It stopped all at once.
Though it was still cold, it wasn't that bone-chilling sensation anymore.
She looked up.
It was a sight she would never forget for as long as she lived.
Under the cold moonlight, a figure silently appeared at the edge of the altar.
It was a tall man, wearing a deep black trench coat woven from the night itself, its crimson lining swaying slightly in the windless night. His skin was pale, almost translucent, yet it looked healthy and firm.
Crimson eyes casually scanned the surroundings.
The night was his cloak; the moon was his crown.
He was the Monarch of the Night.
So beautiful.
And so terrifying.
Could this be the Lord of the Moon?
She stared blankly at the figure, her heart pounding in her chest faster than ever before.
If a god truly looked like this, being taken away by him seemed like a stroke of good fortune.
She even began to straighten the hem of her dress that had been ruffled by the cold wind, preparing to receive the deity’s grace.
Then, the Monarch of the Night, radiating an ancient majesty, spoke.
“Good evening, little girl. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere, sitting on a cold rock in the dead of night with flowers in your hair?”
“Do you have any hidden quests, unfulfilled wishes, or unspoken prayers for me? Just so we’re clear, I don’t take fetch quests or delivery missions.”
The awe and trepidation that had risen to her throat were instantly shattered by this rapid-fire string of bizarre words.
Miaoyue was stunned.
No matter how innocent she was, she immediately realized that the Lord of the Moon—who had conducted countless rituals—could never possibly speak in such a tone.
“I... I’m waiting for the Lord of the Moon,” she stammered, cowering instinctively.
“The Lord of the Moon... Wait, you even have Favorability.” The man raised an eyebrow, looking her over with great interest. “But your stats are all low except for Mana... a tiny cup. Forget it, let’s talk about the World Boss first.”
She didn’t know what a World Boss was, nor did she know what a tiny cup meant. She could only bite the bullet and repeat what the village head had told her.
She spoke of how great the Lord of the Moon was and how, as long as a pure maiden was sacrificed, he would protect New Moon Village with twelve years of prosperity and good weather, allowing everyone to live well.
Just as she was halfway through her explanation.
Boom!
The forest behind the altar was brutally leveled.
A terrifying giant beast finally squeezed its way out of the shadows.
Its body was as large as half a hill, covered entirely in festering, oozing rot and grayish-brown leathery skin.
It had no permanent head; a dense cluster of compound eyes of various sizes blinked haphazardly within a mound of flesh. Dozens of barbed tentacles danced wildly on the ground like centipede legs. Swarms of bees buzzed around it, and a red tail trailed behind.
Foul-smelling saliva dripped like a waterfall from its cavernous maw filled with fangs, corroding pitted black holes into the bluestone slabs on the ground.
It was so, so disgusting.
It felt as if looking at it for one second too long would fill one's own body with maggots and sores.
Her eyes widened, and she fearfully covered her mouth, her scream caught in her throat.
Her fragile faith wavered the moment she came face-to-face with such a monster.
What... what was that?
How could there be a monster at such a sacred altar?
They had told her not to move, no matter what happened.
The man’s attention was also drawn by the commotion, and he turned around curiously.
The terrifying giant beast, which had been blustering and preparing to feast on its sacrifice just a moment ago, saw the man's figure reflected in its dozens of compound eyes. In that instant, all of its tentacles stiffened.
The saliva that could corrode rock was forced back down its throat.
The beast’s massive body, like a collapsing mound of sludge, flattened itself firmly against the edge of the altar. It squeezed all of its hideous eyes shut and curled its tentacles submissively beneath its body, its massive frame of flesh trembling violently from sheer terror.
Then, from that cavernous maw filled with fangs, it let out a very faint and extremely fawning:
“Meow~”
She was stunned.
The man also fell silent.
“No matter how you look at it, this doesn't seem like the 'good god' protecting your village, does it?” The man turned his head, pointing at the heap of trembling meat with a mocking tone.
“This... this isn't the Lord of the Moon. It must be his servant or something,” she explained, bracing herself.
Though she didn't know why a servant would be so disgusting.
“The Lord of the Moon is a good god who has always protected us. That’s what everyone says. The village head also said that as long as I...”
“Oh, is that so?”
The man didn't argue with her. Instead, he nodded with great interest.
“Since it's a 'good god,' then that’s quite a coincidence.”
The man cracked his wrists, a dangerous light flickering in his crimson eyes.
“To tell you the truth, I’m an irredeemable villain. I’m currently at a plateau and desperately need to grind some Wickedness Points to level up my Wickedness Trait. Since this thing is a 'good god'...”
She didn't understand what Wickedness Points were at the time.
And that man didn't even draw a weapon or chant an incantation.
He simply cast a cold downward glance at the giant beast with those crimson eyes.
Rate on N.U.
