Chapter 50

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 050: Joining the Group

The official initiation into The Slaughtered Lamb underground gang was set for the evening of the next day. When Jesse arrived at the tavern this time, sommelier Jarel came out from behind the counter to greet him.

"Gakin is waiting for you."

Jesse watched Jarel leave, signaling for him to enter the basement alone.

He had already drunk a bottle of Shadow Protection Potion as a precaution, feeling a bit uneasy with a sore throat. He also hid the confiscated dagger behind his back, worried that Gakin might have some troublesome task for him.

Suspicious in this place, Jesse saw Gakin waiting at the entrance to the labyrinthine dungeon. After seeing Jesse, Gakin unlocked the door and said, "Tonight you will meet many talented individuals, Jesse. They all share your passion for dark arts and curiosity for another world."

"Another world?"

"Draenor, on the other side of the Dark Portal, is surely a paradise for Black Magic," Gakin asked, "Do you not long for it?"

Truthfully, not much, but Jesse still nodded in response.

Gakin led him through the complex underground passages, finally entering a wide hall through a secret passage. In the center, a bonfire was burning, casting a strange gleam on everyone’s faces inside the room.

Jesse worried about the people here being at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when he noticed a vent on the ceiling. It was dark even though it was still bright outside in the evening. Maybe it led to the kitchen chimney of this tavern.

By the way, does this world have carbon monoxide?

Seeing his thoughts drifting away, Gakin suddenly shouted, "Welcome our new member, Jesse Seso."

"Jesse Seso."

Everyone chanted this name together. The unfamiliar faces dancing in the firelight made Jesse shiver. He instinctively shunned this strange sales-like scene.

Gakin walked up to a woman, and upon closer inspection, Jesse recognized her as Surena.

Surena looked at Jesse, then at Gakin, her expression complex. Gakin calmly said, "This is Surena Caledon, you two should have met before."

Then he approached a redhead woman and said, "This is Ursula Deline, our most skilled alchemist, also from Lordaeron."

Ursula Deline, looking to be in her twenties, had messy red hair that made her look a bit unkempt. She nodded slightly, and Jesse nodded back.

However, when Jesse passed by her, Ursula frowned slightly, as if she smelled something. Jesse became nervous, wondering if she could smell the Shadow Protection Potion on her?

Hopefully, this so-called alchemy expert was just noticing his own sweaty smell from not having a chance to bathe, and not really sensing any signs.

But she didn’t say anything in the end, as Gakin had already arrived next to a man with black hair.

This man had smooth long hair reaching his shoulders, with a touch of eastern charm in his appearance.

In his early thirties, he was wearing a blue-black shirt, dark gray almost black silk trousers, and his eyes gazing at Jesse held a hint of arrogance.

"Among us, the most talented, I believe his strength is no less than mine." Gakin proudly said, "Zardeth of the Black Claws."

Zardeth came over and reached out his hand to shake Jesse’s, saying, "Welcome."

His attitude was a bit more welcoming than his appearance, and judging by the way others looked at him, his status seemed to be on par with Gakin.

However, the title "Black Claws" sounded a bit immature, as no one else had such a nickname.

"Erlan Drudgemoor, you’ve met before." Gakin walked up to the next person, Jesse looked at him and realized how strong he was compared to the others.

"Little Jesse, I knew from the first time I saw you that you had the potential to join us." Erlan smiled, "Gakin, take good care of him, will you?"

"Of course," Gakin looked towards Surena who was staring blankly in their direction, "We treat all members the same way."

Jesse looked at the three of them and started to imagine a love triangle drama between Gakin, Surena, and Erlan. It was starting to be too complicated for him to understand.

Then Gakin brought Jesse to the bonfire and said, "Let’s proceed with the initiation ceremony now."

Suddenly, Jarel appeared dragging a bleating half-grown lamb.

"End its life," Gakin said.

Is this really The Slaughtered Lamb? Do we need to be so literal?

"This is to help you understand the meaning of sacrifice in a simple way, newcomer," Zardeth explained, "It’s to teach you that the path of dark arts doesn’t come with much joy and laughter."

Gakin looked at Zardeth and nodded in agreement, saying, "Use the dagger I gave you."

For Jesse, who had already killed many wolves, killing a lamb should not be a problem. So when he walked over, Jesse didn’t think it was difficult at all.

But when he actually looked down at the lamb, he hesitated.

Lambs were completely different from wolves. After all, when facing a wolf, if you didn’t kill it, you could get injured or even lose your life.

This lamb was being held down and crying out in fear and despair. In addition, it looked quite cute. At that moment, Jesse felt hesitant to do it.

"Is it necessary?" he asked, turning back.

He noticed Zardeth smiling, and Erlan said, "This is the path we must take."

Jesse didn’t hesitate anymore, he plunged the dagger into the lamb’s throat, and when he pulled it out, hot blood splattered onto his hand.

The lamb struggled weakly and frantically, but Jarel pressed down harder, making it even more rigid and feeble than before.

It was quickly brought out of the basement, leaving behind a floor covered in blood reflecting the firelight. Jesse looked at the dagger in his hand stained with sheep’s blood, not sure what to say.

Is this some kind of test, or a test of obedience?

"Congratulations, you have successfully completed the ceremony." Gakin walked to the bonfire, looked around, and said loudly, "Jesse Seso felt compassion for this lamb, which is human nature. We need trustworthy companions on the path of dark arts, not a monster without humanity. But we must also understand that some sacrifices are necessary. We may suffer, struggle, or even regret, but we must make decisions when the time comes."

The people in the room all responded in unison, and Jesse also echoed, but he doubted if these people were truly trustworthy companions. After all, he knew he was the least trustworthy one.

Gakkin solemnly spoke these words, making it hard to link him to the thug who was furious earlier because of suspicions about Surena’s affair, and who stood by a knife in an alley.

Although Jesse wasn’t sure if the death of the lamb could express so much meaning, he felt that the current conditions of the reclusive group probably couldn’t find a more decent initiation ceremony.

The dinner was the lamb itself, cooked as lamb chops with some unknown spices sprinkled on top, and surprisingly, it was quite delicious.

The group of warlocks chatted and laughed together, not resembling a secret society, but more like friends dining and drinking together, just as Gakin had mentioned before.

By nighttime, the ladies staying in Stormwind left early, Erlan returned to the temporary residence in the basement, and Gakin mentioned he occasionally stayed overnight here if he was too late, as it was a long journey back to Goldshire.

Just as Jesse was about to leave, Zardeth suddenly called out to him.

"Newcomer, Gakin is looking for you. He said he wants to fulfill a promise."

"Where is Gakin?"

"He has already gone to our practice room. Just follow me."