The gentle brushes of footsteps drew nearer, causing Lucias' breath to catch in his throat as he strained to discern every muffled word.

"I swear, that acolyte talks big just because the head priest favors him," grumbled a man's voice, irritation lacing his words. "I want to crush him so bad, so annoying!"

A second voice chimed in, its resonance echoing through the corridor. "Indeed. I share your sentiment. It's infuriating how that acolyte flaunts and abuses his status. Look at us, sent to babysitting duty just because of our lower rank."

As the footsteps continued, accompanied by the murmur of a man's voice, one of them spoke again, his tone speculative. "Why make such an extra effort just to capture a little kid? Unless..."

The man's grin turned mischievous. "Unless this kid is not just a simple sacrifice."

Lucias listened intently to the murmur outside, filtering any useful information for his advantage. The word 'sacrifice' took him aback. He couldn't help but wonder, 'What did they mean by sacrifice? Is it this child I possess?'

He continued to eavesdrop as the other man's voice cut in sharply, "You better not think of something funny. Our job is to guard the sacrifice until the day of the ceremony. Remember what happened last time our guy messed with the head priest's stuff? The head priest fed the body to the demon dog."

The first man cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Don't remind me of that. I won't mess this up."

'A sacrifice and a ceremony, huh? These two combined seemed familiar.' Lucias thought, his mind racing as he tried to think of a situation that would favor him.

'I'm not quite sure if I could pull this through. Judging by the voices, I could guess they were young adults. But I need to see them first and then judge my plans.'

Lucias felt determined as he continued to eavesdrop on the murmur outside. He felt disgusted by the voices outside. A child as an offering for a god? Just what kind of nonsense was this?

The footsteps and voices grew closer as they approached. Lucias' heart rate increased as the piercing sound of creaking hinges echoed through the room, followed by a warm light from the torch that sliced through the suffocating darkness of confinement. The door swung open, revealing a small room. Lucias squinted his eyes as he saw two figures standing in front of the door.

As the torchlight bathed Lucias' body, a disgusted voice pierced his ears. "Oh god, look at this, such a delicate body for a kid. Wait, is this a girl or a boy?" The voice was accompanied by laughter.

The other man replied, "Does it really matter though? A sacrifice is just a sacrifice. What matters is if the god is pleased by the offering. It's not like this is the first time."

The shorter man approached Lucias, brushing his hair as he met the child's red gaze. Startled, he stumbled back.

"Damn! I thought I mistook it for a vampire."

The taller man laughed. "Haha, what kind of bullshit was that? A vampire? Nonsense. This kid just happens to have those eyes."

He then lifted Lucias' chin, forcing the child to look at him.

"Look at this. Instead of looking scary, doesn't this kid look more appealing? What a shame, if I found him first in the market, I would've bought him and made him my toy, haha."

The men's chatter reverberated through the room's walls. The more Lucias listened to it, the calmer his mind became. Even killing them wouldn't make Lucias feel guilty. Thus was just perfect, Lucias thought.

Lucias' eyes took in their features, imprinting them deep into his memory as he observed. A simulation of actions to take them off downplayed in his head. While Lucias' body was weak, he still had a little more strength in his mental state.

The men, who appear to be in their late twenties, bore distinct features like foreigners. The first man who lusts on Lucias' body stands taller compared to the other guy. They wore faded cloaks that hung loosely around their shoulders, swords on their left hips, and daggers hanging from their belts.

Lucias sensed a familiar power in the men's breathing. It was not just ordinary breathing. Lucias couldn't recall what it was, but he confirmed that both men were not average adults. "If I injure one guy, I will not have enough energy left to fight the second," Lucias thought deeply, the simulations playing in his mind still ongoing.

A direct approach would be futile and lead to his death. Even if he's a sacrifice, Lucias can't guarantee they won't kill him and report the incident as suicide. The lack of knowledge limits Lucias' ability to think of more possible scenarios. The information that keeps flowing in his mind is about gods and offerings.

'gods and offering..' Lucias muttered and repeated.

The taller guy caught Lucias muttering strange words. He shows a confused expression and says, "What are you trying to say, kid? What did you say?"

Lucias ignored the guy as if he didn't exist. The short guy also gives the same expression, confused. The tall guy grabs Lucias' neck before he slaps him hard. Lucias' cheek is swelling, but he keeps ignoring it. Feeling irritated, the guy slaps Lucias again before the short guy stops him.

What the heck are you doing to the kid? Are you going to mess with the offering?"

The taller man's grip tightened around Lucias' neck, his face contorted with rage. "You little brat! Answer me!" he demanded, shaking Lucias violently.

Lucias remained silent, his expression unreadable as he stared back at the man. The man drops Lucias on the floor, a subtle smirk forming on Lucias' lips as if he had been waiting for this perfect timing.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Lucias let out a cry of pain, clutching his side as if injured. Not only that, he continued to act as if he was in a seizure. His body shakes violently on the floor, making the men panicked.

The shorter man panicked as he blamed the taller guy and cursed, "What's happening to him?"

"How do I know? I just dropped him." the taller man replied, his voice tinged with panic.

The shorter man says, "What now? I told you not to mess with the sacrifice, and here this happened."

Lucias rolled his eyes and made his breath as heavy as possible. Lucias shakes his body more violently before it slowly stops, and he takes one last big breath.

The shorter guy panicked and checked Lucias as he cursed, "Shit! he stopped breathing. We need to ask for help now!"

"We are doomed if the sacrifice dies," he added, his voice tinging panicked.

They thought about what they should do. This confinement is not easy. It's a labyrinth, an underground maze. It will take one of them an hour to reach the helper.

"What should we do now? This will take an hour or more if one of us goes outside to seek help," said the short guy.

Listening to the guards panicking, Lucias tried to hold his breath for a bit longer. The short guy decided to go outside to ask for aid. He asked the tall guy to watch over Lucias' lifeless body. If the worst-case scenario happens, they must discard the evidence and run away as far as possible.

As the short guard hurried out of the confinement, leaving Lucias alone with the taller guard, a cunning glint sparked in Lucias' eyes. With the guard distracted and vulnerable back, Lucias knew it was his chance to strike. Slowly, he prepares to gather his strength, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move.

An intense emotion of fear and determination coursed through Lucias as he prepared himself. Failure was not an option; his chance of escape hinged on this critical moment. Despite the limitations imposed by his frail body and lack of energy, Lucias refused to make excuses. The opportunity is shown in front of him and he is determined not to let it slip away.

With unwavering focus, Lucias' gaze fixated on the dagger hanging from the guard's belt, his mind calculating the precise timing for his strike.

Stealthily, Lucias crept up behind the taller guard, who remained oblivious to the imminent threat lurking behind him. Before the guard turned his back, Lucias lunged forward with the maximum speed he could muster, catching the taller guy off-guard. In one swift motion, he grabs hold of the dagger at the guard's waistband and plunges it deep into the man's eye socket.

Blood splatters everywhere as the man's screams pierce the air, the echoes bouncing from a wall like music to my ears. Without pausing for breath, Lucias yanks out the bloody weapon and swings it around towards the side of the guard's neck.

With a sickening crunch, the bone gives way beneath sharp steel, severing vital arteries and causing an even louder cry of agony to echo throughout the confinement. Crimson liquid pours freely from both wounds, wetting the cold stone floor and painting a gruesome splatter against the walls.

As the life drains rapidly from the fallen guard, Lucias takes a moment to survey his surroundings before giving another look at the fallen corpse. His heart races wildly, fueled by adrenaline and thrill. There's a conflicted emotion within him.

"What's with this feeling of pleasure? Why am I enjoying this sight of crimson color on the floor? It almost feels like it's not me." he thought, conflicted about his emotions.

Pushing aside his conflicting emotions, Lucias knows there's no time to dwell on his feelings. The screams of agony from the slain guard echo through the confined space. More guards could arrive at any moment, drawn by the commotion.

Turning his attention to the clinking chain that binds his leg, Lucias focuses on finding a way to break free. The chains appear sturdy and well-secured, clearly designed to restrain even the most desperate prisoner. He examines them closely, running his fingers along each link, searching for any sign of weakness or vulnerability.

As he inspects the chains, Lucias notices a small gap between two links, barely visible to the naked eye. It's a tiny imperfection, enough to give him hope.

Summoning all his strength, Lucias wedges his fingernails into the gap, gritting his teeth against the pain as he begins to pry the links apart. The metal strains against his efforts, resisting his attempts to break free. But Lucias refuses to give up, his determination unwavering.

With each strained movement, the gap widens slightly, the metal groaning in protest. Lucias can feel the sweat beading on his brow, he tried his best but in the end, his effort is useless. Lucias still can't break the chain that binds him.

Feeling a sense of frustration and helplessness creeping in, Lucias tries several more methods to break the chain but to no avail. Exhausted and defeated, he sinks to the ground in the corner of the confinement, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts.

As he sits there, grappling with his circumstances, Lucias's mind wanders. Despite his efforts, he finds himself at a loss for a solution. In a moment of resignation, he speaks aloud to himself, his voice echoing softly in the dim confines of the chamber.

"When you've tried everything and nothing seems to work, sometimes you just have to accept that fate has its own plan," he murmurs softly, his tone a blend of resignation and resolve.

"Maybe, even when it seems impossible, there's still a way forward that we can't see yet. All I can do now is hold onto hope and trust that the solution will come when the time is right."

'god and offering' the thought comes to his mind.

"What happens if I try to pray to a god? I remember seeing those old books. They were about invoking an ancient and mighty god. I read a few and remember the incantation."

As he contemplates it, Lucias is shocked and questions, "Wait... whose memories are those?"

His mind starts to feel conflicted as more and more questions flood his thoughts. Things have been strange with this body. Sometimes Lucias feels like his memories have been altered, and when he tries to remember his past, pain stabs him inside. It's like there's an invisible wall preventing him from delving deeper.

He lets his mind calm once again and focuses on what's available. The ancient texts and incantations in his mind feel strange yet familiar.

The words is strange writing, but for some reason, Lucias knows their meaning. He then reads them aloud, "O mighty god of ancient might, the veil of darkness covering the skies. One for the unseen and one for the abyss, bringing order to the realm."

Pausing for a moment, he continues, "The offering is left in the sacred rite. The crimson blood is a gift we present to uplift and uplift."

A subtle wind begins to blow and surround Lucias' body as he remains focused on reading from his thoughts.

"O ancient one, sun from the west, the harbinger of the end. Hear our call as we surrender, standing tall. For us, a devout servant, grant us strength and wisdom true. In your presence, may our faith renew."

With the completion of the incantation, a sudden gust of wind erupts around him. Lucias, still with his eyes closed, feels his body becoming lighter, and his hunger subsides. Unaware of what's happening, he is surprised as he opens his eyes. His body is levitating, and the chains that bound him are destroyed by this strange wind power.

It's a mystery what has just occurred, and Lucias tries to understand what is being shown to him.

A question came up in his mind as he thought, "Is this a god power?"

Feeling liberated, Lucias tries to accept the power and moves to escape his current predicament.