Late at night, three people huddled around a room, plotting someone's downfall. An old man stood at the door guarding the room. A young boy sat at a desk, directly facing the door, holding a devious smirk, one hand fidgeting with the pen in his hand, whilst his head rested on the other. A man dressed in black kneeled on the floor, keeping his head down in front of the young boy, greeting his presence.
"My lord, are you sure you want to go through with this?" the man in black asked.
The boy chuckled. "I don't know how that boy hasn't killed himself yet, but I guess I'll just do it for him. If I have to see him at the entrance exam, I might have to rip my eyes out after seeing something so repulsive."
The boy paused, expecting a reply from the assassin, but continued, "Go, if I see him alive tomorrow morning, consider yourself dead."
The assassin disappeared, only leaving dust behind him.
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Zephyr was panicking. He was transported to a dark, stormy environment, with winds so strong they were cutting and ripping through his skin. It was almost impossible to breathe and it felt like he was constantly sinking in mud. He was trapped in a dark, pitch black expanse but could see an outline of something or someone moving towards him. Zephyr tried moving closer to it with no avail. In a split second the figure dashed towards Zephyr.
"Zephyr, I've been watching you for a long time now," the figure said in a cold, raspy voice.
"Who are you and where did you bring me?" Zephyr screamed, his voice echoing accross the dark expanse.
"Don't you want to be free, free from the cycle of death and rebirth?" the man in darkness asked whispering into Zephyr's ear.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'll get straight to the point. I am the only one who knows who started the calamity. I can help you free the curse binding you to the Goddess."
"You know about the Goddess?"
The dark figure walked around him whilst echoing in his ear, "This world used to have no god or religion. After she appeared, she treated this world as something she could play with, a toy of some sorts. Everyone here is at the palm of her hand. Except..." He extended his shadowy hand out pointing at Zephyr, "You" then pointed at himself, "And me".
"The Goddess has been watching you all this time thinking of ways to keep you here, on this planet, forever. You're never going to break this cycle by yourself Zephyr. That's why you need me."
"Is the Goddess the one starting the calamity?" Zephyr asked.
"Not exactly, but that's not important right now. The most important thing right now is for you to escape the grasps of the goddess. Grab the book, kill the man heading to your residence and pour his blood over the book to free me."
The shadowy man started to head back to the direction he came from when Zephyr suddenly called out, "Wait, why should I do this, what do I gain from freeing someone like you? What if.. What if I told you this was my last chance on this world?"
The shadowy man didn't turn around but stop and simply stated, "Ah, so that's what she told you, hm? Do you really think she'll let you off this easily? Whether you believe me or not, your only option is to free me and obtain my powers to stop this mess. But if she offered you what I think she offered, then something even worse might happen to you... but nevermind that, you know what to do. I can help you hide from the goddess."
The man disappeared into the abyss as Zephyr returned back to the cavern coughing out black liquid and catching his breath.
There's no other option. If I want to get stronger I need to get this strange power and disappear from the goddesses gaze.
Before heading back to his residence, he remembered that he still needed to absorb the Divine energy stone's knowledge before returning back. He opened the box on the shelf, grabbed the colorful stone and sat down in the lotus position. With both palms of his hands clasping the stone, he felt the energy start to head from the bottom of his fingertips to the top of his head.
After a couple of minutes he stood up and placed the stone back right where he found it. Zephyr felt like he had obtained a whole new body. Now, not only could he use the martial arts abilities of the Cult, but he had obtained an insane amount of divine energy. Zephyr grabbed the book and ran back to his residence.
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The assassin swiftly but quietly approached Baek's residence. Without making any noise, the assassin opened the window next to his bed finding nobody. In confusion, the assassin dashed inside the house desperately searching for Baek until something grabbed his shoulder with a blade leaned right against his throat.
"The moment you move a muscle you'll die. Answer this question truthfully, who are you and who sent you here?"
The assassin recognizes this voice, a voice very familiar to him.
"Baek?"
Knowing it was Baek, the assassin attempted to dash away knowing that Baek would probably be too much of a wimp to kill him. Suddenly, he realized he couldn't breathe and instead of seeing the room in front of him, he was seeing his body upside down. In that same moment, he returned back to the present, the moment right before he wanted to move.
A drip of sweat fell down his face, knowing the next decision he made would likely determine his fate in the next minute.
"I- It was Seo-yeon, please, please let me leave."
"Good."
Hm, Seo-yeon, most likely another one of Jin's potential heirs, I might have to watch out for him.
Zephyr relaxed and the moment the assassin reached for his blade, he sliced his throat without any heasitation.
This guy felt the entirety of my killing intent and still decided to try and kill me, I will never undertsand people like this.
With a rope Zephyr found in one of the drawers, quickly he tied up the assassin, hanging him upside down from the celling. Finding a bucket, he placed the human skin textured book inside, placing the bucket right under the hanging body. Zephyr cut open the neck of his assailant and blood started flowing into the bucket.
After the blood completely submerged the book, a dark aura released from the book forming a pungent smell around the room. After the aura disappeared, Zephyr reached inside and pulled out the book.
What the hell? How did the book get smoother, and more.. full of life I guess?
Before, when Zephyr tried to open the book, it wouldn't budge. But now, as if the book was breathing, hot air exhaled out of the book. Zephyr curiously examined the book containing language all written in blood.
Is this a form of martial arts, or a spell of some sorts?
But Zephyr had no time to think as two hands emerge from the book pulling his body into it, sending Zephyr back into a void.