Chapter 38: Blood Moon!

Su Ming's mind and spirit jolted suddenly!

He has played some games.

He knows exactly what the appearance of a Blood Moon generally signifies!

Unknown! Curse! Catastrophe!

In the plaza, the atmosphere grew increasingly grim.

In just two minutes, the round moon above the Sky Vault was completely dyed a shocking crimson!

Scarlet moonlight poured down.

It stained the whole city, and every face on the streets, with a layer of eerie blood color.

Unease, oppression, and fear instantly erupted among the crowd.

Su Ming's expression grew solemn; he pulled out his phone and opened that forum that was about to explode.

【WTF! The moon got its period?!】

【The guy upstairs is so bold? Earn some moral points! Is this a blessing or a disaster?】

【It's over, it's over, I have a feeling something big will happen tonight! I'm going to wrap myself in a blanket and sleep!】

【Bold prediction: During the Blood Moon, the chance of getting good stuff doubles, Gambling Dogs charge ahead!】

All kinds of speculation, jokes, and panic intertwined, causing an information explosion.

"So, this Blood Moon... what does it actually mean?"

Su Ming slowly put away his phone, his gaze sweeping over the not‑far‑away spot ahead.

There, an altar looked especially fitting under the Blood Moon.

In shape, it resembled a rusted vending machine.

It stood alone at the street corner, its body covered in mottled rust, and the coin slot seemed to have been violently pried open.

Most bizarrely, its internal light tube flickered ominous red glows under the blood‑colored moonlight.

Su Ming felt something stir inside and activated the Eye of Truth.

Buzz—!

【Altar ID:】

【Connection Marker: Mechanical Wasteland】

【Karma Overview: A mechanical vending machine roaming the wasteland, fond of collecting all kinds of coins.】

It looks no different.

But beneath those three lines, a glaring line of blood‑colored small text suddenly appeared!

【Blood Moon Effect: Remaining sacrifice count 10/10!】

"Remaining count?!"

Su Ming's pupils contracted sharply.

What does it mean?

At that moment, a ragged gambler who looked like he'd blown all his money, eyes reddened, lunged forward.

He rummaged through his pockets and found only a single coin.

"Damn!"

He shouted angrily, shoving the coin into the vending‑machine altar's coin slot.

Su Ming stared intently at every move.

Almost the instant the coin was swallowed, that line of text flickered faintly.

【Blood Moon Effect: Remaining sacrifice count 9/10】!

Sure enough, one less!

Even more bizarre—

In the past, even white light would be clearly visible in the Night Color Bar.

But this time, the vending machine's dispensing slot went "Clang!" and spat out something.

Yet throughout, there was not a hint of light!

"This? How can you tell its quality?"

The gambler took the item out from inside.

Under the dense blood‑colored moonlight, the object seemed to be veiled in a layer of Blood Mist.

Even as people around stretched their necks, they couldn't discern what was inside!

"Another piece of junk!"

The gambler muttered curses and walked away.

Su Ming's heartbeat suddenly accelerated at that moment!

He seemed to understand!

First, after the Blood Moon envelops, each altar has a limited number of sacrifices!

After ten times, this altar will likely disappear.

Even… the mutation could become an unpredictable danger!

Second, and the most crucial point—

Under the Blood Moon's influence, the sacrifice process becomes as if invisible!

No light!

The product is blurry!

"This... this is... for me..."

Su Ming's fingers trembled slightly, and a spark of brilliance erupted in his eyes.

Heaven grants a good opportunity!

If it's really as he thinks, then tonight, even in the bustling center of the Pedestrian Street, he could fire the Red Light three times…

Others would just think he's a luckless fool who hasn't produced anything!

"Perfect!"

Su Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

He will act without any hesitation!

The Blood Moon hung in the sky, and the Red Light surged like tides.

Now, most people, filled with shock and doubt, have returned home.

Su Ming hurried along this blood‑stained street.

He must finish the sacrifice quickly and race back to the Slaughterhouse before midnight!

Fearing the Blood Moon won't play fair, he chooses to sneak home!

Inside the Slaughterhouse, there are not only the thousands of chickens he painstakingly tended.

More importantly, it hides the very foundation of his existence—the Crimson Throne!

If the Blood Moon has any special effect that causes the altar to disappear or mutate…

Then he would have nowhere even to cry!

10:40 PM.

Su Ming has already completed two sacrifices.

The results are somewhat unsatisfactory.

One yielded a blue‑quality long sword, cutting iron like mud, unbreakable.

But he is a man with a Myth‑level Soul Dagger!

The long sword is fine, but its ultimate fate can only be to serve as a side dish for the Crimson Throne.

Another altar granted him a purple‑quality shoulder guard.

Named Beast's Fury!

When worn, it can be actively triggered, unleashing berserk power for a short time, then falling into a longer period of weakness.

After some thought, Su Ming also decided to convert it into Source Blood.

Things may be good, but they remain external.

Being strong oneself is true strength!

An Epic‑level Source Blood—just the flavor he wants to taste!

"Tonight... could it end like this?"

Su Ming glanced at his phone and turned into a relatively quiet side street.

Even though he was efficient all the way and lost no time, it is now 11 PM.

"Hmm?"

Finally, on a small observation deck at the street corner, Su Ming stopped.

"If you don't look closely, you'd think it's just decoration!"

The altar before him resembled a work of art, carved from white marble, shaped like a miniature observatory.

Eye of Truth, activate!

Altar Number: 1050

Connected Waypoint: Lost Star Sea

Karma Overview: an ancient stargazer lost at the edge of the Star Sea, whose lifelong pursuit of light has been extinguished, and who longs to see a beam of hope again!

Blood Moon Influence: Remaining sacrifice count 7/10!

"Sss!"

Su Ming's spirit jolted.

It's coming!

"1050!"

What a prominent, impressive number!

"Three people have already sacrificed? I have no idea what they got!"

"Longing to see a beam of hope again..."

Su Ming frowned, pondering.

The first thing that came to mind was the matches in the Hope Matchbox!

But...

All of them he turned into Source Blood!

And ordinary matches, lighters, light bulbs, those...

seem to lack the essence of Hope.

"What counts as hope?"

"I don't seem to have anything that connects on my side..."

Su Ming subconsciously patted his pocket, his fingertips touching a slightly rough piece of paper.

He took it out and looked.

It was the withdrawal receipt printed when he withdrew 30,000 yuan at the ATM.

"Hmm?"

Su Ming stared at the slip of paper, and was slightly taken aback.

This withdrawal voucher meant that he would have to skip countless meals at the street stalls.

But for Zhao Gang…

That was his daughter's hope for survival!

"Hope…"

On such a broken, indifferent night.

One stranger extended a helping hand to another stranger.

It seemed also the tiniest, yet never‑extinguishing, light of humanity…

In Su Ming's mind, scene after scene flashed before him.

At that moment, after Zhao Gang received the money, a spark of light reignited in his eyes.

That figure hurrying toward the hospital, hurrying toward his daughter…

It was hope itself!

"Let's try!"

Su Ming took a deep breath.

He solemnly placed this hope‑laden withdrawal voucher at the center of the altar.

"Hold fast to what you cherish and act with steadfast heart; even in the smallest of things, there is a glimmer."

"This thread of heart‑light is hope!"