Chapter 282: Survival

Meanwhile, in the Demon Continent, within the Central Region, Ravena was slowly making her way forward. After leaving Asher's vessel in the northern part of the continent, she had continued toward the center while using her newly acquired powers. She was also taking the opportunity to become more familiar with them.

After several hours of traveling, Ravena had finally become somewhat accustomed to her new powers. She slowed down as she reached the boundary where the Central Region officially began. She stopped for a moment and looked ahead, silently observing the land that she had once called home many years ago.

Ravena looked at the Central Region with a complicated expression. She had returned here after an entire decade. To almost everyone living here, she had been considered dead for the last ten years. No one knew what had happened to her, and she had no idea how they would react after seeing her alive again.

She didn't know how the other demons would react to her sudden arrival, but she was certain that she wouldn't exactly be welcomed with warm hugs. There was simply no way they would immediately believe her story. As far as they knew, she had disappeared and died somewhere on the Human Continent a decade ago.

Even if she explained that she had been trapped on the Human Continent for an entire decade before finally finding a way to escape, most demons would probably remain suspicious of her. They would have questions, and some might even believe that she had betrayed them or made some kind of deal with humans.

Ravena sighed quietly as she thought about what would happen after her return. There were too many possibilities, and thinking about all of them would only make things more troublesome. In the end, she decided not to think about it anymore. She had already returned, and she would deal with everything when the time came.

Ravena then looked toward the land where she had been raised, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say where she had survived. The Central Region was still desolate, much like the northern part of the continent. However, unlike the north, there were at least some buildings scattered throughout the region where demons could stay.

There were also strange crimson trees growing throughout the Central Region. These trees were unlike anything found in other parts of the Demon Continent. Their trunks and branches had a deep crimson color, while something resembling blood could be seen flowing through them, making them appear almost alive.

These crimson trees could only grow naturally in the Central Region. The reason behind their existence was connected to an event that had happened centuries ago, when the Blood Saint finally achieved the Saint rank through a method that had forever changed this entire region.

According to the records and stories passed down among the demons, when the Blood Saint attempted to break through to the Saint rank, she drowned the entire Central Region in blood. Every living being within the region was killed during that terrifying event, and their blood became part of the foundation for her breakthrough.

The Blood Saint then consumed the remains and blood of the countless beings she had killed, using their accumulated essence to complete her breakthrough. The entire Central Region was transformed during that process, and the crimson trees that existed today were believed to be one of the lasting effects of that event.

For lower-rank vampires, these crimson trees were extremely valuable. Consuming their blood-like substance could accelerate their growth and provide them with a source of nourishment. The trees also helped satisfy their hunger, as they contained an extremely pure essence of blood left behind from the power the Blood Saint had used during her breakthrough.

Because of their value, the crimson trees were heavily protected throughout the Central Region. No ordinary demon was allowed to take them or consume them without permission. Only Noble demons had the authority to harvest them, and anyone else who attempted to do so would be killed.

Their blood would then be offered to the land, becoming nourishment for the crimson trees and allowing new ones to grow in the future. It was a brutal tradition, but within the Demon Continent, such things were considered normal.

There were no fruits or vegetables in the Demon Continent. The only real source of food was consuming lower-rank demons, many of whom barely survived themselves by eating whatever they could find, including dirt and stones. There was almost nothing else available for the weakest demons living in this harsh land.

Every day in the Demon Continent was a struggle for survival. You never knew when you would become food for another demon. Even those who thought they were safe could suddenly find themselves being hunted by something stronger. There were no rules protecting the weak, and no one would save them simply because they were innocent.

Those who lived here received food from higher-rank demons, but even that food was provided in extremely limited amounts. It was never enough for everyone to survive comfortably. Only a small number could continue living, while the rest were forced to fight among themselves for whatever resources remained.

Eventually, the fighting would begin.

Demons would fight, devour one another, and continue moving forward until only the strongest remained. Those who survived this brutal process and proved themselves strong enough would eventually be noticed by the Noble Houses and given a chance to join them.

In the Demon Continent, status was not decided entirely by birth.

It was decided by survival.

Only those who could survive the harshest conditions and defeat everything standing in their way could rise through the ranks. It was the purest form of survival of the fittest, and Ravena had experienced that reality herself from the very beginning.

She had survived in this hell until she became a Master. After that, she had continued climbing higher, eventually becoming a lower-rank Noble and later rising among the higher-ranking demons. She had even fought for the position of Head of the Vampire House Mortalis.