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“First of all, if an agreement cannot be reached, it’s just intimidation.”

If intimidation doesn’t work, throwing a tantrum like that is the best way to go.

In that respect, that old man had something overwhelmingly superior to me.

This means…

“You’re really not very mature for your age.”

To say that someone at that age is immature—

Bang—!

“Guh!”

I grabbed the back of my head.

“Why did you suddenly hit me?!”

“Your eyes were cursing me from within.”

“When did I—?”

Damn it. Should I wear a mask or something? How did he know?

“Hmph.”

Shin Noya shook off his hand that struck me and addressed the turtle again.

“So hurry up and do it.”

“You’re ridiculously shameless, aren’t you…?”

The turtle let out another sigh and aimed his staff at me.

“The duration is three days by Mankye standards.”

“Excuse me?”

“Also, be careful as it could come undone if you move too vigorously.”

“What are you talking about…?”

What are you saying all of a sudden? Just as I was about to ask, a sudden—

Pffft—!!!

Light burst from the tip of the staff, just like before.

The difference was that it had been directed at the void before, and now it blasted toward me.

“Ugh!?”

My eyes instinctively shut against the brightness.

Is it an attack? Should I prepare to counter? While I pondered briefly, the light gradually dimmed.

When the brightness had faded enough, I slowly opened my eyes.

“That’s done.”

The turtle nodded as he watched me. Shin Noya, who stood beside him, was somehow covering his mouth and shaking his shoulders.

As if trying to suppress laughter.

What’s with that old man? Why is he like this?

Feeling baffled, the turtle pointed his staff behind me.

“That way won’t pass through at all; this was the best I could do.”

I felt my gaze involuntarily shift.

It was where the Heavenly Demon was.

“Eh?”

Seeing the Heavenly Demon behind, my eyes widened.

“What the heck.”

The Heavenly Demon seemed a bit off.

Her overall appearance was the same, but… something was visible below her legs.

What is that?

No way…

“A tail…?”

The Heavenly Demon had something fluffy made of fur attached to her.

It was definitely a tail.

Noticing a peculiar sensation on her own body, the Heavenly Demon turned her gaze back to her tail.

Moreover, it wasn’t just hanging there; she seemed to be able to move it at will, swishing it gently.

“…Hey, you.”

Why did a tail suddenly grow—

“Huh?”

In a panic, I turned to check my backside this time.

It wasn’t just the Heavenly Demon.

“Crazy.”

I had something similar growing on my backside too.

A tail with navy blue fur.

When I strained to move, it wiggled according to my will.

…What is this?

In a completely absurd situation, I couldn’t utter a word.

“Cough… Ha….”

I heard Shin Noya’s laughter.

“That face, along with a tail and ears…”

Noya was having a hard time holding back laughter, his face turning a bright shade of red.

“…Noya. What is happening?”

Just as I was about to ask what was going on…

“Wait a minute…”

What was just said about a tail and what else?

“Ears?”

Cold sweat broke out.

I touched my head with trembling hands, and in that moment…

Soft.

“…”

I felt a texture that should not exist on my head.

Soft. Soft.

“…”

Soft, soft, soft, soft.

“What the hell?!”

Why am I feeling this?

I looked back at the Heavenly Demon, but nothing was there on her head.

“Noya…?”

I hurried to check Shin Noya after confirming this.

Noya was still busy stifling laughter and had calmed down just slightly, glancing at me as he spoke.

“Hah… Hu… Well, the turtle did say… that it was three days…”

“…Just tell me to laugh or speak, pick one.”

“The duration is three days, so you just need to make it back within that time. If you move too vigorously, it will come undone, so don’t cause any trouble.”

“…”

When told to pick one, the ghostly laughter stopped.

Looking at him, it seemed he had merely pretended to laugh at me.

…Is this guy crazy or what?

“What is going on?”

What’s with the softness and suddenly having a tail?

“I’ve used methods to make it less dangerous for you to wander around. You should be grateful for that.”

“Wandering around? Where the heck am I supposed to go?”

“You asked how to get back, didn’t you?”

“Eh?”

I closed my mouth for a moment at those words.

A way to return to the Central Plains. I had been looking for that all along.

“Furthermore, I have a lot to tell you, but right now I’m a bit busy. It seems quicker to see and hear things myself, so just go once.”

“What’s that…?”

“I’ve already prepared someone to guide you. Have a safe trip, turtle.”

“Ugh. My fate…”

At Noya’s words, the turtle raised his staff again.

Feeling a chill, I hurriedly shouted.

“Wait a second! Can you please explain this more properly—!”

But.

Whoosh—!!

Before I could finish my sentence, I vanished in a flash of light.

When I finally regained my sight, I found myself…

“…I told you to do it, you damn old man.”

In a world I had just arrived at a few days ago, I had been kicked out again.

As Gu Yangcheong and the woman disappeared.

Only Shin Cheol and the turtle remained. The turtle, resting his staff on his shoulder, gazed at Shin Cheol.

“I did what you wanted, but is it really okay?”

A sense of unknown unease enveloped the turtle’s expression.

Hearing those words, Shin Cheol chuckled softly as he looked at the turtle.

“What’s there to worry about?”

“I’ve done what I could, but that doesn’t mean it’s omnipotent, you know. Especially…”

The turtle quietly whispered to Shin Cheol.

“If the owner’s eyes clash outside, there’s no need to say more.”

At the turtle’s words, Shin Cheol laughed heartily.

“You’re speaking weakly for a guy who claims to have touched the heavens. Didn’t you say three days were fine?”

“That’s something I say every time. Sect Leader.”

The turtle spoke in a low voice.

“Touching the heavens and what are truly called heavens are different planes of existence. Especially in this place, that’s even more so.”

What is touched and what is originally existent are not the same.

There was worry in the turtle’s voice, and Shin Cheol could not be unaware of it.

So, it made Shin Cheol find the turtle even more amusing.

“You just showed every bit of displeasure until now, yet now you’re worried once I send it away?”

Just moments ago, he treated Gu Yangcheong like a monster. Now that he was gone, the turtle’s attitude seemed peculiar.

“Worry? It’s natural to worry.”

The turtle accepted Shin Cheol’s words indifferently.

Shin Cheol reacted as if he were surprised by that.

He never thought the turtle would so easily admit it.

“Sect Leader. You don’t know what binds that kid you brought along.”

“Hmm?”

At the turtle’s words, Shin Cheol tilted his head.

“It’s simply called a curse. But it’s too narrow and weak a term to encompass what lies within.”

“Why are you starting to talk all difficult again? Is your place going to collapse before you start using simpler words?”

“Just a tiny thread. A single thin thread.”

A thin thread. The turtle emphasized those words.

“If that thread, which barely holds on, breaks…”

Then it can’t be helped.

The turtle could see what was invisible, and in his eyes.

“A calamity will be born.”

Gu Yangcheong truly looked like a monster.

To prove this point, he was worried not about Gu Yangcheong but rather about Mankye itself.

“Damn it.”

I wrapped my forehead and let out a curse.

Why is it that every time I come here, cursing never goes out of style?

“Ugh damn….”

I cursed once more.

It wouldn’t settle unless I let it out. Of course, letting it all out wouldn’t solve anything either.

It was just a complaint spouted out of frustration.

“…What a damn….”

As I was about to express my feelings again, I heard someone say:

“Damn it?”

“…”

I froze at those words. I didn’t say that.

It was the Heavenly Demon.

“What’s a damn?”

She asked me with her usual expressionless face.

I never imagined she would ask that.

“What’s a damn?”

The Heavenly Demon tilted her head, repeating what I said.

Seeing her say it without understanding, I replied.

“…Don’t repeat that.”

“Why?”

“Just don’t.”

“Got it.”

The Heavenly Demon nodded.

“Ugh….”

I stifled a sigh that threatened to turn into another curse. I sneaked a glance at the Heavenly Demon.

She was just staring at me quietly, thankfully not repeating what I said.

Honestly, whether she repeated it or not, I didn’t really care. I just chose to hold back.

It wasn’t like I didn’t want to see her repeat my cursing.

Then I checked the transformed situation again and frowned.

“What a damned old fool.”

Wouldn’t he explain something before tossing me out?

What was the ridiculous reason for throwing me outside all of a sudden?

Especially with this.

“What on earth is this?”

I felt my ears and tail, trying to restrain the curses that were bubbling up.

Everything else was fine, but this was the problem.

Soft—

I touched the newly sprouted ears. Wouldn’t it be absurdly nice to touch?

“Crazy.”

Suddenly, ears and a tail appeared from nowhere.

This is worse than being kicked out.

“By the way.”

The Heavenly Demon, who had been quietly observing me, began to speak.

What is it?

“Can I touch it?”

“Get lost.”

I answered immediately.

“Isn’t that not allowed?”

“Why would it be allowed?”

“…Okay.”

The Heavenly Demon stepped back, looking noticeably disappointed.

What a bizarre situation.

I ground my teeth repeatedly. Why did it turn out like this?

“What do they want me to do?”

What could be the motive behind tossing me out?

‘What did they say? That he’s busy, can’t explain, said I should see for myself?’

Indeed, that’s what Noya said.

I wasn’t sure if that made any sense, but since that was what I was told, I decided to try and wrap my head around it.

If so, what am I supposed to check out?

A question arose.

“Is there no way back in?”

I looked at the void.

Maybe if I find something strange like last time, I could break through.

Focusing on that thought, I stared hard, but…

‘…Nothing’s showing up?’

I felt nothing.

Even when I used my Heart Eye to concentrate. Last time I could see, but now nothing. What’s going on?

‘Did the turtle do something?’

That vivid red light that spread from the tip of the staff.

Did he do something with that? If not, there weren’t many conclusions I could draw.

‘What on earth is that old man?’

Can I even call him an old man? The one Noya called the turtle.

What really is he?

What on earth could he be?

‘What kind of sorcery uses techniques like that?’

Such mysterious power.

Just recalling it made me wish to see it again.

‘Could I do it?’

The innumerable branches and streams that were unveiled.

It was so complex that it felt like my head would explode from just looking at it, but the unfathomable amount of information imprinted within stirred my curiosity to an abnormal degree.

‘How were they arranged and connected?’

I began to recall the sequence or arrangement.

The techniques used by the Zhuge clan seemed simple despite having many branches. But this was different.

‘There were too many rules.’

Many, and intricate. It wasn’t formed of just one element.

So, was that the reason why so many colors were visible?

As I contemplated that, my fingers began to twitch.

I dived into the unfolding process as if I were chewing it over bit by bit.

Wooong—!

The ring in my heart began to move slightly.

Energy sprouted from the tips of my fingers like threads.

Building it up.

Slowly forming a shape with energy threads.

I think I did something like this back then?

While I thought and tried to solidify the shape more definitely—

“…Pardon me.”

“…!”

My energy deflated upon hearing a voice from behind.

I quickly turned around.

But then I failed to see it.

The fleeting moment when the disbanding energy shimmered in a rainbow of colors.

“Whoa! What are you?”

I frowned at the sudden person speaking to me.

“Why are you here?”

“…”

The one who addressed me was Gu Bong, sporting a deep blue bruise across his face.

 

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