After some fussing with her sister in the dark but no longer scary coffin, Christina waited until the coffin slowly stopped and the cover was opened from the outside.
They have arrived at Steam Train Station south of Liberation Port.
As the most popular and convenient means of transportation at the moment, the train station at the Southern Continent is not much different from what Tina has seen in Tingen City and Backlund. Countless carriages and coffins are passing and stopping on the road in front of the station. Passengers who are either ordinary or well-dressed walk into the hall, queue up to buy tickets, wait in the station, and board trains heading in different directions.
But unlike the stations that have been planned for a long time in other cities, Liberation Port has gone through multiple expansions and has already included the station that was originally on the edge of the port city in the urban area. This gives people in the city the opportunity to watch the huge locomotive dragging the smoke and whistle, dragging the carriages between the buildings, crossing the busy road, and running over the rails with a regular and gradually increasing speed.
Tina and Dorothy stepped off the coffin carriage amidst this noise. The latter took out a wad of soli and pennies, counted out the agreed amount and handed it to the coffin puller dressed as a local.
The predecessor of this city, Caesar Pier, has been occupied by the colonial army of Intis. Although it has now been taken over by the local regime and a new currency has been unified, it is still in the stage where all kinds of coins are accepted. Intis 0 Verl D'Or and Koppe of, Gold Pound and soli of Loen can be used smoothly, and the exchange rate does not fluctuate much.
Unfortunately, although the money brought by the two sisters can be used here, identification is still required to purchase steam train tickets.
I'm afraid I'm going to trouble "Genie" again this time... Tina touched the Sealed Artifact through the satchel, and was about to greet Dorothy to enter the train station not far away when he heard the low and urgent words from the other party:
"It seems like someone is watching us, no, following us."
Come again?
Tina immediately remembered what happened to Backlund East Borough. He subconsciously clutched his satchel tightly, and then looked in the direction of Dorothy's gaze. His eyes were instantly lost in the street where people were coming and going, and he didn't notice anyone staring at him.
But she still decided to trust her sister's judgment. After all, both of them were wearing clothes that were different from the Southern Continent's. They had outstanding looks. There were no adults around them. They accidentally exposed their belongings just now, so they could easily become targets of people with evil intentions.
Not to mention Southern Continent, which has just restored order, even in East Borough and South District of Backlund, there are many gangsters who are running around everywhere and specially select children and women to attack.
After thinking about this, Tina quickly looked at Steam Train Station, where people were coming and going, and immediately noticed a black church with a tall bell tower next to the station.
Above the huge main entrance, between the red and blue lattice windows is a star dotted with sharp Edge around the edges, and in the center is the holy emblem of arms holding up an invisible river.
That's the church of "Church of the Eternal Darkness"!
After the liberation of the Southern Continent, although the new regime restricted the secular involvement of major faiths, it allowed free preaching. Therefore, Eternal Darkness, Fool, The End, and even the second-level Church of the Earth, Church of Storms all established churches in major cities, or followed the previous parishes to maintain their original beliefs.
I was lucky. Next to the train station was the familiar "Eternal Darkness" church, not the steam or Sun God church... Tina immediately made a decision, took Dorothy's hand, and ran towards that church.
The reason why she did not choose to go directly to the train station was because it would take a lot of time to buy a ticket, and she instinctively felt distrustful of anyone in a city she was unfamiliar with.
And just now Anne Gustav said that God are all kind!
As long as you enter the church, you will be protected by Evernight Goddess. Even if the situation is bad, you can turn to the local bishop for help.
As the daughter of two devout Goddess believers, she can still recite a few teachings and pretend to be a believer.
But before they could run into the square in front of the church, a four-wheeled carriage passed by them. Two thick arms stretched out from the already opened door. They grabbed Tina and Dorothy one after another and pulled them directly into the carriage.
Bang——
The door closed, the carriage turned, drove into the alley opposite the church, quickly left the street, and disappeared from the sight of Passerby, who had just reacted.
"Be quiet, don't move, or I'll stab you to death!"
The low and hoarse voice brought Tina back to her senses. She looked around cautiously and found herself sitting on the open space in the swaying car. Dorothy was next to her, and beside her were four men with light brown skin and dressed casually.
One of them had a bright dagger in his hand, and he had made the threat just now, but the other three also showed approval, and they were obviously extremely evil people.
In the future, you must remember to bring some copper pennies when you go out, don't expose large banknotes easily, and put on casual clothes that can't tell your identity or age... But who knew we would come to the Southern Continent today. I originally thought it was just a small adventure in Tingen City... Many thoughts flashed through Tina's mind, and I immediately felt a little frustrated.
This was the second time she had been robbed this day, and the third time she had been locked up in a small area.
Compared with the experience of just having her belongings taken away and being put into an interrogation room and a sealed cabin, this time it was more dangerous. She and Dorothy were both caught in a carriage and taken away, and they were in a strange city. It was not difficult to guess what would happen next.
Fortunately, I also have a "0" level Sealed Artifact... She had a frightened expression on her face and twisted her body shrinkingly, but she tried to shout in her heart:
"Genie?"
"I'm here," Sealed Artifact, who had been off the hook many times before, finally responded. The voice that only Tina and Dorothy could hear rang in their ears, "Give them something, just a copper coin, and leave the rest to me."
Is He going to use that unreasonable "deal" again? Buy me and Dorothy's life for a penny? Tina had some guesses. Dorothy, who was squatting back to back with her behind her, was groping in her pockets. She also made a tearful expression and begged:
"We don't have much money with us, so I'll give it to you. Can you let us go?"
Her beautiful face and lively performance did not impress any of the robbers. The strong man holding the dagger even sneered, hung the weapon in his hand in front of Dorothy, and further warned:
"Take your hand out of your pocket, slowly, or I will chop off your hand. Losing one hand should not affect the sacrifice."
Dorothy's expression was stiff, and her arm slowly withdrew from the bag. A copper penny fell out from her fingers, rolled on the wooden floor, and fell out of the door crack at the edge of the carriage.
Compared with her nervousness, Tina was attracted by a certain word in the robber's mouth, and repeated doubtfully:
"Sacrifice?"
The four robbers sitting on the seats covered with soft cloth at the front and back of the carriage looked at each other and laughed.
"That's right, little girl, don't you feel honored?" Another man, with his arms crossed and leaning against the curtained window, said, "You are about to be dedicated to the great God, and our wishes will be fulfilled."
"..."
Looking at the four robbers who were not after money at all, but seemed to be planning some evil sacrifice, Tina silently touched the satchel, feeling the outline of "Magic Wishing Lamp" inside, and murmured in his heart:
"Genie, can I advance a wish now?"
She knew that she could no longer rely on Arrodes, who had saved them by severely injuring the robbers with lightning last time. If Dorothy took out the silver mirror from his pocket, he might really be injured by the robber holding a dagger.
I'm afraid I can only rely on the wish of "Magic Wishing Lamp"...
This time, Genie, who had been stingy before and believed that he had to free himself first before he could fulfill Tina's wish, gave a positive answer:
"Okay."
Tina secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't think that "Genie" who had been reluctant to let go before was a sudden kindness.
This guy must have realized that if this continues, they will really die!
"My wish is that Dorothy and I can escape safely from this unfortunate kidnapping and sacrifice!"
She shouted inwardly.
The carriage drove into the courtyard of a single-family house on the outskirts of the city. Tina The two people were driven out of the carriage by four robbers. Without having time to observe the surrounding environment, they were immediately taken into the house Underground Area and walked deeper along the damp, narrow passage.
Fortunately, there were ancient oil lamps hanging on the walls of the passage. The dim light Yellow Light emitted illuminated the surrounding environment, so Tina wouldn't be too scared.
But she soon discovered that in addition to the fifth robber who drove the carriage and subsequently joined the team, there were more people waiting underground.
More than a dozen mysterious people wearing black robes and hoods, with only sharp or bloated chins exposed, crowded into a not-so-wide basement. They were busy beside the huge circular pattern drawn on the ground, adding essential oil to the bright ritual candles, and placing auxiliary items on the altar, silent and orderly.
The "robbers" who captured Tina and Dorothy took the two to the center of the pattern painted with dark red paint that looked like blood, and then joined in the preparations, as if they were not worried that the two could escape from the place under the noses of more than a dozen adults.
It was only now that Tina finally had the real feeling of being kidnapped and used as a "sacrifice". Under the illumination of candlelight, he trembled under the gazes of these seemingly calm but suppressed fanatic people from time to time.
"Genie, why hasn't your wish come true yet?"
She asked in her heart, doubting whether "Magic Wishing Lamp" was actually Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and whether her wish could really come true.
Could it be that my wish will come true in a Distortion way, for example, Dorothy and I are really sacrificed to a certain God to "get away" from this incident... She comforted herself.
"It will happen."
The majestic voice in his mind replied, and then stopped making any sound.
Behind Tina, Dorothy used the opponent's body to cover her and reached into her pocket again, trying to take out "Arodes's Mirror" and use this Sealed Artifact, which was only "2" level but had helped her many times to get out of the situation.
But before she could make any more moves, hooded figures surrounded her.
They have made the corresponding preparations and are about to start Sacrifice Ritual!
"Everyone!" The man holding the dagger suddenly shouted, making both Tina and Dorothy tremble. "The sacrifices have been put in place and the ceremony has been prepared. Today is the best day to pray to the great God and ask for blessings!"
"Sacrifice!"
"My wish is about to come true..."
"Why two sacrifices? We can leave one..."
Others wearing hoods to hide their faces whispered, but soon merged into the fanatical atmosphere, gathered around the huge circular pattern, and knelt down facing Tina and Dorothy.
Of course, both of them knew that the person these people were kneeling down to was not them, but God, who was about to accept the sacrifice.
Only the man with the dagger remains standing, but also outside the circular pattern.
"Which God are you going to sacrifice to?"
Affected by this weird atmosphere, Tina asked hesitantly.
She knew that she had to delay time now, whether it was to give Dorothy the opportunity to use Magic Mirror, or to wait for the wish that she didn't know when to come true to take effect, so she wanted to use dialogue to interrupt these people's Sacrifice Ritual.
Moreover, aren't God all kind? Why do believers need to kidnap innocent people as sacrifices? After all, who is God do they believe? Southern Continent The legendary Death?
The man presiding over the ceremony turned a deaf ear and just took out the metal vial that had been prepared long ago from his pocket and poured out a wisp of dark red liquid inside.
Tina immediately smelled the smell of blood.
Is that blood? She was shocked in her heart, and then she was glad that the other party didn't directly hurt her or Dorothy to draw blood.
This is a little different from the bloody and evil Sacrifice Ritual she imagined.
The next second, the man began to recite prayers in a language that was difficult to pronounce and Tina could not understand at all.
What language is this? Dutanese of the Southern Continent? Intisian? Tina, who only knew Loenese, felt that the other party's tone of voice was rhythmic, but he didn't understand what he was saying at all, so he couldn't help but murmur in his heart.
She wanted to take the opportunity to escape, but found that all the hooded men in black robes were tightly surrounding the circular pattern, without giving her and Dorothy any chance.
"Genie" explained softly in Tina's ear:
"This is the most commonly used language of Ancient Hermes, Ritual Magic, but they completely got the ritual process wrong. It's impossible... Huh?"
He suddenly raised his voice in curiosity.
At the same time, the words of the ceremony host seemed to have been translated and penetrated into her brain in a way that Tina could understand:
"... I pray for your attention, your blessing, and grant us endless strength and wealth!
"Great Uncertain Mist!"
"Heh."
Genie in her mind sneered.
Although I don't understand the specific reason, the sacrifice of this group seems to belong to Error, so Genie responded with an indifferent attitude instead of truly fulfilling my wish just now? Tina As soon as he realized something, he felt as if a line of sight from infinite distance fell on him.
It contains endless malice, and there is an inexplicable resentment that seems to be awakened from sleep.
This made Tina feel a shiver from the bottom of her heart. The cold touch surged from her limbs to her chest, making her whole body stiff, as if she would merge into the mist that had spread around her in the next second and become part of the gap between light and darkness.
Before this, she had only felt a similar, but not malicious look from her angry mother.
You're not my mother... Tina I don't know where the courage came from, raised his head, and stared back in the direction of his sight.
Suddenly, the malicious gaze receded.