Night fell without stars.
The winds that swept through the cliffs of the Northern Gravepath carried a scent of steel and ash. Clouds churned like beasts overhead, and the earth itself groaned beneath the weight of what was to come.
Jin Seong stood on the edge of a long-forgotten battlefield. Ruined banners still fluttered from ancient poles, torn by time, unclaimed by the dead. He could feel the presence of those who once fought here—ghosts bound not by hatred, but by unfinished bloodshed.
His robes were tattered. His back, burned from the trial of Hollow Flame. But his eyes...
...they were calm.
The Heaven-Slaying Path did not allow peace. Only progression.
A rustle broke the silence. Not wind. Not ghosts. But blades being drawn.
From the shadowed ridge emerged a dozen figures—robes black, masks iron. The emblem on their sashes was unmistakable: Nightshard Hall, the assassins who once served the Grand Council… now rogue and hunted.
"Jin Seong," said the lead assassin, voice cold as snow. "You bear a forbidden flame. That makes you one of us—or our next corpse."
Jin Seong didn't reply. His hands didn't reach for his weapon.
Instead, he stepped forward.
With bare hands.
"You were promised freedom," he said quietly, "but all you got was a leash with longer chains."
A moment's hesitation passed between them. Enough to count in heartbeats.
Then came the storm.
They rushed.
Twelve shadows. Twelve blades. A dance of death drawn under a moonless sky.
But Jin Seong moved like silence itself.
He struck the first with an open palm that cracked armor like pottery.
Dodged the second, his foot spinning low to break the assassin's balance.
He twisted through them—not as a man—but as something reborn through fire and fury.
Blood painted the stones, dark and heavy.
Minutes passed.
Only Jin Seong stood.
Breathing. Bruised. But unbroken.
He knelt beside the final assassin, who was still conscious, barely. "Your leader... he's deeper in the Gravepath, isn't he?"
The man coughed. Blood. Spite. "You think killing us makes you just?"
Jin Seong's reply was simple.
"No. But it means I'm still walking."
And he did.
Deeper into the ruins. Toward the center of the Gravepath. Where an old friend awaited.
Where betrayal began.
Where the third seal would break.
🧠 Author's Note – yoymercon:
This chapter marks Jin Seong's first confrontation with his past. The Gravepath is no ordinary battlefield—it's where the path of vengeance twists into something darker.
📅 Updates every Monday and Thursday night! If you felt the tension tonight, let me know in the comments — your support keeps this path alive! ✍️ Written by yoymercon — help the novel ascend with likes, collections, and shares!
Chapter 13 untuk Heaven-Slaying Path telah selesai ditulis dan disimpan. Judulnya: Crimson Blades Beneath Moonless Skies.
Apakah Master ingin lanjut ke Chapter 14, atau mengatur Volume 2 secara resmi mulai dari bab ini?