Part I — The Rules of Survival
Several groups of soldiers entered the hall shortly after the Celestial Guardian disappeared.
They moved with practiced efficiency.
No wasted movements.
No unnecessary words.
Each carried large metallic boxes sealed with formations.
One after another, the boxes were opened.
Inside were various items.
Armor.
Rings.
Pills.
Maps.
Supplies.
The soldiers began distributing them to everyone who had arrived through the Artificial Breach.
I watched silently as one of the soldiers handed me a dark metallic object.
It looked like an ordinary piece of armor.
But the moment it touched my hand, I could feel the faint soul fluctuations hidden within it.
Interesting.
Not everyone seemed able to recognize what they had received.
Some stared at the items with confusion.
Others immediately began examining them with their senses.
A few simply put everything away.
I did the same.
There was no reason to waste time inspecting something before we knew what it was for.
Soon, the soldiers finished distributing everything.
They closed the empty boxes and left the hall in an orderly manner.
The elder who had guided us after our arrival stepped forward.
He took the center of the gathering and waited until everyone's attention returned to him.
His voice was calm.
Yet it carried clearly throughout the fortress.
"Welcome..."
He paused.
"...to the Fortress of Neraphyx."
His eyes swept across us.
"A place where resources are stored, exchanged, and distributed."
He gestured toward the enormous structures surrounding us.
"Research is conducted here."
"Techniques are developed here."
"Materials are refined here."
"Treasure is exchanged here."
"Warriors come here to rest, recover, and prepare for their next expedition."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"And when necessary..."
"This fortress becomes a battlefield."
The atmosphere changed.
That final sentence carried considerably more weight than the others.
"This fortress exists for one purpose."
"Survival."
He looked at the items in our hands.
"I assume everyone has received their supplies."
No one answered.
The elder continued regardless.
"I will now explain what you have been given."
He pointed toward the armor.
"The first is Soul Armor."
"A specialized armor forged by Soul Masters."
"It is stored within your soul and can be summoned with a single thought."
Several people immediately looked at their armor with greater interest.
"It contains formations and runes designed to reinforce its defensive capabilities."
He raised one finger.
"At its maximum capacity, it can withstand attacks reaching approximately two hundred times your natural defensive limit."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Two hundred times.
That was an enormous increase.
"To bind it to yourself..."
"Inject a small amount of your Energy into it."
"Once it recognizes you as its master, no one else can easily use it."
He then pointed toward the ring.
"The second item is the Soul Ring."
"It functions similarly to a storage ring."
"But unlike ordinary storage treasures, it is stored within your soul."
Some people looked confused.
The elder noticed.
"Some of you may be wondering..."
"Why not simply use your own spatial treasures?"
His expression hardened.
"Because they can be destroyed."
The murmurs stopped.
"Imagine entering a battle and having your storage treasure shattered."
"Everything inside disappears with it."
"Some of you may possess pocket dimensions."
"Some may even have enough understanding of Space Laws to create your own."
He paused.
"Do not become arrogant."
"This is Neraphyx."
"The Land of Endless Death and Hunger."
"The laws here are unstable."
Several expressions changed.
"Attempting to manipulate Space Laws recklessly may cause the laws themselves to turn against you."
He tapped the Soul Ring.
"So don't abandon this."
"And don't deliberately destroy it."
He continued.
"Inside are food, water, clothing, replacement armor, maps, purification pills, recovery pills, basic training resources, and several other necessities."
Some prodigies looked unimpressed.
The elder noticed.
"You may think these things are unnecessary."
He shrugged.
"I don't disagree."
Then his voice became cold.
"But..."
"If you want to die..."
"...feel free to leave them behind."
Silence.
The elder looked directly at the group.
"How long do you think you're going to remain here?"
"Do you think this is a vacation?"
"Your lives are on the line."
"You think you don't need food?"
"Food accelerates recovery."
"You think you don't need pills?"
"The demons aren't going to stop attacking because you're injured."
"You don't need clothes?"
He glanced at their armor.
"Your clothes will be destroyed more times than you can count."
Nobody laughed.
The elder turned toward the enormous gate.
"Now..."
"Listen carefully."
"We are currently in the outermost region of Neraphyx."
"This is where the weaker demons reside."
His expression became solemn.
"But don't misunderstand."
"Weak does not mean harmless."
"The number of demons here is enormous."
"This is also the largest region."
"Beyond it are the Middle Region..."
"And the High-Resource Regions."
"The difference in strength between these areas is enormous."
He looked back at us.
"So don't become arrogant because you killed a few low-level demons."
"Some demons have intelligence."
"Some have civilizations."
"Some possess techniques."
"And some..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...have existed longer than your entire bloodline."
That finally silenced every whisper.
"Make friends when you can."
"But remain cautious."
"A little caution is better than a lifetime of regret."
He spread his Soul Energy.
Before anyone could react, information suddenly flooded into our minds.
Maps.
Locations.
Basic classifications.
Emergency procedures.
The structure of the outer region.
The location of several fortress outposts.
Information regarding hostile territories.
It was far more efficient than explaining everything verbally.
The elder withdrew his Soul Energy.
"You would eventually learn these things yourselves."
"But if giving you the information now keeps even one of you alive..."
"Then there is no reason to withhold it."
He turned toward the gate again.
"One final thing."
"There are several Spirit Stones inside your Soul Rings."
"To you, they may seem like nothing more than Energy snacks."
"But to the inhabitants of Neraphyx..."
"They are valuable."
"You can exchange them for goods."
"However, the primary currency used within this fortress is points."
He raised his hand.
"Low-level demon cores are worth ten points."
"Middle-level cores..."
"One hundred."
"High-level cores..."
"One thousand."
"The value increases according to the quality, concentration, and level of the core."
He smiled faintly.
"Nothing here is free."
He looked toward the massive gate.
"Not even the air you breathe."
Then he turned.
And began walking.
We followed.
Slowly.
Silently.
Murmurs spread throughout the group as everyone discussed what they had just learned.
The closer we came to the gate...
The more I could feel it.
Demonic Energy.
Even through the fortress walls.
The soldiers stationed near the entrance moved forward.
Their hands touched the massive mechanisms built into the gates.
Then—
THUD.
The first lock released.
THUD.
The second.
THUD.
The third.
One after another...
The enormous gates began opening.
And the moment the gap became large enough—
A wave of air swept through the fortress.
The scent struck my nose.
Blood.
Demonic Energy.
Death.
My eyes narrowed.
The world beyond the gate slowly came into view.
And suddenly...
I understood why this place was called the Land of Endless Death.