The rising sun illuminates a mountain peak, pointing upwards like a sword challenging the heavens, the mountain lacks the fierceness of an immortal - instead a melancholy aura surrounds it, and the sound of leather hitting flesh can be heard in the distance.

Sixty, bedraggled people stand- chained together at the base of the mountain.

Clothes are in tatters, faces caked with soot, and fresh bruises dot every visible skin. Gathered in fear, they watch several burly people wearing robes with the mark of a canine-species howling at the moon, beat up a bloodied person.

Thawk!!!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah".

The loud scream erupts from the poor figure, he curls in pain as a kick lands in his spine.

The robes of his attackers varied; some had a single golden embroidery thread running down the length of the sleeve, while the highest three.

"Hehehehehe, filthy human. This young master was just having some fun, I didn't expect you to be so weak".

The person with the highest number of golden threads laughs eerily, his face gorged with deep scars, he moves back to admire his "masterpiece": the bloodied, huddled piece of flesh in the middle. The flinches of his fellow disciples didn't halt his laughter, he felt better after venting his frustration.

Yang Yi, elite disciple of "New Moon Pack", had been living a lavish life in the faction until he unwittingly offended the Alpha's direct disciple and was exiled to the mine shafts to supervise this bunch of trash.

Life was looking bleak until he laid his eyes on this human, Rion. The ungrateful human had declined the honor to spend a night in his chambers, humiliating him in the audience of his inferiors. The competitive environment of the pack meant he couldn't tolerate such slight or he would be a joke hence Rion would pay for the consequences.

"Boss, we can't let him die. The elder was complaining about the large number of recent deaths".

Yang Yi frowned, the supervisory elder generally maintained a neutral stance towards the happenings in the mines, but due to a recent bad mood, Yang Yi had slaughtered dozens in fits of anger, almost crippling the dwindling workforce.

If this ungrateful trash died, it would cause complications.

"Throw him in the Pit, if he survives, maybe he'll have some manners".

The Pit - a deep trench dug miles away from the mines at the entrance of the Endless Forest bordering them- serves as a punishment ground for unruly humans.

Most never survive a night there, those who do never live long.

"He's just a kid". Someone shouts from the humans.

A woman pushes herself from the shivering masses, the soot and dirt doesn't sully her natural born elegance. She stands in a defensive posture, large mounds of flesh on her chest straining against her clothes.

"[Implode]". A dim apparition of a circular rune forms beneath Yang Yi's feet.

She explodes into a cloud of red mist, Yang Yi looks at the nearby disciples, now splattered with bits of flesh.

"Pathetic. Take him away".

The other disciples hide the fear in their eyes; Yang Yi, the disciple before them, is a legend in the New Moon Pack.

His talents were equal to his murderous nature, the youngest patterned fey in the history of the pack. Though no one dared to gossip within his hearing, the pack whispered about his unusual interest in feminine men.

Especially ruthless to beautiful women, his comprehended ability [Implode] could make a target explode into a cloud of blood and flesh.

"Get up".

A particularly large disciple pulls Rion to his feet and hauls him over his shoulder. He didn't understand Yang Yi's taste, this human barely had any meat on him. He had never thought about discussing dual cultivation with a man before but surely, someone more built would be enjoyable.

Rion hung limply from his shoulder, his delicate features marred with dry blood. He bowed his head letting his hair cover his eyes, so they don't catch the glint of sharpness in his eyes. Letting them think they broke him is safer.

The humans bow as the disciples pass, heading towards the Pit and the low fence surrounding the mountain. Every step sent a shiver of pain to Rion's spine.

The sentries waved at the disciples. The mines were heavily guarded, sentries patrolled the perimeters; they weren't official disciples of the pack.

Humans or half-borns favored enough to escape the drudgery of mining, equipped with low-quality equipment and adequate meals. They could do little harm to feys,but could decapitate any escapee.

"Who's that?" A singsong voice asked.

A baby-faced teenager emerges out of the woods, purple hair styled in pigtails, large doe eyes twinkling with mischief. Soft, porcelain skin, red lips. From all angles, he looks like a delicate, flat-chested girl.

He wore revealing light armor stained with suspicious crimson liquid, with three golden threads running down his armguard.

Through his swollen eyelids, Rion saw a blur, but the tension in the muscles of the disciple carrying him made it clear this new person wasn't a friend.

Erin and Yang Yi had earned the title "Blood Moons of New Moon" ; Yang Yi is impulsive and cruel, while Erin is scheming and vicious.

Unlike Yang Yi, he didn't have significant cultivation talent so he experimented with poison. You wouldn't know anything was wrong until you were clawing for air, face red and breath wheezing.

"A human. Yang Yi ordered us to send him to the Pit".

"Oh, the one who rejected him. Yang Yi is so sensitive, hehehehe". Erin guffaws.

Erin walks closer to the group, his doe eyes glinting with malicious intentions. "I'll take him off your hand, I need a new test subject anyways".

Dying at the hands of Yang Yi might be brutal, but catching Erin's interest ? That is an even greater horror.