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Bloodstone Cult Leader.

Perhaps a 10-Star.

It is beyond fear—it’s reverence. A 7-Star has captured the landscape within their dantian, yet this is three stages above that.

What could a 10-Star possibly contain?

“You seem curious as well.”

The Bloodstone Cult Leader smiled, as if reading my mind.

“You are a perfect fit for the Bloodstone Cult.”

“There is no doubt. A fine vessel. It will be worthwhile to teach them our techniques.”

Two chimed in.

A vessel, huh?

The Bloodstone Cult Leader’s words suddenly triggered a memory.

The scenario from Fantasy X Academy that I played before my possession—

Ian Blackangers had undergone Blackening and was laying waste to the academy.

Even though he was in a self-destructive, suicide-terrorist state after turning Bloodened, his sheer strength had been utterly overwhelming.

‘…Was that not because he was turned into Bloodened for terrorism?’

I had always assumed that Blackangers had been utilized solely for terroristic purposes.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if he had simply succumbed to Energy Deviation while learning Blood Arts…?

‘Then their attitude towards me right now makes sense.’

There is a certain consistency.

In other words, this body—this vessel—must hold extraordinary value.

The Bloodstone Cult Leader waved his hand with a grin.

“Then, I shall bestow this upon you.”

For a fleeting moment, I couldn’t even recognize what it was.

There was no avoiding it.

It was a surge of Energy—I had to counter it with my Mana.

I immediately activated my Mana Circuit, simultaneously invoking my Authority to purify it.

The Earth’s purest element was refined once more.

At its final stage, it transformed into a perfectly white, pristine aura.

“…Th-That is…!”

I heard gasps from outside.

But I had no time to pay attention.

The purified elemental energy was incredibly scarce.

I gathered it around my fist.

—BOOOOM!

A violent clash.

However, the overwhelming Blood Arts shattered before my thin veil of Mana.

Even the crimson energy that had enveloped the surroundings dispersed entirely.

A deep silence filled the air.

Then, the wind carried a voice.

“My eyes were not mistaken.”

It was the Bloodstone Cult Leader’s voice.

He nodded in satisfaction.

“You are a true vessel. One deeper and wider than any other.”

“…”

“A natural elemental transformation… That is something no one outside our cult would ever teach you. The fact that you grasped it on your own is proof of your radiant 5-Star aptitude.”

A compliment from the Bloodstone Cult Leader.

But it was a trap.

By the time I realized that his voice carried Mana that seeped into my body, it had already circulated through my system.

“Congratulations on your initiation into the Bloodstone Cult.”

…Initiation?

What nonsense is that?

“What are you… Cough!”

A mouthful of blood spewed out.

My body wouldn’t move.

It felt as if my Mana Circuits were burning—scorching hot.

The Cult Leader chuckled and continued.

“I look forward to seeing what kind of vessel you will become. Bring it forth.”

I collapsed to my knees.

I couldn’t control my body.

Something cursed had entered me—I just didn’t know what.

All I could do was cling to my titles to keep my consciousness intact.

—Sssk.

Three books were placed before me.

Even amidst the pain, I focused on them.

‘…Skill books?’

“The Bloodstone Cult’s secret texts. The pinnacle of Blood Magic.”

Three books containing forbidden techniques.

So-called “Skill Books”.

More than that—these were incomparable treasures that no player could ever obtain.

And there were three of them, right before me.

“Choose one to learn.”

It was an order from the Bloodstone Cult Leader.

◆

The three skill books before me.

Each one a legendary martial text, bound to be remembered in history.

If I were to compare them in game terms—they were SSR, legendary. Or perhaps even beyond that.

If I were to master just one of them…

The power I would gain was beyond imagination.

“Of course, these are not easy Blood Arts to learn. No one has managed it aside from myself.”

The Cult Leader chuckled lightly.

Even without knowing the contents, his words alone seemed to brighten the air.

“However, considering you absorbed the Dark Arts of the fifth disciple, Evan, it isn’t impossible. Try to learn one. I will guide you along the way, so if you hit a wall, come find me.”

There was expectation in the Bloodstone Cult Leader’s eyes.

I took the three books.

There was no reason to refuse when they were being handed to me.

These were the essence of the Bloodstone Cult.

They told me to take only one.

But they never said I couldn’t read the others.

This is an opportunity.

‘They’re certain I won’t be able to escape.’

When I think about it, they’re practically handing me everything.

These are martial arts texts that can only be seen by those who stand at the very peak of the Bloodstone Cult.

Yet they’re giving them to me—someone who, not long ago, was killing their executives and dismantling their plans one by one.

As if none of that ever happened.

‘…They really are insane.’

The moment they deemed me valuable, they changed their attitude completely.

Burying the past as if it never existed.

They’re not called fanatic cultists for nothing.

In a way, they were almost magnanimous to an absurd degree.

‘They’re completely convinced that I can’t escape.’

From the Blood Witch to the Cult Leader—

They were all acting under the assumption that I would never leave this place.

This is the heart of the Bloodstone Cult.

A place that everyone else is desperately searching for.

And yet, no one has found it.

That means there must be something truly extraordinary about this location.

Escape was likely impossible.

Unless…

If Silvia could somehow track my traces…

My thoughts were interrupted as the Bloodstone Cult Leader spoke.

“It will not be easy.”

“What won’t be?”

“Mastering the techniques. They are incomplete, but you… You may be able to complete them.”

I didn’t understand why I was being treated this way.

Perhaps I was just a lab rat to them.

But one thing was certain—

The process of learning these arts itself was an opportunity for me.

Blood Arts typically required draining the life force of others, but…

There had to be alternative methods.

I looked up at the Cult Leader.

“…”

Could I defeat him one day?

That was a question worth considering.

As I turned away, the Blood Witch approached my side.

Her touch, wrapping around my arm, felt more affectionate than before.

◆

The Blood Witch’s Quarters.

I sat at her ornate table, laying out the three martial arts texts in a row.

[Blood Demon’s Heart Refinement Technique]

[Blood Demon’s Shadow Arts]

[Blood Demon’s Step]

“The Heart Refinement Technique is a cultivation method—it governs the flow of Blood Energy within the body.”

“The Shadow Arts, on the other hand, teach you how to manifest various forms of Energy using Blood Energy.”

“And the Blood Demon’s Step… It’s a movement technique, a high-level footwork art.”

Her voice was endlessly gentle.

Naturally, the owner of that voice was the Blood Witch.

—Clink.

She placed a teacup on the table and continued her explanation.

“Regardless of which you choose, these are the most exquisite techniques available within the Bloodstone Cult. Even I have little access to them.”

She paused, narrowing her eyes.

“It seems… you’ve caught the Cult Leader’s favor quite a bit.”

Her expression darkened.

She clearly didn’t like that.

“A rival has appeared.”

She muttered under her breath.

Then, setting down her teacup, she walked over to her wardrobe.

Without a care, she began to change her clothes.

On her pale, exposed back, a scar—like the coiled body of a massive snake—stood out starkly.

As her clothing slid further down past her hips,

I forced my gaze back to the martial texts.

The Blood Witch was right—

Each of these books was an invaluable treasure.

Priceless beyond imagination.

Even if someone offered mountains of gold, they could never be bought.

Yet they were simply handed to me.

It was almost absurd.

‘It must mean they want something significant from me.’

Then again, what they wanted might not actually be that much.

If I mastered these Blood Arts, reaching the level of a 9-Star or even 10-Star,

that alone might have been the Cult Leader’s true goal.

A cult obsessed with martial arts and strength.

That was what the Bloodstone Cult was.

And that was what Bloodstone Cultists were.

“Choose anything. I will help you with all my heart. If you desire, I can offer you everything I have. You just need to show me.”

A whisper from the Blood Witch, who had crept up behind me before I even noticed.

“Show you what?”

“Open one of those books with your own hands. With hands untouched by Blood Absorption Arts.”

Blood Absorption Arts—a technique that drains an opponent’s blood and life force, absorbing them into the user.

It was the primary reason the Bloodstone Cult was regarded as the worst of all martial sects.

Why did she want this?

Before I could ask, the Blood Witch spoke first.

“Your focus should be solely on mastering it. And then, show me.”

“Above all, complete the technique into something brilliant, something resplendent. Become a beacon, illuminating the path for me to follow.”

I didn’t feel the need to answer.

Instead, I had something to ask.

“The Cult Leader said I had joined the Bloodstone Cult. Right before that, he shot some kind of energy at me. It wasn’t ordinary—it was incredibly painful.”

“Blood Seal.”

“Blood Seal?”

“Yes. It is a binding curse that forces you into absolute submission to the Cult Leader.”

Her voice was eerily calm.

“The moment that filthy thing coils around your dantian, you will never be able to defy him.”

“It will slowly consume your dantian, growing stronger with time.”

“…”

“No one who joins the Bloodstone Cult can escape the Blood Seal. Trying to remove it or resist it leads only to death.”

“Forever, you must obey the Cult Leader—unless, of course, you don’t mind having your dantian explode.”

Did my expression change?

The Blood Witch smiled playfully.

“If you wish, I can teach you a method to suppress it to one side of your body. My Ian.”

I shook my head.

This was nothing.

I would just purify it.

The sooner, the better.

The only problem was that I was under constant watch.

The Blood Witch was one of the Cult’s high-ranking members.

If she saw me eliminate the Blood Seal, how would she react?

I stared at her for a moment.

‘…One thing is certain—she’s not on the Cult Leader’s side.’

Even in this short time, I could tell.

She was different from the rest of the Bloodstone Cult.

Most importantly—

She didn’t submit to the Cult Leader.

If anything, she often seemed at odds with him.

I couldn’t fully trust her claim that she had never absorbed another’s life force.

But she was certainly an outlier.

“What are you staring at?”

She smirked mischievously and stepped closer.

I closed my eyes.

A deep breath.

In the darkness behind my eyelids, I visualized my Mana Circuit—every single pathway inside my body.

And there it was.

The Blood Seal, coiled around my dantian.

“You… what are you—?! You can’t fight it with normal elemental mana!”

A gasp of shock.

Then, hurried footsteps.

She covered my mouth—trying to silence me.

She knew.

A mage channeling mana through their circuits must never be interrupted.

Any interference could result in severe backlash.

But I didn’t stop.

The Blood Seal—

It was a foreign presence, thick, sticky, and oppressive.

It wasn’t something normal Mana could counter.

It would absorb any external force, expanding inside me until it ruptured my dantian like a balloon.

‘That’s true… if I was using normal elemental mana.’

But I wasn’t.

Because what I wielded… was something else entirely.

—Flash!

“…!”

My Authority—[Dishwashing].

I began circulating its energy through my Mana Circuit.