The Sacrifice Was Me?

A sacrifice?!

Aaron was dumbfounded.

He had no idea what this sacrifice was supposed to do, but the words "sacrifice" alone sounded seriously wrong, didn't they?

Wasn't this supposed to be the beginning where an old grandpa gave him a Golden Finger?

Fine, no Golden Finger, then. But why did he have to throw in his life as a bonus?!

Forget the Golden Finger. Please send this old grandpa away instead, thanks!

Although Aaron was panicking like crazy inside, he appeared exceptionally calm on the surface, even wearing a faint smile.

At that moment, he had to thank that harsh superior who always picked on him for no reason. At least that man had taught him how to smile on the outside while screaming curses inside.

"So, what should I do?" Aaron asked, discreetly glancing at the wooden stick in the old man's hand.

A trace of surprise flashed through the old man's eyes before he praised, "As expected of the sacrifice chosen by My Lord."

Who the hell wanted to be chosen?!

Aaron ranted inwardly, but he knew he absolutely could not act rashly now—especially not attack this old fellow who looked to be in his eighties.

Since the old man had restored his ability to move despite knowing he might resist, he had clearly come prepared.

With Qin Ming's hotheaded soul that knew nothing about fighting, paired with Aaron's body long hollowed out by alcohol, what could he possibly use to take this old man head-on?

Searching through his memories, Aaron knew that the original owner of this body had been an ignorant good-for-nothing who could do nothing at all.

He had even pawned the ceremonial sword that represented his family's honor to a blacksmith, exchanging it for drinking money at the tavern.

Otherwise, how could an impoverished noble with no territory, vassals, servants, or even a bed afford alcohol?

"If you cooperate, I believe our time together will be very pleasant." The old man looked into the darkness nearby as if confirming something, then turned back to Aaron.

Immediately afterward, he pulled a pile of odds and ends from his tattered robe: a lump of dried meat, a patch of grayish-brown fur, a jar of unknown transparent liquid...

Watching him pull out all sorts of things like Doraemon, Aaron grew increasingly uneasy.

But the more uneasy he became, the more curious he was.

Though his reason told him these things were definitely not New Year's gifts for him, he suddenly wanted to know what exactly they were for.

Or rather, in what form they would be used on him.

After all, he was a sacrifice, and these were undoubtedly supplementary materials...

"Soulless Grass, Spirit Monster Dust, a fresh, strong human vessel..." the old man muttered.

Aaron's mouth twitched.

Strong was one thing, but what the hell did "fresh" mean?

By then, the old man had arranged all the materials into some mysterious formation.

He looked deeply at Aaron and sighed.

"What is it?" Aaron asked instinctively.

"You actually didn't run away." The old man sounded somewhat regretful.

"What would have happened if I ran?"

"I would have broken both your legs. The amount of flesh on your upper body is enough to support My Lord's descent anyway."

Break both legs?

Amount of flesh?

Aaron could not help swallowing. On one hand, he frantically cursed himself for picking up that coin in the first place, but on the other, the curiosity rising within him made him involuntarily want to know what would happen next.

This immersive feeling was far better than any so-called AAA game.

And it was free!

Well, aside from the cost in lives...

While letting his thoughts run wild, Aaron quietly took several steps back without drawing attention to himself.

The old man noticed his little movements but did not care in the slightest. He even smiled kindly and said, "You can take a few more steps back."

Huh? He could back up farther?

Aaron froze, instinctively sensing that something was wrong.

But the old man had already lightly tapped the wooden stick in his hand.

The grayish-brown fur began to burn soundlessly, releasing thick black smoke.

In a daze, Aaron seemed to see the phantom of a rat and hear the murmuring of a crowd.

But before he could look closer, the black smoke, dense and unmoving in the dim firelight, surged toward him like a living creature.

Aaron tried several times to dodge, only to find that no matter how he moved, he could not shake off the strange black smoke.

He made a snap decision and turned to run, but after only a short distance, he understood why the old man had been so confident—behind him was a dead end, sealed tight by a collapsed brick wall!

Aaron's heart sank.

There was no way out. This rotten old man really was bad to the bone!

He could probably struggle a little longer... right?

He was just curious; that did not mean he wanted to die.

The old man merely stood where he was. In the firelight, Aaron could clearly see the contempt and mockery on his face.

"Can't you pick another sacrifice?" Aaron called out, trying to stall for time.

But the old man said fervently, "It is your honor to be personally chosen by My Lord as a sacrifice."

Aaron could not help saying, "What did your master even like about me? Can't I change it?"

But the old man did not answer. Instead, he frowned toward the distant darkness.

He seemed to sense something approaching.

Aaron took a deep breath and quickly but carefully surveyed his surroundings before the black smoke reached him.

His years of experience playing single-player blockbuster games finally came in handy. Just as the black smoke was only a few steps away, he spotted the torch embedded in the wall.

Though it was a torch on the verge of going out, it was the only weapon he had found so far that he could use in a fight.

Aaron did not expect the stones and broken bricks on the ground to harm that strange black smoke.

That thing was obviously immune to physical attacks.

Staying here meant death. He could only force his way through the black smoke!

Here goes!

He gritted his teeth and charged toward the torch, even making a token effort to dodge the black smoke brushing past him.

But the black smoke reacted with astonishing speed, curling back around him and enveloping him.

In an instant, Aaron's vision went black.

Though he had been mentally prepared, Aaron's heart still sank as he cried inwardly that he was done for.

The black smoke only looked like intangible vapor. In reality, it was as viscous as glue, and every step through it required tremendous effort.

More importantly, Aaron could clearly hear whispers coming from within the black fog: "Join me, believe in me, worship me..."

The whispers seemed to possess some inexplicable magic. After repeating only a few times, he vaguely began to feel that the voice sounded quite reliable, like some dependable big brother.

Before he had even pushed forward more than a few steps, the strength he had only just regained was exhausted again. His legs felt as heavy as lead, and he could no longer take another step.

Darkness, exhaustion, whispers...

Aaron could even clearly feel the malice hidden within the black smoke.

Everything seemed to return to the beginning, and in his haze, he saw that spinning coin once more.

The murmurs and whispers faded away, while every unknown syllable began chanting loudly.

At last, he heard the sentence that had been repeated countless times—"Good luck."

Countless complex runes arranged and combined before his eyes, finally forming a glowing screen.

Host information detected... requirements met. Fragment activated: Coin of Fate!

Currently uncharged... officially unlocks upon completion of charging...

Energy traces detected. Absorb them to charge?

Was that even a choice?

Old bastard, trying to kill me?

Sucks to be you—I have a system!