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 ridians started writhing. They contracted and expanded, gripping the ridians 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 ridians and store it in my dantian.
But the Heavenly Tribulation was rampaging on its own. Unexpected. This was entirely different from when I consud an elixir before.
Could Sama have tampered with it sohow?
— Crack!
There was no ti to dwell on that!
I hurriedly perford the Minor Heavenly Circuit. My skeletal structure was twisting in real ti.
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.
Sothing was oozing out of . It was liquid, but I couldn’t even tell if it was blood or sweat.
The Heavenly Tribulation was killing .
And at the sa ti, it was saving .
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 imdiately noticed the foul stench spreading around . 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 seed 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 .
If there was one silver lining, it was that my body had grown.
My skeletal fra 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 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 to hunt beasts I wouldn’t have dared approach before.
As for the Single Soul Hamr, 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 enlightennt, but the elixir had provided the energy to back it up.
My body, which had been slightly lacking, was supplented 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 Concealnt.
I mimicked the movent I had once seen Number 29 use.
The sound and shadow of my presence seed 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 sothing I could replicate perfectly on my first attempt. Sound and traces of my presence still lingered.
Was it because she and I were fundantally different?
Knowing that I still lacked talent, I had no choice but to close the gap with relentless effort.
Ghostly One Strike, Single Soul Hamr, 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 consud, 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 movent 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 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 Hamr.
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 consud 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 ti.
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 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 the chance.
The new Number 29 said nothing to . She seed to already understand the dynamics of Magok, quietly carrying on as if I didn’t exist.
Since she didn’t speak to , I didn’t speak to her. Her sharp aura alone was enough to tell 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 thodical, 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 soone else’s.
Within ten days, I ca to a conclusion.
—She’s an awkward person.
Watching her antics almost made laugh. In the end, I couldn’t hold back and decided to speak to her.
Since we had to live in the sa 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 so stomach trouble from poison, a full belly would feel different.
Three days later, after silently watching , she finally spoke.
"Do you… like ?"
"What?"
"I’m asking if you like , even though you’ve never seen my face. If you do, I want to reject you right now. I’m not interested in n. 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 sa 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 mont 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 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 , her tone as sharp as ever.
"Eat it, Number 30."
She wasn’t so saint, but at least she seed to understand gratitude.
I glanced at the snake she offered. It had been a long ti since I’d moved past eating sothing like this.
Eating it wouldn’t provide much demonic energy, nor would it leave 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 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 more snakes several tis.
"Eat."
It was hard to simply throw them away, so I ate them. She only left once I finished eating each ti.
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 in so 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 to repay my debt?"
"You don’t have to..."
"I refuse. I’ll repay it. I hate owing n anything. So eat it. Even if I have to force you."
"Isn’t this completely backwards?"
"Even if it is, eat it."
What a botherso woman.
I ultimately refused again.
"I don’t want to eat it."
"..."
From that day on, she stopped coming to . Awkwardly but surely, she started handling things on her own again.
I didn’t feel the need to offer her any help either. Ti passed, and this new dynamic settled in.
We kept our distance.
Both of us.
Around this ti, I began to naturally imbue my Single Soul Hamr 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 trendously 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 sothing twisting inside .
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 ca 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 statent, but I had no choice. I nodded and handed over my sword.
However, the officer returned the next day, handing 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 seed 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 —a look filled with envy, as if it might kill, yet restrained by pride.
Co to think of it...
Her sword wasn’t in great shape either.
"...Would it be possible for Number 29 to accompany ?"
"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 before turning away.
The next day, he appeared during roll call and gave a slight nod toward both 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 ti leaving Magok in a long while.
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