Beneath the tree, Muska continued to wait in agonizing silence.
He was unaware that his fate had already been clearly predetermined.
Finally, that magnificent voice returned once more.
" Muska."
Do you know why I spared your life?
They've arrived.
Muska forced his chaotic thoughts to focus quickly.
Why spare his life? It must be because he had enough value to be spared.
"I suspect that you—want to know the secrets of Laputa?" His voice was a little hoarse, but he still tried his best to appear respectful.
This guess is reasonable, after all, it was the Erdtree's Protection Dola's Gang and Sheeta.
However, the voice gave a negative answer.
"You're thinking too superficially, Muska Paulo Uru Laputa."
Muska remained kneeling, but his pupils behind his sunglasses contracted sharply to the size of pinpoints.
Muska Paulo Uru Laputa!
This real name, passed down from the royal family of Laputa and imbued with the meaning of an ancient covenant, should not be known to anyone except himself and his deceased parents.
This deity knows everything; he even knows his most secret identity!
If that's the case, then the truth about Laputa is certainly not a secret to the Erdtree either.
Then what value does he have left for the Erdtree?
Status? Life? They certainly mean nothing to this person.
" Muska, I know your ambition."
"You wish to restore the glory of the Laputa royal family and create an order ruled by you."
The Erdtree's voice continued, its tone calm and declarative, yet it struck Muska's soul like a hammer blow.
"Then... then you... need me..." He was numb.
It felt as if I were standing naked in front of the other person, with all my thoughts and secrets laid bare.
That makes sense, though. The one before us is the true god who descended to earth and conquered Goliath without lifting a finger.
Thinking about it this way, Muska actually felt a little better.
"I will create a golden kingdom in this world, and you will be my vanguard."
Muska's body trembled slightly, and his brain, frozen by fear, began to work rapidly again.
Was it this god who valued his abilities?
"You want me to play the role of the king?"
"That's right."
Muska couldn't help but raise his head, his gold-rimmed sunglasses unable to conceal the fervor in his eyes.
He vaguely remembered the ancient texts' accounts: the Laputa people were a race chosen by the gods, and their Volucite technology was also a divine gift.
Could it be that this Erdtree before us is the legendary deity, and that ancient history will be reenacted through its very existence?
"Great God, please give me a chance! If I could control—no, control Laputa for you—conquering this world would be a piece of cake!"
Violence, conquest, domination—this is the future Muska envisions.
He firmly believed that once he mastered the power of Laputa, no one in the world could stop him.
At least, he himself firmly believed it.
Mu En silently shook her head in her mind.
Muska certainly has his merits, but he's too young and too impatient; his plans are already out of control.
Anyone could see that he wasn't truly submitting; he just wanted to use the Erdtree as another stepping stone.
" Muska, ruling the world through violence, like building a castle on quicksand, how do you think the Laputa fell?"
There is another theory about the disappearance of the Laputa civilization.
Ancient royal families relied on technology and force to suppress the land, but the seeds of resistance grew constantly under oppression, eventually converging into a torrent that overthrew everything.
Unable to be self-sufficient, the Crumbling Farum Azula was ultimately destroyed by the wave of resistance from the lower classes.
"Interests are the foundation of maintaining order, and only a country that the vast majority of people are willing to uphold can survive in the long run."
You should understand this principle.
The cold water was poured over his head, and Muska's excited expression froze instantly. "----You're right, I was short-sighted."
But beneath his downcast eyes, a hint of disdain flashed.
Benefit?
How could a god who displayed such overwhelming military power discuss interests and long-term rule with insignificant mortals?
Mu En sensed his doubt, but didn't care.
Changing mindsets takes time and effort; facts speak louder than words.
"However, to implement a new order, we do need the strength to clear away obstacles," Mu En said, turning the subject back to the main point.
"And I can grant you the power to control the world."
The next moment, golden droplets fell from above and went straight into Muska's forehead.
boom!
Muska felt as if a torrent had instantly overwhelmed all his senses, leaving him completely stunned.
It was as if he had stood his whole life, but had just learned what it felt like to "sit down." His body, which had been polluted by industrial waste gas in the kingdom's capital for more than 20 years, suddenly radiated unprecedented vitality.
A sense of elation, intoxication, and the illusion of complete control arises along with the increase in power.
However, just as he was immersed in this transcendent pleasure, "Ugh!!!"
An invisible hand roughly reached into his body and yanked hard, almost tearing his soul out of his body.
Muska knelt down again in agony, his veins bulging, and the gold-rimmed sunglasses he had been using to maintain a calm facade fell to the ground with a thud.
Pain, indescribable pain.
It is more cruel than any physical punishment, as if the soul will shatter at any moment, or the body will explode due to the restless energy within.
Those few seconds felt like an eternity to him.
Then, the pain receded like a receding tide.
Muska collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
He reached out, his hand trembling, to touch his face, to make sure he was still alive.
He never wanted to experience that feeling of falling from the clouds to hell again in his life.
"Now, you are my subject."
"The power within you originates from me, and I can take it back at any time."
"For those who attempt betrayal, what you just experienced is only the beginning."
As his breathing gradually calmed, fear still lingered in his soul.
But another, even more fervent idea is igniting in Muska's soul.
Are there any limitations to this kind of blessing?
Ignoring his disheveled appearance, he looked up at the Erdtree, his voice becoming excited.
"No restrictions."
"As long as the contribution is sufficient, the blessing can be continuously deepened, and as for the limit—theoretically, it is enough to elevate a mortal to a demigod."
Demigod?!
Muska's breathing suddenly became heavy.
"Hmph hmph hmph---- Hahahaha!"
Muska suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with manic enlightenment.
"I understand—I understand what you mean! The so-called power to control the world!"
"For humankind, whose nature is greed, blessings are like fruit offered by a serpent—the sweetest of poisons!"
"Once they've tasted its flavor, who could bear to return to the weakness and pain of ordinary life? To obtain it again, those people would be willing to pay any price!"
Muska is right, receiving blessings can be addictive.
No mortal can resist the feeling of being filled with energy, having a longer lifespan, clearer thinking, and having their life essence elevated.
Even though life and death are controlled by the Erdtree, this is still the case.
This is also one of the reasons why the Golden Dynasty declined rapidly after the "era of favors" in the Lands Between ended abruptly.
Muska clearly understood his position and role; this deity had instructed him to emulate the descriptions in religious texts and become the "serpent" who distributes the "fruit"!
Politicians, the Vatican, and profit-driven businessmen----
They will all grovel at his feet, begging for his favor, becoming his most loyal puppets.
Muska's face was contorted with extreme excitement, a power derived from the divine that transcended all worldly authority.
Even without Laputa, he could still achieve his ambition of standing at the top of the world!
"I understand—Great Erdtree, I will surely bring the whole world to your grasp!"