Kaden leaped on top of some buildings to observe out of sight. There had to be something in the area. While it seemed the buzz became stronger the closer he was to its apparent source, he could not really pinpoint location. Even if he circled around and tried to feel roughly same intensity of the buzz, he could not find a center.

Still it was the area. He was sure of it. The digusting merchant was peddling his things to everyone who would pass. A few people even bought his stuff. Some of these even seemed to be regular customers that came to receive some seemingly reserved things from the back storage.

Then he realized it. Less people came out than went in. Of the people that came to buy something, most picked up things, but some seemed to disapear. Where did they go? The back storage was a relatively small building, but technically the people could fit in. They could be doing something entirely normal in there, but they had seemed like customers, not people who worked with the merchant.

Kaden decided to get closer to have better look, but before doing so he messaged Walden that he was taking time for safety. He would surely believe that! Kaden was certain of it! After that, without expecting a response, he sneaked close enough to listen and look, if he could get some excuse to get into the storage area. He wouldn’t break in, if he could be identified. He had no excuse to enter legally.

Perhaps he would notice something illegal and just use it as an excuse! The merchandise that was being sold was questionable at best. Perhaps there was some contraband.

Kaden watched for a moment and noticed something more. Something was really strange. The people who came and went were almost random assortment. There were some that looked relatively well off, but then also some who probably didn’t live in the fourth layer, ordinary people. Yet, all of them acted the same way and went to same place.

It probably was not an illegal brothel, but people still went about trying to not attract attention.

Kaden started to really get interested. What was this all?

“Do you sell any tears of holy mountain?” People asked the merchant.

“Shadows have hidden paths”, answered the merchant.

Kaden could listen all this. After saying these words, people were let in. He wondered for a moment, if he should try it himself, but he would have to disguise himself. The merchant knew his face. Luckily many people did exactly so. Not all of them, but quite a few.

He thought for a while. Any minor disguise wouldn’t work for him. In the distance Kaden then noticed a group approaching with large hooded robes. Those guys were surely going to enter.

Kaden leaped across a few rooftops and silently landed in a shadowy alley just by the group. He waited for the group to pass and then, with greatest speed he could muster, pulled the one at the back silently inside the alley, knocked him out by slamming his face against a wall. He was pretty certain he would live. Sure he would need healing, but he was still breathing so it was probably fine.

Then he quickly took the robe and put it on. It was large enough to hide his features as long as he kept the hood on and didn’t have to show his hands. Then he quietly took that person place in the back of the group as if nothing had happened.

He was pretty sure all of this was illegal somehow or extremely questionable the very least. If the worst came, he could alert officials to it and yet again give an excuse why he was there. Condensation stage experts were relatively rare, but if one was in, he would quietly exit immediately. If it was not illegal and he was found out, he would likely just be told to fuck off. Perhaps it was just some perverted show that no one would like to be publicly known to visit such events.

Kaden had been very quick and the group was trying to not attract attenion. Some might disagree due to the robes, but still that was the case. Each was very concerned of themselves so when Kaden acted with quick speed, he was able to wear the robe and join in. He only had to motion with his hands a bit that it was nothing, but said nothing. No one thought anything further of it.

“Do you sell any tears of holy mountain?” Said the leader of the group to the merchant.

“Shadows have hidden paths”, replied the merchant and opened the door leading to the back.

Kaden passed him and sneered as he went unnoticed. Whatever they were trying to hide, they were not really doing too good work of it.

The back storage was just what it sounded like… a storage. Then the group moved past some large boxes and there was a hatch leading to some stairs. There was some sings on the floor that it was usually covered with the boxes.

“Clever”, Kaden thought and followed. The buzz was now stronger. “This is the place!”

Everyone was quietly walking down the stairs. There was certain air of seriousness. It soon became clear why as Kaden stepped into an open area. Dark chains were hanged on the walls and some depictions of gods defeating a dark being. Other such depictions covered the walls.

“These lunatics are worshippers of God of Lies”, Kaden thought as he stood still and looked around. “This is a damn hidden altar right inside the city.”

And yet the buzz was coming from this place. What could it be in such a place?

Kaden quickly sensed around for cultivation levels of people. Most were ordinary people not even at Channel Opening, but still quite a few at Channel Opening. Kaden could also sense several at Formation stage, but these seemed to be the dark robed priests with chains tied around their arms. They were also wearing creepy, yet ornamental, metal masks that showed an emotionless face.

It should be possible to escape if necessary, but he wasn’t sure about fighting these priests and rest of the weaklings alone.

Number of people was rather large, more than Kaden expected. They had trickled in slowly already by the time he had observed the merchant outside, but some must have come earlier.

It seemed some things were being handed out to everyone who came. Kaden too was handed one, a information crystal. It was full of orders, spying, getting rid of someone, donations… basically anything. Was this how this illegal worship maintained itself even when they were being hunted down whenever found? Having their worshippers do beneficial acts?

He wasn’t really sure what these people gained from these tasks, but probably something useful. Why else would they risk associating with worship of God of Lies that would get them killed, if ever discovered. Then again perhaps they were just fanatics?

Some people left after receiving theirs, but quite a few stayed. All of the group that Kaden had followed stayed so he did so too. While this he had chance to look around. Walls and roof were covered in formations. Kaden could tell these were for concealing the place. Unless someone very poweful sensed directly and intentionally at the place, it would remain unnoticed. This brough more questions. How did whatever causing the buzz get out? The formations were supposed to work both ways.

The mystery grew deeper by the moment! More questions popped up constantly! Why? How? What?

Kaden hoped to get the answer soon enough as the group entered a larger chamber where the actual altar was with the usual chains and twisted looking statue depicting the God of Lies. The altar was black and stained with something. Kaden assumed it was blood. Right in front of it was an area with yet another formation, but in middle of it sat a man entirely still. The formation was for containment.

The group sat down. It seemed some kind of ceremony was about to start.

The buzz was now strongest it had been so far. He felt like whatever he was looking for was in that chamber. Kaden looked around for quite a while until he looked at the altar. With his eyes he could see it clearly from a distance.

A small black fragment.

Kaden had seen one of those before. He had picked that one from Trohin’s altar. His was a sliced shaped part, but this another one was different shape, like a parallelepiped. It was clearly of the same material and seemed to be part of some set. The fragment on the altar also had those tiny hooks and lines on it. It was also clearly the source of the buzz!

Kaden frowned. He had picked his fragment because he had not known what it was made of. He had yet to find that out either, but now it seemed to have something to do with God of Lies and his worship. He felt happy he had never showed it to anyone, not even Cyrun who probably knew lot materials. Yet, it seemed important. Its effects had passed through relatively powerful concealment formations like they weren’t even there. It was also able to hide its presence and make people forget they even noticed it.

He wanted to take it, but there was no way he could approach the altar unnoticed. If it was something important to these cultists, they would also notice it missing! What to do?

While pondering this something started to happen. The priests came and stood behind the altar. There was a silent moment before one of the priests started talking.

“Once more we have gathered in this holy place to show our loyalty to the chained one!” The priest started. “We continue our work relentlessly. Sacrifices we offer each day are uncountable! One day the chains shall unravel! It has been prophecied!”

The priest continued spouting that sort of drivel. It seemed they believed the God of Lies was imprisoned unjustifiedly! That corrupt gods betrayed their kin so that they could take his power. That the God of Lies was the strongest of them and by releasing him, humanity would become stronger with yet another higher god.

Kaden was not sure what was true, but he didn’t really care either. He only knew the gods be deceptive so he guessed it could be possible.

Around at this point the other priest dragged in a gagged person who was in terror. Then they chained him on the altar ignoring his terrified struggles.

“We will subjugate the servants of the lesser gods!” The priest shouted. “Send forth the sacrifice and open path to hell realm!”

The gagged man tried to scream, but he was silenced soon as the the priest took a twisted knife and cut open his throat and then proceeded to ritually disembowel him. Then he kept muttering something as he took out organs and threw them into a fire that had appeared next to the containment formation.

Suddenly the man that had been still shuddered and stood up. He trashed around inside the containment until he stopped. His eyes glowed red a bit and then looked around.

“You brought me here again!” The man said. “I told you what would happen! I will destroy you!”

“Demon, you have your sacrifice!” Replied the priest. “You will aid us!”

Kaden was rather interested in this. It seemed the cultists had summoned a demon. Kaden himself had played with the idea of summoning demons to do his bidding. He had given up on it after realizing it was probably a bad idea after all. Not to mention information on how to do it wasn’t readily available. It was extremely illegal.

Demons were creatures of mana. They were basically condensed form of mana related to negative emotions. They supposedly resided on another layer of existence… more familiarly known as hell.

Sacrifice them some negative emotions as a payment and they will do your bidding. That was the purpose of the sacrifice. Terror, pain and rage of being dragged upon an altar and then casually sacrificed.

Kaden observed as the priest seemingly wanted the demon to influence certain key people to benefit the cultists purposes. Then suddenly...

“YOU! You aren’t one of them!” A voice echoed in Kaden’s head. It was the demon! The demon had noticed him!