Sacrifice

As the adults gradually withdrew, Bangier held Korandi but did not move, because two people remained in place, searching for something— Bangier's father and mother.

After hearing that Bangier had run away with Korandi, they went home to check on things and quickly discovered that two cows had died. Half of their family's income had collapsed, so the most important thing for them right now was to cut their losses.

The cows were bitten to death by venomous snakes. Seeing their bluish skin and flesh, it was clear that the meat had been poisoned. It could be said that, apart from the milk they had accumulated, these two cows were of no value whatsoever.

To survive, they needed to acquire wealth to get through this period. If Bangier and Korandi hadn't run away, selling all their children would have been the best solution, as it would have provided them with some money and resources while reducing the burden on two mouths.

Now that the two children have run away, the two adults are naturally unwilling to give up. To them, the two children are a resource that sustains their lives, so how could they let them escape? After confirming that the two children were indeed here before, they began to search the surrounding area.

Bangier was anxious. Although the ravine was secluded, it wasn't far. Once they got close, it would be easy for anyone to spot them. But running away wasn't an option now; once they escaped from the ravine, they would inevitably be discovered.

Bangier's father's bow and arrows were no slouch either. Although they wouldn't aim for vital organs, they could easily injure the legs. Once they stopped, the two children would have no chance of escaping the adults' pursuit.

"What do we do? It's only a matter of time before they find this place. Even if we escape and avoid being hit by arrows, my sister and I can't outrun Father." Bangier frantically tried to think of a solution, "If this continues, we'll definitely be caught."

This place was some distance from the forest. Bangier's parents were searching the surrounding area and were expected to arrive nearby soon. It was this situation that put Bangier in a desperate predicament.

Just as Bangier was trying to escape on his own, hold off his parents, and let his sister escape, he heard some inhuman shouts. An overwhelming panic gripped everyone around him. Bangier turned around and saw that mist was beginning to rise from the river. In the section in the forest, the mist had turned into black mist and was spreading out of the forest.

"The Black Mist River has rioted..." This thought flashed through Bangier's mind, but he breathed a sigh of relief, "We're saved."

Every year, the Black Mist River experiences a riot, and everyone flees the forest. Even the open spaces outside the forest are deserted. Monsters lurk within the black mist, dragging away those who remain and sacrificing them to the Black Mist River.

The two people who were searching had no choice but to stop reluctantly. It was because of their fear of the black mist that they chose to sacrifice their child in exchange for the mist dissipating and the right to enter the forest to hunt.

The black mist is now gradually spreading, and it's truly impossible for them to risk their lives by touching it.

So the two had no choice but to retreat and join the villagers in preparing for the sacrifice. Those two rascals had probably already escaped into the forest. The creatures they had raised were gone just like that. With no extra harvest, their future would be difficult.

The others gradually retreated, leaving only Bangier with Korandi hiding in the ravine. As they watched the black fog gradually spread in the distance, their anxiety grew once again. The black fog had initially only spread within the forest, but each time it extended outwards.

There used to be some people living outside the forest, but as the black fog spread out, they gradually moved away from the edge, leaving this empty space. Last year, the black fog did not reach this mountain valley, but this time it may not.

So now, Bangier can do is hope that his parents will leave this open space quickly so that he can get out of the ravine and hide on the other side of the hillside.

Fortunately, Bangier's parents, or rather the entire village, were terrified of the black fog. The two people had run back to the village, and seeing them disappear, Bangier quickly led his sister out of the ravine.

Hiding at the foot of the hillside, watching the black fog spread into the valley, Bangier felt his heart pounding in his chest. He and his sister were just a hair's breadth away from being engulfed by the fog. Looking at the fog, Bangier sensed that something within it was staring at him with intense malice.

"Korandi, we need to find a place. The village chief will be leading people to perform the sacrifice soon, and we might still be discovered here." Bangier didn't breathe a sigh of relief; the danger they faced hadn't disappeared, it had only temporarily receded.

"Let's go, over there." Bangier led his sister to an abandoned house not far from the black mist. As the black mist expanded its reach, houses near the edge of the area were gradually being abandoned.

This house is completely dilapidated, and no one ever comes here normally. Bangier and his sister hide here, and unless someone specifically comes looking for them, they won't be found.

Another advantage here is that you can see the riverbank view by looking through the crack in the door.

As evening approached, Bangier, who had finally heard the noise, peeked through the crack in the door and saw that the entire village had come out. There were seven people to be sacrificed, including Kor and Udick.

Kor and Udick only learned of their identities as sacrifices by accident, while the others were completely unaware beforehand, waiting for their fate to be sealed, until today they were all captured—seven sacrifices, their bodies bound with ropes.

All seven people were placed on a small boat, like seven worms, struggling, crying, begging for mercy, and cursing. But in order to live, they could not give up the sacrifice. As sacrifices, everything was already destined.

After the seven people were thrown onto the boat, the unmanned boat slowly began to move. The boat headed upstream towards the source of the forest and gradually entered the black fog. In the black fog, visibility was lost, and all that could be heard was the river water lapping against the hull and the terrified screams of the people on board.

Gradually, the noise subsided. After an unknown amount of time, the sun set, the light faded, and the black fog gradually dissipated into the forest. All the villagers who had been waiting for the result breathed a sigh of relief. The sacrifice had been successful, and there would be no problem with hunting for the next year.

"Gentlemen, as usual, I will be leading a group into the forest tomorrow. Those who are willing to come, come find me later. The reward is negotiable." After saying this, the white-bearded village chief led away with his three large dogs.

Bangier's parents exchanged a glance and walked towards the village chief.

I wasn't feeling well today and wasn't in the right state of mind, so the update is a little late. Also, there might only be two updates today.