In the golden city of Auralis, the tension between continents thickened like storm clouds.
The Gilded Steward's visit had left a scar on the pride of the continent masters. His words still rang in their ears: "Bring me the names, or I will unravel your world."
Within a sealed chamber, three masters gathered.
The Gold Continent Master stood first, his armor glowing faintly, golden light tracing every edge of his frame. His expression was grim. "We cannot defy him. The gods demand a list, and we must deliver."
Across from him, the Mystical Continent Master shook his head. His long robe flowed like ink, and his eyes, old yet sharp, were filled with defiance. "If we give them the names of the rising stars, we condemn them. Do you not see? The moment a god knows who carries the mark, the hunt ends. They will slaughter every youth without hesitation."
Gold Master's jaw tightened. "And if we lie?"
The Mystical Master fell silent.
It was the Academy Master, sitting quietly until now, who finally spoke. His voice was calm, but there was steel within. "If you lie, you die. That is the way of gods. You cannot conceal truth from them. They are will itself, force itself. To speak falsehood is to have your soul annihilated where you stand."
The chamber chilled.
Gold Master slammed his fist against the arm of his chair. "Then what choice do we have? If we speak, the young perish. If we lie, we perish. What remains?"
Mystical Master lowered his gaze, whispering, "Perhaps… sacrifice."
The silence grew heavier.
At that moment, the Messenger appeared once more, his body a silhouette of light. His voice was emotionless. "The Steward demands your list."
The masters exchanged glances. None spoke.
"Delay is also a lie," the Messenger said softly. "Do not forget."
Gold Master exhaled. "We will prepare the list."
Mystical Master's hands tightened, veins bulging. But he said nothing.
The Messenger vanished, leaving them in silence once again.
"Damn it all," Gold Master muttered. "We are cornered."
---
Meanwhile, within the Secret Land, the Ground of Hell stretched endlessly.
Kael walked at the center of the group, his senses straining. The deeper they went, the heavier the atmosphere became. The very air pressed against their lungs, thick with unseen weight.
Yet no beasts appeared.
His frown deepened. "Strange."
The others pressed on in tense silence. The black earth cracked beneath their boots, releasing faint breaths of smoke. Bones lined the edges of their path like silent witnesses.
Kael finally stopped. His voice cut through the stillness. "Why have we not seen any beasts yet?"
The others paused, startled by the sharpness in his tone.
Darius sneered. "Perhaps they fear us. After all, we are not so weak."
But Kael shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "No. This land reeks of death. Beasts should swarm here. The silence is wrong. Too wrong."
He raised his hand suddenly, his expression fierce. "Everyone—come back, now!"
They barely had time to react.
The earth split.
A thunderous crack tore the ground apart, and light speared upward, dividing the field into nine sections. Each cultivator was hurled back, separated by walls of flame and shadow.
"Kael!" someone shouted.
But the walls sealed shut.
In each section, the air shifted—then beasts appeared.
Thousands of Rank Eight beasts, their eyes glowing crimson, their forms twisted with ancient hatred. They surged like a tide, claws and fangs gleaming.
The separated cultivators screamed, unleashing qi techniques in desperation.
Kael, however, found himself alone. No crimson tide rushed at him. No beast of Rank Eight appeared.
Instead, the air before him rippled.
A shadow coalesced, growing taller, wider, its presence pressing down like the weight of the heavens themselves.
Then the shadow solidified—revealing a creature unlike any he had seen.
It stood on four limbs, its body carved from crystal and flame, its wings spanning wider than a mountain. Its eyes burned with golden fire, and every breath it exhaled warped the air into storms.
Kael's heart clenched.
Rank Two.
His instincts screamed louder than ever. The pressure it exuded made even the Rank Eight monstrosities seem like ants by comparison.
Kael's hands trembled before he forced them still. His breath slowed. He could not afford panic.
The Immortal Book's mark in his body pulsed faintly, as if stirred by the beast's presence. The resonance shook him to the core.
"This isn't just a beast…" Kael whispered. "…it's divine."
---
On the other side of the walls, chaos reigned.
The geniuses battled desperately, qi lighting the darkness in blinding flashes. Rank Eight beasts fell, but more swarmed endlessly. Their roars shook the ground.
Darius roared, his blade sweeping arcs of golden light. But even his strength faltered under the endless tide.
In another sector, a proud genius screamed as his body was torn apart, his qi dissipating like smoke.
Blood sprayed. Bones cracked. The Ground of Hell lived up to its name.
And yet, at the heart of it, Kael faced something far greater than mere numbers.
The Rank Two beast lowered its head, eyes glowing brighter. Its voice rumbled directly into his mind.
"Bearer…"
Kael froze.
"You carry the scent of eternity. You are marked. The gods hunt you."
The beast's presence deepened, as if it spoke not merely as itself but as something older, a vessel for ancient will.
Kael's body shook. "What… are you?"
The beast's maw split in a soundless roar. "I am a guardian. I am punishment. And you… you are prey."
---
The walls around Kael trembled as the divine beast's aura flared. His knees almost buckled beneath the weight. His qi surged wildly, trying to resist, but the pressure was overwhelming.
Kael's teeth clenched. If I falter now, I die.
He steadied his breath, the Immortal Book's power whispering within him, faint but insistent.
"I will not fall."
He lifted his hands, qi igniting, body trembling but unyielding.
Across the battlefield of hell, the fight of mortals against beasts, and the lone clash between Kael and divinity… had begun.
---