The next day.
Inside the Demon Cultivation Grotto, over a thousand cadet candidates had gathered in a cavern larger than a manor estate.
"Huh...."
Un-hyeok looked around with an expression of genuine wonder.
'I never imagined a space like this existed deep inside a cave.'
But the moment of awe passed quickly.
Un-hyeok turned his attention to the young rising stars who had entered the Demon Cultivation Grotto.
Before coming here--
-Here's the intelligence on the Demon Cultivation Grotto.
He had gathered information on the cadet candidates through So-ye, so he could identify who they were.
'Nothing but formidable ones in the lot.'
Geom Baek-hyeon of the Sword Demon Sect.
Geo Ak of the Blade Demon Sect.
Hwa Mu-yeong of the Phantom Demon Sect.
Ju Myo-ryeon of the Sound Demon Sect.
Ha Pae-un of the Rampage Demon Sect.
Every one of them would go on to make a name for themselves as experts on the Demon Cult's side in the War Between Realms.
A crowd of young rising stars had already flocked around them, and Un-hyeok saw through their intentions at once.
'Already scrambling to pick a side, are they?'
The formation of factions.
In a way, it was only natural.
Among them, how many truly aspired to become the Heavenly Demon's disciple?
Most probably knew their own limits.
'If you can't be the main character, then you latch onto one and hope to catch some scraps.'
The sects subordinate to the Poison Demon Sect had formed their own group as well.
But Un-hyeok was not at its center.
'Go Eo-ryeong.'
The one revered as the group's leader in Un-hyeok's place.
Everyone was visibly scrambling to stay in Eo-ryeong's good graces.
'Well, between the ambush he planned last time and the martial prowess he displayed, neither was ordinary.'
It was simply that his opponent had been Un-hyeok-- a man who had been through every trial imaginable.
Against anyone else, Go Eo-ryeong would have had them dead to rights.
'Considering his age, he's decent enough among the rising stars.'
As Un-hyeok stared at Eo-ryeong, Eo-ryeong must have felt his gaze, because he turned his head.
He flinched.
The moment their eyes met, the color drained from Eo-ryeong's face.
'Bastard's scared stiff.'
When Un-hyeok smiled and waved, Eo-ryeong whipped his head away to avoid his gaze.
Confirming that Eo-ryeong couldn't stand up to him, Un-hyeok resumed scanning the surroundings.
'That aside, where is she?'
The reason Un-hyeok was even bothering to survey these greenhorns.
He was searching for a single individual.
'The Blood Calamity Heavenly Demon, Cheon Yeon-hwa.'
The worst catastrophe in history-- the one who would unite the world beyond the Central Plains and invade the Central Plains itself.
She had appeared out of nowhere one day, as if she had simply dropped from the sky.
'Even during the War Between Realms, information about Cheon Yeon-hwa's past was strangely limited. As if someone had deliberately erased it.'
That was why Un-hyeok had no idea whether she would enter the Demon Cultivation Grotto or not-- until recently, when So-ye brought him a piece of secret intelligence.
'The Cheon clan is keeping a close eye on this session of the Grotto....'
According to So-ye, a figure from the cult's Inner Court had held a clandestine meeting with the Grotto's head instructor.
Combined with certain fragments Un-hyeok had uncovered during the War Between Realms--
'Cheon Yeon-hwa was said to be the daughter of the current Heavenly Demon, the Limitless Heavenly Demon, Cheon Mu-jin.'
Un-hyeok pieced together the intelligence from So-ye and what he knew from his previous life.
'There's a high probability that Cheon Yeon-hwa entered the Demon Cultivation Grotto.'
If so, Yeon-hwa's existence would become the greatest obstacle on Un-hyeok's path.
'I wonder how wide the gap between her and me is right now?'
A freak beyond all measure, born under the star of heavenly slaughter.
No matter that Un-hyeok had awakened in Dok Un-hyeok's body and had not wasted a single day of training--
He had no certainty that he could defeat Cheon Yeon-hwa.
'There's no way I wouldn't recognize her....'
A single sword stroke sending the heads of countless masters soaring into the sky, blood raining down like a storm.
Hair dyed crimson.
Eyes blacker than pitch.
And lips curving in a radiance dazzling enough to blind-- he remembered it all.
Un-hyeok could have drawn a wanted sketch of Cheon Yeon-hwa from memory, so vividly did her image remain.
Yet no matter where he looked, there was no woman who resembled her.
'Where the hell is she?'
While Un-hyeok continued to look around, two swaggering figures approached him.
"Ha, the rumors were true. Pretty as a pleasure house boy. You're Dok Un-hyeok of the Poison Demon Sect, right?"
"...Who are you?"
"I'm Jin Paeng of the Reckless Sect."
Jin Paeng's face was pockmarked with scars, making him look like a poison toad.
The other man beside him had a triangular face and eyes so narrow they seemed sliced into his skull, giving him a distinctly weaselly appearance.
"I'm Yeong Gu-rang of the Feral Sect. People call us the Fierce Twin Demons."
A title that clearly reeked of being self-bestowed.
Un-hyeok had never even heard of it.
'A pair of worthless flies buzzing around me.'
Their purpose was obvious.
Jin Paeng's gaze, gleaming with greed, was locked onto the Dragon Fang Poison Swords.
"That's a bit too good for someone like you to carry around. So I've got a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yeah. Hand over those swords. In return, we'll graciously put you under our protection."
'What kind of bullshit is this...?' he was thinking, when Gu-rang puffed himself up beside Jin Paeng.
"That's right, this is a good opportunity for you too, Dok Un-hyeok. Heard the story already-- you got thrown away by the Poison Demon Sect, didn't you?"
"What?"
When it was announced that Un-hyeok, rather than Dok Mu-won, would enter the Demon Cultivation Grotto, rumors had circulated.
That Dok Ryeon-hwi had discarded his own son in order to rebuild the Poison Demon Sect.
"The Demon Cultivation Grotto is a brutal place. You think someone who spent every day drowning in women and wine, someone as soft as you, is going to walk out of here in one piece?"
"Ha, and?"
Yeong Gu-rang shrugged.
"If you want to last even a little longer, hand over your swords without a fuss. It's not like you've ever swung a blade in your life."
Not worth listening to any further.
Un-hyeok waved his hand dismissively.
"Not interested. Get lost."
Un-hyeok tried to resume his search for Cheon Yeon-hwa, but Jin Paeng would not leave him be.
He suddenly grabbed Un-hyeok by the collar.
"Are you out of your mind, bastard? I was being nice, and you can't even read the room?"
All eyes in the cavern converged on the commotion.
Un-hyeok's brow furrowed.
When he thought about it, this was inevitable.
The Dragon Fang Poison Swords' quality was far too exceptional to hide.
He had noticed most of them eyeing his blades since his arrival.
'...Should I make an example of them?'
While he deliberated, Yeong Gu-rang cut in.
"Hey, hey, Jin Paeng. Hold up, hold on. Looks like this Dok Un-hyeok doesn't quite grasp the situation."
He then turned to Un-hyeok.
"Listen, Dok Un-hyeok. Let me spell it out for you. You clearly don't understand why your father gave you those swords."
"......"
"Tsk tsk, this clueless. They're the price of your life. Your father meant for you to offer them as tribute to someone-- to buy yourself a little more time. Isn't that obvious?"
Jin Paeng sneered in agreement.
"Right. Your father supposedly dotes on his own flesh and blood? That was probably the last thing he could do for you."
"Yeah, this is your last chance. Hand over your weapons. We're under Geo Ak of the Blade Demon Sect, you know. Idiot as you've been your whole life, you at least know who he is, right?"
Un-hyeok answered.
"I know him. But here's the thing."
"...?"
"Geo Ak doesn't seem to give a damn about you two."
It was only natural.
Geo Ak was known for his belligerent temperament.
Born in the same generation, he had always been compared to Geom Baek-hyeon of the Sword Demon Sect.
As a result, his attention was fixed entirely on Geom Baek-hyeon.
Un-hyeok let a full sneer spread across his face.
"You two are nobodies, aren't you?"
"...What?"
"Think about it. When a pet dog runs wild, the owner should at least pay attention. But Geo Ak isn't even looking this way?"
"The hell did you--"
"That little son of a bitch!"
Jin Paeng, bristling, clenched his fist as if ready to strike.
Un-hyeok's hand drifted to the hilt of a Dragon Fang Poison Sword.
'Maybe not his life, but I should at least take an arm.'
That way, no one else would dare try the same stunt as Jin Paeng and Yeong Gu-rang.
Just as the tension climbed to its peak.
BOOM--!
A thunderous stomp shook the walls of the Demon Cultivation Grotto.
"All of you, freeze!"
Every pair of eyes snapped toward the front.
There stood a man with sharp eyes and a solid jawline, hands clasped behind his back, and he bellowed at the crowd.
"Listen up, brats! Welcome! I am Chief Instructor Dongbang Yeol!"
"Dongbang Yeol... you mean the Blood Shadow Specter?!"
The head of the Demon Cultivation Grotto and one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's one hundred eight Demon Stars.
In other words, a man ranked among the cult's top one hundred warriors.
The rising stars stirred at Dongbang Yeol's appearance.
SNAP--!
Dongbang Yeol flicked his fingers, and from somewhere, men in black martial arts uniforms poured in.
The Grotto's instructors.
Since the cadet candidates wore hero's headbands over their brows, they could not meet the instructors' eyes.
All they could feel was the oppressive weight of their presence.
"Ugh...."
"All cadet candidates, return to your positions!"
As the instructors encircled them, the realization that the Demon Cultivation Grotto had truly begun sank in.
Jin Paeng roughly released Un-hyeok's collar.
"Tch, lucky bastard."
'What was that, you idiot?'
If not for the instructors, he would have severed the arm gripping his collar in a single stroke.
"Hmm...."
Swallowing his frustration, Un-hyeok smoothed out his rumpled clothes.
Then Dongbang Yeol's voice rang out.
"From now on, under the instructors' direction, you will line up in rows and columns according to your assigned number. These numbers were determined by evaluating your backgrounds, combat ability, and various other factors-- so follow them without complaint!"
GULP--!
The young rising stars' faces turned serious.
They could feel in their bones that the Grotto's trials were about to begin.
'Tch...!'
Because those worthless flies had gotten in the way, Un-hyeok had failed to find Yeon-hwa.
'I don't like it, but there's nothing I can do.'
Un-hyeok, like every other cadet candidate, went to find his assigned position.
As he left, Jin Paeng lobbed a parting remark.
"Better look forward to what's coming."
A cruel smile hung on his lips.
"No matter what it takes, I'll make this place feel like hell for you."
"......"
Un-hyeok did not bother to respond.
'What's he on about? Lowlife trash.'
Un-hyeok's mind was consumed entirely with thoughts of Cheon Yeon-hwa.
But his lack of reaction must have stung, because Jin Paeng's cheek twitched.
"That bastard... I'm going to break him."
"Easy, easy, Jin Paeng. Patience. We've got plenty of time. Let's show him exactly what happens when you get on the wrong side of the Fierce Twin Demons."
"Yeah. Yeah, we will."
Jin Paeng glared at Un-hyeok's back with a burning gaze, then headed off with Gu-rang to find their own positions.
Moments later.
Once every rising star stood in formation according to their assigned numbers, Dongbang Yeol stepped forward.
"Now then, take a good look. The number you've been given-- that is your standing in the Demon Cultivation Grotto. But!"
BOOOM--!
Dongbang Yeol stomped the ground once more.
"I'm sure some of you don't like it. Am I right?!"
He was.
Though no one said it aloud, most were thinking the same thing: 'Why am I ranked below him?'
"That's why we've prepared something for you."
A wolfish grin bared Dongbang Yeol's white teeth.
"From now on, kill each other."