Suero reclined in his long chair, gazing up at the map of Mooneclipse City.

His gaze gradually drifted to a remote corner of that map.

In that corner, forgotten by everyone, dwelled the most destitute people of Mooneclipse City.

Suero had been born there.

He had returned to this city long ago, yet he had never set foot in that place. It was as if the place did not belong to this city, as if it did not deserve his attention.

But deep in his heart, everything about that place was a thorn lodged deep in his heart, embedded between his bloodline and his soul.

Suero lay there languidly, his gaze fixed on that spot as his vision gradually blurred.

In a daze, he seemed to hear those voices again.

Hahahaha!

“He actually ate it! He actually ate it!”

“What a fool, an absolute fool!”

“His family are veterinarians. Perhaps they’re used to eating such things at home.”

“Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter!”

He looked up, and that young, handsome, noble divine attendant appeared once more on the temple steps.

The other stood high above, while he was left struggling in the mire of filth.

“I’m sorry, the temple cannot accept a defiled person like you. That would tarnish the glory of our temple.”

“Priests are the noblest beings in the mortal realm, not something someone like you can aspire to.”

Being born lowly was not the problem in itself. Being born lowly yet harboring the most arrogant dreams, it seemed, had become Suero’s sin.

He was incompatible with everyone.

His aspirations were mocked.

His dreams were trampled.

His persistence and efforts all became mistakes.

Suero lay there in silence as another figure surfaced in his mind.

His father. That violent, cruel father. That butcher and veterinarian with a cleaver in hand and blood on his palms.

In an instant, Suero’s hand gripped the armrest of his chair tightly.

He was just a mortal, a crude fellow with the most wretched temperament, a coarse brute worthy of contempt, yet he had given Suero endless fear.

“Worthless!”

A single word made Suero tremble involuntarily.

He immediately covered his head. “Get out, get out!”

“Don’t think about it.”

“Why think about those things?”

“Don’t think about them. They are all in the past now.”

He repeated the words over and over, as if trying to hypnotize himself.

Suero was strong now. He was an Apostle who had transcended mortal limits.

He thought he no longer cared. Those past humiliations, the words of those people, they were all unimportant now.

But at this moment, he could not understand why his chest was still filled with a mix of fear and rage.

After a long while, he finally calmed down.

He exhaled deeply and rose to his feet, muttering to himself.

“I am not worthless. I am stronger than everyone.”

“I will become strong.”

“I will become strong beyond anyone’s imagination.”

“I will obtain unimaginable power, endless power.”

“If this world has no end, I will pursue power into eternity.”

Suero stood up and struck the map with his fist.

Suero’s way of pursuing power was through endless devouring, devouring wisdom species, devouring this city.

Even more, he wanted to devour the Abyss, to devour the eternal divine beings.

Mooneclipse City was his starting point.

Just then, Akmanmon burst in, followed by a large group of cannibals, though only he entered Suero’s room.

He quickly explained the situation, insisting that the plan had to be canceled.

Though only a few days remained, both Sukob and the Earth Witch had discovered them. Attempting to execute the plan now would carry unimaginable risks.

Akmanmon judged that the best course of action was for the entire Cannibal Cult to go underground, avoiding the Apostle of the God of Knowledge and Truth, Sukob, and the Earth Witch.

“We must leave immediately.”

“First Seat, Sukob, the Apostle of the God of Knowledge and Truth, has already met with the High Executive Officer. They will probably take action soon.”

“Your Medical Fortress cannot possibly remain hidden. They are very likely to find you.”

“You must leave Mooneclipse City immediately. As long as you remain safe, we will have a chance to turn things around.”

After speaking, Akmanmon tried to lead Suero toward the exit.

Suero moved forward a short distance.

But in the end, he stood still, rooted to the spot.

Akmanmon looked back at Suero. “First Seat, what are you hesitating about?”

Suero replied, “Second Seat, do you really think I have a way back?”

He looked at Akmanmon. “The moment I used the Abyss Art of God’s Grace to become an Apostle, the Abyss started pulling me in. There is no turning back now.”

“This is my only opportunity, and my last song in the mortal realm.”

Akmanmon turned to Suero. “Then why not abandon the plan? Take the ghouls you have gathered and descend into the Abyss to claim your place as a King of the Abyss.”

Hehehehe.

Suero could not help but laugh as he looked at Akmanmon.

“Second Seat, sometimes I really do not understand you.”

“Why do you always think you have a choice?”

Akmanmon could accept sacrificing certain gains for a guaranteed harvest. He felt it was a wise choice.

Suero looked at Akmanmon. “The Sin of Gluttony, if it cannot pursue infinite power, if it does not devour those existences that seem impossible to devour, how can it be called Gluttony?”

“This plan is not merely a plan to obtain power. It is also my trial.”

“If I give up, I will no longer be the King of Gluttony.”

“I will merely be an ordinary mortal.”

“I will become a discarded piece, not a King of the Abyss.”

“I will fail the Abyss’s trial and become a clown.”

Akmanmon fell silent. After a long while, he said, “Move forward, and you might die.”

“That is an Apostle and an Earth Witch.”

“Behind them stand divine beings.”

“You could execute your plan when they were absent and did not notice. But now that they have discovered you, you are destined to fail.”

Suero replied, “Retreating could lead to death too. A pointless, meaningless one.”

He fixed his gaze on Akmanmon. “Tell me, Second Seat, do you think I am just a reckless fool? Someone with a bit of talent but no sense of when to push forward or pull back?”

Suero’s voice steadied as he continued, “This is what I live by.”

“Keep moving forward.”

“Always forward.”

“Never stop.”

Suero suddenly let out a roar, a howl from the depths of his heart.

“Devour!”

“Seize every opportunity to obtain power, greedily absorb every inch of strength!”

“Devour!”

“Seize the power of others, think of every possible way to become stronger!”

“Even if it is poisoned meat, I will swallow it down!”

“Even if it is forbidden evil magic, I will use it without restraint!”

“Even if it means abandoning all humanity and everything, I will obtain greater power!”

Suero’s excitement rose as he spoke, his words spraying saliva.

“Not hindered by any difficulty! Never bowing to any enemy again!”

“It is precisely by relying on these beliefs that I crawled out from the mire, that I walked step by step to this point.”

Suero pointed toward the door outside.

“Look at that door.”

“Do you see it?”

Akmanmon glanced at the door. “The door is there. Anyone can see it.”

But Suero shook his head. “No, I cannot see it.”

“For me, that door does not exist.”

“For many people, there is a way back, a descent into mediocrity through retreat.”

“They can choose to turn and walk through that door. They can retreat and wait comfortably for the next opportunity.”

Suero roared, “For me, there is no such possibility!”

“I have no way back!”

“I do not accept mediocrity!”

“I can only win, and I must continue winning!”

Suero kept backing up. “Lose once, and I lose everything.”

“What I lose is not just a victory or defeat, but my belief.”

“If I retreat, I will no longer be myself.”

Suero finally backed against his original position, leaning against the wall as if leaning against a cliff face with a bottomless abyss below.

“Now, even if there is a cliff ahead.”

“I will jump down. I will seize that sliver of a chance for success.”

Akmanmon said, “First Seat, this path will lead to your death.”

Suero smirked. “And who is to say I cannot pull off one last miracle before the end?”

Akmanmon hesitated. “But what if this time, the miracle does not come?”

Miracles were called miracles precisely because they were nearly impossible.

Suero spread his hands, as if unconcerned.

“Then it proves I am merely a mortal, a clown.”

“And clowns and mortals deserve such an ending.”

Suero did not say it aloud.

He could not accept a mediocre version of himself.

He could not accept that self, the one who was once so lowly in the mire, prostrate on the ground and begging for mercy.

Suero’s words did not move Akmanmon. He only cared whether the other could achieve victory.

He only chose the winning side.

If Suero ultimately could not win, he would not choose to sink with the ship. He had, in fact, already begun arranging his backup plans long ago.

“So, what do you plan to do next?”

“Will you still execute the original plan?”

Suero replied, “So they have found us, have they?”

“And now they are trying to figure out how many ghouls are hiding in this city?”

“Do they not think we must be plotting some kind of conspiracy?”

“Then let them see our conspiracy.”

Akmanmon thought for a moment. He understood Suero wanted to create a diversion to buy himself the time he needed.

“That still will not be enough. Even if you can buy some time, you will ultimately face two most terrifying enemies.”

“Apostle Sukob.”

“And the Earth Witch.”

What Akmanmon worried about most was not whether there would be enough time.

Rather, once they were discovered, divine Apostles would be watching them constantly in the mortal realm.

Even if you successfully initiated the ritual at the final moment and the plan succeeded, could you truly achieve your wish?

Even if the opposing Apostle was not your match, true divine beings stood behind them.

At this moment, Suero said, “Did you know? If you are willing to pay a sufficient price, you can summon the Door of Original Sin.”

“When that happens, the one who summons it will temporarily possess mythological power.”

“True darkness.”

“The dark side of the world will descend upon the mortal realm.”

This provision was among the Abyss Laws: when you paid a sufficient price, you could summon the Door of Original Sin.

Possessing this mythological door meant possessing power akin to that of a divine being.

Akmanmon suddenly stepped forward, truly stunned by Suero’s madness this time.

“You plan to modify the ritual? To use this city as a sacrifice to summon the Door of Original Sin to the mortal realm?”

“What could you possibly obtain from that?”

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

Suero laughed but did not answer.

At this moment, his laughter echoed with a strange intensity. His madness seemed to fill the room.

For some reason, Akmanmon felt a chill run down his spine. His heart trembled with an unshakable fear.

Recently, Mooneclipse City had been thrown into a panic.

As the plague spread unchecked, whispers of an evil sect began to circulate throughout the city.

This evil and mysterious force, known as the Cannibal Cult, finally surfaced amid the plague’s disaster, exposing their ambitions and purposes.

They planned to spread the plague to expand the faith of a certain existence.

Through people’s fear of the plague and their evil secret methods, they would control this city.

Their evil rumors could be heard everywhere throughout the city.

Members of this evil sect claimed that anyone who joined their ranks and believed in the King of Ghouls would be spared from the plague’s corruption.

They also preached that those already afflicted by the plague could find salvation through devout belief in the King of Ghouls. By doing so, they could become servants at the throne of the King of Ghouls and escape the suffering of mortality forever.

They penetrated deep into the streets and alleys, instantly gathering a large group of infected believers and many commoners who feared the plague and death.

On the other side, they began corrupting the high-ranking nobility with methods that were both reckless and almost insane.

Contract Guild

Long was perusing an evil tome.

This tome had recently spread everywhere, and many nobles within the city had received a copy.

“Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals?”

Long opened the contents, and his eyes widened.

The contents described how to obtain the power of an Ability User through rituals and special eating methods.

Those methods were evil and dark to the extreme.

Those evil ritual diagrams and the patterns depicting a corner of the Purgatory Abyss were unsettling. Just a single glance was enough to make one feel dizzy and nauseous.

Long immediately felt his stomach churning, but he still forced himself to finish reading.

However, the booklet only contained the first half of the true Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals. The latter sections about the Abyss and Purgatory Ritual were merely referenced but not included.

Details on how to plunder demon blood were mentioned briefly, but no specific instructions were recorded within.

“This tome is real!”

Long was also a Witch Spirit with complete inheritance and very high discernment. He could tell at a glance that the methods in this book were viable.

“This is incomplete. According to the introduction, there is more.”

“Where is the rest?”

The Witch Spirit standing at the table, leaning on it, shook his head unhappily.

“My acting leader Long, the rest is not so easy to find.”

“Perhaps they never wrote the second half. Perhaps the second half is just a ruse. Many Ability Users write books like this, writing unreliable things to boast about how impressive they are.”

“Besides, I heard many nobles received this book. But when investigated, they all deny it. Some fear getting into trouble, while others clearly have ill intentions.”

Long immediately sensed danger.

This Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals was incomplete, involving power only at First-Rank.

But even so, the influence and destructive power of this booklet were beyond imagination.

In fact, precisely because it contained only the most ordinary First-Rank content, it was the most harmful.

It was a method that allowed people without talent to obtain Ability User power, with a price unimaginably low and materials that could be found everywhere.

Once this evil secret method spread, Long could not imagine what would happen.

As long as one was willing to cross forbidden lines, with no bottom line, one could instantly become an Ability User.

How many ordinary people could withstand such temptation?

“Investigate immediately!”

“Find out who they contacted and how they obtained this evil tome.”

The Witch Spirit replied, “We have already looked into it. I even used Mind Reading.”

“Most of the people who got their hands on this book have no ties to the Cannibal Cult.”

“It seems the Cannibal Cult has gone completely mad, handing out this tome for free to anyone and everyone.”

Long’s expression immediately changed.

“No, they are far from stupid.”

“They are using this method to select their own kind, to drag more people down with them.”

“As long as you choose to practice the Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals, you become an enemy of this world and the divine beings. Then you can only turn to their side.”

“The more widely this tome spreads, the stronger they become.”

The more Long thought about it, the more anxious he became. He seemed to have divined their purpose.

“They are using the plague to create those horrifying creatures, spreading fear and faith to control the lower-class commoners, and corrupting the kingdom’s nobles with the Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals.”

“What they are capable of is terrifying.”

“They are destroying this nation’s very foundation.”

Long felt the matter had become urgent. He once again requested an audience with his teacher Sukob, preparing to close the net early.

He felt he must stop them from spreading the Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals and strangle this evil technique in the cradle.

“Teacher,” Long said firmly, “I am prepared to act early.”

After hearing Long’s explanation, Sukob also felt that the evil tome Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals deserved attention.

Not because it was powerful, but because it was too weak, weak to the point of having no threshold, weak to the point that anyone could practice it.

This instead became its most terrifying aspect.

That very day, the Royal Court issued a decree. The city’s guards mobilized in response.

“The Royal Court has issued a decree. The Cannibal Cult is judged to be an evil cult. All Cannibal Cult members are enemies of the kingdom.”

“The Royal Court has issued a decree…”

The Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals being distributed everywhere also enraged the Royal Court’s High Executive Officer. He sensed a strong threat.

How many people had they given this evil tome to, and how many had practiced it?

Within the Royal Court, questions arose about how many people had unknowingly joined this evil force and become cannibals.

This had crossed his bottom line.

The Royal Court investigated up and down for those nobles who might have joined the Cannibal Cult, focusing on ordinary people who had suddenly gained mysterious powers.

Meanwhile, Long began to close his net. He led a large group of Witch Spirits, divine attendants from the Ten Thousand Serpents Temple, and elite troops from the Alchemy Corps into the plague-ridden areas, focusing on the slums.

Numerous individuals infected with the Plague Blood Curse were taken away and relocated to the Feathered Serpent’s care.

Numerous believers worshipping the King of Ghouls were suppressed and imprisoned.

Among them, the true Cannibal Cult members were either killed or captured one by one.

Long personally led the team to surround the place he had investigated the longest, which he suspected was the Ghoul Cult’s core stronghold.

Suero Medical Fortress

That afternoon, numerous Ability Users suddenly appeared outside the heavy, ancient castle.

They instantly surrounded all exits of the castle. Fire demons and Wing Demons even flew into the sky, cutting off any thoughts of escaping through the air.

“By the order of the Royal Court’s High Executive Officer, all Cannibal Cult members are to be eradicated. Destroy every ghoul and burn all traces of their evil tomes.”

“By the order of Apostle Sukob…”

“By the order of the Earth Witch…”

Three forces of Ability Users jointly launched a general assault on this castle.

As soon as they rushed in, they heard overwhelming roars.

Roar!

Right after, a horrifying legion of ghouls surged forward. Cannibal Cult members were scattered among them, desperately attempting to escape through the chaos.

The narrow battlefield erupted into utter pandemonium as both sides clashed with unrelenting ferocity.

The attackers outside fought to let no one escape, while those inside fought desperately to break out. Both sides clashed with all their might.

For a time, the castle became a battlefield where a powerful extraordinary war unfolded. Ability Users unleashed Divine Techniques in fierce clashes, while demons and ghouls engaged in brutal combat, fighting and killing one another with relentless ferocity.

Among the numerous ghouls, one Third-Rank ghoul drew the most attention.

It manipulated the Plague Blood Curse, summoning a terrifying shadow of curses that tore open a gap in the sky’s blockade.

Then it attacked the Ability Users surrounding them. The Third-Rank power plowed across the ground, the earth turning over layer by layer.

Those wounded by the terrifying dark shadow either died directly or fell unconscious one by one, as a strange power attacked and eroded their consciousness.

“The Medical Fortress indeed has problems.”

“This is the lair of those ghouls.”

Long finally took action. He could confirm he had not found the wrong place.

He gripped a special legal code.

“In the name of the Contract Guild,” Long declared firmly.

“By the authority of the Royal Court’s Spirit of Legal Code, judgment shall be passed on evil.”

The enormous Spirit of Legal Code materialized behind Long. A terrifying white light pressed down.

The terrifying shadow let out a horrible scream from within the white light.

The Third-Rank ghoul was suppressed.

The Royal Court, the Witch Spirits, and the temple had prepared for a long time, mobilizing a tremendous force. They not only had the Royal Court’s Spirit of Legal Code but also had Apostle Sukob as backup.

From the very start, this extraordinary war carried an air of inevitability, its outcome seemingly predetermined.

Numerous ghouls were killed. The Cannibal Cult’s evil followers became fewer and fewer.

The entire Medical Fortress was destroyed. The once magnificent castle was reduced to ruins.

Finally, only Long remained, controlling the Spirit of Legal Code as he fought the Third-Rank ghoul.

The two sides clashed fiercely, exchanging blows in a relentless battle. At first, Long struggled to gain the upper hand, but as the fight progressed, the tide began to turn in his favor.

Long’s side had more and more fighters, while the Cannibal Cult had fewer and fewer.

Finally, the Third-Rank ghoul, surrounded by numerous Ability Users and demons, was completely defeated and killed.

The crowds in the ruins roared, celebrating their victory and declaring the complete elimination of the plague and its evil followers.

“Evil followers will ultimately vanish beneath the divine radiance.”

After this extraordinary battle, Long led people to sweep through the Medical Fortress.

Within the Medical Fortress, he found the identification of the Third-Rank ghoul, and with it, the second half of the Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals.

This second half described how to create ghouls, how to become a ghoul, and finally how to become a King of Ghouls.

“Suero?” Long muttered, narrowing his eyes.

“Is he the one leading them?”

Long flipped through the complete Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals. It appeared to be the most complete version.

Based on the contents of this book and the evidence found in the castle, it appeared this was the headquarters of the Ghoul Cult. Their leader seemed to have already been defeated during the battle.

Long felt everything made sense.

But it felt almost too perfect, as if everything had fallen into place too neatly.

After completing the task, Long first visited the Executive Hall to return the Royal Court legal code. Without delay, he made his way to Sukob.

“Teacher,” Long asked, his tone hesitant, “could a Third-Rank ghoul really be this simple?”

Sukob glanced at him. “You noticed something?”

Long hesitated for a moment before replying, “Noticed? No, it is more of a feeling.”

He paused, then added, “The number of ghouls we found does not add up to the number of people reported missing.”

Long presented the evil tome he had confiscated. All other evil tomes had been destroyed, leaving only this one.

“However, this tome says the success rate of creating ghouls is very low. That does match up.”

“So could it be that from the beginning, this had nothing to do with the Abyss, and was merely a madman named Suero who researched the Cannibal Cult Secret Rituals and founded this insane sect?”

Sukob did not take the evil tome, nor did he address his student’s concerns in detail.

“I sense that something significant is on the horizon.”