The sewer system here was incredibly vast. In Duncan's eyes, it exceeded the basic need for "city drainage." The gas lamps with runes scattered throughout and the reinforced structures that could serve as shelters made him wonder what the builders had in mind when they created this underground facility. But one thing was clear: deep within this enormous structure, away from the eyes of the surface world, this dark and cold place had become a breeding ground for some kind of evil force.
A cult that claimed to worship the sun but only brought a chill.
At the intersection of several corridors in the sewer was a large underground space. Sturdy concrete pillars supported a dome made of bricks, and metal pipes crisscrossed near the dome like a spider's web. Bright gas lamps illuminated the entire area, revealing a crowd gathered in this "meeting place."
At a glance, there were at least hundreds of people in black robes crowded in this filthy, damp spot. In their midst stood a raised platform, where a tall figure clad in a black robe stood. This person was clearly the leader among the robed crowd.
Unlike the others, this leader did not wear a hood. Instead, he had a strange golden mask that resembled a disc radiating endless light, covered in numerous cracks.
Behind this masked figure was a peculiar totem—a tall wooden post topped with a blazing fireball. The core of the fireball seemed to be made of some metal, with many small holes from which flames erupted.
When Duncan was "escorted" here, this was the scene he saw.
The people in black robes noticed him.
"We caught a runaway sacrifice on our way to the meeting!" One of the black-robed figures who had been escorting him stepped forward and respectfully addressed the leader on the platform, clearly seeking praise. "This sacrifice has been in the dark for too long, and his mind is a bit confused. May you exert your power and let our lord's glory shine upon this pitiful body!"
The leader, wearing the golden mask, turned to stare coldly at Duncan, a hint of surprise in his voice: "A runaway sacrifice?"
Duncan, however, did not react. He was simply observing this place, including the golden mask on the cult leader's face and the burning fireball behind him.
Perhaps these symbols seemed strange and bizarre to ordinary people in this world, but he quickly realized that they were mimicking the sun.
Not the sun that was currently bound by flames and two rings of runes in the sky, but the blazing sun that Duncan was familiar with, radiating brilliant light.
These people were truly worshipping the sun, a sun that seemed to have "fallen" long ago, treating it as some kind of deity.
Duncan raised his head and calmly stared at the black-robed priest looking down at him from the platform. But perhaps due to the decay of his facial muscles, his calm demeanor appeared to the priest as a kind of numbness, as if he had lost his wits.
The masked priest and Duncan locked eyes for less than two seconds before the priest turned to instruct someone standing beside the platform: "Go check the place where the sacrifices are kept. Hurry back."
After giving the order, he nodded at the black-robed figures who had escorted Duncan, his tone carrying a hint of praise: "You did well. Even if it is a small contribution to our lord, it will turn into your eternal glory once the sun shines upon all again."
Just a routine compliment, but the black-robed figures seemed greatly encouraged. They became excited, praising the "true sun god" as they pushed Duncan toward the platform. It was only then that the masked priest spoke to Duncan: "Poor lost soul... can you feel the deep cold between the lightless rocks and soil?"
Duncan didn't understand what the priest was saying and remained silent. The priest clearly didn't care about the reaction of the "sacrifice" in front of him. His words were not meant for Duncan but were more for the surrounding followers and the "sun god" he believed in:
"Cold and darkness are the suffering left by the false sun in this world. Under the rule of the false sun, the deep, dark ocean ravages the land, leaving only fragmented pieces of land for life to cling to. Yet even on these shattered lands, people struggle to escape suffering, as ancient shadows lurk underground, with their clawed minions creeping in the lightless caverns. The surface is filled with hatred and conflict, and humanity's pure souls are tainted by the breath of the evil god...
"How can we endure this long suffering? How can we bear the twisted and absurd world brought by the false sun?
"We cannot endure it. We long for our lord's return, we wish for the true sun god to descend upon the earth once more, burning fiercely from blood and fire, bringing order and prosperity back to humanity!"
With the priest's impassioned speech, Duncan could clearly feel the atmosphere in the meeting place shift. The black-robed followers began to get excited one by one, first echoing the priest, then turning it into fervent shouts: "May the true sun god descend upon the earth again! Burning fiercely from blood and fire!" "May the true sun god descend upon the earth again! Burning fiercely from blood and fire!"
"May the true sun god descend upon the earth," the priest on the platform proclaimed loudly, then pointed at Duncan, "and today, our lord will awaken further from his slumber— the blood of the lost will soothe the scars left by the sun's shattering!
"Bring the sacrifice forward!"
Several black-robed figures rushed forward, but Duncan was faster than them—he didn't need to be pushed; he climbed onto the altar himself.
Though this body wasn't very cooperative, climbing up was still manageable.
Once he was up, he stood before the masked priest, who was still maintaining the imposing and mysterious posture from earlier. The sudden change caught the cult leader off guard, and he stared at Duncan through the golden mask. The area around the altar fell eerily silent.
Duncan seemed completely unaware of the shift in atmosphere. He felt he was gathering more information about this world and was eager to see if he could witness something rare before this temporary body "gave out."
"Um, what now?" Duncan rubbed his hands together with a sense of curiosity, genuinely asking, "What's the next step?"
The masked priest was momentarily speechless.
"Did you not hear me?" Duncan frowned—though his facial muscles weren't working well, he managed to frown. "I said, what should we do next?"
Only then did the priest finally react. Despite the mask, confusion flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he quickly suppressed it and spoke in a low voice: "The shadows in the dark have indeed affected your mind, but do not worry, the supreme sun will end your suffering... Bring the sacrifice to the totem!"
Two black-robed figures immediately stepped up to the platform, grabbing Duncan's arms and leading him toward the totem topped with the fireball. Duncan didn't quite understand this step, so he couldn't "cooperate" in advance, but he remained passive and obediently stood under the blazing fireball with the two black-robed figures holding him.
Even though Duncan showed no resistance, the two figures held onto his arms with great force, as if afraid he would suddenly struggle and escape at the last moment. Their grip was so strong that Duncan could feel the bones of this temporary body beginning to crack, making him glance at the two black-robed figures in surprise.
Then, the masked priest approached again.
Duncan's attention was immediately drawn to him. He saw the priest pull out a strangely shaped dagger from his robe. The dagger was oddly curved, resembling a twisted, dried knuckle. Its blade was as black as if made of obsidian, reflecting the light from the totem's flames, looking extraordinarily eerie.
Duncan silently prepared to sever the "soul projection." He knew that the information this temporary body could gather was reaching its limit.
The cult priest's prayer echoed from the platform:
"O supreme and holy sun god! Please accept this sacrifice upon the altar! I offer you the heart of this sacrifice, may you return from blood and fire!"
Duncan immediately halted his action to sever the soul projection, staring at the cult priest as if he were a fool.
(What the hell!)
(End of chapter)