Chapter 28: Strange Sacrifice, Strange God

Sacrifice?

Hearing the prayer with its implied meaning, the Priestess couldn’t help but frown.

Is this for real…? They can’t be seriously planning to offer their own kin as sacrifices to this so-called god in exchange for help, right? Do they think these kin are beyond saving and might as well be put to use as waste?

What will happen to those who become sacrifices?

As this thought crossed her mind, Vilyric instinctively glanced at Le Qiao Qiao and Hong Yan beside her; their expressions also seemed a bit strange, clearly aware of similar concerns.

The two girls shot a questioning glance at the black-haired girl, but after a moment of contemplation, Vilyric shook her head discreetly, signaling them to remain calm.

Even if the Merman Clan truly had such intentions, Vilyric couldn’t just step in to stop them. After all, these Mermen were part of the East Sea Pearl community, with their families, assets, and everything reliant on the group here, while the Priestess and her companions were mere outsiders to them.

More importantly…

The Priestess caught a glimpse of Queen Anies, who stood firmly in place, seriously observing the ritual’s progress. It seemed the queen noticed the gaze and slightly nodded at her, revealing the same dignified and gentle smile as always.

Anies Mingjiao… She doesn’t look like the type to cast aside wounded comrades from the front lines as mere expendables. At least, she wouldn’t openly do so under everyone’s watch, unless everyone here were her trusted assassins, bound to secrecy.

For instance, that Lumbei chief from the Three-Fin tribe—there’s no way he wouldn’t know about this. If this truly were a cruel sacrifice, that morally upright elder wouldn’t be wearing such a calm expression.

For now, it’s best to observe…

Huh?

At that moment, the black-haired girl suddenly lifted her head as if sensing something, and within her silver-blue eyes, a glimmer of golden light swirled and danced like stars.

Yes, she felt it.

Something was watching them.

There was a complex and immense presence, drawn here by the forces of ritual and prayer, casting a gaze from an unknown place—like a storm sweeping over the sea, or the never-ending undercurrents of the deep ocean.

Is that… the Sea Goddess Vail?

As the deity revered by many sea creatures, the Mermen’s prayers would likely be directed toward Her, and just moments ago, Silisa’s prayer subtly confirmed this.

But if Xi Fu Lin’s speculation is correct, would that entity truly respond to the faithful?

Just as the Priestess was inwardly grumbling, the flickering blue flames of the candles suddenly erupted!

Using her special vision, Vilyric could clearly see the “sacrifices” gathering around them. What was once chaotic sound began to coalesce into a stream, directly flowing toward an invisible point summoned by the ritual, disappearing into it?

What is…?

The Priestess was astonished to realize the essence of what was happening.

What was being summoned in this ritual was actually drawing in the “pollution” from those sick individuals!

Could this be the true offering that the Mermen sought to present?

What on earth was this offering? Why would it absorb such strange things?

Although Vilyric was deeply curious, the entity appearing above the ritual was clearly just a reflection of pure conceptual group, akin to a projection of spirit; tracing its origins was simply impossible.

As the flames surged, the presence of this formless being made the “stickiness” in the room rapidly decline, as if the Sea Goddess herself had accepted the prayer and swept away all the peculiar pollutants in a brief moment, gradually restoring the environment to normal.

Finally, as if satiated after receiving an adequate tribute, an image visible to all suddenly appeared above the ritual site.

Under a gloomy sky, waves crashed against the rocky shore, sounds of unsettling weird stagger echoed from an unknown distance, and vague shadows sprang from the occasional dead tree, plunging themselves into the deep sea.

In this aerial view of an island corner, a slender figure that seemed incongruous with the surroundings was seen looking around, cautiously advancing as if evading something.

Without a doubt, that was Nitira Mingjiao; her appearance and attire matched perfectly with her before she went missing. Though it was hard to see clearly, just like Silisa had asked during the ritual, the presence of the princess had been revealed by that formless entity, a worthy return for the “sacrifice.”

Then, all the flickering blue flames of the candles extinguished at once, and the hazy light showing the location of the Merman girl vanished in an instant. The magical lamps in the inner room began to light up one after another, with the formless entity that had completed the “transaction” also disappearing without a trace.

…

In the ensuing silence, Queen Anies’ command promptly pulled everyone back from their shock.

“Quick, take care of things!”

The Merman girl named Valda, who had been by the queen’s side, rushed forward to support the Sea Priestess, who had fallen back to the ground, barely standing. The door to the inner room swung open, and many doctors from the Three-Fin clan, who had been waiting outside, rushed in to check on the polluted Mermen and clear away the sacrificial items.

It was evident that this had all been a prearranged action.

As Valda helped Silisa back to her companions, the latter appeared pale and unsteady, so weak it seemed she could barely speak, yet her consciousness remained intact.

“Mother, she’s fine; she just overexerted herself and needs a few days to recover.”

“Hmm…”

The queen glanced at her daughter and the Priestess, nodding without much expression, seemingly unbothered by the fantastical scenes earlier. She soon waved her hand at them.

“Thank you for your effort; take her down to rest.”

“Okay.”

“I take my leave…”

Watching her two trusted relatives exit, the Merman queen stood silently in place, her deep and majestic eyes gleaming slightly, leaving one to wonder what thoughts occupied her mind.

After a while, she turned to the contemplative black-haired girl beside her, her expression not showing much surprise but rather seeming to confirm some of her own speculations as she smiled faintly.

“What do you all think?”

Vilyric looked up at Anies.

“What does ‘how’ from your majesty refer to, specifically?”

The queen’s smile remained unchanged.

“Of course, it refers to the ritual you all witnessed. As outsiders who have never encountered such ceremonies, I would like to hear your most instinctive feelings after witnessing this… any aspect is fine.”

“Feelings, huh…”

Not immediately replying to the question, the Priestess nudged the gray-haired Miss Thief behind her with her elbow. The latter blankly exclaimed, “Huh?” then realized what was expected of her. After clearing her throat to mask her embarrassment, she quickly chimed in.

“Uh, if I were to say, that goddess… the Sea Goddess? She must be the Sea Goddess, right?”

“She’s certainly impressive; to find someone she’s never seen before out of thin air—such incredible things can probably only be done by the immortals on the holy island. And she helps out without asking for a price; she’s quite nice…”

“Pff~”

Vilyric burst into laughter.

   

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