Chapter 126: Transmutation Circle, Sacrifice

Thanks to the performance put on by Kamiyu and Li Changde, over three hundred more people joined Kamiyu’s ranks on the spot. Naturally, she deployed them to the front lines to assist in the defense.

Her potions, armor, and items weren’t handed out for free; only those who accepted Kamiyu’s command were qualified to enjoy them.

The people on the watchtowers and the players in the outermost Sanctuary hadn’t observed a second wave of Aberrant Beast Demons. Everyone took advantage of this lull to rest, recuperate, and rotate defenses.

Li Changde shared some trivia with Kamiyu: “Demons aren’t edible, but Aberrant Beasts are. The flesh and blood of some Aberrant Beasts can even permanently enhance a player’s attributes.”

Kamiyu decided to take things a step further. She had people retrieve the Aberrant Beast corpses, butcher them, and distribute the meat for everyone to eat together.

“If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have hit so hard and turned all the monsters into dust,” Kamiyu said with a pained expression, looking at the pitch-black meat from a level 20 wild boar Dungeon Boss on her plate.

During the first wave of attacks, she had activated Headshot Strike. With triple the Attack Power, wherever she went, Aberrant Beast Demons were reduced to ashes. It was only after the Skill ended that she electrocuted the remaining Aberrant Beast Demons into charred husks.

Kamiyu’s Title had, at some point, changed to “Saintess.”

Under the protection of Kamiyu, this “Heavenly Father’s Saintess,” the Main City was filled with a carnival-like atmosphere.

After Kamiyu had whittled down more than half of the Monsters’ health, they became much easier to fight. Moreover, the Main City had an ample supply of potions, armor, and weapons. Now, there was even Aberrant Beast barbecue to eat, something usually unavailable. It was simply wonderful; what more could one ask for?

“I’m telling you, with the Lady Saintess’s protection, this Main City is simply unbreakable,” one player said while gnawing on a large pig’s trotter.

“Exactly. I say those who fled the battlefield were real fools, giving up this chance to level up.”

“Haha, I’ve leveled up five times in a row, faster than taking a plane. Just standing on the city wall and casting Skills is enough to level up,” a new player chimed in.

Players had their own channels of information. Beast Tamers were spreading the news: the Main City had suffered zero casualties and perfectly defended against the first wave. This news spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, reaching every Sanctuary.

Many fence-sitting players also clamored to open the Sanctuaries and return to the Main City to level up, taking advantage of the fact that the Monsters in the Wilderness Zone had been cleared out.

Even players who had been hiding in Reality logged back Online. For a time, the number of players in the Main City surged back to over 3,000.

“Look, look! Players from other Sanctuaries are returning to the Main City!” the lookouts on the three watchtowers shouted.

“Seriously? You only come back now when the fight is manageable? Aren’t you ashamed?” one player sneered.

“That’s right. You show up when there are benefits and hide far away when there aren’t. Aren’t you just here to reap the rewards?” a new member who had just joined Kamiyu’s ranks said loudly.

Those who had returned or logged back in hung their heads one by one, too embarrassed to speak.

Kamiyu didn’t mind these people. She saw these wavering individuals as expendable shields, as Chess Pieces.

Kamiyu was grinning from ear to ear. The more defenders there were, the more stable the Main City would be, allowing her to accomplish more. After all, she didn’t necessarily have to kill the Monsters herself; her Guild members would hand over their points to her, and together they could exchange for the Altar of Lilith.

Unbeknownst to Kamiyu, her unintentional actions had made Lei Yao, on the cliff, extremely angry.

At this moment, in the Sanctuary at the cliff.

Lei Yao saw the number of people in the Main City increasing, nearly reaching 4,000. He angrily slammed the windowsill, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear in the sturdy stone wall.

Now, conquering Kaijistan would become even more difficult for him.

“Damn it, damn it,” he glared at Kamiyu beneath the southern tower of the Main City.

The aides around him dared not speak, keeping their heads lowered and staring at the floor.

Lei Yao took several deep breaths before turning and walking toward the secret room. The aides were familiar with this room. Every time Lei Yao emerged from it, his vitality would visibly decline, and the process was irreversible.

Kamiyu was right—summoning and controlling the Hell Tide came at an immense cost.

Lei Yao’s aide, Ye Feixuan, immediately stepped forward to stop him. “Lord Lei Yao, don’t go in.”

“Step aside,” Lei Yao shoved Ye Feixuan away.

“Lord Lei Yao, don’t cooperate with the Demon King Mephisto. He’s deceiving you, and that priest An Dao is also using you,” Ye Feixuan pleaded urgently, grabbing Lei Yao’s leg.

Lei Yao stopped, and everyone felt a glimmer of hope. Ye Feixuan and the other aides were ordinary people who didn’t want to see humans killing each other, let alone the Hell Army slaughtering the city.

But to their surprise, Lei Yao only said calmly, “I know.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Feixuan and the other aides widened their eyes in shock.

For a moment, Ye Feixuan was at a loss for words to persuade Lei Yao.

Lei Yao gently shook her off and took a step forward—a step toward Hell.

As he entered the secret room, they all heard an auditory hallucination:

“Hehehehehe, hahahahaha,” an utterly sinister laugh echoed.

“Madman,” one aide couldn’t bear it and turned to leave.

Another aide, sensing something ominous was about to happen, immediately led his people away from this Sanctuary to another official Sanctuary, where over 3,000 people were gathered.

In the week or two before the Hell Tide arrived, the Black Sphere had been frantically pulling people from the Real World into this place like mad—hundreds daily at first, then escalating to over a thousand. As a result, the actual population of the Crimson Earth now exceeded ten thousand.

Only Ye Feixuan remained, watching the tightly shut door with deep concern.

Lei Yao entered the secret room, a small space of only seven or eight square meters, crafted from brass and embedded with the bones, severed limbs, and organs of various sinister and evil Instance Dungeon bosses.

It seemed these were used to construct a bridge to the depths of Hell.

Lei Yao opened a thick, heavy black book on the brass desk, its cover engraved with an inverted pentagram.

The cover was made from the skin of an unknown Demon. As Lei Yao touched it, his half-black, half-white hair rapidly turned completely white, and wrinkles began to spread across his skin.

The inverted pentagram oozed a blood-red liquid.

A “whooshing” sound echoed as a fierce wind swept through the sealed brass room.

A dark red Halo Teleportation Array appeared out of thin air, and a tattered blood wolf wearing a skull stepped out of it. The skull was engraved with even more intricate Magic Circles.

The Skull Blood Wolf opened its mouth, and the same utterly sinister voice echoed once more: “Human, what will you sacrifice this time?”

“A Sanctuary, and everyone inside it,” Lei Yao opened his blood-red eyes.

“Is that so?” Demon King Mephisto chuckled.

Lei Yao did not respond, staring intently at him.

“You humans truly lack any sense of humor,” Demon King Mephisto spat out a Dark Gold Longsword.

“Even if Inarius’s so-called ‘daughter’ could annihilate my Hell Army, she would still be no match for this weapon.”

“Go forth, conquer Kaijistan, slaughter every human, every demon.”

“Heh heh heh heh heh, ha ha ha ha ha.”

Thanks to Cheshire Cat Chou Ran for the Inspiration Capsule1, and Zheng Mingxin’s Wife for the Update Talisman2. Three updates on the 1st, oh yeah.