Sacrifices(1)

[ You have chosen the alternate method to clear the scenario. ]

[ You can't enjoy the killer's benefits. If you want to shift your method, you need to wait three days and pay 2000 Glens. ]

[ Are you ready to choose the second path?

 Yes / No ]

I chose the yes option with full confidence.

The killer's benefits were useless anyway. As for changing the method to clear the scenario, I wasn't interested in it.

Not many people possessed 2000 Glens at the current stage. I got lucky and managed to gain quite a lot of Glens. For normal people, paying 2000 Glens was not an easy task.

Many people chose the killer's path even though they didn't possess the guts to kill anyone. Those who chose the alternate path either shifted it or were killed before being able to do anything.

[ Viewers are wondering why you chose the alternate method. ]

This was a new type of window that I saw for the first time. Such windows explained the mood of the viewers watching me through Inari's stream.

I ignored the message and started making my way inside the castle. The same scenario took place in the University so I was familiar with the layout I wrote about.

Furthermore, Blue guided me through the corridors and hallways.

'This place is way too empty.'

< Blue agrees. Ten minutes have passed and no creature has appeared. >

'Something is wrong here.'

I recalled the information I wrote at the beginning of the second scenario. Ray was forced into Vermilion castle where he was betrayed by someone he knew. 

|| On the first day, barely ten people died. Despite the apocalypse, the majority of humans were not ready to kill others. This made the scenario quite boring to watch. The Entertainers decided to put a penalty.

At least 30 people needed to die each day or else everyone present in the scenario would perish. To show their seriousness, the Entertainers killed a few people who refused to take part in the scenario. ||

Similar events might happen in my scenario as well. Perhaps the people in the scenario teamed up and refused to kill others to survive.

If they gathered together at one location, the empty hallways made sense.

[ The Viewers are bored by the slow progression. ]

[ The Viewers are complaining that things are too boring. ]

Bastards… they wanted to see the killing part as soon as possible. Another message appeared as I dismissed the previous messages.

[ Entertainer Inari is inviting you to her chatroom. 

 Do you want to accept?

Yes / No ]

I raised an eyebrow before pressing yes. Entertainers had their own chatrooms to host private talks. Many deals were made with the help of this chatroom.

[ Inari: You know, you are putting on a bad show after saying all those words.

 Michael: not my fault that no one is present here. 

 Inari: humans are social creatures. Many of them formed parties and refused to kill each other. A few of them are tempted to do it whereas only a handful have started the killing.

 Michael: how many have died so far?

 Inari: three humans have been killed so far. Sadly 30% of the total participants chose the alternate method like you. They will regret it.

 Michael: Huh? That many chose the alternate method? ]

I was surprised to learn that many chose the non-violent method to clear the scenario. 

[ Inari: I am surprised as well. They will change their method soon. Most of them will have to take a loan though. ]

Inari must be grinning after sending that message. Taking a loan to obtain Glens was a dangerous job.

The loan needed to be paid back with a 50% interest and if the loan was not repaid within the time limit, the consequences were deadly, to say the least.

[ Michael: I can't do much in that case. I will carry on alone. 

 Inari: Hmm, that is going to be boring. Let me do something fun.

 Michael: What?

 Inari: Wait and see. ]

I had an ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen. My feeling was soon confirmed.

+

[ A special condition has been imposed on the scenario! ]

[ If in the next hour, ten sacrifices are not made, every person present inside the Vermilion castle will die. ]

[ Completion: 0 / 10 ]

+

I gritted my teeth after reading the contents of the scenario change. This was supposed to happen a day later but my words sped up the process.

[ Inari: Enjoy! ]

Minutes after the appearance of the messages, screams echoed inside the castle's dimly lit hallways.

"AHH!"

"Someone help me! I don't want to die!"

I immediately dashed in the direction of the screams. I didn't summon my flames since I wanted to surprise attack.

< Why is Michael heading towards the sound of screaming? >

'I need to stop the killing.'

< Why? >

'Haven't you read the details of this scenario?'

< Wait… Oh! Blue understands. >

'Exactly.'

Since killing humans gave rise to negative energy, the bird summoned will have an evil nature. Every person involved in the killing will receive a skill, something I didn't want to see.

If the nature of the summoned bird was too evil, the scenario will be modified. No one could proceed ahead without killing the bird.

|| If only Ray had been smarter, the situation would be different. He chose the alternate method to prevent himself from killing anyone but it backfired. 

Using his preciously obtained Glens, Ray was forced to switch to the killer's method to clear the scenario. Unfortunately, the summoned creature became too evil due to the high number of killings.

This forced Ray to work with others to subdue the creature. After an intense battle and sustaining numerous injuries, the rewards were useless.

Unless Ray gave in to the evil inside him and allowed himself to become a puppet of evil, he couldn't use the skill.

Furthermore, the humans who chose to use these skills became evil creatures that needed to be hunted. Ray felt tired just by thinking about it.

Sadly, he only got to know about the alternate method much later on. ||

These words belonged to the original novel where Ray was forced to switch to the killing method to clear the scenario. He suffered a lot of injuries due to this and wasn't rewarded for it.

No wonder the readers felt that I did the MC wrong. Well, too late to change it.

< Blue says Michael can change it. >

'And risk facing another blackout? No thanks. Ray can handle himself well.'

Ray's skills and explosive growth were enough for him to fight against the evil creature with some tiny amount of support.

On the other hand, I wanted to prevent the summoned bird from being evil. The only way to do this was to prevent large amounts of killing from happening and use the alternate method to summon the bird.

"AHHH!"

A pained scream entered my ears followed by a message.

[ Someone has been murdered. A sacrifice has been made. ]

[ Completion: 1 / 10 ]

Gritting my teeth, I made a decision.

[ 500G have been invested into agility. ]

[ Level 9 —> Level 11 ]

[ You are now on the level of the fastest human beings to exist! ]

My speed increased considerably. If I knew my novel right, I was currently as fast as Usain Bolt, one of the fastest human beings in his prime.

In a few seconds, I managed to reach the hallway where the screams came from. This hallway was twice as large and had numerous sculptures and paintings on both sides.

The candles in this hallway were brighter as well. My eyes immediately caught sight of a dead body lying a few meters away from me.

The dead body must have belonged to the person who was killed earlier. Walking forward, I saw a huge hole in his chest where his heart used to be. Someone had destroyed or pierced the section of his chest to kill him.

Blood oozed out of the hole and surrounded the dead body. My body slightly trembled before stopping.

[ Your mental trauma has been set off by the skill [Author's Skill]. ]

'Blue?'

< Michael doesn't need to worry about mental trauma or attacks. Blue can shield Michael. >

I felt relieved after hearing that line. Mental defense was as important as physical defense. If one could overcome their mind, nothing could stop them.

I stopped the moment I reached next to the body and knelt down. I didn't pay much attention to the body's physical features and placed my hand a few centimeters above the dead body.

[ Michael: Hey Inari, watch this. ] 

I sent a message to make sure that Inari paid attention to my actions.

With a slight smirk, I summoned my flames and set the body on fire. The flames were hot enough to burn through the dead body in a matter of seconds, leaving behind ashes.

[ Many Viewers are intrigued by your actions. ]

[ Many Viewers are curious about your plan. ]

[ 'Hand_Number_37' agrees with your action and says it's the right way to pay respect to the dead. ]

[ Hand_Number_37 has awarded you with 500 Glens. ]

Receiving the Glens I spent felt nice, especially considering the fact that my motive was something else.

The real reason for burning the dead body was…

+

[ A different sacrifice has been made! 

The sacrifice is counted towards the completion of the scenario. ]

[ Completion: 2 / 10 ]

[ Continue with the sacrifices to obtain the alternate method of waking up the Phoenix.]