1 Well of Wisdom (A)
"Ugh, I'm so nervous," The man in front of me mutters before stepping into the small straw hut.
A few guards then closed the door behind him before slamming their metal spears against the wooden platform.
The wood below me shook and I just barely managed to retain my balance.
"Yes! Thank you very much! Thank you very much!"
The same nervous man from before came bursting out of the straw hut with a broad smile on his face.
A brisk wind blows against him as if nature itself was congratulating him.
"Next!" One of the guards shout, so I step up the two wooden stairs and wait for the wooden door to open.
Creeeeeek
Without anybody touching the door, it opened slowly, revealing three stone chairs with three old men sitting atop.
Each one wore a horrific tiki mask, and despite me being so nervous that I felt like I could die, I put on a humble facade.
"Greetings, elders," I say as I take a knee before them, showing my utmost respect.
"Please rise… Now, what is your name, child?" The old man on the very right asks.
"Atlas, elder,"
"Good, now come forward, child," The old man sitting in the very center gestures for me to come closer, and as declining would result in my death, I walked forward before taking a knee once again.
The man placed his pale white palm on the top of my head before muttering something under his breath.
[The Elder is evaluating you]
Within only a few seconds, the elder reeled his palm back, displaying a glowing red orb in the center of his hand.
My face paled upon seeing the orb.
"N-No… No, no, no, no, no, no, no… This can't be happening," I muttered.
"Don't worry, child… It is an honor,"
"Y-yes, elder… T-thank you, elder," I readjust myself a bit, but it wouldn't have made a difference if I burst out with fear or kept my humble facade.
Either way… I was going to die.
Creeeeek
The door slowly closed behind me, and the stares of everybody in line crawled along my skin like ants.
My feet shifted on the wooden platform, but before I could dash away, the tip of a spear was placed along my neck.
"Huff… Huff… AHHHHHHH!" I shouted as I quickly lifted the spear above my head and moved my feet as quickly as I could.
BAM
Somebody kicked my back, sending me flying into the wooden platform, almost causing me to roll off of it.
I glanced down at the twenty-meter drop below me before quickly trying to stand up, but…
Clink Clink
Chains wrapped around my wrists, but I continued my struggle as I flailed not only my legs but my entire body.
"AHHHHH! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" I shouted as I was taken away down the spiraling staircase which lined the massive tree.
No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't free myself from the tight grasp of the guards. Plus, with each movement of my arms, the chains would pinch my skin.
…
"Take your last drink,"
As eating before the ceremony was forbidden, we were given a glass of water to quench our thirst so we didn't faint while waiting in line.
Quickly, I chugged down the entire glass and noticed a slightly bitter taste.
I wiped the remaining moisture away from my lips and noticed a rancid smell coming from the sleeve, which I wiped my lips with.
As I sat back down on the stone bench, I glanced out of the small window towards the top of the cell.
The sun was bright in the village up in the treetops… But it was dark in the village down here.
A sudden burst of energy was relit from within me after seeing everybody having such a peaceful life.
"AHHHHHHHHHH! LET ME OUT!"
…
Clink… Clink… Clink
"Stand up," The guard orders.
The smell of mold filled my nostrils, and the feeling of cold steel wrapping around my wrists was torturous.
Clink… Clink… Clink
I stood up per the guard's order and slowly followed him out of the stone cell.
We were at the bottom of the village which was at the base of the forest, so when I looked up, I could see the village kids running around.
Families were having fun together.
Friends were enjoying their time together.
And here I was, walking through tall grass and lining up behind people dressed in white robes with their faces covered by a tiki mask.
I wasn't an exception as I could feel my dry breath bounce off the tiki mask covering my face.
I had no more energy to scream.
No more energy to move.
There was nowhere to go anyway… So I don't know why I thought I could escape.
After waiting a few hours, I finally stepped up to the stone well completely surrounded by fully armed guards.
Their metal armor glistened in the sun, and their sharp spears stood tall beside them like a trusty friend.
Most outsiders would've thought these guards were crazy protecting such a small stone wall… but if they learned of its significance, they would have either tried to claw their way through the guards or run away in fear.
"Step up," A man with a golden and white robe says.
The book he held was in an unknown language, but I could tell by just glancing over the pages that reading it would grant you unimaginable power.
"Recite the conditions," The cloaked man said before handing me a glass of gold-tinted water.
"As a follower of the well, I sacrifice my soul and body. For the knowledge of the future, I sacrifice my own future. For the knowledge of the past, I sacrifice my own past. For the knowledge of the unknown, I wholly sacrifice myself… to the well," I recited.
"Now… Drink from the glass," The man says.
Knowing this was my last chance at life, I prayed to the well for the first time in my life.
I tightly squeezed my eyes shut before slowly drinking the gold-tinted water.
The taste was fruity and delicious… until it felt as if the blood in my body began to flow backward.
"ARGHHHHH!"
I dropped to the ground, tightly squeezing my chest as blood began to flow from my mouth, nose, ears, and eyes.
"Your sacrifice to the well will be remembered," The cloaked man muttered before a few guards restrained me with chains, and I was brought to the massive tree behind the well.
Fwoosh
I was thrown down a dark hole before landing on something tough.
But, the pain of my back-breaking wasn't nearly as bad as the overwhelming agony flowing throughout my body.
Tears of blood flowed from my eyes, and I could even feel stomach acid rise up my throat as I continued to scream.
…
After screaming for a few hours, I was so exhausted that I fainted a couple of times, and after reawakening for the fourth time, I managed to grasp on to my consciousness.
The pain was completely gone… but I didn't think it was really gone.
My entire body was numb, and it felt like I had a fever as there was this sick feeling in my stomach.
"Oomph,"
I managed to just barely turn my head with all of my willpower in order to throw up, but I wish I didn't as I also noticed tons of corpses stacked upon each other, right next to me.
They all wore the same robes as me, but they were red instead of white.
I could immediately tell why they were different from my robes, and it was because of the blood that flowed from every orifice on their body.
My breathing was heavy.
I was sweating bullets.
My stomach growled at me.
My throat was parched.
I could feel death quickly approaching… until a small stream of blood that flowed from the pile of corpses began to soak my robe.
The white clothing wrapping me quickly absorbed it like a sponge, and the warm blood stuck on my skin.
[Single Use Skill has been activated]
.
[Conditions fullfilled]
[1. Drink from the Well of Wisdom]
[2. Consume the Blood of Fifty Humans]
.
[System has been layered]
[Rejection]
[System is being forcefully layered]
[Odin System is being installed]
[Please prepare yourself for a few minutes of pain]
.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
