For the young man’s family, this was clearly unfair.
Once a candidate is chosen, unless they die, there is no chance for changes.
"Now only he is left."
The speaker was an older resident.
They had seen this happen too many times, and they were numb to it. They didn’t want to accuse the young man of the selfish act that might bring them trouble, they just wanted to end it all quickly.
After the young man caused a commotion, the "lambs" who were saying their final goodbyes to their families all stood up and walked towards Ethan.
Their eyes looked much more determined than before, but more so they were filled with resignation to their fate.
"Do you want to stay here?"
"No, please don’t misunderstand."
The little girl’s father quickly declared, "We have been graced by God. If not for Him rescuing us from disaster, we would have been tied to the stake and burned to death long ago."
Though the living conditions here were far from ideal, he had a wife and daughter here, which might have been the happiest time of his life. Today, he had even received special treatment from the innkeeper... The man looked from afar at his daughter, who was stealthily peeking at him and waving.
There’s nothing good to complain about anymore.
Ethan asked once again, "Is this your true thought?"
"No, it’s not like that!"
The young man, controlled by the residents, shouted, "You still have many unfulfilled wishes, you don’t really want to die!"
"But rules are rules!"
One of the "lambs" couldn’t take it anymore, "This way, others have the possibility to realize their wishes, don’t they?"
It was an adult woman.
Her child was around the little girl, listening to the fairy tale of the "bird who could cook."
She seemed to have made up her mind, "Let’s go."
In this world, not everything can go smoothly. Unfairness is the true nature of this world, and everyone living here is all too aware of it.
And what they have experienced here is already better than their homeland.
The number of sacrifices each month is fixed, and the sacrificial ceremony only occurs once every several decades. Besides this, as long as they follow the rules of the underground city, they need not worry about dying from accidents or persecution by others.
Although the living environment is somewhat poor, at least every night they can sleep safely without waking up in panic.
"It’s... it’s good enough."
The woman lowered her face and let go of her hands.
"Leave or stay, which do you choose?"
Facing Ethan’s question again, even the woman’s relieved heart rippled once more, but she quickly dismissed those unrealistic fantasies, "Sir, please don’t fool us anymore."
Giving them a glimmer of hope, then throwing them into deeper despair.
This was the life they had always experienced.
"I am serious," Ethan asked, "Think carefully, you only have one chance to answer."
"I want to stay, I want to stay!"
The young man shouted.
Ethan ordered the residents holding the young man, and they complied but showed fearful expressions, even the young man stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.
He never expected Ethan to actually let them release him. Logic told him he should escape now, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn’t move.
The more experienced residents already expected the worst outcome.
How could the followers from Upper City be so kind?
This was clearly a loyalty test, and as the masked follower said, it was the young man’s last chance.
But he missed the chance once again.
What awaited the young man next would be brutal abuse and a tragic death.
They had seen how those followers executed escapees and those who helped them. Some had their skin peeled off, others had countless skewers pierced through their bodies, placed on the street until they bled to death.
Just seeing it from a distance would cause someone to have nightmares for several days.
However, something unexpected happened.
They clearly saw Ethan wave to the young man, "Alright, go back."
Then, he looked at the other twelve "lambs," "What about you?"
souls were the requirement, missing even one would not suffice.
"You just have to answer the question, I’ll think of a way."
The crowd fell silent.
They had never seen such a scene before.
All signs made them feel this was a loyalty test, yet Ethan’s attitude toward the young man gave them a shred of unrealistic hope, as if... as if they could reach out and grasp it. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novęlfire.net
When Ethan came out from the shed, Wilson almost immediately frowned.
No one was behind him, and there seemed to be a few residents lingering at the door, watching Ethan from afar. They seemed to be worried about Ethan.
Wilson didn’t expect Ethan to fail even such a small task. This wasn’t originally the focus of his plan—the main point was that his residence wasn’t far from where the "lambs" were kept. Once the delivery was completed, he would naturally invite the others to his mansion for a visit.
"Where are the people?"
Wilson asked in a stern tone.
"They weren’t in good condition today, so I let them stay and rest."
People always have times when they are not in good condition; Ethan felt this profoundly.
When he was in university, he often missed 8 AM classes due to "stomachache" or "headache," and there were many people like him. There were also enough medical statistical reports pointing out that perhaps early classes were the main cause of colds and acute enteritis.