Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 105 Voluntary Sacrifice, the Making of the Shepherd
"Potion or ritual? What are you talking about?"

Lu Ze did not understand Ms. M's question.

“Starting from Sequence 5, the toxicity of potions becomes extremely severe. Drinking them directly will almost certainly cause an Extraordinary to die on the spot or lose control,” Ms. M explained. “Therefore, a ritual must be performed while taking the potion to counteract its negative effects.”

Is that so?
Lu Ze thought to himself that he seemed to have learned some more secrets about the potion.

He certainly didn't trust Ms. M, so he listened to her words with suspicion. "I want to know about potions and rituals."

"I've only ever seen the prepared potions of the shepherds, but I know more about the rituals."

Ms. M said.

You just don't want to tell me the recipe, right?
"Then tell me the details of the ceremony."

"Okay."

Ms. M said with a smile.

At this moment, even Cecilia, who was standing to the side, became curious and sat down next to Luze, listening quietly.

Ms. M said with a smile:

"The shepherd's ascension ceremony is to consume seven living people after taking a magic potion to replenish his body. These people must be sacrificed voluntarily, becoming offerings to the one who takes the magic potion."

"The shepherd's unique ability, 'herding,' works by consuming the souls and characteristics of extraordinary beings, storing them within the body, and summoning them to be used when needed. The potion creates a space within the body to store the soul. This causes the user to consume a large amount of flesh and blood, and if it cannot be replenished in time, it is easy to lose oneself and become completely out of control."

"In addition, if the sacrifice is an extraordinary being with inherent characteristics, then the requirement for offerings will be reduced to four. This is because their physical quality is better and can replace enough flesh and blood."

Inside number 6 Narcissus Street late at night, bathed in the warm glow of a gas lamp, Ms. M, with her red hair and golden eyes, calmly concluded her explanation. However, the ritual she described was so insanely twisted that it sent chills down the spine of anyone who listened.

The idea of ​​self-sacrifice seems to be related to the authority held by the true creator, but this ritual is truly evil.

Lu Ze sighed inwardly.

While he couldn't completely trust what Ms. M said, after hearing the details of the promotion ceremony, he felt that it might actually be true. This ceremony, overflowing with madness and decadence, perfectly matched his understanding of shepherds.

Below the Shepherds are the Rose Bishops, Sequence 6, who possess powerful flesh-and-blood magic abilities. Theoretically, they can devour large amounts of flesh and blood in a short time, so consuming seven people shouldn't be a problem. As for her description of the Shepherd's core ability, "herding," it seems to make sense.

The ritual itself is not complicated; the most difficult part is gathering seven ordinary people, or four extraordinary individuals, who know they will die but are still willing to sacrifice themselves. These people must be completely voluntary.

Ms. M is implying that hypnosis, threats, or bribery won't work. The ritual will fail if the person providing the body has even the slightest hesitation.

"This ceremony is truly tailor-made for your Aurora Club."

Lu Ze sneered.

Yes, the Aurora Society never lacks fanatical believers willing to sacrifice their lives and bodies.

"That's because they all have a devout heart toward the Lord."

Ms. M said in a calm tone.

"People like me who are not part of the Aurora Club probably have absolutely no chance of being promoted."

Lu Ze said self-deprecatingly.

If he really had the chance to reach the Rose Bishop of Sequence 6 and fully digest it, even if he obtained the Shepherd's Potion, he would be stuck at this step.

Then he heard Ms. M's calm voice.

"Of course there's a chance." "Really?"

Lu Ze glanced at her.

"Yes, you see, at least now you have one extraordinary person by your side who is willing to die for you. You just need to find three more such people, and then you can try to advance. You're only Sequence 8 now, you have plenty of time to slowly cultivate people who are willing to die for you."

Ms. M spoke in a gentle but emotionless tone, as if she were stating something perfectly natural.

Lu Ze was stunned, as if he couldn't understand her words at all.

A moment later, he finally realized that the "extraordinary person who was willing to die for him" the other person was referring to Cecilia, who was beside him and was his most important sister in this damned world.

"shut up!"

Lu Ze practically shouted, interrupting Ms. M's next words.

He abruptly stood up and said to the woman who seemed to have no human emotions whatsoever, "I'm not like you bunch of lunatics. My family is much more important to me than a promotion!"

"is it?"

Ms. M paused for a moment, then smiled.

Her lips curved into a beautiful smile, but her golden eyes were as expressionless as if they were made of cold metal. Her tone was unusually gentle, carrying an indescribable allure.

"If you're stuck at a certain level for too long and have no hope of advancement, you'll inevitably feel anxious sooner or later. I've seen more than once people betray their beliefs because of this. Even your Church of the Night had an archbishop who defected for the sake of advancement, didn't he?"

Lu Ze clenched his fists.

At this moment, he really wanted to risk everything and fight this humanoid monster who was spouting a bunch of nonsense. But looking at the anxious Cecilia beside him, he managed to hold back.

"As expected, I completely cannot understand you."

He said it indifferently and slowly sat down.

That's because you don't understand the real world well enough.

Ms. M smiled and said, "Alright, it's getting late. I'm going to rest now. Goodnight, both of you. Don't stay up too late, especially you, Cecilia. As someone who has just become an Extraordinary, you must pay special attention to maintaining mental stability."

She had just been suggesting that Luze sacrifice Cecilia, yet now she was concerned about her health. This concern was superficial, merely a set of formalities. With that, she rose from the sofa, went straight up the stairs, and returned to her guest room, leaving Luze and Cecilia sitting alone in the living room.

Stay calm. She's doing this on purpose. Don't let her words shake your composure.
Lu Ze took a deep breath, trying to adjust his mindset.

"Lu Ze."

Beside him, Cecilia said worriedly.

"I am fine."

"Brother, actually I'm not."

"I won't let you continue."

Lu Ze looked up and decisively stopped his sister from saying anything more. "I know what you want to say, but I will never allow you to do such a thing."

What Cecilia wanted to say was simply that she was willing to sacrifice herself for Luze, enabling him to become a shepherd. But for Luze, his sister was far more important than promotion. If he had to choose between becoming a shepherd and Cecilia, he would choose Cecilia without hesitation.

Otherwise, why would he risk losing control to beg the Hidden Sage for a way to save his sister, and risk being burned to death to fight Lady Sharon, who was of a higher rank than him?

If Cecilia disappears, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
(End of this chapter)