Ashes Of Deep Sea

The scale of this sewer system was incredibly vast, so much so that, in Duncan’s eyes, it had clearly surpassed the mere necessity of “city sewage disposal.” The gas lamps adorned with runes seen throughout the sewers, as well as the reinforced structures that seemed capable of serving as shelters, led him to speculate wildly about the true purpose of this subterranean facility.

Regardless of what the architects had originally intended, one fact was starkly evident: deep within this massive complex, away from the gaze of the world above, this dark and chilly place had become the breeding ground for some sort of malevolent force.

A cult, ostensibly worshipping the Sun God, that could only evoke a sense of chill in those who beheld it.

At the intersection of several corridors within the sewer was a spacious underground chamber, its dome built of bricks and stone and supported by solid concrete pillars. Metal pipes crisscrossed near the dome like a spiderweb, while the bright gas lamps illuminated the entire space and the gathered crowd at this “junction.”

A quick glance revealed that at least a few hundred robed figures had congregated in this dank and musty locale. Amidst them was a raised platform protruding from the ground, upon which stood another figure, clad in a similar robe but notably taller—it was clear that this individual held the highest status among the congregation.

The figure on the platform did not wear the hood that adorned the others; instead, a golden mask graced his visage. The mask’s design was bizarre, resembling a disc radiating endless flames in all directions, its surface also etched with numerous fragmented cracks.

Behind this masked figure, atop the platform, was a peculiar totem—a tall wooden stake, with a fireball blazing at its tip. At the core of the fireball seemed to be some type of metal, pocked with many small holes, from which the flames furiously erupted.

When Duncan was “escorted” to this place, this was the scene that lay before his eyes.

The gathering of robed figures also took notice of him.

“On our way to the assembly, we caught an escapee meant for sacrifice!” one of the robed figures who had escorted him stepped forward and spoke deferentially to the platform’s “leader,” his tone not without a hint of self-congratulation, “This sacrifice has spent too long in the darkness and has become somewhat delusional. May you bestow your might so that the glory of our lord may descend upon this pitiable body!”

The golden-masked Cult Priest on the platform turned toward Duncan with an expressionless face, his tone carrying a trace of surprise and chill, “An escaped sacrifice?”

Duncan, however, showed no reaction. He was merely observing the place curiously, including the golden mask on the Cult Priest’s face and the totem of the blazing fireball behind him.

Perhaps, to the common people of this world, these symbols would be deemed bizarre and strange. But he recognized almost instantly what they were attempting to emulate—the Sun.

Not the Sun as it was now in the sky, bound by flames and two layers of Rune Circles, but the Sun he knew, radiating glorious beams of light, burning fiercely.

These people were genuinely worshipping the Sun, venerating what appeared to be a Sun that had “fallen” in some ancient era, and they did so as if it were a deity.

Duncan raised his head and looked squarely at the black-robed Cult Priest who towered above on the platform. Perhaps due to the decay of his facial muscles, his composed demeanor seemed more to the other like a numbness devoid of Spiritual Intelligence.

The golden-masked priest locked eyes with Duncan for less than two seconds before turning his head, instructing someone standing beside the platform, “Go check the place where the sacrifices are held, quickly report back.”

After the order, he nodded at those who had “escorted” the sacrifice back, his tone carrying a touch of praise, “You have done well. Even minor contributions to the cause will transform into eternal glory for you when the True Sun once again shines upon all creation.”

A lukewarm praise given perfunctorily, a few robed individuals seemed to receive immense encouragement, becoming excited as they praised the “True Sun God” and pushed Duncan to the front of the platform. The masked priest then addressed Duncan for the first time, “Poor soul, who has strayed… Could you feel the deep chill amidst the lightless stones and earth?”

Duncan could not grasp what this charlatan was saying, leaving him silent and waiting. The priest, apparently, did not care about the “sacrifice” before him. His words were not so much for Duncan to hear as they were for the surrounding congregation and the Sun God he so fervently believed in:

“Cold and darkness are the afflictions left to this world by the false sun. Under the dominion of the false sun, the vast ocean of gloom and shadow ravages the earth, with only fractured patches of land allowing creatures a meager existence. Even upon these shattered lands, people struggle to escape suffering. The remnants of the old shadows lie beneath the ground, and in the lightless caverns, they writhe their devouring tendrils. Hatred and strife fill the surface world, the pure souls of mankind tainted by the breath invoked by the Evil God…”

“How do we endure this enduring torment? How do we bear the twisted and grotesque world brought upon by the false sun?”

“We cannot bear this any longer, we only wish for our Lord to return, we yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more, to burn fiercely from blood and fire, to bring back order and prosperity to mankind!”

Under the stirring tone of the masked priest, Duncan could clearly feel a change in the atmosphere of the assembly. The black-robed followers became agitated one after another, first echoing the sentiment, then the echoes turned into fervent cries, “We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more! To burn fiercely from blood and fire!” “We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth once more! To burn fiercely from blood and fire!”

“We yearn for the True Sun God to descend upon the Earth,” the priest on the high platform said loudly, and then pointed at Duncan, “and today, our Lord will awaken further from his slumber—the blood of the wanderer will soothe the wounds from the Sun’s fracture!”

“Bring the sacrifice up!”

A few in black robes surged forward, but Duncan was faster—they didn’t even need to push, as he flipped himself up onto the altar.

This body wasn’t much for use, but it was capable of climbing onto an altar.

After climbing up, he came before the masked priest, who still maintained the dignified and mysterious pose from when he had given the order. The shift happened so suddenly, completely beyond the usual unfolding experiences, that the cult leader was caught off guard. Separated by a golden mask, he and Duncan stared at each other, and suddenly the area around the altar fell into a bizarre silence.

Yet Duncan seemed to have taken no notice of the change in atmosphere. He only felt that he had collected more intelligence about this world and was very much looking forward to whether he could witness more rare phenomena before this “temporary body” was disposed of.

“So, what then,” Duncan rubbed his hands with a certain inquisitive anticipation, asking very seriously, “What’s the next step?”

The masked priest: “…”

“Didn’t catch that?” Duncan frowned—though because the muscles on his face weren’t very responsive, it wasn’t a clear frown, “I said, what are we supposed to do next?”

It was then the priest finally came to his senses. Although separated by a mask, there was a moment of confusion in his eyes, but he soon spoke with a deep voice: “The shadows in the darkness have indeed affected your mind, but fear not, the most high and holy Sun will end your suffering… Take the sacrifice to the totem!”

Immediately, two black-robed individuals stepped up onto the platform, grabbing Duncan by the arms and leading him towards the totem pillar topped with a fireball. Duncan was not familiar with this step, naturally he couldn’t “cooperate in advance,” but he remained non-resistive, honestly standing under the burning fireball, “restrained” by the two black-robed men.

Despite Duncan not making any resistive movements, the two black-robed individuals still gripped his arms with great force, as if they feared the sacrifice might make a last-ditch struggle to break free. Their strength was immense, and Duncan could even feel the bones of this temporary body beginning to crack slightly, which made him look at the two black-robed men with significant surprise.

And immediately following, the masked priest came over again.

Duncan’s attention was drawn immediately, as he saw the priest pull out a strangely-shaped dagger from within his robes. The dagger was twisted and warped like dried and contorted joints, its blade black as if forged from obsidian, reflecting the firelight from the totem, creating a peculiarly eerie appearance.

Duncan silently prepared to sever the “soul projection,” knowing that this temporary body had probably collected as much intelligence as it could.

The Cult Priest’s prayer began to echo on the high platform:

“Most high and holy Sun God! Please accept the sacrifice upon this high altar! I offer you the heart of this sacrifice, may you return from blood and fire!”

Duncan immediately stopped the act of severing the soul projection and looked at the cult priest before him as if he was looking at an idiot.

(Damn it!)