Chapter 560: An Evil God or a Good God is a Matter of Taste
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 560: An Evil God or a Good God is a Matter of Taste
The shrine where the Sacrificial Vessel’s body was enshrined was in a cave on the outskirts of the village. The path leading to it was quiet and solemn, even eerie enough to make one expect ghosts. The priestess who had come to greet the offerings guided them without a word. The offerings, who had been excited at the thought of becoming undying, calmed their spirits and watched her cautiously.
At last, they arrived before the cave. Three other priestesses appeared before ‘Mouth’, who had led them.
‘Ear’, ‘Nose’, and ‘Eye’—the priestesses who served as the face of the Sacrificial Vessel.
They led the offerings without a word. As they strode into the dark cave, where not a single speck of light entered, the offerings grew flustered but followed the priestesses like ducklings.
There wasn't even a single torch. Their eyes saw nothing but darkness. It was impossible to tell if they were moving forward or simply walking in place. Only the faint, glowing marks on the priestesses’ clothing assured them that they were keeping pace.
Even in this darkness, ‘Eye’ walked along the slope as if she could see everything clearly. Deeper and deeper. Into the abyss.
How many minutes had passed? How far had they gone? A voice came as suddenly as a flash of light.
“This is the resting place of the Sacrificial Vessel. Offerings. Be in awe.”
Startled, the offerings 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, it became a jet-blackness that swallowed even light itself. The door to the inner sanctum was open, and beyond it, in the distant darkness, something awaited the offerings.
A voice flowed through the hesitating group.
“Fear not. Rejoice. Accept the profound glory of sharing one body with the Sacrificial Vessel. This is the heart of immortality. If you do not fear wounds, the power of the Undying shall be bestowed upon you.”
Only then did the offerings remember where they were and what the Sacrificial Vessel was, and they stepped forward with courage. This was no ordinary god, but the Sacrificial Vessel. As long as the Undying existed, its power was no lie.
It was possible they were being tricked into becoming sacrifices with false promises of power, but the Sacrificial Vessel was unlikely to choose such a troublesome method. Besides, there were over five hundred people in Piu Village. Deceiving them all just to claim the lives of these offerings would be a burdensome act.
Especially if there was someone from beyond the plains in Piu Village.
Logically or emotionally, the offerings had no reason to retreat. They followed the priestesses into the jet-black darkness.
“If you fail, you will survive. If you succeed, you will be immortal. Come, follow, become one.”
Fwoosh. A flame blossomed in the darkness.
In that instant, a wide cavern came into view. It was a vast and magnificent structure, hard to believe it existed so deep underground. Though the torchlight was not small, it barely managed to illuminate the floor and walls. They still had to walk further, toward the abyss where something lurked.
All but ‘Eye’, the priestesses ‘Mouth’, ‘Ear’, and ‘Nose’ each held a torch and looked back at the offerings.
“At the end of this path, the Sacrificial Vessel you have awaited, and who has awaited you, shall be. Those who will offer their bodies are…?”
‘Mouth’, who had been speaking for them all, looked flustered when she saw me mixed in with the offerings. Seeing her hesitate, the other priestesses turned to her.
“‘Mouth’. What is it?”
“The one from beyond the plains? Why are you here? Don’t tell me…?”
I was caught. I had secretly followed them, pretending to be an offering because I wanted to see this ritual. If I told them I was just here to watch, they’d probably kick me out, right? I gave ‘Mouth’ an answer I didn’t mean.
“Uh… a field trip. I figured if it doesn’t look too painful, I might try sharing a body with the Sacrificial Vessel, too.”
“This is a sacred place. It is not somewhere a person from beyond the plains can tread so carelessly!”
Not a chance. ‘Mouth’ urgently pressed ‘Eye’.
“‘Eye’. Why didn’t you tell us he was here?”
‘Eye’, her eyes bound tightly with a cloth, looked directly at me from behind it. Her vision must have been incredible, as she could clearly distinguish my form through the tightly woven gaps. If ‘Eye’ had recognized me, my cover would have been blown the moment we met.
However, it seemed these ‘eyes, nose, and mouth’ weren't compatible with each other. ‘Eye’ spoke calmly.
“I have never held him in these eyes, ‘Mouth’. I simply guided the offerings with the eyes of the god. What those offerings were was your responsibility.”
Left with nothing to say, ‘Mouth’ blamed another priestess.
“My duty is to convey the words of the Sacrificial Vessel. Unlike him, it was your job to notice something was amiss. ‘Nose’. Just as you, who smells, must discern danger!”
“…They all smell new to me. The smell of ash, of poppies and willow bark, and a thick scent of blood… All of their scents are strange, so I cannot say what is strange.”
It seemed there was no hierarchy among the priestesses; they just bickered instead of trying to sort out the situation. It made sense. They were all limbs of the Sacrificial Vessel, equal in status, with only their functions differing by body part.
As I cautiously assessed the situation, ‘Ear’, who had been listening quietly, removed her earmuffs. Beneath the tightly wound cloth, a large ear, bearing the marks of having been cut and attached from somewhere, was revealed.
“‘Mouth’. Be quiet.”
“Why…?”
In that moment, ‘Mouth’s’ lips began to move on their own. She quickly stopped talking and relaxed her mouth. From her will-less lips, a voice that was not her own flowed out.
““You, from beyond the plains. I will take a piece of your flesh.””
“Excuse me? My 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 refuse, leave this cave at once and never set foot in this land again.””
Well, I mean, I was in the wrong. But for a barbarian god, he’s quite the gentleman, isn’t he? The price for stepping into his sanctum is just a small piece of flesh, or exile if I refuse. How lukewarm.
It was as if the one called the Sacrificial Vessel was being considerate of the man from beyond the plains… or perhaps, feared him?
“I’ll give you the flesh. It’s a shame, but it’s a cheap enough price for a peek at your secrets.”
““Those words. I have heard them clearly.””
‘Mouth’ spoke the words, but ‘Ear’ heard them. The god that had possessed them retreated, and the priestesses, having confirmed the god’s will, began walking again in silence. Only ‘Mouth’ shot me a resentful glare.
A piece of flesh. It would probably hurt, but hey, even before I acquired a Divine, a piece of flesh was refillable. Now, it would barely make my eyes water.
Come to think of it, with my regeneration, I could gamble to my heart’s content, betting my fingers. If they got cut off, I could just grow them back. While I was lost in thought, something far off was illuminated by the torchlight.
Its silhouette alone was bizarre. The flickering shadow of a giant in the distance made the offerings stop in their tracks. But the priestesses, walking forward in silence, pushed them onward with their quiet advance. Though frightened by the ominous shadow at the end of the path, the offerings slowly moved forward.
The torchlight reached the gradually approaching silhouette.
And everyone was overwhelmed by the grotesque sight.
It was a doll. A doll woven from the material of human bodies.
A human form, created by sewing together different arms and legs. The right arm was probably Rasch’s, and the left leg must have belonged to ‘Left Leg’. It wasn’t just the limbs. The left breast was that of a sturdy man, the right, a soft woman’s. The flesh of its side, a piece of an abdominal muscle, even the shoulder blade—all the joints were misaligned, as if cut and pasted from someone else.
But what was most grotesque was the face, which looked as if it had been tailored by a clumsy child.
In contrast to its massive body, it had the delicate face of a young girl. The eyes, ears, nose, and mouth had all been taken from different people and stitched together. A reddish-brown eye was embedded in an eyelid scarred by a long gash. A severed and reattached ear, a slightly crooked nose. And a mouth torn wide.
One shouldn’t judge a god, let alone a human, by their appearance, but based purely on its looks, anyone would see the form of a wicked, evil god.
“O, Sacrificial Vessel. Lend me your mouth. I offer my mouth, my tongue, and my words, that you may unfold your will upon the world through me.”
While everyone was struck speechless by the bizarre sight, the priestesses prepared the ritual. ‘Mouth’ recited from a text and uncorked a bottle of liquor. Gulping down half the strong drink from the small bottle, ‘Mouth’ poured the next glass and offered it to ‘Nose’.
“O, Sacrificial Vessel, lend me your nose. I offer my nose, my breath, and my respiration, that you may live and breathe in the world through me.”
‘Nose’ inhaled the liquor through her nose as if it were a drug. Holding the dizzying aroma in her nostrils, she became intoxicated without drinking and handed the bottle, with only a few drops left, to ‘Eye’.
“O, Sacrificial Vessel, lend me your eyes. I offer my eyes, the light, and my sight, that you may look down upon the world through me.”
And ‘Eye’ let a few drops of the liquor fall into her eyes. The alcohol, seeping in like tears, made the corners of her eyes flush as if on fire. Drinking liquor with her eyes—a method no one had ever tried—‘Eye’ did not rub them or show any pain, but calmly set the bottle down.
“O, Sacrificial Vessel. Lend me your ears. I offer my ears, the sound, and the vibrations, that you may listen and resonate through me.”
Finally, ‘Ear’ read the passage written in the text. It seemed that even for ‘Ear’, pouring liquor into her ears was a step too far.
“Fill body with body, until one thousand is reached.”
In that moment, the stitched-together patchwork doll’s eyes flew open.
[Upon reaching one thousand, I have descended into this body.]
It was the Sacrificial Vessel. The god had descended into the doll made of stitched-together skin, and its ears, eyes, nose, and mouth began to move, borrowing those of the priestesses.
The Sacrificial Vessel did not move its body below the neck at all, conveying its will solely through its eyes, nose, and mouth.
[As the tribe grows, so must the body. With these offerings, I shall grow my body. My power and might shall grow all the greater for it.]
“As you will it.”
The priestesses bowed their heads in unison, and the offerings, taking their cue, also lowered their heads. The moment of reverence was quite long. Just as they were beginning to wonder when it would end, a single dagger fell before one of the offerings.
[Take up the blade, offering who shall become my body.]
A sharp dagger had suddenly appeared before him. The chosen offering instinctively picked it up. Though he held it, he didn't know what to do with it and stood awkwardly as the Sacrificial Vessel’s command fell upon his ears.
[Offer your heel.]
“My… my heel?”
[Cut off your heel and offer it to me. In return, I shall grant you my heel.]
He had expected it, but when the moment of choice arrived, the offering’s body froze.
Even if he had nearly become a sacrifice, even if he knew this was a ritual, even if he knew he would be granted the power of the Undying when it was over…
The act of cutting off a part of his own body was deeply repulsive.
“H-how much should I cut?”
[Offer it.]
“Well, how much do you need…?”
[Offer it.]
“If I bleed, is there any medicine to apply, or a cloth to stop the bleeding…?”
[Offer it.]
The Sacrificial Vessel did not press or rush him, but simply repeated the same words. The one who grew impatient first was not the god, but the others. Seeing him hesitate, the priestesses urged him on.
“Offering. Fear not, and rejoice.”
“You must accept this grace, so the village may grow and make room for others.”
“The god was magnanimous even when you burned the land. If you give up, you will gain nothing.”
“Neither the power of the Undying, nor the land where you stay.”
Offering a sacrifice was the condition. If he ran away, not only would the power of the Undying be lost, but the standing they had gained in Piu Village would be jeopardized.
It was all well and good when they came seeking the power of the Undying, but having come this far, there was no turning back. These were people who had kept the proposal to offer sacrifices a secret in order to monopolize that power. If they returned empty-handed, saying they were too scared to cut their own bodies, they might simply be cast out.
‘No, if it ended there, I’d be lucky. We’re refugees who lost our homeland. If we can’t secure a place here, we might just be abandoned…’
He had been caught in his own trap. The barbarian who had volunteered as an offering gripped the dagger with a trembling hand and brought it to his own heel. There was no going back, but this was an opportunity he had sought. All he had to do was seize it.
“Just for a moment. A moment. If it just hurts for a moment…”
Repeating the words as if hypnotizing himself, he pressed the blade to his heel and pulled with all his might.
Blood splattered. A scream of agony echoed. His skill with a blade must have been considerable, for he cut off his heel quite cleanly. He grimaced at the sight of the piece of his heel, tendons and muscles twitching.
Then the priestesses moved. They took the piece of heel and approached the Sacrificial Vessel’s heel on their knees. Then, something incredible happened.
With a clean break, the Sacrificial Vessel’s heel detached, as if it had been removable from the start, leaving a large gap.
“O, Sacrificial Vessel. The offering presents his body. Form body from body, and spread your form ever further.”
‘Eye’ and ‘Ear’ shoved the bloody heel into the empty space, while ‘Mouth’ and ‘Nose’ carefully lifted the detached divine body part and approached the offering. They went to the bleeding man’s heel and pressed the divine body part firmly into the wound, as if quilting cotton.
“Aghhh! Ugh… huh?”
Then, something amazing happened. The blood that had been gushing from his heel like a fountain stopped in an instant.
The divine body part that entered his body instantly absorbed the blood and swelled. It adhered to the wound, took root inside his body, and soon became one with him, moving as if it were his own.
He limped as he tried to stand on his newly acquired heel. It still seemed unfamiliar, but it moved according to his will, just like his own body.
“My body…?”
“That is now your Sacrificial Vessel. It is a sign that you share one body with the god, and it shall be your strength.”
The divine body had become his physical body. A priestess applied mud to the dazed man’s foot. As they covered the reddened, inflamed heel with cool mud, the priestesses added their own words.
“The ritual is complete. You are now one of us.”
“You shall live on as the Sacrificial Vessel’s ‘Left Heel’.”
“As time passes, as the god settles into your body, you will grow distant from death.”
“Just as one does not die from having their heel cut off.”
A miracle begins by dispelling doubt. Having witnessed the miracle before their eyes, the remaining offerings eagerly hoped to offer their own bodies. It was painful, certainly, but the reward would be just as great.
All the while, I was reading the Sacrificial Vessel’s thoughts.
As I suspected, that was its main body. Its sense of self had grown faint from having so many different parts stitched together, but the will and intent of the Sacrificial Vessel originated from here.
And as I suspected, the Sacrificial Vessel… was a rather interesting being.
“Offer your flesh, you from beyond the plains.”
“Ah, is it my turn already?”
I must have been too focused on reading its thoughts. The ritual had ended, and only I remained. I took the dagger a priestess offered me and twirled it in my hand.
‘Mouth’ urged me on.
“Cut your flesh, you from beyond the plains. That is the price one must pay for setting foot in this inner sanctum.”
“Oh, I appreciate the thought, but I’ll have to decline. Instead, I’d like to tell you an interesting story. How about it?”
Giving up a piece of my body was one way to end this, but I had some reservations. Who knows what they’d do with a part of my body? You should never give a piece of yourself to someone so sinister.
Especially not to the Sacrificial Vessel, who had devoured countless humans and played with their leftover parts like dolls.
[Do you intend to break your promise?]
“No. I’ll keep my promise. It’s just that I think there might be a more interesting story to tell. A story that would captivate even the Sacrificial Vessel would be far more valuable than a piece of my flesh, wouldn’t it?”
[What is it?]
As the Sacrificial Vessel addressed me directly, I carefully sifted through its memories. This was a god that had been all but asleep for a very long time. Aside from the fragmented memories it had seen and heard through the priestesses’ eyes and ears, its true memories went back much further.
To a time before the First Year, before humans were the rulers of the world, before the Saintess had appeared on this land. To a time when it reigned as an ancient evil.
And then, reading the most intense memory seared into the Sacrificial Vessel’s mind, I spoke.
“How about I tell you about the King of Humans, the one who brought you down? Mr. Ankra, the evil god.”