[Path] Initiation - [Rudy Whitehart]
~~~
Rudy cracked his knuckles and stared at the crimson door.
"Okay, so Jin gets the fancy mental upgrade door, and I get the literal gateway to hell. Cool. Totally fair distribution there, universe."
He glanced back at Jin's silver portal, which hummed with that ethereal, mystical energy that screamed 'ancient wisdom' and 'transcendent enlightenment.' His own door radiated heat that made the air shimmer and carried the distinct aroma of sulfur and burnt flesh.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Of course, my path involves fire and probable torture. Why and what was I even thinking?
But even as he complained internally, Rudy felt a strange sense of rightness about the crimson door. It matched something deep in his chest—that burning need to be strong enough to protect the people he cared about.
"Hey Jin, you sure we can't trade doors? I mean, I'm all for personal growth, but yours looks significantly less likely to involve third-degree burns."
Jin was already stepping toward his portal, that familiar calculating look on his face. "No can do, Rudy, you chose the Asura path... what was it 'No pain no gain '?"
"C'mon!" Rudy called out, but Jin was already disappearing into silver light.
This is madness… taking the express elevator to the nine circles of hell.
But you know what? Maybe that's exactly what I need. Jin's always been the smart one, the one with plans and strategies. Maybe my role is to be the one who walks through hell so he doesn't have to.
And if he can… no, after all the things I've seen today, he definitely can save Serena.
Rudy took a deep breath, tasting the metallic heat radiating from the door.
Dad always said the measure of a man isn't whether he gets scared. It's what he does when he's scared. Time to find out what kind of man I really am.
He rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension in his muscles from the boss fight. His body still ached, but it was a good ache—the kind that came from pushing yourself to your limits and discovering you were stronger than you thought.
Rudy grabbed the crimson door handle.
The metal burned his palm immediately, hot enough that he could smell his skin starting to cook.
"Yep. Definitely gonna suck."
But pain is just pain. It passes. What matters is what you do while you're feeling it.
He yanked the door open and stepped through.
~~~
The world exploded into chaos.
Holy shit.
Rudy found himself standing in the middle of a battlefield that stretched to the horizon in every direction. The ground was cracked obsidian, still glowing with heat from some cosmic forge. The air tasted of copper and ash and something that might have been ozone if ozone could personally hate you.
This is... this is like something out of the epics of demons…
But he wasn't himself anymore.
Looking down at his hands, Rudy saw crimson skin stretched over muscles that put his enhanced human physique to shame. His fingers ended in claws that looked like they could tear through a steel plate without effort. When he flexed experimentally, he could feel power coursing through every fiber of his being—raw, primal, and absolutely terrifying.
What the hell— what? Wait, what?!
Is this what I look like now? Am I permanently turning into some kind of demon? Will I even be able to go back to being human after this?
Around him, hundreds of other red-skinned demons battled with a ferocity that defied description. But as Rudy watched, he realized something strange: none of them seemed angry. Their faces showed focus, determination, even joy—but not rage.
They're fighting like it's... art? Violence is just another form of self-expression?
Blood painted the obsidian ground in abstract patterns, but none of the fighters seemed to notice or care. They were completely absorbed in their battles, moving with a fluid grace that made the violence look like a deadly dance.
Welcome, young colossus, this is the path of the asura.
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, ancient and amused.
"You are the dungeon's presence?" Rudy asked, surprised by how his voice sounded in this demonic form—deeper, more resonant, but still recognizably his own.
Indeed. Now, shall we focus on the task at hand?
"This is the initiation for my path?"
Please tell me I don't have to kill all of these guys. They are... really enthusiastic about fighting.
Yes, you are witnessing the nature of the Asura. They do not fight because they hate their enemies. They fight because battle is their purest form of expression.
And no, Asura are not demon kind, they are a separate race.
Before Rudy could reply, a red-skinned Asura with four arms and eyes like burning coals charged at him, twin swords gleaming with inner fire.
Oh crap, here we go.
Instinct took over, and Rudy's new body moved without conscious thought. He sidestepped the attack with fluid grace, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and threw him fifty feet across the battlefield.
The four-armed demon landed in a controlled roll and immediately jumped back to his feet, not hurt so much as impressed. He gave Rudy what might have been a respectful nod before charging back into battle with a different opponent.
"Fuck!" The curse slipped out before he could stop it. "I mean—sorry about the language thing, but did you see that? I just yeeted a four-armed demon dude like he was made of paper!"
That was incredible. I can feel the power in this body—not just strength... Like every movement is exactly what I intended it to be.
Your enthusiasm is... refreshing.
The voice sounded like it was trying not to laugh.
Most who undergo this trial spend their time screaming.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely terrified," Rudy admitted, ducking under a massive war hammer that could have flattened a car. "But this is also kind of awesome? I mean, look at me!" He flexed, and the Asura's body muscles bulged impressively. "I've got like eight percent body fat and arms that could bench press a truck!"
And more importantly, I feel... settled. Like this form fits something I didn't even know was broken inside me.
"Not to mention I've gotten so many shocks in the last ten hours, I'm sort of numb to weird things happening."
Fighting a golem that could have destroyed a city block? Tuesday. Getting set on fire by ancient magical trials? Par for the course. Apparently, turning into a demon? Just another Tuesday.
"Jin's fault... I swear, once we get out of this, I'm getting him in deep trouble with Serena... yeah, only that'll teach him now."
Though honestly, if this is what it takes to keep up with whatever insane adventures Jin's planning, I'm okay with it. Better to be a demon who can protect people than a human who can't.
How amusing.
Another wave of Asuras approached, and Rudy found himself moving in ways his human body never could. Not just faster or stronger, but with a fluid precision that felt like dancing. Every movement flowed into the next, every strike carried the weight of absolute certainty.
This is incredible.
Now, observe the experience. The Asura do not waste motion.
The presence explained as Rudy asura form dispatched three attackers in a single flowing combination.
Every action serves a purpose. Every breath is deliberate. They are not creatures of rage—they are creatures of focus given form.
"This is what the path is about, isn't it?" Rudy asked, catching a spear thrust and snapping the weapon in half without even thinking about it. "Not just getting stronger, but understanding what true strength actually means."
It's not about being able to hurt people. It's about being so in control of yourself that you never hurt anyone you don't choose to hurt.
Very good, young Colossus. Now, tell me—what do you see in their eyes?
Rudy looked more closely at the Asuras around him. Despite the violence, despite the blood and chaos, their expressions weren't filled with hatred or anger. Instead, he saw something that looked almost like...
"Peace?"
That's exactly what it is. They're not fighting because they're angry or afraid or trying to prove something. They're fighting because this is what they are, and they're completely okay with that.
The peace of purpose.
The presence sounded pleased with his observation.
They fight not because they must, but because this is what they were meant to do. There is no struggle against their nature, no internal conflict about their path. They simply are what they are, completely and without reservation.
That's what I've been missing, isn't it?
Worried about becoming too violent, too aggressive, too willing to hurt bad guys.
But what if those aren't flaws to overcome? What if they're tools to master?
A massive Asura with six arms and skin like molten rock stepped forward, and the entire battlefield seemed to pause. This one was different—older, more controlled. When he moved, reality seemed to bend slightly around him, responding to his presence like he was a force of nature.
Oh. This one's important.
This is the Asura King of this tribe. He will show you the true meaning of the path.
The Asura King didn't attack. Instead, he spoke, his voice carrying harmonics that made Rudy's bones vibrate in ways that should have been painful but somehow felt right.
"Why do you fight, young one?"
The question hit Rudy like a physical blow, not because it was hostile but because it demanded complete honesty. In this demonic form, with power coursing through his veins and the scent of battle in the air, pretense felt impossible.
Why do I fight? Really fight, not just the surface answer, but the deep truth.
Rudy considered the question seriously. Around them, the battle continued, but it felt distant now, like background music to a more important conversation.
"To protect people I care about," he said finally. "To be strong enough that the people who matter to me never have to be afraid."
That's true, but is it complete? There's something else, something I don't like admitting even to myself.
"And..." Rudy hesitated, then forced himself to continue. "Because sometimes I like it. The feeling of being strong enough to make the bad guys stop hurting people. Not the violence itself, but the... justice of it, I guess."
Ugh, there. I said it…
The Asura King's six arms moved in what might have been approval.
"And if protecting them required you to become a monster? Would you still choose that path?"
The question cut deeper than any blade. Rudy thought about Jin, probably going through his own transformation right now. He thought about his dad, trying to hold Vienna together while the world fell apart around them. He thought about all the people counting on them to somehow fix an impossible situation.
This is the real question, isn't it? How far am I willing to go? What am I willing to become?
"Yeah," he said without hesitation, surprising himself with the certainty in his voice. "If that's what it takes, then that's what I'll do. But I won't pretend it doesn't scare me."
Because that's the difference between a hero and a villain, isn't it? Heroes are scared of what they might become. Villains are excited about it.
The Asura King smiled, and it was like watching a volcano learn joy—terrifying and beautiful at the same time.
"Good. Fear of what you might become keeps you human. The path of the Asura is not about abandoning your humanity—it is about becoming so secure in your humanity that nothing can take it from you."
That's... that's exactly what I needed to hear.
Suddenly, every Asura on the battlefield stopped fighting and turned to look at Rudy. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, all carrying that same expression of focused peace.
Oh. This is about to get intense, isn't it?
"We who follow the Nine Hells path do not fear pain because we understand it," the Asura King continued, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent battlefield. "We do not fear violence because we have mastered it. We do not fear becoming monsters because we know exactly who we are, and that knowledge cannot be shaken."
Knowledge that cannot be shaken. That's what I want. To be so sure of who I am and what I stand for that no amount of power or corruption or temptation can change it.
The Asura King raised his six arms, and every warrior on the battlefield began to dissolve into streams of crimson light.
Uh oh.
Your trial begins now, young Colossus. Let us see if you have the will to remain yourself when everything else is stripped away.
The streams of light—blood, Rudy realized with a start—began flowing toward him from every direction. The essence of hundreds of Asura warriors, all their strength, their focus, their absolute certainty about their purpose.
"Wait, hold up—" Rudy started to say, but the first stream hit him and drove every thought from his mind.
FIRE.
Not the heat of flames, but the fire of pure transformation. The blood of the Asuras flowed into him, carrying with it centuries of battle experience, lifetimes of dedication to the path, and power that made his previous strength seem like a bad joke.
This is incredible. I can feel their knowledge integrating with mine. Their techniques, their understanding, their mastery over violence and pain.
But with it came something else: the temptation to let go of everything that made him Rudy Whitehart.
It would be so easy, he thought as the blood continued to flow. Just accept their nature completely. Become the perfect warrior. Never doubt, never hesitate, never feel the weight of responsibility for other people's safety.
Never have to worry about whether I'm strong enough, or brave enough, or good enough to protect the people I love. Just become something that doesn't feel fear or uncertainty or guilt.
The presence spoke again, gentler now.
This is the true trial, young one. Will you accept strength at the cost of everything you are? Or will you forge your own path through the fires of transformation?
"I..." Rudy gasped as another wave of essence slammed into him. His human memories felt small and fragile compared to the vast experience of the Asura warriors. "I don't want to lose myself."
But what if the self I'm trying to preserve is too weak? What if holding onto my humanity means I can't protect the people who matter?
No. That's the temptation talking. The whole point is that strength without humanity is just destruction. I need to be strong enough to protect people, but human enough to remember why they're worth protecting.
Then don't
The presence said simply.
You chose this path. You chose to walk through hell to protect the people you love. Hold onto that choice, no matter how much it hurts.
Rudy gritted his teeth—fangs now, he realized—and focused on the clearest memory he had: Jin trusting him enough to share the truth about the calamity. Jin believed in him even when he didn't believe in himself. The weight of that trust, the knowledge that someone was counting on him to stay himself no matter what.
I am Rudy Whitehart. I am the son of Mathew Whitehart. I am Jin's best friend and the guy stupid enough to follow him into impossible situations because someone has to watch his back.
I am the guy who will walk through hell itself if that's what it takes to keep the people I love safe. And I will do it as myself, not as some idealized version of what I think strength should look like.
The blood continued to flow, but now instead of drowning him, it began to integrate with his own essence. Not replacing what made him himself, but amplifying it. His protective instincts became unbreakable determination. His loyalty became the foundation for unshakeable resolve. His fear of letting people down became the fuel for never giving up.
This is what the Asura King meant. I'm not becoming something else. I'm becoming more myself than I've ever been.
When the last stream of Asura blood merged with his essence, Rudy found himself back in his own body—but changed. He could feel new channels carved into his spiritual foundation, pathways that could carry power he'd never imagined. His muscles felt denser, his bones harder, his very presence more solid.
I feel like I could punch through a mountain. But more importantly, I feel like I know exactly when I should punch through a mountain and when I should find another way.
But most importantly, he felt like himself. Not some idealized version or simplified caricature, but authentically, completely Rudy Whitehart—just with the tools to actually protect the people he cared about.
Well done, young Colossus.
The presence said with obvious approval.
You have taken the first step on the path of the Nine Hells Asura while remaining true to your own nature. This is rarer than you might imagine.
Rudy looked down at his hands. They looked normal, but he could feel the power humming just beneath the skin. When he flexed experimentally, small flames danced between his fingers without burning him.
Cool. Definitely useful for intimidation purposes. And probably for lighting campfires.
"So I'm stronger now?"
Though I suspect 'stronger' is a massive understatement.
You are yourself, but more so. Your body will grow stronger through pain rather than despite it. Your will cannot be broken by outside forces because you have chosen who you are and why you fight. And most importantly—
The presence paused, and Rudy could swear he heard satisfaction in its voice.
You understand that true strength comes not from power, but from the wisdom to know when and how to use that power.
Remarkable, both you and young harvest, still ORDER 0 and yet so unique.
Rudy nodded, still amazed by the transformation. He felt like he could bench press a building, but he also felt the weight of responsibility that came with that capability.
With great power and all that. Though I suspect Uncle Benjamin never had to worry about accidentally setting people on fire with his bare hands.
"Can I ask you something?" he said to the presence.
Of course.
"Are you actually part of the dungeon, or are you something else entirely?"
Because the more I think about it, the more this whole situation feels orchestrated. Like someone or something specifically wanted us to go through these trials.
The presence was quiet for a long moment. Then: What do you think, young Colossus?
"I think," Rudy said slowly, "that Jin probably knows, but he's not going to tell me until he thinks I'm ready to handle whatever the answer is."
Your friend is wise beyond his years.
"Yeah, he is. Which is why I'm gonna trust him on this cultivation stuff, even if it means getting set on fire by ancient trial spirits."
A sound policy. Are you ready to return to him?
Rudy took a deep breath, feeling the way his new essence channels carried air more efficiently through his body.
"Yeah. Let's go see how his mental makeover went."
Though knowing Jin, there's a decent chance he'll come out of this even more of a smartass than he was before.
The crimson chamber began to dissolve around him, but just before it disappeared completely, the presence spoke one more time:
Remember, young Colossus—the path of the Asura is not about becoming someone
else. It is about becoming so completely yourself that nothing in the universe can change that. Walk your path with that knowledge.
I will. And thank you. For showing me that strength and humanity aren't opposites. That I can be dangerous and still be good.
And then Rudy was stepping out of the crimson door, flames still dancing around his frame like loyal pets, ready to see what had become of his best friend.
~~~