing the increasingly sincere looks in the eyes of those around him—as if Vannikampbell’s devotion was infectious—Adam took the initiative to change the subject.

He said,

“Though I know little, I may be able to tell you something of the Purple Moon, if that is what concerns you.”

“The Purple Moon?”

At Adam’s words, the previously fervent crowd suddenly grew quiet, waiting for what he would say next.

After all, they had seen the terror of the Purple Moon for themselves. For their safety, and for the hope of gaining hidden knowledge, all fell silent, listening intently.

Adam saw this, and continued gently,

“The Purple Moon—you may see it as a herald of the world’s end, but to me, is it not also a trial before the coming of dawn?”

“The coming of the Purple Moon brings destruction, yes, but it has also drawn the attention of a merciful god.”

“My awakening, or perhaps my birth, is the best proof of this. And I am not the only one to have emerged in this world—what else has appeared, you must discover for yourselves.”

“Such is the meaning of life.”

“So, in the days ahead, I urge you all to let your brilliance shine. The god will watch over you, as he watches over me.”

“This is the grace of the divine, and of my great father…”

His final words lingered, half blessing, half sigh.

And with that, the conversation ended, leaving the mortals present in silence and contemplation.