Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 560



The Taste of the Evil God and the Good God

The shrine housing the body of the Offering God was located in a cave on the outskirts of the village. The path leading there was serene and solemn, almost ominously quiet as if ghosts might appear. The priestess, who had come to welcome the offerings, silently guided them, and the offerings, initially excited at the thought of becoming immortal, subdued their spirits and exchanged wary glances.

At last, they arrived at the mouth of the cave. In front of them, three other priestesses appeared before the one known as ‘Mouth.’

‘Ear,’ ‘Nose,’ ‘Eye.’ The priestesses responsible for the Offering God’s face.

Without uttering a word, they led the offerings inside. As they stepped into the pitch-black cave, the offerings, bewildered, followed the priestesses like ducklings.

Not a single torch was in sight. Darkness enveloped them completely. They could not tell if they were moving forward or merely standing still. The faint glow from the markings on the priestesses’ garments was the only reassurance that they were not losing their distance from them.

Even in this darkness, ‘Eye’ walked as if she could see clearly, descending deeper and deeper. Into the abyss.

How many minutes had passed? How far had they gone? A voice suddenly emerged, like a flash of light.

“This is the chamber of the Offering God. Offerings, tremble in reverence.”

Startled back to their senses, the offerings halted in unison. Before them, something large and dark shifted. A scraping sound echoed, like stone against stone, as a door opened.

The texture of the darkness changed. From the absence of light, it transformed into a pitch-blackness that swallowed even light itself. The door to the abyss opened, and beyond it, something awaited the offerings in the profound darkness.

A voice flowed through the hesitating offerings.

“Fear not. Rejoice. Embrace the distant glory of becoming one with the Offering God. This is the heart of immortality. If you do not fear wounds, the power of immortality shall dwell within you.”

Only then did the offerings recall where they were and what the Offering God truly was, summoning their courage to step forward. It was not just any god, but the Offering God. As long as immortals existed, that power was no lie.

Or perhaps it was a deception to use them as offerings, but the Offering God would not choose such a cumbersome method. Moreover, there were over five hundred people in Piwu Village. Deceiving them and sacrificing the lives of the offerings would be a burdensome act.

Especially if someone had come from beyond the grasslands.

Rationally or emotionally, there was no reason for the offerings to retreat. They followed the priestesses into the darkness as thick as ink.

“Fail, and you shall survive; succeed, and you shall become immortal. Come, follow, and become one.”

With a whoosh, flames erupted from the darkness.

In that moment, a vast chamber came into view. It was a grand and magnificent structure, almost unbelievable in its depth. Though the flames of the torches were not small, they barely illuminated the floor and walls. They still had to walk further toward the depths, where something loomed in the abyss.

Except for ‘Eye,’ ‘Mouth,’ ‘Ear,’ and ‘Nose’ each held a torch and turned to look at the offerings.

“At the end of this path, you shall find the Offering God, who awaits you and whom you await. Those who wish to offer their bodies…?”

As ‘Mouth’ spoke on behalf of everyone, she noticed me, wedged among the offerings, and faltered. The other priestesses turned to look at ‘Mouth,’ who hesitated.

“’Mouth.’ What is it?”

“A being from beyond the grasslands? Why have you come here? Could it be…?”

I had been discovered. I had secretly followed, pretending to be an offering, wanting to see that ritual, but if I said I came to watch, they would surely chase me away. I spoke to ‘Mouth’ with insincere words.

“Um… I’m here for an experiential learning. If it doesn’t hurt, I’d like to share a body with the Offering God too.”

“This is a sacred place. It is not somewhere a being from beyond the grasslands can tread carelessly!”

Not a chance. ‘Mouth’ urgently pressed ‘Eye.’

“’Eye.’ Why didn’t you inform us that he was here?”

—

The ‘eye’ tightly wrapped in cloth around my eye looked at me precisely beyond it. It could discern how good the eye was, accurately distinguishing my figure even through the woven gaps. If the ‘eye’ had known me, my identity would have been revealed the moment our faces met.

However, it seemed that these eyes, noses, and mouths were not compatible with each other. The ‘eye’ spoke calmly.

“I have never contained him in this eye, ‘mouth.’ I merely guided the offering with the eye of the divine; what that offering is, is your concern.”

With no words left, the ‘mouth’ blamed another shaman in vain.

“My duty is to convey the words of the offering deity. Unlike you, it is your side that must notice the strangeness, ‘nose.’ Just as you, who smell, must discern the danger!”

“…This is the first time I am smelling it all. The scent of ashes, the smell of poppy and willow bark, and the strong scent of blood… All these smells are strange, and I cannot say what is odd.”

It seemed there was no hierarchy among the shamans, as they engaged in a quarrel without any thought of organizing themselves. After all, they were all limbs of the offering deity, so there would only be differences in function, and they were all equal.

It was then, while I was observing the situation cautiously, that ‘ear,’ who had been quietly listening, removed the earplugs. Beneath the tightly wrapped earplugs, a large ear with signs of having been cut and attached from somewhere revealed itself.

“‘Mouth.’ Be quiet.”

“Why…?”

In that moment, the ‘mouth’s’ mouth began to move of its own accord. The ‘mouth’ hurriedly stopped speaking and relaxed its lips. From the mouth that had lost its will, a voice that was not the ‘mouth’s’ flowed out.

““To the one who came from beyond the plains. I shall take your flesh.””

“What? Flesh?”

““It is fine if you do not become one with the true body. However, you must pay the price for deceiving the true body and prying into its secrets. If you dislike that, leave this cave at once and never set foot on this land again.””

No, what. I did do something wrong, but still. For a barbarian god, this is quite gentle, isn’t it? The price for stepping into someone else’s sanctuary is just a bit of flesh, and if you don’t like it, you get exiled. How lukewarm.

It seems the offering deity is either being considerate of the one who came from beyond the plains… or perhaps fearful?

“I will offer my flesh. It may be a pity, but considering the price for having eavesdropped on a secret, it seems quite reasonable.”

““That word. I have certainly heard it.””

The words came from the ‘mouth,’ but the sound was heard by the ‘ear.’ The deity that resided in them withdrew, and the shamans, having confirmed the deity’s will, silently began to walk again. Only the ‘mouth’ cast a resentful glance at me.

Flesh, huh. It sounds painful, but well, even before I had my regeneration, I could refill flesh to some extent. Right now, it only amounts to a trickle of tears.

Now that I think about it, with my regenerative abilities, I could gamble freely with a pinky swear. Even if I get cut, I can regenerate. While I was momentarily lost in thought, something reflected in the torchlight far away.

Even from a distance, it looked bizarre. As the shadow of a giant flickered in the distance, the offerings halted their steps. However, the shamans, moving forward in silence, pushed the offerings along with their silence. Even as they were frightened by the ominous shadow at the end, the offerings slowly advanced.

As the outline gradually approached the light of the torch.

And everyone was overwhelmed by the grotesque sight.

It was a doll. Made from the bodies of humans.

A human figure stitched together with different arms and legs. The right arm was probably from Rash, and the left leg must belong to ‘left leg.’ It wasn’t just the limbs. The left breast was that of a strong man, while the right breast belonged to a soft woman. The side flesh, a piece of abdominal muscle, and even the shoulder blade were misaligned at the joints, as if they had been cut and attached from someone else.

And what was most bizarre was the face, as if crafted by a clumsy child.

In contrast to the massive body, it was the delicate face of a girl. The eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were all taken from different people and stuck together. The reddish-brown pupils embedded in the long scarred eyelids. The ears cut and attached, the slightly twisted nose. And the mouth, long and torn.

Humans, of course, and even gods should not be judged by appearance, but purely based on looks, anyone could see it was the visage of an evil deity.

“O offering deity. Lend me your mouth. I offer my mouth, tongue, and words; let my will be expressed in this world.”

—

As everyone lost their words at the bizarre sight, the priestesses prepared the ritual. ‘Mouth’ opened the bottle of liquor while reading the incantation. Gulping down half of the potent drink from the small bottle, ‘Mouth’ offered the next cup to ‘Nose.’

“O Offering Deity, lend me your nose. I offer my nose, breath, and inhalation, so let it live and breathe in this world as my own.”

‘Nose’ inhaled the liquor as if it were a drug. Overwhelmed by the dizzying scent, ‘Nose’ became intoxicated without even drinking, and handed the nearly empty bottle to ‘Eyes.’

“O Offering Deity, lend me your eyes. I offer my eyes, light, and vision, so look down upon the world as my own.”

Then ‘Eyes’ let a few drops of liquor fall onto its own eyes. Instead of tears, the liquor seeped in, causing ‘Eyes’ to burn with a fiery flush. Drinking with its eyes, ‘Eyes’ engaged in a method no one had ever tried before, calmly setting the bottle down without rubbing or showing any pain.

“O Offering Deity, lend me your ears. I offer my ears, sound, and vibration, so hear and resonate with my essence.”

Finally, ‘Ears’ read the words inscribed in the incantation. Even ‘Ears’ seemed to refrain from pouring liquor into itself.

“Fill the body with the body, until it reaches a thousand.”

At that moment, the rag doll, stitched together, opened its eyes wide.

[At a thousand, this body has come.]

It was the Offering Deity. The deity dwelled within the doll made of stitched skin, and its eyes, nose, mouth, and ears began to move, borrowed from the priestesses.

The Offering Deity conveyed its will, moving only its eyes, nose, and mouth, without any motion below the neck.

[As the tribe increases, the body must also grow. With this offering, the true body will expand. The power and might of the true body will increase accordingly.]

“May it be as you wish.”

The priestesses bowed their heads in unison, and the offering also lowered its head, sensing the atmosphere. The time of worship was quite long. Just as curiosity about when it would end began to rise, a dagger suddenly fell in front of one of the offerings.

[Pick up the knife, O offering that will become my body.]

A sharp dagger appeared suddenly before their eyes. The chosen offering reflexively picked it up. Though they had grabbed it in a daze, they stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do with the dagger, when the command of the Offering Deity fell upon their ears.

[Offer your heel.]

“What? Huh? My heel…?”

[Cut off your heel and offer it to me. Then, I shall grant you my heel in return.]

Though they had anticipated this, when the moment of choice arrived, the offering’s body froze in place.

No matter that they were about to become an offering, no matter that they understood this was a ritual, and even knowing that they would be granted the power of immortality afterward.

The thought of severing a part of their own body was an overwhelmingly repulsive task.

“Uh, how much should I cut?”

[Offer it.]

“W-What amount do you need…?”

[Offer it.]

“If blood flows, I can provide a healing salve or a cloth to stop the bleeding….”

[Offer it.]

The Offering Deity did not rush or urge, merely repeating the same words. The first to grow anxious was not the deity, but someone else. Seeing the hesitating figure, the priestesses urged them on.

“Offerings. Do not be afraid, but rejoice.”

“To accept this grace, the village must grow, and there must be room for others.”

“The deity has generously overlooked the burning of the land. If you give up, you will gain nothing.”

“Neither the power of immortality nor the land you dwell upon.”

It is a condition to offer a sacrifice. If one flees, claiming they cannot do it, not only will the power of immortality slip away, but even the position they have gained in the village of Piuchon will be jeopardized.

It was good when they came, determined to seize the power of immortality, but now that they have come this far, there is no turning back. They are the ones who have kept the proposal to offer sacrifices a secret, all to monopolize the power of immortality. If they return empty-handed, claiming fear has paralyzed them, they might simply be cast out.

‘No, if it ends there, it would be a relief. We are refugees who have lost our homeland. If we cannot establish ourselves here, we might just be abandoned…’

I have been caught in my own trap. The barbarian who volunteered as a sacrifice, trembling hands clutching a dagger, pressed it against his own heel. Though he cannot cut it, this is an opportunity he has longed for. He just needs to seize this chance.

“Just a moment. Just a moment. If it’s just a little pain….”

As if casting a spell, he repeated, and then he pulled the blade sharply against his heel.

Blood splatters. A painful scream echoes. His skill with the blade is surprisingly adept; he cleanly severed his heel. Watching the tendons and muscles twitch in the piece of heel, he grimaced.

And then the priestesses moved. They took the piece of heel and approached the offering deity on their knees. Then, something astonishing happened.

With a thud, the heel of the offering deity detached. As if it had been removable from the start, it left a large gap behind.

“O Offering Deity, the sacrifice offers up his body. With body to body, may the divine form spread further.”

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‘Eyes’ and ‘ears’ pushed the bleeding heel into the gap, while ‘mouth’ and ‘nose’ carefully lifted the detached divine form to approach the sacrifice. The priestesses, moving toward the bleeding heel of the sacrifice, pressed the divine form into the surface as if stitching cotton.

“Ahhh! Ugh… Huh?”

Then, something miraculous occurred. The blood that had been gushing from the heel suddenly stopped.

The divine form that entered his body swelled instantly, soaking up the blood. It clung tightly to the surface and took root within him, soon moving as one with his body.

He stood up, limping on the newly acquired heel. It didn’t seem familiar yet, but it moved as if it were his own body, according to his will.

“My body…?”

“That is now your offering deity. A token of sharing one body with the offering deity, and it is your strength.”

The divine form became a body. The priestess applied mud to his bewildered foot. Wrapping the reddening heel in the cool mud, the priestesses chimed in one by one.

“The ritual is complete. Now you are one of us.”

“You shall live as the ‘left heel’ of the offering deity.”

“As time passes, and as the deity dwells within your body, you shall drift further from death.”

“Just as one does not die from having their heel cut off.”

Miracles begin by dispelling doubt. The remaining sacrifices, having witnessed the miracle before their eyes, eagerly hoped to offer their own bodies. It was surely painful, but there would be something in return.

In the meantime, I read the thoughts of the offering deity.

Indeed, that was the true form of the offering deity. Having patched together various parts, its self-awareness had faded, but the will and intent of the offering deity emanated from here.

And indeed, the offering deity is… quite an intriguing being.

“Offer your flesh, O being from beyond the plains.”

“Oh, has it already come to my turn?”

Was I too absorbed in reading thoughts? Before I knew it, the ceremony had ended, and I was the only one left. I took the dagger handed to me by the priestess and twirled it around.

“The ‘mouth’ urged me on.

“Cut your flesh. O being from beyond the plains. That is the price to be paid by one who steps into this wretched place.”

“Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but I must decline. Instead, I would like to share an intriguing story with you. How does that sound?”

Giving away a part of my body is one way to end this, but I have some reservations about it. How could I just hand over my flesh, knowing what they might do with it? It’s not like I’m just going to give a piece of myself to someone who’s already sinister.

Especially to that deity of offerings, who devours countless humans and plays with the remnants like a puppet.

[Are you intending to break your promise?]

“No. I will keep my promise. I just thought there might be a more interesting story to tell. If it’s a tale that would captivate even the deity of offerings, wouldn’t it be worth much more than my flesh?”

[What is it?]

As the deity of offerings directly inquired, I carefully examined his memories. He had been almost asleep for a long time. The fragmented memories I had seen and heard through the priestess were not the true memories; those went back a long way.

Before the founding year, when humans were not the rulers of the world, and the saint had not yet appeared on this land. Back to the time when ancient evils reigned,

And then, as I read the most intense memory embedded in the deity’s mind, I spoke.

“How about I tell you about the human king who overthrew you? The evil god, Angra.”