Deceipt

The meeting ended with jubilation — everyone was excited to try out the new methods to purify their water intake and improve their health.

They were even more excited knowing that Ragnar now possesses interesting knowledge that would lead them out of their impoverished conditions.

Before they left, the few elderly people, including Old Man James, gathered the others to pray for him.

They wished him good health, more knowledge, and strength that would make him an even more capable leader to care for them.

Their hopeful prayers echoed softly through the clearing. A gentle breeze carried their wishes toward the ancestral spirits.

After the prayer ended, everyone left for their homes with smiles on their faces.

Ragnar and the twin strolled together.

"Ragnar, your speech today was brilliant," Merlina complimented, hugging Ragnar's arm as her chest pressed softly against him.

"Ha ha, thank you, Merlina," Ragnar forced a smile, though his mind and body were in shambles as he battled an unexpected erection.

Noah strolled calmly behind them, his gaze fixed ahead.

"Did the ancestors share those methods with you?" Noah turned to Ragnar and asked.

'Of course they didn't,' Ragnar thought, yet he could not admit the truth.

"Yes, they did. They revealed it to me in my dream last night. At first I was skeptical, but after witnessing the stream's unhealthy state, I stopped doubting and believed it was the ancestors sharing an important message."

"Hmm," Noah nodded slowly and returned to his usual quiet self.

Why haven't the ancestors spoken to me? Ragnar wondered. Am I unworthy of their attention?

Meanwhile, Merlina never left Ragnar's side as they walked, openly sharing tales of their childhood adventures.

Minutes later, Ragnar waved the twin goodbye and quietly made his way back to his hut.

On his way back, Ragnar burst into an all-out sprint — no one was watching as he tested the attribute increase from his first level-up.

Ragnar's body moved at a speed comparable to athletes on Earth. He also maintained steady breathing thanks to the boost in his physique attribute, which improved his endurance.

"Ha ha!"

Once Ragnar reached his room, he laughed excitedly.

"I feel great just from a single level-up," he said.

He equipped a sword from his inventory and swung it — even without any technique applied, the sword felt even more powerful in his grasp.

Ragnar smiled as he stored the sword back in his system and opened his character status.

____

HOST: Ragnar Yellowwood

LEVEL: 1 (XP: 45/150)

HP: 90/100

MP: 50/50

RANK: FF

INNATE SKILL: Sacrifice Lvl 1

ACQUIRED SKILLS: Efficient Harvest Lvl 1, Blade Mastery Lvl 1

ATTRIBUTES:

• PHYSIQUE: 1.7 (+0.5)

• AGILITY : 1.9 (+0.5)

• SPIRIT : 1.5 (+0.5)

TERRITORIES:

⤷ 10th Hamlet (FF) ▶ Details

COMBINED TERRITORY RATING: FF

[🎒 Inventory] [📜 Quest]

____

Ragnar observed the details, and a smile remained plastered on his face. The level-up had granted him a 0.5 increase in all his attributes. The boost in agility was most noticeable because it was the highest, followed by physique.

"I guess the spirit stat will start manifesting once magic is involved," Ragnar thought.

The sheer imagination of using magic — something he had only seen in his wildest dreams — filled him with thrill and yearning for what the future might hold.

"Tomorrow, I'll make sure to sacrifice something to the system and see what I get from it," Ragnar muttered. "But what can I sacrifice?"

His first sacrifice was a precious magical charm gifted to him by Old Man James. The rewards he received from that offering were excellent.

Right now, he could only imagine how he might obtain something as valuable.

While thinking about this, Ragnar's head sparked with an idea.

"Everyone believes in the existence of otherworldly entities like ancestors, and they also think those entities had a hand in my transmigration and knowledge. With the right speech and course of action, I can get them to offer their important belongings for sacrifice!"

Ragnar's eyes brightened with newfound hope and determination.

It wouldn't even be deceitful if he moved forward with his plan, considering that the system's purpose was to improve the condition of his territory, which directly links to the people.

Every mission he had received from the system so far involved improving the mood of his people, like consoling the mourning woman and greeting the farmers.

"All I need to do is tell them that the ancestors want offerings. Even if it is a basket of harvest or a precious jewel, it will suffice."

Ragnar's mood improved for the night. He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling with a smile on his face.

He soon fell asleep a few minutes later, once again forgetting to warn his insufferable virtual assistant.