I stared at the woman walking ahead of me.

Her steps were soundless. Watching her back, it seemed as though faint afterimages trailed behind her.

I recognized the technique. It was something I couldn’t yet replicate as someone who had learned form but couldn’t wield internal energy.

The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art’s footwork—Ghostly Phantom Steps.

To keep up with her light steps, I had to exert myself fully.

"Where are we headed?"

"A nest."

"A nest, meaning..."

"Your dwelling."

She answered every question I asked, her tone curt but precise. Her cold voice reminded me of Ilma, but her actions were entirely different.

Where Ilma had a sharp but caring approach, this woman seemed to have built an impenetrable wall between us.

It was clear she had no interest in me whatsoever.

"Here."

Beneath a rocky crevice lay what she referred to as a "nest." The only thing there was a single piece of fabric, its origin unknown.

She extinguished her torch and crawled into the fabric-covered space. Aside from that, there was nothing but a desolate emptiness around us.

"In the Demonic Valley, there’s only one moment each day when sunlight filters in. That’s the time for roll call, to confirm who’s still alive. During that time, you must be at your nest. Missing roll call for one day is fine, but if you’re absent for two consecutive days, you’ll be declared dead. Even if you’re alive, a replacement will take your spot, and you’ll be permanently trapped here."

"And the rest of the time...?"

"That’s all I’ll tell you. The location of the nest and roll call rules. Don’t use torches. Light is forbidden here. I only allowed it now as an exception, but personal use is prohibited.

"Don’t try to leave the Demonic Valley. They’ll kill you."

Her gaze drifted off me as if I no longer existed.

"The rest is up to you."

Shifting around, she settled into a sitting position and fell asleep.

The sound of her steady breathing filled the silence. I fiddled with my sword and stood up.

The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art. I’d heard that mastering its first form was necessary to learn the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword.

For now, this sword was just an accessory. My only reliable weapon was my unarmed combat skills.

My stomach growled. I had brought nothing with me and had been thrown into the Demonic Valley with nothing but my body.

For a moment, I considered waking her but dismissed the thought. Her aura felt... wrong. I had the distinct feeling that if I so much as touched her, my entire arm would shatter.

Waking her wouldn’t be wise. Even if I did, there was no guarantee she would teach me anything.

I had already been warned that most deaths here came at the hands of "allies."

First things first: securing the essentials.

Water and food.

The Demonic Valley.

The dark valley was shrouded in shadows, with most of it completely out of sight. But it wasn’t entirely pitch-black.

Here and there along the path were dimly glowing orbs, scattered just enough to mark a trail leading back to the nests.

The real challenge lay beyond that.

Other presences moved in the darkness. Occasionally, figures in black clothing passed by. Though we exchanged glances at times, no words were spoken.

Even through their attire, I could feel the hostility radiating from them. If malice could be seen, it would have been coiled around them like a suffocating aura.

Trying to strike up a conversation felt like inviting an attack. I held my tongue, understanding this much without needing to guess.

Everyone here regarded the others as competitors.

Why?

The sunlight broke through for a fleeting moment, briefly illuminating the Demonic Valley. Shapes and forms came into view for an instant, only to disappear again. From my nest, I watched as a light approached.

"Number Twenty-Nine, Number Thirty. Presence confirmed."

A figure scribbled something onto a piece of paper and walked past us. Since I was Number Thirty, the woman next to me must be Number Twenty-Nine.

The numbers on our backs were the only things that identified us.

She rubbed her eyes and stood up. Just as I was about to speak, she disappeared with a soft whoosh.

The flawless execution of the Ghostly Phantom Steps.

She vanished so swiftly it was as if she had been snuffed out. The surrounding darkness only made her movements seem more surreal.

Clutching my growling stomach, I rose to my feet. Since she had moved, I assumed I could as well.

One day.

I wouldn’t waste the single day I’d been given.

As soon as roll call ended, I followed the others into the darkness. I could barely see, but vague shapes began to form, and my fingertips occasionally brushed against something.

My first task was to adjust to the darkness. I strained my eyes to pierce through it, but when that failed, I relied on the sensations at my fingertips.

Groping my way forward, I caught faint snippets of derisive laughter.

"A pitiful one has entered."

"Can’t even use internal energy to see in the dark?"

"He’ll starve to death in three days."

I tried to draw on my internal energy as they mocked me, but the Heavenly Tribulation immediately rebelled, flooding me with unbearable pain.

Choking on my screams, I collapsed. But moments later, I stood back up.

It was fine. Now I knew what didn’t work.

Having learned that, I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.

Hearing movement nearby, I staggered toward the sound. Something brushed against my forehead, and I flinched before realizing it was a plant’s leaf.

"...Is someone there?"

The presence hesitated. For a moment, it felt like they were staring at me, but then they moved away.

This happened several times. Some of them even threatened me.

"This spot is mine. Come closer, and I’ll kill you."

"...What’s there?"

"I won’t warn you twice."

No one answered my questions fully. It was clear I had to fend for myself.

I felt along the ground until my damp fingers brushed against something. I brought it back to the glow of the orbs and realized it was moss.

That night, my first meal in the Demonic Valley was a strange-colored moss. Its taste was as odd as its appearance, and it reeked of decay, but I had no choice.

Chewing the moss, I recalled the image of the Heavenly Demon.

How long would I have to endure here to become like her?

I steeled myself. I had found one thing today. Tomorrow, I would find two.

I resolved to keep moving forward. To resist the pull of helplessness.

This was different from the days I had scraped by, living for survival alone.

Now, I was living by my own will.

***

Number Twenty-Nine pulled the thin sheet over her body.

It was a flimsy fabric that barely kept out the chill, not particularly useful, but better than nothing. The comfort it offered wasn’t merely physical—it suppressed the memories that crept up from deep within her mind.

Someday, when she left this place, she resolved to wrap herself in a warm blanket. One that could banish every ounce of cold.

Number Twenty-Nine glanced to her side. The other half of the nest was empty. Despite roll call approaching, Number Thirty had not returned.

From the beginning, he was weak. He had no discernible internal energy, and his movements were clumsy at best.

Perhaps hunger had driven him too deep into the Demonic Valley. For a beginner, the valley’s depths were nothing short of hell. He was likely poisoned or injured and had already succumbed to death.

She turned away. His situation or circumstances didn’t concern her. In this place, no one in the Blood Demon Unit cared about anyone else.

It was a place where even taking care of oneself was a struggle. To survive, one had to grow stronger, and the stronger one became, the deeper they had to venture into the valley.

If not, they would remain trapped here forever.

The only way to break this wretched cycle was to grow stronger by devouring more powerful beasts.

If there was a hell on earth, this was it.

Number Twenty-Nine fiddled with her wrist. She prayed for a mission to come soon, so she could leave this accursed place, even if only for a while.

Solve one thing, then the next.

Perhaps by solving enough, she would eventually reach the end. Maybe she could ascend beyond the Blood Demon Unit. Beyond the Demonic Valley to a comfortable home where she wouldn’t have to eat snakes or wild beasts raw to survive.

The light of a torch flickered across her face. A voice droned emotionlessly.

"Number Twenty-Nine, confirmed alive. Number Thirty, status unknown."

With roll call over, Number Twenty-Nine stood up. She needed to train with her sword and find food and water.

Water required finding small puddles. Beasts, if left uneaten for more than a day, filled the air with a putrid stench. There was no such thing as "proper provisions" here. Survival meant constant movement.

Number Twenty-Nine ventured deeper into the valley to hunt. The further she went, the denser the ominous energy and the more formidable the beasts became.

When all the beasts she couldn’t eat disappeared from the Demonic Valley...

That would be the day she could escape.

Escape this hell.

After spending a full day in the darkness, I managed to piece together a few key observations.

The sound of water often indicated the presence of puddles. Though I couldn’t be sure of their quality, they could at least wet my throat.

The puddles seemed to flow continuously, but they were scarce. Those near the nests were mostly claimed by others.

If I wanted to survive, I had to venture deeper into the valley. Yet the deeper I went, the more unsettling presences brushed past my senses.

Something was in there.

Instinctively, I chose to move away from the sounds.

The only things I could consume were moss and water. Sometimes, I heard the sounds of others eating nearby, but when I approached, all I received were threats.

"That’s mine. Come closer, and I’ll kill you."

"What’s there?"

"I won’t warn you again."

No one answered my questions. It became clear that I had to fend for myself.

Feeling around on the ground, my hands touched something damp. When I brought it back to the faint light of a glowing orb, I discovered it was moss.

My first meal that night was this strange-colored moss. It tasted as odd as it looked, with a rancid odor to match, but I had no other options.

As I chewed, I thought of the Heavenly Demon.

How long would I have to endure here to become like her?

I steeled myself. Finding one thing today meant I could find two things tomorrow.

Keep moving forward. Resist despair.

This was not like the days when I lived solely to scrape by.

Now, I was living by my own will.

Surprisingly, moss turned out to be quite nutritious. While it was filled with impurities, it wasn’t entirely indigestible.

But most importantly, the Heavenly Tribulation.

For some reason, the moss triggered a reaction within it.

The Heavenly Tribulation squirmed within my veins, digging deeper into my body. It filtered out the impurities and expelled any toxins.

The Heavenly Tribulation was a source of excruciating pain, yet it was also incredibly useful. Unlike others who writhed in agony after consuming moss, I experienced no ill effects.

It was as though it refused to tolerate any poison that wasn’t its own.

Realizing I could consume moss in large quantities without harm, I knew my focus should be clear.

Train the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.

In an empty clearing, I swung my fists, kicked at trees, and occasionally leaped into the air.

I practiced the Ghostly Phantom Steps consistently and never missed roll call.

Number Twenty-Nine often looked at me with an odd expression, as though she couldn’t believe someone she thought dead had returned.

I didn’t care. I focused on what I needed to do.

The punches I threw began to produce faint sounds. My body, once wracked with pain, adapted further. The first form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art grew more natural to me.

Though I still lacked internal energy, I didn’t give up. I hung from tree branches, training my abs while forcing myself to adjust to the darkness.

Gradually, the valley’s shape became clearer to me. Even without internal energy, my sharpened senses allowed me to gather more information.

Two months.

A short but transformative period.

As I was hanging from a branch, strengthening my core, an unbearable pain suddenly pierced through my body.

I fell from the branch, rolling on the ground, and it wasn’t until the pain subsided that I could finally catch my breath.

What was that?

I didn’t have to wonder for long.

Deep within me, I saw something dark and writhing.

"...Ah!"

The Heavenly Tribulation.

At last, it had fully taken root within me, spreading through every vein like black tree roots.

And with its excruciating pain, it delivered a gift.

A small, pulsating crimson mass.

Over two months in the Demonic Valley, I finally gained the ability to accumulate internal energy through the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.