A dull ache throbbed in Vale's skull as his senses slowly returned.
A cold breeze brushed against his skin, sending a shiver through his body. His vision was blurry at first, but as the moments stretched on, the world around him gradually came into focus.
Ahead lay a vast, empty landscape of black stone, its jagged cracks glowing faintly red as magma bubbled and hissed from beneath the surface. Sparse, twisted spires jutted from the ground like the remnants of a long-forgotten civilization. An eerie silence blanketed the terrain, broken only by the occasional crackle of molten rock.
Above him, a massive, pristine white moon loomed—far larger than the one on Earth—casting a pale glow over the infernal landscape, providing more than enough light to navigate.
Vale lingered for a moment, puzzled by the biting chill that clung to his skin despite the rivers of magma seething around him. But he quickly pushed the thought aside, taking the vast sight around him.
"Well, this place is definitely the Demon Realm," he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning his surroundings with wary curiosity.
It did not look like any of his groupmates were near.
"Of course,"
Why would he be transported to the same spot as his group? That would be unlike the Demon Realm he met in his First Trial, he knew better than to expect anything good to happen in his place.
He spent the next few minutes studying his surroundings. He had to pick a direction to go towards but failed to see anything remarkable or of interest near him. Though he couldn't see too far ahead because of the spirals and stretches of rocks near him, he at least hoped to have some sense of where to go.
He sighed deeply.
Then he strolled in a random direction.
A burning sensation seared the soles of Vale's feet with every step. The rocky ground beneath him was scorching hot, almost sizzling upon contact. A sharp contrast to the cold that clung to his bare upper body.
"Oh… right," he muttered, suddenly realizing he was completely naked.
Only Artifacts and Relics could be taken in and out of the Demon Realm. His student uniform, being an ordinary item, had been left behind, leaving him exposed. It would have been embarrassing—if there was anyone around to see him. But for now, he seemed to be alone.
Minutes stretched into hours as he walked, yet the endless expanse before him never seemed to shrink. There was no sign of an end in sight.
Occasionally, molten debris shot up from the cracks in the ground, forcing him to remain alert. He narrowly avoided getting hit multiple times. With no protection, stepping into the magma would be nothing short of agonizing. His full attention was dedicated to avoiding the hazards around him.
Perhaps that was why he failed to notice the two shadowy figures soaring above.
Two massive bird-like creatures circled in the distance, their elongated beaks nearly as long as their torsos. Their wings stretched wide, cutting through the air at astonishing speeds. They were unlike anything Vale had ever seen—their wingspan alone measured at least four meters across.
A chill ran down his spine. How had he not seen them earlier?
Wasting no time, he slipped into a large crevice nearby, steadying his breath as he observed from the shadows.
It seemed like the two birds failed to notice him, but wait…what were they circling?
A sudden realisation down on Vale.
The two birds would not be flying endlessly in a circle—they have to be eyeing some prey.
He questioned what or who it could be.
Images of his groupmates flashed in his mind.
"Dammit" he thought as he exited the crevice .
He did not wish to risk his life for nothing but he doubted he could outrun the two flying creatures if they spotted him. If he manages to team up with Dain or even Ayla, they might be able to survive. If it's Klein…he lingered as an image of the student being defeated in mere seconds by Ayla entered his mind.
"Well… hopefully not Klein," he thought.
He slowly made his way toward the flying monsters. He avoided making any sound as he navigated around the rocky expanse of the Demon Realm.
His foot sizzled multiple times as he misstepped and burned his soles against the burning surface, but he gritted his teeth and continued walking in utter silence.
Soon enough, he saw what the two flying creatures were circling around—it was not a human. In the pit below, an enormous figure, or what remained of it, lay rotten and half-eaten. Many large bones were scattered around, and above, a massive creature stood, munching on the decaying corpse.
It had two long, slender legs that resembled horse legs more than human ones. Tendons were visible beneath the thick, wiry hair that covered the legs, especially on the lower part, leading down to strong, compact hooves.
Above, it had four arms, more human-like but significantly larger. Its hands tore the meat from the dead body with ease as the enormous creature continued feasting. Two horns extended from its head and curved forward, giving it a devilish appearance.
Even from a great distance, Vale could feel an ominous presence emanating from the creature—one that screamed death. A cold chill ran down his spine as he took a few slow steps backwards.
He backed away, his eyes fixed on the creature as he approached the familiar crevice and entered it.
"What the hell was that?!"
His heart raced. He had expected to see one of his groupmates or perhaps another creature—a prey, but that thing? That was not a prey, that thing meant instant death. He needed to get as far away from it as possible.
He leaned over the edge of the crevice, scanning his surroundings. The two flying creatures were still circling above the remains, indicating the devilish monster was still there.
Assuming he still had some time, he climbed out of the crevice and hurried in the opposite direction—moving quickly but silently, as the fear of death suffocated his every step.