Curse Totems and Live Sacrifice Marks

Before a cross-like totem made of antlers and branches, the Leshen reappeared. When he returned, he was no longer in a near-death state.

His feet sank deep into the ground like the roots of a great tree. The burn marks still covering his body visibly healed at a rapid rate, restoring nearly 1% of his HP per second. In other words, he would be back at full health in just over thirty seconds.

However, the Leshen's moves did not end there.

The countless red-eyed crows and Jagras that had vanished under the intimidation of Cheng Tian's Shock Orb now gathered from all directions toward the Leshen.

But they had not gathered to besiege the humans as a group of Grunt Units. They were preparing to become part of the Leshen!

A pulse of power unique to Sacrifice Continent, representing fallen sacrifice, erupted from the Leshen's body.

The roots that had merely burrowed underground to absorb soil nutrients and steal the life force of nearby plants suddenly sprouted countless branches above the surface. Without mercy, they pierced through the Jagras pack on the ground. The pain made the controlled Jagras scream almost instinctively.

Then, the Jagras were visibly drained dry—not just their bodies, but their souls as well.

The Leshen had used the sacrifice aspect of Redemption and Sacrifice, sacrificing the Jagras pack under his control. Yet compared to the sacrificial powers used by hunters, mages, and players, the Leshen's method was far crueler. His sacrifice leaned more toward "Live Sacrifice," forcibly offering up living creatures as sacrifices.

Perhaps it was fundamentally no different from sacrificing dying lives, but the Leshen's live sacrifices clearly allowed him to draw out far greater power.

As Jagras died in large numbers, the Leshen's HP recovery accelerated in tandem... No, that was not right. It