Baek Hyun-Jae stood at the center of the underground chamber, his body still thrumming with power. The Baptism of Blood had not merely changed him it had awakened something within him. His senses were razor-sharp, his muscles coiled with a strength he had never possessed before, even in his prime.
The cultists remained kneeling, their chants echoing through the vast hall. The High Elder studied him in silence before speaking.
"You have been reborn in blood, but power without purpose is meaningless. The Demonic Cult does not nurture the weak. Now, you must prove yourself."
Hyun-Jae's expression remained cold. "What do you want me to do?"
The High Elder gestured to the side, where a massive iron gate rumbled open. Beyond it, a group of men and women stood chained, their bodies bruised and bloodied. Some looked broken, their eyes hollow with despair. Others still had fire in them, their gazes filled with hatred and defiance.
"These are prisoners from the righteous sects," the High Elder said. "Some were captured in battle, others betrayed their masters and sought refuge here. Regardless of their past, they have one thing in common-they are useless to us."
Hyun-Jae's eyes swept over the prisoners. He recognized the insignias on some of their tattered robes the very sects that had cast him aside, that had laughed as he was condemned to die.
The High Elder continued, his voice smooth. "Kill them. If you hesitate, then the power you have gained means nothing."
One of the prisoners, a young man with a shattered sword still clutched in his bound hands, spat on the ground. "You call yourself warriors, but you're nothing more than beasts," he snarled. "You think strength alone makes you righteous? You're no better than the monsters you claim to fight against!"
Hyun-Jae walked toward him slowly, his steps deliberate. "Righteous?" His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. "Tell me... what righteous sect do you belong to?"
The young man straightened his back, defiant even in chains. "The Heavenly Lotus Sect."
Hyun-Jae felt something dark stir within him. The Heavenly Lotus Sect... One of the very sects that had betrayed him.
For a moment, he saw his past his former brothers standing above him, their faces twisted with contempt as they condemned him. The shame, the rage, the helplessness of that moment surged through him like wildfire.
Hyun-Jae's hand shot out, seizing the young man by the throat. "Then tell me," he said softly, his grip tightening, "where was your righteousness when I was cast into the flames? Where was your honor when your so-called just world betrayed me?"
The young man gasped, struggling against his grip, but there was no mercy in Hyun-Jae's eyes. Only cold, calculated wrath.
With a sudden, brutal motion, he crushed the prisoner's throat. The body twitched violently before falling limp in his grasp. He let it drop to the floor like discarded trash.
Silence filled the chamber. The remaining prisoners shrank back in terror.
The High Elder watched, unreadable behind his mask. Then, slowly, he clapped. "You do not hesitate. Good."
Hyun-Jae turned to the remaining prisoners. Their fear was intoxicating. He understood now. Strength was not simply about power-it was about domination.
One by one, he executed them. Some begged, some fought, some cursed his name. It did not matter. They all died the same.
By the time the last body hit the ground, the chamber reeked of death.
The High Elder stepped forward, placing a hand on Hyun-Jae's shoulder. "You have taken your first steps. You are no longer simply a man seeking vengeance. You are a blade, sharpened and honed. But you must be tempered further."
Hyun-Jae met his gaze, his own eyes cold and unshaken. "Then forge me into something this world will fear."
The High Elder smiled beneath his mask.
"Welcome, Demon Warlord. Your path begins now."