/----/
The deity nodded in satisfaction, their smile indicating deep contentment. "Yes, indeed! That's why I decided to seek you out personally."
Takeru felt an unexpected pressure, realizing that his thoughts could be read by the entity of white smoke before him. However, he concealed his confusion behind his sharp expression. He knew he had to act quickly.
"So, what do you want from me?" he asked calmly, while his fingers scratched his chin in contemplation.
"Well~... Be my Messenger," the deity said casually.
"Messenger?" Takeru clarified, trying to understand the request laid upon him. Messenger, he thought, was someone chosen to convey important messages or instructions to others.
"Uum~... It's simple. So that my entity won't disappear, spread destruction throughout the lands of this planet. For it is through destruction that the planet and its inhabitants can attain true peace," the deity spoke with its majestic aura shining.
Takeru immediately put on a foolish expression, as if he couldn't believe what he just heard. "Huh?" he muttered, unable to hide his confusion. Why should he become a mass destruction tool to maintain the existence of this deity?
"What's with that reaction--" the deity sounded surprised, even slightly annoyed.
Takeru quickly regained his senses and coughed briefly. "Ahem... it's nothing, just unexpected," he said, trying his best to conceal his disagreement.
"In order to expedite things, as my divinity is about to run out. The remaining faith of the human group that lived in this forest hundreds of years ago," the deity muttered, trying to explain. "You, who come from another world, Takeru Yamamato. I will appoint you as my messenger! Please stand in the center of the altar to receive my blessing."
Suddenly, the altar beneath Takeru's feet glowed brightly, and every word uttered by the deity was adorned with golden particles swirling around it. Takeru looked at the deity of destruction and peace once again, where the silhouette of white smoke seemed to be pointing towards the center of the altar.
Without hesitation, Takeru stepped onto the altar, and as he stood in its center, he could hear the deity's voice once more.
"The mantra I bestow upon you is Enhancement. Whatever lies within you, be it talent, ability, or weapon, will be enhanced after being influenced by this mantra. And I hope, after receiving my blessing, you will be obedient to my commands," the deity said, and its final words made Takeru's eyebrows rise.
Then, the altar prepared to release the magical mantra glowed brightly, and the golden particles began to gather in a whirl. The deity thought Takeru would obediently accept its blessing, but the unexpected happened when the magical mantra appeared above the altar, to pass through Takeru's body from above. Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the outside, whose identity the deity did not know due to its weakened state. When everything was done, and the white smoke that became the form of the deity began to disappear, the deity was surprised by what was in front of it.
In the middle of the altar, only Takeru's clothing remained. It was as if, during the process of installing the magical mantra, Takeru vanished. However, in reality, at that time Takeru seemed to emerge from behind one of the small totems.
"Why?" The deity was shocked and disappointed, unable to understand Takeru's actions, while its astral body began to fade.
Then, the deity saw a devilish smile on Takeru's face, leaving it stunned. "You... You think I would want to be your puppet? Listen, arrogant ancient deity, I would rather die than submit to anyone, even if it's a god," Takeru said with an arrogant tone.
But instead of getting angry, the deity burst into joyous laughter. "Hehahahahaha! -- Interesting, and also very brave! Hehehehe--" bewildering Takeru as well.
"So, you were expecting this too?" Takeru guessed the deity's thoughts, and it turned out to be correct.
The deity laughed gleefully, its voice echoing in the silent altar space. "Hehehehe... truly intriguing, brave little human. I never expected to find someone like you here."
Takeru stared at the deity in astonishment, his confusion deepening with this unexpected turn of events. "What do you mean?" he muttered, trying to find clues from the fading abstract face of the deity.
The deity shrugged sardonically. "Ah, you don't need to know. Perhaps someday you will understand." Slowly, the figure of white smoke faded away, leaving Takeru with an unresolved sense of confusion.
Takeru felt like he had been kicked from behind by this unexpected turn of events. What just happened? And what did the deity mean by all this? These questions continued to haunt him, keeping him fixated on the new mysteries he had encountered.
/----/
After receiving the blessing from the ancient deity, I chose to take the uniform that was granted only by the god's blessing. I didn't want to be a puppet or be trapped in its influence, as had happened in my past experiences. I had learned that every gift from a stranger, even a god, had to be approached with extra caution.
I realized that in this world, every individual had their own motives and intentions towards others, whether for good or evil, depending on their intentions.
Therefore, with caution, I checked the status of my German military uniform, which changed after receiving the blessing from the god.
[Military Uniform]
Description:
This military uniform belonged to a general who had shaken humanity on Earth and had many achievements in the military field. If worn, your charisma will rival not only that of a king from a great kingdom but surpass it. All intelligent beings will regard you as a figure worthy of respect.
This Uniform Ability.
-Increased Charisma
-Summon one battalion of troops from the earth, which has been set to be loyal to you (1x per month) -Able to create any item freely (1x per day)
-Able to create characters according to imagination and determine the background of the created character
-Leadership
-Tactics
-Logistics
I felt stunned and almost disbelieving when I saw the significant changes to the German military uniform that had just been given to me. This item was truly extraordinary, even surpassing my expectations. With all the power and abilities possessed by this uniform, it felt like I had a super cheat code that gave me an incredible advantage in this world.
With this item, I realized that I no longer needed to worry about my human resources or the strength of my enemies. I could summon troops from the earth and create items according to my wishes. My mind immediately drifted to the grand plans I could execute with this power.
"It's getting late, I should return tomorrow," I murmured after looking at the darkening sky.
For this uniform, I'd better keep it for now rather than immediately trying out its new abilities. Because it's better to surprise Ken and the others and introduce them to new friends who have entered the circle.