Chapter 1: Grave Before Death

Rainy night, desolate mountain.
A group of over ten people hurried along.
There were panicked footprints on the muddy mountain path.
At the foot of the mountain, a large shadow sniffed the footprints, then let out a sharp, drawn-out howl.
Howl!
"The wolves are catching up! Hurry, go faster!"
"We've already used herbs to mask our scent, so how are they still tracking us? Can those beasts read footprints?"
"Ordinary wolves can’t, but demonic wolves can! There must be a demon among them!"
Fear quickly spread through the group.
The gray-haired elder in the lead said in a deep voice, "Once we cross Bluffhove Mountain, we'll reach Sephton Town. There are soldiers stationed there who can protect the Lady."
In the center of the group was a young girl with bright eyes and white teeth. She was graceful and beautiful, wearing a white robe and though her steps were unsteady, her gaze remained calm, exuding a composure beyond her years.
She was Juliana Mabbett, the youngest Lady of the Juyeoda Empire.
Born with a special gift, the royal family held Juliana in high regard. Now, she was the youngest disciple of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau and widely acknowledged as a prodigy by the students of Stonehigh Academy.
This journey had taken her to the borderlands in search of a rare spiritual flower, but on the way, they encountered demonic creatures. Of the three hundred Imperial Guards that had been protecting her, only a dozen remained, forcing them to retreat. As they passed through Bluffhove Mountain, they were again attacked by demonic wolves.
Natural disasters plagued the land during the fifteen years after the Juyeoda Empire's founding, and demons ran rampant. While Imperial City and its surrounding areas were relatively safe, remote towns were often troubled by monsters and demons.
The people had suffered greatly over the years.
To combat these demons, the Paranormal Investigation Bureau spared no expense in creating the Demonbinder Formation, which could ward off demonic forces and protect the people within. However, the key to the Demonbinder Formation, the spiritual flower, was too rare. To date, only three formations have been constructed, and installed in Imperial City and two nearby major cities.
As a result, land prices in these cities had soared over the years. The Demonbinder Formation brought safety, but it had little to do with the poor—it was only a paradise for the rich.
As they hurried along, the gray-haired elder sighed. "Even though we've defeated the monsters, there are more demons in the world than in the previous dynasty."
"As long as enough Demonbinder Formations are built, the people of the world can find peace," Juliana said in a light but firm voice.
The wolves came quickly.
Dark, shifting shadows of wolves approached rapidly through the pouring rain.
Leading them was a massive figure, leaping two or three yards at a time, far ahead of the other wolves.
"There really is a demonic wolf!"
The gray-haired elder stopped and slowly drew his sword, saying in a deep voice, "I will hold them off. Lady, keep moving forward. Don't look back!"
A dozen guards drew their swords and resolutely turned back to face the attacking wolves.
Opposite them, a massive blue-furred wolf, the size of an ox, leaped through the air.
"Die, you vile creature!"
The elder’s sword gleamed with a cold light, slashing horizontally. It clashed with the wolf's claw, making a crisp metallic sound.
The demonic wolf’s strength was overwhelming, and the elder clearly struggled to keep up, but as the giant wolf missed its strike, the elder suddenly dropped his sword. It spun around and stabbed into the demonic wolf's back.
Pfft!
The long sword pierced into the wolf’s neck, and the massive beast fell beneath a tree.
"A mere demon cannot escape unharmed before me." The elder snorted, gripping the sword hilt as he prepared to decapitate the wolf.
Once the lead wolf died, the pack would scatter.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, two streams of white mists shot out from behind the tree.
The gray-haired elder was stunned to see a cunning, almost human-like expression in the demonic wolf’s eyes.
It was an ambush!
Before he could react, an enormous wolf head emerged from the shadows behind the tree.
Its fangs were like blades, and its fur was crimson like blood. A third eye glowed on its forehead!
It was a Blood Wolf, towering above the elder. The two puffs of white air were exactly what its breath was.
"Three-eyed Blood Wolf!"
Snap!
The elder let out a cry, but it was cut short as he was swallowed whole by the beast.
The previous blue-furred demon wolf had only been bait; the real terror lay hidden within the pack.
Suddenly, the rain stopped.
Moonlight shone through the gaps in the dark clouds.
Juliana finally reached the mountaintop.
She clenched her jaw, pressing onward through the rain. Her thin figure seemed ready to be swallowed by the storm at any moment.
The shrill screams behind her made her tremble uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but look back.
In the pale moonlight, she saw the gray-haired elder being devoured by the demonic wolf.
In that instant, Juliana’s heart seemed to stop.
Run!
Only that word remained in Juliana’s mind.
The path down the mountain was slippery and treacherous.
In her panic, Juliana fell, rolling halfway down before she stopped.
As she got up, she saw the Blood Wolf howling at the moon from the mountaintop.
There was no escape.
In despair, Juliana noticed a small, dimly lit wooden hut not far away.
It must be a hunter’s cabin.
Dragging her exhausted body, Juliana made her way to the hut.
The cabin was oddly built. The door was wider at the top than at the bottom, and the roof sloped downward from front to back.
This wasn't just a matter of conserving wood—this design was intentional.
"Wider at the top, narrower at the bottom, higher in the front, lower in the back... it's a wooden coffin."
Juliana smiled bitterly.
With nowhere else to go, she could only go to a coffin in the mountains.
It was fate; she was destined to die on Bluffhove Mountain.
The demonic wolves' growls grew closer.
With her body soaked by the cold rain, Juliana pushed open the cabin door.
The cabin was very clean, with a wooden bed in the center, built like a coffin.
As Juliana entered, she froze.
There was a corpse lying on the wooden bed!
It was a boy of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in black. He had a delicate face and lay motionless, eyes closed.
The young man held a long sheathed blade, about five feet long, with the handle resting against his chin and the tip against his toes.
Juliana quickly calmed herself.
In Juyeoda, there were many strange and unique burial customs.
Clearly, this cabin was meant as a coffin. The body was already interred, and the long blade was a burial object.
"Sorry to disturb your peace. I have nowhere else to go, so I will join you here in death."
Juliana leaned against the wooden door and spoke softly.
Outside, the howls of wolves grew closer.
Juliana knew the demon wolves would soon catch up. Seeing no hope, she resigned herself to making this place her final resting place.
Suddenly, the young man on the wooden bed sat up!
Juliana’s heart almost skipped a beat.
A living corpse!
The young man opened his eyes. His gaze was deep and unreadable.
"A living person!"
Juliana gasped, realizing that in her panic earlier, she hadn’t noticed he was breathing—he wasn't a corpse.
"Of course I'm alive. Who are you?"
The young man’s voice was raspy as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
"Sorry for disturbing you. My name is Juliana Mabbett," she replied calmly, "This is a mountain coffin, meant for the dead. You’re still alive—why have you built yourself a grave?"
"It’s my family custom. I think Bluffhove Mountain is a good place, so I built my grave early. Why? Am I not allowed to?" the young man retorted coldly.
Juliana frowned slightly.
A grave before death!
No matter how bizarre the burial customs, no matter how strange the traditions, there was one basic rule.
The dead were buried, not the living.
Such customs were truly eerie, but Juliana had a vague feeling she’d heard of something like this before, though she couldn’t recall where.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound of sharp claws approaching came from outside as it grew louder.
"I'm sorry for getting you involved."
Juliana slowly sat down in the corner, hugging her knees. Her voice was soft and apologetic.
She had brought the demonic wolves here.
The young man in black would be devoured as well.
Bang!
The door shuddered from the force of the impact.
The low growl of the demonic wolf was right outside, its fangs visible through the gap in the door.
"Oh, great, business has come to the door." the young man muttered, jumping off the bed.
He rummaged under the table, pulling out a few raw bird eggs. Without even peeling them, he wiped them clean and tossed them into his mouth, swallowing them whole.
Juliana widened her eyes, puzzled by his actions.
He showed no fear, instead seeming slightly pleased as if he'd just found some money on the roadside.
Juliana knew firsthand how terrifying the Three-eyed Blood Wolf was.
Even the elder who had protected her couldn’t escape its fangs—how could this young man be unafraid?
Not only that but he even seemed thrilled.
Clang!
The door burst open.
A massive wolf pushed into the cabin, its third eye on its forehead splitting open as it locked onto Juliana.
Juliana’s entire body tensed, her face pale as paper.
Even in the face of death, Juliana kept her composure and said to the young man,
"When the demonic wolf devours me, use the chance to escape. You might have a slim chance of escaping alive."
Juliana knew the Blood Wolf's target was her.
The young man in black paid no attention to Juliana's words, holding his blade with a smile as he faced the Blood Wolf.
"You ran quite fast when I pursued you last month. Today, you actually delivered yourself right to my door."
Upon hearing his voice, the fur of the Blood Wolf stood on end, and the third eye on its forehead fixed sharply on the young man.
Juliana was shocked to see that fear flickered in that third blood-red eye.
Howl!
With an urgent growl, the Blood Wolf attempted to retreat out of the cabin.
But it was too late.
The young man in black had already drawn his blade.