The shrine enshrining the divine body of the God of Offerings was located in a cave on the outskirts of the village. The path there was quiet and solemn, eerie enough to seem as if ghosts would appear. The shrine maiden who came to greet the sacrifices guided them without a word, and the sacrifices, who had been excited at the thought of becoming immortals, calmed down a little and looked around cautiously.
Eventually, they arrived in front of the cave. Before 'Mouth', who had led them, three other shrine maidens appeared.
'Ear', 'Nose', 'Eye'. The shrine maidens in charge of the God of Offerings' face.
They guided the sacrifices without a single word. As they stepped boldly into the dark cave where not a single ray of light entered, the sacrifices panicked but followed the shrine maidens like ducklings.
There wasn't even a single torch to be seen. Only darkness reflected in their eyes. They didn't know if they were moving right now, or just walking in place. At the very least, the faint luminescent marks on the shrine maidens' clothes let them know they weren't falling behind.
Even in this darkness, 'Eye' walked along the slope as if seeing everything clearly. Deeper, even deeper. Into the abyss.
How many minutes had passed? How far had they gone? A voice arrived suddenly, like light.
"This is the bedchamber of the God of Offerings. O sacrifices. Be awed."
The sacrifices, snapping back to their senses in a startle, scrambled to a halt. Before them, something large and dark moved. With a grating sound of rock scraping against rock, a door opened.
The texture of the darkness changed. From a darkness where light had vanished, to a pitch-black that swallowed even light itself. The gates of Bicheo opened, and beyond them, in the profound darkness, something was waiting for the sacrifices.
A stream of voice flowed among the hesitating sacrifices.
"Fear not. Rejoice. Accept the distant glory of sharing a body with the God of Offerings. This is the heart of immortality. If you do not fear wounds, the power of immortality shall reside within you."
Only then did the sacrifices recall where this was and what kind of entity the God of Offerings was, and courageously took a step forward. It was not some other god, but the God of Offerings. As long as immortals existed, its power was not false.
Or it could be a scheme to deceive them with the promise of power to use them as sacrifices, but the God of Offerings wouldn't choose such a bothersome method. Moreover, there were over five hundred people in Piwu Village. Deceiving them and sacrificing their lives would be a burdensome act.
That went double if there was someone from beyond the plains in Piwu Village.
Whether rationally or emotionally, the sacrifices had no reason to back down. The sacrifices walked into the pitch-black darkness following the shrine maidens.
"If you fail, you will survive; if you succeed, you will be immortal. Come, follow, become one."
Whoosh. Flames bloomed in the darkness.
At that moment, a massive cavern came into view. It was a large and magnificent structure, hard to believe existed this deep underground. Despite the torch flames being not small, they could barely illuminate the floor and walls. They still had to walk further toward the abyss inside, where something lurked.
'Mouth', 'Ear', and 'Nose', excluding 'Eye', each holding a torch, looked back at the sacrifices.
"At the end of this path, the God of Offerings whom you await and who awaits you shall be. Those who will offer their bodies...?"
'Mouth', who had been speaking on behalf of everyone, panicked upon seeing me sandwiched among the sacrifices. Seeing 'Mouth' hesitate, the other shrine maidens looked at her.
"'Mouth'. What's wrong?"
"The one from beyond the plains? Why are you here? Don't tell me...?"
Busted. I secretly followed pretending to be a sacrifice because I wanted to see the ritual, but if I said I came to watch, they'd probably kick me out, right? I said something I didn't mean to 'Mouth'.
"Um... it's a field trip. If I figure it won't hurt, I'd like to share a body with the God of Offerings too."
"This is a sacred place. It is not a place for one from beyond the plains to tread carelessly!"
Not a chance. 'Mouth' urgently pressed 'Eye'.
"'Eye'. Why didn't you inform us of his presence?"
'Eye', whose eye area was tightly bound with cloth, stared precisely at me through it. I don't know how good her eyesight is, but she was accurately making out my figure through the gaps between the tightly woven threads. If 'Eye' had known me, my identity would have been exposed the moment we made eye contact.
However, it seemed these eyes, nose, and mouth didn't communicate well with each other. 'Eye' spoke calmly.
"I have never held him in these eyes, 'Mouth'. I merely guided the sacrifices with the god's eyes; what those sacrifices were was your jurisdiction."
'Mouth', rendered speechless, blamed the other innocent shrine maiden.
"Conveying the God of Offerings' words is my duty. Unlike that, noticing something is off is your side's job. 'Nose'. Just as you, who smell, should discern danger!"
"...They're all smells I'm smelling for the first time. The smell of ashes, poppies and willow bark, and the thick smell of blood... Their smells are all strange, so I can't tell what's strange about them."
It seemed there was no hierarchy among the shrine maidens; instead of mediating, they were just arguing. Well, they were all limbs of the God of Offerings, so they were probably equal, with only functional differences depending on the body part.
While I was cautiously observing the situation, 'Ear', who had been quietly listening, took off her earmuffs. Beneath the tightly wrapped earmuffs, large ears with traces of being cut and sewn on from somewhere were revealed.
"'Mouth'. Be quiet."
"Why...?"
At that moment, 'Mouth's' mouth began to move on its own. 'Mouth' hastily stopped talking and relaxed her mouth. From the will-less mouth, a voice that wasn't 'Mouth's' flowed out.
"One from beyond the plains. I shall take a piece of your flesh."
"Pardon? A piece of flesh?"
"You need not become one with me. However, you must pay the price for deceiving me and trying to uncover my secrets. If you dislike that, leave this cave at once and never set foot on this land again."
Well, I did do something wrong, but still. Pretty gentlemanly for a barbarian god, huh? The price for trespassing in someone's sanctuary is just a bit of flesh, and if I refuse, exile? How lukewarm. Very lukewarm.
It seemed like the person known as the God of Offerings was being considerate of the one from beyond the plains... or perhaps, afraid of them?
"I shall give you a piece of flesh. It's a bit of a shame, but it's cheap enough as the price for peeking at your secrets."
"I have heard those words clearly."
The words were spoken by 'Mouth', but the sound was heard by 'Ear'. The god residing in them withdrew, and the shrine maidens, having confirmed the god's will, began to walk again without a word. Only 'Mouth' sent me a resentful glare.
A piece of flesh, huh. It'll probably hurt, but even before I had the Demon God, pieces of flesh could regenerate. Now, it's only at the level of making my eyes water a little.
Come to think of it, with my regeneration ability now, I could gamble as much as I want with my fingers on the line. Even if they get cut off, I can just regenerate them. While I was briefly lost in delusion, something far away was illuminated by the torches.
It was grotesque just from the outline. As the shadow of a giant loomed in the distance, the sacrifices also stopped in their tracks. However, the silently advancing shrine maidens pushed the sacrifices forward with their silence. Though intimidated by the ominous shadow at the end, the sacrifices slowly advanced.
The torchlight gradually reached the approaching outline.
And everyone was overwhelmed by the grotesque sight.
It was a doll. Woven using human bodies as material.
A human figure made by sewing and joining together different arms and legs. The right arm was probably Rash's, and the left leg was 'Left Leg's'. It wasn't just the limbs; the left chest was that of a sturdy man, and the right chest was that of a soft woman. The side flesh, a patch of abdominal muscle, even the shoulder blade. The joints were misaligned, as if someone else's parts had been cut and pasted on.
And above all, the most grotesque thing was the face, which looked like it had been tailored by a clumsy child.
In contrast to the giant flesh, it was the face of a petite girl. Eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were all plucked from different people and sewn together. Reddish-brown eyes embedded in deeply slit eyelids. Cut and pasted ears, a slightly twisted nose. And a long, torn mouth.
One shouldn't judge humans or gods by their appearance, but looking purely at the outward appearance, anyone could see it was the figure of an evil, wicked god.
"O God of Offerings. Lend me your mouth. I offer my mouth, tongue, and words; use them to unfold your will upon the world."
While everyone was lost for words at the grotesque figure, the shrine maidens prepared the ritual. 'Mouth' read the prayer and uncorked a bottle of alcohol. Gulp, 'Mouth', who drank half of the strong liquor in the small bottle, poured the next glass and offered it to Nose.
"O God of Offerings. Lend me your nose. I offer my nose, breath, and respiration; use them to make the world breathe with life."
'Nose' snorted the alcohol like taking a drug. Inhaling the intoxicating scent through her nose, 'Nose', who got drunk without even drinking, handed the bottle with only a few drops left to 'Eye'.
"O God of Offerings. Lend me your eyes. I offer my eyes, light, and vision; use them to look down upon the world."
And 'Eye' dropped a few drops of alcohol into her eyes. Her eye area flushed as if burning from the alcohol seeping in instead of tears. Drinking alcohol with her eyes, 'Eye', who drank in a way no one had ever tried, calmly put down the bottle without rubbing them or showing pain.
"O God of Offerings. Lend me your ears. I offer my ears, sound, and vibration; use them to hear and resonate."
Finally, 'Ear' read the phrase written in the prayer. Even for 'Ear', it seemed she didn't pour alcohol into her ears.
"Fill the body with a body, until you reach a thousand lives."
At that moment, the sewn-together patchwork doll opened its eyes wide.
[Having reached a thousand lives, I have descended into this body.]
It was the God of Offerings. The God of Offerings dwelled in the doll made by sewing flesh together, and its ears, eyes, nose, and mouth began to move by borrowing those of the shrine maidens.
Without moving anything below its neck, the God of Offerings conveyed its will only by moving its eyes, nose, and mouth.
[If the tribe grows, the body must also grow. With these sacrifices, I shall enlarge my body. My power and majesty will grow all the more.]
"Do as you will."
The shrine maidens bowed their heads in unison, and the sacrifices also bowed their heads, watching the mood. The time of reverence was quite long. When I started to wonder when it would end, a dagger fell in front of one of the sacrifices.
[Take up the knife, O sacrifice who shall become my body.]
A sharp dagger suddenly appeared before his eyes. The designated sacrifice reflexively grabbed the dagger. Though he grabbed it in a fluster, he stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do with the dagger, and the God of Offerings' command fell upon his ears.
[Offer your heel.]
"Pardon? My heel...?"
[Cut off your heel and offer it to me. Then, I shall bestow my heel upon you.]
Though he expected it, when the moment of choice actually arrived, the sacrifice's body froze.
Even if he was about to become a sacrifice, even if he knew this was a ritual, even if he knew he would be given the power of immortality after it ended.
Having to cut off a part of one's own body was something that invoked that much revulsion.
"H-How much should I cut?"
[Offer it.]
"W-How much do you need...?"
[Offer it.]
"If blood flows, do you have any medicine or cloth to stop the bleeding...?"
[Offer it.]
The God of Offerings did not urge or rush, simply repeating the same words. The first to grow anxious was not the god, but the others. Seeing him hesitating, the shrine maidens urged him on.
"O sacrifice. Fear not and rejoice."
"Only by accepting this grace can the village grow and make room for others."
"The god generously forgave you even when you burned the land. If you give up, you will gain nothing."
"Neither the power of immortality, nor the land for you to stay."
Offering a sacrifice was the condition. If he couldn't do it and ran away, not only would the power of immortality be lost, but even the foothold they had earned in Piwu Village would be jeopardized.
It was good when they came, saying they would gain the power of immortality, but having come this far, they couldn't back down. Moreover, they had hidden the fact that the proposal to offer sacrifices was to monopolize the power of immortality. If he returned empty-handed, saying he was too scared to cut his own flesh, he might just be kicked out.
'No, it would rather be a relief if it ended at that. We are refugees who lost our homeland. If we can't secure a place here, we might just be abandoned...'
He was caught in his own trap. The barbarian who volunteered as a sacrifice gripped his trembling hands and brought the dagger to his heel. He couldn't retreat now, but this was an opportunity he had sought. He just had to seize this chance.
"It's just a moment. Just a moment. It'll only hurt for a moment..."
Muttering as if hypnotizing himself, he placed the blade against his heel and pulled hard.
Blood splattered. A painful scream echoed. Perhaps because his skill with the knife was quite excellent, he cut off his heel very cleanly. Looking at the piece of heel where tendons and muscles were twitching, he contorted his face.
And the shrine maidens moved. Holding the piece of heel, the shrine maidens approached the God of Offerings' heel on their knees. Then, an amazing thing happened.
Thud, the God of Offerings' heel detached. Leaving a large gap, as if it had been detachable from the start.
"O God of Offerings. The sacrifice offers his body. With the body forming a body, spread your divine body further."
'Eye' and 'Ear' wedged the bleeding heel into the gap, and 'Mouth' and 'Nose' carefully picked up the separated divine body and approached the sacrifice. The shrine maidens who approached the bleeding sacrifice's heel firmly pressed the divine body against the cross-section, as if quilting cotton.
"Agh! Uwaaah... Huh?"
Then, an amazing thing happened. The blood that had been spurting like a fountain from his heel stopped in an instant.
The divine body that entered his body instantly swelled as it soaked up the blood. It stuck perfectly to the cross-section, took root inside his body, and soon became one, moving as if it were his own body.
He limped and stood up, leaning on his newly acquired heel. It didn't look familiar yet, but it moved according to his will as if it were his own body.
"My body...?"
"That is now your God of Offerings. It is the proof that you share a body with the God of Offerings, and your power."
The divine body became a physical body. A shrine maiden applied mud to the feet of the bewildered man. Wrapping his red, heated heel with cold mud, the shrine maidens added one word after another.
"The ritual is over. Now you are one of us."
"You shall live as the 'left heel' of the God of Offerings."
"As time passes, the more the god dwells in your body. The further you will be from death."
"Just as you wouldn't die if your heel was cut off."
Miracles begin with casting away doubt. The remaining sacrifices, having witnessed the miracle before their eyes, scrambled to offer their bodies. It was clearly painful, but there would be a reward worth it.
Meanwhile, I read the God of Offerings' thoughts.
As expected, that was the true body of the God of Offerings. Its self-awareness had become faint because it had sewn various bodies together, but the God of Offerings' will and intent was emanating from here.
And indeed, the God of Offerings... is quite an interesting entity.
"Offer your flesh, one from beyond the plains."
"Ah, is it my turn already?"
Was I too engrossed in reading thoughts? Before I knew it, the ritual was over, and I was the only one left. I took the dagger the shrine maiden handed me and twirled it.
'Mouth' urged me.
"Cut your flesh. One from beyond the plains. That is the price you must pay for setting foot in Bicheo."
"Uh, I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll decline that. Instead, I'd like to tell you an interesting story, how about it?"
Giving up a part of my body and being done with it is one way, but I'm a bit repulsed by it. Who knows what they'll do to my body if I hand it over? You shouldn't hand over a part of your body to a shady person in the first place.
Especially to the God of Offerings, who had devoured countless humans and played with dolls using the leftovers.
[Are you going to break your promise?]
"No. I'll keep my promise. It's just that I thought there might be a more interesting story. If it's a story that would tempt even the God of Offerings to listen, wouldn't it be much more valuable than a piece of my flesh?"
[What is it?]
To the God of Offerings who asked me directly, I carefully examined his memories. The God of Offerings had been nearly asleep for a long time. Aside from the fragmented memories seen and heard through the shrine maidens' eyes and ears, his proper memories traced back a long time ago.
Before the first year, when humans were not the rulers of the world, and when the Saintess had not yet appeared on this land. To the time when ancient evils reigned.
And at that time, I read the most intense memory embedded in the God of Offerings' mind and spoke.
"How about I tell you about the Human King who overthrew you, Evil God Ankra?"