"…Were you waiting for me?"

Jang Sun-yeon's voice trembled ever so slightly as he spoke.

"Not for long. I just got here myself."

Goo Yang-cheon said with a smirk. Jang Sun-yeon frowned at that. That statement clearly meant that Goo Yang-cheon had been waiting here for him.

'How did he know…?'

Jang Sun-yeon was puzzled, but—

"Why are you surprised?"

Goo Yang-cheon's question made Jang Sun-yeon look up.

"Weren't you also looking for me for the same reason?"

“…!”

"Your reaction is amusing. Yeah, you were still like this at this point in time."

Ignoring Goo Yang-cheon’s cryptic words, Jang Sun-yeon focused on what was said earlier:

• For the same reason.

 

As those words echoed in his mind, he remembered something Goo Yang-cheon had said back when they were in the same group:

• You’re going to die here.

 

That’s what Goo Yang-cheon had told him. Jang Sun-yeon clenched his fist at the memory.

"I don’t understand what you mean."

"You have the look of someone who understands better than anyone. If not, why else would you have sought me out? Go ahead, go hunt monsters."

“...”

Hearing Goo Yang-cheon's words made Jang Sun-yeon's teeth grind. Was it the smug tone? Or the hidden mockery?

Or was it the blatant malice aimed at him?

Or maybe it was the fact that Goo Yang-cheon’s talent, which blocked his path at every turn, was the source of his frustration.

'No, that's not it.'

It wasn’t that he didn’t know. He was merely pretending not to know.

Jang Sun-yeon was fully aware of the reason. The problem was Goo Yang-cheon’s very existence. With talent that seemed to defy the heavens and the malice directed at him, this man had stood in his way from the very beginning and would continue to do so.

Jang Sun-yeon had to surpass everyone and shine brighter than anyone. Yet, this bothersome man had always been ahead of him and shone brighter.

Even after relying on his informants and utilizing the resources of the Gae Bang, he had reached his limits.

Moreover, even the Gae Bang had been distancing itself from him recently. How could he not be frustrated?

This man was like a massive obstacle to him. Hiding his trembling fist, Jang Sun-yeon spoke to Goo Yang-cheon.

"Isn't it the same for you, Goo Gongja?"

"What is?"

"You were waiting for me as well, weren’t you? Shouldn’t you be hunting monsters, Goo Gongja?"

Goo Yang-cheon chuckled at Jang Sun-yeon’s words.

"You're right. I should be hunting monsters."

"Then, right now…."

"I'm hunting one right now."

Jang Sun-yeon frowned at Goo Yang-cheon’s reply. He sensed no presence of any monsters around them.

"Not everyone wearing a human face is truly human. If they’ve lost their true purpose and are only acting on base instincts, wouldn’t that make them a monster?"

Goo Yang-cheon’s words, spoken with a smile, pierced directly into Jang Sun-yeon’s core.

The emotions in Goo Yang-cheon’s eyes were all too clear, and his attitude reflected someone who lived as they pleased without a care for others’ opinions.

This infuriated Jang Sun-yeon. While he was busy wearing a mask and constantly worrying about others’ opinions, how could Goo Yang-cheon behave so freely?

And why did so many people gather around him despite that?

Was he the one in the wrong?

The more such thoughts crossed his mind, the less he liked Goo Yang-cheon.

No, he wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t be.

"Are you planning to kill me?"

At Jang Sun-yeon’s words, Goo Yang-cheon responded with amusement.

"Why are you acting like the victim now? You’re a funny bastard."

Suppressing his feelings, Jang Sun-yeon met Goo Yang-cheon’s gaze and asked again.

"I still don’t understand."

"What don’t you understand?"

"Why does Goo Gongja hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?"

Jang Sun-yeon felt wronged, and Goo Yang-cheon could understand his frustration to some degree.

It was true that Jang Sun-yeon had inherited the energy of the Blood Demon and had used underhanded means to rise in rank. But up until the Martial Arts Competition, he hadn’t directly harmed Goo Yang-cheon.

Even with his underhanded methods, Jang Sun-yeon was undeniably talented. Without resorting to dirty tricks, he might still have reached the peak at a young age.

Yet, Goo Yang-cheon, for some reason, despised him without holding back his malice.

"It’s too much of a hassle to explain everything. Can’t we just settle with the fact that I simply hate you?"

Explaining it all would be annoying. What good would it do to list the reasons for his dislike?

'Even if I told him about the past life, would he even understand?'

If anything, it meant that Jang Sun-yeon hadn’t yet committed the sins he would in the future.

In fact, there were people in this life whom Goo Yang-cheon hadn’t killed because their present selves differed from what they had been in the previous life.

Of course—

"You don’t like me either, right? It’s the same thing."

This didn’t necessarily mean that Jang Sun-yeon was included in that group.

"What will you do if that’s the case?"

"You're not even denying it anymore, huh?"

"Are you suggesting we settle this in a life-and-death duel?"

"A life-and-death duel, huh? Sounds good. But are you confident?"

Goo Yang-cheon laughed, and Jang Sun-yeon’s face contorted in response.

Seeing his expression twist so violently was oddly refreshing, especially since his smiling face had once seemed so innocent.

"Or are you planning to assassinate me? You think you can get away with that with the Shinryong-gwan instructors stationed all around?"

"Yeah, I’m curious about that too. What were you planning to do?"

Even though he had concealed his presence and evaded the instructors, they were still watching.

Goo Yang-cheon turned his gaze slightly and looked behind Jang Sun-yeon.

There he was: Cheol Ji-seon.

The peculiar barrier that surrounded them was interesting.

At Cheol Ji-seon’s level, there was no way he could completely hide his presence, so he must have used something else.

‘What is this?’

It wasn’t quite a ki barrier, more like something subtle—an interference.

‘Sound manipulation?’

Curiously, it seemed to be within the realm of sound. Focusing, Goo Yang-cheon could hear a faint humming noise.

It appeared that Cheol Ji-seon had helped sneak past the instructors' watchful eyes.

If it was like before in the past life, this was the same trick.

That’s why it was puzzling.

Even if Jang Sun-yeon had a plan to deal with the instructors all around them, how was he planning to deal with this situation?

‘He’s not the type to act without leaving an escape route.’

Jang Sun-yeon always left a way out, so it was hard to believe he would make a reckless move.

With that in mind, Goo Yang-cheon shifted his gaze back to Jang Sun-yeon.

"You said you don’t understand why I hate you, right?"

“…”

"If I had to pinpoint a reason, it’s because I can see exactly what you’re going to do in the future."

"What are you saying…?"

"You act like you're hiding it, but your dirty ambitions are so obvious."

Goo Yang-cheon stepped down from the rock he was sitting on and continued.

"You look down on all the trainees, don’t you?"

"…"

"You think you’re so great, that everyone will bow down to you as you rise to the top."

It was the same in his past life. Why would this life be any different?

"After you graduate, you’ll join the Martial Alliance. Even though you're the son of the leader, you’ll start as the lowest-ranked swordsman. That’ll be good for your reputation, won’t it?"

Jang Sun-yeon’s expression changed with each word.

"But it won’t matter because you’ll quickly rise through the ranks. With all the connections you've made, word will spread, and your reputation will grow on its own."

"How do you…."

Jang Sun-yeon’s hand flew to cover his mouth.

He almost blurted out, How do you know that?

But Goo Yang-cheon, ignoring him, continued.

"What will you do next? You’ll pretend to be a hero, going around saving civilians from monsters. Sounds noble, doesn’t it?"

Saving people from monsters. It sounded noble enough.

Even if Jang Sun-yeon was a scumbag, he could be forgiven to some extent for that.

But Jang Sun-yeon was still Jang Sun-yeon.

"You’ll stage the monster attacks, won’t you?"

"…!"

"That’s something you’d do, isn’t it?"

Jang Sun-yeon’s eyes widened in shock. This wasn’t just a guess.

In his previous life, Jang Sun-yeon was indeed a talented martial artist. But compared to the youngest sect leader, Wi Seol-ah, he fell short.

Jang Sun-yeon earned the title Meteoric Sword and became known as a heroic figure, not because of his skills alone, but because of the countless times he appeared like a meteor, saving people from monstrous attacks.

The common folk revered him as a new hero, especially given that he was the son of the Martial Alliance’s leader.

But Goo Yang-cheon knew the truth.

The monster attacks and Jang Sun-yeon’s heroic rescues were all orchestrated by Jang Sun-yeon himself.

Though, to be clear, it wasn’t all an act.

The people who were devoured by the monsters were real, after all.

The only one pretending was Jang Sun-yeon, who used their deaths to boost his reputation.

"…What are you talking about?"

Jang Sun-yeon trembled as he spoke, his voice shaking.

"You’re delusional, Goo Gongja. No one could do something like that."

"I wouldn’t know what you’ll do. It’s just a guess."

Jang Sun-yeon’s claim was that no human could manipulate the gates of the Demon Realm.

But the answer was right behind him.

The one who could open and close the gates was right there.

Chegal Ji-hee.

Whether it was Cheol Ji-seon or Chegal Ji-hee, whether they were in disguise as a man or a woman, it didn’t matter.

Thanks to them, Jang Sun-yeon could quickly climb the ranks.

The world always craved heroes. Jang Sun-yeon, who was handsome, strong, and backed by a powerful family, quickly rose to fame by saving people from the Demon Realm.

But behind it all, he was simply using those very monsters and gates to sacrifice innocent lives to elevate his status.

Of course, Goo Yang-cheon didn’t hate Jang Sun-yeon for this reason.

It was pathetic, but given that he didn’t have much faith in the so-called righteous factions, it didn’t shock him much.

He only thought about one thing.

Jang Sun-yeon had been like this in the past.

And he wondered if this life would be any different.

Goo Yang-cheon remembered.

-What did I ever do to you?

At the same time, he thought about a past mistake.

Why hadn’t he killed Chegal Hyuk, the mastermind of the Demonic Sect?

That man had been spared, but why did he feel he had to kill Jang Sun-yeon now?

Watching Jang Sun-yeon standing with his head lowered in silence, Goo Yang-cheon suddenly spoke.

"Alright. I’ll give you a chance."

"…"

Jang Sun-yeon flinched at Goo Yang-cheon’s words.

"If you turn back and leave without doing anything, I’ll try to look upon you favorably."

Was he trying to find a reason to spare Jang Sun-yeon?

No.

He just wanted to resolve the contradiction within himself.

Why had he spared Chegal Hyuk but decided to kill Jang Sun-yeon? It was a simple reason.

Back then, Chegal Hyuk was just a boy.

And Namgung Bi-ah, who would have been the Demon Queen, was now just a woman seeking peace.

Goo Yang-cheon wasn’t a saint, and no one knew that better than he did.

He would kill those who deserved it.

And Jang Sun-yeon was at the top of that list.

Yet, he still wanted to be sure.

"So, what’s your choice?"

Jang Sun-yeon remained silent with his head bowed.

What would his decision be?

Goo Yang-cheon watched him with some interest, but as he grew impatient, he finally spoke.

"At least say something…."

"It doesn’t matter anymore."

At that moment, Jang Sun-yeon finally raised his head.

“…!”

Seeing Jang Sun-yeon’s face, Goo Yang-cheon fell silent.

His expression was blank.

It wasn’t twisted with anger like before, nor was it the false smile he always wore.

His face was completely emotionless.

And then—

CRACK!

"What is…!"

The ground beneath Goo Yang-cheon’s feet began to crack.

Swooosh!

A gust of wind swept through the area as something opened.

Staring at the scene, Jang Sun-yeon spoke to Goo Yang-cheon.

"It’s my first time seeing this. Quite a remarkable sight."

"You…!"

Goo Yang-cheon struggled to move, but something was wrong with the ground beneath him.

His body was frozen in place.

"You won’t be able to move easily."

Whatever was opening beneath them, it had the power to bind even a martial artist of the pinnacle level.

Seeing Goo Yang-cheon frozen in place, Jang Sun-yeon let out a small breath and spoke.

"As I thought, getting rid of you was the right decision. You’ve been a nuisance from the start."

Goo Yang-cheon’s eyes widened, shocked by this unexpected trap.

"From the very beginning… you intended to kill me?"

"Yes. I didn’t like the way you looked at me."

Jang Sun-yeon swept his hair back as if tired.

"A lowly junior from a no-name clan dared to look at me like that. It really bothered me."

"…"

"And as much as I hate to admit it, you’re monstrously strong."

Jang Sun-yeon chuckled as he said this.

"It’s really irritating…."

Gone was the mask he wore in the Shinryong-gwan. The real Jang Sun-yeon was entirely different.

"Earlier, you asked how I planned to handle all the instructors around. You see, I realized it wasn’t going to be easy either, so I decided to flip everything upside down. Fortunately, I found someone willing to help. But this isn’t something you need to worry about. You’ll be gone soon."

The cracks in the ground continued to grow, taking on a distinct form.

Although it was odd for it to form on the ground, the structure was unmistakable—a gate to the Demon Realm.

A gate created by someone else. Jang Sun-yeon admired it.

"As expected… It was worth finding this. I’ll be able to use it well in the future."

It was more than he had hoped for.

Jang Sun-yeon couldn’t help but feel goosebumps at the overwhelming aura emanating from the gate.

Even Goo Yang-cheon, someone so powerful, was unable to move.

‘I told you, I wouldn’t let you go.’

He hadn’t managed to bring Goo Yang-cheon to his knees, but this was enough.

At least he would be able to get rid of him right here and now.

And then Wi Seol-ah… and the world’s reputation… eventually—

"Is this enough?"

“…What?"

Just as the gate fully opened, a nonchalant voice reached Jang Sun-yeon’s ears.

"What did you just say…?"

"Hey, you can close it now."

At Goo Yang-cheon’s words—

Whoosh!

Goo Yang-cheon, who had been standing on top of the Demon Gate, suddenly vanished from Jang Sun-yeon’s sight.

He couldn’t move!

"Urk!"

Jang Sun-yeon’s vision shook as his body was violently yanked.

When he regained his senses, he found himself hanging by his neck, suspended above the Demon Gate.

"Th-this… how…!"

"Good thing."

Goo Yang-cheon, gripping Jang Sun-yeon’s neck, was smiling brightly.

"It’s a good thing you didn’t leave without doing anything. That would’ve been annoying."

"How…"

Crack!

As Jang Sun-yeon struggled to comprehend what was happening, the gate beneath them started to move.

It was like a sticky swamp, or perhaps a giant mouth, ready to swallow them whole.

"Surprised that I can move?"

"Le-let go…!"

"It surprised me too. I didn’t expect to be able to move. Oh, but that’s not really important right now."

"Let go of me! If you don’t, you’ll be—"

Despite Jang Sun-yeon’s desperate plea, Goo Yang-cheon just laughed.

"I was planning on going in anyway. You, though? Not so sure."

"What do you…!"

"Why don’t we take a little trip together?"

Goo Yang-cheon grinned as he spoke, and at that moment—

KRRRRR!

The Demon Gate roared and swallowed them both whole.