Chapter 5- Blackthorn City

The forest remain strangely quiet,only the sound of Ren's ragged breathing was heard as he struggled to calm his pounding heart. The oppresive tension that suffocated the air had already disappeared moments ago, even the usual rustling of the unseen viscious beasts seemed to have ceased as if they had been shaken by overwhelming force that had just been unleashed by the cloaked man.

Ren swallowed hard as he looked at the cloaked man who stood unwaveringly like a mountain with his expression unreadable because of his cloak, though the glow of his sliver blood force energy had already dissapated, the air around still had lingering pressure as the released aura had left behind an echo of its fury.

Hesitantly, Ren asked the cloaked man"who are you?" The cloaked man remained silent for a while, his expression unreadable, his gaze lingers on Ren making him unable to ascertain his reaction to the question. Then he slowly removes his cloak. Ren's face widened in surprise at the sight of the man's face, for his entire appearance radiated that he was rather a man of raw handsomeness.His strong jawline bore a faint shadow of stubble, a straight nose, slightly weathered from past battles, sat perfectly between high cheekbones that gave him an air of quiet nobility,His eyes were his most striking feature—one a piercing a light blue, the other slightly clouded, hinting at an old wound.in short,he was handsome in a raw way.

Taking a deep breath he said "i am Dante Valken the legacy disciple of the Blackthorn City. Blackthorn City? Ren showed a puzzled face for he had never heard of such a place before. His village was small, isolated from the greater world, and beyond the nearby towns, his knowledge of cities was almost nonexistent.

Seeing his reaction, Dante let out a quiet sigh as if expecting that reaction, He said"I am not surprised by your expression for our city lies beyond this forest which i assume no one has ever passed before.He lets out a humorless chuckle as he said "it is a city where strength reigns supreme and weakeness remains a crime and death sentence.

His voice turns colder."When disciples come of age at fifteen, they are thrown into the city's arena. There, they must battle their fellow disciples and viscious beasts to accumulate 30 wins before they become an inner disciple o'f Blackthorn City. In Blackthorn city there are no rules, no mercy. Victory means survival. Defeat means death. Only those who accumulate enough victories earn the right to rise—to seize power and carve their names into the city's foundation."

Ren swallowed hard, his mind struggling to process the brutal reality Dante spoke of. A city where boys and girls were thrown into battle the moment they came of age? Where their worth is not determined by their family background or wealth. It was a place where the blood they spill determines their worth. It was a place that sounded more like a nightmare.

Dante then said that "that is the law of blackthorn city where the weak perishes and the string rules."

Ren clenched his fists. He had thought of strength as something to admire, something to strive for to change his background, but here he was being informed that strength was only a medium for people to survive in that city.He thought "should i go back?" but then he thought that even if he went back, that he would only be caught by the local forces in the town nearer to their village. Turning to Dante he asked "what were you doing in our village on the day of the blood awakening?"