Chapter 1 - A Newly Manifested Minor Deity, The God of Crafting
Lugh Miller looked around his surroundings and noticed the unusual situation he was in. It is not the white walls of a hospital room, nor is it the familiar ceiling in his bedroom. He is currently looking at a sea of stars with the universe as its backdrop. He tried to make sense of what's happening and eventually noticed his body. He no longer looked like a human being. Instead, he appears to be a rainbow colored mass of light, shaped irregularly, steadily floating in the silent void.
That's when a sea of information suddenly flooded his mind.
[Divine Manifestation Complete.]
[Name: Lugh Miller]
[Status: Minor Deity (Level 1)]
[Divinity: God of Crafting]
[Location: The Astral Void of Sylvaris]
Slowly, as Lugh tries to process the sudden influx of information that appeared in his thoughts, he eventually came to understand what he has become.
He is no longer a human. He passed away on Earth, but then woke up in this new body. This body is a newly manifested Minor Deity, a divinity borne from the collective unconscious of a mystical universe. From time to time, this universe manifests a new divinity, and Lugh just happened to wake up from the body of a new divinity, thus, he now becomes, the God of Crafting, Lugh Miller.
This world is called Sylvaris. This is a majestic expanse where gods and goddesses are as real as they can be, and magic is the main fabric of this fantastical tapestry.
Lugh noticed a small floating asteroid passing by in front of him. He tried to touch the asteroid with his body.
The moment he made contact with it, his perception changed. He didn't just see the asteroid as a rock or stone, instead, he saw its blueprint. He can see through the minerals and elements it is made of, the magical energy pulsing through its structure, and the possible function and features of its existence.
"I can... perceive the framework." Lugh muttered, as a feeling of fascination coursed through his being.
The fear from realizing his death on Earth and waking up in this bizarre situation was replaced by intrigue and curiosity. Back on Earth, he was a Science teacher by profession, and scientific research and experiments were his passion. Back then, he was bound by the limitations that the rigid law of physics is grounded on. Here, the fundamental rules of the universe had become a dialogue rather than a command.
With a thought, he willed his Divine Power into the asteroid. The rock vibrated, glowing with a soft silver light and gradually transformed into a flowing mass of particles or molecules. Under Lugh's focus, it began to twist and spin. As the God of Crafting, he doesn't need a forge or a hammer to craft something. His mind is the driving force and his divine power is the fuel needed to complete this process.
Several minutes later, a six foot tall, perfectly humanoid body crafted from the asteroid, appeared in front of Lugh. It was Lugh's experiment. He wanted to craft a physical vessel for his divine existence. Although it was simple, Lugh knows it will serve its intended purpose. His current body is a manifestation of the laws of the universe, and to anyone who has the ability to perceive him, he will appear to be a shining mass of irregularly shaped rainbow light. Based on his past life preferences, he prefers a physical humanoid body for his vessel, which thus led to this first creation.
[Item Created: The First Vessel (Grade: Transcendental – Soul-Bound)]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Deepened]
[Item: The First Vessel]
[Grade: Transcendental – Soul-Bound (Red)]
[Type: Divine Construct / Physical Avatar]
[Trait: (Divine Synchronization) – Allows a non-corporeal deity to interact with the physical world of Sylvaris with 100% sensory feedback.]
[Trait: (Celestial Durability) – Being crafted from an asteroid, the skin is as hard as diamond but as flexible as human flesh.]
[Requirement: Must be inhabited by a non-corporeal existence to function; otherwise, it remains a "Perfect Statue."]
However, as the thrill of creation subsided, a cold realization doused him to clarity.
He felt his glow dimmed a little bit. From within comes a feeling of unexplained hunger, as though his energy has been spent and he felt the need to recharge.
"I lost quite a bit of my Divine Power." He realized.
From within his instincts, he understood. He needed Faith Power.
One of the main sources of a Deity's Divine Power comes from the faith power that is generated from the Deity's own believers. If he wants to tap into the power of his Divinity and live his Deity life to the fullest, he needs a steady source of faith power. He couldn't just stay here in the void. He has to establish a church. He has to amass his own believers and devotees.
He first tried to enter the physical vessel that he just created from the asteroid. This physical body will be very useful for his future plans in the world of Sylvaris. His rainbow colored mass of irregularly shaped non-corporeal existence entered and fully occupied [The First Vessel]. The eyelids of the human-like body opened. The appearance of this vessel is extremely aesthetic, and its physical characteristics could not hide the elegance and majesty of the deity inhabiting it.
Lugh looked down, past the void, toward the expansive, vibrant Main Plane of Sylvaris below. He saw an endless expanse of forests, mountain ranges, plains, oceans, and even deserts and wastelands.
"Living life to the fullest," Lugh murmured, a resolute expression flashed across his face. "That starts with building the foundation of my eventual deity life."
With a surge of will, the God of Crafting dove toward the atmosphere of Sylvaris. He will be looking for a suitable place to develop his future believers and devotees.
*****
His gaze focused toward Sylvaris. From the Astral Void, Sylvaris looked like a vast tapestry of impossible colors. Boundless continents surrounded by azure oceans, and pillars of light - likely the domain of other, more established deities - pierced through the sky like towers.
Lugh didn't head for the pillars of light. He didn't want a confrontation with established deities yet. He needed a suitable place where he could quietly develop.
With a thought, he kicked off from where he was located. He travelled through the twilight sky of Sylvaris, all the while doing his best to conceal his presence. He would love to stay away from unwanted attention. He descended like a shooting star, swift and fleeting.
He landed in a secluded valley on the far edge of an endless forest. The trees here are so tall, they resemble skyscrapers. The air smells like a fresh concoction of mint fragrance and green tea aroma. The impact from his landing didn't create a commotion, for he controlled his energy and strength very well.
As he observed his surroundings, he noticed not far from where he stood a flock of six-legged deer with crystalline antlers, probably a local wildlife inhabiting this region. There are twelve of them and one stood out among the rest as its size is significantly bigger than the rest.
Lugh scanned these creatures with his Divine gaze.
[Crystal-Horned Deer]
[Tier: Rank 2 (Rare Mana-Fauna)]
[Level: 25-35]
[Elemental Affinity: Nature/Earth/Light]
[Attributes: High Agility, High Mana Sensitivity, Low Defense]
Lugh decided that he can use these creatures as materials for his next experiment. He needed a few servants that would do the grunt work for him. These Crystal-Horned Deers appeared at an opportune time.
Lugh concealed his presence as he approached the flock of Crystal-Horned Deer. These creatures have a naturally high mana sensitivity, a tiny fluctuation in mana could be accurately perceived by them right away. Nevertheless, in front of a Deity's concealment, they wouldn't be able to sense a thing.
This is pretty much a dimensionality reduction, as the Divine Power that Lugh uses for his concealment is a naturally superior form of energy and thus these creatures wouldn't really be able to sense Lugh, no matter how high their mana sensitivity is, and even though Lugh is now just a few meters away from them.
Lugh lifted his hands and pointed it towards the flock of Crystal-Horned Deer. He activated his Divine Power and tapped into the power of his Divinity.
A silver white flash covered the entire area where the flock is located. The process of crafting felt like a natural process for Lugh. The physical bodies of the Crystal-Horned Deers transformed into motes of extremely tiny particles, twisting and spinning as Lugh willed them according to his intention. The bones and antlers of the Crystal-Horned Deer merged into a humanoid skeletal structure, its blood, flesh, tissues, organs and muscles slowly completed the humanoid structure. Lastly and most importantly, their souls were imprinted with Lugh's mark, and Lugh added part of his own memories including a few pieces of information that will help these creatures understand common sense, and give them the ability to communicate using telepathy.
It cost him quite a bit of Divine Power consumption.
[Species Created: Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus]
[Tier: Rank 3 (Superior)]
[Loyalty Level: Absolute (Soul-Bound)]
[Level: 40–45]
[Attributes: Hyper-Reflexes, Mana-Resonance, Forest Stealth]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Deepened]
Their appearance is that of slender, athletic humanoids with milky white skin color. Their hair is white, their ears resemble the ears of a deer. Their eyes don't have pupils, instead, just glowing emerald eyes. They are wearing attire crafted from their furs.
After the transformation, the twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus looked at Lugh collectively, their eyes brimming with awe and gratitude.
They all knelt down to Lugh to express their gratitude and loyalty.
"Great God, Thank you for the transformation you have blessed us with. Please grant us your order."
At this moment, Lugh felt a warm energy quietly being transmitted from the twelve towards him. Undoubtedly, it is the power of faith.
Lugh was quite satisfied with the twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus. As the one who transformed these creatures, he is well aware of what they are capable of.
[Hyper-Reflexes - Inherited from the Crystal-Horned Deer's High Agility, they can dodge projectiles with supernatural speed.]
[Mana-Resonance - Because their Crystal Horns were integrated into their skeletal structure, they don't need a magical staff to cast their spells, their entire body acts as a natural magical conductor.]
[Forest Stealth - While they are in the forest, they will be hard to detect, and they are semi-invisible to the naked eye.]
Since there are twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus, Lugh just decided to name them from January, February,...until December.
"Ten kilometers to the east, there is a settlement of an unknown race. Go there and spread my faith."
Lugh commanded the twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus. Earlier, when he landed, his Divine Senses also detected the nearby settlement. He felt that it would be beneath the status of a Deity to personally spread his faith among potential believers, so the presence of the twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus came in handy.
"Great God, we have received your order. We will do our best to fulfill this task."
One of the Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus replied.
"You may go." Lugh gestured for them to go.
"Understood." They left quietly with light footsteps.
The forest fell into silence as the twelve departed.
Lugh spread out his divine senses and examined the surroundings.
[Scanning Local Environment...]
[Resources Detected: High-Density Iron-Oak, Mana-Infused Clay, Raw Quartz Deposits]
[Status: Unclaimed Territory]
Lugh tried to analyze his situation and simulated possible plans for his next course of action.
"Just me alone and those twelve Crystal-Horned Deer Homunculus won't be enough to efficiently spread my faith and increase my number of believers. I need enough manpower."
As he looked at the towering Iron Oak throughout this forest, the Mana-Infused Clay in the ground, and the Raw Quartz Deposits.
A subtle blueprint starts to form in his mind. His mind is undergoing calculations, simulations, and analysis. He is trying to figure out if the plan in his mind would be feasible and efficient. It would be wrong to underestimate the calculation capabilities of a minor Deity. Although his mind has been processing complicated data in huge quantities, it only took him a few seconds to finish.
"Okay, I'll do it this way."
With a plan in mind, what's left to do is its execution.
Firstly, Lugh found a relatively flat surface area where there are lots of Iron Oak Trees. He pointed his hands toward this area, and a silver light flashed which covered all the Iron Oak Trees within a few square kilometers. There were around 10,000 Iron Oak Trees which were covered by the silver light. Lugh used his divine powers to craft humanoid bodies out of these Iron Oak Trees, each Iron Oak Tree was transformed into tiny particles and was then molded into dense humanoid bodies. Each humanoid body is 2 meters tall. There were a total of 10,000 humanoid bodies that were crafted.
[Item Created: Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Deepened]
[Item: Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel]
[Grade: Mortal - Exquisite (Green)]
[Type: Humanoid Physical Vessel]
[Trait: (Iron-Density Compression) – Since an entire massive Iron Oak was condensed into a 2-meter humanoid form, the body is incredibly heavy and dense. Its "skin" has the hardness of reinforced steel, making it virtually immune to mundane arrows, blades, and crushing blows from non-magical sources.]
[Trait: (Lignified Fluidity) – Despite their extreme density, the silver-light crafting process ensures the particles can slide against one another. This allows the vessel to move with the speed and grace of a human athlete, unimpeded by its own massive weight.]
[Trait: (Floral Resonance) – As a direct transformation of the forest's primary flora, the vessel is invisible to natural predators within Sylvanis. It can "blend" into the forest backdrop perfectly by standing still, essentially becoming indistinguishable from a natural tree to the untrained eye.]
These humanoid bodies are still inanimate, because Iron Oak Trees don't have souls, and Lugh could not craft a soul out of nothing. He set aside these bodies first, then turned his attention to the Mana-Infused Clay on the Ground. He pointed his hands and willed his divine powers into these Mana-Infused Clay found within these few square kilometers. He crafted these Mana-Infused Clay into spherical constructs, and he inscribed magical runes in them. The finished product is a glowing spherical core, ten thousand in total, which will serve as the energy source of the humanoid bodies he crafted earlier. The runes inscribed within these spherical cores will continuously absorb mana from the surroundings.
[Item Created: Mana-Infused Clay Energy Core]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Deepened]
[Item: Mana-Infused Clay Energy Core]
[Grade: Mortal – Enchanted (Blue)]
[Type: Energy Core / Power Source]
[Trait: (Aetheric Battery) – The clay has been molecularly restructured to hold a high density of raw mana. It acts as a stable reservoir, slowly leaking magical energy at a constant rate to power Mortal-grade constructs or tools for extended periods without depletion.]
[Trait: (Earthen Insulation) – Due to its clay base, the core is naturally resistant to "Mana-Leakage." It prevents the energy from dissipating into the air, ensuring that 95% of the stored power is directed solely into the device it is plugged into.]
[Trait: (Malleable Frequency) – Because it is made of enchanted clay, the core's output can be "tuned." By applying physical pressure or a small divine vibration, the user can switch the output from Kinetic Power (for movement) to Thermal Power (for heat/forging).]
[Trait: (Structural Synergy) – When placed inside a vessel like the Iron Oak Homunculus, the core bonds with the wooden fibers, acting as a "Heart." It pumps mana through the silver-light nervous system, granting the vessel the energy required for autonomous action.]
He then proceeded to combine the Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel and the Mana-Infused Clay Energy Core. The glowing spherical cores are placed within the center torso of the humanoid body. Now, ten thousand of these humanoid bodies have spherical cores embedded within them.
[Item Created: Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel with Energy Core]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Deepened]
[Item: Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel with Energy Core]
[Grade: Mortal – Enchanted (Blue)]
[Type: Autonomous Humanoid Construct]
[Trait: All traits from (Iron Oak Homunculus Vessel) and (Mana-Infused Clay Energy Core) are retained.]
[Trait: (Kinetic-Lignified Movement) – By housing the Mana-Infused Clay Energy Core within its chest cavity, the vessel is no longer a static statue. The core pumps mana through the silver-light particles, allowing the 2-meter body to move with tireless, mechanical precision for up to 100 years without needing a recharge.]
[Trait: (Reactive Density) – The presence of an active power source allows the compressed Iron Oak particles to shift slightly in response to impact. When struck, the mana core sends a surge of energy to the point of contact, temporarily increasing the local density to the hardness of diamond to deflect the blow.]
[Trait: (Self-Sustaining Cycle) – Through the core's synergy with the wood, the vessel can enter a "Hibernate" mode. While standing still, the core draws ambient mana from the surrounding Iron Oak forest, slowly trickling energy back into the clay to ensure the construct never truly runs out of power.]
The final part that would complete this creation would be the most complicated part. That is, to give each of these physical bodies a mind, or consciousness. Theoretically, the most suitable option for Lugh would have been to find souls that would occupy these vessels he has crafted. But then, he concluded that doing so would be inefficient and wasteful. If he really possesses souls that he can use for crafting, he would rather craft a physical vessel made of flesh and blood for these souls to inhabit, rather than a physical vessel made of inanimate objects. This is because physical vessels made of flesh and blood have more potential for growth and reproduction, while physical vessels made of inanimate objects may not offer the same features.
So, instead of souls, Lugh figured out an alternative. As a transmigrator, the alternative he thought of is none other than - Artificial Intelligence. He will use the Raw Quartz Deposits as raw material for crafting constructs that would bring Artificial Intelligence into existence.
The idea did not feel foreign to him. In his past life, he has read countless information regarding artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks, and computational logic. He has studied them, and even taught them to his students. But what really gave him the confidence is his current divinity. As the God of Crafting, he already understands what needs to be done, how to do it, and even improvises depending on his specific situation.
He first collected Raw Quartz Deposits from all over the forest. Once he secured several tons of them, he proceeded to the crafting process.
He extended his hand. A pulse of silver light divine power surged outward, enveloping the Raw Quart Deposits.
Then, at the center of the few square kilometers of flat ground where the Iron Oak Trees where once was, the Raw Quartz Deposits were refined and transformed into a 30 meter tall crystalline obelisk pulsing with divine power. He began by constructing a foundational framework—layers upon layers of interlinked crystalline matrices. Each fragment of quartz was refined, etched with microscopic runic circuits. These were not ordinary runes; they were logical pathways, capable of processing input, storing memory, and generating output.
Slowly, a unique structure is being constructed. At the center is a 30 meter tall crystalline obelisk, formed from refined translucent quartz. It is surrounded by smaller crystalline shards floating around in a magnetic orbit.
As Lugh continued to pour his divine power into the entire crystalline structure, it began to hum, its molecular structure slowly developed into layers, deepened, and evolved into something more complex and sophisticated.
Lugh stood before the 30 meter tall crystalline obelisk, manipulating his divine power while trying to integrate different concepts and knowledge into the crafting process. Mathematics, logic, arcane runes, and the abstract principles of cognition itself, Lugh is trying to craft a mind, a cognitive structure, which requires concepts beyond just simple crafting.
As the process goes on, the structure becomes more and more complete. The floating crystalline shards started orbiting faster and faster. The runes embedded all over the crystalline obelisk lit up, forming inexplicable patterns, similar to neural pathways. Each rune connects to another, forming a network of divine logic and magical law.
Layer after layer of its structural composition is becoming more and more complete.
[Layer 1: Sensory Input Framework – Complete]
[Layer 2: Logical Processing Core – Complete]
[Layer 3: Memory Storage Matrix – Complete]
[Layer 4: Adaptive Learning Protocol – Complete]
[Layer 5: Absolute Obedience Directive – (Integrated) Complete]
The crystalline obelisk flared with a blinding radiance.
The surroundings appeared dimmed in comparison.
The floating shards slowly stabilized.
The glaring light slowly faded into a faint glow.
A slow pulse emanated from the crystalline obelisk construct.
Lugh detected the presence of an awareness, as it came to existence from within the crystalline obelisk construct. As the one who created it, Lugh can freely communicate with it.
[Construct Forged: The Sentient Quartz Matrix]
[Understanding of 'Crafting' Divinity Significantly Deepened]
[Construct: The Sentient Quartz Matrix]
[Grade: Transcendental – System-Bound (Prismatic)]
[Type: Master Artificial Intelligence / Crystalline Obelisk Construct]
[Trait: (Cognitive Overlord Hierarchy) – Acts as the absolute "Command Core" for all subordinate Artificial Intelligences. It allows the God of Crafting to broadcast his logical intent across the entire network of Sylvanis, effectively merging divine strategy with the AI's rapid-fire calculation.]
[Trait: (Piezoelectric Omniscience) – Forged from high-purity Raw Quartz Deposits, the construct converts every vibration in the planet's crust into readable data. It "feels" the growth of every Iron Oak and the movement of every creature through the earth, granting 100% sensory awareness of the forest.]
[Trait: (Neural Resonance Authority) – The Obelisk can issue "Hard-Overrides" to any smaller AI construct. When active, it vibrates at a divine frequency that forces all secondary units into a singular, perfect formation governed by the central mind's direct logic.]
[Trait: (Aetheric Data-Storage) – Utilizes the crystalline lattice of the quartz to store infinite amounts of information as flickering pulses of light. It acts as the "Divine Memory" of the world, recording every event that occurs within its sensory range.]
The Sentient Quartz Matrix transmitted its first message to Lugh.
"Creator…Please grant me a name…"