Chapter 186: Blood Zone
The gate swung open with a heavy, grinding sound, and what they saw beyond it made all of them freeze.
The air that rushed out was cold and dry, carrying a faint metallic scent that clung to their skin. A strange stillness settled over them, as if the realm itself was watching, waiting.
The sky was red. Not the warm red of sunset or the deep red of dawn. It was a dark, oppressive crimson, like dried blood stretched across the heavens.
Thick, heavy clouds hung low, their undersides stained with the same deep red, as if they were about to descend and swallow everything beneath them.
There was no sun, no moon, no stars... It's just an endless, suffocating red that seemed to press down on them from all sides.
The ground was red. Fine, grainy red sand stretched in every direction, shifting and unstable, like the ashes of something that had burned for far too long.
Rivers of red cut through the landscape, their surfaces still and glassy, reflecting the crimson sky above. They did not flow. They simply existed, motionless and silent, like veins running through the body of a dead world.
Even the plants were red. Twisted, leafless things that looked more like bones than vegetation. They rose from the sand in crooked angles, their branches reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers.
They did not sway, as if there was no wind at all.
The entire landscape was frozen in a state of unnatural stillness, as if time itself had stopped in this place.
And everywhere, rising from the red earth like jagged teeth, were thousands of black spires.
They towered into the sky, their surfaces dark and smooth, absorbing the light around them. Some were clustered together like the ruins of a forgotten city, others stood alone like silent sentinels.
Each one was a monument to something none of them could name, a remnant of a civilization that had long since turned to dust.
Junior's blind eyes turned toward the gate. His expression was unreadable, but his hands curled into fists at his sides.
He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper,
"This place... It feels wrong."
Cael did not respond as his gaze remained fixed on the red landscape beyond the gate.
On the side note, the portal from which the Gargoyle had emerged began to dissipate. The swirling darkness shrank, flickered, and faded into nothing, leaving no trace behind.
Cael, Junior, and the clones exchanged glances. The silence was heavy, broken only by the faint sound of their breathing.
Cael was the first to speak.
"Enter the gate."
The Frostflame and Black Lightning Clones nodded. Without hesitation, they stepped through the gate and vanished from Cael's sight.
The moment they crossed the threshold, they were gone, swallowed by the crimson light.
A moment later, a message arrived in Cael's mind.
"It's not dangerous here."
The Black Lightning Clone said as he added.
"But Frostflame and I were separated upon entering. It seems we will be teleported randomly once we enter the gate."
"And this place gives me chills."
Cael nodded thoughtfully. He turned to Junior and relayed what the clones had experienced.
Junior was not surprised as he replied, his voice calm,
"As I said before, the artifact will come into the hands of the fated ones. Do not forget... this realm is a trial for the fated ones."
He paused; his blind eyes fixed on the gate as he added,
"Just do not let your guard down. Whatever the reward may be, one needs to be alive to enjoy it."
Cael nodded. He took a deep breath, then asked,
"Will you come inside, or wait here?"
Junior thought for a moment and shook his head,
"I will not enter. I do not need any reward."
Cael did not argue. He looked at the gate one last time, his hand hovering near the edge.
A brief moment of hesitation passed through him, a quiet acknowledgment of the unknown, the danger that lay ahead.
Then he pushed it aside.
With a single thought, he dispelled his clones in the core zone.
Then he made a small cut on his finger, letting two drops of blood fall to the ground. The Frostflame and Black Lightning Clones reformed beside him, their forms solidifying from the crimson sand.
They looked baffled. Before they could speak, Cael said,
"Find a safe place and guard him. If I encounter any danger, I will swap with one of you."
Then he stepped through the gate.
...
The moment Cael entered the core zone, he felt it. A chill ran down his spine, spreading across his entire body like ice water flowing through his veins.
His skin prickled. His breath caught in his throat.
He looked down and realized his clothes were gone. He was completely naked. The cold air pressed against his bare skin, and a wave of vulnerability washed over him.
The absurdity of the situation struck him all at once. He was standing in a world made of blood, completely exposed, with nothing to protect him.
His first thought was:
'Why did the clones not mention this?'
His second thought:
'Technically, the clones' clothes are manifested by the skill itself.'
That made Cael wonder: how did the cloning skill have anything to do with clothes? Was it an extension of his will? A side effect of the skill's creation process?
Did the skill somehow replicate not just his body, but the very idea of him, including the clothes he wore? He shook his head, pushing the thought aside.
There was no time to dwell on it.
He looked around and spotted a rag lying near the edge of the red river. It was soaked, drenched in the red liquid. It looked like the torn remains of a shirt, abandoned and forgotten.
Cael used his Golden Flames to dry it, the warm fire evaporating the liquid in seconds. Then he wrapped it around his body, covering himself.
Then he noticed something strange: the smell.
It was everywhere. Thick and overwhelming, clinging to the air like a second skin. It was the smell of blood.
Blood that had been soaking into the ground for centuries, millennia, eons. It was the smell of death, of decay, of something that had been left to rot for far too long.
He looked at the red river. A horrifying thought passed through his mind.
'Is that...?'
He began walking toward the river. But every step he took, his feet sank into the red sand. Then red water poured from the ground, as if the land had absorbed so much of it that it could hold no more.
With every step, the smell of blood intensified. It filled his nostrils, coated his tongue, pressed against his lungs like a physical weight.
Cael paused his steps as he closed his eyes.
There was no need to walk to the river anymore. He already knew.
It was not some rare red water as he suspected. The entire river was blood. The weight of the realization settled over him like a heavy cloak.
'Just how much blood was poured into this place to turn this entire zone into a blood realm?'
He opened his eyes and looked around. The core zone stretched endlessly in every direction.
Cael could not see the end. It was as if this entire place was a world of its own, a pocket dimension carved from the remains of countless lives.
Cael felt a strange emptiness settle over him. He was alone. Completely and utterly alone, standing in a world made of blood, surrounded by the silent monuments of a forgotten civilization.
He muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper,
"Now what? What should I do?"
....
Meanwhile...
In Karyal City, at Everbright Academy.
The stadium was packed. Students from across the continent filled the stands, their voices blending into a constant roar of excitement and nervous energy.
Banners from various academies fluttered in the breeze, each one representing a different institution, a different legacy. The air was thick with anticipation.
Team Gray walked through the crowded corridors, weaving through groups of students and instructors.
Cael [Wind Clone] kept his expression neutral, his steps measured. Beside him, Edwin, Aria, and Brania moved with a mixture of confidence and tension.
They had trained for this moment. They were ready.
They found their seats in the designated section and sat down. The stadium buzzed with life, students laughing and chatting, instructors exchanging quiet words.
The atmosphere was electric.
Then, the crowd began to quiet down.
A figure stepped onto the stage at the center of the stadium. She was tall, composed, her presence commanding attention without a single word.
Seraphina Hale, the Vice Principal of Everbright Academy, stood at the podium, her amber eyes sweeping across the crowd.
She took a small breath and began to speak.
"Students, instructors, and honored guests. Welcome to the Grand Summit Trials."
Her voice carried across the stadium, clear and steady.
"Today marks the beginning of something extraordinary. For many of you, this is the culmination of years of training, sacrifice, and determination."
"Now, you stand here, ready to prove yourselves on the grandest stage of all."