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Chapter Title: The Shattered Reality

“Ughh—!!!”

The man sprawled on the ground lets out a ghastly wail.

His jaw, shattered and grotesque, left him crawling on the floor in a pitiful manner.

Blood and saliva oozed from his mangled face, and his bloodshot eyes betrayed the agony he was experiencing.

And then—

“What the hell are you saying, you bastard?”

Bang-!

“Cough…!”

I harshly muttered while stomping on his head.

“Seriously, get a grip.”

“Ughh….”

“You think just spewing nonsense is enough? Quit babbling like an idiot, alright?”

I could feel him trembling.

Was he desperately trying to lift himself up?

It wasn’t funny.

Crack-!

“Uwaaaahhh—!!!”

As I kicked his calf, his leg twisted painfully. He seemed to have reinforced himself right before getting hit, with a layer of strong energy.

If it weren’t for that, he might have lost his leg altogether. At least he had some sense.

‘Too bad.’

I hadn’t planned on stopping at just breaking it. Should I tear it off completely instead? The thought flitted through my mind, but I held back.

“Ugh….”

The guy only groaned in agony. Looking down at him, I lifted my head and said,

“Stop.”

—!!

The men who were about to jump me suddenly froze in place. We had been surrounded by members of the Blue Dragon Clan.

Judging by their demeanor, they were ready to charge at any moment…

“Don’t move a muscle. Can’t you see I’m having a conversation here?”

“Ughh….”

I grabbed the neck of the nameless guy.

He looked a complete mess, a bloody wreck.

“Move, and you die. This guy dies too.”

I infused my voice with killing intent.

Even I felt like I was laying it on a bit thick.

But, whether or not they found it excessive, the bodies of the men who were hesitating became completely rigid.

In that brief moment, those with a glimmer of resolve shot me glances as if looking for an opening.

“Try playing word games with me. I wonder how that will turn out for you.”

As I spoke, the pressure radiating from me kept rising.

At that moment—

“M-Master…”

Someone spoke to me.

It was Song Hojeong, the Deputy Lord of the current Star Dragon Clan, alongside Tang Soyeol.

He approached me with a face that looked like it was caught in a bind, raising his hand to stop himself.

“Stay out of this. I need to talk to this guy right now.”

“B-But….”

“I’ll hear your side later, so shut up and get back. I said later, got it? Is my order too hard to understand?”

“…I… understand… I’ll wait.”

Song Hojeong stepped back, but the scared expression on his face irked me even more.

So I couldn’t help but grip harder.

“Hey, you bastard.”

“Ughh…!”

“Now, continue that earlier nonsense. What did you say?”

As I spoke, the guy I was holding trembled violently.

“What did you say? Speak up!”

I repeated the question, yet no response came.

Of course not. His jaw was in shambles; he couldn’t speak properly.

I knew that, but it didn’t concern me.

“Treating people like dirt, you think my words sound trivial now? Hey, doesn’t what the Great Lord says sound serious?”

“Ugh… Aah…”

“What are you mumbling about? Speak clearly.”

Bang-!

I slammed his head into the ground.

With a crunch that split the air, a bit of blood splattered.

“H-Hiiik!!”

“D-Deputy Lord!”

The others jumped back at the sickening sound. I wiped the blood that had splashed onto my cheek and said to them,

“Don’t panic; he’s not dead. What, do you think I’d kill one of my own from the Martial Alliance?”

I said it with a smile, but for some reason, the atmosphere only grew heavier.

Ah, this is a bit disheartening.

“I’m just trying to chat a bit, and you guys are acting all cute. Not pleased with that? Then try doing what you think is best.”

As I spat that out, I rose to my feet.

The guy I was holding seemed to have lost consciousness at that moment. Sure, he was bleeding a lot, but… I wouldn’t kill him.

‘At least, not yet.’

Not for a while.

That’d give just enough time for him to hold on. After all, he was a martial master, right?

Besides,

‘That’s just right.’

If it was just for a short while, it was the perfect time to tidy things up around here.

Step by step, I approached. As I did, the Blue Dragon members braced themselves.

They stood poised, ready to draw their swords at any moment.

In other words, that signaled their attitude towards enemies.

“Hmmm. We’re clearly on the same side, so acting this way isn’t necessary, is it?”

As I walked, I flicked my wrist. A few drops of blood fell to the ground.

It wasn’t my blood, but the blood of the fallen man.

Seeing that, the tension within them shot through the roof.

After having turned a person into that state and still calling myself an ally? I understood their bewilderment. I had something to clarify too.

“No, I thought since you keep your words so loosely, you wanted a beating. Old saying says, ‘mad dogs know no bounds,’ you know.”

What did I say?

Had I called them worthless bugs or something similar? Seemed about right.

Not to mention, even within the Deputy Lords, there exists a gap in rank.

‘I can’t deny that.’

It wasn’t entirely false. Surely there’s a difference in rank.

The Star Dragon Clan had only been established for less than a year, while the Blue Dragon Clan had a long history.

Moreover, Song Hojeong was at the pinnacle of his level, while that fool was well past his prime.

And when it comes down to details, I wouldn’t deny the rank was different.

But, ‘saying it out loud is another matter.’

This was tantamount to implying I was ready for a war or… that I didn’t regard my opponent as human.

“Am I wrong?”

“…”

“…”

I asked, but this time too, only silence returned. They were truly a tight-lipped bunch.

No, it was more like they were just quiet when it was disadvantageous, just like a Righteous Faction type?

“I don’t get it.”

I couldn’t comprehend their expression.

“Why are you causing trouble for no reason? It’s not like I asked for anything fancy.”

Whoosh—! As I took a step forward, the sound of swords being drawn echoed. Various colors swirled in the night.

“We don’t need to pretend to play nicely together. Just keep your mouths shut and do your jobs. Is that so tough?”

What was the problem? I had no clue.

“…Great Lord of the Star Dragon Clan. If you approach any further…!”

Whether I knew or cared didn’t matter.

Wasn’t that how it’s always been?

“If you come closer, what? Want to see a sword fight? Bring it on.”

For whatever reason, if it didn’t sit well with me, I’d break it apart.

I’d always wanted to cause a commotion, but there was only one reason I’d held back.

‘I was weak.’

I was weak, and if I acted without thinking, there was no way I could handle the consequences.

But what about now?

Unfortunately, it had not changed. This thought remained as it was.

I still felt weak here in the heart of the Central Plains.

Even if the ones stronger than me had increased, the weaker ones had multiplied as well, so with countless variables lurking, I could only feel weaker amidst them all.

It was unavoidable.

So much had to be protected, and things left to do had multiplied, making me instinctively curl inward.

One thing.

‘No matter what, I can handle this.’

I wouldn’t be so incapable as to handle just this little bit.

Boom-!

I shattered the pressure.

“Yip-!!”

“Ughh—?!”

The energy that radiated from me spread in all directions, instantly creating a wind pressure that surged forth.

The wind enveloped the entire residence, forming a barrier as if creating a domain.

“What kind of nonsense is this…?”

“How could such a thing be possible…?”

It must take quite a bet to achieve something like this. They were all martial artists, and they’d quickly grasp how foolish and absurd my actions were.

Just like how people feel shocked upon witnessing something unbelievable, terror filled the eyes of those looking at the barrier.

Everyone who had shown aggression moments before felt that fear.

I couldn’t help but smile at their expressions as I asked,

“What’s the matter? You were going to charge at me, right?”

Crack. I rolled my neck. As I continued to advance, this time, they were the ones retreating.

Seeing them hesitate, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Where are you going?”

In a low voice, the leader of the group spoke up hurriedly.

“…Great Lord of the Star Dragon Clan. Please calm yourself.”

“What?”

That was a ridiculous statement. Calm down?

“If I were to calm down, I wouldn’t have done this in the first place.”

“I understand your anger; however, it seems there is a misunderstanding… Let’s discuss this first…”

“Discussion my ass.”

I stomped down hard and lunged forward.

The scene around me shifted instantly. My hands were already moving.

Bang-!

“Ugh!”

I grabbed the neck of the one speaking and lifted him off the ground.

“Ughh…!”

He squirmed and struggled, but ultimately hung like a rag doll.

“If you were going to do this, you should’ve done it sooner. Now it’s too late.”

“P-Please… just listen to us…”

“Sure, you must have your reasons.”

There must be some problem considering the current situation.

That was obvious. They’d probably feel wronged and helpless.

“But I’ll hear about that later from my own side. Right now, this is more important.”

Honestly, I didn’t care at all.

What mattered was soothing my own emotions first.

Gripping my fist tightly, I poured my energy into it.

It was a simple display of might. The flames didn’t engulf my fist, but it was more than enough.

I twisted my waist and tensed my shoulders. I was ready to swing my fist.

If that happened… the one I was holding would be—

‘Dead.’

The internal organs would burst and he’d surely die, and I also had plans for the others around me.

I was going to kill them all.

Not a single one would escape death today.

As I thought that and prepared to swing my fist,

“…Hmm?”

Just as my fist was about to hit his stomach, I froze mid-motion.

Boom—!! The energy I gathered in my fist erupted, releasing shockwaves.

At the same time, I loosened my grip.

“Gah…!”

The one whose neck I held collapsed to the ground, gasping wildly. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him and my own hand.

‘What was that?’

What was I just about to do?

Recognizing that odd feeling, my eyes widened.

‘Was I really going to kill everyone?’

There was no doubt about it.

I had intended to kill the guy I was holding and everyone else surrounding me.

Had I not released my fist just before, this guy would surely have been dead.

After that, I’d likely have killed everyone else around as well.

That was the overwhelming feeling I had, a sense of needing to kill.

It sent shivers down my spine.

“Oh, what a mess.”

I rubbed my face with one hand. It was hard to regain my composure.

Wanting to kill others was not the problem. It wasn’t an impossible notion, and I actually felt enraged too.

The real issue was that the thought and emotion pushing me to harm others weren’t truly mine.

I could understand venting my anger through a beating, but if it was me, I wouldn’t have actually gone to kill them.

Turning on my own comrades would complicate things for us.

Knowing that made me want to stir up trouble to some extent while keeping things manageable.

‘Why did I think about killing?’

What had just happened?

Even now, I frowned at the lingering emotions.

The murderous intent I felt was real.

I actually had the mindset of wanting to kill everyone.

Just like swatting away a bug, I only wished to immediately rid myself of whatever disgust lingered before me.

‘What is this?’

This wasn’t my feeling.

This wasn’t my killing intent either.

Something deep within had momentarily seized my thoughts.

‘What the hell?’

As those questions sprouted in my mind, I recalled a previous scene that had flashed in my mind.

-Why are you alive?

When I had faced my previous life.

“Could it be…?”

That unsettling feeling swelled up inside me as I inhaled deeply.

Swoosh—!!

Bang—!!!

The energy barrier surrounding us trembled violently.

It wasn’t just a tremble; there were ripples, and gaps were forming as if something were about to break.

Swoosh—!!!

Through the opening, a flash of cerulean light rushed toward me like a sword tip.

I quickly twisted my body to widen the distance.

The burst of light struck precisely where I had been standing, exploding with a loud bang that shattered the earth.

Dust filled the air, obscuring my vision.

“…What the hell is going on?”

I struggled to keep my voice steady, forcing down my fury.

From within the dust, I could hear a voice.

Swoosh—!

A brief sound, and suddenly, the wind tore through.

With a slice, the dust was swept away revealing the scene once again.

In the now-clear view, the culprit behind the barrier’s destruction and the owner of the voice was, of course, Il Cheonggeom.

He observed the surroundings, the expression on his face twisted in bewilderment.

“Have you truly… lost your mind?”

The look on his face questioned how I could commit such acts in my territory.

Seeing it, I felt the need to wash my face with cold water again.

“Ah…”

This wasn’t good. Now that I recognized my condition, it felt even worse.

I couldn’t afford to fight Il Cheonggeom right now.

Because,

‘I might genuinely kill him.’

If I were to fight now, I could very well lose control and end up killing him for real.

 

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