Chapter 77: Chapter 71: The Cult Grows
After they had freed the children, they knocked them out with precise hits on their necks. They would have taken them back to the village, but that would be a dangerous thing to do during nighttime. Meanwhile, Zeke and Woo gathered the bodies. Zeke used the blood of the leader to write a simple message on a cloth: "This is the price of offending the Divine Demonic Cult." Then he raised it on the flagpole. Woong and Bum returned. Then they all had a meal. There was more than enough food for them. The next morning, they had breakfast and even fed the kids.
At first, the kids were wary of them but relented in the end due to their empty stomachs. The bandits only fed them enough to keep them alive. The bandits really were dumb. If one wants to sell slaves, they need to have enough energy in them to be of value. Nobody would buy a waste of space. Anyways, the kids thanked them for the meal and looked at them as if they were the kids’ idols.
"Good, things are going as planned," thought Zeke. After everyone was full, the Demon Lotus Squad led the kids back to the village. When the villagers saw the kids, light once again returned to their listless eyes along with tears. The families had a happy reunion. While they were celebrating, the Demon Lotus Squad had returned to their hut.
They heard a knock at the door. Zeke opened the door and it was the village chief. The village chief was an old man. Although he was an ordinary man, with not even a hint of internal qi in his body, his eyes contained the ravages of time.
Woo offered him a cup of tea. He took a sip and said, "My gratitude knows no bounds, young heroes."
Zeke could see that the village chief wanted to ask something of them, so he just stayed silent. The village chief took another sip and said, "When I was young, this was still the territory of the Empire. The Emperor was a fool, drunk on the power he wielded. Then, the Cult attacked and I was conscripted into the army as a soldier. I fought for 25 long years, saw my comrades die, and put my life on the line. But what did the fool do? The lustful bastard gave up on this region. So I decided to spend the rest of my life in peace and returned to my home. This village.
"I was a decorated soldier, so the previous village chief made me the village chief and passed on. In those 25 years, I learned one thing: power is the only thing that matters. Only the powerful deserve peace. That’s just the way this world works.
"You must be wondering why I’m rambling on. This old man has a request for the young heroes. I know that I don’t have the right to ask anything of you, but I beg you to fulfill this old man’s dying request. I don’t want these kids to face the same things that I did. Please take them to your sect. It doesn’t matter if they are just handymen. At least they will be safe."
The village chief had tears in his eyes. Zeke exchanged a glance with the trio and looked at the village chief. He said, "We can’t."
The village chief looked sad. Woo said, "It’s for their own good. We don’t belong to any sect. We are from the Cult. And if we take the kids there, they will face horrors that even you won’t be able to imagine."
Although the village chief looked as if he understood what she meant, everybody could tell that he didn’t believe her. Bum looked at him and said, "Old man, we were beggars who were kidnapped by the Cult when we were just six years old. There were two hundred of us at that time. It’s been seven years I think?"
He looked at the other to confirm that he had gotten the time correct. When he saw Zeke nod, he continued, "Our training finished just recently. Guess how many died."
The village chief said somewhat doubtfully, "Ten?"
Hearing this, the Demon Lotus Squad laughed, but one could see a hint of sorrow concealed in that laughter. Woong said, "Ten is the number of survivors, not the casualties."
Woo added, "And we killed a majority of those ourselves because that’s just the kind of place the Cult is. Kill or be killed. So you may call us young heroes, but we are anything but."
The village chief was visibly shaken. Zeke observed him carefully, to see what he would do next. Would he call them demons and shun them or would he...
The village chief took a deep breath and finished his tea in one gulp. He said, "Thank you. And no matter what you have done before, to me and this village, you will always be heroes."
Zeke smiled. He said, "I was hoping that you would say that."
The village chief looked surprised. Not only him, but the trio was also curious. "What if I told you that there is hope for the kids to embark on the path of a Warrior. Are you prepared to pay the price, even if it is your life?"
The village chief said, "I am."
Zeke said, "Good, because you might just have to. Gather the kids in the middle of the village at least an hour before dawn. Oh, and tell them to hunt an animal each. Even a rabbit would do. But it must be their hunt. Or it won’t work and they could die."
The village chief nodded and left in a hurry. The trio then looked at Zeke. Woo said, "Ryeong, are you planning to—"
Zeke interrupted her, "Yes, I am. And this is just the beginning. Now let’s go, we also need to make ample preparations."
They went to the center of the village and Zeke started drawing a huge Totem. He sent the trio to hunt some animals because this was going to need a lot of blood. He just drew a very rough figure with his own blood that would serve as the frame.
Soon the trio returned and he finished drawing the Totem. When it was time, the village chief arrived with 15-16 kids, each holding either a rabbit or a chicken in their hands. The trio helped the kids carve the Totems on the heads of the animals they were holding. Then they helped the kids memorize what they had to say and how the ritual would proceed. The kids were also very excited because from what they had heard, the trio had gone through the same process. Soon, the sun started rising, making the perfect environment for the ritual. When the sun, moon, and the stars were all present.
The children placed the sacrifices that they had prepared inside the Totem as they were instructed to and knelt down. Then they started speaking together, "Oh One who exists outside of Heaven and Hell. Hunter of Demons and Angels. Creator and Destroyer of Myriad Races. Master of Rebirth. Reacher of Untold Planes. Seeker of Lost Knowledge. Beast of Battle. Dominator of Emotions. Ruler of the Celestial Sky. Oh Asuran Star of the Gemini Primogenitors, we call upon you today.
"In this hopeless world, the sun, moon, and stars are our only source of hope. We seek asylum in your benevolent arms. We beg you to accept our faith and let us live as your faithful believers. As proof of our faith, we sacrifice these beasts to you."
As they were kneeling, the blood from the beasts fully filled the Totem. The Totem on the ground started glowing in a bloody light. The Totems on the beasts’ foreheads also started glowing, as if resonating with the one on the ground.
Their bodies started melting into the Totem on the ground. When their bodies disappeared completely, the Totem on the ground seemed to come alive. A blood-red Totem rose from the ground, phasing through Zeke and started floating above him. He manifested the Asuran Neo-Nephilim Primogenitor in all its glory as he felt the familiar feeling washing over him.
He spoke, "This seat is satisfied with your determination to become my believers. You said that you had no hope, so I will give it to you. You wanted power, so I will give you the means to achieve power. My children, look at me."
As the children and their families, who had arrived when the kids were praying, looked at the giant in front of them, piety started growing inside them at an insane speed as they gazed at him. Information suddenly started appearing in their minds, causing them to hold their heads in pain. When they came back to their senses, the winged giant had disappeared leaving only Zeke in the Totem. Then, they all checked the information that they had received.
