Kashi turned and looked up at Drixali. With a sly grin, he announced, "What do you think about becoming a god?"

In response to Kashi's query, Drixali solemnly bowed his head and replied, "It would be my honor."

"Good," Kashi acknowledged with a satisfied nod. But then, after a brief pause, he looked at the centaur demon and sheepishly questioned, "How do I make you a god again?"

Drixali raised his head and silently stared at the daeben. Even though he did not say anything, Kashi could tell from the centaur's gaze that Drixali was currently judging him.

Luckily, Kashi's embarrassment did not last too long, his dignity saved by a new system prompt.

Kashi examined the prompt with marked interest. He assumed that the reason Sentry and Nature gods were the only ones available was because his world was currently still too small. Perhaps, as the world grew bigger and more stable, more god systems would be introduced.

Kashi shook his head, returning his thoughts to the matter at hand. He had a choice to make. Appoint Drixali as a god, and lose the ability to summon it to the real world for battle, or wait until he found another candidate. He decided to proceed with Drixali's god confirmation.

If the circumstances were different, Kashi would definitely have chosen to wait until after the upcoming battle to appoint Drixali. The centaur demon was a true powerhouse, who was constantly getting stronger with each passing day, making him a valuable war asset. Unfortunately, Kashi knew that Savi would not approve of the bank if he did not appoint Drixali as a god.

With his mind made up, Kashi selected the Sentry God option, after which he received a prompt requesting the candidate's name. Kashi paused for a moment and then looked at Drixali. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, master," The centaur demon affirmed with a nod, and then confessed, "I have not made this choice solely out of loyalty, but for myself as well. Every living being wishes to one day become a god. Immortal, infallible, and worshipped by many." Drixali gazed at the vast expanse of land below them as he continued, "This world may be small now; its inhabitants few and far between. But I truly believe that one day this world will grow to heights never before seen, with millions, no Billions of inhabitants. It is for that future, I wish to do this."

Kashi smiled and then said, "Alright. As you wish." With that, he tapped on the prompt and chose, "Drixali, I hereby appoint you as Sentry to my inner world..." He paused, trying to think up a name, and then finally settled on, "Orez."

BOOM!

An explosive pillar of light burst out of the heavens and struck Drixali, forcing Kashi to take several steps back. Countless light orbs rose from the centaurs in the plains and then rushed into the pillar, being swallowed at an extremely greedy pace.

Kashi did not know how, but he instinctively understood these to be seeds of faith that powered a god's strength. The more 'faith' power a god collected, the stronger he or she became. The daeben watched as Drixali was lifted high into the sky, the spectacle drawing the attention of every living being in Orez.

The centaurs instinctively clasped their hands and then bowed in prayer. Xafier and the dwarfs looked upon the scene with reverence. Drixali might not be their god, but they could feel the saintly aura pervading the entire world. They thus bowed their heads in respect to the appointment of this new god.

Vwooosh!

The pillar suddenly exploded, sending a massive gale flying in every direction. Kashi shielded his eyes from the wind as he marveled at the figure floating in the sky.

Drixali always had a regal look and demeanor, but all of that paled in comparison to the majestic centaur god above. The Sentry god's features were more angled and sharp, giving off a dangerous vibe that scared any potential dissidents. His horns were longer, curved and much sharper. Most impressively, however, was the new suit of beast-skin armor he donned. The primal armor added an air of ancient regality and aggression to the god.

Drixali took a moment to admire his new form, then immediately galloped down to the branch where Kashi stood. Upon seeing his master, the Sentry god bowed his head in solemnity as he said, "Thank you for this honor, Master. I will forever be grateful."

"No worries. It's an equivalent exchange," Kashi said with a laugh. "Also, you're a god now. Lose the master and just call me Kashi." Before Drixali could protest, Kashi reasoned, "Think about it. Will you have faith in a god that calls someone master?" Kashi walked over and patted the sentry god's flank, "Let's do it for those that believe in us, alright?"

Drixali hesitated, but then said with a smile, "As you wish, Kashi."

"Great!" Kashi said and then pointed at a barren mountain range some distance away. "Now, let's go test something I've been meaning to try."

Drixali did not understand what Kashi meant, but he followed the daeben to the mountain range.

The daeben stopped above the smallest mountain which was just over thirty meters taller than its surroundings. "Mm," Kashi nodded as he descended onto the mountain. "This should do the trick."

Drixali landed on the rocky mountain and glanced around at the barren landscape. "What are you trying to do, mas—" Catching Kashi's glare, he instantly corrected, "Kashi?"

Kashi knelt on the ground and said as he placed his hands on the mountaintop, "If I have the highest authority in this world, then it stands to reason I can do whatever the other gods can, right?"

Drixali nodded. "It should be so, yes."

"Well then, let's put that to the test, shall we?" Kashi proposed, and then shouted with an excited grin, "Grow!"

Grururururu...

Drixali stumbled as the mountain beneath his feet began to violently shake. The sentry god looked at Kashi with shock and question in his eyes as he asked, "What is happening!?"

"I'm building," Kashi answered as he rose to his feet. Drixali's stunned response never made it out as several columns, pillars and walls suddenly shot out of the ground. Kashi and Drixali took the skies, watching as rocks rose from the earth, unnaturally bending at certain places until a large, stone dome appeared on the mountain.

The dome currently had no windows, so Drixali could see the stairs and hallways within the new building. The sentry god turned to look at Kashi, "This is?"

"A relay station," Kashi answered with a smile. "I can't have just anyone running around my world, so I'll have a relay station for those who want to travel from one part of the continent to another." The daeben then pointed at another mountain and ordered, "Rise."

This time, a large, cube-like structure formed from the mountain's rocks. 

Kashi pressed his hand against the earth and the cube descended into the mountain until it was out of view. If one looked closely, they would see that a few tunnels suddenly appeared at the mountain's base. "That'll be the vault for our banks," Kashi announced with a pleased smile. "Only authorized people will know of its location, let alone be able to access it."

Kashi dusted his hands, satisfied with his test. "Now, all we need is to get some workers in here to paint and furnish these buildings and they'll be open for business." The daeben thought about getting the workers for a moment, but then shrugged and said, "I'll let Miote handle that."

With those irresponsible words, Kashi glanced at Drixali and waved, "Good luck being a god. I'll come by soon." He then disappeared from view, leaving Drixali standing in the sky by himself.

Drixali stared at the empty space where Kashi was a moment ago and complained with a slight pout, "He could have made me a home while he was at it." The centaur god chuckled inwardly and then galloped through the skies to Yggdrasil. Although he could monitor the world from anywhere, he preferred to be as close as possible to Yggdrasil. He might as well regain his strength while watching over the world.

Kashi's Inner World.

11:58 p.m. 19th Banem 1092.

Kashi opened his eyes to see Shadow and Absalon standing protectively in front of him, protecting his body while he was in a trance. The daeben smiled with appreciation as he tapped the assassin's shoulder and announced, "Shadow, I'm back."

Shadow turned around and looked at Kashi with narrowed eyes. "Took you long enough," the assassin playfully chided as he stepped behind the daeben. "Any problems?"

"Nope," Kashi replied as he turned his attention to Savi and Miote who stood in front of the bank building. "Everything went as planned." Kashi heard a grunt behind him, but when he looked over, as expected, Shadow was nowhere in sight. Chuckling to himself, Kashi thanked Absalon before walking over to the merchant and his god.

Savi noticed Kashi's approach and asked as the daeben approached, "What did you choose?"

"I appointed Drixali as my sentry god," Kashi announced, but then, upon further thought, clarified, "The centaur demon I mean. His name is Drixali."

"Good," Savi acknowledged with a nod. "The last thing I need is the gateway to your dimension. The one the bank personnel will use when they want to store the cash."

Kashi waved his hand and a large scroll appeared in it. He unfurled the scroll, revealing a painting of a massive hall whose walls were made of stone. A couple of open doorways led out of the stone room to hallways just out of view. "This is the vault," Kashi announced as he handed the scroll to Savi. "It has a 100 X 100-meter floor span and a height of about thirty meters. The hallways lead to extra rooms which can be used when this one is full. The only way in and out of the vault is through this painting, so there is no chance of theft."

"How are so sure of this?"

"Because I just built it," Kashi stated with a shrug. Yes, this was a painting of the interior of cube-like structure Kashi made in Orez. When he disappeared from Drixali's view, he actually traveled to the cube's interior, both to paint it, and to ensure there were no other entrances. "I designed the place myself."

Unlike Savi who took the daeben's explanation in stride, Miote was understandably confused. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean you built it?"

"Inner world shenanigans," Kashi offhandedly explained with a laugh. "I'll explain it later." With that, he turned to Savi and asked, "Do you have everything you need?"

Savi looked at the painting in his hand, feeling the familiar spatial energy in it. He smiled and looked at the daeben and then Miote. "Everything is in order. I shall begin now."

Kashi and Miote instinctively took a step backward as Savi floated into the air above the building. The merchant god looked down at the Hopeful Maggots and asked, "What is the name of your bank?"

Kashi was about to open his mouth when he felt a hand clasp tightly over it, preventing him from speaking. Before he could free himself, Miote announced, "New Genesis Bank. The bank to usher in a new age of peace and prosperity, or 'For New Beginnings.' Still working on the tagline."

"New Genesis Bank it is," Savi agreed after no one opposed the name. The god clasped his hands as he began his blessing, "By the authority of the merchant god Savi, son of the merciful Aethir and powerful Ferulic, I hereby formally announce the opening of the New Genesis Bank. This bank has been blessed by the heavens, and shall thus be a beacon of hope to all walks of life, regardless of affiliation or race."

Unbeknownst to the Maggots gathered, Savi's voice was currently ringing in the ears of every soul in the world. This was Savi's [Gods' Apparition]. It was not as flashy as Aygor's but perhaps it was even more shocking.

Savi continued his blessing as massive golden halos began falling upon the New Genesis Bank, "No longer shall common people fear the loss of their savings to the whims of bandits and evil. This bank shall serve as a bastion of wealth, solidifying the base of prosperity and ensuring the future growth of all who invest in it. It is my furtive hope that one day, no one in this world will fear the loss of their hard-earned coin."

Kashi and the Maggots watched, wide-eyed, as the bank's building transformed right before their eyes. The building doubled in size, its concrete floors replaced by beautiful marble floors. Gold pillars appeared around the structure, adding even more opulence to it.

This was a bank blessed by a god, and Savi intended for it to reflect that esteemed status. By the time the golden halos disappeared, the building was nigh unrecognizable.

"The New Genesis Bank, championed by the Hopeful Maggots serves as an example of what we as a people should aspire to be," Savi concluded with a smile. "Merchants that acquire wealth not only for our own greed but to better the world as a whole. That is a true merchant." Savi paused as he looked at Miote with a smile, "And with that, I thus declare New Genesis Bank..." Everyone watched as the bank's new Jade doors swung open, revealing a row of clerks from various races lined up with bright smiles. "Officially Open for Business!"

Kashi finally understood why Savi had to be in charge of the Exchange policy. Aside from security, only a god could ensure every Summoned got access to the facility when they needed it. After all, it would take some time before the New Genesis Bank expanded to other parts of the world.

"Mmm," Kashi wanted to speak, only then remembering the hand on his mouth. He grasped the dainty hand and successfully pulled it off his mouth while its owner was distracted. He looked over his shoulder and could not help but feel betrayed by the culprit. "Lune? You?"

Lunette, who had been reading the announcement, promptly closed it and turned to Kashi with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, Kashi, but I had to."

"What? Why?"

"You're awesome at everything. You really are, but..." Lunette coyly winced as she said, "Your naming sense. Honestly, it's atrocious."

"What?" Kashi blustered. "I know I made a mistake with the Hopeful Maggots—"

"And the Nyte-Nyte drug."

"And the Nyte-Nyte Drug," Kashi weakly parroted.

"And your paintings."

"And my paintings..." Kashi muttered, but then weakly retorted, "But this time was different. I did have a good name."

"I have a thousand things I'm supposed to be doing right now," Miote said as he approached the couple, "But this I have to know. What were you going to say?"

Kashi puffed his chest as he proudly stated, "Well, it's the first bank right?" When they nodded, he said, "So, the First Bank of Destia. No matter what, we'll always be number one!"

"Oh, my," Lunette exclaimed, her cheeks red as she realized her error. "It's actually not bad. A little cliché, but it actually makes sense."

Contrary to Lunette's view, Shadow chided as he suddenly appeared next to Kashi, "Stop lying. You probably only thought of that after cooling down. What was your first instinct?"

Kashi glared at Shadow, trying to warn him away with his eyes, but the assassin's cold gaze mellowed out the heat. Having failed his intimidation tactics, the daeben scratched his chin and sheepishly looked at Lunette, "Uh... it was a toss-up between Big Boss Bank and Bank Infinitas."

Miote and Lunette's faces instantly fell while Shadow said as he disappeared with a haunting chuckle, "My work here is done."

"Wait. Think about it." Kashi desperately tried to defend himself while Miote turned to attend to the Bank's newest patrons. "Big Boss Bank. Triple B, B-cube. Sounds cool right? "I'm going to triple B." Or how about Bank Infintas? The name implies our bank has infinite Syros. That's cool, right? Right?" The daeben's voice trailed off as Lunette placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lunette tapped on Kashi's shoulder, a warm smile on her face as she comforted him, "...You'll always have your strength."

Something inside Kashi shattered to pieces as the Maggots around burst into raucous laughter at his expense...

A/N: Been a while since I've done one of this. Just wanted to thank you all for reading my novel so far, and all the support you've given me. It's my birthday today, and I can't tell you guys how much your support has helped me both as a person and an author. I am extremely and forever grateful.

And to those who support me on Patreon, I give a special heartfelt thank you. Words will never be enough to express how much you guys mean to me. You gave me a dream, and have helped ensure that dream continues to grow in strength. Thank you all once again. 

Special Announcement: I've noticed there have been several questions rising from the past few chapters. I plan to take them all, and answer the most common at once during a live stream today at 4pm London Time (GMT) I think. 

The stream will be on my Youtube Gaming Channel: Genaco Gaming, where I'll be playing Final Fantasy XIV. 

If you've got questions, this is a brilliant time to get them answered. Hope to see you all there.

Love ya! See y'all Soon!

Video of the Day

https://youtu.be/d1MwAvuiyVA

This song should be the anthem for gamers everywhere. I already have a badass scene in the future based on this song! Freaking Love It!

Video: We All Lift Together [Warframe] | Freya Catherine [Epic Orchestral]

Link: