Chapter 3

Shurikens were thrown, hitting some unprotected people advancing without any protection or caution. Bows hitting the eyes of some invaders and people from the Tatsushiro clan being cut in half. Chaos began to spread, and a bloodbath began to run rampant.

Fire started to emerge, and houses began to be burned and looted in the midst of the confusion. Besides the people who wanted revenge, there were others who saw opportunity.

A bald old-looking robust man appeared intercepting Atsuya's path, judging by Atsuya's physique and appearance, the ninja thought he was an easy prey and that he could get a good amount of money from his equipment, he couldn't help but smile.

Damn, this is getting out of hand, I thought bitterly... I just wanted to use them to kill some bastards. But I didn't expect this to trigger a war. I looked around feeling a little guilty seeing some people die for nothing.

A blow from his sword came down, attempting to brutally cut my torso, but fortunately, I managed to parry the blow and took advantage of how close he was by kicking his groin. Sensing that he had weakened, I thrust a dagger into his throat, finishing off the man who had underestimated me.

[Congratulations, you leveled up]

[You acquired 2 smoke bombs, 4 worn-out kunais, and a very dirty outfit.]

Filled with adrenaline and with no time to think about anything else, Atsuya put all his points into agility. The blood pumping rapidly through his body gave him insane reflexes, allowing him to dodge some kunais that were aiming for his head by leaning slightly backward.

I quickly looked around and noticed a place with a beautiful entrance, as if the path were revered by the gods, with a mystical structure leading to an entrance within a mountain in a shape reminiscent of a volcano. Taking advantage of the chaos that had already ensued, I ran in that direction, dodging as much as possible.

[-𝟮𝟵 𝙃𝙋]

[-𝟭𝟳 𝙃𝙋]

"Who are you? Stop—?"

"Someone entered the sanctuary, detain him!"

Being hit by some kunais or shurikens along the way, I gritted my teeth and continued to run until I approached the entrance where some people were fighting nearby. I threw 2 smoke bombs and ran with all my might into the cave, not stopping for anything. If my judgment is wrong and there's nothing here that can save me or anything valuable, I really will die spitting blood!

[You entered the sanctuary of ????]

I was surprised by the notification and felt momentarily joyful. Amidst all this misfortune, I finally achieved something good! Hehehe. I quickly dashed to the deepest part of the cave and only found myself facing a huge circle with various mystical inscriptions scattered on the ground, binding 5 different dragons around what seemed to be another temple.

I was truly fascinated by how beautiful and majestic each one looked. I observed each one for a while, and nothing happened, as if they were in a deep sleep. Summoning all the courage I had, I began to approach the center of the circle, where there was a 1-meter marble with a dazzling sword seemingly stuck in the center.

Realizing that the dragons didn't wake up even with all the chaos and screams, I gathered courage and approached to get my hands on that beautiful sword. As I got closer, I noticed the difference in the size of the sword. It was too small to be called a sword, it was almost the same length as a tanto.

[??????]

As I approached the sword, just 1 meter away, my legs froze instantly, as if someone had poured lead into my body. Then I realized that all the dragons that were sleeping had opened their eyes and were staring at me intensely.

[You've fallen into a state of fear.]

[You're paralyzed.]

[You've fallen into a state of confusion.]

[You've lost control of your body.]

Several messages began to appear before me, and I only realized how screwed I was. I felt like my luck was too good to be true...

[Who are you, human?]

[Are you part of the Dragon Guardian Clan?]

[You seem weak.]

[I smell blood on him. Unsuitable.]

[He seems appetizing for a sacrifice.]

Every time I heard a voice coming from the mouths of those dragons, my body became more stunned and left me unable to move. So I could only do the only move I had left, my secret card.

"Yes. O great dragon lord, whom we of the Tatsushiro clan venerate with all our blood and soul! I am fully of the Tatsushiro clan!"

[...]

[...]

[Could you come up with a better lie?...]

[Terrible...]

[...]

Damn it! What should I do? I'm freaking nervous!

[We will forgive your transgression for lying in our presence... if you perform the ritual!] The red dragon, who seemed to be the leader among the 5, spoke majestically as if forgiving an unacceptable crime and being benevolent.

The green dragon remained silent for a few seconds, analyzing the human. [You don't seem like you'll be able to complete the ritual; I fear you may only become our appetizer. Kukukuku.]

The blue dragon pointed to the sword in front of him, radiating a powerful and magnificent aura. [If you manage to survive by some miracle, this sword could be yours!]

[You enter the sanctuary of human sacrifice.]

!#@#%@$!

[𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧!]