We returned to the cabin once more. To be honest, I wasn't sure if this place was truly safe. But if every location was equally dangerous, it made sense to choose somewhere that could at least shield us from the cold.
"Here," Charles said, handing me something.
I looked down and saw it was a potion.
"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked, puzzled.
"For you to use," she replied. "You don't exactly look great right now."
I glanced down at myself. The demon's flames had left burns all over my body.
"I'm fine, so put it away. At this level, it's better to just apply saliva," I said.
Thanks to the recovery power of the First Fire Technique, burns of this magnitude would heal in a few days. My skin stung slightly, but it wasn't unbearable. In my opinion, we'd have plenty of opportunities to use the potion in the future. We couldn't afford to waste it here.
"This isn't the time to be stubborn," Charles retorted.
"Luan, we're fine. Just use it," Mir urged.
"I said I'm fine," I repeated.
"If you ask for it again later, I might not give it to you," Charles warned.
"Do what you want," I replied.
Charles snorted and put the potion away.
A brief silence followed.
Charles still didn't look well, but she had regained some composure. She turned to me and asked, "Just asking, but this isn't some surprise show the Badniker family is putting on, is it?"
I couldn't help but laugh at her absurd speculation. "What kind of insane family would bring demons here to train the hero disciples?"
"Well, it's the Badnikers we're talking about. You never know," Charles said.
"Is this how you see my family?" I asked.
It was Evan who answered. "There are rumors that the Badnikers' basement is filled with captured demons and that they torture them."
"I've heard that too!" Charles chimed in.
"That's a false rumor," I said.
"Right," Evan agreed.
Still, it seemed true that some secrets were hidden in the basement of the main house. But even if the Badnikers were a slightly unhinged family, they wouldn't go so far as to release demons just to raise the difficulty of the training camp. Regardless of whether it was possible, the family head's principles would never allow it.
The Iron-Blooded Lord keeping demons alive in his territory? Even if the heavens split in two, that would never happen.
One more concern remained: a traitor lurked within the Badniker family. Hariba proved nothing more than a pawn exploited by others, while the true conspirator plotted in the shadows. If the traitor devised and executed an even more insidious scheme this time, such treachery could well erupt on the family's own territory.
" Hah. The Badnikers' territory is considered the safest land against the Dark Church. I never thought something like this could happen here," Charles remarked.
"Right," I agreed.
Had something like this happened in my past life? From what I could remember, no. So, was this happening because of me?
I calmly compared my past life to my current actions. The first things that came to mind were killing Osel in the Jewel Mountains and defeating Hariba at the main house. Those actions could've stirred up a hornet's nest.
Then, Pam's face flashed in my mind. If I hadn't done those unnecessary things, maybe none of this would have happened, and Pam would still be alive. In a way, one could say I was the one who killed Pam.
At that moment, a strange cry echoed in the distance. It was far away, but we held our breaths as if it were right beside us. The demon we had just fought was that powerful.
"What should we do now?" Charles asked, though her tone felt different than usual.
Until now, she'd always said things like, "Yes, let's hear your opinion too..." But now it seemed like she was trying to shift both the responsibility and her thoughts onto me.
I was lost in useless speculation and didn't answer right away. As such, Charles's voice grew impatient as she pressed, "Why don't we just wait here? No matter how large the forest is, this is Badniker territory. I'm sure the family will handle it soon."
"Who knows?" I muttered, more to myself than to her.
I wished her optimism was justified, but it felt like wishful thinking. The person behind this wasn't an amateur. They had the skill to infiltrate the Badniker family and the cunning to avoid detection.
This person had staged an incident in the family's backyard—they clearly had something to rely on. Even if help was coming, it would take time. The mastermind must have calculated they could accomplish their goal before then.
Naturally, I kept these thoughts to myself, fearing that voicing them would only worsen everyone's morale.
"S-say something." Charles urged, her voice faltering slightly.
"Why are you stuttering?" I asked.
"You're the one who's always talking, but now you're suddenly silent!" she shot back, her tone tinged with frustration.
Her comment made me realize that I had grown quieter since seeing Pam's body.
" Hmm... what did you ask? What do I think?"
"Never mind," she replied curtly.
Since they seemed so eager for my input, I decided to share it.
"I think we should start searching again," I said firmly.
"You're joking, right?" Charles exclaimed.
"I'm afraid not," I replied.
Charles stared at me in disbelief. "Didn't you hear the demons' wailing just now?"
"I did," I said.
"And you still want to go out?" she demanded.
"Yes," I said without hesitation.
"Why?" she pressed, her voice rising.
"Because it's our best chance of survival," I explained.
"What?" she asked, clearly confused.
"There's a saying. 'If we stick together, we live. If we scatter, we die.' Haven't you heard it?"
"No," Charles replied flatly.
"What about, 'If you seek death, you'll live. If you seek life, you'll die?'" I tried again.
"First time hearing that," Charles admitted.
Was that so?
Well, most of the nonsense Third Senior Brother used to spout was new to me as well. Still, his words seemed oddly fitting for our situation.
I didn't know exactly how many demons were out there, but there had to be dozens. Even if I entered the White Fire state, killing all of them would be impossible.
"If we stay here, we'll be safe for a day. Maybe two, if we're lucky," I said, pausing briefly. "But what happens after that?"
"Huh?"
"Do you think the demons won't find us by the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth day—or even a week?" I challenged.
"That's—" she began, but I cut her off.
"Whenever they come, we'll have to fight. And by then, it won't be just one or two enemies," I said, glancing at the others as I spoke. "We'll need to match their numbers if we want to survive. And that's only possible while there's at least one more hero disciple alive."
This wasn't merely a trial or a competition anymore. Instead of worrying about the other disciples, I was fixated on a more pressing question.
What are the instructors, including the Great Masters, doing right now?
***
Junian, the theology instructor, a formal priest of the Sun Church, and an inquisitor, also held the esteemed title of Great Master within the Badniker family. She was a rare exception among the Great Masters, as most who joined the Badnikers typically relinquished their external roles and affiliations. Junian, however, retained her positions as both a priest and an inquisitor.
Junian did not accept that position out of ambition. Instead, she was drawn by a curiosity about the Iron-Blooded Lord, the formidable head of the Badniker family, and a desire to witness his skills and character for herself.
Of course, the Iron-Blooded Lord was a busy man. At times, Junian even doubted he was the head of the family—he spent less than a month a year within its estate. Perhaps because of that, she didn't see him again for quite some time after their initial meeting.
It wasn't until three years after Junian became a Great Master that she finally had the opportunity to go on a demon hunt with him.
The land they had entered was gray and desolate, deeply eroded by Dark Qi. It had become a realm of demons and demonic monsters—a land of death.
The mission had originally been assigned to the inquisitors of the Sun Church, but the Iron-Blooded Lord had joined midway. It was during this mission that Junian learned something important. The Iron-Blooded Lord was no ordinary demon hunter.
"It's hard to tell who the real demon is," one of the inquisitors had muttered beside her, drawing some attention.
Junian hadn't expressed it, but she agreed with the sentiment.
Typically, demon hunting required meticulous preparation: gathering weapons, intelligence, and even planning escape routes. Even the most experienced inquisitors stood little chance in direct confrontations against the Dark Church or powerful demons.
Yet, what the Iron-Blooded Lord had demonstrated could hardly be called hunting. Slaughtering 200 demons in ten minutes was not a hunt.
"There's nothing unusual here," one of the knights reported.
Junian glanced up at the sound of his voice. He was from the Fang Knights, but she didn't remember his name.
"What do you want to do? It seems pointless to search any further..." The knight's tone subtly conveyed his exhaustion, a feeling shared by the others.
Is this as far as we go? he wondered.
This was the limit of her authority as a Great Master to command the knights.
Junian nodded. "Very well. Return for now."
"What about you, Great Master?" the knight asked.
"I'm going to look around a bit more," she replied.
What a waste of effort, the knight thought, though his expression alone conveyed the sentiment.
He bowed his head and replied, "Understood."
As the knights departed, their grumbling voices echoed through the air.
"What kind of suffering is this, starting at dawn?"
"I can't believe there are anomalies in the forest. Hasn't she heard of Assad's barrier?"
"They say there are all kinds of inquisitors out there."
Junian heard their whispers clearly but chose not to confront them. Their skepticism was forgivable. After all, she had used the vague excuse of sensing something strange in the forest to draw them here.
Of course, she kept her true thoughts hidden. How could she reveal them? Who would believe she could feel Dark Qi in the land of the Badnikers?
Junian hummed and glanced upward for a moment. The dense forest and the dark, gloomy sky stretched above her. Would a good rain cleanse the air?
"Aton, let's hope this is all just groundless fear," she murmured.