The same chilling sounds from the previous night echoed through the tavern hallway. But this time, the disturbance escalated. A figure cloaked in shadow, their face obscured by a mask, slipped silently into William’s room.

“Wh-what the…?” William mumbled, startled awake.

He scrambled to his feet, reaching for his sword, but a wave of dizziness washed over him. An unseen force had filled the room, a soporific smoke that sapped his strength and clouded his mind. He slumped back onto the bed, unconscious.

The intruder effortlessly hoisted William over their shoulder and slipped out of the tavern, unnoticed. A few townsfolk witnessed the abduction, but remained silent, their faces betraying a disturbing complicity.

“Best stay hidden,” the innkeeper had warned one of them. “That other one, the older fellow, he seems strong. Causing him trouble could be…unpleasant.”

It was clear that everyone in this forsaken town was involved in some dark conspiracy.

William awoke to the chilling realization that his arms were bound tightly, and a gag stifled any cry for help. He found himself in a dank, cold cell, the air heavy with the stench of mildew and decay.

A sturdy iron door stood between him and freedom, far beyond his reach. The thick stone walls offered no hope of escape through brute force. He was trapped, a prisoner in this silent, subterranean tomb.

Panic clawed at William’s throat. Gorn was nowhere to be seen. He was alone, trapped in this forsaken cell, with no obvious means of escape.

‘Damn it, how am I going to get out of here?’ he thought, his mind racing.

He strained against the ropes binding his wrists, but they held firm, mocking his efforts. Then, a spark of hope ignited within him.

Enhanced Strength! He contorted his fingers, painstakingly forming the runes with his mana, and cast the spell. Power surged through his muscles, his body thrumming with newfound strength.

[+30 Strength]

With a guttural cry, he pulled against the ropes. They snapped, the frayed ends falling away like broken spiderwebs.

He ripped the gag from his mouth, his heart pounding. The iron door, however, proved an insurmountable obstacle.

Even with his enhanced strength, it remained stubbornly shut. He slammed his fists against the cold metal, each blow echoing through the silent dungeon, but to no avail.

‘Damn it!’

The commotion drew attention. Footsteps approached, stopping just outside the cell. William recognized the villager who had greeted them at the gate two days prior.

“Keep it down,” the man hissed through the bars. “You may have freed yourself from those ropes, but you’ll never break that door. Just stay put and wait your turn.”

“What does that mean?” he asked, confused.

But the man said nothing more and simply walked away.

“Hey, come back here! Hey!” William shouted after him.

But the man left without another word. William was frustrated. He still had no idea where he was, who had kidnapped him, or why.

He was sure that everyone in this creepy town was involved! The guard at the town gate was also watching his cell, so who else was in on it?

‘That tavern was a dump, I wouldn’t be surprised if the owner was part of this too. But what do they want with me?’ William wondered.

The only thing he could do was wait, and hope that Gorn would find him.

He knew it was a long shot, but it was better than giving up and accepting whatever horrors awaited him.

William sat in the cold, dark corner of his cell, and waited. He listened to the rats scurrying in the darkness.

Eventually, someone appeared at his door. Again, they threw some kind of gas in to weaken him.

He tried to hold his breath, but he couldn’t hold it forever.

He had to breathe, and the gas filled his lungs, making him weak.

[All attributes reduced by 90%]

The message appeared before him. The gas was potent, and he felt incredibly weak.

A figure in a black robe and mask entered the cell to retrieve him.

They led William to a room with several figures in similar robes, and an altar in the middle with a chalice on it.

William realized he was surrounded by fanatics, and this situation could very well be his end.

They tied him to the stone altar with iron chains, making sure he couldn’t escape.

One of the robed figures, this one in red, like a leader, began to speak.

“Good evening, my dear friends. We are all gathered here today to perform the invocation of our god. This is a momentous occasion.”

“We have found a healthy young man to serve as a vessel for our god!”

The others murmured excitedly.

“Silence, please. I will now begin the ritual.”

William was tied up and weak, but he could still see and hear everything. It was all so bizarre.

One by one, they went to the chalice and placed some of their blood in it. Even the leader.

Then, they poured the blood onto William’s body. Thankfully, they avoided his face.

After that, they began chanting in a language William didn’t recognize.

The chanting intensified, a chorus of voices echoing through the cavernous space. William, bound and helpless upon the cold stone altar, watched the cultists sway in their dark robes, their faces obscured by grotesque masks.

The scene was unsettling, a nightmare come to life. He felt a growing sense of dread, a primal fear he couldn’t quite explain. Escape seemed impossible.

The chains bit into his wrists, and the chanting grew louder, a hypnotic drone that threatened to overwhelm him.

The ritual reached a fever pitch. The air crackled with energy, a palpable tension that raised the hairs on William’s neck. It was a sensation he had experienced before, a whisper of something dark and powerful, but he couldn’t place it.

“Our god is coming!” the leader proclaimed, his voice booming through the chamber. “Let us praise it together!”

Suddenly, a torrent of energy surged towards William, enveloping him in its power. It was supposed to be the cult’s deity manifesting, but something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

[Demonic Energy entering your body]

[Demonic Absorption Activating]

The energy flooding his senses was not divine, but demonic. And his body was absorbing it, drinking it in like a parched sponge. The cultists, oblivious to the error in their summoning, continued their fervent chanting.

William felt the power coursing through him, strengthening his muscles, sharpening his senses. The lingering effects of the paralyzing gas vanished, replaced by an exhilarating surge of energy.

[+20 Strength]

[+20 Agility]

[+20 Stamina]

[+20 Intelligence]

[New Attribute Earned, Demonic Energy]

[Demonic Energy: 10]

Notifications blinked before his eyes, a testament to his rapidly transforming abilities. He was becoming something more, something beyond human.

A dangerous glint entered his eyes. These cultists had unwittingly unleashed a power they couldn’t control. And William, fueled by their misguided ritual, was ready to make them pay.

William felt stronger than ever, and all those cultists who were waiting to see their deity coming to that world would get a reality check.

The leader, the one in red, said while kneeling, “Our lord, welcome.”

William pulled the chains and destroyed them using his strength. Then, he looked at all the cultists that were trying to use him as a sacrifice.

“You will regret this,” he said, coldly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep