A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The child felt that the hand holding him loosened, his body was heavy, and he fell to the ground.

He turned around and stared at the man with dilated pupils lying on the ground lifeless.

The look in the child's eyes was still sinister. He watched someone being killed in front of him without any fear, but with a hint of pleasure.

Garlan stepped forward and pulled out the long sword inserted in the chest of the believer of the All Things Cult. Blood gushed out and quickly dyed the bluestone floor red.

He shook off the bright red blood beads on the tip of the sword, then turned his head, and saw the child staring intently at his sword and the dead body on the ground.

Garlan was startled.

Because he saw a smile appear on the lips of the child who was staring at the dead body.

The child's face seemed to be smiling, but there was no trace of smile in his eyes, but his eyes were full of coldness. He could even see a deep vicious look in the other person's eyes.

It was as if there was a monster named hatred lurking deep in the child's thin body, growing and growing bit by bit.

He couldn't explain why, but his heart moved.

At this moment, the life of Heimos in previous lives that he had seen in his dream suddenly appeared in his mind.

That was the look in the eyes of the boy who was in deep pain after half his body was burned by the fire.

How similar...

Garlan let out a breath.

Only those who have seen too much death with their own eyes will remain unwavering in the face of dead bodies...

Indeed, this child must have been captured as a sacrifice. I am afraid that he witnessed the cruel scene of many children bleeding to death as sacrifices.

That's why we are so numb and indifferent in the face of death.

With this in mind, he leaned over and half-crouched in front of the little boy.

As he leaned over, the little boy took a quick step back.

The child's whole body exuded resistance. Even when facing his savior, not only did he show no gratitude or dependence, but he was full of vigilance and stared at Garlan defensively.

It was like a wolf cub that had been seriously injured at the hands of humans and had become extremely suspicious and never trusted anyone.

Garlan thought for a while and said nothing to appease the other party.

No matter what he says now, it will only arouse the other party's suspicion even more.

So, he only said one sentence.

"Follow me. I want to go out. I can take you out on the way."

Can't believe it.

No one can believe it.

The little boy with gloomy eyes glanced at the dirty-looking guy in front of him, his eyes flickering.

Maybe this person was sent by the All Things Cult to deceive him on purpose, in order to gain his trust and gain his...

Thinking this way, the little boy became more defensive.

That's right, everyone can believe it.

However, this may not be an opportunity.

If the other party wants to gain their trust through this.

Then, he can also use this person to get himself out of here.

When he was on the ground, he would find another opportunity to pretend to trust the other person, and then run away secretly when he relaxed his guard against him.

Thinking of this, he nodded slightly to express his agreement.

Seeing him nodding, Garlan took out a short sword from the dead body beside him and threw it to him.

The little boy subconsciously caught it, but he seemed a little confused.

He was slightly lost in thought while holding the dagger.

Because he hasn't touched the sword for a long time.

Obviously more than a year ago, he and his friends were practicing swordplay every day, hoping to become stronger and be able to protect...protect...

Grasping the cold hilt of the sword and grabbing this weapon that belonged to him, the boy's heart felt a little calmer inexplicably.

He raised his head and saw that the dusty young man was already walking forward, so he hugged the dagger tightly in his arms, jogged a few steps, and followed him.

"what's your name?"

The boy asked casually.

"..."

"You have to have a name, otherwise I won't be able to call you when something happens."

"...Novi."

"Novi."

Garlan shouted this unknown name. He had already seen several cult believers appear from the corner in front of the corridor and rush towards them.

"Either hide or protect yourself."

The young man looked forward sharply and said, "Remember, if you are caught, there is no way I will compromise for you."

After saying that, without waiting for Novi's reply, Garlan clenched his sword and charged towards the cultists.

Novy looked at Gallan's back and felt a little surprised by what Gallan just said.

This person... was a little different from what he imagined.

There was no false comfort, no pretentious and generous words about protecting him no matter what.

However, this man's words made him feel more at ease than those nice words.

Even so-called blood relatives and subordinates who have sworn loyalty will be betrayed because of their own selfish desires.

Putting yourself in danger to protect a stranger you only met once... you must have an ulterior motive!

But this person made it very clear that he would only protect himself as long as it did not bring him any danger.

It sounded a bit ruthless, but the other party said it frankly.

On the contrary, it made Novi believe a little bit.

At least, it doesn't look like a lie.

He carefully shrank his body in the shadow of an inconspicuous corner to hide his presence. At the same time, he held the dagger tightly to his chest and paid careful attention to all the movements around him.

After confirming that there was no danger, he turned his attention to that person again.

The light in the stone corridor was dim, and the oil lamps on the walls were not enough to illuminate this area.

But the light reflected by the firelight on the sword blade was inexplicably bright.

Novi opened his eyes and watched as the young man killed the chasing followers of the All Things Cult one by one with his sword.

The boy's body is not strong, and can even be said to be slightly slender, but he is as agile as a cheetah and is much stronger than Novi imagined.

Novi looked at the young man who quickly killed all the pursuers without being injured at all, with a little light shining in his gloomy eyes.

If he could be so strong...

If he could become as powerful as this man...

No one can be trusted.

Only the power you possess is your greatest reliance.

He wants to escape.

He wants to become as powerful as this man.

One day, he will make everyone terrified when they see him.

One day, he will make all those who betrayed him and bullied him die painfully in his hands!

For this day, even if he is dying, no matter what he endures, he must live——

The child's eyes became more sinister.

The bottomless abyss slowly gushes out of his eyes, and the invisible monster nourished by hatred grows stronger in his heart, becoming ferocious and terrifying.

At this moment, a hand suddenly stretched out in front of him, startling him, and he suddenly raised the dagger he was holding tightly in both hands forward.

Looking up again, he was surprised to find that it was the young man reaching out to him.

The young man smiled at him and said, "Come on, let's go."

Although his face was covered in dust and so black and gray that one could hardly see its appearance, his smile was not annoying.

Novi looked at the hand stretched out in front of him, hesitated, and slowly grabbed it.

The young man didn't seem to care about his hesitant attitude. He held his hand and walked forward quickly. He seemed to be looking for something in a hurry, so he walked very fast, so that he had to trot to keep up. .

Novi glanced lightly at the other person's hand holding his.

It had been a long time since someone had held his hand like this...after that day.

It's obviously only a short year.

But the touch of the girl's soft hand, which had been holding him tenderly since he was very young, teaching him to walk, and leading him forward, seemed to have happened a long, long time ago, and was almost forgotten by him...

Novi raised his head and looked at the back of the young man in front of him.

He thought that maybe this man could actually bring him to the surface and rescue him.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw the young man walking quickly in front of him suddenly stopped.

"Why stop?"

Looking around and seeing no enemies, he couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know the road."

Standing in the huge stone corridor, looking at the hall with passages in several directions in front of him, Garlan rubbed his temples and said slightly distressed.

"This place is too big."

Novi: "..."

"Where should I go?...Well, just go according to your feeling."

Novi: “…………”

Can this guy, who doesn't look reliable at all, really get him out?

Novi felt as if he had been fooled.

…………

……………………

The dark corridor was empty.

Someone was walking in the stone corridor at an extremely fast pace. The dimly lit stone corridor was winding and endless, with only one person's footsteps echoing in it.

Although Heimos walked quickly, his expression was not good.

At this moment, his eyes were indescribably gloomy, and there was a faint anger struggling deep in his eyes, which seemed to be torn out at any time.

There was obviously no injury on his body, but he looked as if he was enduring some great pain, and there was even a hint of sweat on his forehead.

A past he had almost forgotten...

The memory that he had buried deep in his mind, refusing to recall and forcing himself to forget, was forcibly recalled by that hoarse and strange voice at this moment.

And... I don't know if it was his imagination.

From the moment I entered the stone corridor, there was always a very faint fragrance lingering around me.

But if you hold your breath and smell it carefully, you can only smell the moist smell with a bit of decay under the ground, but there is no aroma at all.

But as I continue walking forward, I can vaguely feel a little fragrance...

Have you started to lose your mind?

Heimos held his sweaty forehead and couldn't help but think like this.

no.

Gotta hurry.

...Get out of here quickly...find Garlan as soon as possible...

While reciting the name silently, the deep anger in Heimos's eyes subsided a little, and his eyes became clearer.

Taking a deep breath, he quickened his pace again, relying on his own feeling to run upward in the winding stone corridor.

After running again for a while, he finally saw the end.

At the end of the stone steps extending upward, a stone door stood there.

Perhaps because he stayed in a claustrophobic environment for too long, Heimos felt that his consciousness seemed a bit blurred.

Ruoyouruowu's fragrance appeared around him again...

He shook his head to wake himself up.

He didn't realize that there was so much sweat leaking from his forehead that a strand of wet forehead hair was sticking to his cheek.

His breathing was also much faster and heavier than usual.

With his mind groggy, Heimos stepped forward, almost unable to think. He just relied on his instinct to destroy everything that blocked him.

He drew his sword and struck hard, splitting the stone door in front of him.

The cracked stone door fell down with a crash, and he stepped through the door.

His originally dark vision suddenly became brighter, and the red fire light swayed in front of his eyes, as if it was burning his head, giving him a splitting headache.

The originally faint fragrance suddenly became richer at this moment, surrounding him.

When he inhaled the fragrance, his body gradually became weak.

With a clang, the long sword in his hand fell to the bluestone floor with a crisp impact.

At this moment, his hands and feet became as heavy and stiff as stones, and Heimos knelt on the ground helplessly.

He was breathing rapidly, and with his blurred vision he could vaguely see the carvings on the bluestone beneath his feet.

...a familiar rune pattern used for sacrifice...

The firelight flickered around him, and he suddenly understood.

He thought he was choosing the path forward based on his feelings, but that was not the case. There seemed to be an invisible force, like a fragrance that came and went, guiding him without leaving a trace and luring him here.

He knelt on the ground, everything in his sight was shaking, and even the firelight was dimming little by little.

it's painful.

But not physical pain.

That is something more unbearable than physical pain.

The memory that he had tried so hard to forget seemed to be forcefully pulled out of his mind by an invisible force at this moment, replaying it in front of his eyes again and again.

…

On the huge altar, bluestone slabs were spread out in the center.

Mysterious lines are carved on it, one after another extending on the black and blue stone slabs.

In the dark night sky, there is a crescent moon.

But the moonlight was as red as blood, giving people an inexplicable creepy feeling.

The lines carved on the black and blue stone slab are all blood red. It is not smeared with paint, but blood flows from the middle disk along the surrounding lines like a thin stream, filling the lines on the altar stone slab. Blood.

The rich smell of blood spreads here.

The corpses of more than a dozen children were thrown in a mess on the edge of the altar.

Their empty eyes stared at the blood-red crescent moon in the sky, and their bodies that had been drained of blood appeared abnormally pale.

The lines in the black and blue altar stone have been filled with their blood.

There is only a little left. As long as there is a little more blood, the blood will fill the lines on the edge of the altar.

Heavy breathing sounded rapidly in the altar, and someone collapsed on the ground.

But that wasn't the last child to be sacrificed.

A believer in a black and blue robe sat slumped on the ground, his eyes wide open in fear, as if a devil was standing in front of him, his face was distorted by fear, like an evil ghost.

His fingers dug hard into the ground, his pale lips trembled, and he let out a whimper that was almost forced from his throat.

His pupils, which were dilated to the limit that a living person could reach due to fear, trembled and reflected the scene before him.

The young boy stood in the altar. With a wave of his hand, the dagger in his hand pierced the eyes of the man at his feet and penetrated his entire head.

The splattered blood stained half of his cheeks and dyed his dark hair red.

The boy's eyes were intimidating and cruel, showing his ferocity.

Surrounding him were dozens of scattered corpses - all corpses he had killed.

The man who was slumped on the ground saw with his own eyes that the eyes of this young child, who was supposed to be the final sacrifice, burst into blood-like red light at the moment when his throat was about to be slit.

He went crazy in an instant.

Then, the child suddenly went berserk and killed everyone present.

Yes, of all people, he will be killed soon too.

The still warm blood flowed out from under the corpses around the boy, soaking the boy's brown bare feet in it.

The boy who killed another person turned his head and his eyes fell on him.

The man's breath hitched.

Can't give a reason.

His hands were shaking, his body was shaking.

It was obvious that the other person was just a young child, but the look in his eyes was terrifying and made him tremble uncontrollably.

The boy's blood-stained feet stepped on the ground, leaving blood-red footprints step by step, like the god of death from hell, walking towards him step by step.

Like a frog stared at by a poisonous snake, he collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

He opened his eyes wide and stared at the boy.

Perhaps because of extreme fear, or perhaps because he was stimulated to a nervous breakdown by the sight of his companions dying tragically at the hands of the boy, he suddenly chuckled.

"You can't escape..."

He said in a hoarse voice.

His eyes were wide open and staring blankly at the boy walking toward him covered in blood.

He chuckled, his laughter was weird, and his face was severely distorted.

"...You have been branded and become a sacrifice to the Mother Goddess of All Things..."

The skin on the boy's lower back was branded with a soldering iron, dipped in paint, and painted into bright red runes.

The rune that symbolizes the religion of all things.

"Haha, you can't escape... you can't escape..."

"Your hands are stained with so much blood... That is our blood. It has penetrated into your body and become one with you... forever..."

"You will become one with us..."

The blood all over his body reflected the moonlight, as if a layer of terrifying blood was covering the young child's body.

The dagger in his hand pierced the heart of the man who kept talking.

"You can never escape..."

The followers of the All Things Cult who fell in a pool of blood smiled sinisterly, their eyes like the eyes of a dead fish, staring at each other intently.

"Even if you fail this time...but one day...one day...the great God will guide you back to the imperial court..."

There was blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, but he kept talking.

He let out one last high-pitched cry before dying.

"You are the chosen sacrifice...you are destined to dedicate all your flesh, blood and soul to the great God of all things!"

The last word fell and the believer stopped breathing.

His eyes were so wide that they were almost split open, staring straight at the boy, strange and terrifying.

The boy fell to his knees.

His thin shoulders, who had just frantically killed everyone and looked like a devil in the eyes of others, were trembling uncontrollably.

His breathing was rapid and heavy, as if he was about to run out of breath.

With a clang, the dagger fell to the ground.

The boy knelt on the ground and looked at his hands, which were trembling and stained with blood.

He slowly closed his eyes and clenched his hands which were stained red.

The blood-red moonlight fell on the extremely desperate face of the boy kneeling on the ground.

…………

……………………

That painful... childhood memory that he didn't want to recall eroded his mind, as if the pain of the young child at that time was once again imprinted on his body at this moment.

Heimos knelt on the ground, his forehead dripping with cold sweat.

It was as if there was a huge black hole in his body that was expanding little by little, trying to swallow him up.

He tried his best to stay awake, but he couldn't resist the aroma that surrounded him and made his thoughts gradually drift away.

His whole body seemed to be falling into darkness little by little...

At the last moment, he reached forward unconsciously.

As if asking for help from someone.

...Garlan.