Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple Chapter 1 1-Sacrifice in the Terrifying Temple

"Ugh, my head… That hurts… "

"Damn, the pain feedback in this game is unbelievably real!"

John Foster groaned, struggling to rise from the cold stone floor, a sharp agony coursing through his entire body.

He cast his gaze upon his attire…

In tatters, with iron chains binding his wrists and ankles, it was evident his status was exceptionally low.

John surveyed his surroundings, finding himself within a magnificent yet unsettling temple. He was not alone, but surrounded by no less than a thousand players from a diverse array of races.

Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, and even Dragonborn were present…

These players, much like John, were clad in ragged clothing, their hands and feet shackled with iron.

Their expressions were etched with utter bewilderment, seemingly clueless as to how they had arrived in this peculiar location.

"What is happening? Shouldn't I have spawned in the Elf newbie village? Why am I here?"

"What kind of place is this? It feels so sinister."

"GODSLAYER, this game feels incredibly immersive and realistic. I can even feel the coldness of the iron chains… Wait, how can I be born with iron chains? That doesn't make any sense!"

...

The players conversed amongst themselves, yet no one possessed any inkling of the true situation.

A foreboding sensation began to stir within John's heart.

Suppressing his rising anxiety, he calmly accessed his personal attribute panel:

[Player: Galewind]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Assassin]

[Level: 1]

[Attributes: …]

...

John quickly scanned the panel and his eyes landed on a line of text at the very bottom:

[Innate Talent: 'Sacrifice']

[Sacrifice: To appease the wrath of Devils dwelling deep within the continent, various races have offered a portion of their people as tribute. You are the unfortunate soul chosen to be sacrificed to them.]

[Talent Attributes: Max HP -100, Max Stamina -50, Pain Feedback 100%, Unable to leave the 'Temple of Godslayer' before the demise of the Devils.]

"What kind of talent is this?!"

"I have so much less HP and stamina than other players right from the start!"

Upon comprehending the talent's description, John stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.

In the game 'Godslayer', a level 1 human character typically possesses a mere 150 HP… Now, with a deficit of 100 HP from the outset, how could he possibly navigate the game in the future?!

Not long after John's discovery of this peculiar talent, anguished cries erupted from the assembled players.

Clearly, they too had come to understand the incredibly unfair nature of the "Sacrifice" talent.

"What? Why has my max HP been reduced so drastically?"

"Why me? Other people's talents improve their attributes, but mine only diminishes them?"

"How can a game exist with 100% pain feedback… Isn't that against the rules?!"

"Forget it! I'm deleting my character!"

"Yeah, I'd rather create a new character; this talent is just too deceptive!"

...

In a brief span, over a dozen players logged out, vanishing from their spots.

However, a few players who had vocally announced their intention to delete their characters still lingered, seemingly hesitant.

"What's wrong, what are you waiting for?"

"I just opened the character deletion interface, and it stated that if we delete this character, our future characters will permanently lose the opportunity to acquire rare talents…"

"What is there to be afraid of? Even a normal talent is far superior to this 'Sacrifice' talent, isn't it?"

"Besides, the probability of obtaining a rare talent is incredibly low anyway, like one in ten thousand. Do you truly believe you'll obtain a rare talent just by creating a new character?"

"You have a point."

The two players ceased their deliberation and decisively selected the option to delete their characters.

The very next second, both players simultaneously dematerialized.

Within "Godslayer," each player is permitted to bind their personal information solely for the creation of one account and one character.

In other words, every player is restricted to a single account and a single character.

Should they desire to play with a new character, they must opt for the complete deletion of their prior character.

Typically, very few players would choose to delete their characters at the outset, but this time, the innate talent proved so abysmal that hundreds of players present swiftly opted to delete their characters.

The remaining players found themselves in a state of intense internal conflict.

According to the game's official directives, in "Godslayer," players are granted one opportunity to roll on the talents banner every fifty levels.

These talents hold immense significance, directly dictating the potential power of a player's character.

If they were fortunate enough to acquire a legendary "rare talent," they would immediately ascend in power, becoming a figure of great envy among all players.

Yet, at this juncture, as they contemplated deleting their characters, the system issued a solemn warning: should they abandon this current character, their subsequent characters would be forever barred from obtaining any "rare talent."

This consequence left them deeply uncertain.

Should they refuse to delete their characters, there's still a chance they could attract top-tier talents upon reaching new level milestones every fifty levels.

However, if they choose to delete, even if a newly created character possesses superior initial talent compared to 'Sacrifice,' obtaining excellent talents in the future becomes impossible...

At this precise moment, a player stepped forward from the assembled crowd.

He was a Dragonborn player, a towering figure of imposing strength, clearly distinguished from the surrounding players.

"Everyone, there is no need for panic," he declared in a voice that carried. "I am the Guild Vice Leader of the Unrivaled Warriors. It is certainly regrettable that we were all confined to this place initially, but I believe excessive haste is unnecessary. If you delete your characters now, you forfeit any chance of becoming a prominent figure later!"

"Let us band together and force our way out of this temple collectively... I have observed that while our initial talents are quite poor, they only impose a minor penalty of 100 health points and 50 stamina. As long as we manage to acquire a rare talent later on, this attribute deficit will become utterly insignificant!"

Galvanized by his speech,

A spark of hope was rekindled in the eyes of many players.

Consequently, hundreds of players rallied around the Vice Leader of the Unrivaled Warriors Guild, clamoring to escape the confines of the temple.

Witnessing such a strong turnout, the vice leader's demeanor became somewhat animated, a flush spreading across his face.

"Excellent! Since everyone places their trust in me, I shall guide us to freedom!"

"Once we emerge, we shall all be brethren, and you are all welcome to join our guild!"

"Our Unrivaled Warriors guild has consistently ranked among the top 100 guilds in every popular game we've participated in, and we pledge to be a formidable support system for all of you!"

"As long as we stand united, we can achieve dominance in any game we enter!"

He was on the verge of continuing his impassioned address when,

John, who had been observing the unfolding scene silently from a distance, found his brow furrowing.

It wasn't that he disagreed with the vice leader's pronouncements.

Rather, John was experiencing a profoundly disturbing sense of foreboding...

Within the temple, it felt as though an immensely powerful energy was rapidly concentrating.

Shortly thereafter, a peculiar wail reverberated from high above.

John, sensing imminent danger, swiftly surveyed his surroundings. His gaze landed upon a colossal statue nearby. He pushed through the throng of players and hurried towards it, seeking refuge beneath the statue's expansive wings.

Moments later, a horrifying tendril of black smoke descended from the heavens, swiftly engulfing the Vice Leader of the Unrivaled Warriors Guild.

He didn't even have the chance to utter a sound before his life force was utterly drained!

Furthermore, the players who had been closest to the vice leader were similarly extinguished in an instant, their bodies reduced to dessicated husks...

After the ghastly black smoke dissipated, hundreds of players lay lifeless on the ground!

The surviving players, confronted with this gruesome spectacle, were overcome with terror. Instantly, hundreds of them opted to delete their characters, vanishing from their current locations.

The fallen players transformed into faint, blue soul forms, forever unaware of the entity that had claimed their lives.

"Curses! My maximum HP has just decreased by another 10 points! Does dying within this temple perpetually reduce our HP cap?"

"I've sustained a significant reduction in my strength... It appears that demise here indeed results in attribute forfeiture..."

"Damn it, my intelligence has plummeted into negative territory! Even if I were to respawn now, I'd be destined for repeated deaths, with my attributes continuing to diminish!"

"Mom, I don't want to play anymore; this is far too terrifying! I wish to log out!"

"Forget it; I doubt I'll ever be able to acquire rare talents now. However, given this game's immense popularity, there will undoubtedly be a demand for characters specializing in life skills. Perhaps I should forgo combat entirely and concentrate on cultivating my life skills to earn currency!"

...

These hundreds of players, now reduced to spectral forms, no longer dared to entertain the notion of breaking free from the temple.

Even the formerly resolute vice leader was now gripped by an overwhelming dread, as if he had witnessed an unfathomable horror.

Without uttering another word, he promptly chose to exit the game and delete his character.

Perhaps, even with tenfold the courage of his former self, he would never contemplate returning to this accursed temple again...