Time flowed.
It had just passed noon, and as the hour neared late afternoon, the thick stench of blood lingering in the forest remained, but the intense murderous aura and hostility that had filled the air began to slowly subside.
This was the so-called lull.
The screams of the cadets, which had echoed endlessly, gradually diminished.
By the time the sun began to set, the situation had finally come under control.
It had been an unexpected and massive attack.
Yet, amusingly, the attack was quelled before a full day had even passed.
But that wasn’t the most surprising part.
After I headed to the Magyeong Gate and returned, I thought several days must have passed.
But astonishingly, it had been less than a single hour since I disappeared.
What could explain this?
As for the attack—
Could it be because the Black Night Palace Lord and the Black Dragon Sword had met an early defeat?
If someone had heard that such figures were involved in the attack, and it was suppressed in less than a day, they might scoff and say it was underwhelming.
But when it comes to attacks, there’s no such thing as "underwhelming." Especially when lives have been lost.
Whoosh.
As the captured enemy’s breath ceased and their life force burned away, leaving only a pile of black ash, I finally let go of the body I had been holding.
It collapsed lifelessly to the ground, disintegrating upon impact.
Such was the end of this nameless rogue sect member.
Pat, pat.
I dusted off my hands and surveyed the area.
'Is there anyone else?'
I expanded my senses.
Perhaps because I had just broken through to a new realm, my sensory perception, which had only covered a small portion of the mountain, now expanded to encompass half of Taesan.
It was partly due to my upper dantian opening and my capacity increasing, but it was largely because my ability to control my senses had become more precise and detailed.
‘...There are a few hiding.’
But it seemed they were at a level the instructors could handle.
Crackle.
I gathered the remaining flames and checked the condition of my body.
‘The fatigue is piling up.’
I could feel how heavy my body was. I had rolled around to the point of exhaustion as soon as I reached the Hwagyeong realm.
What choice did I have? Trouble had broken out the moment I emerged.
If I hadn’t intervened, that would have been a problem in itself.
Besides—
‘I needed to find him.’
I had been wandering around with the intention of tracking down and eliminating Jang Seon-yeon.
In the end, I hadn’t found Jang Seon-yeon. That was the problem.
‘...What happened?’
According to the laws of the Magyeong, Jang Seon-yeon should have returned with me.
Even the World Tree gave me the same answer when I asked.
It was something I had anticipated, so I didn’t think it would be an issue.
In fact—
‘In a situation like this, it’s the perfect time.’
It was an ambush.
Who would have thought some lunatic would attack the Sinryong Hall? Though I can’t say I’m grateful, it did make it quite convenient to dispose of those who needed to be killed.
If Jang Seon-yeon had returned with me, now would be the perfect time to eliminate him without a trace.
‘It’s becoming troublesome.’
I even went to the place where Cheol Ji-seon had opened the Magyeong Gate, just to be sure.
But Jang Seon-yeon had vanished without a trace.
Even after incinerating the enemies and thoroughly searching Taesan, I couldn’t find him.
How could this be?
‘If he’s hiding... No, that doesn’t make sense.’
It didn’t make sense for Jang Seon-yeon, who surely had lost his memory, to be hiding from me.
Even if he were hiding, there was no way I wouldn’t be able to find him.
The only plausible explanation was—
‘He’s already dead.’
If his life force had faded and he lay buried in the earth, that would explain why I couldn’t detect him.
Unless, of course, he had disappeared without a trace, like a mouse in the night.
"Tsk."
It had become a bit of a nuisance.
It would’ve been an ideal situation if I could have eliminated him now, but a sliver of uncertainty remained.
"Sigh... Well, when has anything I’ve done ever gone smoothly?"
I ran a hand roughly through my hair and gathered my Qi.
My body was exhausted, but it wasn’t yet a problem to keep moving. This was probably—
‘The influence of the demonification.’
I had unleashed all the demonic energy into my body and staked my heart on it.
Thanks to that, I had become a demon while successfully severing my connection to Cheonma.
Moreover...
"...I didn’t think I’d be able to undo it."
I clenched and opened my fist, examining my body.
I was no longer in the form of a demon but had returned to my original human appearance.
Once someone became a demon, they couldn’t return to being human until death. That was the unbreakable law laid down by Cheonma.
Yet, I had managed to return from being a demon to being human.
‘Was it this easy?’
When I had fully absorbed the demonic energy and made it mine, I instinctively knew how to return to being human.
How to use the demonic energy—it was as if the knowledge came naturally, like a second nature.
‘And...’
I rolled up my right sleeve and checked my skin.
A frown crossed my face at the strange mark that remained.
"What the hell is this?"
Something peculiar was left behind, something I didn’t understand.
When I had become a demon in my past life, there had been nothing like this.
Why now?
This was almost like—
"Brother."
"...!"
The moment I heard the voice, I hurriedly pulled down my sleeve and turned toward the source.
There stood Pae Woo-cheol.
"Oh, you’re still alive?"
"...‘Still alive?’ What kind of greeting is that?"
At my words, Pae Woo-cheol looked hurt.
With his rough appearance, pulling that face only made him look scarier.
"You seem to be alright, brother."
Pae Woo-cheol looked around at the surroundings, his eyes widening.
The area was littered with the charred corpses of rogue sect members. There weren’t many of them, but it was still enough to be shocking.
As I observed Pae Woo-cheol’s expression, I suddenly spoke.
"Did you kill?"
"...!"
Pae Woo-cheol’s eyes trembled at my question.
The emotion in his eyes was something I recognized well.
Judging by the state of his body and the traces on his hands, it seemed he had dealt with rogue warriors.
His mental state seemed to have been shaken by it, a clear sign of his still-developing martial foundation.
"Good work."
That was all I had to say about it.
It’s something every martial artist experiences eventually.
There’s no need for comfort or sympathy.
It’s something you have to endure alone, and that was the end of it.
"Looks like it’s over. Head back now."
"...Brother, what about you...?"
"I’ll be heading back, too."
The cadets should have been evacuated already.
As for me...
I had intended to find and eliminate Jang Seon-yeon.
And I needed to vent the anger I’d been holding in.
The fact that Pae Woo-cheol was still here was the strange part.
"Why are you still here?"
"...."
Pae Woo-cheol averted his gaze slightly at my question.
He avoided my eyes and kept his mouth shut, as if there was something he couldn’t say.
Seeing this, I walked past him, lightly tapping his broad shoulder.
"Forget it. Let’s just head down."
If he didn’t want to talk about it, I wasn’t going to bother prying.
If it was something he wanted to say, he would have said it already.
"...Yes, brother."
Whooo.
A spring breeze, just past winter, brushed against my cheek.
Normally, it would have been a pleasant breeze.
But this time, it was mixed with the overwhelming stench of blood.
"..."
This spring would probably be the worst season I’ve experienced since my return.
******************
The once grand Sinryong Hall had now been reduced to a makeshift shelter.
Bloodied cadets were receiving treatment, while others, trembling in fear, sat huddled together.
There were those who sat against the walls, eyes vacant, as if their souls had left them.
It had been less than a day since the attack, but for those who had experienced such horrors for the first time, their condition was far from stable.
'No, there probably aren’t many who’ve been through something like this,' I thought.
Wasn’t this supposed to be an era of peace?
The days of war against the rogue sects had ended long ago.
While it seemed that the so-called Five Demonic Kings still flaunted their power, they too lived quietly beneath the shadow of the orthodox sects.
After all, when you consider that the three supreme beings, known as the Three Absolutes, are all part of the orthodox sects, the balance of power is clear.
This is the era of the orthodox sects.
No matter how much the rogue sects gnash their teeth and show up, they can’t stand tall under the overwhelming influence of the orthodox sects.
How long has it been since an incident or attack like this happened?
It’s probably the first time in over a decade.
'Even in my previous life, the biggest event only came after the fall of the Black Night Palace.'
The attack on Sinryong Hall had never occurred in my previous life.
This was yet another anomaly in this life.
In other words—
'It’s my fault.'
The butterfly effect caused by my regression—those words stung deeply.
"...No... Wake up!"
"Brother...! Brother!"
"Please, senior brother... Open your eyes..."
In the middle of the plains that had been turned into a makeshift camp at Sinryong Hall, screams echoed.
The reason was clear. That area had been designated to gather the bodies of the deceased cadets.
It hadn’t even been a full day.
And yet, how many cadets had already lost their lives?
While not a large portion of the entire cadet population had died, the fact remained—they were dead.
These were people who, under different circumstances, might have survived until just before the real bloodshed began.
But because of this event, they died.
And if that’s the case, it’s my fault.
If this hadn’t happened in my past life, then all of this is on me.
'...'
Could I have anticipated this?
No, I knew it could happen. I knew there was always a chance something like this could occur.
The problem is that living through it feels far worse than I ever expected.
Moreover—
In the midst of the heart-wrenching cries, I saw a figure standing, holding a bloodstained sword.
The once lazy-looking, loud-mouthed rising star of Wudang stood there, saying nothing, at the center of his fallen comrades.
Among the cadets from Wudang, there had been casualties as well.
As I stared at the back of that silent figure, I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood.
It had been a truly awful day.
I thought about approaching him but turned my head away.
There was nothing I could do for him now.
I kept walking. After taking a few weary steps, I spotted Gu Jeol-yeop in the distance.
He didn’t look to be in good condition either.
His face was worn, and there was a lingering tension he couldn’t seem to shake.
It was likely his first time fighting against people, rather than monsters at the front lines.
Sweat, not yet wiped away, was still visible as it dripped from his brow.
"...You’ve arrived."
Gu Jeol-yeop noticed me approaching and bowed his head slightly.
"You alright?"
"Yes. It seems you’re fine as well, Il Gongja."
"What do you mean by ‘as expected’?"
"It’s hard to imagine you getting hit or hurt."
"..."
On any other day, I might have scolded him for being cheeky, but today I just sighed and let it go.
"Well done."
As I passed him, Gu Jeol-yeop spoke up. His words made me frown slightly.
‘Well done?’
Do I even deserve to hear such words?
I passed him and entered the building.
Though calling it a building was a bit much, given how much of it had already collapsed.
"...Sigh."
I could see people moving busily—cadets and instructors mixed together.
Has there been any word from the main sect yet? ...They’re probably on their way. Is that what you call an answer? You’re part of the sect! I’m just as frustrated as you! The atmosphere wasn’t good.
With so many people crammed into the space, it made things worse.
This hastily arranged shelter was created to treat and provide rest for the injured.
The issue was that there weren’t nearly enough physicians for the number of injured people.
Moreover, a few of the physicians had died during the attack, further slowing the pace.
I weaved my way past them, continuing to walk.
"Ah..."
Someone spotted me and let out a sound.
I had noticed them long before.
The figure wrapped in bandages looked almost comical.
How much blood had they lost to end up looking so gaunt?
"You’re here?"
The one tending to them was Peng A-hee, with her hair disheveled and her dust-covered clothes unchanged.
She looked far from the refined image of a noble lady as she gave me a weary smile.
"...I heard you worked hard," Peng A-hee said, almost immediately.
I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
"It seems strange rumors are spreading. I didn’t do anything..."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
Peng A-hee gave me a bitter smile as if she didn’t believe my words were serious.
Leaving her behind, I noticed someone weakly gesturing towards me.
It was Namgung Bi-ah, her face gaunt and wrapped in bandages.
"...Hello..."
I gritted my teeth internally.
"Are you really in the mood for greetings?"
At my sharp tone, Namgung Bi-ah flinched.
"...Are you mad?"
"Wouldn’t you be?"
"...I’m sorry."
At her apology, her posture seemed to shrink.
It irritated me to see her apologizing to me.
"What were you thinking?"
"...Huh?"
"You should have picked your fights more carefully."
I had heard what had happened.
That Namgung Bi-ah had stood in the way of the Black Night Palace Lord.
And as a result, she ended up in that state.
"Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?"
"..."
"What if you had died? What were you thinking, being so weak and yet..."
The more I spoke, the more my emotions spiraled out of control.
I wasn’t angry at her, but at myself.
How close had I come to losing someone again, because of my ignorance?
I was angry—furiously angry—at my own incompetence.
At that moment, Namgung Bi-ah’s hand timidly reached out and grasped the hem of my clothes.
"...I’m sorry... Don’t cry."
Her words caught me off guard.
-Cry?
It brought back memories of a situation from my previous life.
"I’m not crying."
"...I’m alright..."
Bones broken, Qi depleted, blood lost to the point of life-threatening danger.
And yet, she claimed to be alright.
"Stop apologizing."
"...Okay."
The one who should be apologizing was me.
How pathetic.
I felt utterly worthless, venting my guilt like this.
What’s the point of advancing my cultivation if I can’t even handle something like this?
I had the World Tree to thank for this.
If things had gone as expected, several days should have passed by now.
But the fact that I had come out in such a short time was likely thanks to the World Tree’s power.
‘What if I had been late by a few days?’
The thought made me shudder.
I didn’t even want to think about it.
I was grateful—so grateful—that she was still alive.
I glanced around.
Next to Namgung Bi-ah, Tang So-yeol lay unconscious.
Judging by her condition, she hadn’t fallen asleep naturally.
It seemed someone had used their Qi to forcibly put her to sleep.
"She’s lost a lot of blood, but they say her life’s not in danger," Peng A-hee said, as if answering my unspoken question.
"...But why is she asleep?"
"...Sister can heal herself quickly because of her high cultivation level, but for So-yeol, this is faster."
Namgung Bi-ah was at the pinnacle, so her natural healing ability was exceptional.
But Tang So-yeol wasn’t at that level yet, so they’d decided it was faster to let her sleep and recover.
I had also heard about how Tang So-yeol had fared against the Black Night Palace Lord.
"..."
That thought made me unconsciously reach out and stroke her hair.
Namgung Bi-ah simply watched, not reacting.
Then she asked.
"What about Seol-ah?"
She was asking about Wi Seol-ah.
"She’s resting."
I thought back to what had happened earlier that day.
There had been several incidents, but after everything, Wi Seol-ah had fainted.
I had to spend some time getting both her and Bieui-jin back to safety.
Not to mention—
It seems we have some things to discuss, don’t we? Bieui-jin’s words had been loaded with meaning.
Damn it.
He wasn’t going to let me off easy.
‘How am I supposed to deal with this?’
I didn’t know.
Every time a crisis hit, it was like an overwhelming storm that left me dizzy.
"Hey."
As I mulled over the situation, Peng A-hee suddenly spoke up.
"...What?"
"Earlier, the Sword Empress stopped by."
"The Sword Empress?"
I hadn’t seen her, so I’d been worried something had happened.
But it seemed she was alive.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy for a martial artist of her caliber to die in an attack like this.
‘Then again, thinking of the Blue Sea Sword, anything is possible.’
The image of the old man, who had lost an arm and collapsed, flashed in my mind, making my lips dry.
"She said to come see her when you arrived."
"Me? Where?"
Peng A-hee explained that the Sword Empress was treating the Blue Sea Sword, and that I should go there.
After giving Namgung Bi-ah and Tang So-yeol a brief explanation, I began walking.
I wanted to head straight to Wi Seol-ah, but if the Sword Empress was looking for me, it had to be something urgent.
I made my way to where the Blue Sea Sword was being treated.
The instructors guarding the area flinched when they saw me, but when I told them the Sword Empress was expecting me, they stepped aside without issue.
It seemed they had been informed beforehand.
I passed through their guard and reached the entrance.
Swish.
I pulled aside the curtain blocking the way.
Inside, I saw the Blue Sea Sword, who had likely finished receiving treatment and was now asleep.
And there, seated beside him, was the Sword Empress, who had called for me.
"...You’ve come."
"...!"
The problem was—
Kneeling next to the Sword Empress was none other than the white-haired, white-eyed man I had met earlier that day.