Viers killed all of his emotions and started to analyze his situation carefully.

“… Did I made a blunder?” asked him to the eldest Styra siblings. He decided playing dumb wouldn’t help him in this situation.

“Not at all, I think your idea was quite good, but you underestimated what Path-seekers can do. Understandable, since you had no contact with those with level 2 power or above.” Answered August calmly.

“What gave it away?”

“Your scent. We were amongst the first who arrived at Shrub Hills after the black clouds dissipated, although the bull’s corpse eluded our grasp, our extensive investigation of the area yielded results. We caught your scent in the center area and followed it to the place where you buried those items.” Bernard spoke with schadenfreude in his tone.

“Following the scent trail, we dug up the buried items that very night, elder brother August was very pleased by the discovery that he didn’t stop grinning until the next day. He sent out the tracker that remembered your scent to follow you to the city to find out your identity since your scent went back to the city.” Monica explained further, she still wore a kind smile as she talked.

“He lost your scent in the city, too much scent jumbled up together. However, he picked it up again after I got close to him during one of our activities. We concluded the scent owner must be someone from the Training Center. The puzzles fell into place, I easily identify you because you were the only one who went to the Shrub Hills during the time of the incident.” Farley said while crossing her arms and looking at Viers a bit slanted.

So the treasure was already dug up that same night? Sigh… how unfortunate. So that’s why no investigators came after me after such a long time had passed. These people already took it.

“We did a background check on you and found nothing suspicious, you were just luckily or unluckily rolled up by the disaster. Since we already covered up your trail to prevent a third-party intervention, we considered the matter even. We were going to close the book and let the matter finished but Farley got another idea. You piqued her interest and started to keep an eye on you, just in case. In time, she found you… what were the words you used, Farley?” August asked her sister.

“Power-hungry, selfish, anti-social, unusually competent at times, and display unusual behavior for a normal fifteen years old. Your behavior during your scuffle with the three and your cold-blooded decision to abandoned Terry this morning. I’m convinced you are more than meets the eye so I decided to recruit you to the cult.” Farley gave him the look of someone seeing an antique item.

“I think you overestimate me. I just don’t want to die,” Viers replied.

“Maybe, but I still did it anyway. Call it… a woman’s intuition.” She smiled.

Woman’s intuition, damn… why there's no man’s intuition? It appears unhooking her interest in me won’t be an easy task.

“And you people are telling me this because?” Viers asked them.

“Since you are one of us, we naturally must provide you appropriate compensation for your tribute. After all, we are not petty thieves. I object because I don’t think you deserved it. Pure plain luck, just going to be wasting our resources. However, I was overruled so you get your fair compensation, be thankful, new recruit.” Bernard looked at him with a sharp gaze.

Not petty thieves? Fair compensation? Don’t make me laugh, my treasure must be worth much more than whatever they give me! Hmph! Bunch of bloodsuckers… Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do at this time. They’re too strong and I’m too weak. It’s not all bad I suppose, my affinity got a raise by two tiers… but don’t think I will forget this.

Viers didn’t let his displeasure showed on his face but he felt there was a fiery lava rock at the pit of his stomach.

“Can’t you make me be a tier 5? Those items are very valuable, no?”

“Hmph!”

Viers got his answer in the form of a punch to the gut. It was Bernard, the skinny third son who did the act. Viers couldn’t react nor put up his defenses before Bernard's speed. Viers grunted because of the pain and took a few steps back.

“Don’t get conceited, boy! Know your place, just because my sister brought you here don’t think you will get special treatment.” Said Bernard, despite his skinny body, his punch was powerful and heavy.

“Now, now, no need for violence. We are not savages, and he wasn’t really wrong. Mr. Viers, no, to be a tier 5 is more complicated than your imagination. However, you still have a chance, it shall depend on your performance. Give us results and we may reconsider this topic in the future. Do you understand?” Despite his calm voice, Viers felt pressurized. He emitted an ominous aura.

As I thought, this August is a very scary person. Bernard should be a mage-type but his physical spec isn’t low. Monica and Farley true abilities shouldn’t be low either. They… are strong.

“…I understand, actions speak louder than voice, they say.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Perfect, I’m afraid it’s time we must part, we are all busy people. Monica will take care of your affinity improvement. Farewell Mr. Viers, we expect great things from you.” August said.

“Follow me, Viers. Excuse us, brother August.” Monica said before leaving the room.

Bernard went away without a word while Viers followed Monica and Farley. He used this opportunity to spoke with Farley.

“Your brother Bernard seems to hate me.”

“He always like that, you won’t cross path with him often though so no need to worry too much.”

“…Since the cult presence is so strong in this area, was the ongoing boar threat is caused by our cult?”

“Caught that did you? Sharp… Yes, we are brewing something with the boars. Maybe you will even get involved in the future.”

“How long will this tier raising process take? We still need to go to class tomorrow right?” Viers voiced his concern.

“Not long… but it will hurt, a lot, like your blood is boiling.”

“Is the process lethal?”

“Could be, but we will prevent that from happening. You just need to endure the pain.” Monica joined the conversation.

“As long as it isn’t lethal then it's fine. Pain is an old friend.” Viers steeled his will.

They went to a room with a heavy magical design. A magic circle with a diameter of five meters was carved on the stone floor, a demonic face was in the center of the circle. But Viers’s attention was focused on something else, on the people present in the room.

“Lady Monica, Lady Farley, the preparations are complete. We are ready to begin.”

The speaker was a burly man in his forties with a thick beard. Besides the man, there were five people. Children. They wore ragged clothes, thin bodies, all of them were dirty with dirt and other things. Three boys and two girls, the oldest seemed to be thirteen years old while the youngest was ten years old. The children had hollow eyes and appeared to be unconscious despite standing, they all had a metal collar on their neck. Viers felt a sickening premonition after looking at them.

“Thank you Joho. Viers, take off your clothes.”

Monica’s voice grabbed his attention, he looked at the girl a few years older than him. Her countenance remained unchanged, a kind-faced older sister. Viers didn’t say a word and started to take off his shirt.

“Pants too, take off everything,” Farley added. Viers gave her a puzzled look.

“Ufufu, no need to be embarrassed. We are already familiar with the sight of a man’s body. Ah, before your mind wanders in that direction… No, we both are still pure maidens.” Farley said playfully.

“Farley, that’s a bit vulgar. Take more care in how you speak, father may get angry again. Viers, this is a necessary step so take it off.” Monica said without a bit of embarrassment on her face.

“…”

Viers removed all his clothes with mixed feelings, he felt embarrassed and exposed but he did it anyway.

“Wow, you really are fat… I know how much you usually eat and the amount of your exercise so how can you still be so fat?” Farley scanned his naked body from head to toe. “Oh? Your thing isn’t half bad…” She added while looking at a particular place below his navel.

“Let’s get on with it,” Viers stressed, he didn’t want to stay naked a second more than necessary, especially in front of two pretty girls.

“Yes, Joho, please proceed.”

The man named Joho responded to Monica’s voice and he started to paint on Viers’s body using a brush. The paint's color is red, Viers could easily guess what it was from the distinct smell. He didn’t want to know from where those blood came from, the liquid felt cold in his skin. Before long, Joho had finished, the man’s work of bloody art was complete.

Viers looked at his body, the pattern was like the tribal body paint on Earth. He was covered in red markings from his face to his feet.

“Good, Viers, stand in the middle of the circle, we shall begin shortly.”

Viers did as Monica asked while Joho arranged the children to the five points of the circle. All was ready for the ritual.

“Arte — Penta Life Blood Sacrifice.”

The moment Monica invoked her Arte, the room’s atmosphere changed. The blood markings on his body glow faintly with bloody light, as did the magic circle on the floor. Viers felt he was connected with the five children. Joho approached one of them, he had a knife on his hand.

Viers knew what he wanted to do, his heart felt heavy but he didn’t do anything. Whether he could not or would not, even he didn't know. Viers only watched as the deed in his imagination turned into reality. The knife pierced the boy’s stomach, Joho pulled out the knife immediately after the stab, spurt of blood flew forward and the boy slumped to the ground.

A pool of blood began to expand from the fallen body. The sequence of the act was witnessed by Viers in slow motion, he never felt so close to the realm of the inhumane.

I… I did this. This is happening because of me… An innocent child dies for my quest of power and more will follow shortly. Was I wrong? Should I not join this evil cult after all? Is there no other way for me to gain power? Must I let them continue this… sacrifice?

Viers was shocked by the loss of life and dazed, but wasn’t for long. The ritual continued. The blood from the child moved on the ground via the magic circle and flowed to the center, to him. When the blood touched his feet, he felt as if his feet were put on a pool of lava.

“Gggggghhh!”

He couldn’t think, all he felt was the agony, explosions of pain filled his head. Uncaring of Viers’s condition, Joho proceeded to the next child. He repeated the deed as if he was already used to doing this.

Another child fell, the little girl wasn’t conscious so she didn’t felt any pain, small mercy by the Styrias. Viers saw it and felt as if his own gut was stabbed too. The new blood flowed to him, new pain was added from the one before.

“Grgggghh… Ggghhh…”

He struggled to stay conscious. He wanted to pass out, nothing he wanted more at this point.

“He still awakes after the second stage, quite impressive,” Monica said to her sister.

“Mmm, right,” Farley muttered.

Joho went through the ritual steps as smoothly as possible. The blood glow on Viers and the magic circle kept getting stronger after each sacrifice. After the forth life was taken, Viers could no longer stand so he writhed on the floor like a burning man trying to put out the fire on his body.

“Hmm, the ritual is almost done but he's still holding on. Eight out of ten already passed out at this point.” Monica said while watching the scene without expression.

“The longer he stays awake, the greater his affinity becomes. He won’t reach tier 5 with these middle-quality sacrifices but maybe he will become quite exceptional in the tier 4 capacity.” The older Styra said.

The fifth child had fallen, his blood and life become fuel for the squirming, sweating, trembling, fat boy on the center of the magic circle. When the final drop of blood had made its way to Viers’s body, the magic circle shined brightly. The room was enveloped in bloody crimson light.

Viers felt the pain receded, he started to lose consciousness. Before he did, he heard a voice. It wasn’t the voice of anyone in the room, it resounded directly in his head.

“…Interesting…”