CHAPTER 5 : Holy Devil Cult.
[Later that evening — Elias' Cabin, Stonia City]
The sun dipped low behind the hills, dragging a lazy shadow across the battered fields.
Crickets sang in the distance, and the cool night breeze carried the faint scent of damp earth and burning wood.
Inside the small cabin, the fire cracked gently in the hearth.
The old wooden door creaked open.
Elias stepped in first, his boots heavy with the dust of the town. Behind him, three figures followed — two men and one woman.
The air around them buzzed faintly — a subtle pressure that only trained warriors carried.
Qi Realm cultivators. And one in the Body Realm.
Elias motioned them inside with a grunt. "Come in, warm yourselves."
The woman, tall and sharp-eyed, immediately scanned the room like a hawk, while one of the men — a barrel-chested brute — cracked his knuckles absently, testing the strength of the wooden beams with a glance.
The last one, wiry and lean, sniffed the air as if tasting the energy inside the cabin.
But Jin Wei wasn't there.
Not yet.
—
[Meanwhile — Stonia Marketplace]
Jin Wei walked down the crowded lanes, a simple cloth bag slung over his shoulder.
The market was winding down for the day — shopkeepers packing up, children chasing each other between stalls, the scent of grilled meats and spices lingering heavy in the air.
Jin Wei's steps were steady.
His hand subconsciously brushed the inside of his coat — feeling the three ingredients tucked safely in cloth bundles:
Ironroot Herb.
Blazing Berry.
Frostpetal Flower.
He let out a breath. "Finally," he muttered.
He was just starting to turn toward the path home when—
Ding.
A soft chime echoed inside his head.
📜 [QUEST COMPLETE: INGREDIENTS ACQUIRED] 📜
📜 [REWARD : THE SPECTER's BROKEN COMPASS 🧭 ] 📜
📜 [NEW SUB-QUEST AVAILABLE: CRAFT A STRENGTHENING PILL (Ultra-Low Tier)] 📜
A glowing window popped up in front of his vision, hovering in the evening air.
At the bottom of the screen, a simple button blinked at him:
[CRAFT]
Jin Wei squinted, blinking.
"What is this shitty reward...?"
"Wait, what's this?"
"Craft? Wait... I can just... make it?"
His heart skipped a beat.
He glanced around — making sure no one else could see the floating window — and then muttered under his breath:
"Alright. Let's see what you got, Throne."
He tapped [CRAFT].
Instantly, the three ingredients shimmered, dissolved into wisps of colored light — red, blue, and green — and were sucked into the screen like smoke inhaled by a ghost.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
A soft hum filled the air, resonating in his bones.
The screen glowed brighter — and five seconds later, something new floated before him, suspended by invisible threads.
A small, shimmering pill.
It spun lazily in the air, exuding a faint, gentle warmth.
Jin Wei stared at it, stunned.
He reached out slowly — almost reverently — and plucked the pill from the air.
It felt alive somehow. Pulsing faintly between his fingers, like a newborn star.
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
"...You serious? Just like that?"
He turned the pill between his fingers, watching the way the light caught it.
"This Throne... it's not just some crutch," he whispered.
"It's a damn arsenal."
He tucked the pill carefully into a small leather pouch tied to his belt.
His eyes sharpened, a quiet fire lighting in his chest.
"If this is what it can do at 'ultra-low' tier..."
"...Then what the hell will it craft when I reach the top?"
A slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He pulled his hood tighter against the cooling wind and turned toward the dirt road leading back to Elias' cabin.
[Exterior — Dirt Road Leading to Elias' Cabin]
The night air was crisp, brushing cool fingers against Jin Wei's face as he climbed the narrow trail back to the cabin.
The pouch tied to his belt jangled faintly with every step—the Strengthening Pill tucked safely inside.
A small victory.
The first of many.
He crested the last hill. The lights from Elias' cabin flickered ahead, warm and inviting against the creeping darkness.
But something felt wrong.
Even from this distance...
he could feel it.
Pressure.
Subtle, but heavy.
Like three stormclouds gathered under a wooden roof, pretending to be people.
His steps slowed instinctively, eyes narrowing.
[Interior — Elias' Cabin]
The fire crackled low in the hearth.
Elias sat in his usual spot near the window, weathered hands resting calmly on his knees.
Across the room, three figures stood waiting.
The tall woman leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes like cold knives tracing every detail of the room.
The barrel-chested man flexed his fingers absently, muscles shifting beneath rough armor.
The wiry one by the door sniffed once—then again—like he could catch secrets on the air itself.
The door creaked open.
Jin Wei stepped inside, boots brushing dust from the threshold.
Every head turned.
The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.
Elias was the first to break the silence.
Elias (nodding calmly):
"Look, there he is."
The tall woman scoffed under her breath.
The lean one muttered something about "finally" in a voice too low to catch.
The barrel-chested man cracked his knuckles once—loud enough to make the beams overhead groan—and rumbled:
Barrel-Chested Man:
"We've been waiting a long time in this old cottage, boy."
"What a waste of time."
Jin Wei's eyes sharpened.
He didn't step back.
Didn't step forward either.
He simply stood there, weighing them.
Their stance. Their eyes.
Their energy.
Strangers.
Cultivators.
Trouble.
He kept his voice even, respectful but guarded.
Jin Wei:
"Pardon. Who exactly... are you?"
The air shifted.
The woman's mouth twisted into something ugly.
Woman (offended):
"Tch. We wait hours for you like beggars, and he dares to ask who we are?"
Her Qi flared for a brief second—sharp enough to make the flames in the hearth gutter.
The barrel-chested man—clearly the leader among them—let out a low hum.
Barrel-Chested Man (gruffly):
"Hmm."
And then—without warning—he moved.
One blink, and he was no longer leaning lazily near the fire.
He was in front of Jin Wei.
Instantly.
A heartbeat missed.
The man's hand shot out, gripping Jin Wei's shoulder with a single, crushing hand.
A normal cultivator would've dropped to a knee from the force alone.
Jin Wei held firm, eyes widening a fraction.
The pressure was real.
This wasn't a threat.
This was a test.
The man closed his eyes briefly, as if listening to something deeper than flesh and blood.
Seconds stretched.
The man's brow lifted slightly.
Barrel-Chested Man (approving grunt):
"This boy... dual affinity."
The grip on Jin Wei's shoulder tightened—not painfully, but enough to make it clear who was in control—for now.
Barrel-Chested Man (commanding):
"Boy. You'll come with us."
Jin Wei's mind sharpened.
Come with them?
Like hell.
He kept his voice steady, the faintest thread of amusement weaving through it.
Jin Wei:
"And if I ask... why?"
The woman scoffed, stepping closer, boots clicking against the worn wood.
Woman (coldly):
"You don't get to ask questions."
"You do as you're told."
Her voice carried the weight of someone used to obedience—and willing to take it by force if necessary.
Jin Wei's lip curled into something halfway between a smirk and a snarl.
The old fire—the war-born instinct—rose in him like a forgotten anthem.
He tilted his head, meeting the barrel-chested man's gaze without flinching.
Jin Wei (casual, dangerous):
"And what if..."
"I don't wanna?"
Silence.
For a moment, the only sound was the low, lazy pop of the hearth's dying fire.
The lean man near the door straightened slightly, sensing the shift.
The woman's fingers twitched near the dagger at her hip.
The barrel-chested man's grin widened—a row of teeth more wolf than man.
The tension wound tighter, like a bowstring begging to snap.
And Jin Wei...
He stood there.
Unmoving.
The tension was thick now.
Heavy.
One wrong breath, and the whole place would go up like dry tinder.
Jin Wei didn't back down.
The barrel-chested man smirked wider.
The woman's hand hovered dangerously close to her weapon.
The lean one cracked his knuckles one by one, each pop sounding like a ticking clock.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
And then—
A voice, rough but calm, cut through the air like a blade.
Elias (raising his hands, forcing a smile):
"Why don't we all calm down, eh?"
"No need for threats... no need for blood."
He stepped forward slowly, carefully, like a man crossing a field of broken glass barefoot.
He moved to Jin Wei's side—close enough to speak without being overheard.
His hand touched Jin Wei's back lightly, a gesture that seemed casual to the outsiders.
But then—
A whisper, barely more than breath against Jin Wei's ear:
Elias (whispering, urgent):
"They're from the Holy Devil Cult."
"We can't afford to mess with them."
"Do as you're told... if you want to live."
"And if you want to die—"
"—don't drag me and my granddaughter down with you."
Jin Wei's eyes didn't shift.
He kept them locked on the barrel-chested man, as if nothing had been said at all.
But inside, his mind was spinning fast.
Jin Wei (thinking, razor-sharp):
"Holy Devil Cult?"
"And Riri… she's not here. Why did the old man mention her? Is she safe?"
"Blackmail? Threats? Maybe the old man's hiding something... "
"Guess I'll have to play along."
Pieces shifted inside his head, sliding into place.
The way Elias looked at the men.
The way the air itself seemed to thin the moment they entered.
Not visitors.
Not allies.
Wolves.
Circling.
Jin Wei exhaled slowly through his nose.
Measured. Controlled.
He loosened his shoulders slightly, adopting a less aggressive stance.
Then he spoke—calm, casual—like a man agreeing to sit at a table where he knew the meal was poisoned.
Jin Wei:
"Fine."
"I'll play along."
The woman smirked, triumphant.
The lean man muttered something under his breath—something like "finally growing a brain."
The barrel-chested one just nodded once—gruff approval.
But Jin Wei wasn't finished.
He took a half-step forward, enough to meet their eyes levelly.
His voice was even.
Firm without being confrontational.
Jin Wei:
"But first—"
"You're going to tell me a few things."
The barrel-chested man arched an eyebrow.
Jin Wei (calmly):
"Where are we going?"
"Why do you want me?"
"And what exactly are you planning to do once you get me there?"
He let the questions hang.
Not as demands.
But as facts.
Simple. Clean.
The woman looked ready to bark something harsh, but the leader held up a hand to silence her.
He studied Jin Wei for a long moment, his gaze weighing, calculating.
Finally, he rumbled:
Barrel-Chested Man:
"Sharp boy."
"Don't be too sharp, for your own good. But..."
He shifted his stance, crossing arms over his broad chest.
Barrel-Chested Man (gruffly):
"You're coming with us to meet someone."
"The one who ordered your retrieval."
Woman (cutting in, sharp):
"You should be honored, brat. She doesn't summon insects lightly."
Jin Wei's jaw tightened slightly at the insult—but he let it pass.
For now.
Jin Wei (steady):
"And why me?"
The barrel-chested man shrugged, a slow, heavy motion.
Barrel-Chested Man:
"You bear a mark."
"She wants to see it for herself."
Jin Wei's mind clicked again.
Mark?
Maybe... the Living Thunder?
It was starting to make sense.
Pieces of a puzzle only he could see.
Jin Wei (quietly):
"And what will you do once I'm there?"
The man grinned.
Not friendly.
Not kind.
The kind of grin a butcher gives a lamb before the blade.
Barrel-Chested Man:
"That... will depend on you."
Silence again.
Jin Wei stood there, weighing the odds.
Three cultivators, stronger than him right now.
Elias and Riri in danger if he fought back here.
No real choice.
Not yet.
He nodded once, slow and deliberate.
Jin Wei:
"Lead the way, then."
The barrel-chested man chuckled low in his throat.
Barrel-Chested Man:
"Smart boy."
He turned toward the door, gesturing for Jin Wei to follow.
The woman sneered.
The lean one smirked.
And Jin Wei?
He followed.
TO BE CONTINUED.-----