Chapter 248: The smell of the demon’s blood.
On the next day of the mission.
The crimson dawn broke faintly over the Crystal Hollow Valley.
The valley had turned into a graveyard of broken stones, cracked crystals, and scattered remains of demon corpses.
The wind carried the stench of blood and smoke.
Faint trails of black energy seeped from the ground where some of the powerful demons had fallen the day before.
Their once terrifying presence was now reduced to lifeless husks.
Kael’s footsteps echoed faintly through the rocky path as he made his way back toward the eastern ridge.
He glanced at his right pocket where faint lines of red crystal energy still lingered beneath his skin.
It pulsed softly, as if something inside him hadn’t completely disappeared.
"...Whatever was there," he muttered, "I hope it doesn’t blast."
His thoughts were interrupted by a distant noise.
He turned slightly, noticing shadows moving far off in the valley.
Some of the demons were there.
Even after yesterday’s battle, some demons still roamed among the broken crystal fields, searching for humans to eat.
But unlike before, their numbers were small and scattered.
The once overwhelming horde was nearly wiped out by the students who had survived the first day.
Kael hid behind a fractured boulder and observed from afar. He saw groups of students — most of them first-year elites — moving in formation through the valley.
They carried weapons and they looked tired.
Among them were the top-ranked students, Edwin, Jin, and Cecilia.
Edwin said. "Keep your formation tight. Don’t get separated. We’ll clear out what’s left before returning."
Jin laughed. "Hah! After yesterday, these small fry don’t even scare me anymore."
Elysia, still recovering from the wounds of the previous battle, wiped blood from her cheek and sighed softly. "Just don’t get careless. Yesterday, half the valley nearly collapsed from those explosions."
Edwin grinned. "You worry too much. These demons are barely breathing. One swing, and they turn to dust."
Cecilia, who walked beside Jin, said quietly, "It’s strange though. The demons appeared all at once, and now... nothing. Like they were summoned."
"But i hope Kael is doing fine"
"What ... you are always thinking about Kael," Jin said.
"Becasue he saved me.. Using his body as a shield, he protected me"
"Huh.. whatever".
By midday, most of the valley had been declared "clear."
Students scattered in small groups to report back and help the injured.
Almost half of the students had already returned to the academy through the eastern teleportation portal, believing that the mission was complete.
The rest remained behind, exploring the now silent regions of the valley and searching for leftover demon cores.
For most, it felt like victory.
Day Two of the mission had officially ended.
The survivors returned to the academy grounds.
The vast courtyard filled with chatter, laughter, and stories of battle.
Some bragged about their kills; others quietly counted the cores they’d collected.
The instructors moved among the students, taking notes and collecting reports.
"The final tally came in — 255 demon cores in total." Said professor Kalden.
Professor Elric, stood at the head of the courtyard with a clipboard in hand. "All reports confirmed," he announced loudly.
"Two hundred fifty-five cores were retrieved from the Crystal Hollow Valley. Exceptional work for first years."
The students erupted into cheers, some clapping, others raising their weapons in triumph.
Elric continued reading from the list:
"Edwin — seven cores."
Edwin grinned smugly. "Tch. Only seven? I could’ve taken ten if they didn’t run away."
Elysia rolled her eyes. "Or if you didn’t nearly burn yourself trying to show off."
Edwin chuckled. "Hey, at least I didn’t faint like Jin did."
Jin, standing nearby, frowned. "That was mana exhaustion, not fainting!"
Cecilia smiled. "At least we’re all alive. That’s what matters."
Elric continued, "Elysia — two cores. Cecilia — five cores. Jin — five cores. The rest are distributed among the remaining students."
The murmurs quieted. The sense of pride was thick in the air.
But among the instructors, one man didn’t share their satisfaction.
One of the professors stood near the rear of the assembly and he was confused.
He muttered under his breath, "This doesn’t make sense..."
He had sent a message to the demons the previous night, to kill all the first years at the crystall hollow valley.
But as he checked his communication crystal again.
"My message... wasn’t sent?"
He frowned deeper. "No signal... but that’s impossible. The transmission array was fine yesterday."
He looked up at the celebrating students. "Then how did they clear the entire area so fast?
Those demon signatures were stronger than C-rank. There should’ve been casualties..."
A cold unease settled in his chest. Something wasn’t right.
While the academy celebrated, deep beneath the Crystal Hollow Valley, another presence stirred at the crystal hollow valley.
At the Crystal Hollow Valley.
Through the cracks in the earth, black tendrils of energy crawled, merging with the shattered crystal veins.
The faint hum of the abyss echoed softly, almost like a heartbeat.
Then, through a swirling vortex of shadow, a figure emerged.
He was the Shadow Disciple.
"How come they all killed our two hundred and fifty-five men?" he muttered in disbelief.
His gloved hands clenched tightly. "I underestimated them."
The disciples’ crimson eyes flickered with anger as he stepped deeper into the ruined valley.
He followed the faint trail of corrupted mana until he reached the secret crystal cavern, the same
place Kael had entered the day before.
The once brilliant red glow had faded, leaving behind nothing but fractured small powder crystal shards.
He stopped in the center, his gaze falling upon the empty spot where the red crystal had once stood.
His expression hardened. "Where is it?"
The hollow chamber echoed his voice back to him — soft, mocking.
Then, suddenly, the crystals around him began to vibrate, glowing faintly.
From the largest shard emerged a tall figure cloaked in dark armor. His presence radiated immense power.
The Shadow Disciple immediately knelt down, bowing his head low.
"Second Lord..." he whispered.
The towering figure — the Abyss Warden, the second strongest demon of the Abyssal Lords — stepped forward.
"I can sense it," the Abyss Warden said slowly. "A human has been here."
He paused before the broken crystal. His clawed fingers brushed against the shards, and a low growl rumbled from his throat.
"These shards... they carry the blood of our Lord," he said coldly.
The Shadow Disciple lowered his head even further.
"I didn’t know, my lord. It was my failure. I thought it was..... I didn’t realize it was sacred blood."
The Abyss Warden turned his blazing gaze upon him. "Do you think you can replace our Lord’s blood?"