"Is this the basement where [Actors] acquire their abilities..."
The underground area did not have the maze-like complex structure found inside the mansion.
The elevator descended to a straight passageway,
with wall lamps on either side that were skulls topped with red candles. The audiences who were once beheaded here, even in death, were still playing their remaining roles.
Passing through the corridor leads to the sacrificial area in the basement.
A spacious "regular hexagonal" room, approximately two hundred square meters.
There are six such passages and elevators, each pointing to different areas of the mansion, facilitating Actors’ easy transportation of prey to the basement for the ’sacrificial ritual’ during hunts in various areas.
1. Along the sidewall, there are huge wardrobes made of ancient wood, with bloodstains from various years lingering at the corners of the wardrobes or flowing in streams through the door cracks.
2. In the central area, "ten" demons holding bowl-like containers stand.
3. A giant stone-carved heart hangs in the very center, with veins protruding from its surface, connecting to each demon statue.
The most terrifying thing is. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
The headless corpses of [the Old Butler] and [Baron Holi] were impaled on the long horns of two demon sculptures, their bodies drained of blood.
The two immediately thought of destroying the sculptures upon seeing this scene.
However, destroying the sculptures was not easy at all.
Random destruction could likely trigger traps or alarms.
Moreover, these sculptures were not made of common stone, their surfaces flowing with an eerie crimson glow.
With ordinary human strength, it was nearly impossible to destroy them, even if a chisel or similar tool was found, it could not be destroyed in a short time; attracting the Actors would mean a dead end.
The priority is still investigation.
Miss Fima carefully observed these demon sculptures, seemingly having some understanding of such sacrificial rituals.
Mr. Voss strolled around like a cat, moving slowly along the sidewall, trying to memorize the scene details in his mind, striving to convey a 100% complete aerial view to Han Dong, so that he could take a backseat later.
Miss Fima walked around the statue, staring at the stone-carved heart, suddenly recalling something that happened long ago.
’I seem to have seen these kinds of rituals somewhere... It should be more than ten years ago when I followed the smuggler spaceship to a stronghold.
A group of [Fate Participants] unexpectedly met at the stronghold.
The smuggler organization’s duties forced them into battle with these mysterious individuals,
I was using "Fox Concealment" to hide in the dark, and at the end of the battle, although this group killed all tens of thousands of smugglers, their physical strength was nearly exhausted, suffering serious injuries.
Just as they were resting and healing on the spot,
One of the Wizards among them suddenly attacked his companions, stripping away their abilities to move, using the smugglers’ skeletons to construct a similar demon altar.
They hung each of their companions on the demon sculptures built from skeletons, using some sacrificial secret method to absorb abilities.
It should be similar... able to directly absorb others’ special traits, abilities, or even insights into fate, greatly shortening their own cultivation time. Though extremely evil, this sacrificial secret method is indeed shocking.’
A meow interrupted her recollection.
Although Mr. Voss couldn’t speak, his sharp gaze said it all — someone was coming!
When they intended to escape the basement through other passages, they found that all the passage doors were locked... It seemed that once the [Actors] arrived in the underground area, the other passages would be sealed, ensuring that the sacrificial process was not disturbed by anyone.
The two could only hide together in a ’wardrobe’ set along the sidewall.
Upon opening the wardrobe, a strong stench of rot hit their noses.
Inside hung several headless corpses belonging to unfortunate audiences who had been sacrificed during previous performances.
Due to different years,
some were still in a state of bloated decay, while others had become mere bones... And after several or even decades of fermentation in the sealed wardrobe, the smell inside was imaginable.
But both have seen all kinds of scenes, they could barely endure it.
However, the wardrobe was cramped with hanging corpses, so hiding together would most likely result in being discovered.
Mr. Voss had to quickly move to another wardrobe... click! Closing the door.
Through the cracks of the wardrobe door, they could still barely observe the general situation of the sacrificial area.
Now, the only thing to do was to stay quiet and pray that the Actors wouldn’t check the wardrobes.
Judging from the current situation,
the Actors wouldn’t waste time checking these wardrobes filled with corpses.
The ’Demon Hunting Squad’ that Han Dong had formed already felt threatening to him,
with only two lone audiences remaining, he must seize the time to gain as much power as possible.
"Is that... the Nanny’s Actress?"
From Miss Fima’s perspective.
The Actor quickly dragged a woman, hanging her directly on the demon horns.
The intense pain awakened the Nanny’s actress, but unfortunately, her eyes had already been destroyed, blindly flailing a poisoned dagger in the air, screaming heart-wrenching cries.
Instead of being disturbed by such screams, Miss Fima felt relieved; the louder the scream, the less likely she was to be discovered.
Once the blood filled the bowl-like container.
The head hit the ground.
Miss Fima watched silently, hoping the Actor would leave quickly.
At this time, a strange scene occurred.
After consuming the blood, Actor Matthew fell!
A loud heartbeat echoed... The whole basement could hear it, reminding Miss Fima of specific details she’d heard before, as she had witnessed similar heartbeats once.
At that time, she’d already fled, missing the subsequent events.
Actor Matthew showed "tense throughout the body,"
with blood vessels protruding clearly on the skin, the venom trait acquired from the Nanny was being absorbed and assimilated by him.
Fresh blood slowly seeped from his left chest,
a heart with a mouth structure unexpectedly emerged... On close observation, its bloodlines resembled limbs, supporting the heart as it crawled out from within the Actor.
The heart that emerged outside started rhythmically breathing, inhaling the nutrient blood delivered to it.
It seemed to be the true core of ability absorption.
’Mr. Han’s guess was right; this guy’s weakness is his heart, perhaps the heart is the main body.
The Actor is merely an exterior shell, the heart being the controller? Not quite, they seem to be conversing with each other...’
Just as Fima wanted to listen to their dialogue closely.
The heart that exposed outside suddenly stopped speaking, an eye grew on its surface, staring at the wardrobe where Fima was hiding.
Actor Matthew turned his head as well.
’Why?! I clearly didn’t make any sound.’
Fima braced herself for a desperate struggle.
The Actor approached the wardrobe, paused for about three seconds, was about to reach for the door, when suddenly his expression changed, and he left the basement rapidly, as if something urgent had occurred above.