Chapter 2: The Offering to the Gods

"Wake up! Using Lord Richard's haystack as a bed, a fine of 2 copper coins!"

Pino was jolted awake by a kick. Standing over him was the village's infamous tax officer, who wore a rusty iron sword at his waist and stood with arms crossed, eyeing the outsider, Pino.

"Are you serious... I have to pay to sleep in a haystack?" Pino rubbed his eyes, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"The hay is Lord Richard's, the stack is Lord Richard's. Of course, you pay for using it," the tax officer sneered.

"Damn it, You'll regret crossing me today!" Pino cursed under his breath, fumbling for his wallet and tossing two copper coins at the officer.

Damn it, I need to get out of this godforsaken place, where they tax you for the air you breathe!

…

[Name: Pino King]

[Age: 21]

[Race: Human]

[Class Level: Commoner LV.1, Bard LV.10]

[Experience: 0/100]

[Strength: 5]

[Constitution: 5]

[Agility: 5]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Charisma: 5+10 (from Bard LV.10)]

Life Skills: [Persuasion LV.5] [Identification LV.3]

Combat Skills: [Begging LV.10] [Turtle Fist LV.1]

It had been three years since Pino crossed over. Aside from his sharp tongue, his combat skills had made zero progress. Why? Hadn't he dreamed of becoming a mighty ruler? No. On his first day in this world, he'd grabbed a wooden sword and gone out to grind levels. If it weren't for the starting gold coin the system gave him, he'd have lost his ass to a band of robbers.

Realizing that without money or weapons, one couldn't stand in this world, Pino had sworn to conquer it by first mastering the art of making money. In three years, he'd saved up a grand total of ten gold coins! Ten whole coins! For those ten coins, he'd tarnished the reputations of countless kings and sullied the honor of the Elf Queen. And now… the time had come to start chasing his dreams! Ten consecutive pulls! Ten whole pulls! Everyone says the tenth pull brings miracles, right? What Pino referred to as a "ten consecutive pulls" wasn't from the system's built-in lottery feature, but rather a blessing from the gods.

On this continent, there were countless ancient statues of gods scattered throughout the land. People gathered them, building temples and churches to offer their worship. Worshippers could offer tributes to the statues, hoping to receive the gods' blessings. For instance, offering to the Fire God Sothros might grant the rare [Fire Elemental Blessing] talent, a must-have for aspiring fire mages.

Similarly, offering to the God of War, Achilles, could bestow the [Innate Strength] talent, a vital source of power for warriors. Without such divine blessings, anyone rash enough to become a warrior without them was simply asking to be cannon fodder. The kingdom of Avalon, where Pino found himself, primarily worshipped the God of Light. He had made countless offerings to the God of Light, but each time, the response was nothing more than the most mundane of blessings.

[Blessing of Light: Grants 24 hours of protection, dispelling illness, healing wounds, and restoring vitality.]

After a dozen offerings, Pino hadn't received any special talents. After all, even card pulls come with a chance, and not everyone could be blessed with a unique gift—if everyone had divine talents, wouldn't paladins be a dime a dozen?

Pino didn't blame the God of Light for his lack of divine favor. He attributed it to his bad luck—maybe it was the fact that he always made single pulls? So, he'd finally saved up ten gold coins and was ready for a ten-consecutive pull! The village where he was staying did have a church of Light, but given the lord's greedy nature, there might even be a "worship tax." He fought back the impatience in his heart and decided to head toward the next town's church.

Pino didn't have any grand ambitions. His professional dream was to become a priest in a large city church, judging the unclean sins of noblewomen every day…

With that thought, Pino quickened his pace, heading toward the next town.

"I really should buy an old horse…" Pino grumbled, walking along the rough trail. His worn leather boots ached with every step as the stones pressed painfully into his feet.

In order to save money for his ten pulls, he couldn't even bear to spend on a good pair of shoes, nor could he afford to hire mercenaries for protection. However, there were consequences to being so cheap. As Pino walked along a mountain ridge path, two bandits suddenly jumped out from the roadside. They were dressed in tattered leather armor, holding axes stained with blood and rust.

"Damn it!" Despite his years of travel and knowing how things went in this kingdom, Pino couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Get down and get your money!"

If it weren't for the fact that everyone in this world had their own personalities, Pino might have suspected that some programmer had written this world, considering the bandits' line was so stereotypical.

[Bandit Brothers LV.3]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Bandit, Farmer]

[Slash Damage: 15~100]

[HP: 150/150]

[Armor: 10]

[Skills: Slash, Robbery]

[Evaluation: Even these two farmers moonlighting as bandits are more than a match for you. Meet all their demands!]

Pino was used to this kind of encounter. He quickly pulled a silver coin from his wallet and tossed it at them. "I'm just a poor bard… please, gentlemen, have mercy!"

[Activating Skill: Begging LV.10]

[Skill Check in Progress...]

[Pino: Money Tactics 3 points + Begging 10 points + Charisma (Speech) 10 points, Total: 23 points]

It was an easy win. Unless the bandits were particularly bloodthirsty, Pino's Begging skill was nearly invincible. Two farmers out for coin were no threat to his life.

[Bandit Brothers: Robbery 5 points + Greed 1 point + Homosexual 20 points, Total: 26 points]

[Begging LV.10: Skill check failed]

"What... what...?" Pino's eyes widened in shock.

He watched as the two bandits approached with lewd smiles, muttering to each other, "Brother... it's our day... it's a pretty boy..."

"Heh-heh... I'm the older brother, I'll go first..."

"Man, don't do that, I ate some rotten perch yesterday... I haven't fully digested it yet…" Pino pleaded desperately.

[Activating Begging Skill!]

[Skill check failed!]

Activate! Activate! Activate!

Failed! Failed! Failed!

As the filthy bandits closed in, Pino's fury boiled over. A man should have principles—he would never debase himself to survive in such a way. Not to mention, his ten gold coins were hidden in...

With that thought, Pino gritted his teeth, turned to the 45-degree sloped cliff nearby, and rolled down!

I'll bet my luck's strong enough!

Roll, roll, roll...

[You hit a small stone while rolling, Life -1, -1, -1...]

[You crashed into a large stone, Life -30!]

The intense dizziness knocked Pino unconscious for hours, and it was some time before he regained consciousness.

[You have escaped the Bandit Brothers' pursuit, Current HP: 30, Multiple bruises on your skin, limbs intact, mild concussion.]

Phew...

At least the coins are safe... my dignity's still intact...

Damn it, which stupid rock took 30 HP from me? If I don't get even with it, my name isn't Pino!

Just as Pino was about to kick the stone in anger, he suddenly noticed something strange. The stone he had crashed into, now stained with his blood, was emitting a faint glow.

[Identifying Skill LV.3 Activated]

[A mysterious statue, its deity now unrecognizable due to the ravages of time, but the faint glow suggests it is still connected to its god. Perhaps you could try offering to it.]

Pino was startled. An outdoor statue? He didn't even know who it belonged to?

Was this a fortunate encounter or a trap? What if it was some lecherous minor god? Wouldn't he just waste his gold? Or worse, what if it was some evil deity? Would it corrupt him if he made an offering?

Staring at the weathered, vine-covered statue with an unclear outline, Pino hesitated for a long while. After all, in life, there was no shortage of gamblers.

Finally, after much internal debate, Pino decided to make the offering.

[You took out a gold coin and placed it in front of the unknown statue.]

[You begin to pray...]

"Give me a super fucking cool talent... give me a fucking cool talent..." Pino muttered, his voice trembling.

Not all gods liked gold as a tribute. Some preferred offerings of flesh, others minerals. But it was clear this unknown wild god favored gold. The coin flashed and vanished.

[Want to fuck a cow? I'll make it happen.]

The light blinked, and suddenly, in front of Pino, appeared a small cow.

"????" Pino stared at the creature, completely confused.

What was going on?

Before Pino could react, the little cow, likely startled, kicked its hooves and bolted away.

"I wanted a fucking cool talent... not a cow..." Pino was covered in cold sweat.

But... the god actually did something for his money? A cow for a gold coin? What a deal!

Pino didn't even bother chasing after the little cow. Instead, he quickly pulled out another gold coin, placed it in front of the statue, and clasped his hands in prayer.

"I want to be rich!"

[You want to be hit? A strange request, but I'll fulfill it!]

A flash of light, and suddenly, a thick tree branch overhead cracked with a loud snap. The massive tree trunk, as thick as a man's thigh, came crashing down. Had Pino not dodged in time, his remaining 30 HP would have been gone in an instant.

Phew…

"Are you a deaf!" Pino, still catching his breath, pointed furiously at the statue.

The statue responded innocently: [No, I am a dragon.]

Pino's eyes bulged with rage. He clenched another gold coin in his fist. "Listen carefully… I want to be the Sword God's disciple!"

[You want to be short and flaccid? I'll grant that!]

A beam of golden light fell on Pino.

[You have received the Dragon God's Curse: Short and Flaccid]

[Duration: Permanent]

Pino froze in shock, immediately checking his little King and almost screamed in a high-pitched voice, "What the hell!?"

[What else do you wish for? I can grant everything… my little coins… my little coins…]

"Goodbye, I'm done!" Pino, expressionless, stuffed his remaining coins into his pocket. If he made any more wishes on this statue, he would surely be a fool.

The statue's golden light flickered once more, and all seven of Pino's remaining coins vanished.

[No need to ask for one by one. What's your wish? Just say it all at once!]

"Oh no no!!" Pino almost snapped, grabbing a stone and pounding it in frustration. "Give me my coins back!!"

[Want to go to a forbidden place and scavenge? I'll fulfill that!]

A flash of light, and Pino's body vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he was in a hellish, blood-soaked, pitch-black land.

The sky was filled with ghostly, dark entities. The ground was scorched, and the bodies of demons, some still half-rotted and others reduced to skeletal remains, lay scattered everywhere. The scene was horrifying beyond belief.

[You are being corrupted by an unknown force. Your life is rapidly draining...]

[-3, -3, -3...]

The overwhelming gravitational force of the place crushed Pino's body instantly. He collapsed to the ground, his hand clenching onto a broken, round stone bead.

The next second, he was teleported back to his original location.

It had only been a brief moment, but Pino had nearly lost his life in that terrifying, cursed place.

[Transaction completed~ Next time, let's continue~ Little coins… my little coins…]

Pino, sprawled on the ground, weakly looked at the broken, dark-red stone in his hand. He used his identifying skill on it.

[Slave Lord's Core (Fragmented)]