Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Ritual, A Peculiar Cult

After slaying the Earth-Light Thunder Ape, the entire area fell into a profound silence. The lingering aura of the Grade 3 monster kept the remaining creatures at bay.

Reflecting on the battle, Mi Chen still felt a lingering sense of trepidation when he recalled the Thunder Ape’s "Thunder God Fist." Its speed had been overwhelming; had he not relied on his prior predictions and precise timing, it would have been impossible to slay the beast. Fortunately, the Thunder Ape’s attack patterns were too singular, which gave Mi Chen his opening.

Although he had succeeded in killing a Grade 3 monster, less than ten percent of his mana remained. This battle allowed him to roughly gauge his own combat limits. While he could kill a low-level Grade 3 monster like the Earth-Light Thunder Ape, it did not necessarily mean he could replicate this success against others. Take the Scythe Bug, for instance; if he could not deal with its dimensional portal, it would be virtually impossible for him to kill it alone.

The more powerful a monster, the more targeted the hunting strategy must be. Mana was merely the foundation; skills were the key. Hunters could take down monsters far stronger than themselves precisely by relying on tacit team cooperation and the strategic advantage of their abilities, playing to their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses.

"The Thunder-Flash Blade I acquired can replace the Serpent-Path Wind Blade as my mid-range combat tool," Mi Chen mused. "With its area-of-effect damage, I no longer need to worry about my output. My current weaknesses remain in defense and utility. It would be ideal to master one or two crowd-control skills. Unfortunately, my Magic Eyes cannot predict what skills I will obtain through Plunder; hunting specifically for one or two skills is too inefficient. If all else fails, I’ll just have to use skill books."

As he pondered, he navigated through the remains of the Violent Wolves, which had been pulverized by the shockwaves of his fight with the Thunder Ape. Finally, under a rock, he found a solid, powder-purple tooth covered in electric patterns—a Violet Lightning Tooth. Fortunately, the tooth was undamaged; buried beneath the stone, it remained in excellent condition.

Mi Chen happily stowed the tooth into his storage pouch. The commission was completed successfully, and he had even managed to hunt a Grade 3 monster on the side. It was a bountiful harvest. His next plan was to complete the commission as quickly as possible to accumulate funds. If he had any spare money, he could scour the skill book exchange for treasures to broaden his current repertoire.

With his plan set, he took out his Escape Stone. Surrounded by a rainbow-colored glow, his figure vanished from the secret realm.

However, shortly after Mi Chen left, another figure appeared. Dressed in a dark green windbreaker and holding a camera, the person seemed to be capturing something. It was the same individual who had been monitoring Mi Chen from the rooftop earlier.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Truly terrifying," the man muttered, surveying the battlefield. Even though he had witnessed the entire fight from afar, he couldn't help but sigh upon seeing the scene in person. The destructive power was immense. It was hard to imagine that Mi Chen was only a 2-star hunter.

"Perhaps the Boss was right. This guy’s strength is so exaggerated; he doesn't seem like a normal hunter at all," the man thought. He noticed something amiss: "If he were involved with the Cult, there should have been some lingering traces of a soul casket given the intensity of this battle. Who exactly is this Mi Chen? No, I must report this to the Boss!"

The man promptly used an Escape Stone and vanished from the realm.

...

In the remote suburbs of Junyang City, inside a luxurious mansion, the windows and curtains were drawn tight, blocking all light. The dim room was lit only by a few flickering candles. In the central parlor, a dense crowd had gathered. Some knelt and kowtowed, while others pressed their palms together in devout prayer. They chanted in a strange, low voice that sounded like some ancient hymn.

As the hymn played, a robed figure at the front of the crowd held a staff and struck the floor rhythmically. With every strike, the candle flames wavered, casting shadows that twisted like black serpents across the walls. The walls themselves were stained with a dark, corrosive substance—whether blood or something else, it was impossible to tell.

*Ding, ding, ding...*

A crisp bell chime echoed through the mansion, and the crowd immediately ceased their prayers. The space was swallowed by darkness. Suddenly, a ball of golden flame ignited. Unlike the eerie, ominous atmosphere of the room, the golden fire was holy and brilliant. As the crowd looked upon it, every face displayed a satisfied, blissful smile. Bathed in the golden light, they lowered their heads and began to recite elegies of gratitude to their god.

Their god stood at the front: a black idol with forty-six arms. Its entire body was covered in eyes, and its face, devoid of features, was draped in feathers. As the golden flame burned, some fanatics could no longer contain their fervor. They rushed forward and threw themselves directly into the fire. There were no cries, no screams. A charred corpse fell to the floor, followed by another believer rushing into the flames. Two bodies, three, four, five... until the entire front row had been reduced to charcoal.

Slowly, a small black sphere emerged from the golden fire.

It was a soul casket!

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The robed figure struck the floor. "The sacrificial ritual begins," he said faintly.

Suddenly, six burlap sacks were dragged from the crowd. They were ripped open to reveal six living human beings—and not just ordinary ones. Their arms bore mana circuits. They were hunters! However, these hunters seemed to have lost their souls; their eyes were hollow as they stared at the ceiling, muttering words that made no sense.

The believers dragged the six hunters before the idol. They pulled out daggers, holding them to the hunters' throats, waiting for the robed man's command. The golden flame continued to burn, casting its reflection onto the idol. The robed man watched the idol intently. Slowly, the idol’s two hands began to move in an uncanny fashion. They reached toward its own belly, pulling it apart to form an organ resembling a mouth, complete with sharp teeth and a writhing tongue.

"Execute!"

No sooner had the robed man spoken than a blinding shaft of sunlight poured in. The people looked up; the entire roof of the mansion had been sliced away. Before they could react, a series of screams erupted. The arms of the six knife-wielding believers were severed simultaneously. They collapsed to the ground, cradling their bleeding stumps and howling in agony. In an instant, the ritual hall fell into chaos.

*Thump.*

The front door of the mansion was pushed open. A man in a white robe, his hair slicked back and dark circles under his eyes, stepped inside. It was Mu Heng.

"I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your important activities," he said. "It’s just that large-scale events like this really ought to be reported in advance, you know."