Chapter 462: Bone of God!

Chapter 462 The Bone of a God!

The sudden voice and the inexplicable "sacrifice" instantly put Cullen on high alert. He immediately raised his hand and shouted:

"Alert!"

However, despite his loud warning, the group playing Werewolf over there remained completely unresponsive, continuing their game as before.

A barrier?

A formation?

A membrane?

Cullen reached forward, expecting the Sword of Arius to fly directly into his hand, but it remained resting quietly by the campfire.

Without a moment's hesitation, Cullen spread his hands and said in a deep voice:

"Chains of Order!"

Streams of Order Chains erupted from beneath Cullen's feet, slamming violently against the surroundings.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! ..."

A series of impact sounds echoed, and Cullen finally realized that, silently and unnoticed, he had been confined within a cylindrical "isolated" space. Furthermore, this space was incredibly dense; despite the continuous and ferocious strikes from the Order Chains under his control, it did not shake in the slightest.

Across the beach were Purr, Alfred, and the others. Cullen discarded all caution, risking exposure as he clenched his fist. A thick blaze of Light Fire ignited and spread outward against the surroundings, but the Light Fire was still ineffective against this cylindrical space.

"Damn it!"

Cullen felt like an ant trapped beneath a glass cup, entirely unable to break free.

Or rather, with his current level of strength, he could not breach this shroud.

Even if the Sword of Arius were by his side, it likely wouldn't do much good; the sheer hardness of this shroud was utterly despair-inducing.

But the issue was, the appearance of this shroud seemed only intended to trap him, not to harm him. After all, he had been trapped for so long, yet no subsequent harmful action had occurred.

Under normal circumstances, one would first seal and lock down the area of activity, and then follow up with an attack, making everything simple. It was like binding a person and pressing them onto a stone—so why hadn't the blade fallen yet?

Cullen looked up once more; the moon above remained blood-red.

Suddenly,

Cullen seemed to realize something:

"Could it be..."

...

On the beach, the group was still playing the game.

Initially, Anse had been unwilling to join the game, but they were short on players, so she had no choice but to be forced into it.

Defeated, losing all her subordinates, yet surviving herself—this was not something that could make a person happy. But under Mota's persuasion, she had recovered her composure.

After all, though the Luna Cult had been defeated in this campaign, and defeated miserably—perhaps the Mipos Archipelago had even been captured by Samsara—Samsara lacked the strength to keep fighting. The Luna Cult had only lost a localized war, which would not truly affect the foundation of the Cult.

Her mission, Anse's mission, was to protect the observation group. Though it now looked like the observation group was protecting her, as long as she could return safely with them, her mission would be considered a success.

The defeat had nothing to do with her, and the mission was truly accomplished, so her mood could certainly be put aside for now.

Mota, on the other hand, was deliberately enlivening the atmosphere. In truth, he had thought of two points corresponding to two different perspectives. From one perspective under these circumstances, did the high command of this Cult actually want the observation group to die out in the war, or did they want them to return alive?

If they all died, it could be used for further propaganda to pull Order to their side.

But the problem was, among this group of people, he belonged to the weaker side, so that perspective could be entirely ignored.

He could only accompany the observation group back, relying on this superficial merit to wash away the shadow of this defeat from his future prospects; he had no other choice.

Therefore, these two clergymen of the Luna Cult were currently acting very lively. Lacking the "sighs and groans" understood by normal human reasoning, they were instead more willing to immerse themselves in this game.

Moreover, they were even more eager than the others to liven up the atmosphere.

Kevin, who was acting as the moderator, suddenly looked around in confusion. It first looked toward Cullen sitting in the distance, finding nothing unusual;

But just as it lowered its head to continue directing the game, it raised its head once more to look in Cullen's direction.

It stood up, having sensed that something was amiss.

"Woof! Woof woof!!" (It's daytime, open your eyes!)

But everyone kept their eyes closed, as if still waiting for dawn.

"Woof! Woof woof!!" (It's daytime, open your eyes!)

No one paid it any mind; everyone remained with their eyes closed.

Kevin began to circle around on the spot, the dog driven truly anxious.

It stopped, raised its head, and looked toward the sky. The moon was still the moon, but when it narrowed its canine eyes, it discerned something unusual.

The group playing the game kept their eyes closed, waiting for the moderator Kevin's cue to "please open your eyes," but it never came.

Purr urged, "Kevin, are you asleep?"

Receiving no response from Kevin, everyone opened their eyes one after another, only to see the large golden retriever sitting in the center with its head lowered, completely motionless.

Mota spoke up, "It seems it really fell asleep."

Purr and Alfred stood up immediately, followed closely by Ventura and Muri. They all knew exactly who was beneath the guise of the large golden retriever, and its manifestation of such a bizarre condition undoubtedly signified that an anomaly had occurred.

"Young Master!"

Alfred first scooped up Purr and then called out to Cullen, but Cullen still sat there completely motionless.

"Alert!" Muri immediately ordered, "Go to the Captain!"

Everyone stood up and ran toward Cullen, with Ventura picking up Kevin to run along.

In truth, this was not a very wise command. Maintaining their positions to alert and defend when an anomaly occurred was the most correct course of action, but Muri had no second choice; in his heart, Cullen's safety was of the highest priority.

Right at that moment, Anse suddenly let out a miserable shriek, her entire body retreating frantically as if evading something. Her hands waved blindly in front of her, as though an invisible entity were choking her by the throat.

Everything happened far too quickly, so quickly that the group had no time to make any other reaction before Anse was lifted completely off the ground. She was a Luna warrior, yet at this moment, she was as frail as a quail.

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss!"

A piercing sound of suction echoed, and the blood on Anse's body began to seep out in a bizarre manner.

"Luna above..."

Anse prepared to condense her power to resist, but the moment a crescent moon mark appeared on her brow, the mark collapsed directly, turning into a shimmer of brilliance that sank into the space before her.

"Slurp!"

Like the sound made when a straw drinks a beverage to emptiness, Anse's body instantly turned into a desiccated corpse.

"Snap!"

She tumbled down. Upon hitting the ground, her body shattered directly into ash, resembling a burnt cigarette that retained its shape because it hadn't been shaken, yet the slightest bit of force could cause it to crumble.

Purr's eyes widened completely, because it could see that this was a sacrificial ritual!

This island was highly likely a massive altar. You certainly wouldn't find any problem while on the island, just as it was difficult for a flea to see the full scope of its host's body.

Oh, heavens meow, what kind of island did I choose?

Anse was suddenly attacked, and then her person was annihilated at an extreme speed, forcing Muri to command an immediate alert on the spot.

Following the team's tradition, Memphis, Mars, Aisley, and Blanche formed the inner circle, while the rest set up defenses along the perimeter.

Yet barely had the lines been drawn, as Memphis and Mars were still setting up the array together, when the second wave of the anomaly struck.

Motta, who had been trying to slip into the inner circle, was suddenly yanked as if by an unseen hand, his entire body flying backward through the air.

Muri, Philomena, and Bart rushed forward instantly, prepared to rescue him; whatever his faults, when facing the unknown, Motta was still one of their own.

But Purdue barked out directly, "Leave him, get back!"

Alfred frowned slightly; though he didn't understand, he trusted the family cat implicitly and immediately followed suit, shouting, "Come back, Muri!"

Muri hesitated for a fraction of a second, then raised his hand to halt, and beside him, Philomena and Bart froze in their tracks as well.

Purdue began to analyze aloud, "First Anse, now Motta—both are from the Luna Cult. We’re betting on this!"

Motta held out his hands, desperate for salvation, but he was violently slammed into the ground, and in an instant, beams of light erupted from his body as his protective sacred artifacts triggered. Yet without exception, these bursts of light vanished the moment they flared up, looking precisely like a futile display of fireworks.

"Aaaagh!!!"

It was an absolute crushing, born of sheer power... no, it was a crushing born of sequence; individual resistance had been rendered utterly meaningless.

Purdue turned its head once more toward Kevin, who was being cradled by Ventura; you could kick, smash, burn, or bury that stupid dog, but to actually make him "faint" meant that this altar-formed island likely contained the handiwork of a "God."

Only a God could exert such an influence on Ranedal at the spiritual level.

Purdue found it deeply baffling; back when it led the team on adventures, finding a "fun" place had been incredibly difficult, often resulting in disappointment. Yet now, resuming its old trade and merely choosing a place to rest, they had somehow landed on this very island?

No, it wasn't because of me.

Purdue was absolutely certain it wasn't its own choice; its selection hadn't been wrong. It had to be some other factor that precipitated this outcome, though what exactly caused it, Purdue couldn't say for sure right now.

Now, it could only hope that after Motta’s death, that invisible, untouchable entity would not continue.

Motta was caught in the exact same predicament Anse had faced; it was clear his strength was greater, his hidden cards more numerous, and his status higher, but the only return on those advantages was that he lasted just a fraction longer than she had.

Then, the young bald man who loved to walk barefoot also disintegrated into ash.

"Hiss..."

The sound of an intake of breath.

"Mmm..."

The sound of swallowing.

"Ah..."

The sound of joyful satisfaction.

These sounds were so clear, falling upon everyone's ears like the gluttonous feasting of a demon.

Next, everyone instinctively began to look at the person beside them; two people had already turned to ash, and everyone naturally assumed a third victim would appear.

But they waited a moment, another moment, and yet another...

A third person was never dragged out.

And right at that moment, the crowd noticed that the Captain, who had been sitting there all along, suddenly shifted his posture, standing upright and looking straight toward them.

Alfred’s Succubus Eye activated, and he immediately spoke, "The Young Master isn't looking at us. Between us and the Young Master, there is someone else."

"Go save..."

Before Muri could finish his sentence, he saw Karen raise his hand—a gesture signaling them to stop.

Purdue spoke up, "The sacrifice is over."

...

At that moment, standing before Karen was a woman dressed in red, her entire face obscured by her hair, leaving not a single feature visible.

She raised her left arm and slowly extended her left palm toward Karen; her hand was not fair or tender, but rather rough and covered in scars, giving off the impression of a piece of old furniture buried deep underground.

Karen forced himself to keep taking deep breaths; though he was currently trapped inside this barrier, from his perspective, he had clearly witnessed this woman in red slaughtering and consuming Anse and Motta as if they were mere chickens.

Anse was no match for him, a fact Karen knew well; but Motta's identity was somewhat mysterious, and Karen had no absolute certainty of victory had they fought, likely resulting in a stalemate where neither could best the other.

Yet before this woman, they had no power or opportunity to resist at all, utterly and completely crushed.

And as this woman stood before him, Karen felt his very bones groaning under a terrifying pressure, as if the gravity around him had instantly multiplied several times over. Yet the woman had not launched any attack against him; not only was there no murderous intent, there wasn't even a shred of malice...

In fact, Karen had a strange sensation that if there were an expression beneath her hair, she would be "smiling" at him.

As for the pressure, it felt much like an aura; when you drew near her, she naturally began to suppress you by her very existence, even if it was not her intention.

It was not on a spiritual level, but a physical one.

"Ah~"

A faint sound escaped the woman, a gentle prompting.

Looking at the woman's palm extended before him, Karen raised his own hand, gritted his teeth, and placed it into her palm.

He had been guessing earlier that this barrier was not meant to trap him... it was likely meant to protect him.

Since he could not break this barrier from the inside, it meant the people outside could not break it to harm him either—this was a protective measure established from the very beginning.

But Karen did not believe this was done specifically for him; all of this was likely governed by an objective law, meaning it had been designed this way.

The emergence of the current situation was very likely because the triggering conditions had been met.

Among them, one triggering condition lay within himself, otherwise there was no explaining why he alone was "protected";

The other triggering condition had been unclear to Karen initially, but seeing this woman in red kill Anse first, then Motta, and then stop to appear before him, he guessed it must be related to the Luna Cult.

These two conditions caused Karen to recall the contents of the book he had flipped through, where the protagonist arrived at an island that worshipped the Moon God, only to find the islanders plotting to kill him.

Karen had previously suspected that the error in the protagonist's perspective might have been mistaking another worship within the lunar deity system for the worship of the Moon Goddess Artemis.

From the standpoint of the Luna Cult believers, their Moon God was the chief deity and naturally the supreme being of the lunar pantheon, so such a misunderstanding was entirely normal.

So, had the protagonist in the book also come to an island like this?

This island would kill the believers of the Luna Cult, consume them, and then...

Then Karen perceived a warm current overflowing from the point where their palms met—specifically, overflowing from the woman's palm and extending all the way up his hand, his wrist, and into his entire body.

Finally, this power began to consciously gather toward his eyes, and the Dark Moon Eye was completely triggered and manifested. However, because Karen's Dark Moon Eye had undergone Orderly transformation, in the eyes of his subordinates, a deep blackness was swirling within their captain's eyes.

Furthermore, another detail was exceptionally clear: a power had descended out of thin air, encircling the Captain before being absorbed by him.

Although no one could see the figure of the woman in red, no one present was a fool; two people over there had been drained into ash, while their captain over here was beginning to absorb power... where else could this power have come from?

Karen felt a refreshing coolness in the region of his eyes, as if a layer of restriction that had been impossible to detect before was now being unlocked. He was not a true Dark Moon believer, after all; ever since the things on his body had been Orderly transformed, existence outside the path of Order had basically become mere ornaments.

It wasn't because Karen was lazy or negligent, but rather that trying to elevate them was simply too difficult, to the point where one could almost say no path could be found.

Now, that path had appeared, and under the infusion of this power, the Dark Moon Eye achieved a form of elevation.

His eyes seemed no longer to merely receive the reflection of light, but had gained several other capabilities; though he was just standing here, within his vision, there was a sensation as if he were standing at a high vantage point, looking down upon his surroundings.

Moreover, it seemed that as long as he willed it, he could slow down the flow of the images before him, a trait that would be highly useful in future combat.

Finally,

The transfer came to an end.

The body of the woman in red floated back into the forest, and Karen sensed that the barrier that had been trapping him all this time had also vanished.

This place was a sacrificial ground, perhaps even a slaughterhouse... By bringing priests of the Luna Order here as offerings, to be triggered by a Dark Moon believer, this woman would manifest under the right conditions, devouring the strength of the Luna faithful to feed the Dark Moon followers.

He happened to possess the Eye of the Dark Moon, and his team happened to include two priests of the Luna Order, so...

Karen closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again, stepping forward toward the group while summoning the Sword of Alius into his hand.

Aisly patted her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief, and smiled.

"So the Captain arranged all of this beforehand, bringing these two here just to consume them."

Memphis spoke up, "Those two died on the battlefield; we never saw them."

Marth nodded, "Exactly, who do these two piles of ash belong to anyway?"

Ventura said, "The floor is dirty, I will sweep it up in a moment."

Purr: "Huh?"

Karen wanted to explain, yet he found himself at a loss for words;

Because the island had been chosen by his own cat, and the power had been swallowed by himself.

At that moment, Kevin seemed to "wake up," barking excitedly.

"Woof, woof, woof!"

Alfred frowned slightly, a bit bewildered, because he heard Kevin shouting: Bones, bones, bones!

Kevin paused for a beat, then immediately barked again.

"Woof!"

Alfred's eyes instantly lit up!

The Bones of God!