The Black Fortress in Ruins
The Black Fortress lay in ashes.
The Ironbloods were history.
And Kael was ready to leave before the vultures started picking apart the remains.
He walked through the battlefield, stepping over the fallen, inhaling the thick stench of smoke, blood, and charred flesh. The Shadow Dawn was already securing their victory—looting supplies, executing the last survivors, and claiming the fortress as their own.
Kael didn't care.
He had what he wanted.
Valen was dead.
The Ironbloods were dust.
Now… it was time to move on.
But before he could leave, a voice stopped him.
"Leaving so soon?"
Kael didn't turn immediately.
Rovan.
The leader of the Shadow Dawn.
Kael had been expecting this moment.
He exhaled slowly. Kept his stance relaxed.
"My work here is done," he said.
Rovan chuckled, folding his arms.
"And who said you could just walk away?"
There it was.
The attempt at control.
The trap disguised as an offer.
Kael finally turned, his gaze cold as the night.
"You want me to work for you?"
Rovan didn't answer right away.
Because he knew Kael had already figured it out.
Shadow Dawn wanted him.
Not as a soldier. As a piece on their board.
And Kael was no one's pawn.
He stepped forward, meeting Rovan's stare head-on.
"If you want me to stay," Kael said, his voice even, "make it worth my time."
A test.
A challenge.
Kael wanted to see how desperate Rovan was to keep him.
And what price Kael could name.
Rovan's Offer
Rovan sighed, but his smirk never faded.
"You know you can't just wander off alone forever," he said.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?"
Rovan shrugged.
"Because now you have real enemies."
That part was true.
Kael had created a power vacuum by destroying the Ironbloods.
And someone would come to fill it.
Cultivators. Sects. Mercenaries. Warlords.
Someone would claim this land.
And maybe… someone would come for Kael too.
But he had already expected that.
Kael sighed, as if weighing his options.
"And what exactly are you offering?"
Rovan's smirk widened.
"A position in Shadow Dawn. Access to information. Resources. Protection."
Kael chuckled.
"And in return… I become your tool?"
Silence.
Rovan didn't deny it.
Because that was exactly what he wanted.
Kael crossed his arms.
"You already know my answer."
He was not a follower.
He never would be.
Rovan sighed again, but there was no surprise on his face.
"In that case, I suppose this is where we part ways."
But Kael knew that was a lie.
Shadow Dawn wouldn't just let him go.
They would wait.
Watch.
And when the time was right… they would try again.
Kael smirked.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted."
Without waiting for a response, he turned his back on Shadow Dawn and walked out of the Black Fortress.
He didn't look back.
Because the real game was only just beginning.
A New Path
Kael walked down the dirt road, leaving the burning fortress behind.
He had no destination in mind.
But he already knew what he was looking for.
More power.
Because he wasn't naive.
If he had destroyed the Ironbloods, others would take notice.
If his name spread, dangerous people would come for him.
And if he wanted to keep playing this game, he had to be ready.
There were real cultivators out there.
There were sects that ruled entire regions.
There were kingdoms led by warriors who could crush him effortlessly.
And Kael had no intention of being crushed.
He planned to be the one doing the crushing.
He glanced up at the sky.
The moon hung above him, cold and watchful.
What came next?
He didn't know.
But he was ready to find out.
Because in this world… only the strong survived.
And Kael's rise had just begun.