Bones snapped, and vines replaced sinew as deep roots launched themselves from the guts of the puppets. The spiritual used its own rules to alter the physical and jump kingdoms. Human flesh became plant matter as wood and water chi saturated the air. Lightning bolts continued to fall one after another, some in distant woods cutting off distant puppets. I stared at the sky at the streams of colors moving to my spirit sense, more like the sparking of neurons in a brain than a mere storm. The storm expanded slowly, soaking in faith chi, and it expanded from tens of miles to hundreds.
I kept my stoic expression. The people looking at me wouldn’t think anything positive was happening.
"Demons," Fray Juarez thrust his rosary at them. “Begone in the name of the lord.”
The monsters moved on, changing feet. Flesh split around the ankles and feet as the hips altered, creating a mechanism to move on spidery segmented legs. Some of the puppets maintained human legs, while others gained bulk as their mouths split open and thorny appendages oozed out of their throats.
No two transformed puppets were the same, but all had a shiny core of mixed wood and water chi within them. Hidden parts of the programming I coded myself saw to that.
“Men, form up. Don’t get near these demons. We must stand strong in the name of god. Aim the cannon, and someone blocks out the rain.”
I dashed forward with dollar signs in my eyes. Natural treasures might not grow on trees, but they did grow in the chests of these puppets. I couldn’t believe the diety followed the path of least resistance when he changed them. Seals were my specialty. I altered the way they interacted with the hardware to better handle and concentrate the energy.
The puppets' chest cavities stored the energy the deity placed in them. The Yucatec god Chac had altered the seals, which I counted on. I could tell how the Malevolent Heavenly’s spiritual pressure filtered into them.
My situation was perfect. The Deities took the bag out of my hands and ran with it. They willingly took themselves from alien beings of spirit to flesh and blood.
A part of me wanted to whoop and yell at the complete success. The diety had been watching for weeks, blasting a puppet and leading it to a cave when it thought I wasn’t paying attention. It also proved that isolation fields didn’t work on deities. Only parasites and predators were fooled by them.
While the puppets transformed, I decided to bite the bullet and test a hypothesis. There was no better time than before a battle.
I walked over to the chest containing the cocoon. With a single stab, I pierced it, and La Ceniza burned its pattern when it tried to convert her. The creature that had given me no end to worry could not convert spiritual energy with a will of its own. With the creature's death long before it could be born, its chi was released, and my rapier drank it. I pulled my rapier free as the chest burst into flames.
A ticking timebomb was defused, but I had other worries.
The closest monster lunged, and I parried a lance made of bark. Thorns covered the weapon, and it turned into a whipping vine. I lashed out, gripping my forearm before yanking me close to it. An arm oversized for its body reached out, and its clawed hands were slick with a dripping substance. I kicked out, hitting the side of its knee, only for roots to reach out of its ass and dig into the ground for stability. Claws ripped through my armor and raked down my chest as I punched it in the face full force.
Skin like treebark splintered from my blow. I ground my teeth at the pain shooting up through my veins. These creatures were much faster and stronger than the god I fought before. Chac learned from its fellow god’s mistake. There was also no chi leaking from the monster; only violet faith energy was cultivated from the body. Spaniards formed up and fought the monsters as men rushed to get the canons working.
I smiled and threw a hard punch. The arm with the thorn whip shattered at the shoulder. Another claw caught me on the shoulder, and blood spurted on the ground. Predators filled the battlefield with angel wings and many eyes. One swooped down at me, and I ran it through. The creature looked surprised as my blade’s fire chi burned its pattern. The battle between patterns was a battle of wills and resources. The colors that made up the angel were dispersed and distributed to all nearby predators while the lion’s share went into my rapier.
I turned back to the monster as it struggled to reattach its arm. I felt the venom charge through my veins, damaging vital organs while my regeneration battled it. Really, it was a lucky break. How else would I cultivate my organs than with poison?
I stabbed the creature through its skull, ending its threat. Despite the kingdom jump, the brain was still needed to manipulate the body. In its chest was a natural treasure related to life. Water and wood were potent combinations. Given enough time, Chac's monsters would adapt to the world and become genuinely monstrous. A more competent RTS player would have retreated and given his soldiers time to upgrade, adapt, and organize.
The prize in my first victim’s chest was too tempting. My hand pierced the chest, and I pulled free a peach-shaped heart. I raised it to my mouth and bit into it, feeling the powerful energies of a natural treasure fill me.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Life chi flowed through my veins, empowering my regeneration and causing rapid improvements. In an instant, through poison and a natural treasure, I gained 4%, putting me squarely at 15% through body tempering.
I raised my blade and tore off my armor by flexing my pecks. Steel squealed as it ripped away, and I waded into the monsters.
…
10 monsters were slain, and I hardly put a dent in their number. Not smiling ear to ear was so tricky. Every time a poisoned claw cut into my skin, my smile threatened to rise. I hissed in pain and slowed a little, acting like the acid running through my veins could slow me down. When I cut them down, it was only after they half-carved me like a finely smoked brisket.
The Tabasco tribesmen were on their knees, throwing faith chi into the thunderstorm thicker than ever. One had taken women from their gifts to us and held an obsidian dagger ready to sacrifice her. I picked up a rock and threw it. The man’s head burst like a melon as a rock the size of my fist passed through it.
Juices from another natural treasure poured into my beard. Chac was my favorite yucatec god. But I wouldn’t sacrifice valuable women of breeding age to him. That would be ludicrous. How was I going to breed a force of blacksmiths, architects, engineers, generals, and array masters by letting women die?
My actions were those of any good sect founder.
A gathering of chi caught my attention, and I looked up and sensed many entities hidden behind the thundercloud. This was about to get serious.
Pain gripped my heart. I clutched my chest, and my eyes widened. This was entirely out of my expectations. My vision started fading as reality slipped away for a moment. I dug the tip of my blade into the muddy ground and struggled to stand.
…
When my vision cleared, and I could stand again, the world had shifted. Soldiers were butchered, and a large, nearly 10-foot-tall monster with bark for skin and the bottom half of a deer edged into the clearing. Large golden antlers covered its head, and it radiated green light. As the rain fell on it, the monster glowed brighter and brighter.
“Hey buddy, thanks for teaching us how to use mortals. Having a physical body is so interesting. I feel like I’m overflowing.” Chac said with a smile.
I didn’t know what to say. A large shard of the thunderstorm had entered the chief, and patterns appeared across the body. The deity rubbed his face. His feathered headdress sparked and zapped as small clouds appeared around him.
“Calling us evil, well, I suppose the spider is quite evil to the fly. But come now, my man, do I look evil to you.” More patterns appeared like circuit boards across the chief’s skin. I may have errored somewhere. The god raised a hand, revealing blackened fingers, and a blast of lightning struck a line of Spaniards in the chest. The being threw his head back and laughed. “Marvelous, this form compacts my power. I hardly lost any energy, and you called it chi. Yes, that is a good word. The chi flowing to me empowers this body even more.” The possessed man smiled, revealing glimmering white teeth.
“You’ve learned a lot from me.”
“Did you think we would let a guest into our home unsupervised? No, you need a minder, or else you will continue getting into mischief.”
Mischief, this god had no idea. Sure, it was in a body and potentially more potent than ever. It wasn’t leaking anymore Chac had a physical body and faith chi flowed into it continuously. Most of that power was used to keep his body together. A natural treasure was already forming in its chest.
I looked at the diety with no expression on my face. Laughing at it wouldn’t be the thing to do. When I raised my hand, I was surprised by the strength radiating in my muscles and bones.
“We only act when we reap benefits, but these bodies change everything. I can live, laugh, and even have children with a physical form that can hold me. I’m not a tale clinging to power; I’m Chac, the god in the flesh.”
Like with all good things, someone has to ruin it. Fray Juarez stormed up wet like a soaked rat and thrust his rosary at the diety. “In the name of the Father, Son, and holy ghost, I denounce you.”
Angels came out of the woodwork, nothing more than predators, and struck with maces, swords, and spears. The diety glanced at them and smirked. He raised his hand, and bolts of lightning spread, spearing them all through the chest and adding the faith holding them together to his own. Small eyes appeared on Chac’s body, and a small ring hovered above his head.
The fray dropped his rosary as the halo appeared as a continuously cycling ring of light. While the deertaur was distracted, I sprinted for it, and massive thorny stakes erupted only a step too late behind me. The creature’s horns glowed brightly as I wrapped a hand around one, and my boot landed on the monster’s chest.
My rapier moved, slitting the monster’s throat. The man deer lashed with its head and lanced of light as plentiful as the number of spikes on the deer’s antlers blasted in my direction. I felt them pierce my back and legs. As I angled my rapier.
Holes appeared in my body, cauterized by the light’s intensity. My arm still had the strength left to strike. I slid my rapier forward and burned the monster’s brain to ash. The energy from 10 natural treasures continued flowing through me as I reached into the monster’s chest and pulled out a 12th treasure. This peach glowed brighter than the others, with tiny flecks of green and blue mingled with its flesh like jewels on a golden treasure.
I bit into it and felt the rich sweetness flow down my throat as my wounds healed rapidly. Each of them was indeed powerful. They had the energy and control of the chi-gathering realm. Unfortunately, their bodies lagged behind. Puppets were only ever meant to do menial work.
Besides, I was at 20% body tempering, and with the bite of the stronger natural treasure, I could feel all the small holes in my body close. Thus far, I have upgraded my regeneration fragment twice. While I had chi in my body, I could heal, and it was much more efficient and effective compared to how it was.
Life's natural treasures were the perfect fuel for it. “You made a mistake,” I said.
The diety kicked the fray, blasting him with lightning in one smooth motion. Prayers whispered through gasps as Spaniards lost their cool and charged. Cortes, meanwhile, stayed back and watched from the back of a horse ready to gallop away with the rest of the captains. An angel also watched while staring contemplatively at Captain Alvarado.
With fluid movements, Chac punched with bolts of electricity. Rain and wind blasted the Spaniards the whole charge as the deity tore the men apart one at a time.
The seals I made weren’t impossible to crack for a cultivator of sufficient power, and I assume the same was valid for gods. So, it was only a matter of time before they started using them to gain more power. That’s what they were: creatures that fed on the faith of humans to strengthen themselves. They were intelligent, so give them another avenue of power, and they would take it.
I watched the last of the brave men who charged for Christ and revenge for Fray Juarez die. Chac turned his attention to me. “Well, my man, what was my mistake.”
“You made your subordinates dumb like beasts. They can’t adapt or act autonomously. All I need to do is distract you, and I can kill them easily.” I said.
“I never claimed to be all-knowing or a great tactician. I bring the rain and give life. Let other deities do the rest. Come, friend, you have given and taken from us. It's time you give of yourself fully. Take your own life, and we will welcome you with open arms in the 13 heavens. Someday, you might become a god, come down, and take up your own bodies.”
His mistake was not tempering his body in preparation for chi. Most of his power was going to be used to hold himself together. The mix also wasn’t right; he was storing power in one spot and leaving the rest to die off. Even a small percentage of a deity’s power was disastrous for a mortal frame.
The deity pointed his hand, and a bolt of lightning slammed into my chest. I shot off my feet and slammed into a tree. A boot kicked my side as I fell, launching me into the trunk. Blow after blow rattled my flesh, breaking bones, and the deity struck me with lightning with every hit. A fire burned up the tree despite the downpour.
Chac pulled his fist back, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. I choked and gagged as my lungs filled up from a broken rib. I gurgled and groaned as my ribs pulled out of my lung and the wound healed. I threw up blood all over the god’s feet.
“You seem fond of the practice of ripping hearts out. Let me return the favor. Call if a gift buddy.” The god said.