Logically, this type of sacrificial circle is meant for performing sacrifices to grotesqueries and evil gods.
Why would such a sacrificial circle appear beneath his own feet?
Duya found it difficult to understand, but one thing was undeniable: judging by the scale and nature of this formation, whatever was being summoned was definitely not something to be trifled with.
Duya dared not be negligent and quickly retreated to the outer perimeter of the circle.
As the circle activated, the sky turned somber, and the sun transformed into a blood-red hue.
This meant he was already caught within the influence of the ritual.
With no weapons on him, escaping was the safest option.
But the problem was that it was already too late.
The dazzling red light had reached its peak, and Duya could only adopt a combat stance.
If he had no weapons, he would just fight with his bare hands; for an investigator like Duya, who had long practiced in the field, this was nothing to worry about.
When the red light dissipated, the surroundings were disturbingly quiet.
The midday sun had also turned into a bloody glow; it was obvious the sacrifice had been delivered.
But the problem was, what appeared before Duya wasn’t some grotesque creature, but… a large pile of messy, unidentifiable viscera and limbs.
Looking at the cluster of organs exuding an aura of madness and destruction before him, Duya felt a very strange sensation.
He did not feel any madness or fear; the influence of these auras on him was almost negligible.
Of course, Duya did not attribute this anomaly to the fact that he was a graduate of a sports academy.
Then what could be the reason?
As the red light faded, Duya fell into deep thought while looking at the pile of gore on the ground.
Though he did not know what was happening, the most pressing matter was to dispose of these things.
Only by burning them thoroughly could he prevent these corrupted remains from polluting the land.
Thinking this, Duya didn’t mind the filth.
He used his bare hands to haul all the corrupted matter together, dug a pit, and tossed it all inside.
He picked up some dry wood, piled it into the pit, and lit it until the fire was raging.
Afterward, ignoring his blood-stained hands, he sat by the fire, tossing in more wood whenever it began to dim, until everything was burned to ash.
However, this unidentifiable flesh was remarkably resistant to the fire.
What was even more bizarre was…
As time passed, why did Duya feel that the roasting meat smelled better and better?
Duya, who had been hungry for three days, found the aroma impossible to resist.
His reason told him that this was likely the flesh of some unknown grotesquerie and could be extremely hazardous to humans.
How could he possibly eat it just because of hunger and a moment of greed?
With an unshakable conviction, Duya tossed another piece of wood into the fire.
The roaring flames danced before his eyes, and Duya believed his reason could resist the temptation.
“Gurgle.”
Yet, his stomach rumbled uncooperatively at that very moment.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“So delicious.”
In less than three minutes, a pile of gnawed bones appeared beside Duya.
And, just like the scent, the taste and texture of the meat were unexpectedly good.
Even without seasonings, it was absolutely delectable…
Duya looked at the roasted meat in his hand, suddenly feeling that something was wrong.
He felt as though he could hear many unintelligible songs ringing in his ears; these songs were seemingly enough to make a person succumb to madness and destruction, or transform into some formless grotesque…
His reason told him that he could not continue eating…
It seemed his reason did not convince him.
“Mmm, this song is actually quite pleasant.”
Duya took another bite of the meat in his hand.
It was hard to imagine that only a few days ago, he had been an incredibly cautious investigator.
Could it be that something was affecting his sanity?
Duya thought to himself as he ate the roasted meat.
But the problem was, he felt his mind was perfectly clear, and he didn’t have the sensation of wanting to sprout new brains or grow extra limbs.
Although he didn’t know what kind of meat this was, there was no doubt that it had all gone into his stomach.
In a sense, did this count as preventing the pollution of the land?
Duya thought contemplatively.
Just as he was pondering, he suddenly heard the sound of something falling to the ground in the bushes.
“Is someone there?”
Following the sound, Duya found the bushes where the person was hiding.
He parted the foliage and discovered a young girl in simple clothing lying inside.
She was holding a basket of mushrooms, but because of the fall, all the mushrooms had spilled out.
Looking at the girl on the ground, Duya understood that she must have been knocked unconscious by the aura released when the sacrificial circle activated.
“It seems she wasn’t affected by the corruption.”
Duya checked the girl’s pulse and physical condition.
She was not in a state of corruption, nor was she mutating into any monster.
“Ugh…”
Just as Duya had anticipated, the girl quickly regained consciousness after the sacrificial circle vanished.
The young mushroom-picking girl opened her hazy eyes and looked around at the environment, her chaotic consciousness seeming still a bit lost and confused.
“Where is this… I remember…”
Vague memories surfaced.
The girl vaguely recalled that before she fainted, she had seen a blood-red sacrificial circle, and standing atop the circle was a sinister man with a malevolent face.
“Are you all right?”
The girl turned her head upon hearing the voice, only to find a man with a cold, stern face standing beside her.
The image of the man from her memory began to overlap bit by bit with the person before her.
The girl’s eyes shifted from confusion to terror.
“Don’t come over here!”
“Hm?”
Hearing her scream, Duya clearly hadn’t realized the situation.
Recalling his previous encounter with Fuyeli, he decided he should speak to people properly—at least, he should not tear off anyone’s clothes without a word.
Thus, he calmed his heart, took a deep breath, and spoke to the girl in a soothing tone.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad… bah! I’m not a monster.”
As he spoke, Duya proactively reached out his hand, trying to pull the girl up.
Listening to the man’s surprisingly gentle and warm tone, the girl seemed to sense Duya’s goodwill.
The terror on her face faded slightly as she steadied herself.
Just as she was about to grab his outstretched hand…
She froze.
Her gaze was fixed firmly on Duya’s hand.
It was a hand stained with blood and grease, with bits of shredded meat still visible on it.
The girl’s mind, like a rusty machine, slowly turned to look behind the man.
On the grass, a bonfire was burning, surrounded by a pile of clean-picked bones.
Then, looking up, she saw the man’s mouth was smeared with grease.
When she looked back at the man’s grinning expression and that large, outstretched hand…
The girl rolled her eyes, her legs went rigid, and she fainted dead away.