Chapter 43 Path Of Fire & Blood

Words : 674 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

*** {Outside The Projection} The projection flickered, showing Malik standing tall, a new aura around him. Everyone in the room was watching closely, but it was clear they were all a little lost. "...What does that mean?" Another of the younger guild members quickly followed up: "Not everyone here knows the old language... someone wanna explain?" The hall shifted, most of the crowd looking for an answer. Azeem stood up, letting out a quiet sigh as he turned to face them, his gold obnoxiously jingling. "Alright, alright, as you've heard, his Divine Essence is called Jahannam." Seeing as none of the elders bothered explaining, he decided to be the one who'd clear this up. "In the old tongue—it means Hell. Yeah, Hell. The same one we know. A place of torment, fire, suffering." He paused a little to let that sink in. "...It's a place where you get broken down to nothing, only to rise again. Reborn in a way." Azeem kept going, his tone a little more tense now. "The Sultan's been through his own Hell—literally. But it isn't just about the suffering; it's also about burning away everything that isn't strong enough to survive. It's why he became the way he is." He looked back at the projection. "The fire... it changes you." *** {Inside The Projection} It felt like it shouldn't make sense, at least not completely; something was off, paradoxical. But to Malik, it was perfect. Jahannam. That name—it was him. Fire. Pain. Power. Every internal scar, every death, every agonizing blink—it was all there, burning in the flame. This was his soul, untamed, bright, and fierce. And he liked it. Not just a little, either. To the point that a smile nearly made it on his face. Yet, before it could, the sting of Sinbad's death came back. His "little brother." That pain was fresh, and his heart never once stopped aching from it. The golden fire burning inside him felt right, sure. But it wasn't enough. Something caught his attention far north of where he was, past the river. Ghabeh. Some fantastical mushroom forest—yes, a whole forest made up of towering mushrooms. The drawings showed them to be as massive as the trees around him. Apparently, this was a "beginner zone." The safe area for noobs like him when they first entered the First Layer. "Those fuckers..." Malik's hand tightened on the edge of the journal as he stared at the mark for the camp, rage bubbling up in his chest. That was where Rafiq's group was holed up, using one of the mushrooms as shelter. Eating, sleeping, laughing. While their man had done— Malik slammed the journal shut, cutting off the thought before it could spiral. He didn't need to picture it again. "I don't know how long it'd take me..." He looked outside the cave, his eyes directed towards the river behind the hills. "But I'll end all your sorry lives." His eyes glowed a bright gold. Malik would burn the entirety of the first layer down if he had to. Althawul, the mushroom forest, the lighthouse, everything. "I swear it." *** {Outside The Projection} "There we go." "It begins." "Indeed it does..." A variation of those words rippled through the crowd. Before, they'd seen him change—seen flashes of the Sultan they knew. But now? Now it was more than just that. Malik began walking the path of blood, something which, to their knowledge, he hadn't walked before that point in time. It was a complete change of mentality. Still, none of those watching were dumb enough to think this meant smooth sailing for him. Not by a long shot. But what they did know was that whatever came next... Malik wouldn't apologize for it. He'd suffer, sure. But he wouldn't cry. He wouldn't beg. He wouldn't fear. Malik would simply act. And he'd keep walking his path of fire and blood.

Chapter 43 Path Of Fire &amp; Blood

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Chapter 43 Path Of Fire & Blood