A priest in North America, what the hell is the Demon Gate system?

"She is my daughter, and the purest child in the community. She has been sensible since she was little, always willing to help others, and never complains. The messenger said that if she is willing to become a sacrifice, the community will receive eternal protection."

"I had no choice; it was for the sake of the community. She will understand."

Li Ang frowned deeply; this old man had truly gone mad with greed.

He continued flipping through the pages, and the next few pages were all about Jacob's self-reflection and mental preparation. It was the same few sentences over and over again: for the community, for everyone, sacrifice is necessary.

"Isn't that what the Bible says? Abraham offered up his son Isaac; that was his dedication to God. God is testing me, that must be it. As long as I am as steadfast as Abraham, God will surely bless the community."

Upon seeing this, Li Ang couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Using Abraham's sacrifice and Isaac's sacrifice to brainwash yourself? Old Deng, you're quite good at making excuses... Abraham had a scapegoat, do you? You're really pushing your daughter into a fire pit, how can you compare them?"

Li Ang closed his diary and put it back in the drawer. He leaned against the desk, his mind racing.

"The messenger from the abyss is most likely a demon. The fact that it demands the sacrifice of a close relative indicates that it desires a soul imbued with intense emotions. Jacob loved Ellie, which is why the despair and pain he felt during her sacrifice were so profound."

Li Ang had heard this tactic from Fernéus before; demons don't just grab anyone, they pursue "quality."

A girl sacrificed by her own father—that soul, a mixture of betrayal, fear, and despair, is like a perfect match for a demon, an ultimate indulgence!

"So all that chicken, duck, beef, and lamb before was just an appetizer; the real main course is Ellie."

As Li Ang was pondering his next move, his divine sense suddenly detected an unusual fluctuation.

The fluctuation came from the direction of Jacob's bedroom. The fluctuation was very weak, but the frequency was very familiar to Li Ang.

It is the magic of the abyss.

Li Ang almost instinctively mobilized his internal magic power, and the Blood Demon Venerable Sword instantly condensed in his palm.

The bedroom door was ajar. Li Ang leaned against the door frame and probed inside with his divine sense like tentacles.

The bedroom was small, with a wooden bed, a wardrobe, a cross hanging above the bed, and a full-length mirror against the wall.

The mirror is about the height of a person, with a wooden frame and a somewhat old mirror surface.

At this moment, what was reflected in the mirror was not the opposite wall, but a swirling mass of black mist.

"Is this a small spatial rift?" Li Ang was startled. The black mist suddenly exploded, and a pitch-black claw shot out from the mirror!

Its claws were three times the size of an adult's hand, covered with fine black scales, and moved with incredible speed, bringing a foul stench as it headed straight for Li Ang's face!

Li Ang did not retreat; he unleashed the Blood Demon Venerable Sword directly!

The crimson sword light drew an arc and struck the claw's wrist squarely.

With a crisp snap, viscous liquid splattered out, and the severed claw fell to the floor.

A muffled groan came from the mirror, and the severed wrist suddenly retracted into the mirror. The black mist surged and closed, and the mirror surface returned to calm, reflecting the opposite wall and curtains as if nothing had happened.

The moment the mirror returned to normal, the entire paw turned into a small pile of black dust, exactly the same as when the Abyss Hound died last night.

In the center of the dust lay a black crystal, a size larger than the one from last night.

"As expected, mass production." Li Ang bent down to pick up the crystal and casually tossed it into his storage ring.

Just as he was about to go closer to the mirror to take a look, he suddenly heard the sound of a door opening downstairs.

The footsteps were heavy and slow; it was Jacob.

"The old man is back. Let's see what he's up to."

Li Ang looked around and saw a gap next to the wardrobe, just big enough for one person to stand sideways inside.

He slipped inside, activating his concealment technique at full power.

The footsteps grew closer.

Jacob walked into the bedroom, stood in front of the mirror, and then slowly knelt down.

"Your Excellency, Messenger," Jacob's voice was hoarse and trembling.

Li Ang held his breath.

"The offerings... are ready. Ellie... she's still in that room."

The old man paused for a moment, as if waiting for a response.

"My lord, I have done as you commanded. The land in the community has indeed improved, and the livestock are no longer sick. I have kept my promise." Jacob's voice grew increasingly urgent.

"So, I'd like to ask... when will you come to collect this offering? A heavy rain is coming; is there anything I need to prepare in advance?"

A slight ripple appeared on the mirror surface.

Instead of black mist, a faint silver light appeared, like moonlight shining on the water.

Then a voice came from the mirror.

It was a man's voice, young, with a gentle tone like someone soothing a child to sleep: "Jacob, you've done very well. Don't be anxious, don't be afraid. You're doing the right thing, a great thing."

Jacob's shoulders trembled slightly.

"The ceremony will be complete when the torrential rain arrives," the man's voice continued.

"You just need to take Ellie to the clearing behind the barn, and leave the rest to me. After that, the land will be fertile again, the livestock will no longer be sick, the young people will return, and the community will prosper. And your name will be remembered by everyone."

Jacob bowed down, his forehead touching the floor: "Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Go ahead and get ready; the downpour won't last long."

Jacob stood up, bowed deeply again, and then turned and left the bedroom.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing, until silence returned.

Just as Li Ang was about to emerge from the crack, he suddenly heard a crisp cracking sound. He turned to look at the mirror, and saw that the mirror surface was cracking from the center outwards like a spider web, spreading from the center to the edges, before finally shattering into pieces on the ground with a snap.

"Quite cautious," Li Ang nodded.

He walked to the window, pulled back a corner of the curtain, and looked outside.

The sky was even more gloomy than in the morning, with low-hanging clouds that had turned from gray to almost black. A flash of lightning silently streaked across the distant horizon, followed a few seconds later by a rumble of thunder that made the window frames tremble slightly.

The humidity in the air has increased significantly, making it feel stuffy and difficult to breathe.

Li Angsong opened the curtains, turned around, walked out of the bedroom, and went downstairs.

As he passed through the living room, he glanced at the cross on the wall and suddenly felt a pang of irony. Jacob prayed to that thing every day, but his heart belonged to another "god."

Stepping out of the house, a cool breeze hits you, carrying the earthy smell unique to those about to rain.

There weren't many people in the community, and the doors and windows of the houses were all tightly closed. Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would speed by, the driver with his head down, hurrying home.

In the distance, several figures were still hurriedly harvesting farm tools in the fields, occasionally glancing up at the sky.

Li Ang walked along the path towards the granary, quickly processing the information in his mind.

The voice in the mirror is most likely an abyssal demon, and at least one capable of projecting power into the human world—something far beyond what Fenneus can achieve in his current weakened state.

It instructed Jacob to take Ellie to the clearing behind the barn during the downpour, which should be the location of the summoning circle ruins that Leon saw last night.

"Time is running out for the demolition team..."

Li Ang couldn't help but recall this famous meme and secretly complained.