The morning at the Crimson Peak fortress did not begin with sunlight, but with the Iron Bell—a massive, soul-shaking chime that vibrated through the very marrow of the candidates' bones. Ji-Woon awoke instantly, his mind snapping from a shallow sleep into the cold, analytical state of an office worker facing a high-stakes deadline. Beside him, Min-Jun and Cho-Rim scrambled out of their bunks, trembling. In the corner, Seol-A stood with terrifying grace, her silver-threaded robe pristine despite the dusty floor.
"Move, you maggots!" a Supervisor roared, his voice amplified by Qi. "To the Hall of Testing! Today, we see if you are worth the air you breathe, or if you are merely fertilizer for the Peak."
The survivors were marched into a cavernous hall of obsidian. At the center sat the Resonance Shard, a jagged piece of spirit-glass that reacted to the quality of one's Dantian. Ji-Woon watched the line dwindle. A boy three spots ahead touched the stone; it remained dark. The Supervisors didn't say a word—two guards simply dragged the sobbing child toward a side door labeled External Labor. Everyone knew that was a euphemism for a slow death by exhaustion.
When Min-Jun stepped up, the shard flickered a dull, muddy orange. "Grade: Low-Beginner. Group 4," the Supervisor barked. Min-Jun exhaled, a small victory in a world of defeats. Then came Seol-A. The moment her fingers brushed the glass, a piercing, silver-blue light erupted, turning the hall into a cathedral of ice. The air temperature dropped ten degrees. The Elders in the high balcony leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with greed. "Grade: Prime Frost. Inner Circle Potential," the Supervisor shouted, his voice finally showing a hint of respect.
Ji-Woon stepped forward next. He felt the weight of his father's legacy—the Devil's Core—thrumming deep in his Dantian. If he let even a drop of that chaotic, dark energy touch the shard, the fortress would likely explode, and he would be executed as a spy or a monster. Think like a spreadsheet, he told himself. Balance the books. Hide the profit. Using the Quiet Heart Meridian Flow, he suppressed ninety percent of his energy, wrapping his core in layers of "stillness." He touched the stone. It gave off a steady, lukewarm yellow glow.
"Ji-Woon. Grade: Stable. Labor Corps," the Supervisor droned, bored. Ji-Woon bowed meekly. He had achieved the perfect invisibility—better than the failures, but not interesting enough to be watched.
That night, the dormitory was silent until Seol-A's voice cut through the dark. "The yellow glow," she said, her back to him as she stared out the narrow window. "It was too steady. Not a single flicker of doubt in your Qi. How?"
Ji-Woon looked up, masking his sharp mind with a confused blink. "I... I was just lucky, Lady Seol-A. I was so scared my heart almost stopped."
Seol-A turned, her eyes like frozen ponds. She crossed the room in a blur of movement, her hand catching Ji-Woon's wrist. A surge of ice-cold Qi poured into him—a probe meant to shatter any hidden defenses. Hold it, Ji-Woon screamed internally. Let the cold bite. Don't fight back. He allowed his body to shiver violently. He collapsed off the bed, his skin turning a sickly blue as the frost settled into his pores. "P-please... it hurts..." he wheezed, his teeth chattering.
Seol-A watched him for a long heartbeat before releasing him. "Maybe you are just a lucky cockroach," she murmured, though her eyes remained suspicious. "But know this: 'Average' in this Cult is a death sentence. They use the low-ranked as 'material'—human vessels to be harvested for their energy. If you want to live, find a way to be useful."
She returned to her meditation, leaving Ji-Woon shivering on the floor. But as Ji-Woon clutched his raw, red arm, a cold smile touched his mind. Material? Harvesting? They think they are the predators. He looked at the frost pattern on the floor. His father's diary had mentioned a drainage tunnel beneath this very wing—a path to the first cache of Heaven-Toppling Pills.
The 'Office Worker' was done taking orders. Tonight, the heist would begin.