Chapter 33.1

Nick stated, "If the standard animal sacrifice involves placing the animal bones together to bless a new life, then the curse in reverse would be to never rest in peace."

The group collectively took a deep breath, causing a temporary pause in breathing.

They were standing at the tomb of God Phae, one of the most revered main gods of the Old Gods Era. However, they had made a troubling discovery: a curse consisting of fragmentary bones of thousands of ferocious beasts had been buried at the gate of the Lord God's resting place, causing Phae to never rest in peace.

"Who could have committed such an abhorrent act?" someone inquired, visibly shaken. "Cursing a god is not only a crime, but also an act of defiance against the heavens!"

The Ona people viewed their gods as their ancestors and did not wish for their ancestors' gravesites to be desecrated in this manner.

Oswald's expression was grim. First, Kevin had left the others and rushed into the cemetery alone, and now Phae had been cursed in such a vicious manner. His mood had plunged from bad to worse.

"If not the people who constructed this cemetery, then who had the opportunity to carry out this act?" he inquired in a deep voice.

The group had been so stunned by the discovery that they had been unable to think logically. However, hearing Oswald's words, they immediately connected the dots.

Why was the cemetery for a god of light situated in such a dark and damp place with no sunlight?

Why was there a vicious gravekeeper, similar to a dryad, guarding the entrance to the tomb of a revered god?

In front of an ordinary person's gravesite, there were often bouquets and offerings offered by those who missed them. But the location of a god who was supposed to be worshipped by thousands of people remained unknown, with deceased souls still lingering by the door.

The only explanation was that those who constructed Phae's tomb had not done so to pay homage to him, but to imprison him in the darkness, preventing his soul from seeing the light.

The so-called "grave guards" were not meant to guard, but to trap.

The layers of beast corpses buried at different times were linked to those dryads. Perhaps they would periodically bury a layer of bones on top of them to continue the curse indefinitely.

"I now understand what Kevin meant by using us as living sacrifices," Nick said, his face turning green.

"The cemetery was planned in such a way that one can die or kill another, solely to enhance the curse," the officer beside Nick seconded.

Oswald's expression worsened as he thought of Kevin, who had already entered God Phae's tomb.

Just as he was about to issue commands, a gust of wind picked up along the group's ankles, and everyone's insect lamps flickered twice before extinguishing with a "plop."

Everyone was taken aback.

"The sack is filled with dead worms, not fire, so how could a gust of wind put it out?" someone murmured incredulously.

"Because the bag was not snuffed out, but rather the worms inside have died," Oswald stated coldly. "Do you recall your previous positions? Everyone had their backs turned, and something approached us."

"What?!"

"Undead."

While everyone was in danger outside, Kevin was strolling along a meandering path, holding a bug lamp. Upon closer inspection, anyone would find the scenes on both sides of this path to be unsettling.

Tall grasses resembling reeds, almost as tall as Kevin, populated either side of the pathway. However, the tops of these grasses were not strands of hair, but human faces.

Each face was pale and slightly swollen, with particularly dark eyebrows and eyeballs, producing a stark contrast that caused shivers to run down one's spine. Men, women, old and young alike all gazed straight at Kevin, as if nothing else in this place was worth their attention except for him.

In reality, this was accurate. Other than the faint rhythmic sound of his footsteps on the grass and leaves, there were no other sounds on the path.

There was nothing but the sound of blood dripping on the ground.

Upon entering the cemetery gate, Kevin's body began to develop new wounds that gradually healed on their own. The location varied, with sometimes on his fingers, arms, chest, and back. The cycle began with the rapid ulceration of the epidermis, followed by dripping flesh and blood, until the white bones became exposed, which then slowly regenerated and healed. Before the wound healed completely, a new wound would begin the same process. The blood he left behind on his journey had already formed a line.

The faces on both sides of the path couldn't help but salivate as they stared at Kevin, appearing both famished and frightened. Wherever Kevin went, parts of their faces would subconsciously retreat, providing a wider path for him. As soon as Kevin stepped forward, the faces rushed to the ground, greedily licking the dripping flesh and blood.

Each lick produced the sound of "puff" and "puff," as the faces did not appear to be licking a thin layer of flesh and blood, but instead dismantling something in their stomachs.

Under the bug lamp's light, Kevin's face looked paper-white, as though he had just been dug up from the soil by Ben. The usual emotions he displayed disappeared from his face when he was alone, making him appear exceptionally cold and emotionless.

He touched that place repeatedly in disbelief, his fingertips beginning to feel numb.