Kai stood in stunned silence.

Before him are three portals leading to distinct domains.

Beyond the left portal was a massive battlefield with a swirling black dust sweeping over the entire area. Swords, spears, and shields littered the ground in unnatural angles, while the dust swept against them hard, creating steel noises that sounded like the sound of weeping.

On the right portal, the land is a luminous, silken arch formed of living roses and myrtle

Soft golden light filtered through, exuding pleasing warmth that carried the scent of honey.

And for the center portal, it was the most eerie one.

It was an obsidian archway—that was wreathed in coils of black torch-smoke that twisted up like dying prayers. On either side, blood fell in a ceaseless curtain, slick and crimson, a deep veil that obscured whatever lay beyond, as through the threshold itself wept.

Above each portal, there was a notification.

One that tells Kai of the owner that owned the domain beyond it.

[Spirit of Violent Death]

[Goddess of Vengeance and Retribution]

[Spirit of Affection and Sexual Pleasure]

Kai was faced with three options, and he could only choose one.

Since he had been reading about the catalogue of Divine Bloodlines for years now, he knew each one of these entities. The Spirit of Violent Death is Ker—a death spirit that has powerful ties to the battlefield.

A ravenous dark-winged spirit with iron claws and sharp teeth, draped in a robe of blood.

She has a 7.5 rating by Lower Olympus.

Many people were interested in having her bloodline due to her very high combat prowess.

Goddess of Vengeance and Retribution is the title for the Furies.

Terrible in their beauty, these winged Goddesses smote mortals without any effort. They kept small snakes as companions, wept blood from divine eyes, and wielded scourges that could flay bodies and souls.

Lower Olympus gave them an 8.5 rating.

Kai didn’t know which of the three sisters this domain would lead to—but if he were to guess, then this portal would lead to either Alecto or Tisiphone. One represented endlessness, while the other represented bloody punishment.

Only a few wanted the divine bloodline of the Furies.

Though powerful and capable of granting terrifying abilities, the Supernals with the bloodline of the Furies often led miserable lives. Kai recalled an article he had read stating that the Furies demanded strict, unwavering conduct from their Supernals.

Perfect for those with fierce loyalty to good.

But among the three sisters, Megaera was truly insufferable.

She usually tempted the Supernals to break the strict code, making the Supernal unstable.

It’s not an ideal divine bloodline.

And lastly, the Spirit of Affection and Sexual Pleasure are titles that belonged to Philotes.

A graceful maiden spirit robed in sheer saffron and rose fabrics.

She has a 7.1 rating from Lower Olympus.

Even though Supernals with her bloodline barely has any power in combat, a good portion of women wanted to have her divine bloodline, as her power lies in the body. Not only would a Supernal of Philotes be extremely good in bed, but earning the Supernal’s love or desiring to protect the Supernal would give more strength to others.

A few articles also mentioned that the Supernal’s constitution can increase the talent of others.

Even though Supernals with her bloodline barely has any power in combat, a good portion of women desired her bloodline. Her power was of the body—intimacy, devotion, and the quiet gravity of love.

A perfect divine bloodline for those who don’t want to be on the battlefield.

A Supernal of Philotes could elevate pleasure in bed to a higher degree, but the true gift was her supporting power. Anyone who earned her love would have their body strengthened past the limit.

And those who desired to protect her would become temporarily stronger.

Some articles even insisted her constitution could increase another Supernal’s talent.

In combat, Supernals of Philotes are weak, but outside of it, they are extremely desirable.

Kai stared at three portals before him.

So, a main path is a path leading to a divine entity?

If Path alone is a way to a fraction of a divine entity’s power, such as Perion, who had a small portion of the God of Doom’s power—then a Main Path should be a way directly to the divine entities.

Just these portals alone made that clear already.

But how? Do their domains lie within the House of Night?

For the longest—Kai had been questioning how he could gain a fraction of power from other Gods when his Patron God was the Goddess of the Primordial Night. If he gained power, then it should be coming from her.

But that’s not the case.

And that made him wonder whether there are other divine entities in the House of Night.

Seems like there are.

Does that mean the Goddess of the Primordial Night is higher than the Olympian Gods?

Is that even possible?

Kai shook his head and decided to focus on the moment.

He quickly filtered out the portal to Philotes.

Even though Philotes has some useful abilities, most don’t suit Kai’s fighting style.

Next, Kai eliminated the portal belonging to Ker.

Choosing Ker meant ruin in battle, pure and simple. He could live with that. But the Furies—their rating was too exceptional to overlook. Power in combat was only half the equation. They were hunters of the highest order, and that kind of inevitability was priceless.

No prey has ever escaped the Furies, and that’s something Kai wanted.

Once he made the decision, the left and right portals evaporated.

Kai walked closer to the portal.

He reached out his hand to touch it, and then a notification appeared.

[You are choosing the Main Path: Goddesses of Vengeance and Retribution. Are you certain you are willing to pay a price this steep for power?]

At the sight of the notification, Kai hesitated.

Everyone knew that the Furies were vicious, especially toward those they deemed guilty. This notification wasn’t a formality. It was a warning. Perhaps from the Goddess herself, cautioning him against the weight of what he was about to choose.

Kai looked down at his feet.

He recalled what the academy made him do.

Recalled what the Chancellor said.

Recalled how he was too weak to even say anything in front of those with power.

His decision became rock solid. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If he wanted to tear down those who placed themselves above others. If he wanted to shatter the unfair system that favored the talented and crushed the weak. If he wanted his vengeance. If he wanted to kill the Demon Man, then this was the price.

And he would pay it.

What better aid could he get to achieve these things than the Furies?

Other than the Goddesses of Vengeance and Retribution?

Reacting to the decision inside his mind, a shockwave exploded from the portal.

Kai’s ears were immediately assaulted by the chorus of whipping cracks—and the screams of thousands in torment. Each cry was so raw, so saturated with deep agony, that he felt the pain echo through his own body as if the wounds were his.

Almost like he was the one who was being punished.

He could smell the thick scent of blood. Fresh blood. One that made him uneasy.

Something came out of the portal.

A leg came first—bare, long, with the skin of deep ash-grey of cold cinders.

Then the torso bowed through— draped in the heavy dark robe of a mourner. The fabric was slick and dripped with fresh blood. Crimson eyes met his, and Kai felt the stare hit like a blade between the ribs.

The thin rivulets of blood tears traced down her face, painting terrible lines across the ash skin.

His body froze when a hiss coiled through the air.

From within the woman’s long black hair, a serpent slithered into view, gliding through the dark locks like a creature swimming in a pool of pure blackness. Feathered wings rustled and half-spread behind her, and in one hand she held a scourge, soaked in red.

Its leather strands clotted with new gore, and swayed like it was alive.

And it stung anyone who looked at it for too long.

Once she stood before him fully, Kai realized he had to tilt his head back to look at her eyes.

She was at least nine feet tall. He was eye-level with her chest; his head barely reached the blood-slicked robe at her sternum. Looking up, Kai immediately recognized which one of the Furies this woman was.

Tisiphone—the one who avenges murders.

Many considered her to be the scariest one out of the Furies.

Kai held his ground, heart hammering, waiting to see if Tisiphone would recognize him—the First Son of the Primordial Night. She didn’t. Instead, she bent down, lowering her towering frame until those crimson eyes were level with his own.

Close enough to count the blood trails on her cheeks.

She stared into him and saw something more behind the blackness.

And Kai saw the weeping of countless souls inside her eyes.

Tisiphone pointed her index finger at Kai’s heart and then voiced out her decree.

"Guilty," She whispered with finality in her tone. "Mass murder."

As if she were verifying whether Kai was allowed to enter or not, Tisiphone made her decree and returned to the portal. Back to her domain. The portal swallowed her whole, but she couldn’t be seen beyond, like she simply disappeared.

Seconds later, the blood began to bleed outward from the archway.

It spilled out of the portal and began pooling on the stone of Perion’s domain.

An invitation for Kai to enter.

Kai could finally let out the breath he had been holding unconsciously.

Despite already meeting with the Goddess, he was still not used to meeting a divine being.

Especially one that could give him a taste of the underworld.

"Mass murder...? I’m not going to be tortured once I step inside, right?"

Kai smiled sheepishly and steadied his breath. Once he was ready, he stepped into the portal, hoping for the best. He appeared before the archway with a veil of blood flanking him, but his presence also brought along something else.

It was the night.

Darkness bursts from the portal, invading the domain of the Furies.

Kai looked around and watched the darkness covering the entire domain like ink against a crimson canvas. He thought once he entered, he would be utterly in the Furies’ mercy. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

As the First Son of the Primordial Night, he will never be alone.

Like a loyal companion, the night suppressed the domain’s power.

It only left behind the archway and the straight path ahead.

On the left side of the corridor stood what could only be a jail cell, flanked by two black torches that burned with dark, soundless flame. Kai felt it before he understood it—whatever power the Furies had to offer, it waited inside that cell.

But as soon as he took his first step, he understood what was going on.

Pain seared his back as he collapsed to the floor.