The Child God's Morning Feast
Morning sunlight poured over the top of the World Tree.
"Mm..."
The moment I opened my eyes, a pleasant languor washed over me. Even as a crow, I'd slept with my back against the nest floor, but the softness of the nest felt entirely different against smooth human skin. When I was a gigantic crow, this nest had been a cozy bed perfectly fitted to my body—now it felt like an endless playground.
"...Ah, I'm hungry."
A rumble of thunder echoed from my stomach. Yesterday, I'd devoured a massive cow whole—enough that several grown men couldn't have finished it—and yet my belly felt like a black hole, completely empty. My appearance had changed, but the crow's bottomless appetite remained the same.
I pictured my subspace in my mind. The air rippled, and the subspace opened, revealing the top-grade beef leftovers from yesterday, still fresh with a chill.
I pulled out one hunk and gathered lightning at my fingertips. With a sensation far more familiar than yesterday, I ran it over the surface—sizzle—and it was done: a steak with a crispy crust trapping all the juices inside.
Perfect. With this heat control, I could open a steakhouse.
Rustle.
A foreign presence broke the World Tree's silence. Someone was holding their breath, stepping oh-so-carefully over dry leaves.
Huh? Who else but Michael could climb this high?
Steak in hand, I whipped my head toward the sound.
At the same moment, the elven kingdom's tribute delegation reached the upper branches of the World Tree in solemn silence.
Led by Elf General Kaiel based on the scout captain's report, they climbed the massive trunk without hesitation. The closer they got to the summit, the heavier the pressure of receiving the child of the gods felt on him.
This is the divine domain where the oracle resides. We must not commit any discourtesy.
The elite warriors following him felt the same. They weren't mere envoys—they approached with the mindset of pilgrims meeting a young god.
"General, the summit is near."
"Halt, everyone. Do not emit even a hint of energy that might disturb His presence."
The warriors nodded silently. They'd heard through the oracle that the terrifying black bird, like a monster, was actually the gods' beloved 'child.'
Kaiel steadied his breath and carefully parted the massive leaves blocking the summit.
And he froze.
"......"
Kaiel and all the elves held their breath.
There was no gigantic monster bird, no thunderous storm shaking the earth. Backlit by the cascading morning sunlight was a dazzlingly beautiful child with long black hair, sitting there. Draped in a jet-black robe of feathers, the child—holding a hunk of meat as big as themselves—tilted their head curiously at the elves.
Is... is that...?
Kaiel's mind went blank. For dozens of days, that calamity-grade black bird had been an object of terror. The overwhelming monster that had chomped Turaka, summoned storms with a single flap, and rolled around using the World Tree's sacred relics as a blanket—this was its place.
But instead, there sat a child munching meat in the morning light. Outwardly, they looked like a lost kid from a nearby village. Yet the mana waves emanating from their body matched the giant black bird's exactly. No—even more intensely condensed, exuding a pressure like a sacred being incarnated in flesh.
One of the trailing warriors cautiously addressed Kaiel.
"G-General... is that... surely...?"
"Yes."
Kaiel swallowed dryly and murmured low.
"That is They."
The next instant, Kaiel's knees buckled on their own.
"Great... Great Guardian of the World Tree!"
Kaiel prostrated reverently on the ground. The warriors behind him bowed as one, entranced.
"We humble fae offer our worship to the child god beloved by the gods! Forgive our tardy service!"
I stood there dumbfounded, steak halfway to my mouth.
What the heck? Why are they all suddenly bowing like crazy?
Thanks to the universal language patch, their words came through crystal clear. Fae—elves, huh. But 'child god'? 'Worship'? What?
I glanced at the elves prostrating, then sensed a strange mana pulse from behind them.
Kaiel drew an ancient-runed dagger from his bosom and lightly slashed the air.
Shooo!
Dazzling emerald mana swirled, tearing open empty space to form a portal.
Oh, kinda like mine? They use magic for it, though.
From the opened space, amid a chill, massive chunks of meat emerged in orderly fashion—prime cuts far superior to regular beef, with vivid red hues and gorgeous marbling.
"Um... excuse me?"
I spoke cautiously, and Kaiel immediately lifted his head.
"Yes, speak! Incarnation of the great god!"
"That space magic stuff—is it all meat?"
"Indeed! It would be an affront for Your Greatness to endure the hassle of hunting, so we selected only the finest wyvern flesh and tenderloins from top-grade magic beasts!"
A wave of deep emotion hit me.
Whoa, isekai delivery service is insane. Delivering a whole warehouse's worth.
Whether they mistook me for a 'child god' or not, bringing this much meat made them VIP guests in my book.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound as dignified as possible.
"Mm, alright. You must be tired from the long journey. Could you bring those meats a bit closer?"
At my gentle voice, Kaiel and the warriors, overcome with emotion, carried the chunks forward like sacred relics.
Each piece was bigger than me, but no biggie. I gathered mana at my fingertips.
Unlike beef, wyvern meat had strong mana resistance—I sensed it the instant I touched it. I unleashed stronger lightning than for the beef.
Crackle!
Whoops, too strong.
The first blast slightly overcooked the surface. As the burnt smell started rising, I quickly dialed back the output.
It needed far more delicate control than beef.
Good—thinner. Like a thread.
Sizzle.
This time it was perfect. Precisely condensed lightning heat evenly seared the surface, crisping the outside while locking in the juices. A savory aroma filled the World Tree summit.
I popped a perfectly grilled steak slice into my mouth without delay.
"Whoaaa! Wyvern meat is this delicious?!"
Chewy texture incomparable to beef, juices exploding on the tongue. Happiness flooded me with every bite.
I tore into the meat bigger than my body, eyes narrowing in bliss.
The watching elves were once more plunged into awe.
Sensing the mana resistance on first touch and instantly adjusting output to perfectly cook notoriously tricky wyvern meat—this was divine power to them. The scene was holy yet uncanny: the child god's banquet.
"Munch munch, ahh! I'm stuffed."
I patted my belly and stood, feeling great. My gaze turned to the elves still forehead-to-floor.
They worked hard delivering—feels bad eating alone.
Beasts followed survival of the fittest, but human reason stirred pity. I tossed some well-grilled wyvern steaks their way.
"Hey, you guys climbed hard too—eat this. It's seriously good."
At my casual offer, the elves doubted their ears. To receive food personally cooked by the 'child god'!
"Th-this is... the grace of the god!"
Kaiel caught a piece reverently with both hands, tears streaming. The moment he took a bite, a soul-shaking shock hit him.
Refined, pure mana infused in every fiber flowed into the elves' bodies. Accumulated impurities were swept away, stagnant mana circuits cleared refreshingly.
The warriors spewed pitch-black impurities, hugging each other in tearful ecstasy.
Kaiel was no exception.
"Great child god! To bestow such noble grace on us humble fae!"
I tilted my head at their over-the-top reactions.
What? Is wyvern meat like a hallucinogen for elves? Why the freakout?
Just sharing a bit of meat, and they praised like saved from hell—it was getting awkward.
I shook my head and started cleanup. Dozens of tons of wyvern warehouse meat and prime magic beast tenderloins remained unpacked.
Subspace storage.
The air rippled at my thought, opening my secret warehouse. A casual wave swept in the massive tribute.
It was instant. The mountain of dozens of tons vanished without a chant.
"......"
Kaiel's jaw dropped. His tears stopped. The wailing warriors froze one by one.
Dozens of tons—the fruit of the kingdom's hunters mobilized for days—gone with a child's gesture, melting into the air.
No chant, no magic circle... swallowing dozens of tons with a flick into space magic.
Kaiel's misconception deepened another layer.
I closed the portal and stretched.
"Ahh, ate like a king! Time to move."
Stuck in the nest felt stuffy in this human body. More than anything, I wanted to try the fantasy dream of flying in human form ASAP.
I looked down at the elves with a lazy drawl.
"Alright, you've delivered—head home. I'm off to play."
"Yes! Great Guardian of the World Tree! We humble ones shall withdraw!"
Beaming with joy, they bowed once more, cradling their graced steak slices like relics, and descended the World Tree.
Once the elves vanished from sight, I finally drew a thrilled breath.
"Alright—time to fly!"
As a crow, I'd beaten gravity with massive wings. But Michael's mana control gift brought new flight enlightenment.
Imagining levitation, black mana rose like heat haze around me, and I floated up smoothly.
"Whoa! I'm flying! Flying for real!"
The instant my feet left the nest, thrill surged through me. Controlling air currents with fingertips and mana blasts, I shot from the summit like a black meteor.
"Totally different fun from crow form!"
Hair whipping wildly, robe flapping. Instead of brute-forcing wind with wings, now I wove mana threads to 'ride' the air in elegant flow. Human senses made slicing through clouds ecstatic.
I cackled madly, zipping freely through isekai skies. Smooth gliding like skating on invisible ice.
Meanwhile, halfway down the World Tree, Kaiel and the warriors spotted a black light streaking skyward.
It wasn't the black bird—but the beautiful child they'd just seen.
"Ahh... without wings or chants... ascending the heavens on will alone!"
Kaiel shuddered at the graceful flight painting the sky. Not mere flight, but a sacred dance of a god descending to flaunt majesty.
"We truly... beheld the great god's incarnation."
Kaiel and the warriors prostrated toward the summit once more, etching the child god's banquet and flight in their hearts, then descended.
Far off, amid clouds, a black dot looped dives and climbs with giggling cheers—but none knew it was no divine dignity, just a kid thrilled on a ride.