Although Nakano Asaka didn’t say a word, the disbelief was clear in his eyes.
Masaki Taro wasn’t the leader of the sacrifices, but he still felt ashamed of it.
He turned his head away and quietly explained, "The sacrifices weren’t this frequent in the past. It's only in the past six months that we’ve had to hold them once a month. Before that, it was once a year."
Nakano Asaka was speechless: "Sacrificing two people a year is still outrageous."
Masaki Taro was getting a bit frustrated: "I already told you, no lives were taken in the beginning! At first, the sacrifices only required blood!"
"Fine, fine, whatever you say." Nakano Asaka had never encountered anything this absurd in real life, but since this was a game scenario, nothing was surprising.
He didn’t want to argue about moral values with an NPC.
At this point, Gu Zhan interrupted their argument: "Where did this sea god you’re worshipping come from?"
"Of course, it's been passed down through generations..."
Nakano Asaka couldn’t help but interject: "Stop lying, I already know! This can’t have been passed down through generations. You said this sea god’s appetite keeps growing—if it had been a generational thing, your village would’ve been wiped out long ago! So, tell me, where did this evil god you’re worshipping really come from?"
"…"
All of Masaki Taro's tricks had been exposed. After a moment, he finally nodded and admitted, "Yes, you’re right. The sea god was invited by the village chief five years ago, from the sea."
"Invited from the sea?"
Masaki Taro said, "Yes, our village has a tradition of inviting gods from the sea. The elders say that anything that has drifted on the ocean for long enough, even if it's just a piece of wood, can be inhabited by a spirit. We worship these spirits and make wishes to them..."
"The sea god was invited five years ago. It's very powerful and can grant any wish. The village chief kept it in the shrine… The shrine is by the coast, the place you mentioned with the guards. But the sea god demanded human blood for sacrifices. At first, just a few drops, but over time, it asked for more and more."
Nakano Asaka was speechless. "…"
What kind of nonsense was this?
He couldn’t help but say, "If the sacrifices keep increasing, will you just let it keep killing people? Won't your whole village be wiped out? If everyone dies, what's the point of having your wishes granted?"
Masaki Taro looked dejected. "The village chief leads the sacrifices, and he's the one making the wishes. We ordinary people have no say. As long as he refuses to stop, we have to pay the price for his desires."
Nakano Makoto asked, "So, how do you plan to escape? According to what you said, the village chief should be very afraid of the sacrifices escaping."
"I…" Masaki Taro was at a loss for words.
After a long pause, Akiko who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Just tell them."
Masaki Taro glanced at Akiko then finally relented, "There's a cave in the mountains behind the village that leads outside. The mountains are guarded, but the cave avoids the guards."
Akiko added, "We found the cave when we were kids playing in the mountains. No one in the village knows about it. If we can get to the cave, we can leave this place."
Masaki Taro said, "You can escape if you want, but you mustn't tell the village chief! It won’t do you any good!"
"What do you think?" Nakano Asaka turned to Gu Zhan. "Should we escape?"
Gu Zhan replied, "We should probably go back and discuss it with the others. They might not all want to leave."
"True." Nakano Asaka nodded.
Masaki Taro said, "It doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t get in our way when we try to escape…"
Just as he finished speaking, footsteps approached from outside.
Masaki Taro jumped in fright and trembled. "Someone’s coming!"
Fortunately, the group passed by without noticing them and soon left.
Masaki Taro, still panicked, said, "We can’t stay here long… I’ll tell you the location of the cave. If you make up your mind, leave on your own! We can’t wait any longer!"
With that, he went to the corner, helped Akiko up, and asked softly, "Can you walk?"
Akiko nodded.
Masaki Taro supported her as they headed out. As they passed Gu Zhan, he whispered, "If you can leave, do it quickly. After we escape, the village chief will likely move up the sacrifice… If you don’t leave tonight, you’ll have no chance!"
After Masaki Taro and Akiko left, Gu Zhan stepped outside too. The sky was starting to brighten, and he said, "Let’s head back."
Thanks to the star compass watch, they made their way back without alarming anyone.
When they returned to the room, they found Miyamoto Satoshi already there.
Seeing Gu Zhan and Nakano Asaka suddenly appear, Miyamoto Satoshi was surprised but didn’t ask questions. He knew better than to pry, understanding that it wasn’t unusual to have useful tools in the game.
He smiled and said, "Where have you two been? The village chief stopped by earlier. I told him we weren’t up yet and didn’t let him in. He asked us to join him for breakfast later."
"We ran into a little trouble," Gu Zhan said briefly. "Let’s consolidate what we know before we head out."
Miyamoto Satoshi chuckled. "So, you want me to share the information I’ve gathered, huh?"
Nakano Asaka quipped, "We’ve figured out how to leave the village. You can either share your info or work out your own escape plan."
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled. "No need to be so harsh. We’re all in this together, right? Mutual help is the key to survival."
Nakano Asaka to scoffed. "You didn’t seem so eager to help earlier."
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright. I did find out something, so I’ll share it with you."
"You’ve already figured out the escape route, so you must know why the village chief is keeping us here."
"They’re preparing for a sacrifice that requires human offerings, and we’ve probably been selected as the next sacrifices. Besides that, I’ve also learned a bit about the sea god."
Miyamoto Satoshi continued, "There’s a tradition here of worshipping things that wash ashore. The sea god in Haizhu Village was discovered by the village chief—a massive scale that he picked up from the sea. They believe it’s the scale of a sea dragon, so they began to worship it. However, this scale is different from ordinary sea gods. It forbids anyone from approaching it, which is why they placed the shrine far from the village, on the coast."
"A scale?" Gu Zhan frowned. "What we saw in the shrine wasn’t a scale."
Miyamoto Satoshi replied, "Then maybe it’s not the sea god. After all, the Haizhu Village we visited earlier and the current Haizhu Village are completely different… The village we first visited must be at least decades ahead of this one."
After he finished, Miyamoto Satoshi said, "I’ve told you everything I know. What about your side?"
Gu Zhan shared some of the information they had gathered and finally mentioned the cave in the mountains.
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "It seems like we have no choice but to escape. Dying here might mean actual death."
Upon hearing that dying in the game could mean real death, Chishima Kei, who had already been unstable, became hysterical. "I want out! I need to leave this place!"
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled and comforted her, "We’ll definitely leave, don’t worry... but before we go, let’s have a meal."
They had been wandering around the village for half the night and were exhausted; they needed to eat. Showing up in front of the village chief would also put him at ease, making it easier for them to escape.
As they headed downstairs, just as expected, the village chief was already waiting at the dining table.
Seeing that everyone was present, the village chief visibly relaxed and smiled, "You’re finally awake! The food’s gotten cold, so hurry up and eat."
The table was filled with dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful.
Everyone sat down to eat, while the village chief stayed nearby, not leaving.
He smiled and said, "This must be your first time in Haizhu Village, right? Many people come here to see the sea. They call it... what’s the word? Tourism? You can also explore the village. I’ve arranged guides to show you around."
Everyone knew that this "guide" was really there to keep an eye on them.
The ritual would last a long time, and according to Masaki Taro, it would take at least two months before the five of them were completely "used up."
Until then, keeping them emotionally stable would save the village chief a lot of trouble.
So, delaying the revelation of his true intentions as long as possible worked in his favor.
They all played along, asking the village chief about interesting places in the village.
The village chief said, "Since we’re by the sea, I would’ve invited you to enjoy the view, but the weather’s been bad lately, with the risk of storms at any time. So, it’s better to stay away from the shore. You can explore the village instead."
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "We’ve got a few places we’d like to visit. These two friends of mine, Akiyama and Nakano want to go up the mountain, while I’d prefer to wander around the village."
Takagawa Ayaka added, "My friend and I aren’t feeling well, so we’d like to stay here and rest."
"Ah..." The village chief looked troubled as everyone wanted to go to different places.
Miyamoto Satoshi kindly suggested, "How about this? We’ll split up, and I’m sorry to trouble you, village chief, but could you arrange more guides to accompany us?"
Hearing that they voluntarily asked for more companions, the village chief was delighted. He nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, I’ll arrange that right away."
Once the village chief left, Miyamoto Satoshi said, "It’s better for us to split up. It increases the chances of individual escape... In the end, whoever escapes or stays behind will depend on their own abilities."
This group didn’t really trust one another, so splitting up was the best option.
It wasn’t long before the village chief returned with the guides. Miyamoto Satoshi left first, with Gu Zhan and Nakano Asaka following closely behind.
The NPC assigned to monitor Gu Zhan and Nakano Asaka was completely unaware of what was about to happen, leading them aimlessly around the village.
Nakano Asaka, looking restless, kept asking to go to more secluded areas. The NPC, perhaps feeling secure on his own turf, let his guard down. After walking for a while, he suddenly realized the people he was guiding had disappeared.
Only then did he sense something was wrong, but by that time, it was too late. As he turned around, Nakano Asaka knocked him out from behind. The NPC collapsed to the ground in a heap.
As the man fell, Nakano Asaka even kindly caught him.
Gu Zhan said, "Drag him off the road."
The roadside grass was thick, hiding him from immediate sight.
After taking care of things, Nakano Asaka came up to Gu Zhan, "Shall we go?"
"Let’s go."
They headed toward the cave.
Just as they reached a bend on the village's back path, they suddenly saw a crowd of people up ahead. They had deliberately chosen a quiet path—how could they run into so many people?
Had they been discovered?
But then, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd—it was none other than Miyamoto Satoshi!
He was dragging someone with him, an unconscious Chishima Kei.
The surrounding villagers were in chaos, with someone shouting, "There's a fire! There’s a fire!"
“……”
They turned to see thick smoke rising from the houses behind them.
It wasn’t that they’d been discovered; it was a fire.
There was no need to guess—Miyamoto Satoshi must have started it.
Miyamoto Satoshi came up to Gu Zhan and said, "Why are you standing there? Hurry up and go!"
Nakano Asaka and Gu Zhan quickly followed him.
Seeing Miyamoto Satoshi dragging the unconscious Chishima Kei, Nakano Asaka couldn’t help but ask, "Why did you save her?"
Although Miyamoto Satoshi didn’t know what had happened to them, he raised an eyebrow and smiled when he heard this, "What, did she put the jar in your room?"
"You..." Nakano Ayaka paused, "How do you know?"
Miyamoto Satoshi laughed, and Nakano Aaaka immediately realized that maybe he hadn’t known before, but now that he had said something, Miyamoto Satoshi certainly knew now.
“……”
Nakano Asaka felt a bit foolish.
Perhaps trying to console him, Miyamoto Satoshi chuckled, "It wasn’t hard to guess."
Even though he had saved Chishima Kei, he didn’t seem to care much about her life. He dragged her like a sack of potatoes, her back scraping along the ground. It looked painful just watching.
At this rate, Chishima Kei might be dead by the time they reached the cave.
They left Haizhu Village without encountering anyone, thanks to the fire Miyamoto Satoshi had set.
The cave was on a hillside, and they quickly found it.
Just as they were about to enter the cave, Gu Zhan suddenly stopped at the entrance.
He turned back, looking toward Haizhu Village.
At some point, the village had been completely enveloped by dark clouds, and the distant sea roared, sending waves crashing ashore. Deep within the black mist, something seemed to be moving rapidly toward the village… like a giant sea creature opening its abyssal maw toward Haizhu Village.
After throwing Chishima Kei into the cave, Miyamoto Satoshi followed Gu Zhan’s gaze and glanced back at the village too.
Then, Miyamoto Satoshi, stunned, said, "Wait, no... the fire I set wasn’t this big!"
At first, he didn’t react, thinking the thick smoke was from the fire he started.
Gu Zhan said, "It’s not smoke; it’s a storm."
"What storm..." Miyamoto Satoshi instinctively denied it, but upon looking closer, it really was a storm.
The ominous black clouds loomed heavily over them, rushing in their direction, accompanied by the roar of furious waves... How could this be?
Miyamoto Satoshi was horrified. "This... this isn’t just a normal storm, is it?"
However, what shocked them even more was yet to come.
Behind the overwhelming waves, there was a pitch-black, unknown entity. The moment Gu Zhan saw it, a sharp pain shot through his head, and he felt like he was about to collapse!
Nakano Asaka, standing next to him, let out a scream before immediately fainting on the spot!
Miyamoto Satoshi clutched his right eye, and through his fingers, an eerie blue light glowed faintly. Then, blood began to pour from his seven orifices.
"Quick... run..."
Gu Zhan knew they couldn’t stay there any longer. He grabbed Nakano Asaka and headed for the cave entrance.
The moment they entered the cave, everything went black, as if something heavy had crushed Gu Zhan’s chest.
Suddenly, the chaos around them subsided. Gu Zhan found himself in a space filled with the scent of blood.
When he opened his eyes, the rocky walls around him were pitch black. Miyamoto Satoshi sat on the ground nearby, blood streaks at the corners of his eyes and mouth; Nakano Asaka lay next to him, muttering incoherently.
Takagawa Ayaka had probably arrived earlier. Since she hadn’t seen the terrifying storm, she seemed relatively okay.
But her eyes were wide open, and she appeared frightened.
Gu Zhan glanced outside the cave. This place felt familiar—it was the same shrine by the sea they had visited before.
He looked again toward the entrance, and the sky outside was dark. Clear moonlight shone into the cave, and everything outside was calm, with only the rhythmic sound of the waves breaking the silence.
"......"
On the other side, Miyamoto Satoshi had regained his composure. He wiped the blood off his face and, leaning against the wall, struggled to stand. In a low voice, he said, "We’ve left Haizhu Village."
At this moment, they were still in Haizhu Village.
But both of them knew that Miyamoto Satoshi wasn’t talking about the present Haizhu Village.
He meant the village where living people still remained, where the ritual was still being conducted.
A few minutes later, Nakano Asaka finally came to his senses. Ironically, despite being the first to faint, Nakano Asaka had suffered the least damage.
Looking dazed, he stood up and asked the two, "What happened? Where are we now?"
Gu Zhan was still in shock and didn’t feel like explaining, so he simply motioned for Nakano Asaka to look for himself.
The familiar shrine stood right behind them.
Nakano Asaka exclaimed, "What on earth is going on?!"
Even Takagawa Ayaka couldn’t hold back anymore, breaking down as she shouted, "What is happening?! Why are we back here again?!"
Miyamoto Satoshi let out a bitter laugh, "Let’s head back. We can talk once we’re back."
He didn’t want to stay in the shrine even a minute longer.
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