Path of BlooDld

The sky tore open, and from within it, Ashen and the stranger rolled onto barren land soaked with the stench of blood and ash. This was not the same wasteland — it was another land, beyond the borders of that hell.

Ashen stood up with difficulty, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Darkness was slicing through the sky, while unknown winds pushed crimson clouds that looked as if they had been ripped from the guts of nightmares.

The stranger stood with confidence, his gaze still devouring the landscape.

"We survived… temporarily. But be warned, this isn't salvation — it's the beginning of your real trial."

Ashen didn't reply. His silence was like a sharpened blade.

The stranger turned to him slowly.

"Your name?"

Ashen replied coldly, "Ashen."

The stranger laughed with mockery. "A simple name for a hidden storm… As for mine, you're not yet qualified to know it. You're still ignorant of the ways of this world.

Empty pride. Only strength rules. The law of the jungle is what binds this world again... and I will have my revenge."

"Hmmm, big words… but you hit the mark." He paused, then added, "By the way, how did you get here? And the fact that you're still alive proves you're anything but ordinary. The word 'revenge'… I can feel endless rage and hatred behind it. Strange that someone your age carries so much wrath."

A flicker of sorrow, regret, rage, and hatred passed through Ashen's eyes before he said, "My revenge is none of your concern. But the one who caused my misery and suffering… will know terror. I will offer this world as a gift to my clan."

"Oh? Your clan… were they one of those destroyed by the Supreme Power?"

Ashen froze, his blood ran cold. He said through clenched teeth, "You know something? Tell me — and I will owe you."

The stranger laughed. "You still have debts you haven't paid, and you want to add more? Do I look like a bank to you? But… I find you entertaining to watch. You want to know the truth? About the sky, about your clan's destruction, about this land? Then prove yourself."

He opened his palm, and twisted runes appeared, surrounded by sparks of blood.

"Fight them."

Four men stepped out from the portal, their faces hidden behind black masks. No natural energy radiated from them — only something that felt like a curse.

One of them shouted, "We serve the master!"

The stranger replied with a laugh, "Kill him. If you succeed, you are free."

"Oh — and Ashen… there's no need for restraint. Kill or be killed. Your life is at stake here."

Ashen raised his hand, and the air around him trembled. Behind him, a massive phantom appeared — as if born from ancient rage. In a moment, his aura exploded, and chains of blood burst from his skin like writhing red serpents.

The first attacker screamed and charged. "Let's make him cry blood!"

But Ashen didn't move. As soon as the man approached, one of the chains shot forward, pierced his chest, tore him from the inside, and yanked out his heart.

The second and third came at him together, forming a vortex of stabbing strikes. But Ashen did something else.

"Blood Frenzy."

A circle of blood exploded around him, swirling like a living sea. Everything within it corroded — their bodies dissolved before they could even reach him.

The last one tried to run, but Ashen appeared behind him in a blink, whispering, "Remember this blood." Then he unleashed the Blood Bear Fist, which shattered the enemy's skull.

Ashen returned to the stranger. His face was speckled with blood, but he wasn't even breathing heavily. His eyes were darker than ever.

The stranger said, "That… that wasn't normal. A five-star Blood Frenzy? Who are you, really?"

He paused, then a grin ignited across his face, burning with excitement.

"Ah… now I see. You're not normal at all. There's a curse older than you pushing you forward — something I can't quite grasp yet. But I want to fight you."

He reached into the air, and blood condensed from the void, forming a black spear with a three-pronged head.

"Fight me, Ashen. Show me if this is just luck… or if you truly deserve to be one of us."