Chương 8: The God Contacts

'Altar' An Altar is a consecrated conduit linking the mortal realm to the Divine Museum where the Curator Gods reside.

While there are seven types of Altars—each devoted to a different Curator God—and over a hundred ways to construct each of them, the general components are consistent across all recipes: a flat surface that will serve as the base of the Altar, ritual circles that will determine which Curator God it will connect to, and an ichor gem containing the blood of the divine that will bring life to the circles. Once constructed, a man only needs to clap their hands to summon a portal across the Altar.

—Excerpt from 'Observations on Relics and the Divine', Written by Naghari the Sage By the time Milena dragged Orland back to the Belograd Manor, the whole town had heard about the two dead God-Sucking Leeches. A cavern full of blood and eviscerated meat, apparently, was interesting enough to get everyone in town to run to the gates like bread was being handed out for free.

Everyone wanted to see what the Great Hero had done—from children to miners to tavernkeeps to even the wealthiest of nobles and merchants—and some, Orland guessed, were probably there just to catch a glimpse of him. Unfortunately for those people, Milena took him through a secret underground passage that led from outside the town to inside the Belograd Manor at the very top of the salt hill.

They never saw a single person the entire way back, and before Orland even knew it, he was standing in the doorway of a cathedral-like hall at the back of the manor. The hall was a long, white sweep of alabaster in sharp contrast to the warm wood of the rest of the manor. Rows of benches stood to either side of the central aisle.

Carved and swirly pillars climbed up so high he had to crane his head back just to see the arched ceiling, while stained glass windows threw red, blue, gold, and green sunlight across the floor, giving the place a holy look he wasn't used to at all. Of course, he'd seen Churches before in the middlequarters, but only from the outside with their pointed tips and beautiful engravings. Churches were the sort of buildings slumborn boys were supposed to walk past without slowing down.

So this is what they look like on the inside. Hah. I'm so… out of place. While he stared at the hall in awe, Milena received a pretty basket from one of her servants and quickly waved the rest of them away.

"Leave us, please." The dozen servants dipped their heads before turning and closing the doors behind them. Meanwhile, Orland finally noticed the end of the hall—or rather, what stood at the end of the hall. Seven giant alabaster slabs raised like monuments in a half-circle. Each slab towered at least ten meters high, and the carvings on each of them were so elaborate it was impossible to mistake them for anything else.

From left to right, the slabs depicted a stag, a spider, a lion, a hare, a turtle, a bear, and then a mouse. They were ridiculously elaborate. The stag's antlers forked into little branches of stars, the spider's legs bent around threads and tiny hanging bells, and the hare was mid-leap between one log and the next. Needless to say, he found himself almost short of breath staring at them. Never had he seen something so… Pretty.

"Come with me," Milena said, tilting her head towards the slabs as she walked down the center aisle with a bright smile.

"The Altars are this way." He followed. His feet mostly moved by themselves. His eyes were absolutely entranced by the giant slabs, and it wasn't until they neared the end of the hall that he started feeling a little antsy. The servants had dried the giant leech heart in his arms with a bunch of towels before he stepped into the hall—probably because they didn't want its blood and juices desecrating this sacred place—but even then, he felt he was hilariously out of place here. It just didn't feel… real.

But eventually, the two of them reached the end of the hall, and Orland found himself standing before the semi-circle of giant slabs.

"... So!" Milena said cheerily, whirling to face him with her basket clasped in both hands.

"Where should I begin? With the divine classifications? With the material purities? With common and noble errors? How can I prove my worth and breadth of knowledge to you, Great Hero?"

"Uh…" he trailed off, still staring at the giant slabs.

"Let's start with… them. Are they the 'Altars' you've been talking about?" Milena turned to see what he was looking at. Then she laughed softly, shaking her head.

"The slabs are only decorative. The real Altars are the smaller ones before each of them." Orland lowered his gaze. True enough, before each of the giant slabs were smaller versions of the slabs, mounted horizontally on a pedestal like what he imagined a normal altar looked like.

"... Oh," he said, looking around at each of the real Altars.

"So… there are seven Altars to seven gods, and each of them gives a different 'class' of relics. Is that right?"

"Indeed!" Milena turned to point at the Altar with the crest of the stag.

"First and foremost, there are the Celestial-Class relics given out by Anzar, Astronomer of the Celestial Observatory. They're relics that typically deal with space, time, distant observation, and other strange astral phenomena. Think… stardial communicators that allow people to communicate from across a continent, astral telescopes that allow their users to see the individual pebbles on our moons, and orbitglass halos that grant their users enhanced spatial awareness." She glanced back at him then.

"Of the seven classes of relics, Celestial-Classes tend to be the rarest and the most valuable, yet they're essential for any proper army, because knowing exactly when and where an attack is coming from is already half the battle won." Next, she turned to point at the Altar with the crest of the spider.

"Next, there are the Implement-Class relics given out by Enmar, Smith of the Artifice Wing," she said.

"Implement-Class relics are typically simple relics with simple functions. In Ostravia, these would be relics like packmule harnesses that distribute weight across the holder's body evenly, ironhand armatures that let their holders control two extra metal arms, and silverframe barricade kits that let their holders deploy metallic panels anywhere they want. Of the seven classes of relics, Implement-Classes are the most common class of relics in the world.

The manalight lantern Rurik gave you before you entered the caves was an Implement-Class relic."

"Uh-huh." He turned to look at the Altar with the crest of the lion next.

"Then that one…"

"Is dedicated to Utnar, Judge of the Sun Court, who gives out Cognitum-Class relics," she said quickly.

"They're all relics that affect memories, thoughts, and perceptions. Mindthread bands allow brief sharing of thoughts between people in close proximity, mouthguards of truth force people to speak only the truth, and instinct dampener charms dull people's nerves and reaction speed when worn. You'll only mostly see them used by the Church's Tribunal, though. As far as relics go, they're also a pretty rare class." Afterwards, she pointed at the Altars with the crest of the hare and the bear.

"Then we have the Apotheca-Class relics given out by Inanna, Matron of the Living Apotheca," she said, pointing at the hare.

"Common Apotheca-Class relics include manabrew potions, rejuvenating pills, mana restoration vials, and attribute nails—relics that affect health, vitality, and general biology." Then she pointed at the crest of the bear.

"However, Armament-Class relics given out by Thamaar, Warden of the Crimson Armory, are all related to battle. Rusalkan guards are typically armed with ironbite blades, which are swords that'll automatically align their edges during swings for maximum swing speed, and manaweld brigandines, which are armors that'll draw on the holders' mana for instant repair if they're damaged. These two classes of relics are rather common as well." Only two left. Milena turned to the Altar with the crest of the turtle first.

"Elementum-Class relics are given out by Ninazu, Master of the Elemental Gallery," she said.

"They're all relics that can manipulate the worldly elements one way or another. For instance, your Star-Element Gauntlet is one that can manipulate earth, while the frostfire blades used by the great soldiers of the Bratstvo Morosov can cause freezing burns to their enemies. Elementum-Class relics are only the second rarest class after the Celestial-Classes." And for the final Altar with the crest of the mouse, Milena simply tilted her head at it.

"Finally, Trinket-Class relics given out by Seluku, Trickster of the Chamber of Wonders, are all relics that don't really fit in any of the other six classifications," she finished.

"Your mask of identification, charms of the fortunate that increase one's luck, foldglass mirrors that can display reflections from previously seen locations, and coineater pouches that exclusively shred coins into pieces are all considered Trinket-Class relics. They're all considered relics that either dip into two or more classifications, or none at all. As a result, they tend to be a pretty rare class of relics as well." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Orland stood there for a while, repeating Milena's explanation inside his head and stuffing every useful piece into place. Okay. Seven Altars, seven gods, seven classes of relics…

"... Right," he eventually said, nodding absentmindedly.

"But how does someone actually… get a relic from the gods?" Milena lit up.

"I'll demonstrate." She turned at once and walked towards the lion Altar. Orland followed a few steps behind, careful not to look too eager. It was difficult. His eyes kept wanting to drag themselves over to the giant slabs, but when Milena finally reached her Altar, he managed to wrangle his focus back to her. He watched as she set her basket down at her feet. First, she withdrew a folded white dress—embroidered at the hem and sleeves—and placed it onto the alabaster Altar.

Then, from the same basket, she pulled out a glass bottle filled with some kind of bright blue powder and sprinkled it onto the Altar as well, making sure to coat the entire dress with it. Finally, she took out ten small furred tails, cleaned and tied neatly with pale thread. His eyes immediately widened beneath his mask. Lesnik fox tails? He knew those tails better than he knew most people's faces.

Small, soft, gray-brown at the base and pale at the tip, with that faint glassy shine left behind by their charm—he'd hunted lesnik foxes for their tails more times than he could count. What's she gonna do with them?

"This is how it works," Milena started, steadying her voice into something more formal as she arranged the offerings on the Altar to look prettier.

"When you offer magic materials to the gods, you should at least know what class of relic you want to obtain with them. If you want an Implement-Class relic, go to Enmar's Altar. If you want a Celestial-Class relic, go to Anzar's Altar."

"Class decides the Altar," he repeated.

"How do you offer materials, then?"

"Once you've found your Altar, you must first place all of your magic materials onto it," she continued.

"Broadly speaking, there are three types of magic materials. First and foremost, there are your 'main offerings', which are your magic materials that will dictate the main ability of your relic. The second are 'base offerings', which are objects that will dictate the shape and form of your relic. Finally, you have the optional 'side offerings', which are magic materials that will dictate the side properties of your relic. And once you have all your offerings on the Altar…"

Milena straightened, sucked in a heavy breath, and clapped her hands together. The sound echoed through the white hall firmly.

"Greetings, Great Utnar, Judge of the Sun Court. I am Milena Ludoslavich Belograd, heir to Rusalka and its riches and blessing," she declared, eyes closed.

"I come to you today seeking for a Cognitum-Class relic. My main offerings are these tens tails harvested from Common-Grade lesnik foxes, creatures known for their hypnotic and charming capabilities. My side offering is cooled sapphire dust, known for preserving rich color in cloth and dye, while my base offering is this plain white dress, sewed with duchess satin and embroidered with only the finest of gilded threads.

In return, please grant me a Cognitum-Class dress that may charm others and draw their gazes toward me." Nothing happened at first. Then the pile of offerings sank through the alabaster—the surface rippling like it was made of water—and something floated back up through the alabaster. It was a folded dress, now a deep vivid blue with delicate embroideries of lesnik foxes all along the collar, sleeves, and hem. Orland blinked.

Name: Foxcharm Courtdress Type: Passive Cognitum-Class Relic, Common-6 Attribute Addition: None Ability Description: When worn, the dress subtly draws attention toward the holder, making observers more likely to notice, remember, and focus on them in close proximity. The passive mana drain is 0. 5 mana regeneration per hour.

"... Thank you, Great Utnar!" Milena smiled so widely he thought her cheeks might start hurting. She dipped into a quick, graceful bow towards the lion-carved slab, then picked up the dress and held it before her like she was trying it out without actually changing into it. She forgot herself for a moment, twirling around happily.

"I've wanted this dress for months, but papa kept saying there weren't any high-grade lesnik fox tails on the market, so he only just recently managed to find these being sold in a middlequarter butchery!" she said.

"If only I'd known they sold lesnik fox tails down in the middlequarters all along! I would've braved to go down there myself months ago instead of waiting! Oh, this dress is going to be the talk of all my friends once I… host…" Then she stopped—finally noticing Orland still staring at her—and she coughed into her fist, tucking her dress behind her back with an awkward smile.

"In any case, that's… um, how you obtain a relic," she said quickly.

"I offered lesnik fox tails with charming properties as my main offerings, so the relic's main ability is also to charm people. I offered a dress as my base offering, so the relic takes the form of a dress. I also offered a bit of cooled sapphire dust as my side offering, and since sapphire dust is commonly used as fabric dyes, the relic dress is colored blue.

Finally, if I wish to upgrade my relic to a higher grade in the future—which would enhance the relic's ability and also make it give me more attribute levels—I would simply repeat what I just did with new materials for the main and side offerings, while the relic dress will be the base offering instead of the normal dress. Is my explanation… satisfactory?" Orland didn't answer right away. He stepped back instead, turning his gaze from Utnar's Altar to the other Altars arranged in their holy half-circle.

He saw possibility.

"... What relics can I get with this, then?" he asked, lifting his giant leech heart slightly. Milena's excitement dimmed into thoughtfulness.

"A God-Sucking Leech's heart… I'm not certain. I'm not a beast scholar, unfortunately, but if you'd like, I can call for Master Semyon! He keeps the greatest bestiary in all of Rusalka! He can probably tell you if there are any relic recipes that use leech hearts as main offerings!" He was about to say 'yes' to the offer when he suddenly recalled something Rurik had told him on the way to the leech's cave.

"... Milena?" he murmured, thinking with his head tilted back.

"Yes?"

"Can I have that bottle in your basket?" Milena blinked, glancing back at her basket on the ground.

"The bottle?"

"Yeah. Gimme." She hesitated for only half a heartbeat before picking it up, walking over, and placing the empty bottle on top of his giant leech heart. Once he had it, he marched over to the Altar with the crest of the hare—the Altar dedicated to 'Inanna', if his memory wasn't failing him. Unceremoniously, he plopped both the giant leech heart and the empty bottle onto her Altar before clapping his hands together.

"Uh… hey there, Great Inanna," he said, closing his eyes.

"I'm the Hero, and I'm here to trade." Milena let out the faintest, sharpest inhale behind him—making him wonder for a brief moment if he'd done something wrong—but since no divine hand appeared to smite him immediately, he kept going.

"Here's my main offering and my base offering. No side offering. Sorry," he said, tapping the giant leech heart and then the empty bottle with his clapped hands.

"My main offering is this heart of a God-Sucking Leech. I was told these leeches can drink blood to quickly regenerate themselves like no other beast in the world, so… yeah. And my base offering is this empty glass bottle. It's not cracked, and… it looks pretty good, if you ask me. Can you give me an Apotheca-Class relic that'll be useful for someone who gets hurt all the time?" Silence settled over the hall.

Orland kept his hands clapped, jaw tight, and waited until he heard the faint rippling sound of his offerings sinking through the Altar before he opened his eyes. By the time he opened them, his relic had already floated back up. The old bottle may have been a plain glass bottle, but this new bottle was easily the finest glassware he'd ever seen in his life, with its clear glass threaded with crimson vein-like metalwork, a stopper set with a red gem, and the scent of warm mana wafting off it.

Name: Bloodreturn Flask Type: Active Apotheca-Class Relic, Uncommon-2 Attribute Addition: None Ability Description: When mana is channeled into the flask, any blood stored within the flask will be converted into a lesser healing potion that will accelerate natural regeneration. The activation cost is 20 mana per conversion.

He picked up the bottle and rolled it around in his hand, though, of course, he couldn't read the tag. It wasn't until Milena walked up beside him and slapped her own tag onto the side that her eyes widened as well.

"Whoa," she whispered.

"What's it do?" he asked.

"It's a bloodreturn flask—an active-type relic that can convert any blood you put inside into a healing potion that'll speed up natural regeneration," she said, peeling her tag off and looking at him with open admiration.

"I've never seen this relic before. You may just have discovered a recipe for a new relic!"

"Uh-huh," he said absentmindedly. A flask that could convert blood into a healing potion sounded incredibly useful, but the truth was, he'd only offered his materials to the Altar in that lazy, nonchalant way because he'd wanted to see how lazy he could get. Now that he knew the gods would accept offerings even from someone who put zero effort into his presentation, 'Orland' was set for life.

And if even lesnik fox tails can be used as magic materials, that means all the beasts I usually hunt and sell for their parts should also be usable as magic materials. As long as 'Orland' can get access to an Altar, he can get relics whenever he wants. He was giddy. No, he was more than giddy. Learning it was this easy to get a relic had ignited something inside him, and now he wanted more. Thankfully, Milena seemed to notice, so she gestured out the hall and away from the Altars.

"We don't keep many raw magic materials in the manor, but we do keep a lot of spare relics we can afford to part with for special guests," she said, smiling brightly.

"Do you want to see our private selection of relics? I'll admit, they might not be all too useful for a demon-slaying warrior like you, but—""I'd like to see them," he blurted immediately.