After the train stopped, several carriages picked up the disembarking passengers. It seemed that they had arranged the carriages in advance, leaving only Phil Gray, his two companions, and a cat behind.
“I wonder how far this place is from the city of Kguill,” Phil Gray said. “If it weren’t far, these passengers wouldn’t have called for a carriage in advance.”
Keguel is a city of the Church of Life, but it is located on the edge of the Church of Life. Beyond this city, it is no longer within the territory of the Church of Life, and at the same time, they enter another kingdom called Barrow.
They followed the direction the passengers had left in and found that there was still a long way to go, and they couldn't even see the outline of the city of Kguel.
"Meow~" Nighty meowed, and Phil Gray, who had spent several days with him, naturally knew that the guy was hungry again.
The key point is that it doesn't eat ordinary food; it only eats rare and exotic foods.
"Let me check, that's all. We don't have the dried fish you wanted." Phil Gray glanced at the Death Stone's storage space. A few days ago, he and the passengers in the car bought some rarer fish, but it had eaten them all in the last three days.
The darkness revealed a resentful look in its eyes.
Phil Gray patted its head. "We'll be in the city soon. I'll store more for you then."
“Hey? There’s a hotel over there,” Eli said, pointing to a hotel not far away.
The hotel is a square building in dark green and white, with the signboard half-hidden by dense ivy, leaving only the words "hotel" visible at the back.
“Let’s go take a look, rest for a bit, and get some food for Nightfall while we’re at it,” Phil Gray suggested.
It was only a little past noon, and the spring sun was still a bit dazzling. Anyway, as long as they got to the city before evening, they might as well rest at the hotel for a while and set off again in the afternoon.
Eli and Ernest had no objections. They jogged towards the hotel. The night moved very quickly, and when they arrived at the hotel entrance, it was already squatting there licking its paws, its emerald green eyes full of smugness.
"Haha, this little guy." Eli tried to pat its head, but was mercilessly dodged.
With a creak.
The door opened, and a tall, thin man came out. He looked sallow and emaciated, with protruding bones, and appeared malnourished. He wore a wide, dark green robe, and his body looked like nothing more than a skeleton, which seemed very out of place.
Phil Gray and the others stared blankly at the person who came out. Where did this impoverished person come from? He looked like he couldn't even get enough to eat.
The man glanced at them listlessly, then walked away with weak steps, tripping as he descended the hotel steps.
Phil Gray almost reached out to help him up, feeling like his skeleton was about to fall apart.
Fortunately, he completed the rest of the journey steadily.
The group of friends exchanged glances, some of them sighing with emotion.
The darkness brushed against Phil Gray's leg, and he smiled slightly. "Don't rush, let's go inside and take a look."
He pushed open the door and saw that there were many tables on the ground floor of the hotel, which was probably where guests could dine.
There were indeed many guests, but none of them ate anything. They just held empty bowls or sipped some clear soup. They looked very hungry, but also very devout.
They were all emaciated and pale, just like the guest who had left outside, and they were all wearing dark green robes.
Upon seeing Phil Gray and the others enter, the guests all turned their gazes toward them, though their gazes were very weak.
Have we arrived at a refugee camp?
Phil Gray and the others felt a little uncomfortable, but they still found a table and sat down.
Eli tapped on the table. "Where's the boss? Bring us some food quickly."
As soon as he finished speaking, all the guests looked at him with a mixture of anger and hostility.
Eli, bewildered, looked innocently at Phil Gray.
Phil Gray frowned; this hotel was really strange.
At that moment, a man dressed in the same dark green robes as the guests emerged from the kitchen at the back. He was also emaciated, but his eyes were sharp. He looked at Phil Gray and the others, and then said, "Welcome to the Forgotten Food Inn. This is the holy site of the Father of Empty Stomachs. We worship the God of Hunger. We do not eat any solid food, but only drink water and sacred soup to purify our bodies and minds. Are you also here seeking divine guidance?"
Phil Gray and the others were stunned when they heard this. No wonder everyone, from the guests to the boss, looked like they hadn't eaten enough. It turned out they were worshipping the god of hunger.
And this hotel is actually called the Forget-Food Hotel?
"The god of hunger?" Phil Gray asked. "Are you kidding me? You don't eat any real food, only drink water and sacred soup. Won't you starve to death?"
“No, our bodies have become accustomed to this way of life, and our souls have been purified and elevated,” the hotel owner said. “We believe that the god of hunger will grant us eternal life and wisdom, as long as we faithfully follow his teachings.”
"So what is your doctrine?" Eli asked curiously.
“Our doctrine is very simple: forget the temptation of food, resist the desires of the flesh, and use hunger to temper our will and faith,” the hotel owner said. “We drink only one bowl of sacred soup each day, a gift we receive from the god of hunger. It nourishes our souls and allows us to feel the grace of the gods.”
“What is the sacred soup?” Phil Gray asked again.
"The sacred soup is made by simmering a special herb and water. It has a light fragrance and a sweet taste. It can calm us down and make us forget all our troubles," the innkeeper said. "Would you like to try some? I can give each of you a bowl."
Phil Gray and the others exchanged glances. They all felt that there must be something wrong with the soup. Who would drink the water from such a strange religious person for no reason?
“No, thank you,” Phil Gray said. “We were just passing through and didn’t want to bother you.”
"Just passing by?" The innkeeper gave a strange smile. "Don't you know? There's no road here anymore. This is the Forgotten Food Inn, the holy site of the Father of the Empty Stomach. Once you're in, you can't leave. Unless..."
“Unless what?” Eli asked.
“Unless you join us and become followers of the god of hunger,” the innkeeper said, “only then can you receive the god’s forgiveness and blessing.”
What?
As soon as the boss finished speaking, the hotel door slammed shut!
The hungry, green-eyed believers left their seats and surrounded Phil Gray and his group.
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