The scale of this sewer system is extremely large. In Duncan's eyes, it has completely surpassed the necessity of the single function of "urban sewage". Gas lamps with runes and reinforced structures that can be used as refuge shelters can be seen everywhere in the sewers. It allows him to make many guesses about the location of this underground facility.
But no matter what the builder's ideas were at the beginning of the design, one fact is obvious: deep in this huge facility, beyond the eyes of the above-ground world, this dark and cold place has become a breeding ground for some evil force. nursery.
A cult that worships the sun in name only makes people feel chilly.
The intersection of several corridors in the sewer is a wide underground space. Solid cement pillars support a dome made of bricks and stones. Metal cast pipe structures are connected vertically and horizontally near the dome, like a spider web, illuminated by bright gas lamps. It illuminates the entire space and also illuminates the crowd gathered at this "intersection"——
At a glance, there were at least hundreds of people in black robes gathered in this dirty and humid place. In the middle of them was a high platform protruding from the ground. On the high platform stood a tall figure also wearing black robes. That was obviously the person with the highest status among this group of men in black robes.
The man standing on the high platform did not wear the same hood as the others, but wore a golden mask. The mask had a strange shape, like a disk that radiated endless flames around, and its surface was simultaneously Engraved with a large number of fragmented cracks.
Behind the masked man, there is a strange totem on the high platform - it is a tall wooden stake, with a blazing fireball fixed on the top. The core of the fireball seems to be some kind of metal, and its core is some kind of metal. There are many small holes on the surface, and the flames spurt out from those small holes.
When Duncan was "escorted" here, what he saw was such a scene.
The people in black robes gathered in the assembly hall also noticed him.
"We caught an escaped sacrifice on the way to the assembly venue!" One of the men in black robes who was responsible for the escort stepped forward and said respectfully to the "leader" on the high platform, with a tone of voice that was asking for credit. Meaning, "This sacrifice has been in the darkness for too long, and its thinking has been a little confused. May you use your power to let the glory of our Lord descend on this miserable body!"
The cult leader wearing a golden mask on the high platform turned around and stared at the expressionless Duncan, with a hint of surprise and coldness in his tone: "A sacrifice that escaped?"
Duncan did not react at all. He was just observing this place curiously, including the golden mask on the face of the cult leader and the totem of burning fireballs behind him.
Perhaps, these symbols were weird and bizarre to ordinary people in this world, but he could tell almost at a glance that these things... were imitating the sun.
It is not to imitate the "light ball" that is bound by a large amount of flames and double rune rings in the sky today, but to imitate the blazing sun that Duncan is familiar with, emitting thousands of rays of light.
These people are really worshiping the sun, worshiping a sun that seems to have "fallen" in a very ancient era, and worshiping it as some kind of god.
Duncan raised his head and gazed calmly at the black-robed priest who was overlooking him on the high platform. However, perhaps due to the necrosis of facial muscles, his calm look seemed more like some kind of numbness that had lost his mind in the eyes of the other party.
The priest wearing a golden mask looked at Duncan for less than two seconds, then turned his head and ordered a person standing next to the high platform: "Go and check the place where the sacrifices are kept, and come back quickly."
After giving the instructions, he nodded to the men in black robes who "escorted" the sacrifices back, with a hint of praise in his tone: "You have done a good job, even if it is a small credit to the Lord, it will be in the future." The sun will shine upon all things again and become your eternal glory.”
It was just a routine compliment, but the men in black robes seemed to have received great encouragement. They became excited one by one, praising the "real sun god" while pushing Duncan to the high platform, and the masked man The priest did not speak to Duncan until now: "Poor man who has gone astray...did you feel the deep cold between the lightless rocks and soil?"
Duncan couldn't understand what the priest was saying at all, so he could only wait in silence. And the priest obviously didn't care about the reaction of the "sacrifice" in front of him. His words were not meant for Duncan, but more like He said this to the believers around him and to the "Sun God" he believed in:
"Coldness and darkness are the sufferings left by the false sun to this world. Under the rule of the false sun, the deep and dark ocean rages in the world. There are only small pieces of fragmented land for living creatures to survive. But even on these fragmented land, the world's people It is also difficult to escape suffering. The shadows of the past are entrenched underground, and their claws and claws that choose people to eat are crawling in the lightless crypt. The ground is filled with hatred and disputes, and the pure souls of human beings are contaminated by the breath of evil gods...
"How do we endure this long suffering? How do we endure the twisted and absurd world brought about by the false sun?
"We can't bear it. We only hope that our Lord will return, and that the true Sun God will come to the earth again, burning with blood and fire, and bring order and prosperity back to the world!"
Incited by the masked priest's extremely encouraging tone, Duncan could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the assembly hall had changed. The believers in black robes became excited one after another. They first echoed, and then echoed. Then it turned into a fervent cry: "May the true sun god come to the earth again! Burning in blood and fire!" "May the true sun god come to the earth again! Burning in blood and fire!"
"I hope the true sun god will come to the earth again," the priest on the high platform said loudly, and then pointed at Duncan, "and today, my lord will further wake up from his deep sleep - the blood of the lost will soothe the scars after the sun collapsed. !
"Bring the sacrifices!"
Several men in black robes swarmed up from the side, but Duncan was faster than them - he turned over and climbed onto the altar without anyone pushing him.
Although this body is not very easy to use, it can still climb up a platform.
After climbing up, he came to the front of the masked priest, who still maintained the majestic and mysterious posture when he gave the order just now - the change happened very suddenly, and the unfolding method was completely beyond past experience, which made the cult leader suddenly Without reacting, he looked at Duncan through the golden mask, and the area around the altar suddenly became eerily quiet.
Duncan seemed not to notice the change in the surrounding atmosphere at all. He just felt that he had collected more information about the world, and was looking forward to seeing more rare scenes before this temporary body was "discarded".
"Then what?" Duncan rubbed his hands with a sense of inquiring anticipation and asked seriously, "Then what? What's the next step?"
Masked Priest: "..."
"Didn't you hear me clearly?" Duncan frowned - but because the muscles on his face were not working well, he did not frown, "I said, what should I do next?"
At this time, the priest finally reacted. Although he was separated by a mask, there was obviously confusion in his eyes for a moment, but soon he spoke in a low voice: "The shadow in the darkness has indeed affected you. Mind, but rest assured, the High and Holy Sun will put an end to your suffering...Bring the sacrifice to the totem!"
Two men in black robes immediately walked onto the stage from the side and took Duncan's arm towards the totem pole holding the fireball. Duncan didn't know much about this step, so naturally he couldn't "cooperate in advance", but he still remained non-resisting. In this state, he honestly stood under the blazing fireball under the "clamp" of the two men in black robes.
Although Duncan made no physical resistance, the two men in black robes who grabbed his arms still used great strength to clamp down on the "sacrifice"'s arms, as if they were afraid that the sacrifice would break free at the last moment due to violent resistance. Their strength was so strong that Duncan could even feel the bones of the temporary body bursting apart bit by bit, which made him look at the two men in black robes in surprise.
Immediately afterwards, the masked priest came over again.
Duncan's attention was immediately attracted. He saw the priest take out a strange-shaped dagger from his arms. The dagger was curved strangely like a dry and twisted knuckle. The blade was dark as if it were made of obsidian, and its surface reflected The firelight on the totem looks strange and extraordinary.
Duncan silently made preparations to cut off the "soul projection". He knew that this was the only information that this temporary body could collect.
The prayers of the cult priests sounded from the high platform:
"O supreme and holy Sun God! Please accept the sacrifice on this high platform! I offer you the heart of this sacrifice, and I hope you will return it from the blood and fire!"
Duncan immediately stopped cutting off the soul projection and looked at the cult priest in front of him as if he were a fool.
(Oh my god!)
