Chapter 63: Before the Altar
To Karina and Stina, the Wild God Altar was not a place to linger.
Although they were the children of Queen Arachne, their status had brought them nothing but pain and suffering.
So, this offering replacement service was just a means to an end, a way to earn enough money to leave this place forever.
The three thousand five hundred gold coins she had quoted Bai was a rough estimate, enough to buy a house anywhere, with a little left over.
“Then, no one will know who we are, sister,” Karina said, drawing her dagger and dispatching an attacking beast with a single blow.
The beasts in the outer regions were no match for them. The real danger lay deeper within, with the high-level beasts.
“I’ll follow your lead, sister,” Stina said, her own dagger flashing, felling several low-level beasts that had been drawn by the scent of blood.
“Forward, this way,” Karina said, pointing with her dagger. “Her avatar can only last for a short time. We have to reach the depths before we can release it.”
“Yes, sister,” Stina said, and they charged forward.
The scent of blood spread through the Tide of Madness, a chorus of roars echoing through the oppressive, claustrophobic space.
…
“Halt, human knight. You are not permitted to proceed,” a guard said, blocking Lin Yan’s path, his gaze hostile.
“I am Lin Yan, Commander of the Garrison Knights,” she said, presenting her identity dagger, a faint, yet powerful, energy fluctuation emanating from it.
The guard’s expression changed, and he took a step back. “This… this is…”
The pressure of a Calamity Class being. Only a few of the most powerful beastkin leaders had reached this level.
The guard, recognizing her power, quickly apologized. “My apologies, Legendary Knight. Please forgive my earlier impertinence.”
Lin Yan was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor, but she simply nodded. “It’s fine.”
In truth, the guard’s fear was not just of her, but of her predecessor, Lin Ye, the last Legendary Knight to be stationed at the Wild God Altar.
Although Lin Ye was gentle in the capital, in the Savage Lands, he was a fearsome warrior, a god of death.
“But,” the guard hesitated, “you still cannot enter. Without the Queen’s permission, and without an offering to the Wild God…”
Before Lin Yan could reply, a familiar, seductive voice whispered in her ear.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already taken care of that for Miss Lin Yan…”
“Who’s there?!”
Lin Yan whirled around, grabbing the figure behind her, but she was a moment too late. The figure, a flash of red, had already dodged her grasp.
“Time Stop… it seems Miss Lin Yan has become quite proficient with her Authority…” Diana chuckled, though Lin Yan’s grip on her neck made her face flush slightly.
“Miss Diana, appearing behind someone so suddenly is… impolite,” Lin Yan said, her eyes narrowed, releasing her.
Diana coughed, then smiled. “I was just… playing a little joke…”
She had been stationed in the capital before, and had briefly appeared during the Battle of Vikarn, before returning to the Wild God Altar.
She and Lin Yan had met a few times, but they weren’t well acquainted.
“Her Majesty is available to see you now, Commander Lin,” she said, winking, then turned to the guard, her expression shifting. “Open the gate.”
“…Yes,” the guard said, bowing his head, not daring to look at her.
He quickly opened the gate.
The Wild God Altar had no walls, no gates, but after its development, a rudimentary wall had been built for defensive purposes.
Though, compared to the capital or the sacred lands, it was rather… shabby.
Lin Yan couldn’t see what was inside.
“What about the offering?” she asked Diana.
“It’s been taken care of,” Diana said, leaning closer, her voice a low whisper.
“I know you humans… you’re not fond of such things. So you can just go in. Let us… barbaric beasts handle the bloody work.”
The elves and humans had always seen the beastkin as savages, a perception they were happy to cultivate.
Looking at Diana’s crimson eyes, Lin Yan felt a flicker of unease.
But she said nothing, simply walking through the gate.
Behind her, Diana’s smile faded, replaced by a sneer.
“A Legendary Knight? Hmph…”
As Lin Yan stepped through the gate, she found herself not in the capital she had expected, but in a desolate wasteland.
Weeds grew in abundance, the air thick with a dead silence, a world of despair.
“Hmm?”
She frowned, taking a few steps forward.
Just then, she felt the gaze of a terrifying being upon her, a chilling sensation that made her hair stand on end.
“Visitor… present your offering…”
“So, this is the legendary Wild God.”
She looked up, an immense pressure bearing down on her.
“Present…”
“A fixed consciousness?”
She resisted the pressure, her own formidable strength holding it at bay.
But it was growing stronger, and she was beginning to struggle.
Behind her, Diana watched with surprise.
“I didn’t know there was another human Legendary Knight with such physical strength, besides Leticia… interesting.”
She had intended to watch Lin Yan squirm, but it seemed this new Legendary Knight was far more powerful than she had anticipated.
“Well, I can’t delay any longer. If Her Majesty gets angry, I’ll be in trouble…”
She waved her hand, and a pile of corpses appeared, then vanished.
And in that instant, the pressure on Lin Yan lifted.
She looked up to see that the wasteland was gone, replaced by rows of grim, imposing buildings, and in the distance, a massive, looming nest.
“This is… the true Wild God Altar?”
