Blood dripped from my fingertips.
I exhaled a breath I had been holding for far too long. My head spun, and my entire body trembled with pain that showed no signs of abating.

Yiho spoke, his shaking eyes fixed on me in disbelief.

"You… were… weaker… than me…"
"…"
"How… could this… be…?"

I pulled my hand free. Staggering backward, I was gripped by excruciating pain.

Yiho, with his chest pierced, dropped to his knees. He gazed at me for a long moment before collapsing face-first onto the ground.

*Thud.*

I slumped against a tree. My mental strength was at its limit; closing my eyes even for a moment would surely lead to unconsciousness.

But I refused to let myself pass out.

I had won. Barely. I couldn’t allow myself to collapse here.

This was the Forest of Shadows, home to the most dangerous beasts of Magok. Falling unconscious here would mean being torn apart by predators before sunrise, my bones the only remains.

I staggered to my feet. Somehow, I was still able to walk. Something about my body felt different.

Stronger. My punches carried more weight, and my movements felt sharper than before.

First-Class.

It felt as though I had barely crossed the threshold, hanging on by my fingertips.

Was this what Ilma had spoken of?

She had said that fighting battles on the brink of death, while harnessing the Heavenly Tribulation, would yield undeniable rewards.

"…"

I limped toward Yiho’s corpse. There was no time to dwell on the improvements to my abilities.

Grabbing his lifeless body by the collar, I dragged him forward.

Saint Jaemyung’s body remained where I had left it. I dropped Yiho’s corpse in front of him.

"Jaemyung… there’s still no sound of the wind. I can’t hear anything."

Could he hear me?

I didn’t know. But I spoke anyway. Kneeling on one knee, I grasped his cold hand.

"I wanted you to hear his screams, but I ended up killing him before I could bring them to you. It seems what you taught me hasn’t fully settled in my body yet. Even winning was incredibly hard. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to fight him in the first place."

I stroked his cold hand gently.

"But I won, Jaemyung."

Instead of taking Yiho’s weapon, I reached for the sword hanging from Saint Jaemyung’s waist. Carefully unfastening it, I secured it around my own waist.

"I won."

For a while, I sat silently in front of his body. I gazed at him in quiet reflection before finally standing.

I was exhausted, but I felt a strange sense of clarity.

For the first time in my life, I had succeeded at something I thought impossible.

The next day during roll call, I ran into 29th Rank.
She asked casually,

"How?"

Knowing exactly what she meant, I answered,

"I fought through it."

"No wounds, though."

"It’s a special trait."

"You were covered in blood."

"It was a fierce battle."

"Was the person Yiho killed someone you knew before?"

"We met here."

"…Were they important?"

"I simply kept my word."

She didn’t ask any more questions. She only gave me a curious glance before walking away, as she always did.

I resumed practicing martial arts. My execution of Ghost Prison, First Demon was sharper than before. The life-and-death battle had granted me new insights. My internal energy hadn’t increased, but controlling my body felt easier than ever.

Adversity turned to opportunity.

I realized the path I had to take. Instead of slowly building my martial arts, I would grow faster through extreme battles.

To do that…

…I couldn’t shy away from challenges.

I delved deeper into my training. The second form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art was far more complex than the first.

For the first time, I wielded a sword properly. From the second form onward, swordsmanship became essential. The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art was a hybrid art, blending swordsmanship with unique movement techniques, so it was only natural.

The second form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art: Danhonchwi (Pursuit of the Soul’s Essence).

If the first form, Ghost Prison, First Demon, resembled the savage ferocity of a beast…

The second form embodied the precision of a blade that severs the soul.

A swordsmanship style that prioritized cutting. I adjusted my stance and swung the blade.

The reason this art was called "Nine Heavens" was simple.

Each form felt like a complete martial art in itself, as if nine separate arts had been seamlessly combined.

The art was easy to enter but mastering each form fully was said to be nearly impossible. Even the manual Ilma had given me stated as much.

While I had begun to grasp the movements of Ghost Prison, First Demon, this didn’t mean I had perfected it. It only meant I had built enough foundation to start learning the second form.

I didn’t rush. I practiced Danhonchwi while continuing to refine Ghost Prison, First Demon.

Steadily.

One step at a time.

One day, 29th Rank spoke to me first.

"Pathetic."

"Pardon?"

"I don’t know how you managed to scrape into First-Class, but you’re pathetic. Even the way you hold your sword is wrong."

She drew her sword.

"Hold it like this."

With a simple motion, she slashed downward.

*Crack.*

The rock in front of her split apart.

"That’s Danhonchwi."

I touched the cut surface, trembling.

It was as smooth as a mirror. Just where did she stand in terms of skill?

Her use of internal energy seemed effortless. Even as she sheathed her sword, her movements were flawless.

A master.

She must stand far beyond anything I could imagine.

At least Peak-Class.

Following her guidance, I adjusted my grip and channeled internal energy into the sword. Then I attempted Danhonchwi on the rock.

*Thud.*

The sword bounced off. But unlike before, a deep mark remained.

I couldn’t believe it.

For the first time, my strikes had left a trace.

Unable to suppress my joy, I smiled.

"Thank you."

"…"

She averted her gaze and walked off as if she had only spoken on a whim.

I tirelessly practiced Danhonchwi, limiting myself to one strike per day to avoid damaging the blade.

Gradually, the marks on the rock became more defined. Eventually, I could leave a clean cut.

Time passed. My execution of Danhonchwi improved, and the sound of wind splitting in Ghost Prison, First Demon grew sharper.

Bit by bit, I felt myself growing stronger. Though my internal energy remained stagnant, I was firmly within the realm of First-Class.

Reaching Peak-Class might be far away—perhaps even out of reach.

But I didn’t give up. I continued practicing.

When the marks on the rock numbered over two hundred, nearing three hundred days of training, the overseer finally spoke words beyond the usual survival checks.

"29th Rank. 30th Rank."

For the first time, he said something different.

"You have a mission."

***

The orders were delivered to us in written form. After reading them once, we burned the document meticulously.

The mission itself was straightforward: retrieve the head of Maengcheon, the master of the Black Sky Axe Sect (흑천부).

I revisited the details outlined in the orders:

• The target's martial prowess is estimated to be at the level of a fully-mature First-Class warrior, possibly higher.
• Leave no traces. You only have one chance. If the mission fails and capture is imminent, consume the provided poison.
• The mission begins in 20 days. Until then, remain hidden in the surrounding villages.

Each of us was provided with an Invisible Human Mask (인피면구), which adhered to our faces like a second skin. It felt strange at first, but we quickly adjusted.

For the first time, we were allowed to remove the suffocating black hoods we always wore in Magok. Though the masks were fake faces, they allowed us to feel the fresh air, something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

From the depths to the surface.

29th Rank and I departed Magok.

"…Phew."

The light I hadn’t seen in ages was blinding. My eyes squinted, struggling to adjust to the brightness.

Under the sunlight, 29th Rank looked different—almost unfamiliar.

Small.

She looked like a mere girl.

But her martial prowess was anything but that of a child. There had to be a story behind her strength. I studied her face. The fake visage was plain, a face you could see anywhere.

She stared back at me just as intently.

"You’re ugly."

"Am I not at least passable?"

"Not even close."

"My real face is much better."

"Really?"

"…Ahem."

"Pfft."

She laughed for the first time in front of me, spinning lightly before facing me again.

"The sun is warm. It’s a little cold, but spring must be coming, 30th Rank."

"It seems so."

"I’m starving. How much money do we have?"

"There’s a decent amount…"

"Can we eat first?"

"I don’t see why not."

We went to the nearest restaurant. The outside food, which I hadn’t had in ages, tasted strange but delightful.

It was rich and flavorful, unlike anything I’d eaten in Magok.

As I ate, tears welled up in my eyes. I glanced over at her; she was sniffing as if holding back tears herself.

"…It’s spicy."

I tried the same noodle soup she had ordered.

It wasn’t spicy at all.

"…Indeed," I said with a faint smile.

"It’s incredibly spicy."

Once we were back outside, I understood why she had kept her mouth shut inside Magok.

She truly hated that place.

She was far more talkative than I’d expected. Her natural voice was clear and pleasant, easy to listen to for hours.

"30th Rank, did you know that missions typically have intervals of one to two months?"

"This is the first I’ve heard of it."

"This time felt unusually long. I even wondered if we’d been abandoned. But thank goodness we could leave."

Humming a tune, she led the way. I asked her back,

"Why did you enter Magok, 29th Rank?"

"…That’s not something I want to talk about. Shall we change the topic? What do you like?"

"Hmm…"

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

"Meat, perhaps?"

"We had plenty of that in Magok."

"Cooked, not raw."

"Both are your preference?"

"Just the latter."

"I prefer the former."

"I figured as much."

"…I’m joking."

"I was joking too, 29th Rank."

She chuckled softly and tapped me on the waist.

"How’s your Ghost Steps (귀영보) coming along?"

"Still clumsy."

"Footwork is basic but crucial. Master it, and it’ll undoubtedly help."

"I’m stepping hard enough to shatter my bones."

"What’ll you do if you can’t walk anymore?"

"I’ll walk with my hands."

"And if those break too?"

"Then I’ll roll. What else can I do?"

Her chatter made the journey enjoyable. We kept our conversations light, avoiding heavy topics, which made it surprisingly easy to talk to her.

But the pleasant time didn’t last long.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the location of the Black Sky Axe Sect.

Fifteen days remained.

We blended into the nearby town, securing lodging and discreetly observing the sect from a distance.

There were quite a few martial artists. Even at night, their numbers didn’t dwindle, making it clear that infiltrating without a plan would be nearly impossible.

29th Rank skillfully analyzed what we’d observed and sketched out a map in our inn.

"Watch what I’m doing, 30th Rank. You’ll need to know this someday."

"I always feel like I’m just relying on you, 29th Rank."

"You can repay me later."

29th Rank glanced at me sideways. I adjusted my collar and said,

"If it’s my body you want…"

"Even if you offered, I wouldn’t take it."

She set down the brush, revealing a neatly drawn map.