Nemer opened his eyes. There was a towering stone in his sight, and a really huge tree, humongous even for a normal tree, behind the stone. If the tree wasn’t odd enough, the tall stone seemed to have glowing markings on it, a light colored blue pulsating on each of the three marks. The marks gave illumination under the shade of the really, really huge tree. The tree’s canopy was thick and wide enough to block out the sky from Nemer’s point of view. He was apparently lying on a stone slab, just besides the tall stone with markings. It was rough, unpolished and natural, like a monolith. Nemer lies on his back, confused but does not know on what. He could only see the canopy of the tree from where he lied.

Slowly, he sat up, holding his head with one hand, trying to remember something. He can’t. His memories are lost. The only thing remained in his memories is his name, basic information about the world, what he is, and what’s he’s supposed to do; turn into a greater god. Other than those things, he can’t remember anything else. Not like it matters anyway. He didn’t give it much thought before he looked around him. He was inside a forest, in a clearing where the center is the glowy stone and the unbelievably huge tree. The tree shaded a large part of the clearing, making only ¼ of the clearing be able to be hit by the sunlight.

Nemer tried to stood up, but he floated. ‘This is not bad.’ He then immediately floated around to check more of his surroundings. He got out of the giant tree’s shade and looked up. To his surprise, he only saw a grey mist. The mist blocked out his view, the sun, the sky, everything! He was confused, since everything else seemed to light up with no problem like there were no mist in the morning. The ground bounced back the sun’s light as usual, the leaves reflected their green color from the sunlight they bathed on.This made Nemer confused, but he accepted it anyway as a fact. ‘Maybe being a lesser god made me unable to see beyond at a certain point?’ he thought to himself, pondering over that possibility.

As he was doing this, he immediately felt a presence. It was weird. He felt tingly, and weird all over, but somehow, he knows that it means someone has come to his domain. He shot up to the lowest branches of the giant tree, and waited there to see if the presence’s intention was anywhere near the stone. He looked at the stone, and was surprised that the stone didn’t glow anymore. The markings disappeared, and it does not emit that pulsating blue glow anymore. Before he could think of possibilities of the occurence, a figure showed itself in the edge of the clearing, directly in front of the stone. The figure had… orange fur? It was walking on two legs, legs resembling of that a hound or wolf. Blocking its face was a basket, full of natural goods inside like herbs and such. Somehow, Nemer knew what it was. It was a kobold. Fluffy humanoid creatures that are dog like in appearance. This was further confirmed when the kobold held the basket to the side of its face, looking at his destination to see if he is still on the right path.

The kobold had a face of a dog, a cute dog, as his tongue hangs from his mouth. He was excited, you could tell from the wagging of his tail behind him. The kobold also wore clothes, that looked like that of a militia; leather chest plate, a white long sleeved short, and a dull green shorts. The wagging tail soon stopped and his tongue pulled back in his mouth, as the kobold discovers that the glowing markings on the stone had disappeared. He quickly rushed towards the stone, trying his best to not flip the basket over. It seemed like the basket was too big for him to carry.

The kobold arrived at the tall stone and kneeled in front of it, setting the basket aside. He rubbed the stone slab, and looked curiously everywhere on the stone. It was clearly trying to find the markings of the stone. Nemer felt compelled to look for the markings too, as the kobold was too cute being confused and trying to find the hidden markings. Nemer approached the kobold, and as he went nearer, the marking of the stone slowly started to glow. The kobold noticed and became excited again. Nemer took notice of it too, and immediately come to the conclusion that Nemer’s proximity triggered the markings. This was proven true when he arrived and stood on top of the stone slab, and the markings glowed a pulsating blue light.

The kobold was even more excited, his tail wagging about behind him. The kobold doesn’t notice Nemer’s spirit, and proceeds to bow his head with his hands together, as if to offer a prayer, and closed its eyes.

I pray to the spirit that dwells on this forest. I have returned with tributes for you.

Nemer heard a voice. He looked around. No one were there. He looked back at the kobold, the only living being in his area that he could see.

O spirit, grant me strength so that I may protect all those who I know and love.

It was there again. He then realized that, it came from the kobold. The kobold did not open his mouth nor lift up its head to talk. The kobold offered a prayer to the stone, to him. Nemer felt… happy. He never knew that hearing someone pray to him would be this satisfying. A stupid grin came out from his face, overjoyed by the fact that he has gained his first worshipper. As he bathes on his feelings of wondrous joy, the kobold continued his prayer.

I praise you O spirit. Let your light guide me in the cold embrace of darkness. I pray, that you would watch over me and this forest.

The kobold finished his prayer and he lifted its head, seemingly happy. Nemer was happy too. The kobold took his basket and put it on the stone slab, beneath Nemer’s feet. That’s when Nemer took notice of his form. He isn’t transparent! He can see himself, glowing with a sky blue light. Oddly, for a spirit, he was clothed in some kind of grand clothes of high nobility, probably reflecting his status as a lesser god. He didn’t mind his appearance much however, because the kobold doesn’t even seem to notice his presence. The kobold bowed again and stood up to turn around and go back inside the forest. Nemer watched as the kobold ran happily towards the forest, his tail wagging enthusiastically before disappearing to the mist. The area was once again lonely.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Nemer sat on the stone slab, leaning on the tall stone as its markings pulsate. He crossed his arms, wondering on what does he need to do to become a greater god. He thought for a while, before looking at the basket the kobold left him. A tribute? Can he take it? Nemer tried to grab the basket, bit he phased right through it. Figures, Nemer knew that. He tried again anyway, to no avail. If he can’t even use the tribute he was given, then what use does it have on him? It’s probably time for acceptance, but Nemer did not give up. He wants to take this basket that was given to him by the kobold. It would be rude not take take an offering after all. With all the knowledge he has, he tried to think of a way to take the tribute.

“Hup.”

He tried to slap it.

“Hnnghhh.”

He tried to use the force on it.

“HMMMMMMM…..”

He tried going in its mind.

His trials just became more and more absurd as he runs out of idea of what to do. He was running out of ideas, but he didn’t give up. If only the basket could become like him… wait. That’s it! New found knowledge and memories suddenly surged through him. Fragments of his memories rushed inside his mind and gave him information on things he learned and experienced on Arcs and Arcus. He remembered that everything is made out of Arcus. That means, the basket can be turned into Arcus in its pure form! Yes! But how? Nemer wondered.

That was the extent of his knowledge. He does not know how to turn the basket into Arcus. Sure, he knew how to turn physical objects into Arcus in his past life, but that was a memory that is now fragmented. He only received information on ‘What’ Arc and Arcus is, not ‘How’. He also seem to not know the requirements yet for unlocking more of his fragmented memories. He continued to think, and finally decided to do something. If everything is made out of Arcus, wouldn’t that mean he should able to see Arcus? Nemer focused and narrowed his eyes, trying his best to try and make his eyes like an X-ray vision.

Fortunately, something worked! He suddenly saw everything as Arcus. Not biological or inanimate, physical objects, but malleable almost incorporeal multicolored Arcus. His vision was filled with Arcus shaped with their physical objects. Trees looked like trees except glowing. And as for the empty space, air, it was just darkness. The air had too little of concentration of Arcus to form any visible form for the Arcus vision. The mist previously was also like a dark barrier, cutting his view of the probably more trees outside the mist. He named this ability of his: [Arcus Vision].

But [Arcus Vision] didn’t even help. It just merely made him see the world in a different light. Not that he disliked it though. It was actually pretty to look at. He looked at the basket below him and saw it as a… basket… except glowing on the also glowing stone slab and grassy ground. Nemer tried grabbing the basket again, but failed. He still phased through. [Arcus Vision] really is just a vision Arc.

But now that he can see them as Arcus, this means that he can turn them into a kind of Arcus that he can get. But the question remained unchanged; How? How indeed. Maybe if…

“Uhhh…. Let me grab you please?”

It did not work. Nemer was honestly getting frustrated. He tried all manners of physical contact, verbal pleads, and mental powers to try and at least budge the basket a little. All of those failed. He is incredibly annoyed by now. Is he missing something? ‘Is it because I am a lesser god?’ He pondered for a while, then it hit him. He is a lesser god, bound to an object of worship. Soon enough, he got the point. This tall stone he was standing on top was obviously his object of worship, a physical object in the Plane of Existence. What would that mean?

“This stone is my gateway!”

Referring it to just “stone” was a little bit plain, so he come up with a name for it. He would name it: “Bluemark Altar”. He was not that creative with names, but he’ll improve.

He still had his [Arcus Vision] when he realized that there is a thin outline that was connected to his own Arcus. He himself emits some kind of faint aura outline from his entirety of Arcus, which connected to that long outline. After upon closer inspection, the outline was actually a cord of some sorts, connecting Nemer and the altar.

He got the idea. He strengthened his link with the altar through concentration and focus, and a bit of narrowing of the eyes and grunting like he’s about to let out a massive dump. He successfully did it. The cord glowed brighter than before, and the markings from the stone seemed to distinguish itself from the rest of the environment Nemer was seeing, which was rather very bright.

The markings glowed intensely. Just as the markings became bright, he felt… something touch him. He looked around him, but nothing touched him. He felt it again and it made him slightly nervous. ‘What’s touching me?’ There wasn’t even anything touching or clinging to his ethereal body. He looked back at the altar, and when a leaf from the tree fell and touch the stone slab, he felt that sensation again.

“Is the altar… my body?”

Not quite. Close, but it is not. He already has a body, which is his floating, invisible, incorporeal body. The altar was a proxy, a ‘gateway’ like Nemer said, to the Plain of Existence. Without this altar, he would be stuck in his incorporeal state and never be able to interact anything with the physical world. This altar synced with Nemer’s body, turning itself into a proxy body that can feel like a normal body would.

“Ohhhh..”

Nemer finally realized that after thinking for a while. He was rather perceptive, intelligent, and wise. A proud child of Wize, but doesn’t even compare to the god’s aforementioned three attributes. What's left to do now is to take the tribute.

Again, he concentrated on turning the tribute ‘his own’, not being sure on what he mean by that. The markings began to glow intensely, and the basket seem to start glowing too. It was working! While he did his tribute taking, the kobold went back unnoticed and hid behind a tree.

The kobold was witnessing the event before his very eyes. The stone markings was glowing very brightly and intensely, and the basket is starting to glow blue. This is it, the mark of a god; a miracle.