Chapter 513 — Sacrifice

The spear’s tip was bathed in a golden radiance, while its entire body exuded a sacred aura that seemed to transcend the mortal world.

One moment, the divine weapon was in the hands of the God of Hunting, and the next, it had appeared a few meters before Liora.

It had easily erased everything along its path.

Buildings, landscapes, and everything in between.

The power of this blow was immense.

The pressure exuding from the God of Hunting already reached Rank 5, while the spear he wielded only further reinforced his strength.

With the two added together, even Rank 6 Awakeners would turn pale upon facing his attack.

Liora, however, didn’t.

Ordering Alpha to return to the AI Chip, she calmly lifted her head, her gaze locking onto the spear.

The next moment, she casually raised her right hand, stretching her finger and tapping lightly on the air.

The phantom of an illusory space dyed in golden hue appeared behind her back, as light coiled around her arm, gathering into a beam of light.

Then, it shot out of her fingers.

Compared to the divine weapon, the beam of light looked far less impressive and more unassuming.

Yet, as the two met midair, something unexpected happened.

The spear, forged with the faith of believers over thousands of years, shrieked loudly upon touching the beam.

Cracks formed all over its surface, as its forward trajectory was abruptly cut off.

In the distance, the entire body of the centaur shook.

His human face turned pale, while his lower horse-like body trembled, looking ready to stumble to the ground.

He let out a painful roar.

Then, his gaze turned toward his kneeling believers. He opened his mouth and spoke:

"Sacrifice!", a solemn, majestic voice came out of his lips.

Its meaning was vague, but the believers immediately understood his meaning.

They showed no hesitation.

No matter their identity or occupation, they made the exact same decision.

Whether it was the Tribal Chief or an ordinary member of the hunting team, they all cut off their life force, exploding into a cloud of dense blood mist.

The mist did not remain still.

With a swoosh, it fired toward the God of Hunting, fusing into his body and enhancing his combat power.

Liora saw this, and her eyes narrowed.

Raising her hand once again, another one of her talent genes was activated, and she was about to interfere.

But just then, a powerful aura erupted from behind her back.

"My Lord, be careful!" Alpha warned in her mind.

As Liora turned around, she came face-to-face with the source of the sudden disturbance.

It was none other than Ohara.

Having completely shed off her previous cheerfulness, she held her father in her arms and rushed toward Liora with undisguised hatred on her face.

She bit her tongue with all her strength, causing blood to flow from her lips as her aura fluctuated violently as if she were a bomb.

A dormant power awakened from the depths of her body.

Her skin cracked, and her bones crackled violently, as both she and her father began to expand like balloons.

"Die! Die! Otherworld Demon, die!", she shouted, her voice full of resentment.

Then... Bang!

Both she and her father exploded.

Like TNT that had been lit ablaze, everything around them disintegrated instantly.

The impact quickly spread. Not only through the building, but also throughout the village.

Although both Ohara and her father were just ordinary mortals, the power of their self-explosion was unimaginable.

It was even stronger than the God of Hunting’s earlier attack.

Its aftermath quickly engulfed Liora, making her invisible amidst the traces of flickering lights and flying ruins.

It took several moments for the explosion to recede.

When it finally did, Liora was once again revealed to the outside world.

Her appearance remained completely spotless, and her expression was calm and unhurried, as if the previous scene had never happened.

Yet, her eyes lingered at the place where Ohara had just stood, her expression thoughtful.

She didn’t have the time to sort out her thoughts, however.

The explosion had won enough time for the God of Hunting to complete his transformation.

Following the sacrifice of all his believers, his body was now filled with newfound power.

If he could contend against Rank 6 Awakeners in the past, he now possessed the strength to kill those at the peak of Rank 6.

Just like before, he made no attempt to communicate with his opponent.

After letting out a low shout, his hooves crashed against the ground, pushing him forward.

The next moment, he flashed beside Liora, holding the recovered divine weapon and thrusting it toward her face.

Facing his blow, Liora showed no panic.

The soldier’s warning outside the secret realm resurfaced in her mind.

Coupled with the information collected by Alpha, she felt as if she had seen through everything.

"I was originally wondering why the Human Federation referred to the natives of the realm as aliens. After all, whether it is in appearance or mind, both are of the same race: humans.", she suddenly spoke up.

"I thought it was because of xenophobia, or at least some type of discrimination. In my mind, both human races were one and the same."

Saying this, Liora shook her head.

"Now, I finally understand. The humans of this world are indeed different..."

"An entire village can sacrifice itself to their God just to bring them power..."

"A daughter who risked her life to save her father could sacrifice both of their lives to buy them time..."

"Compared to the Human Federation, this place is indeed... different."

Though Liora had not been in this world for a long time, her understanding of the human race was deep.

Though it was impossible to call the Human Federation a utopia, it was at least relatively fair.

Everyone could go on with their lives, and even ordinary mortals did not have to face constant threats. As long as they worked, they could live to the end of their lifespan like ordinary people.

Compared to places like the Demon World or even the Demon Weapon World, the Human Federation was a paradise.

On the other hand, this secret realm was far closer to Liora’s hometown than the universe outside.

Liora did not lower her voice.

If anything, her words were addressed to the God of Hunting.

Unfortunately, the other party showed no intention of responding.

No one knew if he was truly unconscious and mindless, or if he simply had no wish to communicate with her.

Either way, his attack only grew faster and fiercer.

Seeing this, Liora couldn’t help but sigh. She shook her head.

She initially wanted to discuss her recent "findings" with someone and talk about human nature.

Unfortunately, the so-called God before her had no intention of becoming her partner.

Seeing this, her expression grew cold. She raised her head to look at the God of Hunting, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Since that’s the case, there is no use for you."

"You can go and die."

The moment Liora finished her sentence, her talent genes were activated.

Not one, but all of them at once.

Then, under the stunned eyes of the centaur, dozens of abilities erupted and engulfed him completely.