Chapter 56: Chapter 50: Ryeong
A/N:
Warning: This Chapter contains graphic content that involves coercion, child abuse, and animal sacrifice.
I do not endorse or promote abuse of any kind, be it mental, physical or sexual on anybody regardless of age, gender, or affiliation.
Do not forget that this is just a dark fantasy novel and even here, abuse is not cool.
You have been warned.
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The manifestation appeared behind him. The trio looked at him with a solemn face. They walked to the Totem while dragging their beasts behind them. It was getting cramped in the cave but that would be over soon. He didn’t move from his place and said, "You may begin."
He gave them a stone knife with strange runes drawn with blood on it. He had created it to be used as a ceremonial knife. The trio nodded and started chanting at the same time. "Oh One who exists outside of Heaven and Hell. Hunter of Demons and Angels. Creator and Destroyer of Myriad Races. Master of Rebirth. Reacher of Untold Planes. Seeker of Lost Knowledge. Beast of Battle. Dominator of Emotions. Ruler of the Celestial Sky. Oh Asuran Star of the Gemini Primogenitors, we call upon you today.
We are lost, for we have neither identity nor a home. In this world filled with darkness, the sun, moon, and stars are our only guide. We seek asylum in your benevolent arms. We beg you to accept our faith and let us live as your faithful believers. As proof of our faith, we sacrifice these beasts to you."
As they said this, they bit the tip of their fingers. With the blood, they drew the Totem on the beasts’ foreheads. They really were sincere. All of them were orphans and had been exploited no matter where they were.
Whether it be the streets, or the cavern. Even if they were fed in the cavern, they had done and seen things that no kid their age could even dream of. They wanted to belong somewhere.
When they were done with the drawing, Rank 9 stepped forward. Rank 5 and Rank 2 backed up a bit. Rank 9 dragged the tiger forward, with its face towards the Totem. He held its lower jaw and pulled it up, exposing its neck.
He held the ceremonial knife with his other hand and slit the tiger’s throat. Blood started flowing from the wound into the totem, slowly filling the carvings. He handed the knife to Rank 2 and stepped aside before kneeling towards the Totem. Rank 2 and Rank 5 proceeded to do the same with their beasts.
As they were kneeling, the blood from the beasts fully filled the Totem. The Totem on the ground started glowing in a bloody light. The Totems on the beasts’ foreheads also started glowing, as if resonating with the one on the ground.
Their bodies started melting into the Totem on the ground. When their bodies disappeared completely, the Totem on the ground seemed to come alive. A blood red Totem rose from the ground, phasing through Zeke and started floating above him.
Something came over Zeke as his eyes started glowing. Although it was faint, if one were to look carefully, they would see hints of purple and gold in his eyes.
He spoke in a deep commanding voice, "This seat is satisfied with your determination to become my believers. You said that you had no identity so I will give you one. You said that you had no home so I will build one for you. You are my first children in this world and you will be treated as such. My children, look at me."
As the trio looked up, they no longer saw Zeke and only saw the manifestation. The manifestation looked at Rank 9 and said, "Since you sacrificed a white tiger to me and have survived hell at such a young age, I acknowledge your ferocity and name you Ma Bum-Wang."
He then looked at Rank 2 and said, "Since you sacrificed a 12 horned stag to me and have survived hell at such a young age, I acknowledge your elegance and name you Ma Woo-Yeowang."
He finally looked at Rank 5 and said, "Since you sacrificed a grizzly bear to me and have survived hell at such a young age, I acknowledge your strength and name you Ma Woong-Wang."
Three bloody lights shot out of the floating Totem and entered their bodies. The trio suddenly felt a piercing pain and fainted. The Totem above Zeke started shrinking until it reached the size of a ring. It shot towards his solar plexus and Zeke felt a familiar burning sensation. He looked at his chest and saw that he had regained his Totem.
The Totem was pulsating and Zeke could feel that the Totem was establishing a connection with somewhere very far away. An hour later, the connection solidified. The connection was weak, but stable. It was the Aurevion Pantheon.
The connection was too weak for him to communicate with Cass but as long as he gathered faith in this world, he would be able to strengthen it. The trio started waking up. The manifestation had long disappeared, so when they woke up they saw Zeke. Zeke looked at them and asked, "How do you feel?"
He asked this because the bloody light that had shot into their bodies wasn’t something he had planned. The chant was just used to arouse their faith and nothing else. He was curious as something had actually happened. He didn’t plan to name them either. It just happened. He could also feel a connection with them.
"I feel good. So good that I want to roar. And I don’t know why but I kinda look down on them. It’s like an instinct that I’m superior to them", said Rank 2, no, Bum-Wang while pointing at his teammates.
Woo-Yeowang said, "I also feel great. But I keep getting the urge to destroy something. And I have the same feeling as Bum-Wang."
Woong-Wang yawned and said, "I want to sleep but I feel good otherwise. It’s just that two flies keep buzzing around so I can’t"
Zeke thought, ’Did the ritual have some side effects?’
The ritual had taken some time so it was now already morning. Zeke looked at all of them and realized that all of the people present were stinking. Maybe it was because of the hunting or something else but they needed a bath. He said, "We need to take a bath. After we return, we will build the shelter."
Rank 5 said, "What should we call you, Rank 1?"
Zeke started thinking, ’A name like Ezekiel won’t make sense here. I need a name that invokes power. Hmm...what about Dragon? Dragons represent the epitome of strength and status in Murim. Dragon it is then.And it’s better if I choose the same surname as the other three. So my name in Murim is...’
Zeke said, "Ryeong. Ma Ryeong."
Bum said, "It suits you."
The other two also nodded. They felt like Ma Ryeong was the only name worthy of Rank 1. Zeke continued, "I, Bum, and Woong will go and take a bath in the river first. Woo, you can go after we return. The trio nodded.
The boys then left for the river. After reaching the river banks, Zeke jumped in the river. Bum and Woong took off their shirts and were about to jump into the river too but were shocked by each other’s bodies.
Zeke looked back when he heard them exclaiming. And then he saw it. The reason why they were so shocked. A tiger with two horns, six wings, and a long tail was tattooed. On Woong’s body, a bear with a fat body, long and sharp claws, and burning eyes was tattooed.
He thought, ’What the hell? Is that...the Sky Tiger? And the Infernal Slumbering Bear? Why are they tattooed on their bodies? Does Woo also have a tattoo? She sacrificed a stag, and if I follow the examples then...’
Zeke said while pointing at the tattoos, "You guys take a bath first. Fast. Then we’ll discuss those."
The duo nodded and jumped into the water. They copied what Zeke was doing and scrubbed their bodies. Once they were done bathing, they returned to the cave. Zeke looked at Woo and said, "When you bathe, you may find a strange tattoo on your body. Don’t panic. It’s a gift."
Woo looked confused at first and then nodded her head. Then she went to take a bath. She returned in half an hour.
Zeke looked at her and asked, "So, do you have a tattoo on your body too?"
Woo nodded. She said, "It’s a stag with 18 horns and thunder and fire clouds on its ankles."
Zeke was stunned. A stag with 18 horns and thunder and fire clouds on its ankles? Wasn’t that the Stag of Calamity? He needed to seriously research this. The Sky Tiger, Infernal Slumbering Bear, and the Stag of Calamity were Divine Beasts in Murim that died long before humans were born.
The tiger that challenged the heavens because ruling land wasn’t enough. The bear that destroyed hell because it somehow disturbed its sleep.
And the stag that was also called Heaven’s Judgment, as it was accompanied by clouds of lightning and fire wherever it went. Their legends still existed only because of the Spirit Beast Clans that are said to be their descendants.
If these tattoos really were what he thought they were, then he needed to change his plans.
