Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 175: Salvation

Los Angeles, California, was one of the first human cities to fall. Nearly every single human being residing in it was slain by the local Horde King Lilith and raised into an undead. Nearly being the key word here.

Many of LA's survivors, which relative to their population prior to the outbreak of the Apocalypse, were miniscule in comparison had fled their homes and travelled north to a more… unsettled region of the infamous Golden State.

Here, a sanctuary for the living was established. Known by the name of "The Fields of Elysium" or Elysium for short. This rather substantial settlement was a self-sufficient community of survivors whose entire purpose in life was to help each other survive and thrive in this otherwise cruel wasteland.

Over the months, Elysium had become known as a paradise within the wasteland, one where everyone's needs could easily be met by the governing body.

Who was this governing body? They called themselves the Cult of the Goddess, who herself was a powerful awakened survivor that had awakened a very rare ability. The ability to heal. If Angelica was known across Northern Nevada as the Saintess of the Great Basin, then her Californian counterpart was known by her followers as a living Goddess.

Not only because of her ability to heal, but her ability to strengthen those who worshipped her. Because of this rare and strange skill, her followers had grown in strength rapidly, so much so that even the remnant forces of the United States Federal Government referred to these specific "awakened outlaws" by the term monsters.

The average level of the citizens of Elysium was much higher than the norm, being level 12. With the most elite and veteran of their forces approaching level 20. This was significantly stronger than the residents of Gravestone, not to mention a more normal settlement like New Reno.

Currently, the Goddess was sitting on a throne crafted from solid gold. She was dressed in attire that resembled that of the ancient Greco-Roman world. Her long, and obviously dyed blonde hair cascading down her head as if it were a river of honey.

The woman's hazel eyes locked onto the men and women lying prostrate on the floor in front of her. These were slaves liberated by a nomadic band of Raiders who had come from the Great Basin. These slavers had been a plague on the borders of Elysium, one that caused the Goddess to become oddly wrathful as of late.

However, the fury of the Goddess which had led to the crucifixion of these heretics, and the liberation of these slaves was nowhere to be found on her flawless face. She was a trueborn beauty, despite the fact that she masked her natural dark hair color with hair dye. There was little need for makeup for such a gorgeous woman, and her body was outright sinful.

Truly befitting the image of a proper goddess.

The tone in her voice was warm and gentle, as was the expression on her face as she welcomed these poor and unfortunate souls to the Fields of Elysium with a religious sermon.

"Your poor souls who have wandered in the wastes for four whole months… I can not begin to understand the hardships that each and every one of you have faced. But worry not, for here in the Fields of Elysium, you shall have found your salvation!

There is but one requirement to become one of the favored Elysian, and that is your unconditional worship. I am but a petty and meagre Goddess… But one who requires utmost loyalty from her followers.

Shall you provide me with the reverence I require? I assure you that your time here in Elysium shall be one of nothing but joy. Here, your needs shall be met with no exception. So long as you worship me as your one and only deity.

What say you? Shall you embrace my gift of salvation? Or do you wish to be cast back into the wasteland where only damnation exists?"

Without exception, the men, women and children lying prostrate before this woman all shouted in confirmation that from this day forth their old religions were well and truly dead. That she alone was their savior.

"We choose to worship the goddess! Please bless us with your salvation!"

With this, a smile emerged on the gorgeous woman's lips. If one could pause time and observe her expression for longer than they would otherwise be naturally given the chance to do so, they would have notice in that moment there was a slight curve to the smile, as if it were a condescending sneer prior to forming into a proper smile.

But nobody here had such an ability. And thus these newly converted fanatics found themselves embraced by the warm and gentle smile of a genuine savior, one free from corruption or sin. Or so they foolishly believed.

As for the so called "Goddess" of Elysium, she immediately issued the order for all new converts to be given a tattoo, a mark of their loyalty to the goddess so that they can be visibly distinguished from potential visitors to Elysium.

After which she dismissed them, where she collapsed in her seat and sighed heavily. Cursing beneath her breath as she lamented her lot in life.

"What a bunch of God damned fools! If they knew what fate truly had in store for them, they would do everything they can to escape this so-called paradise… Salvation? What a fucking joke…"

After saying this, the Goddess stuck out her gilded goblet, which was immediately filled by a young woman next to her, who was also dressed in the fashion of the ancient Greco-Roman world. Albeit with a shawl that completely obscured the woman's features. This attendant did not say a word. Instead, she simply performed her duty as a servant of the Goddess.

That is until the goddess shifted her gaze towards the attendant where she asked the most important question on her mind.

"So… Have you and your ilk found any word about this great pretender in the east? The so-called Great Basin Saintess?"

The servant continued to remain silent. Her only response was a shake of her head. Though no words were spoken, this was enough to convey that her people were still looking into the matter. And thus the Goddess sighed heavily and sunk deeper into her chair. Choosing to ignore this problem until a solution could be presented to her.

"Very well… Let me know when you have found something, will you?"