Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 559



Offer Your Heart

The voices overlap. This wasn’t my ears playing tricks on me. The words intended by ‘Mouth’ and the words being spoken were both reaching my ears separately.

In short, ‘Mouth’s’ mouth was moving independently of her. Like a puppet controlled by a dark sorcerer.

‘Offering God, speak through my mouth.’

The difference from a puppet was that ‘Mouth’ had consciousness. And that this ‘Mouth’ was lending its voice to a being that was not present.

Rash hurriedly raised his right arm toward the priestess of the Offering God and bowed his head.

“O Offering God. I shall listen to the will of the ‘Mouth’ through my right arm that you have given me.”

““O right arm. My strength, my skill, my most exquisite servant. Last time, when the right arm sought knowledge beyond the plains, I granted all of it.””

Now that I think about it, Rash was a student from the military nation, wasn’t he? It seems that the ‘right arm’ holds a more important position than I thought, so he probably received permission to go as well.

““Since ancient times, those from beyond the plains have come to this land with mysterious powers. The counterpart of the right arm is what the right arm brought from beyond the plains. I have permitted the union of the right arm and its counterpart.””

I skimmed through ‘Mouth’s’ memories, but nothing had changed. Just as reading a puppet’s memories doesn’t reach the memories of the puppeteer, reading ‘Mouth’s’ memories didn’t give me any insight into what the being known as the Offering God was.

However, depending on how the puppet moves, I could indirectly guess the puppeteer’s emotions. I read ‘Mouth’s’ memories and tried to grasp what the Offering God wanted.

“The wedding is to be held soon.”

““This is my will, and there shall be no servant who contradicts it.””

—

The Offering God… seems to wish for Rash and Calis to be united.

Unlike the immortals who find Calis unappealing, there was no intention to prevent the marriage itself. This must be a reflection of the Offering God’s will. Hmm, I understand.

…And now, it seems the outline is slowly becoming clear. What the existence of the Offering God truly is.

“O Offering God, my will is the same as yours, so I declare that it shall surely come to pass upon my right arm.”

As Rash pounded his chest, the ‘Mouth’ smiled contentedly and continued speaking.

““Now, I shall speak of the intention that my right arm has extended to ignite a fire in the forest of the true body.””

“Ugh.”

It seems the Offering God was a bit uncomfortable, as the tone was firm. I cannot read thoughts, but I can sense the subtle emotions of the Offering God.

““I shall indicate where the right arm of the true body shall burn. Without deviation, the fire must be lit only in that place. Not a single ash shall escape beyond it.””

“Oh! If that’s the case…!”

““It is not yet finished.””

The ‘Mouth’ coldly interrupted Rash and spoke towards the other side of the tent.

““Offer ten sacrifices to the true body.””

This statement startled Rash greatly. Hearing an unexpected demand, he stammered.

“T-ten sacrifices, you say?”

““If the number of subordinates is to increase, the true body must blow. Ten. Choose ten and offer them to the true body.””

The ‘Mouth’ said no more, closing its lips tightly as if there was nothing left to say. Feeling the connection with the Offering God severed, it took out a cover and hid its mouth.

“This is the will of the Offering God. The right arm must step forward and uphold it.”

“I, the right arm of the Offering God, shall carry out that will.”

Despite his confusion, Rash raised his right arm and bowed his head. The ‘Mouth’ smiled contentedly and slowly retreated, as if the matter was concluded.

I looked at Rash, who showed no sign of standing up, and asked.

“Ten sacrifices? Do you mean to offer those rescued from the dark sorcerer as sacrifices? Just like the dark sorcerer?”

“No. Offering to the Offering God is different from sacrifices. This is not about giving up life, but about receiving eternal life.”

“Receiving, you say?”

“Yes. By offering the flesh to the Offering God, one gains immortality, just like us.”

Hmm. It seems that being an Offering God indeed means something different; it’s not the same as the sacrifices made to an ordinary dark sorcerer. Perhaps to be called a god, one must possess at least that level of ability.

Maybe… what distinguishes a god from a dark sorcerer is not status or origin, but solely ability?

“If it’s immortality, then it means becoming a body that doesn’t die, like you, Rash?”

“Yes. While it requires sacrificing part of oneself to unite with the great soul, if one can endure that process, they become an immortal like us.”

“Gaining immortality by sacrificing a part of the body? That’s an incredibly profitable deal, isn’t it? The severely weakened refugees would probably welcome it.”

—

After all, there are about ten people just waiting for the day they die. The numbers fit perfectly.

“To be honest, from an outsider’s perspective, the intentions of the Offering God are somewhat suspicious.”

“The Offering God is not an evil deity. Quite the opposite. It is a great will that shares strength with our tribe and gifts us with powerful vitality. How could it be evil?”

“That’s true. Regardless of the intentions, it’s only natural to rejoice if something good happens.”

They’ve allowed for the burning fields, and it seems they’re willing to accept refugees. Good is good, after all.

“Hmm? My right arm is twitching…! It must be pointing to where to burn!”

Rash grabbed his own right hand, which was moving on its own, and quickly rose to his feet. Rash’s right arm was the Offering God. Normally, it was his faithful right hand, but sometimes it moved independently of its master’s will. Right now, Rash’s right arm was moving him to fulfill the will of the Offering God.

“Rash. Let’s go together. We need to measure and distinguish the exact spot you pointed out.”

“That sounds good! Follow me!”

Kalis followed Rash. It was rather unbecoming for Rash, claiming to be a couple, to naturally place his hand on his waist as he stepped forward. They might end up measuring each other’s bodies instead of just surveying the land.

So, what I have to do is… choose the ten who will become the immortals? I’m not exactly the representative of the refugees, but I’m the only one here who can choose ten. Jobs are created by work. Right now, I was the lion of the Offering God, selecting the immortals.

“Excuse me, sir. I heard a moment ago that one could become an immortal…”

Around me, the refugees who had been eavesdropping on the ‘words’ approached. Their eyes gleamed with the desire to become immortals.

It’s amusing that those who nearly became sacrifices are now volunteering to be offerings. If I sacrifice someone in critical condition, I could save their lives, but the desire to become an immortal overshadowed such calculations.

I read their desires with interest and asked.

“Now then. Who here doesn’t want to die?”

*

“Phew. I’m not here to do menial tasks…”

“Woof, woof.”

Both the Regressor and Aji showed signs of fatigue from the continuous work.

It wasn’t that their bodies were tired. Even the Regressor and Aji wouldn’t complain after a few days of overwork. The weariness evident in the Regressor and Aji stemmed from a mental rather than a physical issue.

“Starting a fire is easy, but keeping it from spreading requires focus. And I can’t let anyone get hurt in the process. It’s just a hassle all around.”

“Too many words! I’m busy!”

The Regressor set up barriers to prevent the flames from the burning forest from spilling out. It wasn’t a difficult task with the power of Cheon-aeng, but it was quite exhausting. Even if the fire was ignited with magic, the embers would smolder and flare up from the ashes. It took a whole day to ensure that no embers remained.

Meanwhile, Aji, eager to help, was catching birds and wild boars like a hunting dog. Even if it was the King of Dogs’ hunt, a dog is still a dog. Bringing back one at a time, the meat disappeared like snow melting. Then Aji would look at the insectivores and head out to hunt again.

The prosperity of Piwoo Village was largely due to the efforts of the Regressor and Aji. They might be tired, but…

“With so few healthy people in the village, it feels like the work is piling up. How long do we have to keep this up?”

Aji, sensitive to human emotions, and the ordinary Regressor were both affected by their surroundings. Being among the injured and suffering made them unknowingly sensitive and weary.

‘The blessing of Meiel will guide me on the path to help… Is this right? For now, helping the village seems to be the most natural course of action.’

The Regressor wasn’t originally one to work at the expense of his own fatigue, but believing in the saint’s blessing, he was currently serving willingly.

—

Perhaps the remarkable aspect of the divine is not the revelation itself, but rather the ability to move the reincarnated.

“By the way, we did complete our mission, right? Haven’t heard anything from the saintess side?”

“Right? I’m curious too. It was resolved too easily to be called an ancient evil, and the absence of a revelation that should have been there is suspicious.”

“Do they think we’re their lackeys? Just because they say to wait, do we have to keep waiting? Let’s go confront them right now.”

The reincarnated one stopped me as I was about to spring up.

“Let’s stay a little longer for now. There’s still work to be done.”

“Work left? What more is there?”

“That. Their wedding is still pending.”

“Oh, that.”

Setting fire doesn’t mean you can immediately harvest. The scorched earth needs time to rest and rejuvenate. And now that we have the blessing of the offering deity, it’s time for Rash and Calis to hold the wedding they had postponed.

Calis, who is military to the core, decided to efficiently carry out two projects simultaneously.

“You mean you’ll be underground while the land rests? Who would have thought you were military?”

“Whether military or not, it’s efficient for now. Plus, I was asked to dig tunnels so we can move freely while buried. You know that, right?”

“I do. It was my suggestion.”

The plan was to sneak out occasionally during the resting period to manage things efficiently. It was my idea, but it feels rather ruthless.

“That makes sense. They seemed oddly petty for just having thought of it.”

“Huh?”

“Yawn. Then let’s stay a little longer… dig some tunnels… maybe catch a bit of sleep.”

The reincarnated one let out a big yawn and stepped out of the tent. Aji had already claimed the best spot and was dozing off.

Well, the atmosphere seems to be wrapping up. Then I should start doing what I need to do.

I got up, stretched, looked around the tent, and quietly stepped outside. As I emerged, the smell of smoke wafting from afar tickled my nose.

The villagers gathered around the burning forest were enjoying a festival. They roasted potatoes over the embers and washed themselves with lye. They smeared ash on their faces and played while drawing pictures. Only humans remained where the forest had burned.

However, the act of burning is, after all, destructive. Burning trees and grass to grow crops from their remains may yield good results for the first few years, but once the nutrients are depleted, the land quickly becomes barren. This is of little concern to those who will leave soon, but it is an unpleasant reality for those who call this land home.

Amidst this strange tension, I headed towards a group of barbarians awkwardly huddled in one corner. They were waiting solely for me, unable to belong to either side. Nervously wiping their hands on leaves, they brightened upon spotting me and approached.

“Is it time?”

“Yes. Now, as our gaze turns towards the burning forest, is the perfect moment.”

Those who volunteered to offer their bodies to become immortals. They were sacrifices to the offering deity.

A few refugees who overheard the ‘mouth’s’ proposal kept it secret from the others and monopolized this opportunity. Their reasoning was that knowing more would only add to the confusion. It was a transparent excuse, but I respected their intentions and decided to take them to the offering deity. After all, it didn’t matter who it was.

With a conspiratorial smile towards the awkwardly grinning group, I said, “Let’s go. To offer ourselves to the offering deity.”