CHAPTER 338: INNER ZONE ACCESS GRANTED

Zain and the others kept walking through the red mist.

They had cleared the outer zone easily, as the devils so far weren’t a real threat.

But now, the mist was heavier.

The land ahead looked darker, the air hotter.

The quiet noise of the wind had stopped.

It felt like something was watching them.

Then they saw it.

A massive gate stood at the edge of a deep valley.

It was made of black stone, lined with red glowing symbols.

The gate was half-open, but guarded.

Four men stood in front of it.

They were serious, silent, and strong.

Their armor carried markings of the Devil City command force.

All four of them were True Royal Rank guards.

One of the guards stepped forward and raised a hand.

"Stop right there. This is the entrance to the Inner Zone."

Zain didn’t slow down.

He stopped only a few steps away from the guard, smiling calmly.

"We know," he said. "We’re going inside."

The guards looked at him momentarily before looking behind him at the three women following closely.

Zain looked young.

His face was calm, his eyes sharp.

He didn’t carry a heavy weapon. No obvious armor.

He only wore a long black coat with red markings around it.

One of the guards frowned. "You... you’re just a boy. This is no place for kids."

Zain said nothing.

The guard added, "Listen, we don’t know who you are, but this area is the Inner Zone."

"The devils inside are not like the ones you saw out there."

"Some are True Royal Rank, and even worse, some are Supreme Rank. Even top-ranked teams don’t come back."

Zain still didn’t respond.

Instead, Velra stepped forward.

Her heels tapped the cracked stone path as she moved to stand beside Zain.

Savra followed and stood on his other side.

Without speaking, both girls released their ether.

Velra’s body was wrapped in a wave of pink and black glow.

The ether twisted and danced around her legs like smoke.

Savra’s aura burst out like fire.

Crimson-orange flames swirled from her body, hot and wild, yet controlled.

The air pulsed with pressure.

The guards took a step back, eyes wide.

Their bodies tensed as they felt the strength in front of them.

One of the guards muttered, "Their ether... It’s refined. Royal Rank... no, they’re at the peak of True Royal."

Another guard whispered, "Are they really just guards for that boy?"

The lead guard exhaled slowly. "I see. So you’ve got some strong protection."

Zain tilted his head. "Does that mean we can go through?"

The guard didn’t answer right away.

He looked back at his men, then turned to Zain again. "You can go in. But I’ll say this once."

He pointed past the gate, toward the valley covered in red fog.

"Don’t go too deep. Inside, even the terrain wants to kill you."

"One wrong turn and you’ll be surrounded by devils that don’t even bleed when you cut them."

Zain smiled. "Noted."

The guard pulled out a small device.

A glowing screen floated in front of Zain’s group.

"This is your death waiver. Once you sign, we will no longer be responsible. If you die, you die."

Zain pressed his thumb on the screen.

Velra followed, smiling casually. "We’ve already come this far. No point turning back now."

Savra pressed hers next. "Let’s see what these Supreme Rank devils are made of."

Zelia stepped forward and signed last. "We’re ready."

The guards stepped aside.

The black gate creaked open slowly, revealing a long path leading into the deeper part of the Nest.

The mist beyond was so thick it looked like a wall.

Zain took the first step.

The others followed without a word.

And so, they entered the Inner Zone, where survival would no longer be guaranteed.

But Zain... smiled wider.

He was finally getting closer to whatever truth waited in the mist.

---

Zain and the girls stepped through the black stone gate.

Now they had entered the Inner Zone of the Devil Nest.

The red mist here was thicker and heavier.

It clung to their skin like heat, and the air felt sharp, almost biting.

Zain stopped walking after a few steps and closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and let the strange ether flow through him.

"...It’s almost the same," he muttered. "This ether... It’s even closer than before."

He opened his eyes again.

"At least 97% match with mine."

He looked behind him at the others.

Velra stood calmly beside him. She was fine.

In fact, her eyes were relaxed. She looked like she was enjoying the mist.

But Zelia and Savra were different.

Zelia’s hand was on her sword, but her grip was tight.

Her forehead was slightly wet with sweat.

Savra’s flames around her body were unstable, flickering with small bursts.

Her breathing was just a bit heavier.

Zain frowned. "Are you two alright?"

Zelia nodded slowly. "I’m fine. I just need to calm my ether."

Savra added, "Same here. The pressure’s strong... I can resist it. Just need a moment."

Zain gave a small nod. "I see."

He looked again at Velra.

She smiled and leaned slightly closer to him. "I’m alright. This ether doesn’t hurt me. It actually feels nice."

Zain wasn’t surprised.

Velra’s ether had been changed by him long ago.

Her [Velvet Demon Ether] had traces of his [Heavenly Demon Ether] in it.

That was why both of them felt no pain.

But Zelia and Savra weren’t like Velra.

They still had their own types of energy.

Zain looked down at his hand.

’System,’ he thought, ’give them something to resist this.’

---

[Hack Initiation: Ether Field Override]

[Targets: Savra Svarokh | Zelia Zavathor]

[Effect: Block all corrosive ether effects around them]

[Status: Barrier Active – No harm will reach the targets]

---

Zain felt a small surge of power leave his body.

It wrapped around Zelia and Savra like invisible armor.

Both of them blinked.

Savra stepped back and looked at her hands. "Wait... the pain’s gone."

Zelia nodded. "I feel better. My breathing’s normal again."

Zain smirked. "That’s because I made a barrier with my ether. Now this zone won’t affect you."

Zelia looked at him with concern. "What about you? Are you okay doing that?"

Savra stepped closer too. "Don’t push yourself too much."

Zain smiled calmly. "Don’t worry. I’m stronger now. This level of ether won’t hurt me. I can handle it."

Velra gave a teasing smile. "Told you. Our Zain is reliable."

Zain looked ahead into the thick red fog.

"There’s more waiting for us in here," he said. "Now that we’re all good, let’s move."

They began walking again, side by side.

And deep in the red mist, something stirred.

But this time, they were ready.