Kael's steps echoed across the courtyard, each one louder than the last. No one dared move. Even the wind seemed afraid to disturb what had just happened.
He didn't look back. Not at Jinhai, who lay wheezing on the ground, not at the onlookers, and definitely not at Li Meixue—though he could feel her eyes on him like cold steel pressed to his neck.
He walked through the outer sect like a man just released from hell. One hand clutched his broken blade. The other twitched faintly as the System flickered across his vision.
⟨Quest Complete: First Public Domination⟩
⟨Reward Claimed: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, Passive Skill: Predator's Aura (Lv.1)⟩
⟨New Trait Unlocked: Echo of Rebirth⟩
"They mocked you once. Let them remember you forever."
Kael blinked the notifications away. He needed quiet.
The martial hall sat near the cliffs—isolated and quiet. He pushed open the doors and stepped into the silence. No meditating. No incense. He just paced. Thinking. Letting it all settle.
His body felt… raw. Not injured—changed. Surge had opened something inside him. For five seconds, he'd seen everything. Every breath. Every heartbeat. Every opening.
It terrified him.
And it thrilled him.
He sat against the wall, breathing slow. The broken sword rested beside him, like a relic of another life. His hands still trembled—not from weakness, but from what he now knew he could do.
⟨New Message: From the System⟩
Your actions have begun to shape your legend.
Choose your Alignment Path:
▸ Tyrant of Desire — Crush opposition. Claim hearts through domination.
▸ Shadow Sovereign — Work in silence. Corrupt what cannot be broken.
▸ Abyssal King — Embrace chaos. Destroy balance. Reforge the rules.
Kael read the choices. His lips curled.
"Tyrant of Desire."
⟨Path Chosen. Future quests, rewards, and interactions will now reflect this alignment.⟩
⟨New Stat Unlocked: Charisma⟩
⟨New Skill Tree Unlocked: Influence⟩
Perfect.
The martial hall doors creaked.
"You shouldn't be here," Kael said without turning.
Soft footsteps answered. Then a voice—light, delicate, unsure.
"I had to see it myself," Li Meixue said.
Kael stood. Slowly. "So you came to gloat? Or to beg?"
"No," she said quickly. "I thought Jinhai exaggerated. But then I saw… what you did to him."
He turned. She looked almost the same elegant, composed, dangerous. But her eyes were different. Guarded.
"I'm not the same person you threw away," Kael said. "Don't pretend to care."
"I was scared," she whispered.
"No. You were ambitious." His voice hardened. "And I was expendable."
She looked down. Her silence spoke louder than anything she could have said.
His aura shifted—just slightly. A ripple of pressure made her flinch. The System's passive was working. Even without touching her, she felt smaller now. Exposed.
"Look at me," he said. "You watched me fall. Now watch me rise."
She forced her eyes up, trembling.
⟨Side Quest Updated: Provoke Meixue's Submission⟩
Progress: 45%
▸ Intimidate: ✔
▸ Outrank: Pending
▸ Break Emotional Guard: In Progress…
Kael took a step forward. Close enough to whisper. "You chose him. But the version of me you betrayed is dead. The one standing in front of you now… you'll kneel to him."
She held her breath.
He leaned closer, his voice soft but sharp. "And I won't even have to ask."
Kael turned, leaving her there—silent, shaken, alone.
⟨New Passive Acquired: Dominance Aura (Lv.1)⟩
Nearby enemies or rivals suffer -5% morale in your presence.
He picked up his sword, the chipped edge catching the light.
The world was watching now. And Kael was just getting warmed up.