Darkness surrounds my awareness as I try and determine where I am. Moving is complicated, almost as if I'm swimming in syrup. But the more I move, the easier it becomes until I feel something break, and I find myself in the middle of the street in some downtown district. The neon lights glare from the storefronts and restaurants. A peal of thunder booms from above as my senses return to me as the falling rain hitting the ground enters my ears. Though I don't feel the rain on my body, just the slight tingle passing through me. Looking at my transparent hand, I wonder if this is a dream of some sort. Looking around the street is empty, with a few patrons visible enjoying dinner. Feeling a slight pull from my left, I turned to find a door leading to an apartment complex. The glass looks clean and interior lit brightly. Walking towards the door, I grab to open it, but it just passes through. Rubbing my eyes at my stupidity, I walk past the door into the lobby. Walking past the wall of lockers and the reception desk, I walk up the stairs till the pulls stop me on the third floor. Moving down the hallway, I arrive finding a plain black door with a plack showing Room 313. Beyond the door, the antithesis of the building revealed itself to me. It was dark and messy with clothes and garbage tossed on the floor. Moving into the living room, I found that furniture had been moved to the sides, making room for something.

Losing interest, I wandered to the bedroom, finding it in a similar state, but something was different. It felt good here like it had felt when I entered the pool. Searching for the source of this feeling, I soon find a black book hidden under the mattress. Moving to pick it up, instead of it passing through my hand, I could pick it up. Opening it exposed the ramblings of a mad man with rough sketchings of horrific things. Before I could explore the book further, the front door slammed shut, and keys jingled. Leaving the bedroom, I find a man putting something on the empty floor before taking off his hoodie. Distracted by the thing he put down, I didn't notice that he had made his way past me into the bedroom. The rustling of cloth fills the silence, and a robed figure returns.

The robes themselves are black and hastily put together; showing seems with different colored threads. Carries a black waved blade with white knuckles. In his other hand, he brings a bag full of red candles. Returning to space, he starts placing the nine candles in a specific patterning forming a circle around a large circular rug. Seemingly happy with his work, he removes the carpet revealing a nine cornered shape with overlapping lines surrounded by a ring with symbols at each corner. Moving the candles so that they covered each symbol, he grabbed a matchbox from his pocket and lit each one. The robed figure starts a low guttural chant as he grabs the knife, he pulls up his sleeve revealing scars of various sizes. Dragging the blade across his palm, he drops blood on each candle following a pattern. As the blood hits the symbol, it lights up with green energy with the candle following suit.

Reaching over, he starts to unzip a large duffle bag revealing a girl of around ten or so years old. A gag was put in her mouth, blindfold across the eyes and arms tied behind the back. I'm conflicted about this. It seems he is about to sacrifice a little girl, but I don't feel anything for her. I should be feeling horrified or be showing pity, but I feel nothing. Removing the girl from the bag, he places her in the middle of the circle. The green spreads from the corners to surrounding the girl. Taking his bloodied hand, he starts drawing symbols on the face, hands, and feet, also taking in the green aura. Seemingly down with his preparation, he takes the knife into his hand and lifts in the air and then close to his chest.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Ydtix, my Goddess, I have prepared a sacrifice for you; please accept it in exchange for a favor. I'm the only one in this world who worships you. I want to be more useful to you. So please grant me some power so that the skeptical can be turned." After his words, he raised the knife once more.

I know this voice sounds so familiar as if I had heard it earlier today. That's when a loud crunch is understood as the blade penetrates the ribcage into the heart. In the process, the hood falls, showing the man I had set free. I am showing a face of not regret but of hope. He was calling me to give him powers outside of the game by killing innocent children. I can't accept this at all. I need to report him at once who knows how many kids he's-

[A cultist has made a sacrifice in your name. +100 FAITH]

[A cultist has asked for powers beyond the Abyss. It will cost 250 FAITH to give him what he desires. GIVE/DENY]

I'm speechless. There is no way that this is real, but what happened in front of me would prove otherwise. I don't know how to feel about this. Though the fact that I got a notification through this game means that this isn't real, right? Yeah, there is no way that this is real, and this is just an episode created for the game since he said that he worked for the game company. Then if this part of the game, then I want to increase my FAITH in the future, so giving him his request makes sense. I reach out and hit the GIVE on the notification in front of me. After pressing it, the blood on the floor starts emitting a black fog that swirled upwards. It starts spinning faster and faster before shooting into his heart, knocking him on the ground. His body convulses with dark energy trying to assimilate into his body. Soon he stops and lays still without moving from his position. Soon I start to feel the force that put me here begin to grab at me, pulling me to where I came from. The building begins to shrink as the vast void once again takes front and center. Pushing my head past the dark surface reveals the exquisite bathhouse. Removing my self from the dark water, I find that I'm not wet, but I feel refreshed. A knocking can be heard from the door.

"Mistress, it is your maids may we come in."

"Yes, you may enter."

The door opens to reveal my personal maid and her assistants carrying a new set of clothing this time with a deep purple shimmering on black fabric. Focusing on the material, it almost gives off a soothing feeling, but I simply shrug it off.

"What is this made of?"

"It is made from an abyssal beast with extreme mind-controlling power. Its skin was highly prized for its looks, so they were hunted for millennia, but now has managed except for one time, and that was offered to you," She looks a little stunned by the question but quickly hides it.

"Interesting, but I would rather not keep the rest of the tour waiting." motioning to the maids.

Now fully dressed, I make my way to the door to see what else this city has in store.