Chapter 122

I held my breath and signaled the others to tread lightly. Crouching low, we used the jagged, bizarre rocks for cover and crept toward the Altar in complete silence. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of blood. The closer we got to the Altar, the heavier the smell became, hitting us right between the eyes. Fighting the churning in my stomach, I carefully observed the surroundings. Around the Altar, dozens of figures in black robes stood with fierce and ferocious expressions. Wielding sharp blades and chanting incantations under their breath, they moved in bizarre steps around the Altar, seemingly performing some kind of evil ritual. In the center of the Altar sat a huge bronze cauldron with roaring flames beneath it. Inside the cauldron, dark red liquid boiled, and bare human bones surfaced from time to time, making one's scalp tingle. A masked man in a black robe stood with his back to us in front of the cauldron. His posture was upright, yet he exuded a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.