Overwhelming Firepower

Lucen, who had his head bowed, did not know what to say, but as he steadied his breath, a thought surfaced. Maybe he could pray like the characters he admired in the games and anime he once loved. It was a silly idea, perhaps, but it gave him focus. Slowly, he exhaled, gathering his nerves. Then, with closed eyes, he spoke what he felt was the right thing to say.

”Varkun, God of War and Honor, I, Lucen Thornehart, present myself before you as a warrior. I ask you to please give me your blessing as I march out to my first battle.”

After he was done saying his prayer, Lucen waited, but there was no reaction. As he planned to stay still for a few more seconds before trying something, a loud notification sound started ringing in his head.

[WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!] [WARNING!]

A sharp, stabbing headache struck him instantly, but Lucen didn’t move. Somehow, his instincts screamed at him, if he broke posture now, something worse would happen.

[A higher being has looked upon you.]

The second Lucen heard that notification, a shiver crawled down his spine, as he held his breath. Lucen did not know how long he had stayed in his praying position, but after some time, the intense presence he felt disappeared.

As he was confused as to what happened, a transparent screen appeared before him, similar to his Status Window.

[Varkun, the God of War and Honor, seeker of endless battle, has heard your prayer.]

[Young Warrior, who has struggled, who holds steel and iron, Varkun has acknowledged you.]

[Varkun has decided to bless you.]

[Blessing: Ashen’s Vow – Duration: 30 Days]

• Your body will recover slightly faster from wounds and fatigue.

• When facing death without retreat, physical abilities will increase for one minute.

Lucen was surprised that the blessing he received was different from in-game, and it was only temporary. While he was thinking about what had just happened, he once again felt a powerful force in the room.

This time, it wasn’t cold and vast like an endless battlefield.It was warm. It felt very warm, like someone was embracing him, a silent recognition. A commanding voice then echoed in his ears.

”Young Warrior, I will be watching your struggle.”

The presence he felt disappeared, and Lucen, who was holding his breath, finally exhaled. It felt like the tight string that was holding Lucen had snapped. He stumbled backward onto his butt, grasping for breath. Lucen started hyperventilating, but he had a smile on his face.

’So that was a God... Heh, I guess the protagonist truly is the chosen one. Able to be blessed by any of the deities, and the blessing is permanent. Still, as a side character, I guess I did pretty well.’

...

After he calmed himself down, Lucen said goodbye to the children and to the priest and priestess. Lucen started walking around the city deep in thought.

’Damn, that was more stressful than I thought it would be... Should I continue to the next temple or stop now...’

Lucen shook his head, and a vicious-looking smile appeared on his face.

’What the f*ck am I even hesitating for? A true gamer would never hesitate to try and get free buffs. Also, as a Thornehart, I shouldn’t back down from a challenge.’

Once he made his decision, Lucen went to the other temples. Out of the remaining four, he gained a response from two.

...

The first one was Kalderos, the God of the Forge and Flames. His temple was located near the blacksmith’s forges and the Carpenter’s workshops. When he prayed to Kalderos, he felt someone looking at him curiously.

[Kalderos, the God of the Forge and Flames, has heard your prayer.]

[You who created, who has stepped forward into the forge, Kalderos has acknowledged you.]

[Kalderos has blessed you.]

[Blessing: Flame Forged Wrath- Duration: 45 days.]

• Your resistance to heat and fire is significantly increased.

• When you fight with resolve, all attacks will deal additional fire damage.

• Once per day, when fighting while injured, your next attack ignites with divine flame, doubling its damage and burning through most magical or physical defenses.

Once he received his blessing, as with Varkun, Kalderos also spoke, though only briefly.

”You who have forged the way forward, I curiously await your next steps.”

Unlike Varkun, who made him feel pressure and warmth, Kalderos had a vibe of curiosity and excitement.

...

The other deity that gave Lucen a blessing was the Goddess of the Night and Death, Velmira. Her Temple was located near the cemeteries.

Unlike Varkun’s temple, where you could hear the sound of training, and Kalderos’s temple, where you heard the sound of the hammer falling, Velmira’s temple was silent. After he prayed to Velmira, Lucen felt a chill down his spine.

[Velmira, the Goddess of the Night and Death, has heard your prayer.]

[Young One, he who has seen the last night and remembers Death’s embrace, Velmira has acknowledged you.]

[Blessing: Veil of the Silent Moon - Duration: 35 days.]

• When fighting in low light or darkness, your movement becomes quieter, and your attacks are less likely to be detected.

• Killing a target with a single blow under these conditions restores a small portion of mana and stamina.

• Once per day, when in critical condition, you gain a brief veil of shadows, making you untargetable for 2 seconds and dodging the next lethal strike.

The same as the two other deities, once he received the blessing, Lucen heard the sweet voice of the Goddess.

”Child who has tasted the sweet embrace of the final light, may your shine be brighter this time.”

Her voice was like a mother whispering her hopes into a cradle, gentle, yet eternal. Lucen remained still for several seconds, the cold lingering in his bones. Yet, somewhere deep inside, her words left behind a strange warmth.

...

After going to each temple in the city, Lucen headed back home. It had been a very impactful first trip in the city.

’I guess the deities in this world have some sort of omniscience, since it’s obvious they know what I have been doing, and Velmira even knows that I have already died once, and I have memories of my past life. Good thing I didn’t lie when I prayed. That would’ve gone badly.’

A satisfied smile appeared on Lucen’s face as, even without a coat, he felt excited and happy.

’Heh, even though I didn’t get a permanent buff like Alexander, the protagonist of the game, I got a lot more blessings. Overall, that was nice, now I feel more confident in going outside the fortress next week.’

...

In the next few days before his departure, Lucen visited the blacksmiths and asked them to forge a hollow iron sphere about the size of a fist, with a small opening that could be sealed with a screw-in cap.

This was something Lucen thought of by himself, since he had seen several things like this in various games, and anime he used to watch before. It was not part of the gun knowledge skill, it was his own knowledge.

The blacksmiths asked what it was for, but Lucen simply said he would show them once it was done. It took the blacksmiths a day to create the item Lucen wanted, and when he returned, Robert was already there.

”I heard that you asked the blacksmiths to create something interesting. So what is this small sphere for?”

Robert showed Lucen the finished product. Lucen didn’t answer. He poured in a careful amount of Robert’s improved gunpowder, threaded a short length of oil-soaked twine through a small hole in the iron cap, then screwed it in tight.

”Come with me. I’ve got something interesting to show.”

Robert, the blacksmith, followed him to the weapon testing yard. Lucen held the bomb at arm’s length, lit the oil-soaked twine with flint and steel, then hurled it in the distance.

”Everyone, back away a little.”

Three seconds later

BOOM.

The iron sphere exploded with a sharp, thunderous bang. Shrapnel scattered across the testing field, leaving a blackened mark on the dirt. The training dummies in the area had several holes in them.

After several seconds of silence, Robert, with his usual crazed look, spoke.

”What was that?! No, wait, let me guess! The sphere was hollow, you filled it with black powder, and the burning twine ignited it... The metal casing couldn’t contain the force, so it burst apart, launching iron fragments everywhere!”

He clapped his hands together, almost vibrating with excitement.

”So it isn’t just an iron sphere, you turned the casing into the weapon! It’s not aimed at one target... It’s meant to hit everything in an area! Wonderful! This black powder you created seems to have so many more ways of destruction!”

Robert told Lucen his analysis of what he understood with great excitement. While Robert was getting more excited, the blacksmiths were still looking at what had happened in stunned silence.

What they saw was something that didn’t use mana or aura; it was simply an iron case thrown, and the effect was devastating. The things they were creating seem like they would change the way they fought.... They were woken up from their trance by Lucen’s voice.

”Can you make me several more of these?”

...

The departure day came faster than expected, still, he was confident. Lucen had already unlocked his buffs, crafted explosives, and mentally clicked ’Mission Start.’