"Who are you?"

"It’s fine, Samhyeong. I’m—"

"I asked who you are."

He gasped for air, forcing a smile.

"When I first met you, Samhyeong, I had a thought. Even through the obscured hood, you seemed like someone I could talk to. You gave off that feeling."

"That’s not what I’m asking."

"Samhyeong, I’ve always been a bit of an oddball in the cult. No great talent, but always meddling in things. I made it into the Demonic Academy, but my grades were lackluster."

Seong Ja-myeong coughed up blood, a wet, gurgling sound mixing with the thick phlegm.

"If you can’t achieve greatness with a sword, then a disciple has no choice but to set it down. Become a merchant, a farmer, or maybe take on hired work. Sure, you can make money, but feeding three people with just one body isn’t easy, is it?"

"..."

"And so, after going around in circles, I ended up choosing this path. I barely passed and learned the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art. I didn’t delve deeply enough to call it mastery, but it was enough to qualify. I was sent to the Demonic Valley, and now here I am, in front of you."

Seong Ja-myeong closed his eyes.

"Samhyeong, can you hear the wind? My home was high up in barren lands. It was cold in the winter. Do you know how the cold seeps into your bones?"

"...I know."

"Good. I was a little worried since you’ve never talked about yourself. I wondered if you might have been from some rich family, unable to understand what I’m saying. But I’m relieved. If coincidence exists, this must be it."

His voice grew quieter.

"Samhyeong. Are you still there?"

"I’m here."

"Samhyeong, as I said earlier, you’re a rare kind of person in the cult. That’s why... I forced myself to talk to you. Do you know how long I searched for you, clutching that first snake I caught? Ha. Of course, it wasn’t out of love. That would be ridiculous. I just wanted to repay the favor. Others would draw their swords the moment I approached, but not you. That made me so happy. In a hell like this, to have someone you can open up to while chewing on poison-filled meat... isn’t that a blessing?"

"..."

"Samhyeong."

"Yes."

"Samhyeong... are you there?"

"I’m here."

I held his trembling hand, which was gradually growing still.

"Samhyeong. The Demonic Valley is so cold. But there’s no wind. It’s a shame. If only my soul could return home... but even that seems out of reach."

I removed my outer garment and draped it over him.

"...Ha. Samhyeong, you don’t have to take me so seriously."

"Who did this?"

"What does it matter, Samhyeong? I came here expecting death. Whether it’s a year from now or today, it doesn’t make much of a difference. But... but, you know..."

The grip on my hand tightened.

"It brought me so much joy to have someone like you here. Do you know how rare it is in the cult for kindness to be repaid with kindness?"

"...I don’t."

"Then remember it now. People are cunning creatures, Samhyeong. Don’t let them fool you. Samhyeong... you must..."

He pulled me closer, whispering in my ear.

"Survive... for both of us."

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I tried once more, only to stop. My lips trembled slightly, but I didn’t want him to hear my voice falter. I cleared my throat lightly.

"...Ja-myeong."

"...Yes, Samhyeong..."

"My name is Jeok Woon."

"...Ha... ha... What a... wonderful name..."

I whispered to him.

"I had a younger sister. She starved to death. But honestly, I wasn’t all that sad about it."

"...I see..."

"It would have been the same if my parents had died. To me, family was like shackles. While I bore them, I couldn’t even breathe."

"...I... am no different..."

"Ja-myeong, I respect you. To carry such heavy chains on your shoulders and walk into this place without flinching—I respect that courage. What martial artist could do the same?"

I felt his breath weaken.

"I don’t regret sharing my story with you on that first day. You were worth it."

"..."

"Ja-myeong, you can rest now. It’s okay. You don’t need to tell me anything else. You don’t need to whisper another word."

The hand holding mine fell limp. His broken breaths did not resume.

I carefully laid him down. The ground was cold, so I spread my outer garment beneath him.

"This place is too low for the wind to reach. Ja-myeong, I’m sorry I can’t bring it to you. But..."

I placed the sword I carried at his side.

"I’ll bring back a sound worth hearing."

I turned and walked into the darkness.

At roll call, the lamps flickered past.

"Number Twenty-Nine. Number Thirty. Survival check."

As always, Number Twenty-Nine rose. When roll call ended, she moved to dash into the forest, but I blocked her path.

I met her gaze, steady beneath the shadow of her hood.

"Number Twenty-Nine."

"What?"

"I need a favor."

I bowed my head.

"Do you know who killed Seventeen?"

"..."

She looked me over like I was some strange beast.

"Number Thirty, people die here. In the Demonic Valley, death comes easy. It’s not unusual for people to kill each other over a single snake. It happens all the time."

"..."

"If Seventeen is dead, then let it go. It’s not worth dwelling on. Connections in the Valley don’t mean anything. Caring about them is what’s strange."

"He was a friend."

"..."

"That doesn’t change just because he’s dead, does it?"

I bowed again. For him, I could bow as many times as needed.

"If you tell me, I’ll repay you however I can."

"It’s not worth it."

"That’s for me to decide."

"No one else will know."

"I’ll know."

She stared at me.

"...You’re stubborn."

"I’ve heard that before."

"It won’t matter. You can’t kill him."

"So you do know."

"Yi Ho. It’s probably him. He likes hunting people. He was covered in blood yesterday. Number Thirty, there’s something you don’t know about the Valley."

She tilted her head slightly.

"The creatures here carry faint demonic energy. Eating them nourishes your body. But once they’re cooked, it doesn’t work anymore. You have to eat them raw."

"..."

"But it’s not just the beasts. It works between people who practice the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art too. The same rules apply—you have to eat their flesh raw."

Now that I thought about it, parts of Ja-myeong’s body had been missing. Not just his spilled entrails, but even a severed arm was gone.

"There’s a limit to how much you can absorb. At most, it’s the energy of a single beast."

A single beast.
The weight of a life.

"...Just that much?"

"Once you start practicing the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art, sooner or later, you’ll encounter its demonic nature. You’ll become a killer drenched in blood. The only way to control it is to reach a higher level. We all become numb to killing. You know it, too—that you could kill someone without feeling anything."

"..."

"Yi Ho just finds pleasure in it. He succumbed to the demonic nature faster than most, and now he finds joy in killing. His tendencies are infamous. Everyone who’s survived here long enough knows about him."

"Thank you."

"Let me warn you," she said, crossing her arms and looking up at me.

"Yi Ho’s martial arts are near first-class. He’s not at the top of the Blood Demon Unit, but he’s no slouch. You won’t stand a chance."

"That’s my concern."

"...Tch."

She turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Finding Yi Ho wasn’t difficult. I remembered the number etched on his body. After roll call, I followed him as he moved.

Using the Ghostly Phantom Steps I had trained with, I concealed myself as best as I could. My skills, still nearing the end of second-class, had their limits.

Yi Ho turned his head. I hid behind a tree.

Sensing something, he picked up his pace. I didn’t chase him directly but followed the trail his steady footsteps left behind.

His movements were precise and calm, ones I couldn’t replicate. He was right—he was first-class.

Could I win? No, I probably couldn’t. His footwork

alone made that clear. If his agility was stable, his body would be strong.

Unlike me, he could likely wield the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword, mastering techniques I hadn’t learned.

Still, I pursued him. Thoughts of strategy faded. I followed my instincts.

Yi Ho noticed me.

He turned his head and swung his hand, his intent sharp as a blade.

"Survive... for both of us..."

Ja-myeong.

You’re right. I didn’t come here to die.

I want to become like the Heavenly Demon. To survive long enough to look her in the eye.

But if all of that means turning away and running...

Then what meaning would any of it have?

What purpose would the path behind me serve if I couldn’t face him now?

—Paaang!

I struck. My months of training in Ghost Hand, Lone Demon drove the attack to my fingertips.

Yi Ho deflected it with ease. My form wavered, but I steadied myself as he sneered.

"Who the hell are you, brat?"

Cry, Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art.

If the enemy is strong, cry louder. Tear at them even if it leaves you in tatters.

Endurance only shines through pain.

So what makes me shine now?

The kindness of a friend.
The silence of someone who, even at death’s door, worried for my survival.

"I’m Seong Ja-myeong’s friend."

Why did I learn martial arts?

To stop hiding.

"I’m Jeok Woon."

To fight.

"You bastard."