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**

I gazed at the back of the woman walking ahead of me.

Her steps made no sound. Looking at her back, it almost seemed like a light apparition was formed.

I knew that form. It was something I couldn’t do right now, unable to wield my inner energy.

The footwork of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.

Ghostly Spirit Step.

To follow her light footsteps, I had to do my utmost.

“Where are we heading?”

“To the Nest.”

“The Nest…?”

“Your dwelling.”

Her answers seemed curt, yet she responded fully to my inquiries. Although her voice was cold, it reminded me of Ilma, her demeanor felt entirely different.

If Ilma was someone who fussed over others while being slightly prickly, the woman before me gave off the impression of a wall being built from the very start.

I could distinctly feel that she had no interest in me.

“Here.”

Underneath a crevice, there was a place called the ‘Nest.’ All that was spread out was one piece of cloth, whose origins were unknown.

She extinguished the torch. Crawling inside the cloth, she disappeared into it. Nothing else was around; the surroundings were desolately barren.

“Demon Valley only lets the sunlight in once a day. It’s a time to check on survivors, so during that time, you must be in the Nest. One day is fine, but if you miss two consecutive check-ins, consider yourself dead. Once dead, even if you are alive, new members will come in. Then you won’t have a place here, and you’ll be trapped in this place forever.”

“What about the rest of the time…?”

“That’s all I will tell you. The location of the Nest. The roll call time. Don’t use the torch. You can’t use light here. I only attached it for your safety; private use is forbidden. You can’t go outside the Demon Valley either. They will kill you.”

Her gaze shifted away from me abruptly.

“The rest is up to you.”

She fidgeted a bit, then sat down and fell asleep.

With her soft snoring filling the air, I got up and fumbled with my sword. The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique. I had heard that to learn the sword of that name, ‘Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword,’ one must at least grasp the first form of this martial art.

Thus, for now, this sword was merely decorative. My only reliance was on my physical skills.

My stomach growled. I had nothing with me and had fallen into this Demon Valley utterly unarmed.

I thought about waking her up, but that notion quickly faded. The very act of doing so felt strange. The moment I laid a hand on her, I feared my entire arm would shatter.

Waking her up probably wasn’t the right thing to do. Even if I did, there was no guarantee she would teach me anything.

I’d heard that most deaths here came from ‘allies.’

First, let’s secure the essentials.

Fresh water and food.

The most vital things that I couldn’t do without.

…

Demon Valley.

Inside the dark gorge, light didn’t reach, rendering most of it unseen. However, that didn’t mean everything was completely shrouded in darkness.

I could spot a few luminescent herbs scattered along the path. They weren’t bright, but they helped me find my way to the Nest.

What mattered was beyond that.

I could hear movements elsewhere. A few figures in black garb flitted by. Occasionally, our eyes met, but conversations didn’t occur.

Even under their clothing, one could feel the air thick with aura. If venom could be seen, it would surely be swirling around them.

The atmosphere suggested that even a slight word could lead to blows. I kept quiet. Even without a keen sense, I could grasp that much.

They all regarded each other as rivals.

But what was the reason?

Sunlight broke through. For just a moment, the shapes of everything in the Demon Valley revealed themselves. I saw the fleeting light pass me by in the Nest.

“Twenty-Nine, Thirty. Survivor confirmation.”

A group passing by wrote something on paper. I was Thirty, and the woman beside me was named Twenty-Nine.

The numbers on our backs were the only indicators that separated us. As she rubbed her eyes, she rose suddenly, only to vanish with a ‘whoosh’ sound.

The elusive Ghostly Spirit Step. The person appeared as if they had been snuffed out in an instant. Perhaps it was worse in the darkness, making it all the more pronounced.

With my growling stomach, I got up. Since she moved, I figured I could move as well.

A day.

I had no intention of spending that one day meaninglessly.

As the roll call ended, I followed the others diving into the darkness. Almost nothing was visible, but faint shapes emerged, and occasionally, I could feel something brush against my fingertips.

My first priority was to grow accustomed to the darkness. I strained my eyes to pierce through it, but visibility was poor, and I had to rely on the sensations in my fingertips.

I stumbled forward. Someone’s derisive laughter streaked past me.

“A pitiful one has entered.”

“Can’t even use inner energy, huh? Can’t even see in the dark?”

“Seems you’ll starve within three days.”

Trying to raise my inner energy in response to their taunts backfired.

Only agonizing pain from Cheongeop assaulted me.

I gasped and cried out. But the next moment, I stood up again.

It’s fine. Haven’t I confirmed what cannot be done?

Now that I’ve seen what I have, I simply must avoid making the same mistake again.

I sensed movement passing beside me. I reached out, groping in that direction. I bumped into something on my forehead. I flinched for a moment but soon realized it was a plant’s leaf.

“…Is anyone there?”

The presence hesitated. After a moment of glaring at me, it drifted away. Several instances followed; some threatened me.

“What’s here is mine. Get too close, and I’ll kill you.”

“…What’s there?”

“I won’t warn you twice.”

No one fully answered my question. I had to survive on my own in the end.

I felt along the ground. My damp fingertips caught something. When I returned to check what I had found near the luminous herb, I discovered it was moss.

My first meal of the night was oddly colored moss. It tasted peculiar, and the smell was reminiscent of decay, but I had no other options.

I recalled the Heavenly Demon’s appearance as I chewed on the moss.

How long would it take to become like her?

I consoled myself. Now that I’ve found one, tomorrow I just need to find two.

Let’s keep moving steadily. Don’t be led into despair.

It’s different from the days spent dragging myself through life.

Am I not living now by my own will?

…

Twenty-Nine pulled up the cloth.

An item that could at least block the minimum chill. It wasn’t particularly useful, but it was better than nothing.

It wasn’t just about blocking the cold. Having something on my body suppressed the memories that bubbled up from deep within.

When I leave this place, I’ll cover myself with a warmer blanket.

So that all the cold can flee.

Twenty-Nine glanced sideways. In the empty parts of the Nest, no one else was around. Despite the roll call returning soon, Thirty hadn’t come back.

He was a weakling to begin with. There was no sense of inner energy from him, and his steps were pitiful.

Maybe he couldn’t handle hunger and ventured too deep into the valley. Inside lay a hell for beginners. He probably suffered horribly from the venom and died.

Twenty-Nine turned away. His condition or circumstances were of no concern to her. In the Demon Valley, no one paid heed to others.

This was a place where it was difficult to even take care of oneself. To survive, one must grow strong, and the stronger one becomes, the deeper they must venture into the valley.

Otherwise, they’ll just remain trapped here.

The only way to break this vicious cycle was to consume a stronger beast and grow stronger themselves.

“……”

If there is a hell on earth, then this is it. Twenty-Nine fiddled with her wrist.

She hoped fervently that she would receive a mission soon. Only then could she briefly escape this miserable place.

Let’s solve one problem, then tackle the next.

By resolving one issue, surely I’ll reach the end. And who knows, maybe I’ll rise beyond the Demon Valley.

To a place beyond the valley where a comfy home awaits. A warm place where I don’t have to tear apart snakes or beasts while they’re still alive.

“…….”

A light brushed past my face. Someone who always recorded the signs of survival muttered with indifference.

“Twenty-Nine confirmed alive. Thirty’s survival uncertain.”

As the roll call finished, Twenty-Nine also got up. Along with training my swordsmanship, I had to secure food and water.

To drink, I needed to find a small puddle, and the smell from a beast hunted more than a day ago lingered in the air. Since there were no proper ‘goods’ here, I had to keep moving to survive.

Twenty-Nine pressed deeper in to hunt a beast. The miasma thickened, and the dampness increased as the beasts of this valley grew stronger.

If all the beasts that couldn’t be eaten in this valley disappeared…

Then I could leave.

From this hell.

…

After a full day spent in darkness, a few truths dawned on me.

Wherever I heard water, there was a puddle. I couldn’t verify the quality, but I could wet my lips.

The puddle seemed to keep flowing continuously. However, there weren’t many of them. Most places close to the Nest were occupied by other humans.

To survive, I had to delve further inside. But the deeper I went, the more strange presences brushed past my ears.

There was something inside.

Instinctively, I chose the path away from the sound.

The only things I could consume were moss and water. Occasionally, I could hear something chewing on nearby plants, but close by, only threatening voices echoed.

There was a limited amount of food available here. And the numbers seemed drastically lower than that of humans.

That’s probably why everyone’s on edge.

After wandering around for a day, I realized that there were surprisingly many people eating moss like me.

Surprisingly, the moss had plenty of nutrients. It was filled with impurities, but nothing I couldn’t digest.

Above all, Cheongeop.

Eating the moss strangely triggered a reaction.

The roots grew between my blood vessels, responding to the moss. It filtered out impurities and expelled toxic substances on its own.

Cheongeop was painful, but it was also useful. Unlike those who groaned in pain after eating the moss, I felt no abnormality.

As if it refused to acknowledge any weakness besides itself.

Now that I realized I could eat large amounts of moss without any issue, I knew one thing I needed to do here.

Practice the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.

In the vacant area devoid of people, I swung my fists. I kicked the tree and sometimes jumped over it.

I also practiced the Ghostly Spirit Step consistently. I didn’t forget to attend the roll call the next day.

Twenty-Nine looked at me with a strange expression, as if someone thought to be dead had returned.

I paid it no mind. I simply did my best at what I could do.

Soon, sounds began to emanate from my outstretched fists. The pain of my body contorting became more bearable, and the first form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique settled into my body.

While I still lacked inner energy, I didn’t give up. I hung from the branches, striving to adapt to the darkness every moment.

Gradually, I began to discern the shape of the interior of the valley. Even without inner energy, my eyes could pierce the darkness, bringing more information to me.

Two months.

A short yet not so short period.

As I hung from the branches, training my core, I suddenly felt an awful pain piercing deep within me. I fell from the branch and rolled for a while before I could finally take a sigh of relief after the passing discomfort.

What was it— I wondered momentarily.

I could see something dark swirling inside me.

“…Ah!”

Cheongeop.

It had finally rooted itself deep within my body. Like black tree roots, it permeated my blood vessels and offered me excruciating pain along with one gift.

A small, pulsing crimson mass.

After over two months since reaching the Demon Valley, I could finally accumulate inner energy through the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.

 

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