Offering

Luis, Khazak, and the others exchanged glances. They lifted their heads slightly, gazing toward the sky. The massive figure of the God hovered above them, its gaze fixed, but it hadn't moved to strike.

"Yeah," another guard chimed in, his voice wavering with hope.

"It's been a while now. Maybe it doesn't want to kill us?"

Luis looked at the God, his mind racing. Could it be true? The God wasn't attacking—just observing. What did that mean?

A different guard, trembling but daring to speak, offered,

"Perhaps... the God only destroys those who provoke it. Maybe it doesn't see us as a threat."

Khazak's voice, cracked from tension, interrupted.

"Then why is it still staring at us? What does it want?"

No one had an answer. They just stood there, staring at one another, unsure of what to do next. Each breath felt like it could be their last. The only certainty was that one wrong move could spell their doom.

"Your highness," a guard called out hesitantly.

Luis turned to him, his expression heavy.

"What is it? Have you thought of something?"

The guard nodded, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

"I don't know if this will work, but in the old stories... when people wanted to appease the gods, they made offerings. They gave sacrifices to show their devotion and to ask for blessings."

A murmur of agreement spread through the guards.

"Yes," another added.

"I've heard that too. Maybe we need to make an offering to show we're loyal. But… what can we offer?"

Despair settled back over the group. They had no riches, no food, no gold. What could they possibly offer to such a mighty being?

Luis didn't join the whispered conversations this time. His face was clouded with deep thought. He knew the stories well.

The more precious the offering, the more likely it was to please the god. And Luis had the most precious treasure of all—the world treasure, the celestial flame, hidden within him.

But it was a treasure that had been fought over for generations. Could he really part with it?

The treasure was the reason for the war between Azov and Kano. Luis had fled to Godfall, clutching it in hopes of using it to rebuild his kingdom. But now...

'What good is the treasure if I die here?' Luis thought bitterly.

'I can always rebuild the kingdom... but only if I survive.'

He made up his mind. Survival was more important than wealth or power. Even if the treasure had not recognized his family for three generations, it might save them now.

"Everyone, kneel," Luis commanded, his voice steady despite the fear in his heart.

"I will offer the celestial flame to the God."

Khazak's eyes widened in shock. "No, your highness! You can't sacrifice the world treasure!"

Luis shook his head firmly.

"If I don't sacrifice it, the God will kill us, and the treasure will be taken anyway. Better to offer it willingly for a chance to live."

Khazak fell silent, the harsh truth sinking in. The treasure was meaningless if they were dead.

"Prepare for the sacrifice," Luis ordered. He knelt on the ground, pulling a small, glowing orb from his armor. It radiated warmth and light, the legendary celestial flame.

The rest of the guards followed his lead, kneeling in silence.

----

High above them, Oliver watched the scene unfold with growing curiosity. He had simply been observing these strange humans, intrigued by their medieval-like armor and small actions.

They had been whispering and staring at him for some time, seemingly frozen by fear.

Then, to his surprise, they all knelt down. One of the humans pulled out a glowing marble, holding it up as if offering it to him.

'What are they doing?' Oliver thought, utterly baffled.

Oliver looked at the little glowing marble with curiosity. It shimmered with a dim light, casting a soft glow across the dark forest.

Oliver squinted, trying to focus on the tiny object. As massive as he was, small things were difficult to make out, and the tiny people kneeling before him seemed even smaller.

They murmured in their language, words lost on his ears, but their intent became clear.

'Are they offering this to me?' he wondered. After observing them for a while, he finally grasped what they were doing.

'Haha, they really think I'm a god.'

The thought was both amusing and ironic. Just recently, he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of a monster, a stark reminder of how fragile life could be.

The idea of being a god felt absurd. He was just a weak human, a survivor in an unfamiliar world.

But now, faced with this peculiar situation, Oliver didn't know what to do. Instinctively, he thought about taking the glowing marble.

'Maybe I should just take it and leave them. They look like they're begging for mercy, probably because I killed their people by accident.'

Oliver frowned. He wished he understood their language. If only he could communicate with them, things would be much simpler. But as it was, they were as alien to him as he was to them.

Just as he was reaching out for the marble, it suddenly shot toward him with incredible speed. Before he could react, the glowing orb entered his body, disappearing without a trace.

'What?'

Oliver's eyes widened in shock. He began to pat down his chest and stomach, searching for any signs of the marble. But there was nothing. The worry crept in.

'Is it a trap? Is this thing going to harm me?'

Panic started to rise as he considered the possibilities. Just as he was about to try communicating with the tiny humans, his consciousness began to pull inward.

It was gentle this time, unlike the earlier experience that felt like being on a wild rollercoaster before landing at that mysterious door.

Oliver found himself in a familiar space within his mind, where the glowing marble floated. As he watched, the marble slowly began to break apart, releasing flames that flickered and grew.

At first, the flames were small, but they quickly expanded, growing larger and larger.

Fear gripped him as the flames drew closer, engulfing his surroundings. He braced himself for the burning pain that he expected to follow.

But instead, the flames enveloped him in a warm, soothing sensation, like a comforting embrace.

Suddenly, memories flooded his mind. They came from the flames, washing over him in a wave of knowledge and insight. When the torrent of memories finally subsided, Oliver opened his eyes, excitement sparking within him.

"This... this is a magical flame,"

He murmured, still reeling from the experience. He began to explore the new capabilities that the flame had granted him.

At that moment, a prompt appeared before him:

[Celestial Flame]

[Rank: ???]

[Ability: Strong Protection of Soul and Mind]

Oliver stared at the panel, and shock filled his eyes. It was the same kind of panel that appeared when people awakened their superpowers in the Expanding Realm.

That meant the world treasures could also be considered special talents, and this one... it was of an unknown rank, indicated by the mysterious question marks.

In the Expanding Realm, the strongest known awakeners were only of S-rank. Anything beyond that was not known. 

Seeing all this, a wave of happiness washed over Oliver. A moment ago, he had been on the brink of death, and now, not only had he found a way to another world, but he had also awakened an incredibly powerful talent with ease.

"Hahaha! I didn't expect it to be so easy to gain such strong talent," he laughed, jumping around the room in sheer joy.

Once his excitement settled, Oliver began to organize the other memories imparted by the flame. He now understood the language of this world and could even communicate telepathically with its inhabitants.

A sense of connection formed between him and the miniature world around him, and the initial strangeness melted away.

'So, there are many world treasures out there,'

Oliver thought, a smile playing on his lips as he absorbed the information.

These world treasures were powerful artifacts, naturally formed by the world itself. Each one had the power to disrupt the balance of power, to reshape the very landscape.

Those who wielded such treasures could control the fate of entire countries.

However, these treasures were rare and difficult to find. Just with the Celestial Flame alone, Oliver felt an incredible surge of power coursing through his body.

With a thought, he made the flame become smaller, and it obeyed, reducing to the size of a small fist. The deep blue flame glowed beautifully, radiating a calming warmth.

----

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Luis and his guards remained kneeling, anxiously waiting for a response from the god.

Several minutes had passed since the world treasure had flown from Luis's hand, yet nothing had happened. The silence that followed was torturous, each second feeling like an eternity. Their bodies trembled as they knelt, minds racing with worry and doubt.

'Did I do something wrong? Did the god reject the offering?'

Luis's mind swirled with anxiety. Every moment of waiting felt like a lifetime. But, It wasn't the god who broke the silence, but Khazak. His voice quivered as he spoke.

"Your Highness..." Khazak hesitated,

"What do we do now? The god... it's not responding."

Luis felt a surge of anger.

'How am I supposed to know why the god isn't responding?' he thought.

But he couldn't afford to show his frustration. Through gritted teeth, he answered

"We wait."

"We wait until we receive any kind of reply from the god. We cannot risk angering it further."

He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his mind a storm of worry and frustration. Khazak, sensing the tension, nodded and fell silent, swallowing his unease.

Just then, a voice echoed around them, breaking the oppressive silence.