Soon after the dark spark consumed the centipede's core, the two students exited the crater, moving quickly despite exhaustion.
They knew that the battle with the centipede had likely drawn attention, so staying near the site was too dangerous. With their cores nearly depleted, they could not defend themselves; creating distance was their top priority. However, in their weakened state, travelling far wasn't an option.
Instead, they climbed onto one of the wider boulders, finding a relatively flat surface where they could rest. It wasn't the safest place, but at least it provided some elevation, reducing the chances of an ambush from the ground.
Vale knew very well that this spot wasn't ideal.
The flying creature he had seen on his first day in the Demon Realm proved that threats could come from above just as easily as from below. For all they knew, the skies could be just as deadly as the land. But with no shelter to protect them from both, they had to make the best out of a bad situation.
Fortunately, the next few hours passed without incident. Resting atop the boulder, they encountered no monsters, no disturbances—only silence.
Slowly, their cores began to recover.
They knew it was time to move once their mana essence was at half capacity. Rising to their feet, they exchanged a glance before setting off again, determined to put even more distance between themselves and the crater.
The two students weren't sure where to find the four-armed devil, but they knew staying in one place wouldn't help.
A few more hours passed as they traversed the seemingly endless expanse of the fiery lands of the Demon Realm. The terrain remained unchanged—jagged boulders protruded from the scorched ground, magma bubbled up from cracks, and heat waves shimmered. It was a relentless, unforgiving landscape.
Eventually, they encountered a small group of Fire Hounds. With their cores already half replenished, taking down the familiar monsters felt almost effortless. The beasts were dead before they even realized what had happened. Klein harvested the mana crystals, fully restoring his core.
As they continued onward, the monotony of the terrain remained unbroken, the same desolate sights stretching endlessly before them.
"We should probably start looking for a place to make camp," Klein suggested.
Vale nodded in agreement, then paused, glancing at his companion.
"When did Klein become reliable?" he wondered. The once-lanky student had changed drastically over the past two weeks. He had grown hardened by the unforgiving reality of the Demon Realm. There was no room for hesitation or weakness—those who failed to adapt wouldn't survive.
But his train of thought got interrupted, as he noticed something far in the distance.
"There," Vale said, pointing ahead.
Klein squinted through the thick fog before finally noticing what Vale was pointing to—it appeared to be the ruins of an old building, barely visible in the distance.
The pair made their way toward it. The structure was large, though most had collapsed, leaving behind little more than piles of rubble. However, a portion of the entrance—or what remained of it—was still intact.
As they approached it, smaller structures started to appear, or instead, what remained of them. It looked as if some settlement had once existed here, far before any humans could have a chance to traverse it.
Soon enough, they stood outside an entrance, which remained whole—despite most of the structure being completely destroyed.
The pair stepped inside. There, they saw nothing but dust, scattered stones, and…fur. Piles of it. The same kind of fur the pair had skinned of the dead Fire Hounds.
Vale's brows furrowed as he surveyed the scene.
Something wasn't right.
Why would there be fur but no dead Fire Hounds? Who could've left it here?
"A human?" He pondered. "...or something with similar intelligence?"
Klein's expression darkened. His hand shifted to his side, ready to summon a weapon at a moment's notice.
Vale's mind raced.
"Dain or Ayla?" he wondered. But before the image of his teammates could fully form in his mind, it was quickly replaced by something far worse—something far more sinister.
"...That four-armed fiend?"
A shiver ran down his spine.
If that monster possesses human-level intelligence, then it's far beyond a simple Awakened Monster.
"We need to leave. Right now," Vale said, already turning toward the exit.
Klein didn't need to be told twice. He, too, was facing the doorway, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.
But before they could take a step—they heard it.
A low sound.
The pair froze. Their hands instinctively moved, summoning their weapons. Klein summoned his shortsword, while Vale summoned his newly acquired weapon—Hellfire.
Exchanging a tense glance, they turned toward the exit.
The pair stepped outside, ready to face anything lingering there.
A towering figure loomed before them, standing impossibly large—beyond human proportions. Its fur billowed in the wind, yet something about it felt wrong—as if the fur wasn't truly part of the body beneath it.
Vale's eyes trailed upward, locking onto its face.
Short red hair. A wide, unsettling grin.
That grin, however, was not new to Vale.
"Huh," Vale exhaled, barely more than a breath.
Klein, still gripping his weapon, stared in disbelief.
"Dain?" he asked.
Before them stood a familiar, gigantic figure of their fellow groupmate. Shirtless, wrapped in nothing but makeshift pants, and a long fur cloak and covered by dirt. He looked as monstrous as one could.
"You're alive, my friend," he said, looking at Vale—who stared at him in disbelief.
Vale wasn't surprised to see Dain alive. He had expected the massive student to be doing fine after their duel, but to meet him here, of all places—that was a great surprise.
Vale lingered momentarily, but the massive student quickly broke the silence.
"Come, my friends," he said, heading toward the entrance. "We must share our journeys!" he added, excitement clear in his voice.
Vale sighed deeply and dismissed his weapon—before following the massive student inside. Klein did the same and followed without delay.
The three students entered Dain's shelter.