The black walls of Morvathis loomed higher with every step Ilwoo took, their jagged silhouettes scraping against a sky that never knew day.
At the gate stood two demon sentinels, towering, broad-shouldered figures clad in armor that shimmered faintly like molten stone beneath the surface.
Ilwoo slowed, his stomach tightening. Each guard was at least four meters tall, with eyes burning like twin embers in the dark.
Their breaths came out as smoke, curling through the air like the exhale of furnaces. For a moment, Ilwoo almost turned back toward the endless desert.
"Stay close," he muttered to his team without looking back. He could feel their unease pressing against him like a second heartbeat.
The ground quaked faintly as one of the guards stepped forward. Its saber, large enough to shear through a house, scraped the earth as it halted.
"Do you seek entry to Morvathis?" the demon's voice rumbled, deep and resonant, shaking dust from the stone walls.
Ilwoo forced himself to meet its gaze. "Yes."
The demon's mouth split in a jagged grin. "Then present your pass… or tribute."
Ilwoo swallowed hard. He remembered the rule, without a pass from the demon pillars, they had only one chance: a tribute valuable enough to appease the sentinels. If the offering wasn't accepted, there would be no second attempt.
He reached into his storage ring, fingers brushing against cold metal and useless scraps before closing on a single item: Garmr's loot.
The system had mercifully preserved it when the beast fell. With a slow breath, he lifted it into the demon's waiting claw.
The sentinel pinched the item delicately between fingers tipped with claws like scythes. Its eyes flared brighter, studying the object as though it could see past its surface, down to its soul.
The silence stretched so long that Ilwoo felt sweat slide down his neck.
Finally, the demon gave a low grunt. "Acceptable. Tribute granted."
The colossal gates groaned, stone grinding against stone as a sliver of darkness widened just enough for them to pass through. The demon inclined its head once.
"Enter… if you dare."
Ilwoo glanced at his team. None spoke, but each gave a faint nod. He stepped forward first, the shadow of Morvathis swallowing him whole.
***
Morvathis stretched out before them, staright from the horro drama. Towering spires leaned like jagged teeth against the red sky, their surfaces crawling with faint red veins of light, as though the buildings themselves were alive.
Markets sprawled across crooked streets, merchants shouting in guttural voices.
Crowds pressed through the streets, demons of every shape and size, their glowing eyes like scattered embers in the dark.
Some wore tattered cloaks, others heavy armors. Even the beggars looked dangerous, clawed hands outstretched, their whispers promising curses as easily as pleas.
Ilwoo's hand drifted unconsciously toward his weapon. Though the city pulsed with activity, there was no warmth here, no laughter. Only hunger.
The kind that weighed heavily, waiting for the weak to stumble.
"I…" Kim Donghyun's voice cracked as he looked around.
"I never thought demons lived like this. I thought it'd be chaos, but…" His gaze caught on a child demon gnawing bones beside an open gutter.
"…this is worse."
Hayeon narrowed her eyes, scanning the crowd. "One of the thirty-two pillars rules here. This city isn't chaos, it's control. Everything we see… It's allowed to exist because he permits it."
Ilwoo didn't answer. His eyes traced the jagged towers again, lingering on a distant fortress wreathed in chains that rattled despite the still air. A chill ran down his spine. Morvathis was alive in a way no human city could ever be, and the city itself was watching.
"Stay sharp," he muttered at last, pulling his hood lower.
"We need to move now and find an inn before nightfall," Ilwoo said urgently, glancing at his team.
As they walked down the street looking for an inn to stay at, Minji pointed one out to them.
"Keep walking," Ilwoo muttered. He could feel his party slowing, exhaustion dragging at their steps.
After several turns, Minji pointed ahead. "There. An inn."
It was a squat building of old wood, its sign painted with faded ink. Pale firelight flickered in the windows, though whether it came from lamps or something less natural, Ilwoo couldn't tell.
Kim Donghyun exhaled in relief.
"Finally. I don't care if the place is cursed we need rest."
Jinhyuk rubbed at his eyes, barely keeping them open. "If I lie down now, I won't wake up for a week."
Hayeon glanced at Ilwoo, her shoulders drooping. "Ilwoo… what's the plan? Keep moving, or…?"
Ilwoo studied his team. Their faces were gray with fatigue, their movements sluggish, their spirit dangerously frayed. The chase from Valdris had burned away every reserve they had.
"We stop here," he said at last, his voice firm. "Sleep first. Everything else can wait until morning."
No one argued. They slipped through the inn's heavy doors, swallowed by the strange hush of Morvathis' night.
***
At dawn, Ilwoo and his party slipped quietly out of the inn. The streets were still hushed, the faint glow of the rising sun casting long shadows as they made their way toward the center of Morvathis. The city was beginning to stir, merchants opening their stalls and guards changing shifts, yet the group moved with purpose, blending into the flow of early risers.
They knew they had to grow stronger and faster. Strength required a foundation, and in a city like Morvathis, the opportunities were there for those who dared to take them.
Ilwoo, having walked these streets before, understood better than anyone where to go. He knew the hidden paths, the secret halls, and the places where one could gain power in a short amount of time.
"First, we need to get stronger. Second, we have to gain enough skills before we climb to the third floor," Ilwoo said while he turned down another road.
"And the third?" Hayeon asked curiously, her eyes on Ilwoo. "What is it?"
Ilwoo held a faint, deliberate smile as he said, "Don't die, that's the third rule."
At his words, everyone nodded, silently acknowledging their leader. None spoke, but all watched Ilwoo with steady eyes, trusting him to guide their path.
He led them onward until the massive structure rose before them, a fortress carved into the plateau itself. Across its weathered stone, a plaque bore the name.
"Ashenfang Academy," Ilwoo murmured, his gaze lingering on the inscription. "The next step… where we must grow stronger."
Ashenfang Academy was one of the most prestigious institutions in the demon realm, a place where only nobles and members of the royal bloodline were allowed to join.
Within its walls, students grew stronger through relentless training, rare artifacts, and powerful martial arts that circulated exclusively inside the academy.
This abundance of resources was the very reason Ilwoo chose Ashenfang Academy, it was the perfect place to sharpen his strength and climb higher in the demon realm's hierarchy.
"Ilwoo, are you sure this is going to work?" Minji asked, her eyes fixed on the academy's towering gates. Her voice dropped to a worried whisper. "We're not royalty or nobles—how are we supposed to get in?"
"Don't worry, there's another way to get into the academy," Ilwoo said, a grin tugging at his lips.
"What is it?" Minji asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Ilwoo rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "Money. That solves problems."
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
"You're telling us… You can buy your way in?" Kim Donghyun said, baffled.
Ilwoo nodded slowly, still grinning.
Hayeon muttered under her breath, "You're insane… a money-grabber, through and through."
Ilwoo gave a firm nod. "It's the only chance we have. If we don't do this before heading to the third floor… we won't make it."
Minji sighed, giving in. 'Just… go with it. I don't want to say anything more.'
Without another word, Ilwoo strode toward the academy gates. A demon guard stood waiting. As the group approached, the demon bowed low before them, then extended his clawed hand toward Ilwoo in silent expectation.
Understanding, Ilwoo placed a pouch of gold into the demon's palm. The guard's grin widened as he weighed the pouch greedily, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.
Straightening his posture, he pushed open the massive doors of the academy.
"You may enter," the demon rasped. As Ilwoo stepped through the entrance, he heard a faint whisper slip from the demon's lips.
"You'll regret entering the academy."
"Is it really okay to bribe the doorkeeper to get into the academy?"
"Don't worry. Some demons ignore the city's rules," Ilwoo said, passing the door and entering the hallway.