Morning light filtered weakly through the Sect Lord's tower stained glass, casting blood-red patterns across the Crimson Guard Briefing Room. Twelve of us stood in polished armor that gleamed like death mirrors. The captain paced before us, his heavy boots thudding rhythmically against black marble.
"Today's mission: Blood Pact Ritual."
Guards exchanged nervous glances. Some shifted weight. One swallowed hard.
Blood Pact? Smells like sacrifice bait.
[MISSION SCAN]
Objective: Escort Sect Lord to Forbidden Altar.
Threat Level: Unknown. Malice Potential: High.
Malice: 504/550 → Level 9 imminent.
The captain's eyes landed on me—heavy, measuring. "The Lord seeks a vessel for the pact demon. Perfect body. Perfect hatred."
[HIDDEN ALERT: YOU ARE THE TARGET]
Promotion was always bait. Called it from the handshake.
I flashed my widest grin. "Honored to serve, Captain."
He grunted. "Move out."
Forbidden Altar - Depths
The Forbidden Altar lay deep in the sect's depths—a cavern where crimson water dripped eternally from stalactites, pooling in shallow, blood-like puddles that reflected flickering torchlight. Ancient runes carved into the walls pulsed with hungry crimson light, like veins of some massive underground beast. Above the central stone altar, razor chains hung suspended mid-air, their links glinting wickedly, waiting.
Sect Lord stood at the altar's head, his usual golden robes replaced by flowing black silk that seemed to drink the light. Beside him, the concubine shimmered in crimson silk that clung to every curve, her eyes gleaming with something far beyond loyalty—predatory hunger.
Ten elders encircled the altar like vultures, their black-gold robes rustling as they began their chants. The air thickened immediately, growing heavy with demonic pressure that pressed against my eardrums.
"Lian Xue. Step forward."
Sect Lord's voice cut through the chants like a blade.
I walked to the altar's edge, boots splashing softly in blood-water. The razor chains above me rattled ominously, shifting slightly as if sensing prey.
"Perfect vessel needs perfect hatred." His hand moved. A golden dagger materialized from thin air, handle extended toward me. "Cut your palm. Bind to the Blood Demon."
[BLOOD PACT ANALYSIS]
Accept: Slave Contract (100% Control Loss).
Decline: Execution (95% Fatal).
Break Cost: 800+ Malice Points.
I took the dagger. Its weight felt wrong—heavy with sealed malice. Twirled it once, mockingly. "Beautiful blade. Matches your concubine's heart?"
SNORT. Concubine choked mid-breath. The elders gasped, faces twisting in outrage.
CRITICAL TAUNT: +25 Malice → 529
Sect Lord's eyes narrowed to golden slits. "Cut."
I sliced my palm slowly, deliberately. Blood dripped onto the altar stone—fat red drops that sizzled on contact.
The runes flared greedy crimson. The entire cavern seemed to inhale.
WHOOSH! Razor chains dropped from above—fast as striking vipers.
CRACK! The first chain whipped across my ribs. HP -25%! Pain exploded through my side like lightning—ribs cracking audibly.
I rolled desperately across the wet stone floor, clutching my chest, breath coming in ragged gasps. "Bind him!" the elders chanted louder, voices rising to frenzy.
DESPAIR MIRAGE x3! Three identical shadow clones split off from my body, sprinting in different directions. The elders swung wildly at the ghosts, their blades slicing harmlessly through empty air, confusion spreading across their faces.
MALICE CHAIN! Black qi whips erupted from my dantian like living serpents, wrapping around three elders' throats with vicious precision.
SNAP! CRACK! THUD! They choked, convulsed, and collapsed in twitching heaps.
+60 Malice → 589
[LEVEL 9 UNLOCKED!]
Vortex Overload acquired.
Sect Lord's golden aura exploded outward—Level 35 pressure hit like a physical wall, crushing my lungs, making every breath a battle.
RIIIP! The Blood Pact Demon materialized above the altar—twelve feet of curling horns, leathery wings, claws dripping black ichor. Level 28. Its voice shook the cavern walls. "Vessel?"
Its claws raked toward me through the air—HP -18%! Left arm gashed deep, blood pouring hot down my side.
VORTEX OVERLOAD! A black nova erupted from my core, staggering the demon backward, its wings flaring for balance.
The demon recovered instantly. Wing buffet—the wind alone cratered the floor beside me, hurling me backward. HP -22%!
5% HP remaining.I'm dying.
SHINK! Concubine drew a hidden blade from her sleeve—aimed squarely at Sect Lord's unprotected back!
[SS-RANK BETRAYAL CONFIRMED] pffff
"Hey horn-head!" I yelled at the demon. "Your summoner's getting knifed!"
RAAAH! The demon spun, unleashing a claw storm toward Sect Lord. Sect Lord countered instantly with Qi Mountain Palm—tower shook violently, stalactites crashing down.
Concubine pivoted fluidly toward me—her blade arcing in a perfect execution strike.
SHADOW SENSE! Predicted the blade path. Parried with jade shard—barely. VENOM SLASH counterattack!
She twisted away with supernatural grace. Her dagger grazed my throat—HP -10%! Critical Bleed!
The heck ...ughhh... wasn't she aiming for him earlier why me now , i let my guard down.
2% HP. Vision blurring, black creeping at edges.
"Pure Malice Vortex..." Concubine licked my blood off her blade slowly, eyes dilating with hunger.
The demon's hellfire breath melted half the cavern wall to slag. I rolled desperately behind shattered stone—HP 1%! Barely clinging to life.
Sect Lord and demon traded massive blows—golden palm crashes versus black claw rips, shockwaves cracking the cavern ceiling.
MALICE CHAIN! Black qi whips lashed out, binding all three momentarily—demon's wings, Sect Lord's arm, Concubine's blade arm.
My legs finally gave out completely.
VORTEX OVERLOAD MAXIMUM! Poured every last drop into final eruption. The arena detonated in blinding black.
HP 0%.
Darkness swallowed me whole. No tunnel of light. No life flashing before eyes. Just black nothing—body broken, blood pooling cold beneath me on the cavern floor.
The world grew silent except for distant echoes—Sect Lord's labored breathing, demon's guttural growls echoing off shattered stone, Concubine's soft footsteps circling my still corpse.
Dead. Actually f**king dead.
No system notifications pinged. No "respawn imminent." Just finality—cold stone against cooling skin.
CLANK! CLANK!
The altar chains reactivated above—razor links descending slow, deliberate. Each metallic creak vibrated through the stone into my lifeless body. Runes overhead screamed with crimson hunger, bathing the cavern in pulsing blood-glow.
Click. Her silk slipper pressed down on my throat—firm, deliberate pressure.
Concubine loomed directly over me now, her shadow swallowing my entire field of vision. Her blade still dripped my blood onto my chest.
"Perfect vessel... mine now."
Her voice dripped honeyed venom, intimate as a lover's whisper. Her free hand traced the black veins across my chest—fingertips burning cold where the Malice Vortex lay dormant, unresponsive.
"You're wasted on this sect husk," she murmured, leaning closer. "Pure hatred. Unbound potential. My demon king."
Something STIRRED deep within.
Beyond death, beyond the black nothing—a single black heartbeat in my shattered dantian.
THUMP.
The Malice Vortex convulsed violently. Black veins across my body pulsed wildly, defying death itself. Cracks spiderwebbed across my skin—void energy leaking through the fissures.
[LEVEL 10: 99%!]
The system glitched—numbers flickering unstable red in my fading mind.
Not yet. NOT LIKE THIS.
The chains lowered closer—razor tips now six inches from my chest. Concubine's heel pressed harder—my windpipe crushing beneath her weight.
Her smile widened, triumphant. "Struggle all you want. The altar devours souls."
THUMP THUMP.
Vortex SCREAMED—a faint black aura erupted, cracking the stone beneath my body. Concubine flinched backward—first real fear flashing in her eyes.
[LEVEL 10: 99.9%... CRITICAL]
One breath left.
The chains touched my skin—burning cold metal pierced flesh, drawing final blood.
THUMP!!
[TO BE CONTINUED]