From Prisoner to Si Chen..

Chapter 418 Accident
Just from the name "firstborn sacrifice system", Gillan could easily associate it with "firstborn son sacrifice system".

They all originated from a custom of believing in old gods, and are unique to the religious culture of the "Scar Father" of the First Si Sui.

The two are quite similar, but they are essentially different.

The "eldest son sacrifice system" requires the eldest son to be eaten alive in a "sharing ceremony" at a specific time and place, in a cruel way that violates human ethics, in order to please the old gods in exchange for the gift of strength, flesh or longevity.

This evil doctrine was derived from the "firstborn sacrifice system", but has been greatly modified and distorted.

Ironically, this extreme behavior makes it easier to attract the attention of "Scar Father" and thus gain favors.

As the original doctrine, "the sacrifice of the primogeniture" seems a little more "normal".

This religious system stipulates that when the eldest son in the family is born, if he is found to have a congenital disease or obvious defects, a "honor ceremony" will be held to allow the baby to die without any pain.

In return, your future children will be healthy and safe.

Although this is equally deformed in Gilan's view, it is slightly less abominable than the "firstborn sacrifice system."

But no matter what, Gilan felt that Scarf Father's belief in the old gods itself was problematic.

It seems like an invisible big hand is playing with human desires and emotions.

This sense of déjà vu made Gillan very disgusted.

It's just that this belief has a long history and is deeply rooted in the western region, especially in the Stuttgart Empire.

For the people of Stuttgart, sacrificing their eldest newborn son with obvious defects in exchange for the health and safety of their future children is a very worthwhile "exchange".

At the same time, for the eldest son himself, it is precisely because of his "sacrifice" that his younger brothers and sisters can thrive. And he will die "gloriously" without pain.

This is the most desired destination for all warriors.

Therefore, for thousands of years, the "eldest son sacrifice system" has never been banned in this land. On the contrary, it has become a religious tradition.

During the meal, the Duke of Hawkes frankly stated that his eldest son, Carlo Barbaroche, was "sacrificed" at birth.

Because of cultural and conceptual differences, even though Gillan didn't approve of this approach in his heart, he didn't express his opinion.

No members of the envoy delegation made any comments on this.

Just as everyone was having dinner, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the restaurant.

Gillan turned to look.

A sturdy man with gray hair and beard, wearing leather shoulder pads and a white robe, was seen rushing over anxiously. Behind him, there were four or five elite guards wearing armor and carrying swords.

This person didn't even bother to say hello, but walked straight to the side of Duke Hawkes and whispered something.

Gillan had excellent hearing and easily caught the whispers.

"… Your Excellency the Duke, there was an accident at the Rude Mine! More than 300 miners and more than 100 soldiers have all fallen into a coma, and more than half of them died directly and turned into dust and disappeared!"

"There seems to be a high-risk 'Nightmare Monument' deep in the mine, and it suddenly erupted!"

"Huh?!" Duke Hawkes was startled and his face changed slightly. But the first thing he asked was:

"Where's Sheriff Kuole?"

"The sheriff has also passed out."

The strong man replied.

Duke Hawkes fell silent for a moment.

After a few seconds, he slowly stood up from the chair. Although he tried his best to hide it, Gillan could still see the anxiety in his expression.

"How could there be ..."

Duke Hawkes' tone was low, hinting at anger.

"Didn't the Royal Court's 'Desert Patrol' come here a few days ago and conduct a mysterious investigation of the territory? How come they didn't find anything?!"

"This..." The sturdy man was speechless for a moment.

"Immediately send someone to ask for help from the Royal Court! At the same time, evacuate the Rude Mine and the surrounding people, and seal off the area!"

Duke Hawkes gave the order quickly.

"This is simply not something we can handle!"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Duke."

The sturdy man bowed quickly and walked out with his men.

After they left, Duke Hawkes frowned, but turned around and said to Jilan and others with a forced smile:
"I am truly sorry, Mr. Gilan, and all the emissaries...something unexpected happened in the territory, which disturbed everyone's interest."

"No problem." Gillan put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and shook his head. "Duke Hawkes should deal with the urgent matter at hand first."

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Gillan... In that case, please do as you please. I will be leaving now."

Duke Hawkes secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and after speaking to Gillan, he called a few servants and hurried out.

The only people left in the restaurant were the envoys looking at each other.

This sudden accident also surprised everyone. Fortunately, the housekeeper of the villa was very responsible and continued to entertain the Duke warmly after he left.

The envoys were well fed and well-drinking.

After dinner, they followed the servant's instructions and went upstairs to check into the guest room.

Each room is spacious and luxurious, and is equipped with a separate bathroom.

The dusty group of people washed up thoroughly to get rid of their tiredness.

The night is getting darker.

Around ten o'clock, there was a sudden knock on Jilan's door.

Tuk Tuk.

Jilan, who was sitting by the window with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes and glanced towards the door.

"Which one?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Gillan. I'm the Duke's butler, and I have something to discuss with you..."

Click.

The door opens.

Jilan saw the butler who had entertained them at the dinner standing outside. He looked respectful and bowed his head and said:
"The Duke has returned. He asked me to bring you a message... He said he has something important to discuss with you and is waiting in the study."

Jilan thought for a moment and said:
"Lead the way."

"Yes, sir."

After the butler finished speaking, he took a step forward and led the way.

Jilan followed him up the wooden stairs and continued walking upstairs, soon reaching the innermost side of the corridor on the third floor.

When the butler knocked on the door, the tired voice of Duke Hawkes came from inside:

"Come in."

The butler opened the door, then stood outside silently without going in.

Gillan nodded at him and walked in alone.

The butler then slowly closed the study door and stood guard outside.

"Mr. Gillan, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."

Seeing this, Duke Hawkes, who was originally sitting on the sofa, stood up and said in a deep voice.

Jilan waved his hand and said:
"The Duke invited me here. What's the matter?"

"Please take a seat, sir."

Duke Hawkes gestured with his hand.

Jilan nodded and took a seat.

The Duke made him a cup of tea and handed him a valuable cigar. After Gillan declined, he whispered:

"To be honest, the accident that occurred in the territory is related to the 'Nightmare Monument'..."

Although Jilan knew it clearly, he pretended to be surprised.

"Nightmare Monument?" He was a great actor, frowning slightly. "Is the situation serious?"

"It's quite serious!" Duke Hawkes rubbed his temple. "This is definitely not an ordinary 'Nightmare Monument', it's at least level three!"

Hearing this, Ji Lan raised his eyebrows.

The third-level nightmare monument is what is left after the death of a sixth-level long-lived being.

You can imagine how dangerous it is.

No wonder Duke Hawkes is so sad.

But what Gillan was more curious about was why Duke Hawkes called him to the study alone so late at night.

It couldn't just be a casual chat over tea. "The support from the royal court won't arrive in a short time, and the nightmare aura can't be contained in time, and it has already spread outside the mine..."

Duke Hawkes looked worried.

He raised his eyes with hope in them.

"Mr. Gillan, before your visit, I learned about your deeds in detail... You are not only the foreign minister of Bremen, but also a senior member of the mysterious investigation committee."

"You must know more about mysterious matters than I do... May I ask if you have any way to temporarily stop the spread of the nightmare and wake up the sleeping people?"

Gillan was silent for a moment.

"If you want to curb the nightmare, there are three ways."

he said.

"First, kill the Nightmare Guards and completely eradicate the Nightmare Monument. Second, defeat the Nightmare Core and shrink its Nightmare Qi. Third, use special alchemical creations to seal and isolate the Nightmare Qi."

The Duke immediately looked disappointed.

Even a hint of despair.

Gilan caught the other person's expression and comforted him:
"The Duke has evacuated the people around the mine. Even if the nightmare is still spreading, the support from the royal court should be able to handle this matter before any casualties or losses occur."

Duke Hawkes fell into a long silence.

Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Sir, I'm sorry... Actually, I hid something from you during dinner."

The Duke was quite disheartened. He leaned back on the sofa, smoking a cigar in depression.

"In fact, my eldest son was not 'sacrificed'... At that time, I created a deception and deceived the 'Scar Church' so that he survived."

After hearing this, Jilan understood something.

He seemed to have figured out why Duke Hawkes had such a big reaction.

"Could it be that you, the eldest son of the Duke, have been affected by the disaster of nightmare?"

Gillan asked, narrowing his eyes.

Duke Hawkes smiled bitterly.

"Yes... He is a sheriff under my command and is unaware of his true identity."

"Now, he is still trapped in the mine, and his life or death is unknown."

Gillan immediately thought of the "Sheriff Kuole" mentioned by the Duke at the dinner.

Obviously, this person is the Duke's eldest son, Karl Lau.

It is no wonder that upon hearing about the outbreak of the "Nightmare Monument", the Duke would first inquire about this person's situation.

Purely out of instinct.

"Mr. Gillan, I have kept this secret for more than ten years..."

The Duke of Hawkes' fingers were shaking, and his cigar had long ash that was scattered in clumps.

"I beg you to think of another solution."

"If you can rescue Karlau, I, Hawkes Barbaroche, will never forget this friendship!"

Ding!
A clear and familiar voice suddenly sounded in Jilan's ears.

He knew that the "Golden Sigh" mission had been triggered.

"Trigger the mission: Stop the nightmare."

"You first arrived in the Stuttgart Empire and stayed at the territory of the elder of the royal court, Duke Hawkes, but encountered the sudden disaster of the 'Nightmare Monument' in the territory's mines."

"Hawks Barbaroche has told you a secret that you have kept secret for many years. His sheriff Kuole is actually the eldest son, Karlau, who escaped from the 'Glorious Ceremony'. He is currently trapped in the Rude Mine and his life or death is unknown."

"He begs you to rescue Kuole."

"Time limit: 12 hours."

"Reward: Moderate improvement in spiritual knowledge, spirituality, or physical body (choose one of the three)."

Jilan glanced at the colorful words that appeared in front of him and said to himself:
'accept.'

Ding!
The text then disappeared.

"Duke Hawkes, I will give it a try then."

Jilan pretended to be silent and spoke slowly.

Hearing this, the gray-haired Duke looked delighted.

"Mr. Gillan, please let me know what you need, whether it's manpower or supplies..."

"No need." Jilan waved his hand. "The danger level of a Level 3 Nightmare Monument is such that ordinary people will surely die if they get close to it. Not only will they not be able to help, but they will also hinder us."

"The Duke will have someone prepare a carriage to take me to the mines."

"Sir, are you going alone?"

Duke Hawkes was startled.

Jilan just smiled and didn't answer.

The Duke's understanding of him was obviously not comprehensive. He only knew that he was a senior member of the mysterious investigation committee, but he did not know that his position was the head of the "gravedigger".

He is professional in dealing with "Nightmare Monument".

"I'm going with my husband."

Duke Hawkes gritted his teeth and stood up.

Jilan did not refuse and followed the other party out of the study.

Afterwards, the Duke asked the butler to urgently prepare a carriage, and the two of them rode together and went straight to the Rude Mine.

There is no moon tonight, only a few lights.

The carriage galloped on the dim road, and after more than half an hour, it finally arrived at the outskirts of the destination.

As soon as Jilan got out of the car, Lingzhi began to sound the alarm.

He opened his spiritual vision, and a thick, distorted scarlet mist instantly appeared in his "eyes".

Not far ahead was a hill that had been half dug up. There were some machinery and trailers placed around the bumpy roadside.

The environment was dead silent.

Soon, an army of hundreds of people arrived.

Duke Hawkes stepped forward and talked to the leader to understand the situation.

At this time, Jilan looked at the red mist in the air and said without turning his head:

"Duke Hawkes, the nightmare is still spreading. You'd better take your men back a little further."

The Duke was just an ordinary man without clairvoyance. After hearing what Gilan said, he took a deep breath and ordered his men to stay away.

But before leaving, he asked Jilan in a deep voice:

"Sir, what are you going to do?"

"This is just a simple diplomatic visit, and the entourage did not carry any relevant equipment."

Gillan shook his head.

"We can only venture in and see the situation first."

"You... must be careful."

Duke Hawkes was quite moved and said quickly.

Gillan nodded.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the Duke and numerous guards, he walked alone towards the dark mine.

After a while.

Jilan walked in from the temporary entrance of the mine frame and, with his strong night vision, moved through the dark corridor.

There is not a single person to be seen here.

Ji Lan sighed secretly.

Anyone who is killed by the nightmare spirit or dies in a nightmare will have their body disappear in reality and turn into nutrients to be devoured by the "Nightmare Monument".

This shows that several hours have passed since the outbreak of the nightmare gas, and there are very few survivors among those affected in the mine.

However, the mission did not indicate failure, which proved that Kuolei was not dead yet...

(End of this chapter)