Chapter 30 – A Rogue Offer
The grand chamber fell silent once more.
Jin stood alone near the center, his face unreadable, body bandaged beneath his robes, and the gaze of dozens fixed squarely on him. Sect elders, trial overseers, and fellow contestants had all gathered in the council hall for the final decision. The trial had concluded—but the outcome was far from ordinary.
"None of the sects wish to extend him an invitation?" came the sharp voice of Elder Moren.
The silence that followed was damning.
"He's unstable," muttered an elder from the Howling Storm Sect. "A threat."
"His dual affinity is impressive," added another from the Luminous Peak Sect. "But the uncontrolled manifestation of that power... We cannot risk it."
The three great southern sects—Blazing Phoenix Sect, Luminous Peak Sect, and Howling Storm Sect—each stood down.
It was a slap in the face.
Jin's fists tightened. He'd endured everything: betrayal, near death, exile, rebirth—and now, when he should have taken his next step, they rejected him out of fear.
The council moved to adjourn, elders already rising from their seats. It was done.
Or so they thought.
From the back of the hall, a calm voice rang out, soft yet clear.
"I'll take him."
All eyes turned.
A figure stepped through the massive carved doorway—an old man draped in a travel-worn grey robe, his long white beard swaying gently as he walked. There were no sect colors on his robes. No emblems. Just a plain bamboo staff and sharp, intelligent eyes.
The atmosphere shifted.
"Zarek..." someone whispered.
Jin's gaze narrowed. Who?
"Why are you here?" Elder Moren asked cautiously, not with anger—but with respect. Even fear.
"I was invited," the old man said, stepping fully into the room. "Though I was content just watching, I've changed my mind."
Zarek walked with slow, purposeful steps until he was beside Jin.
"He displayed dual affinities—earth and fire," Zarek said to the room. "With high-grade talent in both. That alone is enough to nurture. As for the... symbol he manifested, it is not his power to wield. At least not yet. It's more of a shield than a sword."
He glanced at Jin. "But a shield that saved his life during a trial designed to push talents to their limits? That's not something to ignore."
The elders remained silent. No one dared oppose him.
Zarek looked back at Jin. "I'm not offering you a comfortable path. I'm not offering you glory or safety. But I can give you the tools to survive and the strength to seize what you desire. If you're foolish enough to want revenge, you'll need far more than potential. You'll need refinement. Relentless refinement."
Jin stared at the man. There was no trace of false promises or flattery. No sect allegiance. Just truth, wrapped in an offer he couldn't ignore.
"Why me?" Jin asked, voice hoarse.
Zarek smiled faintly. "Because you've tasted the abyss and climbed back. That's a sign of someone worth forging."
There was no applause. No ceremony.
Just the weight of a single decision.
"I accept," Jin said.
The room remained silent as Zarek placed a hand on Jin's shoulder. "Then your training begins now."
As they turned to leave, whispers broke out behind them.
"Isn't he... Grandmaster level?"
"I thought he vanished decades ago."
"He's at the late stage... same as the sect heads..."
Zarek acted as if he heard none of it.
Jin, however, had heard everything.
Late-stage Grandmaster Realm? He glanced sideways at the old man walking beside him, wondering what sort of path he had just stepped into.
But he didn't waver.
He would grow stronger. Strong enough that when the day came to destroy Elder Varek, no one—not even a Grandmaster—would dare stand in his way.
The path ahead was dark, uncertain, and filled with monsters.
But so was Jin.