The blood-red army surged forward.
Thousands upon thousands of crimson figures rushed across the endless Soul Sea like an unstoppable tide. Their bodies were formed from blood, yet each carried an overwhelming aura of death. Their footsteps echoed across the crimson ocean, causing waves to rise and crash against one another.
Mason's confident expression finally changed.
For the first time since entering Jade's Soul Sea, genuine caution appeared in his eyes.
"What...?"
The blood soldiers ignored every obstacle in their path. Their empty crimson eyes remained fixed on the intruder.
Jade himself stood frozen.
His thoughts became chaotic.
Earlier, he had tried commanding them.
Nothing had happened.
Not a single soldier had responded.
They had remained like lifeless statues decorating his Soul Sea.
So...
Why were they moving now?
The army charged toward Mason with terrifying speed.
Before they could reach him, however, another strange phenomenon occurred.
The blood essence surrounding Jade suddenly erupted.
It no longer flowed aimlessly.
Instead, it gathered around him as though responding to an ancient command.
The crimson essence wrapped itself around his body.
His skin began glowing with a faint golden-red radiance.
Jade instinctively stepped backward.
"What is happening...?"
The essence continued weaving itself together.
Layer after layer.
Piece after piece.
It wasn't creating ordinary armor.
It was forging something ancient.
A rough brown breastplate formed over his chest.
Dark shoulder guards emerged next.
His arms became covered in heavy gauntlets engraved with beast-like patterns.
His legs were protected by ancient greaves that looked as though they had survived countless wars.
Finally...
A terrifying black mask slowly formed over his face.
The mask possessed two curved horns that pointed toward the heavens.
Its surface looked smooth yet ancient, as though it had witnessed the birth of civilizations.
A strip of black silk wrapped around the back of Jade's head, securing the mask firmly in place.
The moment it settled...
Jade felt his heartbeat change.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Every heartbeat sent enormous power throughout his body.
His muscles tightened.
His bones felt incomparably stronger.
His senses sharpened.
He could hear every ripple across the Soul Sea.
Every heartbeat.
Every drop of blood.
It was unlike anything he had experienced before.
Meanwhile...
The charging blood army suddenly stopped.
Silence fell.
Then—
Every soldier lowered its weapon.
One after another...
Thousands of warriors knelt.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized.
They bowed before Jade.
The entire crimson army acknowledged only one king.
Jade stared at them in disbelief.
"...What?"
His voice echoed beneath the mask.
Earlier they had ignored him completely.
Now they treated him as their absolute ruler.
He slowly looked around the endless sea of crimson soldiers.
"...You're bowing to me?"
None answered.
Yet none moved.
Jade swallowed.
If they already believed he was their commander...
Then perhaps he should act like one.
Far away, Mason's expression grew increasingly grim.
He could no longer sense the same weak Initiate standing before him.
Instead...
He felt as though he were facing something impossibly ancient.
At that very moment...
The familiar voice of the System echoed throughout Jade's mind.
Beast God Body has been successfully formed.
Legacy received.
Beast Sutra inherited.
Current Mastery Level: 0.
Jade's pupils contracted.
A God Body...
He hadn't even awakened his own.
Yet somehow...
He had inherited the Beast God's.
The realization shook him.
He instinctively understood that what covered his body wasn't merely armor.
It was a fragment of the Beast God's existence.
Jade slowly lifted his hand.
Power surged through every movement.
Even clenching his fist caused the surrounding blood essence to ripple violently.
He looked toward Mason.
His voice became calm.
Cold.
Authoritative.
"I'm giving you one final chance."
The blood soldiers remained kneeling behind him.
The scene resembled an emperor addressing a criminal.
"Leave."
Jade took another step forward.
"I don't know who you truly are."
"I don't know why you hate Nora."
"But if you continue this fight..."
"...you will die."
Silence followed.
Then Mason laughed.
Not loudly.
Quietly.
Almost mockingly.
"You've won today's battle."
His smile slowly widened.
"But don't celebrate too early."
He pointed toward Jade.
"I've already placed my mark on you."
Jade frowned.
"My mark will remain wherever you go."
Then Mason's eyes became frighteningly cold.
"And if you make contact with Nora..."
"...she dies."
The words struck Jade harder than any attack.
His breathing stopped.
"What...?"
Mason continued.
"You don't need to believe me."
"But are you willing to gamble with her life?"
Jade remained silent.
His fists tightened.
The mere possibility was enough.
He couldn't risk it.
Mason had seen the hesitation in Jade's eyes.
He smiled inwardly.
The fear had taken root.
Whether Jade believed him or not no longer mattered.
Doubt itself was enough.
Before Jade could react—
Mason's figure slowly dissolved into darkness.
Within moments...
He disappeared completely.
Only then did Mason finally allow himself to breathe.
Even after escaping, cold sweat covered his back.
That mask...
Those kneeling soldiers...
The pressure Jade released...
None of it belonged to an ordinary Initiate.
"If he reaches Sovereign..."
Mason muttered quietly.
"...he'll become a disaster."
Far away, back inside the Soul Sea, the blood army slowly returned to its previous positions.
Once again they became silent statues.
As though nothing had happened.
Jade remained standing alone.
He slowly removed the armor.
The brown plates dissolved into crimson essence.
The gauntlets disappeared.
The breastplate faded.
Everything vanished...
Except the mask.
Jade reached toward it.
The black horned mask remained firmly attached to his face.
"...So you stay."
His voice carried mixed emotions.
He wasn't afraid of the mask.
He was afraid of Mason's words.
If there truly was a mark...
If approaching Nora really placed her in danger...
Then he couldn't return.
Not yet.
He had planned to visit NTOEL.
To reunite with his family.
To finally see Nora again.
Now...
Everything changed.
Until he discovered the truth behind the mark...
Until he became strong enough to remove it...
He would remain far away from those he cared about.
It was a painful decision.
But Jade had already learned one thing during the Trial.
Sometimes...
Protecting someone meant walking away from them.
With a heavy heart, Jade took one final glance at the endless crimson Soul Sea.
Then his consciousness returned.
His eyes slowly opened.
The cool air of the washroom greeted him once more.
Water still dripped from the running faucet.
The mirror reflected the terrifying black mask .
Jade took a slow breath.
Then silently pushed open the washroom door and stepped back into the celebration, carrying a burden that no one else could see.