Chapter 104: Chapter104-Sacrifice
Chapter 104: Chapter104-Sacrifice
Another half-month passed by.
A shelter situated a hundred kilometers from Stellarburg housed tens of thousands of people, forming a modestly sized township.
Rudimentary defenses constructed from stones and discarded trash encircled the shelter.
Most buildings within were shanty houses and metal shacks, with dirt roads running between them.
Occasionally, residents could be seen walking these roads, most appearing malnourished and dressed in tattered clothes, resembling beggars.
In the various safe zones across the Federal, many such shelters existed.
The majority residing here were refugees and wanderers without citizenship, unable to live within the city, forced to dwell amidst the perilous wilderness.
Not only facing a scarcity of resources but also the constant threat of monsters and Wanderers.
This shelter was considered somewhat fortunate, having a bronze-tier awakener to deter most dangers.
Today, a mysterious outsider arrived.
Cloaked in black, his pale complexion and sunken eyes gave off the aura of a walking corpse as he moved through the streets.
Trash littered everywhere, with the smell of urine and decay mingling in the air, assaulting one's sense of smell.
The stench filled Alex's nostrils, causing his throat to clench and his stomach to churn.
Having grown up in the luxury of the House Foster, he had never before encountered such deplorable conditions.
A voice, utterly repulsive to Alex, suddenly echoed in his ear, whispering, "Do they seem lowly and disgusting to you? But this is humanity; they are born as mere ants.
Only by becoming true deities can we transcend."
Alex's gaze became numb as he murmured, "Shut up…"
Another voice, more neutral, added, "Perhaps I've protected you too well before. I should have exposed you to their vileness sooner. Then, you would understand the righteousness of our actions."
Alex, anguished, clutched his head, his voice hoarse with rage, "Shut up, both of you!"
The homeless people drawing near Alex on the road hesitated upon hearing his outburst.
Then, they noticed the prey they had targeted slowly raising his head.
A mix of pain, ferocity, and insanity twisted Alex's features.
Upon closer inspection, one could discern two faces within his pupils – Maximilian and Rean!
Alex's fierce expression sent shivers down the spines of the wanderers, instilling a deep-seated fear within them.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the fear in the others' eyes and began to retreat.
Someone muttered under their breath, "Damn, just our luck to run into a madman."
At that moment, the agony vanished from Alex's face, replaced by a deathly calm.
He slowly turned his head to look at the person who had just spoken.
Alex, or rather Maximilian, looked down upon them with disdain, coldly stating, "Such filthy ants!"
As the words left his mouth, a deep dark gleam flickered in Maximilian's eyes.
The next moment, the man who had spoken suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Looking down in confusion, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Unbeknownst to him, a terrifying hole the size of a fist had appeared in his chest, from which blood gushed forth, pooling into a large puddle on the ground in the blink of an eye.
The others finally realized what had happened, and fear took hold of every heart.
Someone cried out in terror, "He... he's an awakener!"
Panic spread rapidly as everyone scattered, frantically trying to escape.
To them, an awakener of any level was not an entity they dared to provoke.
Maximilian made no move to pursue them, instead murmuring to himself, "Since you hesitate to sacrifice these insects, let your father assist you. Once a million lives are sacrificed, the three of us will ascend to divinity together."
In his eyes, Alex's face twisted in anger as he roared, "You're not my father, and I don't need such power. Give me back my body!"
Rean's sinister laughter filled the air, "Boy, you'd best behave! If it weren't for the power we share, we would have devoured you long ago. Now that you have the chance to ascend with us, you should feel honored!"
Maximilian calmly stated, "He will understand in time."
Without any apparent action on his part, the fleeing vagrants suddenly froze in place.
Then, with a series of loud 'bangs,' their bodies exploded.
Blood stained the streets and houses red, with viscera and limbs scattering everywhere.
Maximilian chanted softly under his breath, a dense black mist rising around him.
One of his eyes turned ink-black in an instant.
Streams of black liquid, radiating an aura of desire, crazily surged from his eye.
These dark waters hit the ground, swiftly forming a massive magic array that enveloped the entire refuge.
It was a sacrifice array!
The commotion attracted the attention of many in the refuge.
Upon emerging, they were greeted by the sight of scattered limbs and severed bodies, terrifying everyone into pallor.
Screams echoed throughout the refuge, as people looked towards Maximilian with unparalleled fear.
A woman, her face drained of color, clutched her young daughter tightly, covering the child's eyes to shield her from the ghastly scene.
Expressionless, Maximilian watched as the sacrifice array roared to life.
"No!" Alex screamed, his voice raw with fury.
He struggled with all his might, frantically trying to regain control of his body, but was firmly suppressed by the wills of Rean and Maximilian.
Powerlessly, he watched as a black light engulfed the entire refuge, dissolving everyone into pools of black liquid which then surged towards Maximilian in a frenzied tide.
A fanatic gleam appeared on Maximilian's face.
With the "Eye of Dusk Lord" fused within him, it took only a few breaths for him to construct a magic array capable of sacrificing tens of thousands.
And the beneficiary of these sacrifices was none other than himself!
If the Dusk Lord could gain strength through their sacrifices, then why couldn't he ascend to godhood by sacrificing others?
Feeling the power surge within him, Maximilian's eyes were filled with madness.
His plan had succeeded! With continuous sacrifices, it was only a matter of time before he, too, would ascend to divinity.
Shortly thereafter, the black light vanished, and the magic array slowly dissipated.
Howling winds swept through, lifting clouds of dust into the air.
The houses on either side of the road rattled loudly, with garbage being blown everywhere.
The entire refuge was enveloped in a deafening silence, devoid of any signs of life.
In just a short span of time, tens of thousands of people within the refuge had vanished without a trace.
Alex collapsed to his knees, powerless.
His face was pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.
I have killed tens of thousands of people!
...
In Stellarburg, at the Hidden Stars division base, time swiftly flew by.
Only ten days remained until the enrollment for the Star Cluster Academy.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The sound of metal striking metal resounded incessantly within the training room.
John, holding a silver longsword, had a sharp gaze.
His figure moved as quickly as lightning, with his sword falling like raindrops.
Victor had switched his weapon to a steel sword.
He remained calm, his wrists turning to parry all of John's attacks effortlessly.
The two figures moved rapidly, their weapons colliding continuously, sparking in the process.
Outside the training room, a group of onlookers watched the battle without blinking.
Henry couldn't help but exclaim, "It's only been a few days, and John is already able to exchange blows with Captain Victor. Some people are just incomparable."
Silver Tear was brimming with excitement, "Yeah, I remember at the beginning, John was being beaten every day. But in just a few days, his strength has skyrocketed like a rocket. He's really amazing."
Dark Fox simply watched quietly, without any expression.
Just then, the dynamics within the training ground suddenly shifted.
Despite John's attacks being as ferocious as a tempest, pressuring Victor into a defensive stance, sustaining such an offensive was not indefinitely feasible.
Sweat had begun to bead on John's forehead, his breathing slightly labored.
It was during this slight slowdown in his assault that Victor's eyes narrowed.
In an instant, the sword in his hand, previously flowing like water, surged with force, transforming into a brilliant arc.
John, anticipating this, moved to block with his sword.
However, at the moment of impact, a tremendous force, overwhelming as a tidal wave, struck him.
A look of astonishment flashed in John's eyes.
With a "thump," sparks flew, accompanied by a dull clash.
Victor managed to forcibly deflect John's sword!
Without giving John a moment to react, his iron sword became a blur, slicing swiftly towards John's neck.
The onlookers showed expressions of regret, assuming the outcome was decided.
But then, their faces froze in surprise.
Just as Victor was about to land his strike, a sly smile appeared on his face, seemingly having outmaneuvered his opponent.
At the same moment, John's body suddenly collapsed like a boneless figure, narrowly evading Victor's attack.
Victor's eyes widened in astonishment.
Without waiting for his body to fully hit the ground, John propped himself up with his sword against the floor, catapulting his body upwards.
A flash of silver sliced through the air.
Victor's sword, which had been inches from John's neck, came to an abrupt halt.
A strand of hair slowly drifted to the ground.