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Yusa stared at the collapsed Hongjeong.

Compared to losing consciousness with a battered body, the Heavenly Demon appeared just as before.

He knew it himself.

This was a battle that could hardly even be called a fight.

And that was the problem.

‘…What is that guy?’

Back when Yusa faced off against Hongjeong, it wasn’t like this. Even as the leader, winning against them hadn’t been too challenging.

Just that.

‘It’s not at this level.’

It was impossible to play with someone like that, as if they were a mere child.

Knowing that, Yusa bit his lip as he looked at the Heavenly Demon.

“Well, you see.”

The Heavenly Demon lightly tapped the fallen Hongjeong’s cheek with his toes.

“Your subordinate came seeking help because he cherished you. I thought he was just a present for me to enjoy, you know.”

“……”

“Or maybe, was that confirmation enough?”

Confirmation. As the Heavenly Demon’s words rang in his ears, Yusa chewed on his tongue.

‘Does he know what I was trying to do?’

Could the author really be aware of what he was suspecting?

Did he come all this way even knowing all that?

While Yusa was lost in such thoughts, the Heavenly Demon calmly started to turn away.

Thud. His steps were slow. There was no urgency in his gait.

Instead, Yusa’s attention was drawn to the leisurely pace as he approached.

“I’m showing you plenty of kindness.”

There was no murderous intent felt.

Just moments ago, an overwhelming aura had surrounded them, yet all that murderous energy and Qi vanished in an instant.

“Do you understand?”

As the Heavenly Demon approached, Yusa felt his tension rise.

“Since I didn’t lightly tease you, yes.”

Step by step, he came closer.

“Even without bringing useless bugs for confirmation, I’ve behaved this way.”

Watching this, muscles began to gradually tense in Yusa’s arms.

“You’re not too proud, yet you do not attempt to flaunt your strength before me.”

Now, they were almost face to face.

If he reached out, he could touch him.

Upon reaching that spot, the Heavenly Demon finally halted his steps. Would the white mask be this clear?

The cracks in the mask revealed the Heavenly Demon’s gaze.

“But.”

In the short moment Yusa’s attention was diverted, the Heavenly Demon clasped his hands behind his back and added,

“How long must I continue to show you kindness? It’s just about reaching its limit…”

The gentle tone kept shaking Yusa’s shoulders.

“What do you think?”

“……”

How long is he going to test me?

At that, Yusa’s mind raced, pondering what to do next.

When confusion struck, his mouth found it hard to open.

“Hm.”

With a faint sigh as if something displeased him, the Heavenly Demon spoke towards Yusa.

“By the way, your expectations are too high. Lower your stance.”

Boom—!!

“—Guh!!”

With the sudden pressure, Yusa knelt. It was the same command as last time.

The Heavenly Demon had used a command on him.

The gap in presence was palpable.

It was the same sensation as last time.

The karma etched deep into his soul.

To obey those with a greater presence than himself, and to dominate those with a lesser presence.

The words deeply inscribed in his heart forced his knees to move.

‘That guy is the child of Mankye.’

The words he had spoken echoed in Yusa’s mind.

Could it be that this person is truly the child of his master?

‘Where’s the child mentioned by the master?’

As far as Yusa knows, there was none. Even if the master had revealed the girl, Yarang, to be his daughter, it had been far too sudden.

This guy was no different; he just appeared out of nowhere claiming to be the child. How could he accept that?

‘…Then how on earth can I wield this power?’

What about the command? What does it consist of?

There was no correlation between the karma inscribed in the soul and being the master’s child.

To use it, he simply had to exist at a higher level than the general.

Which means—

‘Is he an existence on the same level as the master?’

How could that be?

In the current Mankye, no one could possibly stand on the same level as the master.

To some extent, there was a master of the Abyss below. However, he would be unable to utilize commands.

‘Then what exactly is…’

What is the being standing before him?

Yusa was unable to comprehend, keeping his lips tight and rolling his eyes.

“Now I will ask again.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke to him.

“What do you intend to do now?”

He might appear to be burying his face into the ground, but Yusa understood that those eyes were indeed on him.

“Will you grasp my hand and become a new sky, or will you end your life as a bug, just like now?”

Words wouldn’t come out.

How could he possibly become a new sky? What would happen if he rejected it?

He couldn’t even raise the questions.

This was nothing but coercion to decide.

It meant they wouldn’t offer anything but the choice between yes or no.

“Decide.”

While urging him, the voice remained relaxed.

There was a strong feeling that if he refused, nothing would change.

What would happen if he simply refused?

Before he could contemplate it, Yusa suddenly felt a hand on his head.

“I’ll count to three.”

Instinctively, he knew what that meant.

Though he didn’t know how, he felt he could guess the ending.

“One.”

Crack—!!

He tried desperately to move his body, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Two.”

Even amidst the chaos, the count kept rising. Yusa couldn’t react to the growing numbers.

Unable to speak, his veins throbbed more intensely…

“Three.”

As the final count echoed, a surge of energy surged from his crown.

“…I will.”

Yusa’s mouth opened unnaturally.

“I will….”

At those words, the Heavenly Demon halted his aura.

“Hmm.”

The hand removed from his crown brought a wave of relief.

“Huff… huff…”

Regaining control of his erratic breathing, he wiped his chin with his hand. Cold sweat streamed down.

As his ties loosened, he slowly raised his head.

He met the gaze of the Heavenly Demon looking at him.

The sun was definitely shining, yet strangely, shadows seemed to collect only around the Heavenly Demon.

In the darkness, the purple eyes glimmered. Seeing those shining yet dark eyes, Yusa swallowed hard.

“What… do you wish from me?”

His voice trembled. Aware of this, he felt his pride shattering.

Struggling to speak, the Heavenly Demon replied after a brief silence.

“Your words are too brief.”

Grrr—!

Once again, his shoulders were weighed down. Feeling this, Yusa hurriedly stammered.

“What… what do you want from me?”

With a changed tone, the pressure disappeared in an instant.

“What I want, you ask?”

Upon hearing the question, the Heavenly Demon shrugged slightly. Then he turned his back and walked towards the spot where Hongjeong lay.

Approaching there, he picked up Hongjeong and tossed him right in front of Yusa.

Thud—!

Hongjeong’s body dropped to Yusa’s view.

“First, get rid of that. I don’t want to see such ugly sight.”

Then, shaking his hands lightly, the Heavenly Demon added,

“I’ll be coming to visit soon, so wait for me.”

With those words, the Heavenly Demon vanished without a hint of reluctance.

“Ha…”

With the sudden disappearance of the Heavenly Demon, Yusa finally felt safe to exhale.

*

After passing through the dense forest for quite a while,

there were no more signs of his presence around.

Even after realizing it, he moved twice as fast.

Only after moving a good distance did he cling to a tree.

As he leaned against it and relaxed,

Pshhhh—!!!

Creeeak—!!!

With a sound like smoke escaping, his joints twisted.

His inflated body shrank and quickly returned to its original state.

The clothes he wore became loose, and the mask he wore fell off for no reason.

Thud.

“…Ugh.”

Suddenly, blood trickled from his mouth, shortly followed by a violent spasm.

“Guhhh—!!”

It was a recoil.

He had used excessive power, and after squeezing every bit of energy left, the violent backlash hit.

“Seriously…”

I almost died for real.

He couldn’t even vocalize his struggles.

How could he manage against Hongjeong?

However, to confront Yusa next—it felt like death itself.

‘At one point, I thought my heart would burst.’

I had drawn upon every ounce of energy.

If pushed further, I might have touched my natural energy.

It might have been possible to slip into a state of unconsciousness.

Enduring such a precarious situation had led to this state.

‘Somehow I held out, but…’

Creak—!!!

The backlash grew stronger.

‘Ah, this isn’t good…?’

It was dangerous. If it worsened, he really might be in trouble.

‘If this continues…’

I might lose consciousness…

Thud—!

Before he could even finish the thought, Gu Yangcheong collapsed unconscious on the ground.

At that moment…

Rustle.

From nearby, someone who had been hiding emerged.

They appeared completely natural, as if they had been there the whole time.

This person approached Gu Yangcheong.

Standing before his unconscious form, they stared at him intently.

Then,

With a swift motion, they hoisted Gu Yangcheong onto their back.

The figure was none other than Yarang, the brown-haired woman wearing a black mask.

 

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