Chapter 15: Ch 15 : The First Offering

Sunny hovered in the air above Veridia, a silent, omniscient observer. A profound sense of triumph swelled within him as he surveyed the burgeoning flora and fauna of his world, a testament to his constant vigilance and subtle divine nudges. Slowly, he began his descent, a silent, majestic figure landing near the mouth of a large stone cave where his nascent human population sought refuge. He stepped inside. The agile and fierce primitive humans, accustomed to their wild existence, instinctively turned their gaze towards the imposing figure at the cave's entrance, their eyes wide with innate hostility. But as their gazes fell upon the cosmic depths swirling within the eyes of the Visage of the Ascendant, they were momentarily dazed, their minds overwhelmed by the impossible sight. Within moments, their bodies moved independently of their will, collapsing into a profound bow. They didn't yet grasp the concept of "Gods," but Sunny was certain that as their wisdom evolved, they would inevitably come to know and worship their God Cosmos. Sunny gestured, a silent command for them to follow, and led them out of the cave towards a nearby tree, abundant with sturdy branches and trailing vines. He selected a perfectly straight branch, ideal for the shaft of a spear. With a fluid motion, he picked up a nearby stone, then used a resilient vine to bind both the branch and the sharpened stone head together. The humans, though unable to look directly into the mesmerizing eyes of his mask, watched the entire process of spear-making with an unnerving intensity. They seemed unsure of what was transpiring, yet not a single voice dared to break the profound silence that accompanied his divine presence. Sunny finished crafting the spear. He made it by hand rather than simply manifesting the one he already possessed because he wanted to plant the seed of innovation, to inspire them to develop these essential tools themselves. As he completed the task, he glanced at his Faith Points. They had been over 100 after manifesting the mask, but now they dwindled precariously close to 20. "I don't have much time left," Sunny muttered under his breath. He could sense a massive elephant nearby, a colossal presence in the burgeoning wilderness. Without hesitation, he walked towards it. The primitive humans followed him closely, their eyes fixed on his divine shadow, unwilling to lose sight of this otherworldly being. With a focused intent, Sunny hurled the newly crafted spear towards the elephant. It flew with divine precision and power, striking deep into the elephant's head. The massive beast bellowed once, then crumpled, dying instantly on the spot. All the native humans watched, truly astonished at the raw, undeniable power displayed by Cosmos. Sunny then turned his gaze towards a specific human, a young male around 15 years of age. Before descending, he had already meticulously observed the status of all his primitive humans. Many were born without any discernible talents. Among those who possessed them, most had ordinary F-Grade abilities like Jump, Stealth, or Tracker. But this particular boy's talent stood out: Super Strength (C-Grade), making it one of the most practical and potent abilities among his early creations. Sunny looked directly at the young boy and, in a voice that resonated not just in their ears but in their very souls, declared: "You will be called 'Thorn' henceforth and be the first leader of the humans." The young boy, Thorn, seemed to shimmer with an internal light, as if physically imbued with the weight of being the chosen one. Every other human present began to chant "Thorn!" over and over. Though they didn't comprehend Sunny's precise words, they somehow intuitively understood the meaning behind his divine pronouncement. These primitive humans were not yet aware of the boy's inherent talent, but Sunny was. He had orchestrated this entire "play" to make them believe that Thorn's incredible strength was a direct result of Sunny's divine intervention, solidifying his chosen leader's authority. From his System space, Sunny then summoned the spear he had manifested earlier—the one made of wood, but infused with his Faith—and gestured for Thorn to take it. Thorn was momentarily stunned, but then a wave of profound joy washed over him. He slowly walked towards Sunny, his primitive mind now daring to look directly into the awe-inspiring, cosmic eyes of the mask. He then bowed deeply again before reaching out and placing his hands upon the handle of the spear. The simple wooden spear, touched by his hand and blessed by a God, shimmered with a soft, golden light. Sunny knew this spear, manifested using his Faith, was anything but ordinary; even a spear forged from the purest steel would not be able to scratch its divinely imbued body. While every other human gazed at Thorn with a mixture of envy and newfound reverence, Sunny vanished as quickly as he had appeared, returning to the serene expanse of his God Space. "So faith-consuming!" Sunny practically shouted from the bottom of his heart, as he immediately checked his Faith points. Only 5 points remained. The rapid depletion had been staggering. "System! Can you please explain why the faith was consumed so rapidly?" Sunny questioned his all-knowing System, his tone demanding answers. The System's response was swift, its melodious tone carrying a stark, almost chilling clarity: [The consumption was high due to 3 reasons:] [1. As the wisdom and strength of the lifeforms in your world increase, the Faith points needed for descending onto the mortal plane will also increase.] [2. Sharing any knowledge or artifact will consume faith proportional to he usefulness of the knowledge and power of the artifact] [3. As a God of the World Veridia, every lifeform here is a part of you. If you kill one of your parts, it will backfire and result in a loss of Faith points proportional to the strength and wisdom of that lifeform.] [Note: The third point is only applicable if the lifeform does not harm a God's dignity or act against divine will.] This System notification made Sunny's metaphorical hair stand on end. The implications of these answers were simple, yet terrifying: the consumption of Faith points was only going to increase, not decrease, as Veridia evolved. Just then, a colossal influx of Faith washed over him, a warm, invigorating surge of energy. "About 30 points or more," Sunny murmured, looking towards Veridia and the growing human settlements. Below, Thorn stood proudly in front of a newly constructed altar, crudely fashioned from the bones of many different animals, from rats to the recently felled elephant. All the humans were bowing their heads, offering a tribute of fruits and fresh animal flesh. "So this is what prayers from a wise race feel like," Sunny said, a slow, profound understanding dawning upon him. He quickly calculated: if all these humans, spurred by their reverence for Thorn and Cosmos, offered food daily, he would gain an astonishing 30,000 Faith points (10,000x) daily! Sunny was immensely amused by the prospect, even as he knew they couldn't possibly maintain such offerings every single day. It had been a full planetary month since Sunny had last descended to Veridia. In that time, the humans had fully accepted Thorn as their divinely appointed leader. And Thorn, armed with his Super Strength and the shimmering divine spear, was already leading humanity towards greatness. They now faced the giants like elephants or fierce predators like lions and tigers with a newfound courage. With the advent of spears, their chances of dying in the harsh wilderness had decreased dramatically. The humans were clearly thriving.