Chapter 1183: Sacrifice
“Here it is,” Sir Youlong said, barely above a whisper.
They pressed close to the ventilation duct and looked down. Below lay a cavernous plant — overhead bridge cranes rusting on either side of the wall, the floor a graveyard of dilapidated machine tools and conveyor belts furred with dust. Whatever the owner had not been able to sell, he had simply abandoned. Now the emptiness was alive with torches, their greenish-white flames guttering in a circle, throwing twenty-odd distorted shadows across the concrete.
“Are those our targets?” Luo Hua asked.
“Most likely.” One of the traditional martialists kept his voice flat. “I can sense the fluctuation. They’re in the last stage of transitioning.”
The last stage: the point at which a person surrendered their last hold on consciousness and became a corrupted puppet — all instinct, no language, no self.
“They used to be martialists?”
“Not necessarily. The Association’s records show fallen martialists, but amateurs are more prone to corruption generally.”
“First time seeing a living Fallen Evil.” Luo Hua’s contempt came out clean and sharp. “A martialist without self-discipline is useless in every respect. Pathetic — they don’t deserve the Force of Nature. Captain, let’s move.”
“Wait.” Sir Youlong’s hand was steady on Luo Hua’s arm. “More are coming. Let them gather — one sweep, all of them. But something is wrong here. These Fallen Evils are all in their final stage. Why haven’t they gone after amateurs? Why are they here? I want to know their intentions before we act.”
While the others debated, Roland stole a glance at Fei Yuhan.
That unexpected Your Majesty still rang in his skull.
For a few seconds after she’d said it, turbulent emotion had swept through him — the kind he had not felt since his ascension. His first reflex had been pure joy: Elena. He’d nearly responded, swallowed the word at the last moment. But if Fei Yuhan were Elena’s incarnation, she would never have introduced herself so carefreely and taken the seat beside him as though they were strangers. The shift from that flash of joy to its extinction was almost worse than ordinary grief.
He steadied himself in the minutes that followed. Garcia had warned him: gifted martialists were acute observers. Fei Yuhan had attended the Clover Group’s party, had doubtless overheard his exchange with the witches. She knew something — but how much?
Testing him still, he decided. Not yet aware of the other world. Good.
But the awareness itself was alarming. No one could be allowed to learn that he existed only within a Dream — that the world around them was fictional. Once that secret escaped, the consequences would be beyond repair. Garcia was right. He needed to be very careful with Fei Yuhan.
“Wait — the new one looks different from the others.” A voice crackled through the headset. “It’s commanding them.”
Roland lifted his goggles and looked toward the center of the plant. A man in a suit walked in amid a group of Fallen Evils. They carried three cargo containers at his direction — unhurried, deliberate, as though this were a delivery.
“Still in the transitioning period?” Sir Youlong muttered. “What are they playing at?”
The traditional martialists exchanged uneasy looks. Fallen Evils who had not yet completed their transition were a different problem: empathy was gone, but the dark facets of human nature — subterfuge, cunning, patience — remained intact. These were usually former martialists of some standing.
“Quiet.” Fei Yuhan’s voice cut through. “There’s something in those containers.”
Everyone stilled.
After a moment she said, heavily: “There are people inside.”
“What?”
“Someone crying. Pleading, I think. Gagged.”
“Civilians?” Sir Youlong’s disbelief was genuine. “I’ve never seen anything like this in the Association’s records. Fallen Evils kill — but they don’t collect common people.”
Before anyone could answer, the suited man raised his arms wide and bellowed upward at the rafters: “It is time, children! The divine will approaches — God waits for the sacrifices!”
A guttural chorus erupted from the Fallen Evils.
“Come! Let power return to its source, let the Oracle walk the continent once more!”
“Grrr—”
“We are reborn in the destruction of this world! Surrender everything. Let us offer the sacrifice!”
The roar that answered him shook dust from the overhead cranes.
“We move. Now.” Sir Youlong’s words came through clenched teeth. Whatever human sacrifice or cult summoning this was, none of it was in the Association’s records — and there were civilians in those containers. Saving lives had always been the mission, ahead of tallying kills. “Stay close to the containers. Block the Fallen Evils from approaching them. If one or two escape, the second team will run them down.”
Fei Yuhan was already gone — a blur vanishing through the duct.
The rest poured after her.
The deserted plant erupted.
The Fallen Evils had not expected a breach from above. Under the concentrated Force of Nature, they collapsed where they stood, cores ripped from their bodies before they could orient themselves.
Roland was the last through. He moved carefully, masking his ability — this was not his first engagement with Fallen Evils, and he had learned to read the geometry of a fight. Unlike the martialists, he did not need to wrestle with anything. A Fallen Evil that touched him lost its power immediately, and he did not want the detached red cyclones rising of their own accord for everyone to see. He struck no showy blows and named no technique. He simply moved, and the Fallen Evils fell.
The bug on his shoulder trembled. Phyllis and the other witches had arrived.
With them nearby, Roland felt the sureness settle into him the way it always did. He killed more Fallen Evils than anyone except Fei Yuhan, and nobody noticed.
They reached the containers with only minor injuries. Half the enemy lay dead.
“Easier than I thought.” Luo Hua shook blood from his hands, seized the padlock on the nearest container, and snapped it in two. “The Association should’ve issued me a hunting license years ago. Hey — don’t be afraid, we’re from the Martialist Association, we’re here to—”
He stopped.
Every team member took an involuntary step back.
Inside the container: dozens of people lashed to metal posts, eyes blindfolded, mouths sealed, trembling and moaning. Above each of them, suspended in the air, hung a cyclone — spinning, scarlet, patient.
The hair on the back of Roland’s neck rose.
He heard Garcia’s voice as clearly as if she stood beside him.
“These cyclones are where Fallen Evils gain their power — signs of corruption. Once a person is corrupted, they lose their Force of Nature. If the cyclones aren’t contained, they’ll infect others. An ordinary person loses their mind on first contact.”
“You’re saying they can be transferred — to multiple people at once?”
“That’s exactly what someone is thinking. Are they not afraid of destroying this world?”
So the past six months — all of it — had been preparation for this.
Roland wheeled toward the suited man.
He had a butler’s poise: monocled spectacles, hair combed straight back, crisp suit, white gloves unmarked by any of the evening’s violence. Now his face was contorted — not with fury exactly, but with the expression of a man whose calculation has been interrupted.
“We don’t strictly need you to complete the sacrifice,” he said. “But more victims is always better. Don’t you agree?” He snapped his fingers.
Every cyclone dropped at once.
“No—!”
Luo Hua lunged toward the nearest prisoner — but the bodies were packed too tightly, and the suspended cyclones fell between them like curtains. There was no way to untie anyone without passing through.
“Kill them!” a traditional martialist shouted.
“But — they’re civilians—” Luo Hua’s voice cracked.
There was no time for the sentence to finish. Within seconds the transformation was complete. They were not as powerful as Fallen Evils made from martialists — but there were so many of them, pouring from the container in a wave, and Luo Hua disappeared into it.
Chapter 1183: Sacrifice Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“Here it is,” Sir Youlong said in a hushed voice.
The party observed the surroundings cautiously by looking through the ventilation duct. They found themselves in a large plant, where a few overhead bridge cranes were hanging on either side of the wall. Below lay nothing but some dilapidated machine tools and rusty conveyor belts covered in dust. Apparently, the plant owner had removed every piece of usable equipment before he had shut the plant down.
The empty factory, however, was now lit by several torches, with their dazzling, greenish-white flames dancing around in the darkness. These torches were set in a circle, and there were around twenty distorted shadows in the middle.
“Are those shadows our targets?” asked Luo Hua.
“Most likely,” one of the traditional martialists replied. “I can sense their fluctuating power, which tells me that these people are at the last stage of transitioning.”
The last stage referred to a stage where the humans would completely lose their humanity and consciousness, thus becoming corrupted puppet. Fallen Evils at this stage only acted on their instincts like animals, as they lost all the communication ability they once had.
“They used to be… martialists?”
“Not necessarily. Although there were some fallen martialists according to the Association’s records, generally speaking, amateurs are more prone to corruption.”
“It’s my first time seeing a living Fallen Evil, but regardless, a martialist lack of self-discipline and proactivity is, in every aspect, useless,” Luo Hua snorted with utmost contempt. “Pathetic… they don’t deserve the Force of Nature. Captain, let’s do this.”
“Wait a minute,” Sir Youlong stopped Luo Hua calmly. “It appears that more Fallen Evils are coming here. Wait until they’ve all gathered so that we can kill them all in one go. But, don’t you feel that this is strange? These Fallen Evils are all in their last stages. Why didn’t they go kill the amateurs? Why did they come here? I have a feeling that things aren’t as simple as we thought. Perhaps, we should first find out their intentions rather than killing them all outright.”
While everyone was exchanging opinions, Roland stole a glance at Fei Yuhan.
That unexpected “Your Majesty” seemed to be still ringing in his ears.
Within a few seconds, turbulent emotions had flooded through Roland. He had not been so perturbed by someone over the past few years since his ascendence to the throne.
At first, Roland had thought it was Elena calling him and he had almost responded, but he had swallowed his words at the last minute. If Fei Yuhan was really Elena’s incarnation, she would not have introduced herself in the first place and taken the seat beside him so carefreely.
The abrupt change from joy to disappointment was almost as painful as the grief itself. As he recollected himself in the next few minutes, he soon figured out why Fei Yuhan had addressed him like this. Garcia had told him that martialists were usually acute observers, particularly for those gifted ones. As Fei Yuhan had attended the party held by the Clover Group, she must have overheard his conversation with the witches.
The next question was — how much did Fei Yuhan know about him?
Roland judged that she probably did not know much at this stage, considering how she was still testing him. At least, she didn’t know anything about the
other world yet. However, this was alarming to Roland, since no one would want to know that he was only fictional and only existed in dreams. Once the secret about this Dream World was known to someone, the consequences would be disastrous.
Garcia was right. He needed to be extra cautious when dealing with Fei Yuhan.
“Mhm? Look, the new Fallen Evil… looks a little different than the others.” At that moment, a voice from the headset interrupted Roland’s train of thought. “It seems that it’s commanding the other Fallen Evils.”
Roland took off his goggles and looked toward the center of the plant through the ventilation. He saw a group of Fallen Evils slowly walk in while carrying three cargo containers, all the while at the command of a man in a suit.
“Are they the Fallen Evils who have yet to completely lose their minds?” Sir Youlong mumbled in bewilderment. “What are they playing at?”
Several traditional martialists frowned. Compared with transformed Fallen Evils, those still in transitioning period were normally more difficult to deal with. At that stage, compassion and empathy had escaped them, but the dark side of human nature, such as subterfuge and shrewdness, remained. Typically, these Fallen Evils used to be well-established martialists.
“Shh — ” Fei Yuhan suddenly spoke. “Be quiet. Something’s in those containers.”
Everyone held their breath immediately.
After a while, Fei Yuhan said heavily, “There are people… inside.”
“What?”
“I heard someone crying and pleading. It seems like they’re gagged.”
“You’re saying that there are civilians in those containers?” Sir Youlong asked in surprise. “I’ve never seen anything like this before in the
Association’s records. Fallen Evils do kill often, but they don’t really pick on common people.”
They looked at each other in confusion when suddenly, the commander of the Fallen Evils yelled, “It’s time, children! The divine will is approaching, and God is waiting for the sacrifices!”
“Grrrrr — ” all the other Fallen Evils growled.
“Come. Let the power return to its source and let the Oracle grace continent with his presence once more!”
“Grrrr—”
“We’ll be reborn with the destruction of this world! Surrender everything to God. Let’s offer our sacrifice!”
The Fallen Evils produced an ear-splitting roar.
“Damn it, we have to act. Now,” Sir Youlong said through clenched teeth. Although he had never heard Fallen Evils would perform human sacrifice or please the so-called God like some cults, they could not let innocent civilians die. In fact, as the mission of the Martialist Association was protecting the world, it was more important to save lives than annihilating the Fallen Evils. “Let’s stay as close to the containers as possible to prevent these monsters from approaching them. It’s OK to let one or two go. I believe the other team will finish them off!”
Fei Yuhan nodded expressionlessly and darted out first.
The others followed at her heels and dashed toward the enemies.
The deserted plant was instantly stirred!
Caught unprepared, the Fallen Evils collapsed under the impact of the Force of Nature and paralyzed when their cores were detached from their bodies.
Roland was the last to act. He followed his team members while at the same time hiding his ability carefully. This was not his first time fighting Fallen
Evils, so he was much more experienced than the others. Unlike those awakened martialists possessed of the Force of Nature, Roland did not need to throw himself into a fierce battle. Fallen Evils would immediately lose their power upon touching him and be at his mercy. Roland did not wish to touch those detached red cyclones either, otherwise everyone would see numerous cores rise into the air of their own accord.
Meanwhile, the bug on Roland’s shoulder trembled slightly, which indicated that Phyllis and the other witches had arrived. Supported by his witches, Roland felt more and more confident. He did not employ specific combat techniques, but he killed more Fallen Evils than anyone else except Fei Yuhan.
As the other team members were all focused on the containers, and Roland had been super cautious, nobody discovered his secret ability.
They soon reached the containers. Only a few of them were injured.
By that time, half of the Fallen Evils had been killed.
“Well, that’s easier than I thought,” Luo Hua said as he shook off the blood on his hands, snatched the lock, and broke it in half. “The Association should have issued me a hunting license as well. Hey, don’t be afraid. The Martialist Association is here to help — ”
Luo Hua stopped dead.
The other members all took a step back.
There were dozens of people tied to several metal posts, their eyes blinded and mouths sealed, who groaned with fear in one of the containers. A cyclone suspended in midair above each of them.
Roland felt all the hair at the back of his neck stood up.
He suddenly remembered what Garcia had told him several months ago.
“These cyclones are where Fallen Evils gain their power. They’re signs of corruption. Once a person is corrupted, he loses his Force of Nature. If we
don’t store away these cyclones, they’ll infect other people. Ordinary people will instantly lose their minds upon a single touch.”
“Are you saying… that they can be transferred to multiple people?”
“That’s why some people are collecting them. That’s exactly what they’re thinking. Are they not afraid that they’ll destroy this world?”
“So… the Fallen Evils have been preparing over the past half a year just for this moment?”
Roland whipped his head around and stared at the leader of the Fallen Evils.
He dressed like a butler, wearing a pair of monocled spectacles, with his hair combed all the way to the back of his head. His suit crisp and his white gloves spotless. However, his face was now contorted with rage.
“We don’t necessarily need you to complete this human sacrifice. However, the more victims, the better. Don’t you think so?” With these words, he snapped his fingers.
The cyclones above the containers instantly dropped.
“No—!”
Luo Hua attempted to untie the prisoners. However, as they were so tightly packed in the container that it was impossible to rescue them without touching the suspending cyclone.
“Kill them, now!” a traditional martialist shouted.
“But… these are all civilians…” Luo Hua muttered.
Within a few seconds, those ordinary people had completed their transition to new Fallen Evils. Although they were not as strong as Fallen Evils that transformed from martialists, with so many of them, it was still quite dangerous.
The Fallen Evils then swarmed out of their container, and Luo Hua was soon drowned by the wave of the enemies.