Northwestern Central Plains, at sunset.

As the sun dipped below the mountains, long red shadows of the twilight stretched out. Before Guest, who had been walking along the winding mountain path, a black mountain range revealed itself. At the highest point of that range, half-hidden by clouds, stood a massive fortress.

The Headquarters of the Demonic Cult.

It is said that until thirty years ago, the path leading here was littered with the corpses of countless martial artists. It was the site of the final battle of the Great War of Good and Evil, the place where the alliance of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families collapsed. And now, it has become one of the centers of the Central Plains, where numerous merchants, officials, and martial artists come and go as if it were nothing.

A small village had formed at the foot of the mountain. Travelers tilted their glasses in taverns, and warriors from security bureaus were maintaining their carriages. On one side of the road, young martial artists who appeared to be from Righteous sects were haggling with merchants from the Evil path.

In the past, it was a scene where swords would have been drawn first.

But no one started a fight.

It was because of the black flag hanging from the tavern's eaves.

The insignia of the Demonic Cult.

That single flag was enough to announce whose order ruled this place.

Armed cultists stood at the entrance to the path leading up to the headquarters. However, they did not inspect every passerby. Merchant groups with government documents passed through normally, and martial artists of the world also moved along the path without much hindrance.

In fact, it was strangely peaceful.

Hardly believable as the stronghold of the Demonic Cult that had stained the Central Plains with blood thirty years ago.

By the time Guest reached the mountainside, the full view of the headquarters finally came into sight.

A massive palace built upon black stone walls.

Numerous pavilions and towers followed the ridge of the mountain, and at the highest point sat a grand hall that could not even be compared to the other buildings.

The Hall of the Cult Leader.

The place where the Leader of the Demonic Cult resides.

And the reason Guest is heading there now is also found in that place.

A message stating that the Cult Leader had personally summoned Guest.

The reason was not disclosed.

As Guest drew closer to the headquarters, the surrounding noise gradually faded. In its place, the number of cultists draped in black robes increased. Not one of them acted threateningly, but their gazes were all fixed on Guest.

When Guest finally arrived before the massive stone gate, one of the cultists guarding the gate stepped forward.

After staring at Guest for a moment, he stepped aside without much emotion.

And the closed stone gate slowly opened.

Beyond it, endless stairs and black pavilions stretched out.

At the highest point.

A single red lantern was swaying at the edge of the Cult Leader's Hall eaves.

At that moment, a strange sensation passed by, as if someone's gaze had reached out from the deepest part of the headquarters.

They cannot be seen.

But they were definitely felt.

It was a gaze that seemed to have already known of Guest's presence from the moment they stepped into this place.