Damned Healer

With only a few points available to access the best books, Darian focused on getting only what could help him right now. So he bought five volumes that described the things existing inside the Wild World.

After he finished reading and ran out of points, he left the building. At the door, he found an Elder waiting for him. Without saying much, that Elder led him to the sect's central building.

Inside, Darian saw a humanoid male figure: tall, with sharp amber eyes. It was the sect leader, using metamorphosis to take on a simpler, more practical form to move around.

The man gestured for Darian to sit at the table and then calmly introduced himself:

"My name's Mazur, I'm the current leader of the sect. The High Elders should've already passed along my orders, but something new has come up…"

His karma was black, pretty average compared to most people. He was someone straightforward and simple, without the aura of an arrogant, overconfident leader—which pleased Darian. He quickly explained about the lower-level eruptions, the ones that happened every thirty days in random places of that world.

Darian had just read a little about the existence of special locations in this world. Then the leader explained that the nine sects had been established in specific regions, close to those places.

There were about eighteen locations, and each sect was near two or three of them. Naturally, these places were contested by more than one sect.

To the west of the Wilding Kin Sect was one of those points: the Devil's Swamp, located at the same distance from the Bloodnet Sect.

The Devil's Swamp was a place where primordial Yin had created black, toxic, terrifying pools. Because of the nature of the demon race, only they could go deep inside without dying quickly. Any other race, even stepping in just a little, would suffer terrible poisoning aftereffects in their bodies. But demons, if they got out within a certain time, wouldn't suffer anything.

Mazur spoke with a cold look:

"As you can imagine, in the distant past, the Wilding Kin Sect had half of its members belonging to the demon race. We were the second largest sect with demons, only behind the Bloodnet Sect."

"What do demons gain from that place?" Darian asked.

"The deeper you go into the swamp, the stronger the Yin gets, coming very close to primordial Yin. Demons go there to study it and even absorb some into their bodies. That place is a true treasure for them. But…"

Mazur's expression grew heavier.

"The longer you stay in the swamp, the more immersed and intoxicated by the Yin you become. Stay too long, and you'll never return, even if you only linger in the outer regions. As for the deepest core, it's so dense that not even the Bloodnet Sect leader would dare step in recklessly. There are countless cases of extremely powerful demonic figures who disappeared forever there. And, as you can guess, when they die, they all turn into shadows and remain inside. Right now, countless shadows inhabit the swamp, which has insanely increased the level of danger."

Darian's eyes gleamed as he understood where Mazur was going.

"If I go in, even if the leaders of the other sects know, they won't chase me."

Mazur confirmed: "Yes. After all, you could simply choose not to come back and die in there. But, they want to capture you alive at all costs. So they'll wait for you to come out before making a move."

"The eruption will really happen in that place? How is it possible to predict it in advance?" Darian asked, thoughtful.

"All sects have an inscription connected to the ground that measures the fluctuations of primordial power. For about two-thirds of the simple and medium eruptions, it's possible to predict up to two days in advance where it will happen."

Darian nodded. "So… you're telling me all this because you want me to try and take advantage of it?"

"Yes. There are some demon hybrids in our sect, but they're all mediocre. Since the swamp is dangerous for everyone, that danger itself becomes a form of protection. In the lower-level eruptions, primordial power flows out enough for a thousand people to fully fill their primordial cores. If you enter at the right time, you could benefit greatly."

Mazur paused and, with a serious look, continued:

"The problem is afterward. Once you go in, they'll know and seal every exit to guarantee your capture. It's a risky bet, but if we work together…"

He explained that, since the sect had once sheltered many demons, they possessed a full map of the swamp. The plan was to arrange a specific exit point with Darian and, at the exact moment he tried to escape, the sect's strongest would strike to open a gap.

Darian looked confused. Seeing this, Mazur reassured him:

"Our sect still has a few hidden cards. If we burn certain resources, I guarantee they won't be able to defeat us. If you really go in and come out after the eruption, we'll bring you back safely."

Darian observed the man and sighed lightly. He had just said that none of the sect's half-demons had the ability to pull this off. So… he was willing to spend the sect's few valuable resources on something that, in the end, would only benefit Darian?

Seeing his gaze, Darian was sure: this man was betting everything on him.

The sect was already living on borrowed time. When Darian appeared, proving himself to be someone completely out of the ordinary, Mazur decided to invest everything in him, nurturing him and building a bond of trust.

"Compared to the other sects, we don't have many resources to offer you," Mazur said calmly. "But we'll still fight to the end, even if it means using our lives as fuel."

Darian snorted: "Fine. I'll remember this favor."

Hearing that, Mazur gave a slight nod. Then, he pulled out several scrolls and old maps.

***

It was the start of a new day.

In a mountainous region, there was one mountain that blended in with the rest, just a little smaller than the others. The only thing that made it stand out was its mix of minerals and black soil, which gave it a dark look and set it apart slightly from the rest of the landscape.

Right now, thousands of demons surrounded this mountain. Some were waiting outside, while others climbed up toward its center.

There, a small opening led inside. Within, a path guided the way to the mountain's heart, where a secret was hidden.

A spatial rift manifested there, acting like a portal to another world. Crossing through it led straight into the Devil's Swamp.

Inside the swamp, shadowy demons were a constant threat, but the biggest challenge was the air itself, which—even without breathing—still seeped into the body through the pores. Every second, it slowly corrupted the vital energy of any living being.

Demons had high resistance and could even benefit from the environment. Still, even they had a time limit, able to remain there only between six and twelve hours. Anyone who pushed past that would turn into another shadow of the swamp.

From the top of that black mountain, a sudden, intense spatial fluctuation erupted.

Everyone nearby, who had been waiting for a moment closer to the eruption before going in, turned upward in shock.

"What the hell is going on?!" a young demon asked, confused.

That's when an Elder remembered something and widened his eyes:

"That's where the Wilding Kin Sect's teleport inscription used to be! They activated it again!"

Hearing this, all the demons stirred and prepared to rush to the top. But suddenly, they felt a strong wind energy and saw a blur dart past the entrance and vanish.

"Someone went in! The Wilding Kin Sect sent someone!" another Elder shouted, and messages were immediately sent to the Bloodnet Sect's leader.

...

Darian moved as fast as he could, taking advantage of the demons' surprise and lack of defenses. Nobody would expect the Wilding Kin Sect to be crazy enough to send someone in—it made no sense.

Inside, Darian saw a massive black swamp. He took a deep breath… feeling a strange Yin seeping into his body.

"This is similar to the Risen's power, but a little different," Darian confirmed, then activated the ring on his wrist.

Immediately, everything invading his body was expelled, and whatever touched him was easily repelled. He smiled, satisfied. As long as he stayed focused and didn't let that Yin invade him, he could remain in this place forever.

He pulled out a full map of the swamp. Without delay, he checked his surroundings and pinpointed exactly where he was. Earthen mounds formed several paths through the swamp.

Everyone who entered was thrown into a random outer region. He got lucky, landing in a corner with no demons nearby. So, he picked a path and moved forward.

In less than ten minutes, a shadow attacked him, leaping out of the black waters.

Darian just slashed once with his dagger, cutting it down easily. Many shadows appeared along the way, but they were all weak. Still, the deeper he went, the stronger they became.

After about an hour, the Yin essence grew heavier.

He had reached the swamp's inner region. Demonic figures could occasionally be seen rushing back and forth, all focused on sensing the Yin and absorbing some of it.

Even though they weren't weak, they did this because they weren't confident yet. It was preparation for the eruption, which would happen in about six hours. The primordial power would erupt at the central region, the hardest place to endure. That's why everyone tried to adapt to the environment—to be strong enough when the time came.

Darian moved quietly, unnoticed.

Another hour later, almost at the edge of his vision, he spotted a massive crack that looked like a door.

"That's the entrance to the center. Weak shadows or demons can't get in, and even the strong can't get out," Darian muttered, checking the map. Without hesitation, he advanced and stepped into the central region.

...

Crossing through, he saw a swamp world filled with countless shadows. Even though it was the smallest and harshest place, it was the one everyone wanted to enter—and where most ended up dead.

In the other regions, once the time limit was reached, it was still possible to run and escape in time. There was more open space, and the enemy level was lower.

But in the central region, that was almost impossible. Anyone who entered had to be sure they could endure long enough, leave some margin for escape, and still be strong enough to handle the shadows.

Anyone—even at the High Elder level—if attacked at the wrong moment, would be done for. A single mistake, and they'd be trapped forever. Even if they won, there wouldn't be enough time to get out.

That's why this place had far more shadows than the others. And since it was much smaller, powerful shadows were practically everywhere.

Darian entered and dashed forward without hesitation, with countless shadows chasing him immediately.

"It's him!"

At that moment, countless powerful demons recognized him. The sect leader had already told everyone at the higher levels that their target was a half-demon. They hadn't expected to find him here, but rather, eventually, in the Wild World.

Seeing a hybrid in such a brutal place—where only a pure demon should've had the strength—made Darian stand out instantly.

"He plans to steal our eruption? Hahaha, what an idiot. The Wilding Kin Sect has no idea what our sect created in here."