Maybe it's because I'm curious about the unknown times shrouded in fog, or maybe I'm simply tired of life in modern society. Whether at home or abroad, there are many people who have developed a strong interest in the lives of ancient people.

——A Taoist priest who slays demons, a chivalrous man who walks the rivers and lakes, a knight who believes in light, and a mage who destroys the world...... People's imagination of ancient times is also extremely rich. Even if you know that there should be no evil dragons or devils in ancient times, it is not a bad thing to imagine the chic life of the past.

Until today in 2035, all kinds of works with the theme of traveling through time and space are still very popular content. Among them, the theme of going back to antiquity occupies the vast majority. And in the brain imaging game, there are also many such works.

But while fantasizing about returning to antiquity to show off their skills, many seem to ignore the dangers hidden in the feudal era they love:

At that time, the concept of "human rights" did not exist, and the laws and institutions were not perfect.

Many of the contradictions that were hidden in modern times were much more acute in those days, and even royalty or the wealthy could suddenly encounter unforeseen circumstances. The situation would be even worse if the traverser had the misfortune to befall civilians:

For those in power, civilians are almost objects that can be slaughtered at will. And the reasons for killing civilians are also bizarre, ranging from burial to sacrifice.

If you are born in the dark ages, even if you abide by the law all your life and do not have any rebellious heart, you may die a miserable death.

- Now, a young farmer named Corva is coming to the end of his life.

……

"Let me go...... Let me go! ”

The young man in coarse cloth clothes shouted hoarsely, trying to break free from the big hands that bound his arms, but the hands that grasped him were like iron tongs, no matter how hard he tried, there was no sign of letting go.

"Help me! Help me! ”

Corva, who still had a little childish on his face, kept howling at passers-by standing on the side of the street. The pedestrians on the side of the road had no intention of moving at all, but just stood in place, with an expression of awe, watching as Corva was dragged away by two strong men.

- They won't act. You've known this for a long time, haven't you?

In fact, Corva is well aware that his call for help is just a waste of physical strength.

Just a month ago, he was once one of the passers-by, standing on the side of the road watching a girl being taken away in the same way.

Of course, he knew that the only way to die was for those who were taken away. But......

- It shouldn't be like this, it's so unfair. I'm only twenty years old, and I still have a long way to go. And now to be a sacrifice, is that ......

Corva's mind was a mess, and her body continued to struggle mechanically, until she was dragged to the wasteland outside the city, and finally saw the scene again:

He was standing on an execution ground.

The wasteland was supposed to be brown soil, completely black with blood plasma, with several headless corpses lying not far away, and many dry bones that had been lying for an unknown number of years, half-buried in the dirt.

The smell of rancid air filled the air, and several vultures were hovering over the execution grounds, waiting for the food to come.

A humanoid stone sculpture stood twenty meters away in front of him, its dark gray "skin" looking wrinkled, like a dehydrated dried corpse.

Despite its resemblance to a human, the unusually slender limbs and the bones protruding from the waist make it clear that the statue is not a depiction of a human being. It's something else.

As for what this statue symbolizes, everyone in this country knows very well:

"Mephistopheles......

Corva muttered to herself, uttering the name of the gods.

The two brawny men who grabbed his arms let go of their hands, and Colva's body slipped limply, falling into the dirt that exuded a rich smell of blood, and gray metal boots suddenly appeared in front of him.

Corva looked up in cringe, and was greeted by a black robe, a withered right hand holding a book, and a metal mask painted with red skull coats of arms.

Standing in front of him was a tall and thin man whose body was completely covered by a black robe, looking down at him with yellow eyes, his small pupils like poisonous snakes.

"Raise your head, living sacrifice, and your body will be a feast for the gods."

The man's voice was unusually hoarse, sounding like an echo of a demon from hell in Corva. Facing the lanky "monster", Corva used his last strength to stand up and punch the opponent's mask.

The butcher knife swung from behind his back.

A silver light flashed, and the beheaded young man fell to his knees in despair, the flat cut in his neck spurting out a gushing of blood. The head landed in the dirt in front of the black-robed man's body, and was crushed by the executioner who stepped forward.

"Mephistopheles, please protect us from evil!"

The black-robed man turned around and opened his arms and shouted loudly to the statue on the execution ground, "The sacrifices you need have been delivered, please protect us through the coming dark tide, the priests have prepared more sacrifices, if you need them, please feel free to let us know!" ”

There was a deathly silence on the execution ground, and the black-robed man and the two executioners stood in silence, and after some time, suddenly a hoarse whisper rang out from a place close by:

"I ...... Need...... Intact body. ”

Hearing the voice of the oracle coming from nowhere, the black-robed man knelt down on one knee in a hurry, and his cloudy yellow eyes seemed to be shining.

"Mephistopheles, we will follow your command and provide the full offering. You don't have to wait too long to enjoy a lot of live sacrifices! ”

After speaking, the black-robed man stood up and bowed gracefully, raised his head and stood motionless, as if feeling the holy aura around him.

It wasn't until the sky began to get dark that the black-robed man finally reluctantly left the execution ground with the two executioners.

He didn't notice that just as he turned around, the humanoid skeleton-like statue moved its thin fingers slightly.

The sculpture known as the "Mephistopheles" suddenly appears in the empty eye sockets with two fast-moving scarlet eyeballs. Thick black smoke rose from the blood-drenched execution ground, turning into an eerie dark cloud that hung over the nearby city of rock.

Before darkness descended, the gods who had been offered sacrifices awoke.

In the statue's shriveled chest, a dull laugh suddenly sounded, echoing above the execution ground, like a death knell.