In the previous examination of the memory of the Black Armored Knight Sed, Lis did not find specific information about the Lune Hunting Ceremony. Even though these Black Armored Knights are members of the Hunting Temple, they do not understand much about the Lune Hunting Ceremony. The status of these Black Armored Knights in the Hunting Temple is not high, and most of them joined the Hunting Temple through the hunting ceremony held annually by the temple. This is the reason why they engage in the dirty and tiring work of capturing children. The reason for abducting so many children seems to be because of the requirements of the Lune Hunting Ceremony. From Sed’s memory, Lis learned that the annual hunting ceremony held by the Hunting Temple has about five hundred participants. While the Lune Hunting Ceremony requires a participation of ten thousand people! The number of participants also seems to be one of the requirements for the hunting ceremony, more can be added but not less. When the number of participants falls short, the Black Armored Knights needed to capture people and forcibly make them participate in the ceremony. Every time, the captured individuals are preferably children. No matter how one looks at it, Lis feels that this so-called Lune Hunting Ceremony is quite bizarre and bloodthirsty. From Sed’s previous participation in the hunting ceremony, all participants fight and kill in a confined area. There are no rules, no requirements. As long as one can be the last one standing among the five hundred people, they pass the hunting ceremony. In the hunting ceremony, the more people you kill, the more Strength you receive from the ceremony. This is more advantageous for those who have already become Extraordinary Professionals. For those ordinary people who luckily evade until the end, even if they pass the hunting ceremony and join the Hunting Temple, they won’t gain much Strength. In a sense, this is a method through which the elites of the Hunting Temple monopolize power. If this is the case, then the Lune Hunting Ceremony should be a battle among ten thousand people? Lis pondered over these matters in his heart. After a day’s journey, the convoy finally reached the destination. At the foot of the undulating and imposing mountains, a castle stands silently. It appears to have been built recently, yet it already exudes an eerie and ominous aura. Constructed from massive gray stones, the castle should be resolute and stable, yet at this moment, the stones appear to be covered with a faint black layer, as if stained by time’s blemishes or insidiously eroded by some Evil force. The castle’s outline looks particularly grim beneath the overcast sky, with towering spires piercing the clouds, seemingly pointing toward some unknown existence. The castle’s gates are closed, embedded with peculiar runes that flicker with a cold light, making people hesitant to approach. In the open space before the castle, many makeshift wooden huts are built, arranged haphazardly. The walls of the huts are rough and uneven, and the roofs’ thatches are somewhat messy, trembling in the breeze like hastily constructed temporary shelters. On the open space, quite a few people dressed in black robes are busy around the castle. Their figures appear indistinct in the dreary environment, like ghosts. The black robes tightly wrap their bodies, exposing only pale faces. Their eyes are vacant and indifferent, like soulless shells. Some carry heavy boxes, briskly stepping into the castle; others weave between the huts, whispering about something in deep, mysterious tones that are hard to discern. Furthermore, the nearby mountains have noticeable differences. Here, the vegetation is sparse and withered, as if ravaged by a fierce fire, with branches dry and twisted, creaking in the wind as if groaning in pain. The exposed earth and rocks seem to emanate a faint blood-red hue, as if stained with blood. Under the overcast sky, this hue is particularly glaring, chilling the spine. An ominous aura surrounds these mountains. The air is filled with a stench of decay, like something rotting underground. Occasionally, deep growls can be heard from the depths of the mountains, sounds that seem to originate from Hell, making people shiver in fear. Upon arrival, the children on the carriage tremble slightly, not even daring to cry. The accompanying Black Armored Knights handed the children over to those black-robed individuals and swiftly departed. As if there’s danger lurking here, they avoided it like the plague. Judging by their attire, these people dressed in black robes should all be priests of the Hunting Temple. The priests opened the wooden cages of the carriage and let the children disembark. Lis could sense a faint spiritual power spreading toward them. He felt nothing, but the other children seemed to lose consciousness, expressionlessly, and dazedly followed the priests toward the huts. Lis mingled among the children, carefully observing the surroundings. As he approached this area, he had already felt that eerie and bloody aura. Especially within that gray castle, Lis could even sense a Presence beyond legend, subtly conveying a sense of danger. However, this feeling of danger was not intense, presumably not too troublesome. But what puzzled Lis was that he didn’t feel the aura of the so-called Divine Position Fragment. In truth, Lis had never come into contact with a Divine Position Fragment and was unfamiliar with its form of existence. But it stands to reason that like Divine Power and Divinity, it should possess that unique, lofty aura belonging to the Divine. This place differs from the location of Zeke City’s hunting ceremony in Sed’s memory, and it should indeed be the site where the Lune Hunting Ceremony is held. If the ceremony is truly related to the Divine Position Fragment, then it’s likely to be within the gray castle. Fınd the newest release on novel⸺fire.net Otherwise, it’s in the hunting temple at the core of this small world. If it isn’t here, it would present more trouble for Lis. Soon, the children, like helpless lambs, were led into the huts by the black-robed priests. A stale, rotten smell fills the hut. Dim light struggles to penetrate through narrow windows, illuminating the shabby interior. The room is filled with worn-out beds, their frames crooked and as if they might collapse at any moment. The bedding is thin and hard, releasing an unpleasant musty odor. On some beds, children are already lying, quietly curled under the blankets, like puppets drained of their souls, devoid of vitality. Their faces are as pale as paper, lips dry and cracked, breathing weak and steady, seemingly lost in an endless slumber, oblivious to everything outside. The newly-arrived children expressionlessly lay down on the beds and slept. Lis did the same, not in a hurry to leave. After waiting a moment, heavy footsteps were heard approaching. Several black-robed individuals carried large wooden barrels into the room, which contained steaming meals. Surprisingly, the meals were quite sumptuous. In addition to the usual bread and vegetables, there were even a few pieces of Magic Beast Meat, emitting an alluring aroma. The black-robed individuals distributed the food to each child and then turned to leave the hut. Gradually, the children ate all the food, and after finishing, they lay back down on the beds. Like puppets, devoid of vitality. Their faces are as pale as paper, lips dry and cracked, breathing weak and steady, seemingly lost in an endless slumber, oblivious to everything outside. The newly-arrived children expressionlessly lay down on the beds and slept. Lis did the same, not in a hurry to leave. After waiting a moment, heavy footsteps were heard approaching. Several black-robed individuals carried large wooden barrels into the room, which contained steaming meals. Surprisingly, the meals were quite sumptuous. In addition to the usual bread and vegetables, there were even a few pieces of Magic Beast Meat, emitting an alluring aroma. The black-robed individuals distributed the food to each child and then turned to leave the hut. Gradually, the children ate all the food, and after finishing, they lay back down on the beds.