Mark of the Sacrifice

The rapier swept downward, cleaving cleanly along the terror claw leader’s midline.

Striking and sheathing in one fluid motion, Officer Natalie stepped back lightly, pressed her hat to her chest, and gave a slight bow.

Before she had even straightened, the terror claw leader, still clutching its kin's severed head, stumbled a step forward. Then, right before the eyes of the entire pack, it split cleanly down the middle and toppled to either side. Even as it hit the ground, its cold, vertical slit-pupils rolled a few times.

Pfft! Blood mingled with entrails erupted from the bisection, gushing in an eerie, magnificent fountain of gore.

The entire square plunged into dead silence in an instant.

Except for the few burning beasts that had already fled the square, the rest of the terror claws stared dumbly at their leader's gruesome remains beside the idol.

“Roar!”

A shrill howl rose from the terror claws on the periphery, dripping with palpable rage.

As if jolted awake by the call, the cry rippled through the pack one after another. Over a hundred terror claws roared in fury together, sending the tension across the square into a violent explosion.

Eyes bloodshot, every terror claw surged inward, closing in on the idol and Officer Natalie beside it.

They really won't scatter.

The lady officer knitted her brows and sank into a low crouch, gripping the hilt of her rapier once more as the spectral silhouette of a gavel materialized behind her.

The short distance vanished in the blink of an eye. Seeing the massive swarm close in, Officer Natalie’s gaze turned icy as she prepared to draw her blade.

Right at that moment, a blaze surged in from a distance, dragging a rolling wave of scorching heat in its wake. It charged right before Officer Natalie and coalesced into a burning humanoid flame. The instant it formed, it threw itself directly onto the fastest beast, setting the creature's fur ablaze in a heartbeat and turning it into a massive fireball.

Lynch had arrived.

Time, time, time!

Moving with blinding speed, Lynch broke away immediately after igniting his third victim, barreling straight through every terror claw in his path and setting all of their coats ablaze.

Unlike before, the terror claws were now tightly packed together. It was the prime moment for arson, their thick pelts serving as the perfect fuel.

Adopting a hit-and-run tactic, Lynch didn't care about lingering impact—only about spreading the flames as wide as possible and sowing utter panic. Darting left and right, he soon had blazes raging across the square, filling the air with the stench of burning flesh.

Terrified by the fire, the horde of terror claws found themselves caught in a dilemma. The ignited beasts rampaged blindly, spreading the inferno even faster.

Even the lady officer was momentarily stunned by the sight, watching the flame-clad Lynch as though looking upon a humanoid calamity.

As for Lynch, glorious though it seemed, every passing second subjected him to the searing agony of fire scorching his very soul. Feeling his mind on the verge of breaking, he could only desperately urge himself onward: hang on a bit longer, they're about to break.

He knew full well that terror claws inherently feared fire. Earlier, their leader's prestige had kept them in line, and right now, only raw rage kept them from scattering. As long as the fire snuffed out that final burst of anger, the suppression conditions would be met.

Let's see who lasts longer, then.

Though agony blurred his consciousness, he still clenched fists made of fire, racing across the square purely on instinct. He twisted his flaming body, preparing to loop around the idol and carve through the terror claws once more. But before he could dash forward, the voice in his head chimed.

【Ten seconds of safe usage remaining. Severe consequences will ensue after ten seconds.】

Lynch’s heart sank, yet he didn't slow. Swirling around the idol like a whirlwind, he ignited the fur of seven or eight more terror claws along the way, feeding the roaring inferno around them.

Is my soul about to burn out, or is the relic going out of control?

【No. The consequences are unpredictable. Remaining time: five seconds.】

Damn it, they're right on the verge of breaking. I can't stop now, or everything will have been in vain. Travel Companion, count it down—I'm unleashing my ultimate.

With that thought, Lynch pivoted, transforming into a streak of fire as he bolted straight toward the area with the least flames and the densest concentration of terror claws. The inferno along his trail swelled higher and higher, whooshing with roaring fury.

Crammed shoulder-to-shoulder, the terror claws had no room to dodge. Lynch tore through them, igniting huge swaths in an instant. The air choked with the pungent stench of charred flesh as scores of beasts howled in agony, completely stripped of their former ferocity.

【Three.】

On the perimeter, several more flaming terror claws shrieked and fled the square, bolting into the depths of the ruined city. Yet the majority of the pack still held firm around the idol, refusing to leave.

Standing right by the idol and seeing the monsters waver between advance and retreat, Officer Natalie let out a cold snort. Striding forward several steps, her rapier cleared its sheath again. Before a terror claw that had crept slightly too close could react, it was sheared in half at the waist. Bisected, the beast didn't die immediately; propping up its upper half with its claws, it let out a dying wail.

Whoosh! Lynch merged seamlessly over the wailing half-corpse, roasting its flesh with his blaze. The mangled creature struggled frantically, yet could not escape the cocoon of fire. Its desperate, harrowing shrieks echoed across the entire square.

The wretched cries of their kin seemed to shake the resolve of the terror claws. They stopped pressing forward, though they still lingered at a distance, glaring savagely and snarling around the idol, stubbornly refusing to abandon it.

【Two.】

Out of time.

Now or never!

Steeling his resolve, Lynch cast aside all hesitation. Following the method imparted by the ring, he truly envisioned himself as a massive fireball. Clenching his fiery fists and focusing every shred of willpower, he drove his flame-wrought body straight into the ground.

Hold on, can't pass out.

Here I come!

As the flames struck the earth, the air seemed to freeze for an instant.

Then, the humanoid blaze violently detonated, unleashing a colossal crescent-shaped wave of fire that shot forward, instantly plunging everything ahead into a hellish sea of flames.

【One.】

The detonating blaze proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Jolted awake as if from a nightmare, the terror claws broke into frantic howls and scrambled madly in every direction. Caring for nothing else, they shoved aside or trampled over any kin in their way as they fled outward.

In the span of a breath, amidst the roaring inferno, sheer chaos enveloped the square as countless flaming monstrosities scattered in panic, like a scene straight out of doomsday.

Lynch paid none of this any mind. The moment the fire exploded, he had used his last ounce of lucidity to rip off the ring, reverting to his human form. Still steaming all over, he ignored everything around him and staggered toward the statue at the center of the square.

As the pack of terror claws scattered, the idol at the center began shrinking at an unnatural, rapid pace. By the time Lynch stumbled up beside it, it had shrunk down to the size of a palm.

Straining to bend down and pick up the idol, Lynch’s expression shifted between relief and fury before finally settling into an unrestrained grin as he hoisted the idol high above his head.

In the end, I still won.

New world, I, Lynch, have survived.

Just as the smile broke across his face, all strength drained from his body, and he toppled helplessly toward the scorching ground.

Only to collapse straight into a warm embrace.

Looking up, he met the striking face of Officer Natalie Angel, who was smiling at him with a complex expression.

“Magnificent work, Lynch. You truly taught me a lesson.”

“The bet...” Leaning comfortably against the lady officer's chest, Lynch murmured in a faint voice.

“How about I let go?” Officer Natalie asked through gritted teeth.

“Heh, I...”

His smile barely had time to show before his body went limp, his consciousness plunging into endless darkness.

Thud.

A dull impact jarred Lynch from his dreams.

He felt completely drained and sore all over, as though every ounce of his strength had been depleted.

Struggling to sit up, he found himself lying on the sofa in the Randall living room.

Officer Natalie sat across from him. She had already packed the painting and the idol together into a briefcase; the sound earlier had been her setting the painting inside.

Several blue uniforms were bustling about, conducting inspections while carefully steering clear of the piles of “sand” and the severed head on the floor.

Looking around, though barely several dozen minutes had passed, Lynch felt as if a lifetime had gone by. Touching the sofa and coffee table, everything felt so solid and real. Only then did he feel certain that he was truly back.

Randall’s severed head still lay on the floor. A surge of genuine vindication welled up in Lynch’s chest; he sorely wanted to walk over and give it another kick.

Damned bastard, look who ended up dead in the end.

Miscalculated, didn't you, Randall? Why aren't you asking how much time is left now?

Wait, time!

Remembering how he had passed out, Lynch quickly checked his left hand. Relief washed over him so heavily that he nearly slumped back into the cushions.

Dozens of minutes ago, he had sat in this exact spot, staring at a withered, dying arm, racing against death for a threadbare sliver of hope.

Now, sitting in the very same place, what met his eyes was a completely normal left hand. Disbelieving, Lynch pulled back his sleeve and traced the smooth, restored skin.

Warmth welled in his chest, accompanied by a sudden urge to weep.

I survived. After struggling all night, I finally survived.

Clamping a hand over his mouth, Lynch blinked furiously to suppress the burning heat in his eyes. With reddened eyes, he looked up to find Officer Natalie had paused her work, watching him with a sympathetic gaze.

“I suggest you don't celebrate too early.”

“I know. You said that if I want to live, I have to become a Soul Severer. That means this isn't over yet.”

Officer Natalie’s presence helped Lynch regain his composure. His thoughts quickly sharpened again, and he rubbed his face to mask his emotional lapse.

“Am I still in danger? It seems very likely. After all, the master behind Randall hasn't been uncovered yet.”

“The reason behind it is indeed trouble, but that's a problem for the future. For now, congratulations are in order, Mr. Lynch Levive. Through your own efforts, you've not only reclaimed your life, but also bought yourself ample time to keep fighting.” A look of surprise and admiration softened the officer's stern face. “I never imagined an ordinary person's struggle could reach such heights. Truly incredible.”

“What actually happened?”

“You should already know by now that Randall's entire family was likely cultists of the Ancient Flicker. Instructed by someone for reasons unknown, they sacrificed you to the evil god through that idol. That's why you went through tonight's ordeal.”

Lynch nodded silently.

“I took up my father's rapier and have been a mystery hunter for two years. I've witnessed many mysterious events. Usually, in cases involving evil gods, the death of the victim is the standard outcome—just like Drunken Peter and Granville.”

“So from the start, you already considered me a dead man?”

“Forgive me. I underestimated your capabilities, and I apologize.” The lady officer bowed her head with solemn sincerity. “However, once I realized this might involve a sacrifice, I grew even more certain that your death was unavoidable. Even if you found the idol and interrupted Randall and the others, it was useless. We only severed the external guidance; the true sacrifice was occurring within the relic itself. You had already become a sacrifice, so once time ran out, you would die. It was an unwinnable situation.”

Even with the immediate crisis resolved, a heavy weight lingered on Lynch’s heart. In this world, lacking supernatural power was simply too perilous; one could die bizarrely at any moment.

“Yet interrupting their guidance happened to cause the relic to lose control, giving us a chance to enter the relic’s memories and directly disrupt the sacrificial ritual within, allowing you, the final sacrifice, to survive.” Officer Natalie looked at Lynch, her tone uncharacteristically gentle. “That's why I said your struggle allowed you to escape a certain-death situation. Truly splendid work.”

“But the problem hasn't been completely resolved, right?”

“Don't be too greedy, Mr. Lynch. In confrontations with mystery, any victory is worth rejoicing and celebrating—not to mention you've bought yourself an extra month to solve the problem.” Officer Natalie sighed and shook her head. “Still, it's true that it isn't completely resolved. Look at your heart.”

Nervous, Lynch pulled open his shirt, then averted his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

Over his heart, a crimson pattern of an eye had appeared. It looked painted on, yet could not be rubbed away. Moving with the rise and fall of his breathing, it seemed to blink in an unsettling, eerie rhythm.

“You are the chosen sacrifice—merely not yet delivered to the altar. The evil god, the Ancient Flicker, is staring at your soul. In one month, it will claim it.”