That was how Morca had managed to escape the Dark Avengers Club without anyone tracking him. The plan, while seemingly simple, had been executed flawlessly. It was a testament to a fundamental truth... sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective in resolving even the most complicated problems.
---
In a softly illuminated room, where simplicity met elegance, Morca sat on his bed, freshly bathed and dressed in a plain white T-shirt and navy-blue shorts. His damp hair clung slightly to his forehead as he held a cold, metallic card in his hands, studying it carefully.
He exhaled slowly, his crimson right eye reflecting the dim glow of the room. His fingers traced the smooth, unyielding surface of the card, feeling its unnatural chill. It was a peculiar object, something that held knowledge beyond the reach of most.
"There's no need to rush," he thought. "Since this involves cultivation, I need to take my time to understand it properly. While it may not be as powerful as the Awakened Path, it could still yield good results. Besides, I have the opportunity to cultivate now, so why should I limit myself to the Awakened Path alone?"
With that decision made, he reached for his DS4 mobile device, tapping the screen a few times before detailed information appeared in front of him. The soft hum of the device's interface activated, casting a bluish hue over his face.
Cultivation Path
Long before Awakened Experts appeared on the planet Eden, cultivation flourished. Mana, the fundamental energy source, was the key to cultivation. Cultivators would draw mana from their surroundings into their core, storing and refining it through breathing techniques that purified their energy core, located near the heart region.
Every major breakthrough expanded the size of a cultivator's inner core, granting them greater strength. The more cultivation stages one broke through, the stronger they became.
The cultivation stages include:
• Core Formation
• Bronze Dew Stage
• Silver Rain Stage
• Golden River Stage … and beyond.
Cultivators harness their power through various techniques...
The information stopped there. Morca sighed. He knew the reason... the AI network had limited his access. Until he officially registered at the academy, his authority over such knowledge remained the same as that of a normal Awakened Expert.
Of course, there were ways to bypass these restrictions and obtain more details, but he saw no reason to bother. Tomorrow, he would be enrolling at the academy. Once registered, he would have direct access to advanced information. He just had to be patient.
Now that he had some understanding of cultivation, he finally knew how to utilize the technique his brother had given him. But before diving into it, there was something else he needed to research.
The Dark Avengers Club: A Shadow in the Darkness
Morca quickly navigated through his device, accessing the AI Network, the planet's most sophisticated information system. He typed in the query, and soon, a detailed report appeared on his screen:
Dark Avengers Club
A notorious assassination group composed of highly trained Awakened individuals.
The organization is infamous for its merciless efficiency and ruthless nature. Their services are for sale to the highest bidder... whether it's assassinating a family heir or eliminating the head of a noble house.
They know no fear. Their Creed: "Succeed or die."
Ranking System:
• White Mask – The lowest rank, reserved for new recruits.
• Bronze Mask – Low-tier disciples.
• Silver Mask – Intermediate members.
• Black Mask – Also known as Death Bringers.
• Gold Mask – The Golden Guides, high-ranking officers.
• Red Mask – The Five Lords, the club's most feared assassins.
• Diamond Mask – The highest rank, worn only by the club's mysterious Chief.
The true controllers of the organization are the Five Lords, who wear red masks. They operate from the shadows, their power and influence stretching far beyond what is publicly known.
A single Red Mask Lord once solo-cleared a DX-8.5 dungeon with minimal injuries... a feat never before recorded.
Destroying one of their bases such as the Dark Avengers Club does nothing to weaken their foundation. Their true headquarters remains unknown, shrouded in secrecy.
A recent rumor suggests that the Diamond Mask Master is searching for a successor and has crafted a powerful artifact to bestow upon them... but this claim remains unverified.
At the bottom of the page, a disclaimer appeared:
Note: Information is not 100% confirmed and may contain rumors. ~Anonymous
Morca read through the information carefully. At first, he was surprised. Then, awe. Then... shock.
Even if part of this was just speculation, the possibility of it being true was dangerously high.
His lips curled into a strange smile.
"I was standing in the lion's den without even knowing it."
If the Dark Avengers Club was truly as powerful as described, he had unknowingly walked straight into their grasp. And yet, he had emerged unscathed.
"Almost got myself killed without realizing it," he thought grimly.
But then, a realization struck him.
Which of the Red Mask Lords had handed him the Crimson-Black Mask?
And what about the referee from the initiation trial? That man had clearly worked under the same lord, which explained how Morca had managed to escape so seamlessly.
"Could it be...?"
His smirk deepened.
Who, other than the leader himself, could command one of the five deadliest assassins in the world?
---
Setting aside his thoughts, Morca closed the AI Network. He tapped his storage ring, and a massive, green-scaled Snakeman materialized on the floor. (This was the Dungeon Boss he had slain inside the DX-1.5 dungeon.)
He recalled that the monster had been guarding an object, but when it realized it couldn't win against him, it had swallowed the item and attempted to escape.
"We all know how that ended," he thought, smirking.
He summoned his blade, its cold steel gleaming under the room's dim light, and swiftly sliced open the monster's abdomen.
With a wet, sickening sound, a strange object fell onto the floor.
Morca stepped closer, his expression shifting to one of curiosity as he examined it.
The object was pitch black, smooth to the touch, and emitted a faint, ominous glow. Dark mist seeped from its surface, filling the air with an unsettling presence.
Even without being told, Morca knew... this was a Dark Element artifact.
The moment his fingers brushed against it, a system notification popped up:
-----
[System Notification]
6-Star Dark Oak Poison Crystal Detected, Little use for Host. Great value for practitioners of Dark Poison Techniques
-----
Morca raised an eyebrow.
"A 6-star artifact?" He whistled lowly.
He hadn't even realized he had obtained something so valuable.
"Looks like I just made a fortune without even knowing it," he mused, carefully placing the Dark Oak Poison Crystal inside a secure storage box before sealing it in his storage ring.
With everything else out of the way, Morca finally turned his attention back to cultivation.
His expression sharpened with determination.
"It's time to go through the cultivation technique."
His ambition burned like a wildfire. He had only one goal–
To reach the peak of power.
Anything that could bring him closer to that goal, he would pursue without hesitation.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he held the cold metallic card in his hands, closed his eyes, and began.