Chapter 48: 47 – Plaza of Sacrifice

White light... And then we were in a new place. Unlike the first stage though, we were all together.

Since we were, I focused on my surroundings to take stock of the situation.

Including us, there were 166 participants. A lot of people, but the area we arrived in was an open field, so it wasn't an issue.

But the atmosphere was strange.

'Is it because of that?'

I shifted my gaze to the center of the field.

There, two holes sat about ten meters apart from each other. Each was about two meters in diameter, just wide enough to swallow a person from head to toe when thrown on their side.

That was odd enough. But then there was the object... Or rather, objects between the holes.

A rectangular stone tablet that appeared almost like a gravestone, and then a giant hourglass floating above it.

'No. That's not it.'

While the tablet and hourglass seemed to draw everyone's gaze, that wasn't the source of the strange atmosphere. Instead...

'Tch.'

A thin presence, barely noticeable. Like EMF waves, it was a mana radiation on a frequency that couldn't be detected by normal people... Or probably anybody but me, and yet strong enough to have an effect. Not on the body, but enough to irritate. Like staying up too late.

Glancing at my friends, I noticed that they were getting riled up, so I quickly moved to stabilize the mana.

But then divine energy swept out.

Was it because I'd been acting so willy nilly? Before I could react, the divine energy reached us. Almost immediately, it tried to force something on me.

But as always, I ripped the energy to shreds and added it to my store. Still, in the process I picked up information that the energy was trying to pass on. And when I saw what that was...

"Dammit."

xxx

[1. The Plaza of Sacrifice (Left)]
Activation Condition: At least 6 people must enter.
Difficulty: Static
—Exit blocked once entered.
—Exit automatically opened once all enemies eliminated or no challengers remain.

[2. The Plaza of the Dissonant Wish (Right)]
Activation Condition: The Activation of the Plaza of Sacrifice
—Activated every time the Plaza of Sacrifice is activated. At most 6 people can enter.
—Can acquire the Dissonant Wish
—Stepping on the red portal on top of the altar will transport the challenger to Stage 3 or Paradise. Leaving through the exit will return them to Stage 2.

[3. Miscellaneous]
—10 people can enter Stage 3.
—Successfully defeating the Plaza of Sacrifice 20 times will permanently activate the Plaza of the Dissonant Wish and disable the entry limit (All can enter).

WARNING! If the Plaza of Sacrifice is not activated before the hourglass’s sand completely trickles down, a huge group of monsters will appear in the field.

xxx

A deadly silence. Looking around, I saw that everyone's expression was grim.

Of course. The rules were basically set up to cause that dilemma.

One group had to go fight unknown dangers in order to open a path to the exit. But the group that fought wouldn't be able to use that exit, and that exit would only let six people out at a time.

A setup that seemed to really suit the name of the 'Plaza of Sacrifice.' From how things played out, the 'best' situation would be to throw in the weak to allow a way out for the strong.

And if we didn't hurry and decide, all of us would have to face a horde of monsters.

A seemingly lose-lose situation.

But...

Suddenly, the hourglass spun on its end. With it, sand started trickling down.

Meaning the clock had started.

xxx

Maria clung to my back and said, "This is bad, Oppa."

"Tch." Chohong glanced around at everyone and said, "What a fucking mess."

Yuhui didn't say anything, but I could see that she seemed upset too.

"Haah." Kazuki let out a deep sigh and said, "What a twisted setup. How is anyone going to agree in a situation like this?"

Arguments were already breaking out in the distance deciding on what to do. Whether to all charge into the Plaza of Sacrifice to determine that 'static' difficulty or to just wait things out.

I frowned, deep in thought.

The situation was bad. The hourglass was a deep crimson, bordering on black. That meant that the fight was something we definitely should avoid.

In contrast, the hole on the left, the so-called 'Plaza of Sacrifice' was orange. Dangerous, but nothing that a little preparation and precaution couldn't handle.

However...

'Idiots.'

Everyone was red. Well, everyone but my group... Probably by virtue of my presence.

At this rate, this Banquet was going to be a massacre just as bad as the previous one.

Even so... It was hard to decide.

I wanted to act. But at the same time, I held back.

There was a lot at risk here. How much should I reveal? How much should I hold back? SHOULD I hold back?

In the distance, I saw Rahee drag a guy to the pit who had been arguing with her. With that, the mood was starting to go south.

Kazuki glanced at me. "Jihu?"

Was it out of respect? He seemed to be waiting for my thoughts as well.

I frowned.

...This wasn't right. I could sense it. The obvious solution here that the rules set to play out wasn't the proper solution.

From how the first stage rewarded keeping everyone alive, and from the fact that this was set up by the gods... It was clear that sacrificing people was the wrong answer. No, not 'wrong', but rather, not the 'best' answer.

Instead, that would be to have everyone make it through. But...

While I was thinking, a loud thud echoed. The hole suddenly shut, meaning that someone had entered. At the same time, a crimson portal emerged in the right hole.

Kazuki frowned, and muttered, "And now we wait."

I crossed my arms, mulling over the situation.

What was right? What was wrong? In a situation like this...

xxx

Time passed and the situation turned for the worse.

The group that entered came out in pieces, all of them dying a gruesome death. And considering that they were apparently filled with High Rankers and level 4s, that didn't bode well.

...Or so everyone was thinking.

Still...

"Dammit. Looks like there's no choice."

Maria glanced at me. "Oppa?"

I shook my head and watched as Kazuki returned from examining the corpses. "What's the situation, Kaz?"

"Bad." He grimaced and said, "They died from a Devourer."

Chohong's eyes widened. "The fuck? Something like that's in there?"

Maria paled and started to tremble.

I patted her head to calm her down and then turned towards Chohong. "Fill me in here. How bad we talking?"

Chohong frowned. "...It shouldn't be a problem for High Rankers and level 4s. But since that was a wipe..."

"We don't know how many there were." Kazuki finished with a grimace. He ran his hand through his hair and said, "We'll have to all go in to make sure. Otherwise we'll just keep getting picked off like this."

Hugo frowned, crossing his arms.

Kazuki sighed and then turned towards Yuhui. "Will you help us?"

She nodded. But then she looked to me.

Kazuki did as well. "Jihu?"

"...Everyone stay close." I stared at the other people scrambling about and said, "We'll help probe, but that's it for now. Don't risk your lives for no reason. If all else fails..." I narrowed my eyes and said, "We're bailing."

Kazuki blinked. "Bailing?"

I nodded and then stared at the holes. "...I don't want to turn the board over, but you guys matter more than some dumb treasure or potential clout. If this place tries to trap us all... Well." I let out a cold smile and said, "Coach didn't teach me these skills for no reason."

"...I see." Kazuki nodded. "Then I'll rely on you again in that case, Benefactor."

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that... But let's go." I placed my hand on my sword and said, "We need information."

xxx

A short scouting mission... Or rather, a forced scouting mission.

Kazuki took the lead after that and organized with the other High Rankers to bring everyone into the Plaza of Sacrifice to measure the difficulty.

I stayed back, focusing on protecting Maria and Yuhui.

A bloody and tense atmosphere. People screaming and being forced to go in with tears.

Something inside of me said that it was wrong. That this wasn't the right way to solve the stage.

But I didn't act on it just yet.

When we passed through the portal in the hole, we arrived in a colosseum with seven doors evenly spread apart around us. A death match.

But it wasn't anything much. At least, not with all of the participants there.

Over two hundred monsters emerged from the doors. Lioners, the same that I saw in the Forest of Denial, and some stronger versions of them.

But since there were so many level 4s in the group, paired with all the High Rankers, I didn't even have to do anything. Instead, I took the time to gauge the situation.

...Doable. It was doable.

If a group of elites entered the Plaza of Sacrifice, it would be possible to clear now that we knew what to expect and the format.

I was fairly certain I could handle it as well. But the problem came after.

When the Plaza of Sacrifice was cleared, because it was a chaotic mess, everyone gathered together to regroup with their teams.

But that was when a big problem came up- Or rather, the inevitable problem in this situation.

142 people entered the Plaza of Sacrifice. There were a dozen casualties, leaving 130 people behind. But when the head count was over... There were only 127.

And since the portal to the Plaza of the Dissonant Wish was open, that could only mean that three people used the commotion to escape.

A crossroads. Despite the chaos going on, I was calm. Or rather, I had to be calm.

I could sense it. If the objective was to just get out of here safely, I could easily resolve it by warping us all out of here. Divine enclosure or not, I could already manipulate Divine Energy with my Energy Manipulation. Now that it was Energy Domination, tearing a hole out of here was simple... Not to mention that I could just use Jun's presence as a beacon to drag us out.

But that wasn't my objective. Our objective.

The whole point of this place was to increase Carpe Diem's name and raise our prestige.

I could care less about those Dissonant Wishes and Harmonious Wishes, but the opportunity to cement our place...

We were already doing well. In the first stage, all of us made a good showing.

But it wasn't enough.

Like I thought earlier, 'acknowledgment' and 'respect' wouldn't be able to help. Against the potential threats coming up... I... WE needed to become a force that could call the winds and the seas. Something that everyone had to acknowledge.

But...

I kept a neutral expression and waited, observing the situation.

A conference was organized to discuss the options of what to do. But the inevitable conflict of people wanting everyone to fight and the problem of who to let through the Plaza of Dissonant Wish couldn't be solved... Or rather, no one agreed on a solution.

And then night fell. The first in these open plains.

It was tense. The participants had split up into two major factions. The majority, those who were strong and wanted to fight. And the minority, those who were weaker and wanted to leave.

A clear divide was formed, and each side banded together. Even so, the individual teams and groups stuck to themselves and made camp a fair distance from the others.

The same was true for us.

Unlike the others though, our group had an advantage.

Me.

While the others had makeshift tents, I properly made us a sturdy bunker to be assured of our safety.

Even so, we would take turns sleeping in shifts to be sure.

I didn't need to sleep, so I volunteered to be first watch.

And like that, I saw it.

It was dark out. Despite being an artificial world, the sky was still a beautiful starry sea.

But considering the situation, it seemed more like a deep abyss.

"Dammit."

This wasn't like me. The situation had an obvious solution. Kazuki had told me the answer too.

'Dominate.'

I was a person who didn't want to bow down to anyone. My natural tendency was to charge ahead and force people to follow.

But...

"There are too many variables."

I sighed and then leaned against the bunker, staring out into the distance.

It was pitch black. Everyone had decided to rest up, conserving as much energy as they could. I saw a few others keeping watch like I did, but they looked fatigued. Drained.

So they didn't notice it.

"Hm?"

Six figures were moving by the pits. Barely visible to the naked eye. Not only that, but they were actively concealing themselves, enough that even a High Ranker would probably miss them.

But not me.

And the reason for that...

'Destiny Severance?'

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A flash of azure light in the distance. With it, a scene played out in my mind.

"UWWWOOOOOAH!"

A devilish man with flowing black hair and crimson eyes. His mana surged with utter malice and his muscles bulged with immense strength.

It was a battlefield. And surrounding the man were hundreds of corpses. Knights from various kingdoms throughout Paradise.

Was this a final battle...?

I could see some figures in the distance fighting. A spectral knight on a horse, a succubus floating in the air... Some of my friends were there too.

But before I could focus on them, the man charged at me.

A speed I could barely keep up with. In a flash, he was in front of me, twisted mana that felt like pure malice trying to crush me.

And then the vision changed.

That same man, standing by my side. It was another battlefield, similar to the first. And the man's powers were the same. But instead of anger and uncontrolled rage, they were calm. Stepping forward, he looked at me and nodded before charging at a skeletal dragon.

The vision shattered. When it did, I was already moving.

"I'm an idiot." I drew my sword and closed the gap. As I did, the azure light vanished, replaced with gold. And that golden light illuminated the surroundings, revealing the source.

That silver-haired frail girl from stage one. A pair of men were holding her, trying to toss her into the pit. She struggled, but her body was stiff, as if she couldn't control it properly.

There were already five other people in the pit. Unlike the silver-haired girl though, they were unconscious- No. There was one person that wasn't. The same man in my vision. The same man who arrived on the mountaintop with blood all over his body.

He was staggering in the pit, almost like he was drunk. But even so, he managed to claw into the side and started climbing up.

Greed. Desire. Selfishness.

The six men had those in spades. In this situation where it was best to band together, they decided to sacrifice others for their own needs.

That-

*badump*

-I wouldn't allow.

"Fucking bitch!" One of the men holding the girl growled and then said, "Just go in there already!"

With that, he pulled the girl from the other guy and launched her towards the pit.

It was an obvious conclusion. Since there was no one around, she would fall in and the Plaza of Sacrifice would activate. Even if someone tried to grab her, they would just fall in.

An unchangeable result...

That I denied.

While the girl was falling through the air, I reached out with my left hand. Energy Domination locked her kinetic energy, keeping her floating in the air.

"What?" The man that threw her in froze, eyes wide in surprise.

And then I reached them.

One of the men noticed me and reacted quickly. Was he a High Ranker? Without hesitation, he drew a sword and tried to stop me.

But he was too slow.

I moved, easily avoiding his attack. At the same time, I swung my sword at his head.

My killing intent flared, and I seriously planned to cut him down.

But then I remembered the situation and turned my sword at the last second, knocking him out with the flat of my blade instead.

After that, I ignored the others and grabbed the girl.

At the same time, the man with long hair roared from the pit and jumped out, glaring at the abductors.

I moved to his side, holding the silver-haired girl in my arms, and then glared at the men as well.

Words were unnecessary.

Not because they were beneath notice. No, I was fully prepared to cut them all down. But there wasn't a need to waste my energy.

After all, those men were covered in pitch black light. A Fated Demise.

And the reason for that...

The man with long hair roared, a guttural sound that resonated throughout the entire field.

With that, the people in the pit started to wake up as well and crawled out in a panic.

"Quick! Knock them in!" One of the abductors called out and charged towards the pit.

I let out a cold smile and then activated Impending Demise.

"Kuh?!"

The man stumbled and landed on his face in front of me.

I kicked him back and glared at the other men.

They stumbled in fear as well and froze.

"...Idiots." I shifted my gaze away from them and then looked into the distance.

Lights were starting up. Flames from people who heard the commotion. Clattering steel as people quickly armed themselves and ran over.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

xxx

"Thank you." The silver haired girl stared at me with a watery smile. "Thank you so much. If it wasn't for you...!"

I smiled back. "It's fine. Since karma brought us together in Stage 1, I couldn't just ignore what unfolded before my eyes."

A tent off to the side near my group's area.

Outside was a mess, people arguing and screaming as a result of the attempted sacrifices as well as executing the perpetrators.

Speaking of which, those perpetrators turned out to include the acting representative for the minority group.

But that wasn't important. I ignored that and focused on the two in front of me.

Vlad Halep and Oana Halep. A pair of siblings who joined the Banquet together. I didn't know their exact circumstances, but it didn't matter.

Vlad, the man with long hair, gave me a faint smile and nodded. "I have to give you my thanks as well, Benefactor. To go so far as to heal my injuries..." He flexed his muscles and then nodded. "I will repay this debt."

I remembered how that guy looked in my vision and then smiled. "You're welcome... and don't worry about the debt. I didn't act because I wanted something from you... But if you really want to repay me, how about we be friends?"

Vlad looked amused. "Friends?"

I shrugged and said, "Friends don't need to worry about paying each other back, right? It's only natural to help each other in need then."

Vlad let out a hearty chuckle. "Very well." He held out his hand. "Thank you, Benefactor... No. My friend, Jihu."

Screams echoed in the distance before being cut short. No doubt the execution of the six men finally being done.

Vlad looked towards the screams and then narrowed his eyes.

Oana flinched and then shook her head.

At the same time, I heard footsteps approaching from outside.

Vlad tensed, quickly looking over.

I waved my hand and said, "It's fine." I turned around and said, "They're my friends."

"...Understood."

I glanced at the pair of siblings and said, "Rest easy. You've been through a lot."

Oana looked at me and said, "And what are you going to do, Oppa?"

I twitched.

"A-Ah." Oana flinched. "D-Did I say something wrong?"

What was with girls and calling me Oppa...?

I sighed and shook my head. "No. I was just caught off guard at being called Oppa. Anyway... Get some rest." I walked out of the tent and said, "This situation will get resolved soon."

When I walked outside, Kazuki was standing there, along with a familiar face that I hadn't seen in a while.

"Yo." Hao Win waved at me with a cheery smile. "Long time no see, Bro."

I smiled back. "Hao, are you?"

Hao Win laughed.

xxx

The Triad's camp. Since the situation came to this, our groups came together to discuss our future plans... Well, mostly just the leaders.

And in this case, that meant Hao, Kazuki, and myself.

"This situation turned into a shit show, didn't it?" Hao sipped on a cup of tea and shook his head. "To think that such a situation would show up for the second stage... No wonder the last Banquet was a wipe."

Kazuki sighed. "It's like the ones that made the Banquet don't want us to succeed. At this rate, we'll lack the manpower to run the Plaza of Sacrifice. And when that happens..."

I sipped on a cup of coffee that I conjured and shook my head. "You don't need to worry about that."

"Hoh?" Hao looked at me. "Did my brother in arms come up with a plan? Another miracle to pull off in this impossible situation?"

"Of course." I grinned and said, "I'm a miracle worker, after all."

Hao laughed. "So I've heard." His face turned serious. "But seriously, Bro. Do you know a way out of this?"

I turned serious as well and nodded. "I do. But I'll need you and the others to back me up."

Hao nodded. "Of course, Bro. But... What do you plan to do?"

"It's simple."

After hearing my plan, Hao laughed. "Simple, he says. Bro... You're the only one who would say that about that sort of plan."

I smiled.

xxx

Morning. After the events of last night, everyone was on guard. That was especially true for the people in the minority group.

Although they were mostly people who entered the Banquet alone or were the survivors from teams that had been mostly wiped, they weren't worthless. After all, the fact that they managed to enter the Banquet at all showed their ability.

But the situation was tilted against them. After all, the people in the majority were powerhouses.

As a result, they became targets. Sacrificial lambs.

They knew it. At the moment, they were weak as sheep. But even sheep could defend themselves by banding together and standing on guard.

So when I strolled into their camp, I was immediately met with hostile gazes.

Of course, not from everyone.

The few that knew the details of what went on yesterday looked at me with kinder eyes. And I could see Oana and Vlad there as well. Oana waved at me and Vlad gave a curt nod.

I nodded back to both of them and then took a look around.

I was surrounded. About thirty people were standing around me, closing off my escape.

Not that it was a problem for me. And if it made them feel safer, all the power to them.

Still, this made it a bit hard to start my speech.

I kept a neutral expression and then scanned the crowd, making eye contact with everyone there.

Oana, Vlad... I saw Sophie and Lara from earlier as well. I saw them and countless others that had been caught up in this situation where they were powerless to act. Where they had to fear everything and everyone around them... And where the person they trusted to lead them turned out to be someone trying to use them.

It was a tough situation.

All of them were skeptical, wary. While they knew what I did for the people who were abducted, it was still a situation where they couldn't trust people easily.

But I had to resolve that issue. No, I *would* resolve that issue.

And the reason for that...

If we wanted to reach the 'golden ending' of this game, we couldn't leave anyone behind. No, more importantly, each and every person here... I could sympathize with them.

After all, I'd been powerless once. The only reason why I was able to be like this was because of a coincidence. Happenstance. If not for that, I'd probably bitterly try to do what they did too if I was in this situation.

So...

"I'll cut to the chase." I looked at everyone and said, "I need your help to clear the Plaza of Sacrifice."

Disappointed gazes. Long sighs.

But I was expecting that. So before the group dismissed me, I continued. "I won't pretend to know how you all feel. And I won't ask you to believe me... But I'll say this. Unless something changes, we're all going to fail this stage. Clearing it is impossible unless we all band together."

Silence.

Low grumblings through the crowd. Eventually, a familiar voice called out. Lara.

She stepped out from the crowd to look at me. "I understand what you're saying, but... I mean, you're right, but..."

I stood there, patiently waiting.

"...Can we trust you?"

Silence again.

That was the issue. The problem.

The 'you' wasn't just me.

They'd been betrayed before.

They feared being betrayed again.

And with the majority group being so powerful, one misstep would mean losing everything.

So...

I shook my head. "You can't. And you shouldn't. However..." I turned my head, making eye contact with everyone in the crowd.

Fear. Doubt. Hesitation... But most importantly of all, hope.

The hope that someone would save them from this impossible situation. That someone would rewrite the fast approaching bad end.

I firmed my gaze and then said, "I'll admit, it'll seem like you're gambling with your lives. And the odds don't seem good either... But." I grinned and drew my sword, hefting it over my right shoulder. "The name's Jihu. Seol Jihu... Though you probably know me better as Haramark's Hero. Now, I don't fancy myself as one, and I'm pretty villainous to boot... But what I do see myself as is a man who keeps his word. And so, from this point on, whether you believe me or not... I'll be your shield."

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