Moonlit's world went dark as Gravian's final blow sent him tumbling through a swirling vortex. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a desolate, nightmarish landscape. The sky was a deep, bloody red, and the air reeked of brimstone.
"Welcome to Demon Land, mortal," a voice cackled, echoing off the twisted, black rock formations. "You'll make a fine addition to our little hellhole."
Moonlit struggled to his feet, his eyes scanning the barren wasteland. A figure emerged from the shadows – a towering, horned demon with skin like charred coal.
"Who are you?" Moonlit demanded, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I am xorax, lord of this domain," the demon replied, his voice like thunder. "And you, Moonlit, are a trespasser. You'll have to prove your worth to survive here."
Moonlit's hand instinctively went to his dagger, but it was gone – lost during his journey through the vortex.
"I don't need a dagger to defend myself," Moonlit said, a fierce determination burning within him.
Xorax laughed, the sound sending shivers down Moonlit's spine. "We'll see about that, mortal. You'll face three trials. If you survive, you might just earn the right to stay in Demon Land."
Moonlit steeled himself, ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead. "I'm ready. Bring it on."
Xorax grinned, showing razor-sharp teeth. "Excellent attitude, mortal. Let's begin..."
With a wave of his hand, Xorax summoned a horde of twisted, humanoid creatures – their bodies a mass of writhing, pulsing tendrils.
"Trial number one: survive the Devouring Horde," Xorax declared, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. "Let's see how long you last, Moonlit."
Moonlit stood tall, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he had to survive, no matter what terrors Demon Land threw his way. For Vyrnirian, for his family, and for himself, he would endure.
Moonlit had overcome Xorax's trials, and when the opportunity arose, he escaped from the demon's clutches. After traversing the treacherous landscape of Demon Land, he stumbled upon a place where even demons dared not tread – the Forest of the Death-Angel. To Moonlit, this eerie realm felt eerily familiar, reminiscent of the mystical forests he once knew in Wonderland.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the fact that no one had seen him since his arrival in Demon Land brought him a semblance of security. Yet, the uncertainty of his fate gnawed at him, eroding his sense of identity. One thing, however, remained clear: he refused to perish in this unforgiving land.
"I won't go down like this," Moonlit vowed to himself, convinced that his survival was not mere coincidence.
One morning, as he hunted for sustenance, he caught a worm-like creature for breakfast. "Looks like I've retained some skills from my time with the mystical beasts," he thought.
In this unforgiving environment, Moonlit found himself at the bottom of the food chain. To survive, he knew he had to adapt and strengthen himself. He set up a fire, roasted his catch, and began an unorthodox training regimen.
His exercises defied human limitations: he scaled the forest's mountains hundreds of times, swam through treacherous oceans while carrying heavy stones, and performed press-ups on his fingernails throughout the night. For two months, he pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion.
As the days passed, the forest's strongest predators began to vanish, and a new apex hunter emerged – Moonlit. His transformation sent ripples through the forest's energy core, announcing the arrival of a formidable force.
With each passing day, Moonlit's determination hardened, his spirit forged in the crucible of the Forest of the Death-Angel. He had become a force to be reckoned with, his body and mind tempered by the unforgiving environment.
As Moonlit traversed the Forest of the Death-Angel, a group of warrior demons stumbled upon him. The group consisted of seven formidable male demons and three female demons, each exuding an aura of ferocity.
Their leader, a towering male demon with horns as black as coal, sneered at Moonlit. "A human dare to tread in our domain? You must be seeking death!"
Moonlit stood tall, his eyes flashing with determination. "I'm not looking for death, but I won't back down either."