Chapter 95: The Sacrifice Ritual
Chapter 95: The Sacrifice Ritual
Having experienced this before, You Xuan was somewhat prepared this time. He crouched and landed steadily on the ground.
An overpowering stench assaulted his senses, and the air felt damp and moldy. The surrounding walls were eroded, creating a mottled and uneven surface. Speckles of water stains spread across the walls, forming abstract and eerie patterns.
This was in stark contrast to the lush, green forest he had landed in the last time.
"Is this the Spirit World again?"
You Xuan surveyed his surroundings and turned to see the Silent Magician, her staff at the ready, guarding him warily.
He thought for a moment and then reached out to pinch her pale cheek.
Yup, still the same texture.
"So, we're in the Spirit World again," You Xuan mused.
Silent Magician: "????"
Why is my face being treated like a testing device?
She pouted and then quickly retreated back into her card.
Spirits could return to their cards in the Spirit World, but they usually maintained their physical forms here. While they could materialize in the real world, it required additional energy expenditure.
Even powerful spirits like New Space Hero, akin to the later Ultra Brothers of the tenth generation, could only sustain their activities for a few minutes in reality. Hmm, that actually sounded pretty normal.
You Xuan then asked Chaos Soldier, "Is this the same Spirit World as before?"
Chaos Soldier shook his head. "No, it's not the world I'm familiar with. But I can sense that the same evil is spreading here as well. This world is also plagued by the influence of the Evil God."
"Orichalcos? Here too?"
Indeed, the greedy Orichalcos had its sights set not only on the mortal realm but also on countless spirit dimensions.
"However, the barrier between this dimension and the Duel Monsters dimension has already weakened due to the invasion of the Evil God," Chaos Soldier said. "If necessary, I can break through the barrier and return to reality at any time with my power."
You Xuan felt slightly relieved. Since they could leave at any time, there was nothing to fear.
After all, Chaos Soldier was the legendary Great Creator, the one who was said to have opened up the heavens and earth and possessed the power of Dimensional-Zan. Having him around meant they wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in other dimensions.
He recalled that the anime's later antagonist, Yubel, also had formidable spatial abilities. Even in an incomplete state with only one awakened hand, Yubel could casually drag the entire Duel Academy to another dimension. He wondered if Chaos Soldier's spatial abilities would be a match for Yubel's.
"Shall we go?" Chaos Soldier asked.
"Not yet," You Xuan said as he stood up.
After all, they were already here.
Moreover, based on the scene before the teleportation, although the two slacking roommates from the tenth generation seemed to be outside the light, the tenth generation should have been teleported here with him. Perhaps it was because only he and the tenth generation were standing on the pattern drawn on the floor of that room, or maybe it had something to do with both of them being Duel Monsters players with spirit powers.
He decided to look around first to see if the tenth generation was nearby.
As he stood up and turned, he was startled by what he saw.
He saw corpses.
The bodies of armored warriors, their bloodied swords discarded nearby. There were also mages, their robes now nothing but bones, their staffs broken and cast aside. A large pile of corpses lay before him.
Then, he heard voices approaching, calling out.
"Hmm? There's a survivor!"
"The ritual sacrifice!" someone shouted. "Stop, don't run!"
Two figures ran towards him. You Xuan focused his eyes and saw that they were walking skeletons, clad in armor and carrying swords and shields, with helmets on their heads.
The two skeleton soldiers ran briskly but slowed down as they approached, realizing that this sacrifice didn't seem to have any intention of fleeing.
"The ritual sacrifice, are you talking about me?" You Xuan asked.
"Of course. Who else could it be?"
You Xuan fell into thought. If their teleportation landing points weren't too far apart, there was a chance that the tenth generation was nearby.
"Alright, then lead the way. Let's go to the venue," You Xuan said.
The skeleton soldiers looked at each other.
They were surprised. Today's sacrifice seemed rather proactive.
But that saved them some trouble. The two skeleton soldiers flanked You Xuan, one in front and one behind, as if to prevent him from escaping.
However, they soon realized that their concerns were unnecessary. Not only did the sacrifice show no signs of running away, but he also seemed quite chatty.
You Xuan casually asked, "The ritual... let me guess, is it a sacrifice to the great god Orichalcos?"
The two skeleton soldiers trembled and turned their heads simultaneously, staring at him in shock.
"Why did you say that name?" One of the skeleton soldiers exclaimed, "How do you know the true name of the great true god?"
Indeed, they were all followers of the slippery snake.
The taller skeleton soldier was even more astonished. He looked at his shorter teammate and asked, "Big brother, could this person also be a believer of our true god?"
"Don't be ridiculous. How is that possible?" The shorter skeleton was also filled with doubt, but he waved his hand. "Although I don't know how he knows the true god's name, there's no sign of the blessing of the gods on him."
The taller skeleton nodded, but a hint of suspicion remained in his eyes as he looked at You Xuan.
Unfortunately, the two skeletons were too simple-minded to provide any useful information. After passing through several doors, they arrived at a dark, vast, and damp hall, resembling the entrance to the underworld. Thick moss covered the surrounding walls, and at the center was a massive circular altar bearing eerie sacrificial artifacts.
On the floor surrounding the altar was a complex magic circle, each position marked with glowing gems emitting a faint, cold light. Several towering pillars supported the domed ceiling, adorned with ancient inscribed talismans.
Numerous skeleton soldiers similar to the first two stood guard around the hall. Among them were several captives, their faces dirty and hands bound in manacles.
At the center of the altar stood a robed priest, its hood concealing a skeletal face. On its arm, black mist had materialized into a device resembling a Duel Disk.
Facing the priest was a golden-haired warrior clad in armor, also wielding a Duel Disk-like object, kneeling and clutching his bleeding chest.
"With this, it ends! The soul of the defeated in the ritual battle shall become sustenance for the gods!"
The skeletal priest proclaimed.
"I attack directly with myself! 'Skull Servant's' attack!"
A phantom formed from its body, and the black-robed skeleton soared into the air. A sinister bone tower rose from the ground, and the surging magic power within created a vortex of the undead, engulfing the warrior.
"Arghhh!"
The warrior let out a painful cry and fell backward. Green light blossomed from the altar, extracting the soul from his body and drawing it upwards into the sky along a spiral of green light.
It was then that You Xuan recognized the officiating priest. It was none other than Skull Servant.
Skull Servant was a one-star Undead-type monster, part of the Skull Servant card deck.
The fact that the sacrificial ritual involved a card battle was a bit too reminiscent of Yu-Gi-Oh!
This method seemed a bit risky. What if the priest lost the duel and ended up being sacrificed by the intended sacrifice?
"Yet another soul sacrificed to the great god."
The Skull Servant's forehead bore the mark of Orichalcos, and its empty skull eyes glowed with green light.
"Take him away, and bring the next one!"
Another captive warrior, bound in manacles, was pushed forward. You Xuan observed that before each captive was brought to the altar, their manacles were removed, and only then did a golden light converge on their arms, materializing into the Duel Disk-like object.
"Be grateful, for the god only relishes the souls of warriors who have perished in battle. Thus, you have been granted the chance to fight for your own survival."
The Skull Servant raised its Duel Disk and spoke in a sinister tone.
"Of course, the outcome is already predetermined."
"Damn you, don't get too cocky!"
The warrior gritted his teeth and snapped open his Duel Disk.
After witnessing another duel, You Xuan became certain.
The Skull Servant was indeed using its own "Skull Servant" card deck.
However, its opponent was rather lackluster. Their card deck lacked any notable power, and there was no sense of any special Destiny Power attribute. Their skill level was probably on par with the average duelist in the outside world, perhaps even inferior to the students of the Duel Academy.
With such opponents, it was no wonder that the Skull Servant had little chance of losing.
Nonetheless, by observing the duels, You Xuan was able to gauge the skill level of the Skull Servant priest.
It might possess some ability related to Destiny Power, but it wasn't particularly strong. Additionally, knowing the opponent's card deck in advance made victory all but assured.
In just a few moves, the second captive also fell in defeat, their soul being drawn upwards along with the spiraling green light.
Skull Servant: "Next!"
The two skeletons, one tall and one short, who were responsible for escorting You Xuan, turned to bring forward the next sacrifice. However, when they looked towards his original position, they were taken aback.
Where was the sacrifice?
Looking up in surprise, they saw that the sacrifice they were supposed to escort had already climbed onto the altar on his own after the previous sacrifice.
Skeletons: "?"
This unexpected turn of events left the entire room of believers stunned. They turned their gazes towards the tall and short skeleton duo, questioning how they had managed to find such a proactive sacrifice.
The taller skeleton opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then finally said to his shorter companion, "He must also be a believer of the true god!"
And to willingly offer himself as a sacrifice for the ritual, his faith must be unwavering.
The tall skeleton questioned his own devotion, feeling that he could never match such unwavering faith. In that moment, the figure of You Xuan on the altar seemed to grow taller in his eyes.
Even the Skull Servant was momentarily taken aback by this display. It was You Xuan who initiated the duel, and after waiting for a while without any response from the other side, he grew impatient: "Are you going to sacrifice yourself or not? If not, I'm leaving."
Skull Servant: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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