Ren and Zuran were soon walking through a dark forest of red mist.
The pathways were covered with red, and so were the leaves of the trees that stood on each side. All identical.
The sky was red around the reddish moon, and it emitted red mist that filled the atmosphere.
Ren was creeped out by the sight, but this was exactly where his system had led him: The Red Moon Mountain.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[The beast babies are kept at the Red Moon Mountain.]
[Go there and retrieve them in 2 hours. Else you will meet an impending attack from Visitors.]
The system had said.
Ren didn't know what the deadline was for, or who these visitors were. But he didn't wish to take a chance. He had to accomplish this fast.
"Why are we here?" Zuran didn't seem to be asking where they were going. He was already aware, since he too had probably been here with the Demon God.
After all, he was part of the project.
"It's a surprise," Ren said as they moved. He could already feel his legs hurting from walking for so long. Zuran didn't ask any more questions.
They soon arrived at their destination: The Red Moon Mountain.
It stood before them, clouded in heavy red mist, the red moon hanging above it. Ren brushed his fan through the mist, and it cleared enough for them to see their way to the rocky body of the mountain.
They approached it as Ren brushed his hands over the rock. "What do we do now?"
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[To open a portal that will lead you into the mountain, you need to blend both your blood together to activate it.]
Ren blinked.
He hesitated after a moment of consideration. Then he used his fan to make a cut on his palm. Blood dripped out.
"What are you doing?" Zuran stared at him.
"Do it too," Ren stared back. "We have to open the portal."
Zuran stared at him for a while. "I knew you needed me for something. You couldn't have possibly saved me because you cared."
Ren bit his lower lip. He had nothing to say.
Zuran didn't protest. He took out his dagger and effortlessly cut through his palm as though he had been doing this forever—well, he technically had.
He spread out his bleeding palm as soon as he was done. Ren placed his bleeding palm over Zuran's and pressed his other palm against the rock.
The rock began vibrating, and soon a red, abyssal portal opened before them.
Ren smiled. "Got it."
The two of them made their way through and found themselves inside. They were standing in a cave room, one filled with ordinary-looking rocks and stones.
Zuran looked around as Ren stared at the cut on his own palm. All he had to do was stare at it, and the cut healed.
With a smile, he turned to Zuran, who was looking around the cave.
"Give me your hand." He took Zuran's hand in his.
Zuran flinched. "What are you doing? What do you want again? Another cut? More blood?" He seemed alert.
Ren smiled. "Shut up and just give it to me." Ren ran a finger over the cut and then leaned his lips closer to Zuran's palm. Ren blew some air onto it.
Purple sparkling dust spread through Zuran's fingers as his cut closed up completely without leaving a scar behind.
Zuran gasped. He couldn't help but stare at Ren, whose face was close to his palm. He couldn't help his fluttering heart, which skipped beats as the breeze brushed over his skin.
He was beyond confused and flustered while staring at Ren.
As Ren looked at where the cut had disappeared, he smiled. "That's more like it." And for a moment, he could have sworn he caught sight of a scar around Zuran's wrist.
"Did you hurt your wrist?" Ren asked as Zuran pulled his hand away.
"Did you get hurt?" Ren asked again.
"Master, I don't know what tricks you're playing this time, but you should stop," Zuran stared at Ren.
Ren scoffed. "You're no fun." He turned and looked through the cave. "We're married after all, so we should look after one another. Besides, we just went through the sacred ritual of mixing our blood. Isn't that authentic enough?"
"....."
Zuran said nothing.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Before getting to the dimension where the Essence Beast babies are stored, you have to get through some mini tasks.]
"Tasks?" Ren raised an eyebrow, staring at the blue screen.
Zuran stared at him and then at the thin air Ren was looking at. He saw nothing.
[Yes. There are 7 levels of tasks which you have to complete before proceeding. These 7 levels represent the seven deadly sins.]
[You have to successfully clear each level to proceed. These tasks, representing the seven deadly sins, are fueled by the emotions of your aid here, Zuran.]
[His emotions anchor the presence of these tasks, as the project was also established with his essence. Therefore, having his emotions intensified or reversed could play a part in failing or passing each task.]
Ren blinked blankly at the system. "Huh?"
The system filled him in on the necessary details and then proceeded to say:
[With that said and done, let's proceed to the first stage:]
[WRATH]
"Wait, what am I supposed to do—" Before Ren could even finish speaking, the ground began shaking.
Before they knew it, the cave changed. They weren't in a cave anymore, but in another dimension.
The scene was a land destroyed by fire. Ren couldn't tell if it was a village or what, but things lay shattered around the place, burnt down to flames that were still burning. Trees, huts, objects.
Ren stepped backward as he looked around. "Where the hell is this…?"
Just before he could collect himself, he heard a loud roar. Then some monsters appeared, flying toward him from a distance.
At a clear view, he could see them: red, medium-sized, Eastern-looking dragons flying toward him. Long bodies, tiny legs, like snakes. They had wings flapping hard through the air, and their eyes burned with flames.
They breathed fire each time they approached. And they looked really, really angry.
Ren panicked. "Didn't you say it was a mini task?! What is mini about this??"