29 True motives

As Cyrus stepped forward, he couldn't help but notice the murderous glares from the other players in the room. The tension was palpable, and he could sense that they were ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. However, Cyrus's attention was quickly drawn to a towering giant door located in the far end of the room. It emanated an eerie and menacing aura that sent shivers down his spine.

The door was massive, made of rough-hewn rock, and adorned with an intricate design of skulls and bones. Each element was painstakingly crafted, with incredible attention to detail that gave the impression of realism. The skulls had sunken eyes, prominent cheekbones, and sharp teeth, each one possessing a unique expression. Some seemed to be staring blankly ahead, while others leered at Cyrus with malevolent glee.

The bones were arranged in an intricate pattern, forming a menacing web that appeared to writhe and twist as he looked at it. The two massive bronze knocker rings on the door's surface were each shaped like a skull with hollowed-out eye sockets. They were intricately etched with a pattern of bones and twisted vines, and hung heavily from the door on thick iron chains.

Despite its intimidating appearance, Cyrus couldn't help but appreciate the door's undeniable beauty. The craftsmanship that went into its creation was evident in every detail, and there was a dark allure to the intricate patterns of skulls and bones covering its surface. Cyrus felt a sense of awe and reverence in the presence of such a work of art, even though his instincts were telling him to run in the opposite direction.

The door's presence seemed to draw all his attention in the room, and the other players' murderous glares were momentarily forgotten as he was captivated by the imposing structure. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that whatever lay behind that door was likely to be just as menacing as its appearance.

In this moment, he finally understood why the other players had remained motionless and refused to venture beyond the room.

[You have arrived at your final destination! The moment you've been working towards is finally here. However, before you can reach the end of your journey, you must face one last challenge: the final ordeal that lies beyond the ruler's door leading to his chamber.]

[At present, the door remains firmly locked, and accessing what lies beyond requires completing one of the selected options:

1-Offer living sacrifice's, one at a time: 99/100

2-Offer the skull of a highborn being: 0/1

3-Dispell the seal locking the door. ]

Cyrus felt a surge of anger and disbelief as he looked at the system. How could anyone be so callous as to sacrifice so many lives for the sake of opening a door? He felt a deep sense of revulsion from those who had committed these atrocities.

As Cyrus looked at the number of sacrifices, he realized that they were not recent but had been made over a long period of time. The Gold family had been sacrificing individuals for the only purpose of opening this door, and this event was part of that purpose. It seemed that they had already sacrificed the required number of people and needed just one more.

However, the final challenge was not an easy one, and the Gold family knew that they needed the best players to succeed. So, they had organized this event disguised as a ranked E gate in order to bring in more players and increase their chances of defeating the final boss . They had spared no expense in making this event the most prestigious and exclusive competition, with a large prize for the winner.

The realization that only one more sacrifice was needed filled Cyrus with a sense of dread. He knew that, given the presence of other players in their own parties, the final sacrifice was likely to be himself. Most players would resist being singled out, creating conflict and chaos that they all wanted to avoid.

Cyrus understood the stakes of this event and the Gold family's willingness to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goal. He couldn't help but wonder if the other players were aware of the true nature of this competition, or if they were just as oblivious as he had been before learning about the sacrifices.

As if to confirm his suspicion, a brawny voice echoed through the room.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a sacrifice here. Hahaha!"

Cyrus instinctively looked in the direction of the voice. Sure enough, he recognized the face of the man who had just spoken.

'Brutus... You bastard!' Cyrus seethed silently to himself as he watched the man's party approach him.

Brutus snickered, "What a shame, seems like the contract you made with Miss Aurora will be void."

Cyrus frowned, "Who are you to decide this?"

Brutus laughed, "Who am I? HAHAHA! I'm the representative of all the players present here."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Brutus smirked, "Do you really think we just stood around doing nothing? We knew a player had entered on his own, so we decided to wait for you to reach the final room. It was a gamble, but Miss Aurora was confident in you reaching this far."

Cyrus clenched his fists, "So you've been plotting against me from the start?"

Brutus shrugged, "You happened to be the unlucky one who stumbled into the gate on his own."

"I must say, you look disgustingly repulsive. Where did your clothes go? Are you a pervert?" Brutus sneered, his eyes raking over Cyrus's disheveled appearance.

Ignoring Brutus's comment, Cyrus turned his attention to the other players who remained silent, seemingly approving of Brutus's words. He then shifted his gaze to Aurora and said, "I understand now. You invited me here with this plan in mind, you sly devil."

"Ugh, do you honestly expect me to consider such repulsive beings deserving of my attention? Just go perish and vanish from this world; your presence won't be mourned," Aurora retorted with disdain.

Cyrus remained unphased by Aurora's comments, as he was already aware of her unsavory personality. He gazed at her and her party with composure, devoid of any emotion. He then turned his attention to their leader, Clout, and calmly stated, "Despite claiming to be righteous heroes who will rid the world of evil, you and your party have acted contrary to those beliefs. Have you forgotten about the incident in the ant's dungeon where you all fled, leaving me to be sacrificed?" Clout and his comrades were taken aback by Cyrus's words, and Clair stammered out, "It's you?! You're still alive? How is that possible?"

After hearing Cyrus's words, the players present began murmuring among themselves.

Clout's expression of surprise quickly turned into a stern one. In an attempt to refute Cyrus's words, he said, "I understand that you are upset for being chosen as the last sacrifice. If spreading false accusations about us makes you feel better, then so be it. I will bear the weight of your anger as this is all I can do right now. I will carry the burden of your hatred with me and live with this regret for the rest of my life."

"How kind hearted!"

"Stop slandering them!"

"You Liar! Go die already or will force you!"

"..."

Cyrus understood that continuing to argue was futile. Clout's party was infamous for being focused on justice and fairness in the hunter's world. On the other hand, Cyrus was just a pawn, easily disposable. He remained stoic and expressionless as he walked past Clout and Aurora, muttering under his breath, "You'll regret crossing me," before heading towards the door.

[You have selected option 1!]

[You will be transported to the ruler's chamber alone!]

*Woosh*

[Offer living sacrifice's, one at a time: 99/100]