Drip… drip….

Water droplets fall from the ceiling. The space is filled with emptiness, and it is damp and humid.

While that’s often the nature of underground places, this one had a particularly intense feeling.

Perhaps it was because of the ice crystal in the heart of the underground.

It seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Deep within this underground space, and even further inside, there was a massive ice crystal.

It didn’t belong here.

Not in the frozen Ice Palace where the four seasons had come to a halt, but rather in the Martial Alliance — an unexpected place for such a thing.

Step—.

Setting aside such questions, a woman walked through the wide, dark space, holding a single torch.

The path she followed was one she had walked thousands of times before, so familiar that she could navigate it with her eyes closed.

In fact, she didn’t have her eyes open at all.

Her calm, graceful steps gradually slowed.

The reason being that she had reached her destination.

Wooom—

As soon as she stopped walking, a bitter cold wind mixed with the air blew in from directly ahead.

The woman’s veil fluttered in the wind, but her body remained rigid, showing no intention of moving.

And soon after—

"Muhee."

The deep voice she heard in her ears made the woman immediately kneel.

"It seems our connection with Namgung’s child has been severed."

“…Yes. It seems something has gone wrong.”

"Quite the peculiar situation."

“I will send someone right away to investigate what happened.”

Muhee intended to send someone to the Martial Alliance immediately.

This was an important matter, after all.

Namgung’s Thunder Dragon, one of the Five Great Dragons, was in a way their first test subject.

They wanted to observe what would happen to someone who housed divine energy within their body.

Or more specifically, how long they could withstand it.

The Thunder Dragon had been chosen because he was the perfect fit.

His situation and abilities aligned well with what was needed.

Of course, from Muhee’s perspective, it had seemed a bit rushed for him to assume such a role.

But her master had thought otherwise.

And for Muhee, that was enough.

Her master’s opinion was her opinion.

Heh, heh, heh—

Laughter echoed in response to Muhee’s words.

Muhee, who had been bowing her head, looked up.

"There is no need."

“…What?”

It was an unexpected statement.

Her master had referred to it as a matter of great importance, so why was this the reaction?

Muhee’s confusion was short-lived.

"Namgung... I believe that child is there as well."

Her master spoke.

“The… child… Ah.”

A realization dawned on Muhee.

She understood who her master was referring to.

The person her master spoke of was the unexpected obstacle that neither the Martial Alliance nor her master had foreseen.

A young martial artist who had recently garnered her master’s interest.

Jinryong.

The prodigy who had suddenly emerged, making his presence known without warning, had displayed strength that far surpassed that of a typical martial artist, utterly dominating the martial arts competition.

Because of him, the plans had been slightly disrupted.

However, her master didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

In fact, it seemed as though her master welcomed this unexpected twist.

As if by coincidence, the news had come that Jinryong was now at Namgung's estate.

‘Then… does this mean…’

Was it possible that the problem with the Thunder Dragon had been caused by Jinryong?

‘What could that young martial artist have?’

He didn’t possess any of her master’s ‘pieces’ nor had he been seen through the eyes of heaven.

Originally, he should have been someone whose name would have faded into obscurity, forgotten by the passage of time.

Muhee couldn’t understand it.

How could such a person suddenly appear?

Whatever the case may be, though, one thing remained unchanged.

Especially at the moment when the connection with the Thunder Dragon had been severed.

She didn’t know exactly how it happened.

‘It just… suddenly.’

At the moment when the Thunder Dragon had asked her something, the connection was severed.

It felt as if something else had cut it off.

That unease bothered Muhee.

If Jinryong really had been the cause….

"How amusing."

Perhaps sensing Muhee’s thoughts, her master laughed quietly.

“…Are you alright?”

"What do you mean?"

“I was just worried… that this might cause problems with the plan….”

At Muhee’s cautious words, the air around them suddenly chilled.

She immediately bowed her head lower.

"Problems…? How amusing."

“…What?"

"There is nothing more intriguing than disruptions and gaps in what was once certain."

Her master’s voice was filled with laughter.

Muhee had thought that her master would view this as a significant setback.

She couldn’t quite understand why he was reacting this way.

"That is my command."

Upon her master’s words, Muhee bowed even deeper.

"Do not dig too deeply into the matter of the Thunder Dragon."

“…Understood.”

There was no hesitation in her response.

Despite her curiosity and confusion, Muhee did not voice her questions.

She simply followed.

Do not question the words of a great being.

This had been instilled in her mind from the moment she was born until now.

"Muhee."

“Yes, master.”

"Send a message to the room’s leader. Tell him I wish to see him."

“As you wish.”

Muhee, after bowing deeply once more, retreated.

Now alone in the darkness, her master, the Blood Demon, whispered softly into the void.

"Child, I wonder if you can finish what the Golden King could not."

Child.

The Blood Demon thought of the fierce young man he had once encountered.

In a distant past.

The boy in whom the king of another realm had hidden himself, filled with the malevolent thoughts of a savage past.

"You are similar."

Just as he had once housed a monster within his body, this boy was the same.

But was it a coincidence?

No, surely not.

There were no coincidences in this world.

Which meant this too must be fate.

At the same time, the Blood Demon thought of the one who had once imprisoned him here.

It might have been the best decision that person could have made.

But in the end, it had been nothing more than the foolish act of passing down an inevitable catastrophe to future generations.

"Round and round, we return to the beginning. Such is the cycle of reincarnation."

Destruction, ruin, and flames — that was the destined fate of this world.

No matter how much one struggled, it was nothing more than the futile flailing of an insignificant being.

A pathetic display.

"But I wonder, will you be different? That is what intrigues me."

There was no way to know.

Though all events had been predetermined, many worlds had struggled to leave behind a trace in their desperate attempts to survive.

Laughable and pitiful, yet that too was fate.

"Could you be the dagger?"

A dagger that could pierce the smallest of gaps.

The Blood Demon was curious.

Could such a fragile dagger truly pierce through everything?

Memories of a distant time surfaced.

It was right before the Celestial Demon had made his move on the Martial Alliance.

Two of the Three Elders had died at that time.

The Divine Sword was still referred to as the Little Sword Saint, and the scattered righteous factions were only just beginning to unite.

Countless individuals had fallen into corruption, drawn by the Celestial Demon’s overwhelming power.

The army of the Martial Alliance had grown so vast that the defeat of the demonic cult seemed nearly impossible.

Just like the righteous factions, many experts of the demonic cult had been buried in the ground, but everyone knew.

As long as the Celestial Demon stood, the demonic cult would not fall.

In the distance, the Martial Alliance’s army came into view.

Every soldier was a skilled warrior.

And yet, the Celestial Demon remained calm.

"Lord."

Upon hearing the Celestial Demon’s voice, I raised my head.

“…Yes.”

"Are you seeking an answer?"

The Celestial Demon asked if I was seeking an answer to my question.

I nodded.

Though it seemed impossible to ask such a thing of the ruler of the demonic cult, I had to ask now, while I had the chance.

And so I did.

"You’ve wondered why I desire to conquer the Central Plains."

Where did the Celestial Demon come from?

What kind of being was he?

What did he want from me?

Those questions didn’t matter to me.

It was too late for that now.

But still….

Despite that, there was one thing I wanted to know.

"What do you think the reason is?"

"…I do not know."

Why did the Celestial Demon desire to sweep through the Central Plains and stand above the heavens?

What was his goal that he would claim countless lives in the process?

I wanted to know.

In response, the Celestial Demon laughed.

"Lord, there is a selfish desire mixed in with your question."

I closed my mouth at the Celestial Demon’s words.

"Are you afraid?"

The Celestial Demon’s gaze was directed at me.

"Are you afraid that I will hold the head of the woman you love at my fingertips?"

A vision crossed my mind.

Her, lying dead in a pool of blood, felled by the Celestial Demon’s hand.

Her, looking up at me with eyes full of resentment.

Was that what I feared?

-….

I couldn’t say no.

It might not have been completely true, but I couldn’t deny the growing feelings I was harboring.

The Celestial Demon’s purple eyes bore into me.

I wanted to bow my head, but I couldn’t.

The Celestial Demon didn’t allow it.

"I thought your heart had frozen over."

His fingers approached, lifting my chin.

"You’re still the same. You’ve changed nothing."

"I apologize…."

"You haven’t committed any crime, so I won’t accept your apology."

With those words, the Celestial Demon turned without hesitation.

His robe billowed, and demonic energy swirled around him.

It was still an incomprehensible power.

It was hard to believe that such a force could belong to a human.

"A reason, you say."

I listened closely to the Celestial Demon’s words.

As he watched the approaching army of the Martial Alliance, the Celestial Demon muttered.

"Who knows."

He raised his hand slightly.

Energy from all directions began to gather in his palm.

It was clearly a disaster in the making.

A disaster that would sweep through the entire area in an instant.

The black sphere, as though it contained the malice of the entire world, paradoxically appeared pure.

Was it because I was a demon?

Or was the Celestial Demon’s power simply that otherworldly?

I didn’t know.

As demonic energy swirled in the air, warping the space around us, the Celestial Demon spoke to me.

"This is my role, after all."

With that, the Celestial Demon walked forward toward the charging army.

And as he moved, I saw something.

The Celestial Demon’s expression.

For some reason, he seemed to be smiling.

With that scene, I woke up.

“…Ah.”

I let out a breath and looked around.

What I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling, but it was more comforting than the dream I’d just had.

“What a messed-up dream.”

As always, if I dreamed, it would be a nightmare.

This time was no different.

This was why I hated sleeping.

“Hah.”

Grasping my throbbing head, I sat up.

It wasn’t just my head that hurt — my whole body ached.

Especially my core, which was in terrible condition.

The emptiness, as if it had been completely hollowed out, and the intense pain that came with it was a real problem.

‘Damn it.’

I wouldn’t be able to train my energy for a while.

Laughing bitterly, I muttered to myself.

“…Who can I blame? I’m the sinner here.”

Tsk.

Clicking my tongue, I dragged my weary body out the door.

I didn’t know how long I had been out, but I couldn’t keep lying around like this.

I wasn’t a cripple, after all.

When I stepped outside, I was greeted by the faint scent of morning in the breeze.

And with that breeze, I noticed someone standing at my door.

I thought it might be Hongwa, but I was wrong.

Seeing who it was, I frowned and opened my mouth.

“You’re still in one piece?”

At the sound of my voice, the figure turned around.

“….”

It was Namgung Cheonjun, the same person I had faced last night.

Most of his injuries had healed.

His chest had mended, and his dislocated arm was back in place.

The only visible wounds left were the fingers whose nails I had torn out and burned.

His expression had changed too.

The madness, filled with malice and killing intent, was gone.

Now, his eyes were filled with confusion and doubt.

And perhaps, just a trace of fear.

‘Of course.’

I knew exactly why Namgung Cheonjun felt that way.

The blood energy that had flowed through his body was now fully absorbed into mine.

Judging by how much I’d taken, it must have been a considerable amount.

I didn’t know what the purpose was in giving that kind of energy to Namgung Cheonjun, but—

‘That’s something I’ll figure out from here on.’

At the very least, I could learn as much as Namgung Cheonjun knew.

Even now, I continued to observe his body.

Or more specifically—

I was watching the demonic energy that had sprouted in his core.

‘It’s vivid. Almost too vivid.’

The demonic energy that had taken root in Namgung Cheonjun’s body was unusually clear.

It was as if it had a will of its own, slowly but surely merging with his physical body.

The blood energy had left its place, and now the demonic energy was filling the void.

The problem was that Namgung Cheonjun’s body recognized the demonic energy.

It was gradually merging with his flesh.

Which meant that Namgung Cheonjun was slowly becoming a demon.

And the one responsible for this transformation—

Was me, from last night.

There was something I’d recalled about the demonic arts as they evolved in alignment with my power.

Someone had once jokingly asked if I would be able to turn other people into demons.

I had laughed it off at the time, thinking it was impossible.

After all, only the Celestial Demon was supposed to wield such power.

I had laughed then, but deep down, I had been scared.

I had known all along.

I had known instinctively that I could do it if I tried.

Even without confirming it.

It was a fact I had somehow known, as though someone had whispered it to me.

But even so, I had hoped it wouldn’t be true.

‘Well, now I’ve confirmed it.’

Looking at the result before me, I couldn’t help but accept it.

Namgung Cheonjun was becoming a demon because of my demonic energy.

And soon, he would fully become one.

“How did this…!”

“Kneel.”

Thud…!

“…!”

At my single word, Namgung Cheonjun knelt without resistance.

“Shit.”

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, cursing under my breath.

The demonic energy within Namgung Cheonjun’s body had controlled him, moving him at my command.

As if it were following my will.

Each word I spoke acted like a binding spell.

What a terrifying power.

“This… this….”

Namgung Cheonjun looked up at me with a face full of fear.

It was clear he didn’t fully understand what was happening to his body.

“Who… what are you?”

He asked me.

Who was I?

Hearing that question, I smiled bitterly and replied.

“Who knows? I wonder that myself — what I am.”

At this point, I didn’t know either.

Or maybe I was just avoiding the truth.

At least this time, I hoped my suspicions would be wrong.