Altar X Land of Sacrifice

Footsteps echoed from the tunnel.

Kevin and his group moved forward in a straight line through the narrow tunnel.

As we move further forward...

The narrow tunnel began to widen, gradually allowing people to travel side by side.

As they moved forward, the air suddenly became scorching hot and thin, with a warm wind carrying the smell of sulfur constantly surging in from the depths ahead.

This smell is truly awful.

To avoid any unnecessary accidents, Kevin waved his hand, and his Nen Aura surged forth, transforming into wind that blew forward.

A gentle breeze carried away the smell of sulfur and the scorching air.

This wind certainly won't last, but at least it should get them out of this narrow tunnel and into the open space inside.

Men Qi reached out and touched the tunnel wall.

"The excavation technique seems good, but this tunnel is so small—did it collapse?"

Kevin shook his head; he didn't know any of that.

He simply said, "Perhaps the real entrance has collapsed, and this might just be a small path or a back door for emergency passage."

That being said, it doesn't seem very realistic.

Light began to appear ahead.

It wasn't sunlight, but a scorching orange-red, like a torch.

The rough Volcano passage underfoot finally came to an end.

They filed out, the narrow space vanished, and in its place stretched a vast expanse that sent shivers down one's spine.

"It's truly a miracle."

Pons looked up at the scenery in front of her and sighed.

The scene before them was somewhat awe-inspiring; it was a masterpiece of human craftsmanship.

It is still an ancient Ruins.

Looking around.

Before me lay the hollowed-out, enormous abdominal cavity of Volcano.

Looking up, there was a dome-shaped rock ceiling, dark red in color, like a frozen night sky.

Above this rocky summit, red liquid appeared and disappeared intermittently along the cracks at the edge in front, bringing light to the entire space.

Below, in the unfathomable darkness, a faint, dark red light pulsed slowly, like the heartbeat of a sleeping beast, sending both its scorching heat and its dim light to the edge of the cliff.

What is most awe-inspiring is not the wonder of nature, but the man-made miracle suspended in the center of this vast void—a colossal Altar.

This is a protruding rock panel, connected to the surrounding protruding stone pillars.

It's like a platform suspended in mid-air.

It is made of huge, dark stones that seem to absorb light.

The structure is rugged and majestic, with a narrow stone bridge, like the spine of an eagle, connecting the cave entrance where everyone stands to the Altar platform.

This platform – it definitely didn't arise naturally.

Kevin crouched down, touching the texture of the rock beneath his feet and muttering to himself.

The entrance they entered through and the connecting platform were made of two completely different types of stone.

This must be something constructed or influenced by some kind of Nen ability.

Look ahead.

Kevin said this and took the lead, walking forward.

I carefully stepped onto the stone bridge, stood by the edge, and looked down.

Beneath the bridge lies an Abyss surging with destructive energy, where one can clearly see the orange-red fluid churning in the depths below.

Below is boiling Magma.

If it falls like that, even Kevin will be in trouble.

Keep moving forward.

As we approached, the light revealed that the inner circular wall surrounding the Altar was covered with dense murals.

Previously, the view from the cave entrance was blocked, and due to lighting issues, we were hidden in shadows.

Walking on the bridge and approaching the Altar, I discovered that the stone walls on both sides were covered with dense murals, but there was no platform to stand on below or above the murals.

Thanks to this nearly sealed environment, they escaped the erosion of time; although their colors have faded, their outlines remain clear.

Kevin and the others stood still, carefully examining the mural.

You can learn more about this hidden area by looking at the murals.

The style of the murals is full of ancient and wild power.

The colors are bold, mainly deep red, ochre, and obsidian-like black.

These colors may have once been vibrant, but now they have all become dull.

It depicts a people who worship the sun and fire.

On the mural.

They wore magnificent feathered headdresses, their figures elongated and Succession Ceremony.

They were bowing and worshipping a Giant Bird that resembled a phoenix, but was far more ferocious and wreathed in flames—the immortal bird.

The image was exactly the same as what they saw and what they knew.

The murals clearly depict the Succession Ceremony process.

Priests dressed in magnificent robes led the procession, carrying precious jade, grains, and even—"human beings."

One of the murals depicts in detail them driving large groups of people away.

Make them line up and throw them into the Magma below from the edge of the Altar.

In such a short and understated passage, the cruelty of the sacrificial rituals is revealed.

The next picture shows the phoenix rising from the Volcano Magma, emitting a silent cry.

The wings of flame became docile, no longer spewing outwards, but instead circling the mountain like a gentle pet.

This was a common practice in ancient civilizations: using sacrifices to secure peace.

"So this is an Altar? Sacrificial Site for some country or tribe?"

Men Qi muttered to herself, then asked.

After Kevin finished reading, he walked into the platform.

The Altar itself was enormous, with a depression in the center of the platform forming a complex network of ditches that eventually converged into a deep pit.

"What does this action mean?" Pakunoda stood on the edge, looking down, somewhat puzzled.

The crowd gathered around the edge of the pit.

At the bottom of the pit, one could vaguely see solidified, glassy material covered in dust, but some of it was revealed by the wind that had just blown in. It was proof of the extremely high heat that had been channeled here.

Kevin made a quick comparison and pointed to the mural.

That was a scene before the human sacrifice was performed.

"Look there, the place where they threw their precious offerings must have been in this pit, where they then melted them."

It looks somewhat cruel; grains, gems, and other offerings are precious, while the vast majority of people are cheap.

"What a foolish and cruel sacrifice."

Pons couldn't help but complain.

Human sacrifice is a very foolish and ancient practice, especially for modern humans.

"Fortunately, these things are no longer visible."

Pakunoda chimed in.

Hearing this, Kevin looked up at the sky and couldn't help but say, "That's not necessarily true."

The more Kevin understood Nen ability and Resentment, the clearer his understanding became.

Major powers are definitely still doing similar things.

Because Resentment, through sacrifices and Succession Ceremony, can be controlled and act according to one's will.

Kevin then walked to the edge.

At the edge of the platform stood several enormous stone pillars, their tops carved into bowl shapes, seemingly containing flames that had burned eternally for years, now reduced to Ash.

Looking across the entire space.

An extreme sense of contradiction permeates this place.

It possesses both the rawness and mystery of primitive religion and astonishing engineering wisdom—the ability to embed buildings so deeply in such a dangerous place.

The air distorted slightly under the high temperature, making the images of ancient ancestors and phoenixes on the murals seem to dance.

The silence here is eerily profound, broken only by the low rumble emanating from the depths of the earth, like the slumbering breath of a phoenix reminding intruders that the Sacrifice made to appease it have never ceased.

"So, Phoenix?"

Men Qi crossed her arms and looked at Kevin, who was standing at the edge, and asked.

Their purpose in coming in was to track down the Phoenix.

However, all they found upon entering was an Altar; no trace of the Phoenix was discovered.

In fact, it's fair to say that almost no one has been here for a very long time.

The time span here could be as long as several hundred years.

"The Phoenix's trail ended here, but no trace was found inside; instead, it lingered in the air..."

As Kevin spoke, he stretched out his hand, which rippled in the wind.

Everyone looked in the direction he was waving his hand.

I habitually used "condensation".

In this vision, they saw faint black threads gathering in the air, converging and wrapping around Kevin's hand as his arm moved, like a spider web being disturbed.

Is this another instance of Resentment?

"Men Qi asked."

Before meeting Kevin, she had almost never seen or even felt Resentment.

Resentment, in general, gives Nen user a chilling feeling.

Essentially, it is a highly destructive thing formed by the convergence of human resentment or extreme will and anger.

For normal life, it naturally carries a certain degree of harm.

More sensitive people are more likely to sense the presence of Resentment.

For example, an area where too many lives have been lost, or where the burial of remains is dense and painful enough.

For example, mass graves.

Normal people would feel a chilly atmosphere in this area, but Nen user would feel uncomfortable as if someone in the air was pricking them with needles.

This is the experience brought about by the accumulation of Resentment. Of course, if it is the kind of Resentment that explodes, it is terrifying.

But this kind of thing is more of a feeling.

If Resentment merely exists in the environment, it's difficult to observe with the naked eye, even using the term "condensation."

Now, Kevin can gather Resentment and form a visible structure simply by stirring it with his hands.

"Based on what's shown on that mural, there must have been a lot of human sacrifices here. It's not surprising that it's accumulating Resentment."

After thinking for a moment, Pakunoda said.

Human sacrifice must have been a painful act; who knows how many years ago this Ruins was located, or how many people were sacrificed there?

Based on the murals and the scale of the place.

There must be at least several hundred people.

"You don't understand, let me explain it to you."

Kevin waved his hand, dispelling the Resentment clinging to his hands and letting it return to the air.

"This is a space filled with Resentment, but according to the murals, that's normal."

"Interestingly, the Phoenix also carried Resentment. Before coming in, I thought the Resentment on the Phoenix was a manifestation of its formation."

Simply put, Kevin at the time viewed the Phoenix as a product of some kind of Resentment.

This is a very likely scenario.

Nen Beast, Resentment.

The mixture of these elements means that one person's Nen ability formed a Phoenix- like Nen Beast, which, after death, due to some obsession, allowed the Nen Beast become a sentient being through its Resentment.

Based on the original host's Resentment and obsession, a program was formed that acted on its own.

Kevin pointed to the mural as he spoke.

"Look at that mural. If you don't have a deep enough understanding of Resentment, you can look at the phoenix we saw before, and what's shown in this mural."

"It can be roughly determined that the Succession Ceremony and sacrifices here, through some means, created a Phoenix phoenix-like Nen Beast, which was formed by sacrifice and followed certain rules and forms."

"The phoenix that flew out earlier may have had its program activated for some reason, causing it to begin moving outside."

Upon hearing this...

Men Qi said, "You mean to say that this might not be the case?"

Kevin nodded.

"That's right. If it's Nen Beast formed in this form, I could sense it the moment the Phoenix appeared."

"Even when I arrived in this area, I could smell its stench, because it was definitely a powerful aggregation of Resentment."

At this point, everyone immediately understood.

Pakunoda his fist on his palm and said with surprise, "So, it wasn't formed from Resentment. If it were someone's Nen Beast, that wouldn't be possible either, because clearly no one has been here for a long time."

"In other words, he is some kind of Nen Aura being living here, and may have just been here for too long, and was slightly affected by the Resentment here."

"After all, Resentment is a kind of thought, right?"

Pakunoda's mind reacted quickly; she immediately deduced the possibility from Kevin's words and what they had learned along the way.

Kevin smiled and looked at him, nodding slightly.

"Your statement is reasonable, and correct to some extent, but things may not be as simple as they seem."

Having seen Nen Aura creatures before, Kevin still didn't believe that the Phoenix he saw was some kind of Nen Aura construct considered to be life.

Men Qi sighed and reminded her, "After all this talk, where 'That Bird? We need to see That Bird, right?"

She got to the point.

In the end, they were chasing after the bird, but what's the point if the bird is gone?

Kevin did not answer, because he couldn't be sure at the moment.

He pinched his chin and began to look around the entire space.

While examining the area, he remarked, "It's strange. If it were a sacrifice of this magnitude, the Resentment gathered here should be quite intense."

"Unless the existence of that Phoenix dispelled a large portion of the resentment, or someone came here hundreds of years ago and cleared away a significant portion of the lingering Resentment."

If it's just a small amount of Resentment, it will naturally dissipate.

But if it's this kind of sacrificial Succession Ceremony, or even this kind of human sacrifice with Altar, then...

Resentment must have some basis.

Kevin cannot apply the knowledge he gained from his past world to this one.

After learning about the Gatekeeper of the Dark Continent and other related matters.

When they learned that humanity's ancestors had fled from the Dark Continent.

We cannot regard human ancestors as some kind of foolish beings.

Such ancient kingdoms constructed Altar like these.

They must be trying to create some kind of Nen tool through the sacrificial Succession Ceremony.

Simply put, the level of Resentment is insufficient.

Either the items were taken away early on.

Either the item is hidden somewhere, or it manages to evade your keen senses.