The Hell World did not sleep.
There was no true night here—only a subtle dimming of the crimson glow that passed for a sky, as if the world itself briefly lowered its gaze before resuming its endless watch. Ash continued to fall, slow and silent, coating the land in a thin layer of gray that never truly settled.
Xu Yuan moved through the cracked plains with measured steps, his breath steady despite the exhaustion gnawing at his body. The broken sword hung loosely in his right hand, its weight familiar now, almost comforting in its simplicity.
Pain lingered everywhere.
His muscles throbbed with a deep, grinding ache. His bones felt heavier than before, denser, as though something had been added to them without asking his permission. Each breath scraped his lungs, but the sensation was no longer foreign. It was becoming… normal.
That realization alone made his lips curve faintly.
He had learned quickly in this world.
Pain was not an enemy.
Pain was information.
Xu Yuan slowed as the terrain ahead began to slope downward. A shallow ravine cut across the land, its edges jagged and uneven, as if something massive had torn through the earth and left the wound behind. The ground here was darker, slick with residue that glistened faintly under the hellish light.
He crouched and pressed two fingers into the surface.
Warm.
Still fresh.
"Something passed through here recently," he murmured.
[Environmental Analysis: Medium-density monster activity detected.]
[Estimated threat level: Elevated.]
Xu Yuan did not retreat.
Instead, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and drew a slow breath, letting the foul air fill his lungs. His mind remained clear, calm, unshaken by the warning.
He was injured.
He was exhausted.
But stopping was not an option.
Stopping meant stagnation.
Stagnation meant death.
Xu Yuan rose and slid down into the ravine.
The walls closed in around him, jagged rock scraping against his shoulders as he descended. Shadows clung stubbornly to every crevice, and the air grew thicker, heavier, as if even breathing required effort.
His senses sharpened.
The first attack came without warning.
Something massive slammed into him from the side, the impact violent enough to send him crashing into the opposite wall. Stone exploded outward as his body struck it, shards tearing into his skin.
Xu Yuan reacted on instinct alone.
He twisted with the force rather than resisting it, rolling across the ground and coming up on one knee, sword raised defensively. Blood trickled down his temple, but his eyes were already locked on his attacker.
The creature loomed before him.
It was larger than any monster he had faced so far, standing nearly twice his height. Its body was hunched, layered with thick, armor-like muscle that looked more like blackened stone than flesh. Jagged protrusions jutted from its spine and forearms, each one sharp enough to tear through bone. Its eyes burned with a dull, malevolent glow.
A Grade-One Hell Monster.
Xu Yuan's grip tightened.
[Threat detected.]
[Estimated survival probability: 21%.]
He smiled faintly.
"Better odds than when I woke up," he said under his breath.
The monster roared, the sound echoing violently through the ravine, and charged.
Xu Yuan did not meet it head-on.
He darted sideways at the last possible moment, the creature's massive arm smashing into the ground where he had stood. The impact sent a shockwave through the ravine, cracking stone and throwing debris into the air.
Xu Yuan moved through the dust, low and fast.
The broken sword scraped across the monster's leg, failing to cut through the thick hide but leaving behind a deep gash. Black blood spilled out, hissing as it hit the ground.
The monster howled in rage and swung again.
Xu Yuan retreated, breath steady, mind cold.
He was weaker.
Slower.
But he was not helpless.
He began to circle, forcing the creature to turn, to waste energy. Each time it attacked, he dodged by the narrowest margin, letting its own momentum betray it. His movements were inefficient, crude, but deliberate.
Minutes passed.
His lungs burned.
Sweat poured down his back, stinging as it mixed with blood. His arms trembled with fatigue, the sword growing heavier with every swing.
Then the monster made a mistake.
Its foot slipped slightly on the slick ground, its balance faltering for a fraction of a second.
Xu Yuan lunged.
He poured everything he had into that single strike—every ounce of strength, every shred of will.
The sword plunged into the monster's neck.
For a heartbeat, resistance stopped him. His arms screamed, bones protesting as they bore a force they were barely capable of handling. It felt as though his limbs might snap outright.
Then something gave way.
The blade sank deeper.
The monster convulsed violently, claws flailing as it tried to tear Xu Yuan apart. One strike caught his side, sending him skidding across the ground, blood spraying from the wound.
But the monster was already dying.
Its massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash, shaking the ravine and sending dust cascading from the walls.
Xu Yuan lay still for several seconds, staring up at the crimson sky, chest rising and falling in ragged gasps.
Pain flared along his ribs.
Warmth spread beneath his clothes.
[Warning: Host injured.]
[Blood loss detected.]
Xu Yuan pushed himself upright.
"Later," he rasped.
He dragged himself toward the corpse, every movement sending fresh waves of agony through his body. Kneeling beside it, he pressed his palm against its still-warm flesh.
"Temper."
The world answered with suffering.
Heat surged into him—far greater than before. His muscles seized violently, bones grinding as the Hellforged Body Tempering Art activated at a level he had never endured.
Xu Yuan screamed.
This time, he did not try to suppress it.
The pain was overwhelming. It felt as if his body were being torn apart and reforged with molten iron, every cell screaming as it adapted or died. His veins bulged grotesquely, skin splitting in places as dark mist seeped out of his pores.
His vision went black.
For a moment, he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.
[Warning: Body approaching tolerance limit.]
[Abort recommended.]
"No," Xu Yuan growled through clenched teeth.
He forced the technique to continue.
The corpse shriveled rapidly, vitality draining into him in thick, violent waves. His wounds burned as they knit together clumsily, new flesh forming denser and tougher than before. His bones vibrated, microfractures forming and healing in rapid succession.
At last, it ended.
Xu Yuan collapsed forward, hands shaking, breath coming in shallow gasps.
[Second Flesh Tempering complete.]
[Body strength increased.]
[Bone density increased.]
[Pain tolerance increased.]
He lay there, half-buried in dust and blood, staring blankly at the ground.
Then he laughed.
A low, hoarse sound.
"So this is the price," he whispered. "Survive… or be broken."
Something shifted around him.
The air felt heavier.
Not physically.
Existentially.
Xu Yuan frowned slightly, sensing the change. The corpses scattered around the ravine—dozens now—seemed to radiate a faint pressure, as if the act of dying itself had left a residue behind.
[Latent aura accumulation increased.]
[Current state: Killing Aura – Dormant (Low).]
Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed.
"So it really is forming."
[Affirmative.]
"Seal it."
[Ring of Originless Silence: Aura concealed.]
The pressure vanished instantly.
Xu Yuan exhaled slowly.
He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly before regaining balance. His body hurt more than ever, but it also felt denser, heavier, as though his existence had sunk a fraction deeper into this world.
This was not power.
Not yet.
But it was foundation.
He cleaned the blade as best he could and scanned the ravine one last time.
He had won.
But he had also learned something important.
In this world, strength was not granted.
It was torn from the dead.
And the price would only increase.
Xu Yuan climbed out of the ravine and moved on, ignoring the blood soaking through his clothes. As he walked, the system's voice echoed quietly in his mind once more.
[System Update: System Points acquired.]
[Total SP: 137.]
Xu Yuan paused.
"So killing grants points," he murmured.
[Correct.]
[Points scale with enemy grade, threat level, and existential impact.]
"Existential impact?" Xu Yuan asked.
[Kills that alter local balance, destroy ecosystems, or affect world stability grant additional weight.]
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
"So this world itself keeps score."
[In a manner of speaking.]
He resumed walking, thoughts turning inward.
Points meant resources.
Resources meant survival.
But for now, his priorities were clear.
He needed rest.
He needed recovery.
And he needed to grow stronger—faster.
The Hell World offered no mercy.
Only opportunity.
Far above, beyond this low-level Hell World, something ancient shifted once more.
Still watching.
Still waiting.
Xu Yuan walked for what felt like hours.
The terrain shifted gradually as he moved farther from the ravine. The cracked earth gave way to uneven plains littered with blackened bone fragments and half-melted stone formations, remnants of battles long forgotten. The oppressive heat eased slightly, replaced by a dry, suffocating stillness that pressed against his senses.
Every step tested his body.
The Hellforged Body Tempering Art had strengthened him, but it had also pushed him dangerously close to collapse. His muscles twitched involuntarily, nerves still screaming from the brutal refinement. Blood crusted along his ribs, the wound from the Grade-One monster no longer bleeding freely but far from healed.
Xu Yuan did not slow.
He could not afford to.
In a Hell World, lingering weakness was an invitation.
At last, he reached a jagged outcropping that rose like a crooked fang from the ground. The rock formation provided partial shelter from the open plains, its shadow casting a rare patch of relative darkness beneath the crimson sky.
Xu Yuan leaned against the stone and slid down slowly until he was seated.
Only then did he allow himself to rest.
His breathing was shallow at first, controlled by habit rather than comfort. Gradually, as seconds turned into minutes, it steadied. The pounding in his ears softened, replaced by the dull throb of exhaustion.
He closed his eyes.
Immediately, the system interface surfaced, quiet and unobtrusive.
[Host status:]
Body condition: Critical fatigue]
Bone density: Increased]
Muscle integrity: Reinforced]
Vitality reserves: Low]
Xu Yuan absorbed the information without reaction.
"So this is my limit for now," he murmured.
[Correct.]
[Further tempering without recovery may result in permanent damage.]
Xu Yuan nodded faintly.
"I won't force it," he said. "Not yet."
He reached for the remains of the earlier monster flesh he had salvaged, forcing himself to chew and swallow despite the nausea that rose with every bite. The taste was just as foul as before, but his body responded eagerly, drawing what little vitality it could from the corrupted meat.
Warmth spread slowly through his limbs.
Not enough to heal him fully.
But enough to keep him alive.
As he ate, Xu Yuan's thoughts drifted—not to the pain, not to the hunger, but to the implications of what he had learned.
Killing granted points.
Not just for survival, but as a measurable exchange.
"System," he said quietly, eyes still closed. "Explain the scaling."
[System Points are generated through acts that alter balance.]
[The greater the resistance, the greater the return.]
[Enemies with higher threat, stronger existence, or greater influence generate more points.]
"And world destruction?" Xu Yuan asked.
There was a brief pause.
[World-level events generate exponentially higher returns.]
[Warning: Such actions attract existential attention.]
Xu Yuan's lips curved faintly.
"So it's a double-edged blade."
[Affirmative.]
He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.
They were still shaking slightly.
Not from fear.
From adaptation.
"I won't rush it," he said calmly. "Not until I can survive the consequences."
The ring on his finger pulsed faintly, as if in agreement.
Xu Yuan flexed his fingers and then slowly pushed himself to his feet. The motion sent a spike of pain through his ribs, but he endured it without a sound.
Rest was temporary.
Survival was constant.
He adjusted his grip on the broken sword and stepped away from the shelter of the rock.
The plains ahead were quieter.
Too quiet.
Xu Yuan slowed his pace, senses alert. The latent Killing Aura remained sealed beneath the ring's concealment, but its presence lingered within him like a coiled beast—silent, watchful.
He could feel it now.
Not as power, but as pressure.
A weight that settled into his existence with every life he took.
"This isn't something I can let grow unchecked," he murmured.
[Recommendation: Controlled accumulation advised.]
Xu Yuan nodded.
"I'll decide when to use it."
As he moved forward, the ground beneath his feet began to change again. Dark lines etched themselves across the surface, forming faint patterns that twisted unnaturally. The air grew colder, carrying with it a sense of distortion that made his skin prickle.
Xu Yuan stopped.
"This place…" he muttered.
[Warning: Environmental anomaly detected.]
[Spatial instability present.]
A crack ran through the air ahead of him—not a physical裂缝 in the ground, but something deeper. Space itself seemed to bend and fold inward, forming a faint, shimmering fracture that pulsed irregularly.
Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed.
"A crack," he said softly. "One of those places."
He approached cautiously, every instinct screaming at him to remain alert. The fracture radiated danger—not immediate, but profound. It was the kind of place where rules broke down, where death came without warning.
And where opportunity hid.
Xu Yuan stood at the edge of the spatial crack and observed it carefully. Within the distortion, he could sense chaotic currents—residual energy, fragments of law warped beyond recognition.
Not Dao.
Not yet.
But close enough to be dangerous.
"If I step in now," he murmured, "I'll die."
[Assessment: Accurate.]
Xu Yuan did not move.
Instead, he memorized its location.
"One day," he said calmly. "When my body can endure it."
He turned away and continued onward.
The Hell World stretched endlessly before him, vast and unforgiving. Stronger monsters lurked beyond the horizon. Demons roamed territories he had not yet reached. And above all of it, unseen eyes occasionally glanced downward—curious, but not yet alarmed.
Xu Yuan welcomed that.
Let them underestimate him.
Let them overlook him.
By the time they realized what had been allowed to grow here, it would be too late.
As he walked, the system's voice echoed once more.
[New objective generated.]
[Survive.]
Xu Yuan smiled faintly.
"That's the only objective that matters."
He disappeared into the crimson haze, a lone figure moving steadily forward, leaving behind nothing but blood, corpses, and the faintest imprint of something that should not exist.
Far beyond this low-level Hell World, existence itself shifted uneasily.
Not in fear.
Not yet.
But in anticipation.
________________________
Author Note
Chapter 3 marks the true cost of survival in the Hell World.
From here on, every gain comes with pain, and every step forward leaves a deeper mark on existence itself.
Thank you for reading. Your support, comments, and feedback help this world continue to grow