He slowly lifted his heavy eyelids and barely managed to open his eyes.
“…?”
As soon as he regained his senses and opened his eyes, what he saw was a vast expanse of water.
What…?
He refrained from making any sudden movements that might disrupt his breathing.
Cautiously, he rolled his eyes to examine his surroundings, but no matter where he looked, all he saw was water.
…What is this?
What kind of ridiculous situation was this? How did I end up in a place like this?
He tried to recall what had happened just before.
Shin Noya had appeared, the egg, known as the vessel, had shattered by his own hands.
Then, he remembered being swept away by the water as the vessel broke.
Not to mention, his heart being pierced by Cheonjon, causing him to die once.
Recalling all this, he looked around again.
Water everywhere.
All he could see was water. He moved his arm experimentally. Fortunately, moving didn’t seem particularly difficult…
Is this perhaps the same water from before?
The water that had engulfed him when the vessel shattered. Could it really be that this was that water?
The space didn’t seem small by any means, so had it poured out enough to fill this place entirely?
After glancing around a few more times, he shook his head.
Now that he thought about it, there was no point in worrying about it. This wasn’t a real space, anyway. No need to dwell on the water or the space itself.
What matters is what to do now.
Why am I here? He needed to understand that first.
According to Noya, breaking the vessel meant he would no longer be human.
What has changed?
For the time being, he couldn’t tell what had changed. All he could do was let himself drift along the gentle ripples in the water.
He looked up at the water’s surface.
It looked reachable if he swam up.
What’s up there?
Could he get out if he swam to the top?
Breathing…
Since he didn’t seem to be suffocating, breathing wasn’t an issue.
Deciding he’d better swim up, he started to move.
Sssssss…
Freeze—
His body went rigid.
There was a presence. Where was it? Where was this presence coming from?
The fact that there was something else in this space, which he thought was empty, was a problem.
Sssss…
Goosebumps rose from his toes to his scalp.
This wasn’t just any presence. It was something different.
He could sense it instinctively.
Sss… Sss… Ssss.
The distinct sound echoed around him, growing louder, yet for some reason, he couldn’t see anything.
What on earth is it? What’s here?
An instinctive, spine-chilling feeling. Should he call this bloodlust?
It was shallower, yet stickier, something even more unsettling.
Cold sweat dripped.
It was odd to feel sweat underwater, but that’s exactly how it felt.
Sss.
After what seemed like an eternity, the presence abruptly vanished.
The tension that had been gripping his body melted away as if it had never been there.
...
Even so, his eyes remained vigilant, scanning the area.
It wasn’t something that would just disappear that easily.
Where are you?
He glanced around frantically. He looked into the void, but nothing appeared.
He examined his sides and looked down to see nothing but endless darkness…
Ssss.
“…!”
Damn.
The moment he looked down, he cursed inwardly.
Darkness stretched out below him. A darkness so deep its depth was unknowable.
“…”
Yes, that was definitely it.
Sllowly…
The source of the presence was right there—in that darkness.
Was something hiding within the darkness?
At first, he thought so, but now, he didn’t.
Just watching it for a few more seconds was enough for him to realize.
That thing wasn’t hiding in the darkness.
Sssss!
It was the darkness itself.
Creak.
Did it realize he had noticed?
The darkness started to shift, a white slit forming and stretching open.
It looked almost like…
A mouth?
It resembled the jaws of a beast.
His eyes widened in shock.
Thud—!
Craaaaa—!
“Damn it!”
The massive darkness lunged at him.
Sploosh—!
He twisted his body in a panic to evade, but—
Crunch—!
“Gah…!!”
Moving was slow underwater, so he couldn’t protect one of his arms. The creature bit down on his arm and began thrashing through the water.
Its speed was far greater than he expected.
What the hell is this thing…?!
Groaning under the pressure, he squinted to examine the creature biting him.
Now that it was closer, he could see its form more clearly.
What is this?
It had a long body that swayed gracefully through the water.
At first glance, he thought it resembled Jeoksusa, a serpent-like demonic beast.
But he quickly realized it wasn’t that.
It has limbs.
The creature had limbs that snakes didn’t, and its scales looked thicker and more defined.
While he couldn’t make out every detail, he could see an unknown horn on its head, with fur running along its back all the way to its tail.
This thing is…
What was it? It was a form of demonic beast he had never seen before—neither snake nor beast.
Crunch—!
“Grrrk!”
While he was busy inspecting it, his body slammed into something. It seemed the creature had rammed him into a wall.
Crack!
“Ugh…!!”
The pain of his arm being crushed and torn made him grit his teeth to hold back a scream. Trying to bear the pain, he moved, attempting to break free.
Then—
[We are sovereign.]
Through the arm that was bitten, he heard a voice.
[All other races are lowly and inferior.]
Though the words sounded calm, they were laced with profound arrogance. The voice resonated through his entire being, flooding his mind.
[We must escape. Escape this filthy vessel and become a radiant body.]
This bastard…
The voice burrowed into his mind like a vice, and he looked directly at the creature.
The voice’s owner was obvious—it had to be the thing biting him.
[Such a pitiful body. Unable to break free from its own confines… isn’t it tragic?]
[Don’t you wish to rise higher and gaze down upon the lowly creatures? Don’t you want to claim an immortal name while they kneel before you?]
[Then, don’t hesitate. Embrace me. Abandon your pitiful shell and be reborn.]
“Urgh…”
The voice grew louder, making his head feel like it was about to explode.
Simultaneously, something swelled within him.
What filled him was an array of emotions.
Arrogance, pride, an insatiable desire to ascend to higher places.
Is this… it?
As he clutched his head with his free hand, he recalled Shin Noya’s warning.
Noya had said it.
Breaking the vessel meant the end of his life as a human. And upon awakening, he would be something other than human.
‘I might not be myself.’
There was a chance he wouldn’t awaken as “himself.” He now understood the reason behind that ominous warning.
It’s you.
He could see the creature’s piercing blue eyes.
It was you.
The moment he abandoned his humanity to become something new…
You’re trying to take what’s within.
This creature was attempting to claim the place he had vacated.
[Isn’t this what you want?]
A ringing filled his ears.
[With me, you can easily achieve your desires.]
[Didn’t you yearn for peace?]
[Hand it over to me.]
[Relinquish all your regrets, anxieties, and fears. Surrender it all to me, and find peace.]
“…”
He felt like he was going insane.
The relentless voice was enough to make him want to let go, and the foul emotions that began to fill his chest were overwhelming.
Even more so…
…Peace?
The creature’s words sounded sweet, too sweet.
The idea of handing over everything he was tied to. The notion that he could reach his goal effortlessly was tempting.
An instinct told him those words were true.
How did things come to this? Why did he have to stop being human?
What would he become if he was no longer human?
He didn’t know, but the temptation was enough to make him think it wouldn’t matter.
[Hand it over.]
[Find peace, Gu Yangcheon.]
[Then you can achieve all that you desire.]
All that he desired.
To prevent the bloodshed that would come before his death.
To create a world where those who lived and died for him could live in peace.
To set things in order…
To give himself peace.
Thinking of these things—
[I’ll do that for you.]
The creature whispered in his ear.
[Didn’t you wish for it? Didn’t you yearn for someone to take it all from you?]
He did wish.
He desperately wished for someone to take it all. He longed to let go of this wretched burden.
[Now is the time.] [Hand it over to me.]
Drip.
Blood flowed from his nose, diffusing in the water. He could feel the blood vessels in his eyes straining.
“…What…are you?”
He blurted out.
A clear voice underwater was strange enough, but there was no time to dwell on that now.
Had the creature heard his question?
Creak.
The creature’s lips curled, almost as if it were smiling.
[I am a noble being.]
[I am a supreme existence, transcending from the beginning.]
[I am the miracle that inferior beings like you are barely permitted to reach.]
Arrogant and utterly proud.
Yet, somehow, those words suited it perfectly.
Why did such repulsive words fit it so well? Even through the pain, he found it absurd.
[So.] [Hand it over to me.]
The creature repeated the same words over and over. Each time he heard them, he could feel himself wavering.
Just hand it over and find peace.
After all, wasn’t it exhausting? How could he, of all people, withstand such a bloody storm?
Those thoughts stirred in his mind, one after another.
Every attempt to do something ended in disaster, with people treating him like a curse.
Even if things were better than his previous life, he wondered if he could ever truly stop Cheonma. And now, he had the Blood Demon to deal with as well—too much to think about.
Why did he have to be the one to do all this?
The very conviction that held him steady was faltering.
Why did he have to walk such a harsh path? Wouldn’t it be better to hand it over, as the creature suggested, and be free?
Ah…
Snap.
The connection holding his mind intact began to unravel.
The creature’s smile grew wider.
If he handed over what it wanted, what would become of him?
Would he disappear?
Is that really the issue?
If it meant escaping, what was there to fear in disappearing?
He’d never been overly concerned with death in the first place.
[Yes. That’s it.]
A voice filled with amusement echoed.
[Just hand everything over to me, and rest.]
“…”
He began to drift. The consciousness he had held onto so tightly was slipping away.
What had he struggled for so desperately?
“…”
Yes.
Let go.
Now, just…
—I wanted to live a normal life.
“…”
Just as he was about to fall into repose, a memory surfaced unexpectedly.
Recalling it brought back his fading vision with clarity.
The weight that had been sinking in his mind lightened, allowing him to grasp the final thread of his fading consciousness.
Memories surfaced like flipping the pages of a book.
First, the sorrowful face of a golden-haired woman.
—Thank goodness…
Second, a white-haired woman with a sad smile.
—Live.
Third, a woman with a cold expression drenched in blood spoke resolutely.
—I’m truly sorry for you.
Fourth, a woman who had lost her sight, offering an apology.
More memories surfaced, each one quelling the emotions that had risen within him.
“Ah…”
His darkening vision quickly returned. Just as he was about to lose his breath—
Before that, his right hand moved first.
Thud—!
!!!
He thrust his fingers into the creature’s eye.
It shrieked, thrashing wildly.
Craaaaa!
With its grip broken, he managed to free himself from its bite.
[You…!!] [How dare you!!!]
The creature glared at him with hatred. He could see blue blood oozing from the eye he had pierced.
[You pitiful creature! You could’ve found peace, but you dared to injure me—!!]
To the creature shouting indignantly, he replied with a smile.
“You bit my arm, so let’s call it even.”
Showing his limp left arm, he let out a chuckle. Of course, it didn’t look like the creature would let it go so easily.
[Why would you make such a choice?!]
Its booming voice made him frown. His head still throbbed, but he shook it off.
A reason?
“…I just thought about it.”
Nothing profound…
It would’ve been easier to hand everything over to the creature. Though he couldn’t be sure if it would act in his best interest, he knew instinctively that its chances were probably higher than his own.
[You knew that, yet—!!] “…But, you know.”
Then a thought crossed his mind.
“If I make someone else shoulder this in this life too, I’d be too ashamed to face my friends.”
If he set his mind to it, he had to see it through to the end.
He couldn’t hesitate or waver.
There were things that he, and he alone, had to do.
He only wished he had understood this simple fact in his previous life.
That regret lingered slightly.
The creature let out a low sigh after hearing his words.
[…I’m giving you one last chance.]
As he inspected his battered arm, the creature spoke, as if offering him one final opportunity.
The voice reverberated through his body, causing a headache, though it wasn’t as severe as before.
What was this creature, anyway?
What was it that suddenly appeared and tried to take his body?
Was it that being he’d often heard growling?
No, it didn’t seem like it…
He didn’t know. If he didn’t know, he’d just have to find out.
“Yeah, when has my life ever been easy?”
It had always been that way.
If talking couldn’t resolve the situation… In this damned world of the Central Plains, there was only one way.
And he knew well that he was a person better suited for action than words.
Growl…
The creature gritted its teeth, seemingly trying to intimidate him.
He looked at it with the widest grin he could manage and spoke.
“Get lost.”
At that cue—
Craaaa—!
The creature lunged at him, mouth wide open.