POV Jeoksa Jaemin, Core Elder of the Jeoksa Family

  Jaemin sat on a basic wooden chair. Opposite him sat an

  imposing man in black robes with red trims and beautifully embroidered,

  golden, winged fiends down the sleeves.

  This was only the second time he had met the man face to

  face, in spite of their many dealings, the first being years ago when

  they originally struck their deal. He had been intimidating when they

  first met but something had changed since then. Something significant.

  More than just one thing, in truth.

  The way he carried himself had been confident before, but now it was apotheotic, divine.

  The elder couldn’t explain it, he couldn’t wrap his mind around it. How could a mere man make him feel so… small.

  He was a mighty Peak Practitioner.

  For the past 5 decades that he had served as External

  Elder for the Jeoksa Family, he had encountered, and negotiated with,

  countless Masters, and even a few Grandmasters. All of them had a

  presence, a force which weighed on your very soul.

  None of them could affect him like this.

  He reached inward, searching for whatever part of him was so susceptible to this pressure. And there was something, something which subtly influenced

  him. The deeper he dug into his own existence, the more he felt it. At

  the greatest depths of his existence, there was a force.

  A will?

  No, a guide.

  That’s what it was!

  It was a voice and a path, but it was weak. It was so

  subtle that it would have been imperceptible if he wasn’t as high

  leveled as he was, and if not for his naturally introspective nature.

  But he had spent most of his life listening to that voice, following

  that guidance.

  You don’t reach the heights he had reached in his long

  life without recognizing and accepting the guidance of the [System]. And

  now, the [System] itself was telling him to obey, to follow, to worship

  the Heavenly Demon.

  It had been many, many, years since he did something

  quite so… mortal, as perspire, but upon realizing the significance of

  his decision seven years ago, he broke into a cold sweat.

  All this happened in just a second or two. When he

  finally got himself under control again, he responded with the utmost

  respect, “Thank you for you kind words, Demon Lord. You saw everything, I

  presume?”

  “I did,” the Heavenly Demon said casually, as if it wasn’t as impressive as it actually was.

  How the Demon Lord had seen through the enchantments of

  the council room was a mystery. It wasn’t supposed to be possible given how much effort and resources had been invested into securing their privacy, but

  Elder Jaemin felt such expectations weren’t relevant when it came to the

  Heavenly Demon.

  He took another breath and bowed. His bow was sincere,

  not the usual practiced act. “I came to ask for the Demon Lord’s help in

  facing this elite group from the Tang Clan. Without it, I fear the

  Jeoksa Family is lost forever. However, I am not certain the terms we

  agreed upon still hold given these new circumstances.”

  The Demon Lord didn’t seem to react. His expression

  didn’t change, it remained a perfect calm. “There is no need to ask,

  Elder Jaemin. Our deal is still in effect. It does, however, as you say,

  require renegotiation. Provoking the Tang Clan so far ahead of schedule

  is unfortunate.”

  It was a simple remark, a passing comment as he answered,

  but it had deeper implications. Implications which sent Elder Jaemin’s

  mind reeling.

  The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult already had plans to move against the Tang Clan!?

  I knew they planned to grow and

  expand, but I didn’t expect them to be so ambitious. If that’s the case,

  perhaps this is why the [System] is guiding me toward him. It knows

  that the cult’s development and future campaign will be a success.

  This is an opportunity to take this deal to the next level. An opportunity I must grasp.

  The thought quickened his pulse.

  “I have a proposition, Demon Lord,” Elder Jaemin said,

  steeling his resolve. “No one knows yet that I recently sent my son to the cult

  for training, I will use that to show my dedication to the Family. As

  far as the council is concerned, I sacrificed my only son to protect the

  Jeoksa Family. Sent him away just to secure a meeting with the Heavenly

  Demon. Help defend us against the Tang Clan, and in return, as the new

  patriarch, rather than the mere alliance we’ve spoken of previously, I

  will pledge the Jeoksa Family as the first vassal Family of the Heavenly

  Demon Divine Cult!”

  ***

  The council met back in the meeting room

  after a couple of hours. There was not a trace of the events of the

  previous meeting left. The great elder had been respectfully laid to

  rest, as had the patriarch.

  Core Elder Jaemin took the head of the table without saying a word and took control of the situation.

  “How has everything gone with the preparations?” he asked the council.

  The older elder from before answered, “All in motion. It

  should be done before the night is over. The younger generation, as well

  as most of the administrative staff, are evacuating as we speak.

  Evacuation orders are being spread to the mortals as well, to limit any

  collateral damage.”

  Another, a woman who appeared to be middle age—although

  she was likely much older than she looked, jumped in. “The great elder

  and Patriarch Hyun have been moved to the ancestral hall. Once this is

  done, funeral arrangements can begin immediately.” She paused and

  focused her gaze on Elder Jaemin. “But what of your part? None of this

  matters if you failed to rally the support of this Heavenly Demon.”

  Jaemin interlocked his fingers and leaned on the table.

  “My part went well, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has agreed to help

  us, for a price.”

  Anxious looks were shared around the council members.

  “How heavy a price must we pay?” the older elder asked.

  Elder Jaemin put on a painful yet determined act. “Before

  I go into details about the price for saving our Family, I must first

  reveal some sensitive information about the work Patriarch Hyun

  entrusted to me. When we first made contact with the Heavenly Demon

  Divine Cult, we learned something. Something truly shocking.” He paused

  for dramatic effect as it had proven effective before, and he so enjoyed

  having the others hang at his words. “Their foundational method allows

  those who train in it to surpass their level limits.”

  Gasps and shocked exclamations escaped the lips of every elder in the room.

  Elder Jaemin held up his hand to quiet them down. “We

  don’t know many details about the method, but we do know that there are

  some limitations and requirements. The biggest being that it only works

  on the young. Those who have not yet reached a high enough level to

  entrench themselves on the path they already walk. This knowledge is

  important enough that the patriarch felt we needed to maintain complete

  secrecy until we could achieve some results. It’s a true shame we lost

  him before we were able to do so.” He shook his head in shame and

  sadness, one could almost believe that tears were about to fall down his

  cheeks. “We put in a great deal of effort into providing them with

  resources and connections in the hope that we would be able to uncover

  at least some of the secrets of this method. When I reached out to my

  contact. I had to pay a steep price to secure a meeting with the

  Heavenly Demon himself. But it’s a price I hope to turn into a great

  benefit for our Jeoksa Family in the long run.” Once again, he made a

  show of his pain, his emotional turmoil and the sacrifice he was willing

  to make for the Family. “My own son is still young, only eight years old... soon nine, " he took a deliberate breath before he continued, "and his limit is quite low, low enough that he would never see Major

  Accomplishment. The price for the meeting itself was that I had to send

  my son to cult for the next 10 years.” The revelation drew some

  sympathetic looks from the council members. “As a father, it pains me to

  be away from my only child for the rest of his childhood, but as an

  elder of the Jeoksa Family, I feel nothing but pride. He will learn

  their method and surpass his limits. In 10 years time, he will return to

  the Family and take us to even greater heights!”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “A heavy price indeed,” said the woman. “But, like you

  said, if he can truly learn this method to surpass his limits then we

  will gain a great deal. That is only relevant, however, if we survive.

  What of the price for their help?”

  Elder Jaemin nodded in agreement. “Yes. Another heavy

  price, only one that I can not pay myself but one that we as a Family

  must pay together, if we wish to survive. The Heavenly Demon has agreed

  to save us from the Tang Clan, but in exchange—our Jeoksa Family must

  pledge our loyalty to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as a vassal

  Family.”

  Shouts and argument erupted around the table from the elders of the council.

  The woman raised her voice, drowning out the others. “So

  in the end, we must either become the puppets of the Tang Clan, or of

  this Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? Then what was the point of all this!? I

  hold no favor for the Tang Clan, but they are at least old and mighty.

  This cult, however, is young and insignificant. Why would we make an

  enemy of the Tang Clan just to become the puppets of some unknown cult?”

  Many of the others agreed, quite vocally, but Elder

  Jaemin raised his hand again, and when that didn’t work quite as well as

  before, he raised his voice in turn. “I understand your concerns! But

  the choice, I fear, is obvious. With the Tang Clan, we would be nothing

  but a shell of our former selves. Puppets, slaves for them to do with as

  they pleased. And I am sure many of you know just as well as I do how

  they treat their slaves. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult may be young but

  did you forget what I told you of their foundational method? They have

  no limits! It is only a matter of time before they become a power

  surpassing that of the Tang Clan, surpassing even that of the Great

  Martial Alliance! During my meeting with the Heavenly Demon, he gave me

  assurances. Should our Jeoksa Family pledge our loyalty to the cult, not

  only would they save us from this existential crisis, but he would

  allow us a great deal of independence. We would still be under our own

  control. With the cult, our traditions and foundational secrets would

  remain our own where the Tang Clan would empty our vaults before the day

  was done. You know it to be true. I understand just how difficult of a

  decision this is, but our hands are tied. If we do not accept the cult

  then the Jeoksa Family’s long history will be over.”

  Silence.

  Some sighs were all that was audible. Each of them thought it through, extremely carefully.

  Finally, an elder of the traditionalist faction broke the

  silence, an old man with short white hair. “I agree. I have seen what

  the Tang Clan do to those they conquer. Our history and traditions must

  be preserved. If pledging ourselves as a vassal Family of the Heavenly

  Demon Divine Cult is the only way ensure that, then we must make this

  pledge.”

  Another voiced his opinion. “Even without this threat

  from the Tang Clan, just their ability to surpass limits is terrifying.

  If our Jeoksa Family can learn that, then a pledge of loyalty is a small

  price to pay.”

  Even elders of the progressive faction began to support the idea.

  Soon the decision became unanimous.

  The mood was somber and heavy. Elder Jaemin reached into

  his robes and took out a token. “With this, the Jeoksa Family begins a

  new era.”

  He crushed the token in his hand and a flash of light burst forth.

  POV Baz

  Three weeks and three days earlier, the cult’s house in the outskirts of Jeokseong, the Jeoksa Family capital.

  “Joon, how did it go?” Baz asked the master of the cult’s Intelligence Hall who had just walked in.

  The young Demonic General bowed. “No issues, Demon Lord.

  The guards were unable to see through my [Shapeshift] Talent when

  combined with a few other Techniques, and the drop of the princess’s

  blood, provided by Elder Jaemin, worked as expected. The vault door

  opened without a hitch.” He pulled out the Skill book for the Jeoksa

  Family’s secret Foundational Skill, [Jeoksa Style, Thousand Thunder

  Extermination].

  A bright smile formed on Baz’ face. He remained seated as

  he accepted the book, admiring it like the treasure it was. “Excellent!

  Is everything in place then?”

  Demonic General Joon sat down opposite the Demon Lord.

  “My shadows have infiltrated the palace, the brothel, the heir’s

  mansion, and a handful of other places. The only one that still eludes

  us is the heir’s brother’s mansion. He holds a firm grip on all his

  staff and we haven’t yet been able to embed anyone there. It shouldn’t

  matter though. Whoever the courtesans deliver the Skill book to once

  they find it, will report it to the council and the investigation will

  point at the heir. Also, during my last trip back to the cult, we solved

  the issue of the patriarch’s office. With that, the second son will be

  out of the picture when you eliminate the patriarch.”

  Baz had always had high hopes for the young Intelligence

  Hall Master, but his every expectation had been exceeded. “I’m

  impressed, I wasn’t sure you would be able to break the enchantments.”

  “That’s the thing, Demon Lord. We didn’t. Not really,”

  Joon said excitedly. “The cult lacks expertise when it comes to

  traditional enchantments, so we haven’t been able to truly break it. But

  I believe our solution is even better.” He spoke like a kid who

  couldn’t contain his excitement over some fresh point of interest.

  “Court Mage Ollés discovered a function within the array I copied from

  the patriarch’s office. It serves as a whitelist, an identifier to

  determine which presence in the room will trigger the alarm and

  defenses. In the end, however, regardless of their function,

  enchantments still project essence on the item, or the area in question

  to produce their effects. Formation Hall Master Jum and Court Mage Ollés

  were able to create a formation which interjects presences of our

  choosing to the actual effects of the enchantments, without touching the

  enchantments themselves.”

  Baz smiled, it was equal parts pride in his disciples and

  relief that the operation was going well. “So you and I can enter the

  office without triggering anything.”

  “Exactly, Demon Lord.”

  “When are you delivering the Skill book to the courtesan?” Baz asked as held up the Skill book.

  “Tomorrow, at noon.”

  He did some quick mental calculations. “Good, even with a

  buffer, I should still have about 8 hours to learn everything I can

  from the Jeoksa Family’s secret Foundational Skill.”

  While Joon moved on to ensure the final details of the plan were set, Baz stayed in the safe house and read the Skill book.

  As a cultivator, he couldn’t actually learn the System Skill, but there was still much to learn.

  Thus far, he had yet to properly master any elemental

  Techniques beyond some basic parlor tricks to do with fire that he

  learned from Víctor. And what better element to learn than lightning,

  the power of the god of gods, Zeus, and the preferred weapon of the [System] itself.

  It didn’t take long to read through the actual text of

  the Skill book, and with his cultivation, Baz had every word memorized

  the moment he read them.

  That wasn’t enough, however.

  Since he couldn’t learn the System Skill, he had to

  translate the Skill into its core components and create a Technique of

  his own with what he learned.

  Fortunately, one thing that Skill books for System Skills

  did well—and especially for Skills as foundational and important as

  this—was their extremely detailed instructions for every aspect of the

  Skill.

  They had to ensure that everyone who learned it—all of

  them being important people—learned it exactly the same. There could be

  no variation in the application, manifestation, or intent. If one child

  was taught the Skill and failed to understand the intent, not only might

  they fail to gain the Skill, but they could even gain a different Skill

  entirely. One that was weaker than the original, or at the very least

  misrepresented the Family.

  As Baz’ cultivation continued to climb, his understanding of intent deepened as well.

  He had kept the manual for the [Earthen Cultivation Art]

  like a treasure for all these years, but he didn’t actually believe he

  had any more use for it since he had every word memorized, until

  recently.

  He realized that the intent of the author was naturally imbued into the book, the paper, the very ink with which it was written.

  Even if you remember the entirety of the Skill book, you

  might still fail to acquire the Skill if you go purely off of your

  memory rather than the Skill book.

  He had deviated from the path of the [Earthen Cultivation

  Art] but still found valuable information in the chapter for the later

  stages through the intent hidden within the manual. The same was true

  for the Skill book for the [Jeoksa Style, Thousand Thunder

  Extermination].

  He stayed up all night with the book, squeezing out every

  bit of information he could get about the Skill. By the time he handed

  the book over to Joon, he felt that he had a firm grasp of how to wield

  the power of lightning.

  It would still take a great deal of experimentation and training, but it would be his.

  Present day

  The cult’s mages hadn’t yet cracked the communication

  tokens, but they were making gradual progress. Their latest iteration

  allowed for one token to signal another upon its destruction.

  Its range of application wasn’t particularly wide, but there were certainly times when it worked quite well.

  Just over an hour after his conversation with Elder

  Jaemin wrapped up, the circular token he kept in his robes lit up with a

  bright red glow. It meant the council, the remaining leaders of the

  Jeoksa Family, had agreed to become the first vassal Family of the

  Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

  Elder Jaemin did better than expected. I wonder why he was so eager to help and make such a generous offer?

  In truth, I thought he would try to

  gain as much benefit from us as possible. Even though I might be quite

  strong, as a Group the cult is still weak. This entire time I’ve been

  ready for him to try and stab me in the back, but he goes and gives me

  the entire Family.

  Maybe it’s my new [Demon God] Title?

  "All those who follow the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will naturally worship the Demon God."

  But he’s not a member of the cult,

  not until this whole thing plays out and the entire Jeoksa Family

  becomes followers of the cult. Unless… The [System] already considered him to have his foot in the door? He did agree to send his only son to

  train in the Cave of Latent Demons. Perhaps his position toward the

  cult was subservient enough that the [System]’s influence reached him.

  Well, whatever the reason, I welcome it.

  Baz didn’t act immediately.

  He continued his work on developing a new Technique to wield the elemental power of lightning.

  In the past three weeks, he had gotten close. Several Techniques had already been created, and he had a

  decent grasp on the element, but he was working on something bigger.

  Something much bigger.

  The next day, the sun rose above a mostly empty city.

  Far from everyone could evacuate in time, and even if

  they had time there was nowhere for most of them to go. That didn’t mean

  that a warning from the city’s ruling practitioners fell on deaf ears. Doors and windows were boarded shut. Stores were closed.

  Those who had shelters in their homes locked themselves in basements and

  cellars, others found shelter with their local communities.

  By the time the sun was at its zenith, the only people

  walking the streets of the Jeokseong were a group of a dozen men in dark

  cyan robes with an inner layer of dark grey.

  Leading them as they walked toward the palace was Lord Jeoksa Changmin.

  Patreon to stay 10 chapters ahead of Royal Road.