Lin Tianyin didn't dare to make any movement. She nervously followed Celier and slowly moved to a place where she could hear them clearly, then squatted down behind a clump of aquatic plants.
It can no longer be approached, this position is very dangerous. At this time, Lin Tianyin saw familiar figures among those people—the governor, Qiaorov, and two unfamiliar faces. It is guessed that most of them are high-level officials who hold the secrets of this area, or the governor's confidants.
"Don't struggle, Mr. Captain, don't you just wish to die? We are here to fulfill your wish."
A strong man with a fresh face stared at the old captain. He looked less than forty years old, and his tone was full of disdain and ridicule.
Qiao Luofu showed an appearance that Lin Tianyin had never seen before. The man who was always very cheerful stood at the side obediently at this moment. Among these people, the governor didn't show any expression from the beginning to the end, but squatted down as if comforting, and said to the captain who was tied up by them, "We don't want to do this either, but for the benefit of everyone, this is There is no choice but on behalf of all the residents I must thank you for the sacrifices you have made for us... Lastly, do you have any last wishes?"
"Go away! You disgusting wretches!" The old captain's eyes were wide open, he spat at the governor, and sneered, "It's very nice to say, but in fact it's another thing, the old man really almost I was also deceived by you. A group of hypocritical guys! Even if I die, I don’t want to be humiliated by you!”
"..."
The old captain was extremely stubborn all the time. The governor stared at him expressionlessly, wiped the spittle on his face with the back of his hand, and slowly straightened up.
Then the next moment, the governor's expression sank, and he suddenly kicked the old captain's stomach with a straight face.
"Well!!"
The old captain suddenly snorted in pain, and was kicked to the ground.
"Old stuff that doesn't know what's good or bad."
The governor stared at the old captain coldly, raised his leg and stepped on his face with one foot, acting rudely and violently.
The few people around were just watching, except for Jorov who stood aside with a painful expression, and the other people had sneers and sneers on their faces, and no one stopped them.
"I wanted to be polite to you, but it's a pity that you don't know how to praise yourself." The governor changed his face viciously, completely unlike the humble him before, this hypocrite finally revealed his true colors at this moment, "Originally, if you If you are willing to cooperate, you probably won't be able to get the sacrifice this month, but it doesn't matter, the other old guy who can't do anything will wait until next month."
Lin Tianyin, who was eavesdropping on the sidelines, was terrified. She guessed right, the governor and the others were not good people, but she never expected that things were far more terrifying than she imagined!
Now Lin Tianyin finally understands why he has to work hard to find survivors in this place where resources are extremely scarce, because they hold a so-called "Thanksgiving Festival" every month. But behind this seemingly carnival celebration, there is a dark and terrifying thing hidden—the real sacrifice is the living people dedicated to the sea monster Erms!
Lin Tianyin had to start to wonder whether those residents who disappeared for no reason or the pirates who were kicked out eventually became sacrifices. But what is the purpose of these people doing this? Is it related to the extinguished "nucleus"? It is impossible for their sacrifices to be unreasonable. If there is a victim every month, that is not an ordinary price!
Lin Tianyin suspects that their so-called sacrifices are only to provide energy for the so-called "sun". The cycle of nuclear continuous energy supply is about one month. When its energy is exhausted, they must continue to invest in the digestive glands of sea monsters. live life. So every time shortly after the end of the sacrifice, the extinguished "sun" will start to shine again, because they basically exchanged human life for energy!
Thinking of this, Lin Tianyin couldn't help being frightened by her speculation. But she felt something was wrong again. Since the sea monster has digestive glands, what is going on with this huge space in its body? If Erms just needed to devour things for energy, they should have been digested when they fell into the stomach of the sea monster. But the human beings who fell here can survive safely in a certain area. Besides, there are dangerous monsters in other places. The "acid spring" that dissolves whatever is thrown into it is more like a garbage dump than a sea monster's digestive system.
Lin Tianyin even vaguely felt that this place might not be just the world inside the belly of the sea monster. All kinds of life can survive in it, just like a different-dimensional living space created by some wicked people.
Could it... have something to do with the Demon King
Lin Tianyin thought of this possibility with great brains, because she felt that this might best explain the root of all the irrationality in this world.
If that's the case, everything would make sense... So even if the old captain gave up the idea of living, would these people keep him alive? They didn't even let the old captain leave their territory, but locked him up. The purpose was to turn him into a sea monster sacrifice for this day and maintain their survival energy. But the general residents don't seem to know about this matter, and I'm afraid it was concealed by those above.
Those who are incompetent and unable to create value will be eliminated, so the fat old man is the next target of those people. But people who are too clever can also threaten their rule, and the governor is wary of them, as if worried about what they might perceive. If he knew that he already knew their true colors, he might be dealt with secretly before the next sacrifice began!
"You're going to die—"
The old captain glared at the governor with hatred, his face was deformed by the step on him, and he almost used all his strength to curse himself word by word.
Another unfamiliar face stared at the old captain with a sneer, kicked him mercilessly, and said eccentrically, "Governor Hailim, how long will it take to throw this old thing in?"
The governor took out a delicate pocket watch, looked at the time and said coldly, "The residents' celebration is not over yet, as before, let's start again at the end."
"What? It's still a while...Enjoy the last time, old man." The old man sat down on the ground and yawned boredly, "It's so boring..."
Lin Tianyin watched this scene from the side, trembling in her heart. These people looked terribly abominable, the governor was a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I'm afraid he was also the most cold-blooded of the group. And Jorov stood by the side without saying a word from the beginning to the end. After seeing Jorov's reaction, they grinned and laughed, "What's the matter? You've done it with us so many times, aren't you used to it?"
"..."
Jorov seemed to be taken into consideration. He hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "I still think...it's not good to use our compatriots for living sacrifices."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Jojo?" The tall man gave Jorov a sarcastic look, and laughed, "This old guy wants to die, but we are fulfilling his wish." ah."
"But - aren't those people who sacrificed before all brothers among us?!" Jorov was a little excited for a moment, but he quickly fell down again, and sighed, "As long as there are people who have invested Wouldn’t something with enough vitality be enough? Then we just need to capture a monster alive in Area B... that’s fine too.”
"We voted at the beginning. Although you didn't agree, it's the wish of everyone who is a 'pioneer', isn't it?" The governor looked at him coldly, with no trace of emotion in his tone. Are you still saying that this is not ridiculous? It is impossible for you not to know the price of capturing a monster alive from Area B, which is much more than our several sacrifices, isn’t it, Qiao Qiao?”
"..." Jorov clenched his fists, and he seemed to want to say something, but in the end he fell silent.
Lin Tianyin understood almost everything when she heard this, her heart was still beating wildly, why couldn't she calm down her emotions at the moment.
At this moment, what should I do
"How? To save people?"
Lin Tianyin turned her head to look at Celil. The little pirate brother who was quietly observing those people suddenly twitched his eyebrows slightly after hearing her words, looking at Lin Tianyin as if he was looking at a fool.
"… What did you say?"
"I said, shall we save the old captain?"
"..."
Celil was silent. Through the faint firelight from a distance, he looked at Lin Tianyin's expression seriously, and after confirming that she was not joking, he shook his head very resolutely: "Little girl... you know what you are doing Say something?"
"I know." Lin Tianyin replied seriously.
"Then you should understand that even if the captain's grandfather is saved, it will only get us into more troublesome situations, and all previous efforts will be in vain."
Celil was probably really helpless, he sighed a little, and seeing Lin Tianyin's serious expression at the moment, he had to try hard to persuade her: "And you should understand, no matter what, they are now A living sacrifice is needed in exchange for the energy to survive, so the captain's grandfather who gave up the chance to survive is the best choice this time."
When Celil said these words, his eyes flickered for a moment. Perhaps what the little pirate brother didn't want to admit was that at this moment, the old captain's eyes showed unwillingness and nostalgia for the world. If this kind of person really wanted to die, he would have already died. It's just that this stubborn and self-respecting captain grandfather has always refused to admit that he wants to live.
Looking at Celil's gaze, Lin Tianyin felt as if something in her chest was constantly hitting her heart.
"I don't understand, and I don't want to understand. I just know that I hate this kind of thing, especially."
Clenching her fists, Lin Tianyin's expression became ferocious.
She began to think about it, what would happen if Mirona encountered such a thing? That terrific little girl might do stupid things regardless of the consequences. But no matter what the result is, Mirona is just doing what she thinks is right, so what if it is a white lotus? So what about chaotic good? Have the courage to ignore all consequences, it is this that can become the protagonist of the story, isn't it
Lin Tianyin is not a person full of sympathy, she just thinks this kind of thing is too disgusting and completely violates her bottom line. If she allowed herself to just do nothing and escape with peace of mind, she might become the kind of person she hated the most.
Does a person really have to become like that, is the so-called "growth" and "mature"
If you really did that, what price would you pay? Lin Tianyin asked herself again in her heart—is it really worth it
not worth it? Are you really willing to bear the possible consequences
Did you bear it...
"Don't do stupid things." Celier warned Lin Tianyin in a low voice, probably because she lowered her head solemnly, so she felt relieved and continued to observe the movement over there.
"It's almost time." The Governor looked at the time on his pocket watch again, finally showing a hint of impatience, "Hurry up and end, we can still catch up with the end of the celebration."
"That's right, the residents will be very happy to see the governor at the end."
One of them said to the governor in a flattering manner, and they picked up the old captain who had fallen on the ground, and slowly dragged him to the edge of the acid spring.
Jorov watched all this from the side, looking infinitely regretful. But he won't stop it, and he can't stop anything.
"Stop - old man doesn't want to... don't want to..."
The extremely stubborn old captain was finally reaching his limit. He looked extremely humiliated and terrified, with wet eyes. But the governor suddenly ordered the other two to let go of him in a malicious manner, then put on that modest smile again, looked at the old captain and asked, "What do you want? Tell me, ah, captain, how can you be so fast at such an age?" Crying? Aren't we fulfilling your wish?"
"..."
The old captain looked in extreme pain, his heart was shaking, but he never said the words "I don't want to die". The governor seemed to be full of patience. He grinned and said gently, "Don't you want to die? But if you don't say it, captain, we don't know."
"..." The old captain closed his eyes. At this last moment, he finally gave up his dignity and stubbornness, and nodded in pain.
As if satisfied, the governor suddenly laughed distortedly.
"But no, in order to maintain the normal operation of this place, there must always be a person with courage to make sacrifices. Your death will be a supreme honor, Captain."
The Governor's words were like a poisonous snake that got into the old captain's ears, making the expression on the old captain's face that was already full of humiliation and frustration even more gray. In fact, the old captain also knew that those people would not let him go, he just couldn't control the fear of death in despair.
The governor looked down at the old captain, the twisted smile on his face hadn't completely dissipated, and the usual kind and compassionate expression appeared in his eyes.
"For all of us, I will wrong you, old man."
While speaking, the governor had already picked him up and dragged him to the edge of the digestive gland.
The old captain glanced at the governor angrily and desperately, trembling all over, and closed his eyes again, but he didn't even have the strength to curse.
However, at this moment, a group of extremely fast shadows suddenly appeared from a corner in the darkness.
A girl with ponytails rushed out quickly, and before everyone had time to react, she kicked in the air and directly kicked the governor who was about to make gestures to instruct others to deal with the old captain.
The Governor, who was caught off guard, was kicked into the acid spring by the girl before he even had time to utter an exclamation.
"Ah, since that's the case, why don't you just die yourself?!"