The sacrifice

"Clap, clap, clap-"

Rhythmic applause rang out through the dim hall. As it faded, rows of boys in black formal attire stood respectfully before the woman who had been clapping.

Had an outsider witnessed this scene, they would surely have found it deeply unnerving.

The boys looked almost identical: blond hair, golden eyes, and exquisitely handsome features. Their heights, faces, and clothing were astonishingly uniform. The only difference was the tiny serial number beneath each boy's right eye. They wore carefully composed smiles, their eyes utterly vacant.

"Stand properly."

The woman who had made the sound wore black formal attire and had red hair and a bewitching face.

Her name was Kradashi Weddell.

At that moment, Kradashi Weddell was gazing fervently at the statue before her.

The statue had a beautiful face and was completely naked apart from gold ornaments, including a headdress, necklace, and bracelets. Her fingers and toes were clawed, and she had a pair of horns that might or might not have been part of her headdress.

"Beneath the poisonous moon, amber flowed no more, and she stained the snow red... for Yarn to drink deeply of the fermented honey in Ravata's kiss. Yarn lay upon her pale breast-to share in ecstatic repose." Kradashi clasped her hands in prayer, murmuring under her breath.

As she murmured, a blood-red mark appeared on the back of her fair hand. Its outer ring was red, with a curved image traced within. From a distance, it resembled a bleeding goat; up close, it looked like a twisted tentacle.

"Greatest object of Yarn's desire, exalted savior of blood, Mother. On the eve of the Oroko Hunt, your faithful servant offers you a faithful prayer. When vahvuusajat ('the moment of strength') arrives, I shall present the richest of sacrifices."

Kradashi was wholly absorbed in her prayers to [Ravata], one of Yarn's four saints. What she did not know was that, among the rows of vacant-eyed blond boys standing respectfully before her, an unusually lively gleam had suddenly appeared in the eyes of the boy numbered [D·503].

I really want to blow that crazy bitch Kradashi's head off right now!

Xia Xiu grumbled inwardly.

His name was Xia Xiu, a "transmigrator" from the beautiful Great Celestial Empire. This was his first month since transmigrating.

Before transmigrating, Xia Xiu had been playing a game known as Blue Star's next-generation virtual reality game-Terra Chronicles. At the time, the game had just finished updating to its sixth expansion, titled Book of All Realms.

As one of the game's top-tier players, Xia Xiu, known as "Terra's most handsome guy," had been raring to go. He intended to keep making a name for himself in the new expansion.

Who could have guessed? He closed his eyes, opened them again, and found himself in another world.

Unfortunately, he had not transmigrated into some impoverished noble, dejected young man, or street-corner beggar. He had fucking transmigrated into a puppet created by a game villain using [Flesh Sculpting].

This thing was nothing like a homunculus made with the [Philosopher's Stone]. Those were high-end creations.

BIO Species was a highly unusual technology. After followers of the Flesh-Eating Cult prayed to the great sorcerer Yarn, the cult's divine avatar, [The Boundless One Who Overturns], warped reality to produce aberrant beings. Players also called these beings BIO (species) types.

BIO Species were usually hideously malformed creatures. Their very existence was a tribute to Cthulhu aesthetics; the big guy himself would have felt right at home around them.

The BIO creation ritual was not complicated. All you needed to offer was a piece of flesh, and [The Boundless One Who Overturns] would replicate it into countless grotesque aberrations for you.

The woman named Kradashi before Xia Xiu was a member of [Inner Sanctum Awakening], one of the Flesh-Eating Cult's eight major branches. She was quite the oddity within the cult.

Kradashi Weddell was an extremely unusual figure.

First, there were her BIO Species. Rather than conventional aberrant forms, hers were something entirely new. The rows of beautiful boys standing in the hall made that clear: this old woman's BIO types were all handsome males. Hmm... no pretty females.

Her BIO Species also retained certain sexual functions, which abruptly changed the nature of these creations.

Kradashi even sold her satisfactory creations on the market, at outrageously high prices. Even so, demand still outstripped supply.

The first time players bought a [Cloudstone] sold by Director Kradashi on the market, its projection thaumaturgy showed them a whole new world they had never seen before. Quite a few exclaimed on the spot, "Well, damn!" Some female players had gotten into the game specifically to buy Director Kradashi's works.

For players who were just in it for the laughs, Kradashi was one of the few bosses they left alone. Unfortunately, this woman went too far later on and got herself killed.

Now that Xia Xiu had become one of Kradashi's BIO Species, however, he was not having any fun at all. He had plenty of problems to face.

First, BIO Species were not human. In theory, he was merely a lump of flesh that could fall apart at any moment.

Second, he should still have been untouched. Kradashi had not yet laid her hands on him-or rather, on this latest batch of creations.

Xia Xiu had noticed that there were only nine creations of his type, and the old woman had not yet had her way with any of these nine young boys. Based on how Kradashi had died in his previous life, Xia Xiu soon guessed what kind of creation he was. That only intensified his urge to kill her.

As a follower of Ravata, Kradashi enjoyed indulging herself, usually with the creations she was most satisfied with.

Only enormous benefits could make Kradashi restrain her desires, such as the Oroko Hunt.

Tomorrow was the Oroko Hunt, a holy day of the Flesh-Eating Cult, something akin to Christmas. Around this time, followers generally offered devout prayers and presented lavish sacrifices on the day itself.

Barring any surprises, he was the sacrifice. That meant he had to find a way to take Kradashi out, fast.

"You will all stay here tonight. Also, engrave the ritual array according to the plans I gave you." Once Kradashi finished praying, she turned and addressed her creations.

"Yes, madam."

"D·503, come here."

Maintaining his respectful demeanor, Xia Xiu approached Kradashi.

"You will supervise your own kind. I'll transfer the engraving method into your mind."

Kradashi extended her right hand, and Xia Xiu obediently lowered his head. She placed her right hand on his head and soon finished transmitting the design of the Magic Circle needed for this sacrifice.

Kradashi looked somewhat tired after the transfer. After giving Xia Xiu a few instructions, she left.

Woman's worn herself out.

Watching Kradashi walk away with a hand pressed to her abdomen, Xia Xiu grumbled inwardly.

Watching Kradashi walk away with a hand on her belly, Xia Xiu muttered to himself.