Inside the Red Bee Base, the small building specifically for newlyweds was completely silent; the men in black robes on the first floor had already dispersed.

Henry pulled his hat down to completely obscure his face, frowned as he listened to the screams echoing down the corridor, and asked, "The basement isn't an altar?"

Why are you screaming so pitifully?

He quickened his pace, his gaze sweeping over the exquisite murals of sacrificial rituals on the corridor walls, his expression growing increasingly cold.

Your Majesty has been too lenient with these organizations for far too long. How dare the mere Red Bees perform such a strictly prohibited ritual!

Cedric, who was following behind him, followed helplessly, muttering, "You said yourself that you were just coming in to scout ahead, that's why I agreed to let you in."

"If we cause trouble here, the two of us will be in real trouble."

Henry glanced meaningfully at the ceiling, then swept his cold gaze backward: "I've already shown leniency by not immediately reporting your dereliction of duty to His Majesty."

“Don’t forget you’re redeeming yourself now, Cedric.”

Cedric's face turned a deep shade of purplish-red with frustration. His family had been pressuring him to go on blind dates every day, and he was getting annoyed to the point of exhaustion.

Who would have thought that just relaxing for a while and not paying close attention would lead to such a huge oversight?

"Those who were abducted are relatively easy to explain; I haven't heard of any families having missing children. However, the flesh and blood of the Mother Goddess must be brought back!"

The Red Bees are truly worthy of their name; they're all complete lunatics who actually want the Mother Goddess to descend to earth!

He imagined it for a moment, then rubbed his arms and gasped.

What's the difference between this and being tired of living?

They rely on the Mother Goddess to obtain the power for survival and even higher levels of power; they offer faith and respect, and this is the true meaning of effective faith.

If that thing were to truly descend upon the human world, they would all become His slaves, their lives no longer life, but merely pawns to be manipulated at will.

This is just asking for trouble.

Cedric tucked his slightly exposed golden hair even deeper into his hair, and the moment the door deep underground opened, he gasped again.

The rows of "offerings," which almost filled the field of vision, were neatly arranged on the patterned ground according to some kind of rule, with a thin layer of red liquid soaking beneath them.

They were all dressed in white robes, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The scream came from the woman near the center of the pattern, Mrs. Joel, whom they had just seen on the first floor. She was clutching a writhing mass of flesh tightly in her arms.

Blood splattered all around her, centered on her, and then merged into the liquid and gradually disappeared.

Henry checked on the others first to make sure they were still alive before leading Cedric quickly toward the center.

No sooner had they stepped into the center circle than the woman screamed shrilly again, the flesh in her arms writhing violently as she opened her bloody maw at them.

The two people could still vaguely see the black-robed man whose head had been bitten through and whose life or death was unknown. Instead of hugging the thing in terror, Mrs. Joel was trying to stop it from hurting people.

A tongue covered in eyes protruded from the creature's enormous mouth, and from its hollow throat came a clear, childlike cry: "Mom... Mom..."

Cedric's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at Henry: "That thing called her 'Mom'?!"

"Is this also research on red bees?"

Henry's dark, rough hands blocked the creature's attack, and with a backhand grip, he caught the incoming tongue. In a flash of cold light, the tongue covered in eyes was severed cleanly at the root.

He looked thoughtfully at the monster that had started wailing loudly: "It shouldn't be, otherwise they wouldn't have risked their lives."

He took another step forward, but Mrs. Joel shielded the howling monster in her arms, her voice filled with terror and sorrow.

"Please don't hurt her, please! She was just infected by accident. Elisa is a good and obedient girl. If I lose her... I will have nothing left."

Her voice grew softer and softer until the last sentence was almost a whisper.

But the other two people present heard it clearly.

The monster, stripped of its vital organs, quietly opened its mouth wide in her arms, drooling with longing that dripped continuously from its deformed lips.

So hungry... So painful... Mom... Mom...

It smells so good, Mom...

"Mommy...it hurts so much..."

Henry's pupils dilated for a moment, and his outstretched hand paused. The monster suddenly opened its enormous mouth, almost engulfing Mrs. Jordan.

Her adorable voice continued, "Mommy...no...it smells so good, Mommy...waaaah, it hurts!"

Conversely, the uncontrolled body, now transformed into a monster, was slowly and steadily devouring Mrs. Joel.

Henry and Cedric stepped forward at the same time, only to meet the pleading gaze of the poor woman.

She was saying: Don't come any closer.

Henry's icy gaze swept over the two of them: "You should know that even if she devours you, I will still kill her."

Cedric's forehead veins bulged, and he couldn't bear to look away.

Mrs. Joel gave him a grateful smile.

Cedric: "What the hell is this?!"

Amid the cries of the toddler, Mrs. Joel's face gradually disappeared into the giant mouth, her expression a mixture of sorrow and relief.

Perhaps in the eyes of this woman who had lost everything, dying together with her beloved child was a good ending.

Henry's arms tightened, waiting for the moment when Mrs. Jordan would die, and this one too would turn into a pool of flesh and blood.

Small bits of debris fell sporadically from above everyone's heads.

Cedric hesitated for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Did you hear anything?"

Henry's sharp eyes suddenly shot upwards, and at the same time, a large hole was violently torn open in the ceiling above everyone's heads.

The enormous metal head fell down, spraying a torrent of crimson liquid over him. Henry took a step forward.

The pollution was so thick it was hard to breathe, and it rained down all at once.

Cedric swiftly grabbed him and pulled him back, shouting, "If you want to become a mindless monster, look ahead again!"

The two gritted their teeth and retreated to a safe area, watching helplessly as one of them jumped down with the thing.

Henry watched this scene with an icy expression.

If these things fall, all of these people will die.

With his head on top of the skull, Gu Li pierced one eyeball with his longsword, ignoring the enormous eye staring intently at him, and shouted down, "Lucy!"

Amidst the numerous numb offerings, a figure leaped up with lightning speed, countless silver threads weaving through the air, instantly transporting everyone in the room to the corridor.

The massive head, carrying chestnuts, fell to the ground, splashing liquid as everyone heard an angry howl from afar.

"Who's there?!"

Henry and Cedric, suspended by silken threads among a group of white-robed sacrificial offerings, stared in astonishment at the head with its pair of lively eyes.