Chapter 28 – The Trial of Blood and Fog
The forest was dense—its canopy thick enough to swallow the sunlight, casting a greenish twilight over the ravine. Mist slithered through the trees like a living thing. Every breath echoed, every step stirred unseen dangers.
Kim Mu-won moved silently, his senses razor-sharp. In just an hour, he had already acquired two trial tokens—one from a disciple who underestimated him, and the second from a duo ambush he turned against each other with a single whispered lie.
He didn't need to rush.
This survival trial wasn't about brute strength. It was a war of instincts, deception, and control. And Mu-won excelled in all three.
While most disciples hunted blindly, Mu-won set traps—poisonous herbs near water sources, misdirection talismans along high-traffic paths, and sound-reflecting stones to confuse those who stalked him. He had been in true wars, after all. In a past life, he'd led armies and executed kings. This forest was a playground.
Suddenly, he halted.
A presence—light, agile—was tailing him. Not a fool charging headfirst, but someone skilled. He could hear the faint shifts in wind, the subtle pauses in movement. Whoever it was, they were good.
Mu-won smirked. Let's see how good.
He vanished into the trees.
Behind him, a lithe figure landed where he had just stood. A girl—perhaps seventeen—her robes trimmed with silver, a faint gleam of a spirit dagger in her hand. Her eyes narrowed.
"Where did he—?"
"Behind you," a voice whispered in her ear.
She spun, blade slashing instinctively—but met only air. Mu-won was already crouched on a branch above, smiling.
"Nice steps," he said. "But your killing intent leaks with every breath."
The girl clenched her teeth, then suddenly lowered her weapon.
"You're Kim Mu-won, aren't you?"
He tilted his head. "And you are?"
"Seo Yura. Inner court agent. I was sent to observe the trial... and you."
Ah. So the Inner Court was already watching.
She continued, "You're not like the others. You're too calm. Too... efficient."
Mu-won dropped to the ground, standing just a few feet away. "What do you want?"
"Information. Allies. Maybe protection."
"Or maybe you're testing me," he said coldly, eyes narrowing. "Let's not play games."
Yura smiled faintly. "Very well. Then how about this? There's something deeper in this forest—a forbidden formation. An ancient one. It awakened two days ago. Something inside it is hunting down the disciples... and it isn't part of the trial."
Mu-won's expression didn't change, but inside, he was intrigued.
"What kind of formation?"
"A soul-binding one," she whispered. "And I think it was meant to trap a demon."
Now that caught his attention.
If true, this trial had turned into something far more dangerous—and far more useful.
Mu-won turned away. "Take me to it."
"You're not afraid?"
He smiled, sharp and cold. "I feed on fear. Especially when it belongs to the things hiding in the dark."
Together, they moved deeper into the mist. Behind them, two other disciples stumbled onto one of Mu-won's traps—and screamed as poison needles pierced their legs.
Far ahead, the forest began to shift. The trees grew twisted. Symbols appeared etched into bark. The air became thick with old qi.
Something ancient was awakening.
And Mu-won?
He was smiling.
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