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“…Ah.”

A short exclamation escaped me.

So this is the heart of the Bloodstone Cult.

The cult’s base is shrouded in absolute secrecy.

Even in the game, not once was its location explicitly revealed—only vague mentions here and there.

This led players to debate whether the Bloodstone Cult operated as a decentralized network or if it was merely a fictional organization fabricated entirely.

And yet, here it was—this “impossible” scene unfolding before my eyes.

But my amazement didn’t last long.

“Come here.”

The soft sensation of her touch lingered on my arm, but it was her imposing presence that weighed heavier. It was as though her aura enveloped me like something precious.

Like a child being handled with care, I found myself unable to refuse her lead.

With each step we took, the gazes of the cultists fixated on us, only for them to hurriedly avert their eyes upon meeting hers.

Every cultist here wore their hair tied back like martial artists, their long locks flowing down their backs.

“Only those with sufficient qualifications may enter the Sacred Gate. My residence is also located here.”

The structure resembled the layouts of capitals in various nations, where only those of higher status—usually dukes—resided within the inner sanctum.

‘In the case of the Bloodstone Cult, they must rank themselves based purely on strength.’

This place was a brutal meritocracy.

Soon, we passed through a grand gate.

It resembled a royal palace in its magnificence.

“This is the main sanctuary of our cult.”

The redwood columns stretched so high they seemed to pierce the heavens.

It felt utterly detached from the world of martial arts and fantasy.

That’s when I understood why the buildings here were made of wood.

Wood, as a living material, carries vitality.

And the wood here brimmed with energy.

The overwhelming vitality in the air seemed to disrupt my senses constantly.

‘This place is absolutely insane.’

It was a realm that defied all common sense.

Perhaps for that very reason, there might be another key hidden here—

A key to why I had been transported into this world.

If the cult possessed unknown knowledge, it could very well be tied to my situation.

Returning home.

If there were evidence, I’d risk half my life to obtain it.

‘…But only after seeing how this scenario ends.’

Running away wasn’t an option.

Who I was here still mattered.

Whether I returned or not, I’d see this through to the end.

Finding the reason I was transported and the way back—that was central to my identity as someone who had been thrust into this world.

– Step.

The sound of a guard coming to attention halted both me and the Blood Witch.

He stood at the gate, towering—easily over 10 meters tall.

“Blood Witch.”

“I am here to see the Cult Leader. Open the gate.”

“My apologies, but I have received no prior notice of this.”

“Tell him I have brought the Vessel.”

“Ah, yes!”

I followed her inside.

The place where the leader of the Bloodstone Cult resided.

Essentially, the boss room.

◆

A throne, befitting a Demon King, stood elevated in the center.

I raised my head to look up.

A man sat there, leaning against the chair.

A face I had never seen before.

That stark white hair—it was impossible not to remember.

In Fantasy X Academy, black hair and white hair each carried specific meanings.

But no matter how hard I tried to recall, this face wasn’t in my memories—not even after countless hours of playtime.

It felt strange.

“…”

Yet, I had a sense of who he was.

No, it was instinct.

‘The Bloodstone Cult Leader.’

The strongest being in this world.

Why was I so certain of this?

The question lasted only a moment—it was obvious.

Those bowing before him radiated a presence that was anything but ordinary.

The aura of the one kneeling directly below him was so overwhelming it felt like a physical weight.

— Swish.

The Cult Leader gestured toward me.

I was about to step forward in response.

— Grip.

But a hand caught hold of my arm.

It was the Blood Witch.

She bit her lip slightly and clung closer to me.

I could feel her warmth.

Her composure was nowhere to be found—she was visibly tense and somewhat excited, a side of her I had never seen before.

The Cult Leader smiled softly.

“Come closer. I won’t take anything from you.”

The Blood Witch nodded, reluctantly letting me go.

I stepped forward.

The Bloodstone Cult Leader.

I was now face-to-face with the final boss of this game.

There wasn’t much of an expression on his face.

And yet, his lips parted slowly, almost mechanically, like they didn’t belong to something living.

The faint breeze that carried his words felt impossible to anticipate.

All I could do was wait for it to reach me.

“Have you adjusted to this world?”

◆

The Cult Leader suddenly mentioned the “another world”.

If not for the calmness I forced into my voice, I might have stammered a reply.

“What do you mean by that?”

Of course, I kept my tone steady.

After a brief consideration, I chose to speak formally.

This wasn’t someone whose temper I wanted to test.

Feigning friendliness seemed like the safest move.

The Cult Leader spoke again, his voice unchanged.

“Did you serve in the military?”

I nearly fell silent in shock.

Instead, I answered instinctively.

“…I am not from a military family. The Blackangers hold land near the Imperial capital.”

“I see.”

The Cult Leader’s faint smile sent a chill down my spine.

That question—”Did you serve in the military?”—wasn’t something one would expect to hear in the Fantasy X Academy setting.

In this world, unless one came from a military lineage, was an orphan, or had no other means of survival, joining the military was rare.

So, the intention behind his question was…

‘This is a question I’ve heard a lot in Korea.’

The Cult Leader…

There was a high probability that this man was testing me.

And if this was a test, it suggested he knew about “another world”—Earth.

In other words, the Cult Leader might also be a transmigrator.

The idea that the Cult Leader of the Bloodstone Cult was a transmigrator…

I recalled Oscar Javert’s words about the prophecy.

One transmigrator would destroy the world, while another would save it. If the Cult Leader was indeed a transmigrator, it aligned with that prophecy to some extent.

Of course, it was strange for him to drop hints about being a transmigrator while testing me.

‘…Maybe I’m just overthinking it.’

In any case, revealing that I was a transmigrator wouldn’t help me.

Keeping it hidden made it easier to gather information.

And by not giving him an opening, I could prompt the Cult Leader to ask more questions instead.

Perhaps my brazen response worked, as the Cult Leader chose not to press further.

He murmured to himself, as if speaking to no one in particular.

“Ah, brewing an elixir from such vessels would be a true delicacy.”

I had no response to offer.

But my skin prickled.

The oppressive aura pouring from the Blood Witch standing behind me was palpable.

She was releasing her energy in an aggressive manner.

At her level, she could use that energy to do virtually anything, making it extremely dangerous—essentially the equivalent of pointing a blade at the Cult Leader.

However, the Cult Leader merely chuckled lightly.

“Just a jest. Why would I destroy such a precious vessel that I worked so hard to find?”

The Blood Witch’s energy subsided.

But the word that had come from the Cult Leader’s mouth wasn’t something I could ignore.

“A vessel?”

“Indeed, you are a vessel.”

“What do you mean by ‘vessel’?”

— Swish.

The Cult Leader shifted his posture, leaning casually to the opposite side of his throne.

“You’ve heard of the 5-star limit, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Outside of our cult, most believe the fifth star to be the pinnacle and settle for it.”

The Cult Leader raised the corners of his eyes in a mocking sneer and asked.

“What do you believe is the limit of the stars?”

I pondered briefly.

In the game’s system, the limit was indeed five stars. However, the power disparity within the fifth star was immense.

Characters who reached the pinnacle of 5-star were leagues beyond those in its early stages.

Take Sharon Pierce as a prime example when fully developed—ten early-stage 5-star opponents would struggle against her.

But beyond that limit…

After my transmigration, I had experienced it firsthand.

Figures like Richard Pierce or my master, Sasha Asilia, stood on a plane distinctly above 5-star.

In essence, there was a level far beyond the already immense gap within the fifth star.

If that were called the 6-th star…

“Wouldn’t 7-star be the ultimate limit?”

I spoke, gazing at the man before me, whom I speculated had reached the 7th star.

The Cult Leader burst into laughter, seemingly pleased with my answer.

“Richard, whom you faced, was at the 7th star. Even though he was injured, you defeated him.”

…Richard was at the 7th star?

Suddenly, I recalled his dantian—his energy core.

It was an immense, almost infinite landscape of power.

Indeed, his level was vastly different.

“And our two Protectors—Two and Three—have each reached the eighth star.”

The Cult Leader glanced at the two individuals, first at the Two kneeling below him, and then at the Blood Witch standing behind me.

The Two bowed his head deeply.

“It is all thanks to your guidance, Cult Leader.”

“You have followed well.”

“It is an honor, Cult Leader.”

“You must continue to strive. This is the most challenging threshold to cross.”

Their conversation felt almost like that between a master and a disciple. It clashed sharply with the image I had of the Bloodstone Cult. Though, of course, it was likely only a facade.

The “striving” they spoke of was probably through the extraction of human life force.

In contrast, the Blood Witch stood proudly, as though dismissing the notion that she had learned anything from the Cult Leader.

The Cult Leader simply smiled faintly as he looked at her, before continuing.

“To possess the talent to surpass the 9th star, and even beyond.”

Could the Cult Leader himself have reached the 9th star? Or perhaps… the 10th?

“Those with such unparalleled talent and potential are called vessels.”

Perhaps he had already reached the 10th star.

The thought flashed through my mind.