Chapter 98: Chapter 98: The Foundation

Adonis looked at all the faces of the recruits and spoke:

“I don’t think I need to introduce myself. But I shall definitely say a few words before we begin our grand quest.”

“First of all, all of you chose to come here on your own will. No one forced you. You came for different reasons. Power. Money. Revenge. Survival.”

“I don’t care about your reasons.”

“What matters is what you become from this point forward.”

Rai watched silently.

Valentina smiled faintly.

Adonis raised his hand.

And from his grasp, the Time Dilation Disk appeared.

The moment it manifested, the air itself seemed to tighten.

The recruits felt it. Something was different.

“This is the reason you’re here.” Adonis said, holding it up.

Murmurs spread among the young recruits:

“What could it be?”

“I have no idea. But our lord is really cool, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, he is dashing and handsome.”

Ignoring their whispers, Adonis continued,

“Inside this domain, time flows differently.”

Their attention focused on him instantly.

“While the outside world moves normally…”

“You will train here, grow, and break your limits. And when you step out…you will no longer be the same people who walked in.”

The recruits erupted at once:

“God! That’s definitely a legendary artifact. Where did our lord manage to get it?”

“Fuck. This is insane. We can grow faster than our peers.”

“I thought our lord was just a disgraced noble with abundant money to splurge, but this changes everything. He is really serious about us.”

“I wonder what kind of rewards I will get if I perform well.”

Meanwhile, Adonis lowered his hand.

“From this moment onward, you are no longer abandoned talents.”

“You are the foundation of the Shadow-Blood Legion.”

The air trembled slightly.

The moment Adonis finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the underground base shifted completely.

The hesitation in the recruits’ eyes slowly faded.

In its place, something new was born.

Hunger. Determination. And a burning desire to rise.

Adonis lowered his hand, and with a subtle motion, the Time Dilation Disk activated.

Buzz!

Immediately, a faint green light expanded outward, spreading across the entire underground facility.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Roman clock symbols rotated slowly in the air before dissolving into an invisible domain.

Nothing seemed to change at first. But soon they saw time moving super slowly outside the Time Domain.

Adonis turned his back to the group.

“Rai. Valentina.”

They stepped forward instinctively.

“Divide them,” Adonis commanded. “Based on their current level, talent, and Sword Soul compatibility.”

Rai nodded immediately, his earlier hesitation gone.

“Understood.”

Valentina’s crimson eyes gleamed with excitement.

“This is going to be fun, Adonis.”

Within minutes, the recruits were separated into groups.

Some had decent foundations. Some were completely raw.

But all of them had one thing in common: Potential.

—

The training began.

At first, chaos.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Clashing swords echoed through the underground hall. Footsteps thundered against the stone floor. Heavy breathing, frustrated groans, and sharp commands filled the air.

Rai took charge of one section.

“Your stance is wrong,” he snapped at a young swordsman. “If you can’t even stabilize your footing, you’ll never land a proper strike.”

The boy gritted his teeth and adjusted himself.

“Again,” Rai ordered.

Steel clashed.

“Again.”

“Again.”

“Again.”

Rai did not show mercy.

“Faster. Stronger. Sharper. If you hesitate, you will die.”

His tone was harsh but effective.

The recruits under him began improving rapidly.

On the other side, Valentina moved like a shadow.

Elegant.

Deadly.

She walked between her minions, her presence alone making them surrender.

“Relax your grip,” she said softly to one vampire girl. “A stiff hand leads to a slow blade.”

The girl swallowed nervously.

“Y-yes, my lady.”

Valentina suddenly moved.

In a single motion, she disarmed the girl and pressed a finger against her throat.

“Dead.”

The girl froze.

Valentina smiled. “You see?”

Her ruby eyes glowed with a mystical charm.

“You are alive because I allow it.”

Fear and Respect. Both grew instantly.

Her minions trained with unnatural intensity, driven by their blood connection to her.

At the center of it all stood Adonis.

He observed every movement, every flaw, every potential.

Occasionally, he stepped in.

A recruit lunged at him. Whoosh…

Adonis didn’t even move his feet. With a simple motion, he redirected the blade and knocked the boy down effortlessly.

“Your speed is lacking,” Adonis said calmly.

The boy gasped for breath, staring up at him in awe. “Yes, My Lord.”

“Good. Try it again.”

The boy stood up immediately. This time he was faster, stronger.

Yet, still not enough. Adonis corrected him again.

And again.

And again.

No one complained.

Because they could see it.

They were improving.

—

Time passed.

Inside the domain, hours stretched endlessly.

Sweat soaked their clothes. Their muscles screamed. Their hands trembled. But no one stopped.

Because everything they needed was here.

Food was provided at intervals. High-quality meals rich in nutrients. Clothing was replaced when torn or soaked. Weapons were repaired.

And most importantly…

Ether Cores.

Each recruit was given controlled access to them.

Energy flowed through their bodies, accelerating recovery and strengthening their foundations.

—

The results were terrifying.

What would normally take months was happening in hours.

Sword Arts became sharper. Movements became faster. Reactions became instinctive.

Rai noticed it first.

“This progress will incur all those top-notch Academies jealousy if they were to see this.”

He watched one of his recruits execute a clean thrust that would have been impossible for him just hours ago.

“They’re evolving too fast.”

Valentina licked her lips slightly, clearly enjoying the sight.

“This is what happens when time bends in your favor and when your master is a living God.”

—

At one point, Rai approached Adonis.

“Adonis, do you realize what you’re doing?”

Adonis glanced at him, smiling.

Rai continued, “We’ve trained nearly 60 hours inside, while outside only 3 hours had passed. If this continues…”

Adonis finished his sentence calmly, “We’ll have an army, right?”

Rai shook his head, “No. Not just an army. A terrifying army.”

—

Hours turned into what felt like days.

Fatigue still existed. Pain still existed.

But something stronger had replaced doubt.

Belief.

Each recruit began to understand that they were no longer abandoned. They were being reforged.

—

At the edge of the training ground, Adonis stood silently.

His golden eyes reflected the scene before him.

Clashing blades. Determined faces. Unyielding effort.

It was the birth of something dangerous.

His lips curved in an evil arc.

“Wait for me, mother dearest. I am going to destroy everything they had built on your corpse. Brick by brick. I am going to take every one of their lives, be it in the name of justice, or slaughter.”

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