I slowly opened my eyes.
A hazy gray sky.
From afar, an orange hue gradually crept in.
The sun was rising.
I took a deep breath.
The scent of damp earth soaked with morning dew.
The sll of grass.
Birds flying in search of food, and insects scurrying away in haste.
My sharpened senses—sight, touch, and the rest—made everything around feel more vivid.
It was as if the resolution of the world had increased.
“…”
This secluded training, which I had started in isolation, was now complete.
It was the longest training I had undergone.
And the most focused one as well.
I had thought of nothing else but growth.
I had erased even my comrades from my mind.
Because if I did not beco stronger, nothing else would remain.
“Huuh…”
With a deep breath, I rose to my feet.
It was ti to return to the secular world.
Well, not that there was much of a world outside—after all, my return destination was still the headquarters of the Bloodstone Cult.
“Where should I go?”
Now that my training was over, I had no particular place to be.
Several weeks had passed, detached from reality.
I needed to grasp how the world had changed.
“There’s only one place for to go.”
The only place I belonged was the Blood Witch’s domain.
It felt strangely like I was being gaslighted into it, but regardless, I decided to seek her out.
There was just one problem.
“Where was it again?”
Unfortunately, I was not well-acquainted with the geography of this place.
It wasn’t my ho, so I had no reason to rember where the Blood Witch lived.
Of course, there was a way around that.
I lightly spread my mana.
The energies around unfolded as vividly as if I were seeing them with my own eyes.
I scanned each of them.
One in particular stood out—vividly red and flickering.
It belonged to the Blood Witch.
“Fascinating.”
I had never been able to sense this before.
How much enlightennt had I gained during this training? I couldn’t quite grasp it.
I was certain, however, that my level had risen by several stages.
Her aura was well-contained.
Except for one area, where it was especially thick.
That must be her quarters.
I started walking.
As I erged from the forest, a well-maintained street stretched before .
The morning sun was now fully risen.
Yet, the streets felt eerily quiet for this ti of day.
There were fewer people than before.
And those who passed by seed oddly anxious.
So had dark circles under their eyes, as if they were exhausted.
One of them stopped in front of .
A man with narrow eyes and pronounced dark circles.
His presence was not weak in the slightest.
Yet, he bowed his head toward .
“Four greets the Vice-Cult Leader.”
“… Vice-Cult Leader?”
I instinctively asked back.
The man, who had introduced himself as Four, nodded.
“The Cult Leader instructed this before departing. He declared that, having broken through the limits of an ordinary person and reaching great enlightennt, you are more than qualified to assu the position of Vice-Cult Leader.”
It was natural for the Bloodstone Cult Leader to control everything.
But I was more curious about sothing else.
“So, you’re saying that I am now the Vice-Cult Leader?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Four bowed his head once again.
I was speechless.
How lacking in pride did one have to be to imdiately bow to an outsider and designate them as a Cult Leader’s successor?
No matter how much they were heretics, their actions were beyond common sense.
“I can feel the Bloodstone’s aura brimming within you as well. Congratulations on your great enlightennt.”
“…”
“However, even I have never seen an aura like this before. It resembles the Bloodstone, yet it is not entirely the sa. I do not know what kind of realization you have attained, but I must admit, I am quite curious.”
It was only then that I beca aware of my own state.
I had been unconsciously releasing my presence.
I quickly reined in the energy leaking from my body.
Now, nothing should be detectable.
Four’s eyes twitched.
“Truly remarkable.”
And at that mont, I finally understood.
Why they could so easily bow their heads to an outsider like .
These people revered strength.
As long as soone was stronger than them, they had no qualms about lowering their heads.
That was the Bloodstone Cult.
That being said, this Four seed to be one of the more reasonable types.
Perhaps among the cult’s higher-ups, he held the role of a strategist or a voice of reason.
“If I beco the Vice-Cult Leader, does anything actually change?”
“In truth, it does not hold significant aning. However, it grants you the qualification to inherit the Cult Leader’s position.”
“Inherit?”
“Yes. When the current Bloodstone Cult Leader ascends as a Blood Demon, the vacant position of Cult Leader will fall to you.”
“…”
The Cult Leader’s ascension to Demon God.
A Blood Demon still retained so semblance of humanity—essentially a demigod.
But becoming a Demon God…
That would be the worst possible scenario.
And it was entirely within the realm of possibility.
The current Cult Leader’s abilities were beyond doubt.
I had to stop that, no matter what.
If I probed too much, I would raise suspicion.
I decided to change the subject.
“Why is this place so empty?”
“Ah, that—”
Four glanced down at the letter he had been holding, then continued.
“A full-scale war has begun.”
“War?”
“Yes. Our Cult will dye the continent in blood.”
The Bloodstone Cult had begun its full-scale movent.
The final scenario was unfolding.
‘If I had delayed any longer, it might have been too late.’
Had my training lasted just a bit longer, I might have returned to find the Bloodstone Cult already consuming the entire continent.
Four, observing my expression, spoke again.
“Do not worry. I have already ordered that your acquaintances be brought here.”
“…Brought here?”
“Yes. That is…”
He hesitated.
I could already guess what he ant.
‘They were ordered to be captured alive.’
…That was a relief, at least.
The mbers of the Dessert Research Club.
No matter what, I wanted to protect my comrades.
“Understood, for now.”
I ended the conversation and resud walking.
There was much to think about.
‘…War.’
The final scenario had begun in earnest.
The Bloodstone Cult’s invasion was practically an unstoppable disaster.
That had always been the nature of Fantasy X Academy—its difficulty was simply that unforgiving.
A ga impossible to clear.
No player had ever successfully stopped the invasion.
Even if they did, beyond the invasion lay an even greater horror—
The Cult Leader, shrouded in mystery.
No player had ever even considered the possibility of defeating him.
But this world was no longer a ga to .
It was reality.
If I failed to clear it, I would die.
I would lose my comrades.
Giving it my all would not be enough.
I had to find a way, no matter what.
But how?
I was trapped inside the Bloodstone Cult’s stronghold.
‘Escaping isn’t the answer.’
Should I flee this place right now?
I looked up at the sky.
Thanks to my growth, I could now sense a barrier that had previously been imperceptible to .
It felt as though it had been ticulously layered upon itself since the very foundation of the Bloodstone Cult.
“…”
Breaking through that was impossible.
The mont I attempted to escape, I would be caught.
I might be able to handle one or two high-ranked mbers, but beyond that, it would be beyond my ability.
Moreover—
‘I’m essentially inside enemy headquarters.’
A rare opportunity to cripple their forces from within.
There were plenty of ways to make strategic use of this situation.
“You look like you’re scheming sothing.”
A voice scraped against my ears, as if iron were grinding against iron.
I turned my head to see Two, exuding an unpleasantly oppressive aura.
From the very first day I arrived, he had disliked .
‘…How did I not notice him?’
Even if I had been deep in thought, his presence was too strong to overlook.
But as I briefly reflected, I understood why.
Two’s aura no longer felt as threatening as before.
“What do you want?”
At my question, Two’s brow furrowed.
“Now that you’re the Vice-Cult Leader, you think you’re above everything?”
“It’s not like I wanted this position in the first place.”
“Then perhaps I should remind you that others have been aiming for that seat.”
A chill ran down my spine.
— Boom!
I instinctively unleashed my mana, forming a shield in front of .
My dark, flickering energy clashed against Two’s massive axe, blocking its descent.
Beyond the axe, I saw his pupils dilate.
“What kind of energy is this?”
“I have no idea either.”
I shrugged.
If Two was trying to act imposing, I saw no reason to follow suit.
“You little…!”
Just as his brow furrowed again—
— Whiiing!
From the sky, thin white threads rained down like bolts of lightning.
It was the sa wave I had seen during the summit negotiations before.
I imdiately widened the distance.
Two did the sa.
Naturally, a gap ford between us.
The light disappeared, and a figure erged.
It was Four, whom I had seen just monts ago.
He reprimanded Two.
“I had a feeling this would happen, so I followed. Two, did the Cult Leader not give explicit orders? You are to show absolute loyalty to the Vice-Cult Leader.”
“I cannot accept—”
“Even after witnessing his power just now, do you still think that way?”
Surprisingly, Four was quite firm in his stance.
“Tch. I’m not blind to the Cult Leader’s intentions. That doesn’t an I accept this.”
Two glanced between Four and before clicking his tongue and stepping away.
“I apologize for the disrespect.”
Four lowered his head slightly toward .
At that mont, I felt a chilling realization.
Four.
A calculating mind, flexible reasoning, and leadership.
He possessed all the qualities of a formidable figure.
If I were to face him as an enemy, he would be a terrifying opponent.
I needed to find his weakness.
But at the sa ti—
Four was observing just as closely.
His narrow eyes slightly narrowed even further.
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