Gruesome couldn't even begin to describe how disgusting the scene they saw was.
There was blood everywhere, the ground was littered with different body parts of people and worst part of this was that these people were....
"They.. They're all kids, children who haven't even grown up, how can they be this heartless?" Fourna's voice trembled as she spoke, she was literally shivering with rage.
"These. People. Must. Die.!!!" Vin enunciated each word with brimming killing intent. The more he looked around the angrier he got.
The cavern was incredibly large, about a hundred meters in width. But the ground was almost littered with blood and the body parts of children, and at a far end corner there were about a hundred children gathered there.
These kids were only between the age of five and nine years of age, but they were being treated as experimental test subjects.
At another corner of the cavern were three throne like Stone chairs on which three people sat, and they gave him quiet the amount of pressure. These three people were dressed in blood red robes seeming of high status.
The rest of the cavern was occupied by almost fifty plus people wearing black robes, but the insignia imprinted on their robes made it obvious that they were from the same faction. The Tenebrous Taskforce.
And in the center of it all was where the hellish torture was taking place, there were three alters that were built up with two people standing beside each alter.
And laying on these alters were kids of about five years of age, but these kids were not complete, they were missing different body parts and screaming with so much pain that it was heart wrenching.
But these six people didn't seem to care like they used to it, they just kept on dissecting them like they weren't even living beings but animals.
Vin sucked in a cold breath as a shiver ran his spine, these people were truly inhumane, they weren't even supposed to be allowed to exist at all. Watching them made him even question the true meaning of humanity.
But that wasn't his main focus right now, that was because everyone in the cavern was glaring daggers at them, they had been discovered the moment they appeared in the cavern room from underground.
He looked at the three people in blood red robes who were looking at them in amusement. They didn't seem worried about their arrival at all.
"So it's four brats from the Flaming sun sect, the nerve you have to come here" the one on the middle spoke.
Raya stepped up and stood in front of the other three "You have the guts to speak of nerve when you're all filled with disgust" he said coldly, there was obvious murder in his eyes.
But deep inside he had another thought running 'Three people at the Spirit sea realm, one in the second stage and two in the first stage, I can probably take on their leader while Marco and Fourna handle the other two.'
'But there are still more that sixty plus combatants all over the base who are all between the fifth and eight stages of the Body refining realm, we can't actually let Vin take on all all of them by himself right?. We're clearly outmatched, we should probably retreat, I'm sure the others have thought about it too'
But just as he was about to order a retreat... "I can take them, all you have to do is find a way to send those kids out of this place so they won't get in the way, these people, none of them are leaving here alive because I'll be buring them here" Vin declared.
He had also thought about it and understood what Raya was about to do, the best course of action right now was to retreat because clearly they were outmatched, but when he saw those kids and remembered what he had passed through as a child.
Something in him seemed to click, he had a sudden epiphany that if he left them here, they were all going to die, and he was going to regret it, so he decided to stay and protect them no matter what, so what if he was outmatched, he'd kill and kill until he couldn't no more.
Growing up he had thought he had seen the brutality of humanity, but clearly this world was even more rotten than he had anticipated, and so he came to a frightening decision
"In a world where chaos thrives.
Autumn is known by the fallen leaves.
Only I am worthy.
Only I am honored.
Only I am king.
Since this world is full of sinners.
Then I shall take the place of heaven and punish them all for their sins.
Therefore all creations shall call me Hell's Dominator."
He seemed to be making a declaration but he seemed to be chanting a mnemonic at the same time but everyone could understand it, they understood that at that moment Vin had a life time vow.
A vow that if he didn't die today would shake the entire world of cultivation and bring despair to his enemies. Even Marco felt a shiver run down his spine at that moment, and he made a decision never to be his enemy.
"A little brat who's only in the Body refining realm dares to make such a declaration, you must be joking" one of the men in blood red robes spoke, he was one of the two in the first stage of the Spirit sea realm.
"He overestimates himself, when he's never leaving this place alive." the other one scoffed..
"Now, now let's not underestimate the kids after all they're from the Flaming sun sect, and those three at that Spirit sea realm are in the inner court. I'll deal with the one who seems to be the leader, Brix, Silas deal with the other two, the rest of you kill the last one" the one who seems to be the leader ordered.
"I'll be taking that beauty over there" Brix saw as he eyed Fourna Lasvisciosly "Tch, I'll just settle for the other guy then" Silas scoffed in displeasure.
***
"Seems we can only engage then. Marco, can you use shadow slide to transport those kids to another room in the hideout, there seems to be one we passed through before we got here that's quite empty" Raya instructed.
"Hmm, I'll try" Marco affirmed as he dashed towards where the hundred kids were gathered while also conveniently taking the the ones on the alter but he realized they were already dead so he left them be.
But surprisingly while he was using shadow slide to send the kids out no one stopped him, the enemies were all assured that these kids would die so there was no point in stopping then from their illusive dream of success.
When Marco had finished transporting the kids, he turned around only to find Silas waiting for him, "Are you ready to die kid" Silas said with a playful smile on his face.
"Silas is it?, you should really thank your stars its me you get to fight and not her, if not hehehe..." Marco remarked.
He glanced around at the others and seeing that they were already facing their opponents he decided to focus on his own.
It wasn't going to be an easy fight, he thought as a dark sleek scythe that seemed to have swirling shadows dancing over it appeared in his hands, this scythe was called the Umbra scythe and was a weapon that had followed him for a long time.
"Shadow strike" he said as he slashed out his scythe, this was a swift and deadly attack that dealt physical damage and had a shadow debuff that reduced the target's accuracy.
But his attack was blocked by the opponents chain, his opponent Silas was a wind cultivator who used chains as a weapon.
"Umbra blast" Marco stretched his hands and casted, a huge condensed ball of shadows blasted put of his hands and struck Silas head on.
But Silas managed to defend with a wind skill "Wind cyclone" he shouted, a huge wind tornado spread out from his hands and expanded while raging towards Marco.
But Marco wasn't to be done in "Shadow cyclone" a huge cyclone of concentrated shadows also condensed and raged towards the wind tornado.
"Booooooom!!!"
A huge booming sound rang out as they both canceled each other out.
"Shadow strike"
"Wind slasher"
"Umbra blast"
"Air cannon"
"Shadow desecration"
"Windless tide"
They kept on smashing out skills and clashing their weapons heavily against each other.
Their battle raged on with both of them accumulating injuries as time went on but it seems they didn't even notice that, as they were both fighting for their lives, these little bits of injuries didn't amount to anything at all.
They continued fighting even more recklessly as they started using their skills wantomly, draining themselves of spiritual energy..
Marco knew he needed to end the battle quickly as he was already running out of spiritual energy.
But his opponent didn't seem to want to give him a chance at all. Their weapons clashed with so much intensity that it seemes to vibrate the very air around them.
********