Chapter 30 – Ascension and Whispers
Three days later, the survivors returned.
Out of over a hundred disciples, only seven emerged from the trial alive. Five would be chosen for the Inner Court. The rest… disqualified or dead.
The disciples stood at the base of the white jade steps leading to the Inner Court pavilion. Their robes were torn, their eyes weary. Among them, Kim Mu-won stood at the center, untouched by fatigue. His gaze was cold, calm—far too calm for someone who had just survived a demon encounter.
The elders watched from above, seated beneath golden parasols, each exuding an aura of power that bent the space around them. Elder Nam stepped forward, unrolling a scroll.
"The results have been decided. The five selected for promotion are—" he paused, eyes scanning the crowd.
"Kim Mu-won."
No surprise.
Whispers rippled through the onlookers, even among the Inner Court disciples who had come to observe.
"That's the one who crushed Jin Tae in one move…"
"I heard he faced the demon in the forest and lived."
"He's… dangerous."
Mu-won stepped forward without emotion. One by one, four other names followed, including Seo Yura—though her involvement was clearly… irregular.
When the five reached the top of the steps, Elder Nam handed each a new robe, marked with the silver crest of the Inner Court. But as Mu-won took his, the elder leaned in and whispered just loud enough for him to hear:
"We're watching you. Closely."
Mu-won met his gaze and smiled thinly. "You should be."
That night, Mu-won was taken to his new quarters. The Inner Court was a different world altogether. Towering pavilions built atop floating platforms. Personal training grounds enriched with spiritual qi. Forbidden scrolls and rare pills were distributed like daily rations.
But Mu-won had little interest in indulgence.
He sat by the lotus pond, his new robe folded beside him, eyes fixed on the moon's reflection. He had sensed it even before the trial ended—something watching him. Not a person… but a will.
"Seven Shadows," he whispered.
That symbol at the demon's prison—the eye with seven blades—was a seal mark of the ancient assassin sect that vanished a century ago. They weren't myth. He had seen their work once… in his past life. And now they were resurfacing.
"Looks like I've stepped into your hunting ground," he murmured, brushing his fingers over the pendant hidden beneath his robes—a small black fang embedded with silver veins.
The moment he touched it, a voice entered his mind.
"Awaken more… Evolve more… The deeper the path, the stronger you become…"
He clenched his fist. Not yet.
Just then, a knock.
Seo Yura entered, now clad in the silver-trimmed Inner Court robes. She looked around, cautious.
"We need to talk."
Mu-won raised a brow. "You're supposed to be resting."
"There's no time. The elders… they didn't seal the formation. They're studying it. Trying to harvest whatever is left of the demon's soul energy."
Mu-won's smile vanished.
"Fools."
Yura nodded grimly. "Worse. One of them—Elder Hwa—is part of the Seven Shadows."
A long silence followed.
Then Mu-won stood, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Good," he said softly. "Let the game begin."
He turned toward the horizon, where distant lights of other great sects flickered.
"There's a storm coming," he murmured. "And I'll be at its center."
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