The first thing I felt was a refreshing clarity.

Then, a heavy weight.

"…Urgh!"

Heavenly Tribulation began to roar. I could feel it resonating through every vein, making my blood vessels tremble.

The roots of the Heavenly Tribulation that had been embedded throughout my meridians started writhing. They contracted and expanded, gripping the meridians tightly.

It wasn’t being pushed aside.

It was simply devouring the incoming power.

This wasn’t my intention. I had planned to channel the energy along my meridians and store it in my dantian.

But the Heavenly Tribulation was rampaging on its own. Unexpected. This was entirely different from when I consumed an elixir before.

Could Sama have tampered with it somehow?

— Crack!

There was no time to dwell on that!

I hurriedly performed the Minor Heavenly Circuit. My skeletal structure was twisting in real time.

The pain was excruciating. Yet I knew for certain that if I lost consciousness now, everything would be ruined.

The energy was running wild, and I risked losing everything I had painstakingly accumulated.

I desperately endured, forcing even a fraction of the devoured internal energy into my dantian.

My body convulsed violently. My flesh felt like it was softening into mud, and I had the sensation of my bones pushing outward as if they might burst through my skin.

Something was oozing out of me. It was liquid, but I couldn’t even tell if it was blood or sweat.

The Heavenly Tribulation was killing me.

And at the same time, it was saving me.

I gritted my teeth and held on. The agony lasted for over half a day.

Of the energy I had absorbed, only a fifth made it to my dantian. The rest was devoured entirely by the Heavenly Tribulation.

Gasping, I stood up and immediately noticed the foul stench spreading around me. I crawled, trembling, toward a nearby source of water.

I washed my entire body and moistened my parched lips. I must have been in my quarters for a full day.

It seemed roll call had long passed. I collapsed back onto the ground, regulating my breathing as I stared at the sky.

I could still feel the Heavenly Tribulation writhing within me.

If there was one silver lining, it was that my body had grown.

My skeletal frame had changed. I was slightly bulkier, and my bones felt denser, stronger.

More importantly, it felt as though a foundation had been firmly established. I extended my hand.

It was faint, but I could channel energy to the tips of my fingers.

The flickering flow of energy.

Subtle, yet visible traces of force energy.

"...Hah."

The threshold of the pinnacle.

I had stepped into it.

Not fleetingly like before, but unmistakably.

The balance of body, mind, and energy—Sim Gi Che—was now fully aligned.

...

After stepping onto the threshold of the pinnacle realm, many things had changed.

My body felt lighter. A single leap carried me twice as far as before, and even without channeling internal energy, my punches held far more power.

The strength of Ghostly One Strike had also increased. The first form, casually executed, could now pierce the surface of rock when imbued with internal energy. It even enabled me to hunt beasts I wouldn’t have dared approach before.

As for the Single Soul Hammer, it could now cut through stone, albeit clumsily. It wasn’t as precise or clean as when Number 29 used it, but...

The important thing was that I could now cut what I previously couldn’t.

"Huuh."

Even my breathing felt naturally aligned with the flow of energy.

It started with enlightenment, but the elixir had provided the energy to back it up.

My body, which had been slightly lacking, was supplemented by the internal energy of the elixir, with the Heavenly Tribulation aiding in the process.

I lightly executed Ghostly Spirit Steps. The form had improved significantly, and I felt ready to move on to the next stage.

The first applied form of Ghostly Spirit Steps: Eun (隱), the Form of Concealment.

I mimicked the movement I had once seen Number 29 use.

The sound and shadow of my presence seemed to disappear noticeably. The faint shuffling of my steps echoed like walking on darkness itself.

I’d heard that mastering Eun could completely erase one’s presence and sound, but...

It wasn’t something I could replicate perfectly on my first attempt. Sound and traces of my presence still lingered.

Was it because she and I were fundamentally different?

Knowing that I still lacked talent, I had no choice but to close the gap with relentless effort.

Ghostly One Strike, Single Soul Hammer, and Ghostly Spirit Steps.

I threw myself into training. With my growing abilities, I could now hunt beasts larger and more formidable than before, venturing deeper into Magok.

The more I consumed, the more my internal energy accumulated.

Half of it was silently taken by the Heavenly Tribulation, but I was satisfied with that.

The constant pain that had followed every movement of my body had now subsided to a dull ache. When the Heavenly Tribulation fully took root, even that pain would likely vanish.

If that happened, I’d only feel pain during regeneration.

The string of good news brought me joy. The best part was that I could finally sleep peacefully without thrashing in pain.

My skills steadily improved. I began reaching for the second applied form of Single Soul Hammer.

In Eun, the sound of my steps had nearly disappeared. By now, I felt confident that I could pass undetected over the heads of warriors from the Black Heaven Manor.

Moving past wolf-like beasts, I delved deeper into Magok, targeting the larger, four-legged predators.

I consumed everything I could, devouring and growing stronger bit by bit.

Ilma had been right: explosive growth like before would not happen again.

All that remained was steady, persistent progress, one step at a time.

Forgetting to track the days, I alternated between leaning on my sword to sleep and waking up to repeat my routine.

"..."

Then one day, a new recruit arrived in my quarters.

Another Number 29.

From beneath her mask, stark white hair protruded conspicuously. She was slightly taller than the previous Number 29, but her martial arts were far from that of a novice. She was nothing like me when I first joined.

She was first-rate—perhaps even on the verge of the pinnacle.

Of course, I couldn’t be sure without crossing swords with her. But she didn’t offer me the chance.

The new Number 29 said nothing to me. She seemed to already understand the dynamics of Magok, quietly carrying on as if I didn’t exist.

Since she didn’t speak to me, I didn’t speak to her. Her sharp aura alone was enough to tell me that initiating a conversation wouldn’t yield anything pleasant.

Still, she turned out to be clumsier than I’d expected. Though she acted rigid and methodical, there was a subtle awkwardness about her.

She wandered around, unable to find the water source she’d discovered the day before.

She ate rotting moss by mistake and ended up writhing in pain.

She missed her assigned quarters and reported for roll call in someone else’s.

Within ten days, I came to a conclusion.

—She’s an awkward person.

Watching her antics almost made me laugh. In the end, I couldn’t hold back and decided to speak to her.

Since we had to live in the same space, I figured I’d teach her only what was necessary if she insisted on keeping her distance.

"The water source is over there. It’s an unused area and relatively close, so you’ll be better off getting your drinking water from there than wandering farther away."

"..."

"As for the quarters, they may look similar on the outside, but the rocks are faintly marked with numbers. Even if you can’t see them, you’ll know by feeling them with your hands. Avoid getting too close to anyone lying down. Number 29, everyone here is as sharp as knives."

I even caught a beast and left it at her spot. Even if she still suffered some stomach trouble from poison, a full belly would feel different.

Three days later, after silently watching me, she finally spoke.

"Do you… like me?"

"What?"

"I’m asking if you like me, even though you’ve never seen my face. If you do, I want to reject you right now. I’m not interested in men. In fact, I hate them."

Rejected without even confessing.

I shook my head at her unexpected question.

"I only helped because we’re in the same squad. If I caused a misunderstanding, I apologize. If it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t interfere anymore."

"...You really have no other intentions?"

"None."

It was such an absurd moment that I completely ended the conversation. For a while, I kept my distance from her and quietly went about my business. Then, unexpectedly, she approached me first.

In her hand was a snake. The slight wounds on her hand weren’t from being bitten but from scraping the ground.

Getting bitten on your first hunt is a hellish experience. The venom isn’t deadly, but it’s nauseating and leaves you with a disgusting sensation.

She held out her prized first catch to me, her tone as sharp as ever.

"Eat it, Number 30."

She wasn’t some saint, but at least she seemed to understand gratitude.

I glanced at the snake she offered. It had been a long time since I’d moved past eating something like this.

Eating it wouldn’t provide much demonic energy, nor would it leave me feeling full.

"I’m fine. You should eat it, Number 29."

"...Are you rejecting my sincerity?"

"No, it’s not that… I’m just not particularly hungry..."

"Are you bragging indirectly that you can catch bigger beasts without effort?"

"What are you even talking about?"

Confused, I asked again. She held the snake out to me once more.

"Then just take it. I hate being in debt to anyone. I don’t accept one-sided help. I pay back what I’ve received."

"..."

Reluctantly, I took the snake. The more I thought about it, the stranger I felt.

What was this?

I had been repaid, yet it felt like I was being scolded.

"...Thank you. I’ll enjoy it."

I accepted it, and after that, she brought me more snakes several times.

"Eat."

It was hard to simply throw them away, so I ate them. She only left once I finished eating each time.

What was this? Why was she doing this?

Even with her mask on, her gaze was so obvious it felt suffocating. Did I make a mistake?

Was she upset about needing my help and getting back at me in some roundabout way?

She was a mystery. A discomforting one. The previous Number 29 was stoic but transparent in her intentions. She never acted indirectly.

But this woman?

Her kindness felt like it carried hidden poison.

So one day, I refused the snake she offered.

"I’m full."

"...Huh?"

I could feel her glare through the black mask.

"Then how do you expect me to repay my debt?"

"You don’t have to..."

"I refuse. I’ll repay it. I hate owing men anything. So eat it. Even if I have to force you."

"Isn’t this completely backwards?"

"Even if it is, eat it."

What a bothersome woman.

I ultimately refused again.

"I don’t want to eat it."

"..."

From that day on, she stopped coming to me. Awkwardly but surely, she started handling things on her own again.

I didn’t feel the need to offer her any help either. Time passed, and this new dynamic settled in.

We kept our distance.

Both of us.

Around this time, I began to naturally imbue my Single Soul Hammer with sword energy. The vague concept of the pinnacle realm I had glimpsed earlier was gradually becoming clearer.

As for Ghostly Spirit Steps, my speed increased significantly. Although using Eun slightly reduced my speed, it also diminished my presence to the point where it helped tremendously in hunting beasts. Combined with Ghostly One Strike, it created a perfect assassination technique.

I could feel steady progress at my fingertips. The pain from the Heavenly Tribulation also subsided, though...

Occasionally, I felt something twisting inside me.

What was this? Could it be that the Heavenly Tribulation wasn’t just about twisting my body and granting regenerative abilities?

Pondering this, I realized my sword was in bad shape. I needed to repair it. This was the Saint’s Blade. I wanted to use it for as long as possible.

So I asked one of the officers who came to inspect the roll call.

"...A forge?"

He stroked his chin.

"Impossible. But... your blade’s edge is definitely worn out. While the shape is intact, it can no longer perform its role. I’ll issue you a new weapon. Return the one you have."

"..."

It was a bitter statement, but I had no choice. I nodded and handed over my sword.

However, the officer returned the next day, handing me a piece of paper.

"I’ll give you a week. Take this to the nearby forge. This map and letter will prioritize your request."

"...Why? Why are you doing this?"

"It’s the leader’s order."

The leader of the Blood Demon Division.

It seemed he was eager to curry favor with Ilma.

It had been about half a year since I re-entered Magok. I tied my now-long hair and stood up.

I felt a gaze on me—a look filled with envy, as if it might kill, yet restrained by pride.

Come to think of it...

Her sword wasn’t in great shape either.

"...Would it be possible for Number 29 to accompany me?"

"What? There’s a limit to how much leniency I can give you. How dare—"

"I’d appreciate it if you could simply ask the leader for permission."

Did he think I was overconfident because of the leader’s backing?

Even through his mask, I could sense his grimace. Swallowing his pride, he glared at me before turning away.

The next day, he appeared during roll call and gave a slight nod toward both me and Number 29.

"Starting tomorrow, you have seven days. If you don’t return by then, a pursuit team will be dispatched."

I nodded.

It was my first time leaving Magok in a long while.