Inside the barrier on the 1st floor, dozens of masked players stood surrounding a man wearing a worn leather jacket and holding a boy.  

One of the masked players, who seemed to be the group leader, said to the man in the leather jacket, “We must prepare for the ritual.”

“All right. Go ahead,” the man replied in a resigned voice. The masked player nodded and announced, “Get ready for the ritual!”

Every player in the group wore a unique mask; most masks had foul-looking monsters. The masked players began moving per order. Some began forming a circle, some with canes began drawing magic circles, and the rest activated their skills. 

Clatter.

Clatter.

A part of the masked group began dragging a stone coffin toward the center. 

The leader of the masked players announced, “This is the sacrificial altar.” He sounded euphoric as he spoke, but the man in the leather jacket remained rigid without answering. 

“Is something not to your liking, Apostle?” The masked player asked when he sensed the leather-clad man’s displeasure. The “Apostle” remained quiet as he looked down at the child in his arms, about seven or eight years old. The...