Over the following days, similar incidents occurred in several different taverns, scattered across several towns along the border between Noble Faction and Merchant Faction territory.
As adventurers spread the word from mouth to mouth, the news quickly traveled far and wide—and grew more bizarre with every retelling.
That was how rumors worked. They began with "Zhang San bought a painting of a tiger," and before long became "Zhang San killed a tiger," or even "Zhang San was eaten by a tiger." Ordinary events were usually passed around until they became strange; peaceful events were usually twisted until they became eerie.
So what if the original event was dangerous and terrifying to begin with?
In any case, within just a few days, an atmosphere of panic had spread across the long border. Large numbers of cautious adventurers left one after another, while those who remained or came rushing in were brave—or rather, reckless—and ambitious adventurers. The common folk had no way to leave and could only become even more careful. Many households kept their doors tightly barred even during the day. As for the villages, they simply organized militia patrols that watched day and night without rest, hoping to keep those crazed, dangerous cultists at bay and protect themselves.
But these measures had little effect. About ten days later, another cult sacrifice took place.
This time, it caused an even greater uproar than the previous ones, because the cultists had come within a hair's breadth of completing the entire ritual. If not for a ranger devoted to the Justice God arriving so swiftly, the demon that had received the sacrificial offering would already have thrust half a claw through the summoning gate.
Fortunately, that ranger was highly skilled. His arrows flew in an unbroken stream, swift as lightning, and in one