콰아아아아아–!!

A body engulfed in flames cleaved through the air. It moved with a speed that defied comprehension. I unleashed every ounce of my power to push my limits, resulting in a much greater acceleration than usual.

지끈-!

“Damn it.”

With every surge in speed, my vessel seized up in agony. Heck, it felt like it would shatter apart at any moment!

Flying like this was definitely going to lead to a disaster.

“Can you keep up?”

I grimaced while glancing back to ask.

I had to keep going. When I turned to look, those behind me were keeping pace.

The Heavenly Demon and Yarang nodded their heads.

They seemed to be keeping up well despite my full throttle. I was harnessing energy to assist in my speed, but still…

‘The Heavenly Demon really is fast.’

I wasn’t sure about Yarang, but the Heavenly Demon never seemed slow. Looking back, it must not have been mere smoke lifting me back then.

I bit down on the pain and pushed forward.

‘What could be happening?’

The turtle’s voice rang in my ears, propelling me to fly at full force. They said something was brewing at Hwasan.

His tone seemed rather urgent, hinting at something major.

‘What on earth could it be?’

I squinted. If something had occurred, what could it possibly be?

‘Could it be….’

Did the Master of Mankye launch an invasion? That was entirely possible.

My mother, with no memories, had intentions of slaying a dragon. Right now, there were murmurs about whether the Abyss should be held back or not, but there was definitely a chance the main body was in motion.

‘If that’s the case, is Hwasan safe?’

If the master moved himself, could Hwasan hold up?

Even until now, I couldn’t fathom how it had managed to endure. I’d heard they had chosen to overlook it, but—

‘Are they still doing that?’

I wasn’t entirely convinced that was the case now.

The problem was that several issues had already arisen.

I had eliminated two generals and stirred up trouble with two Divine Trees.

While my mother had prepared arrangements for me regarding the Divine Trees, the situation with the generals was different.

With harm inflicted upon both generals and friction with another, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the current Master of Mankye react.

But what if—

‘What if the master isn’t the one moving here?’

If something happened to Hwasan due to someone else, rather than the master—

That would mean—

‘…that’s even worse?’

Given the unpredictable circumstances, I was at a loss on how to respond.

Above all, I hadn’t heard the turtle’s voice since that initial moment.

Gritting my teeth, I sped up.

‘Faster.’

I needed to go faster than this. At this rate, it would take a day or two to reach my destination.

Was there no method to do so? With my full power engaged, there were no alternatives.

‘Then…’

I turned my head back to look at the two following me.

I had harnessed energy to help them as well.

‘For now, I’ll leave them behind.’

That was the most rational choice. To begin with, it was strange to drag Yarang along in this situation, let alone the Heavenly Demon.

Recalling this, I attempted to ease the energy I was harnessing. No, I meant to do so.

At that moment.

우우웅—!!!

‘What?’

I felt a jolting sensation emanate from Yarang’s body. My heart reacted as well. It was Tam. Tam began to wriggle restlessly.

This indicated—

‘She’s using her power.’

The meaning was clear: Yarang was about to activate her power. What was she up to? As I scanned her with curious eyes—

She gracefully drew her hand through the air.

기이이이잉–!!!

Suddenly, I sensed light ahead.

Straightening my head, I saw—

“……!?”

The air before me tore apart as a dimension opened up. It was the Demonic Gate.

It felt similar to the purple Demonic Gate the Heavenly Demon had shown me.

In truth, the only difference was the color, yet it felt familiar. What on earth was this?

Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the Demonic Gate, I halted midair and turned to ask Yarang.

“What is this? Are we supposed to go in?”

She nodded.

At my words, Yarang nodded again.

“…….”

In an urgent situation, being suddenly instructed to enter a Demonic Gate was nothing short of puzzling.

‘Does it mean it will help?’

Did it imply that entering here would provide some assistance in reaching my destination?

“Will this help us get there faster?”

She nodded again.

Her response contained certain conviction. If we entered the Demonic Gate, we could arrive quicker?

“…….”

To trust or not to trust—it left no time to deliberate.

Turning once more, I jumped into the Demonic Gate.

Golden energy enveloped my body.

*

At the far northern edge lay the forest—a place known to people as the Whispering Woods.

It was an area scarcely frequented by humans, filled with ferocious beasts and rumored to harbor strangers who defied the laws of Mankye.

Even with the nearby Yawolgung, they chose to live far away, outside their own laws.

The great master’s prescribed rules were ignored, and this separation made them targets for the master’s wrath at any moment.

Therefore, people avoided the Whispering Woods.

파삭.

In such a place, someone’s footsteps landed softly.

The gentle wind stirred his white hair, and the three pairs of wings behind him reminded onlookers that he was no ordinary being.

“…….”

The one who touched the ground surveyed his surroundings.

His strange blue eyes gazed into the woods. It was as if the air around him shimmered with disturbances.

After gazing for a while, the man’s gaze fixed on something, his lips curving into a smile.

“Found you.”

In his eyes, that transcended logic, something had been captured.

A natural appearance belied an entangled discomfort that he had detected.

“Impressive.”

The man was amazed purely. The powers hidden within the natural world were dictated by regulations that deviated from the norm.

Observing it, he realized.

“No wonder Yusa couldn’t intervene.”

Though it appeared simple for a moment, countless realizations were layered within. Had it not been for the extraordinary sight bestowed by the heavens, he wouldn’t have witnessed this at all.

Even if he understood it—

“He likely wouldn’t even dare to intervene.”

He probably wouldn’t even think of touching that collection of regulations.

So, he pondered.

“Why would the Master of Mankye…”

Extend his tolerance to something like this?

It was evident that it broke the rules. A being regarded as the world’s master should most detest such oddities more than anyone. Yet it appeared that the master was unconcerned.

Or perhaps—

“There’s a reason?”

The master must have been aware of it. Even if the situation in Mankye had become chaotic, the master would not be oblivious.

“He must simply be overlooking it.”

What reason could the master possibly have? The man couldn’t comprehend.

“Doesn’t matter.”

At this point, even that was irrelevant.

The time had already flowed towards him.

“Alright…”

The man smirked, extending his hand. Before him lay a barrier that evoked discomfort just to gaze at, but that held no significance now.

Before overwhelming power, nothing was of any concern.

Gradually, he extended his hand.

He didn’t know what lay within, but the heavens had commanded him to obtain whatever was inside, so it must hold paramount importance.

Just as he thought this, stretching his fingertips—

퉁-!

“Hmm?”

He halted his reaching hand and turned around.

쿠웅-!!

A loud noise resounded.

The ground shook violently, sending vibrations through him. The sensation made him frown.

“What is this?”

Why did he feel this way? This wasn’t a feeling that should manifest here.

His puzzlement grew. As he experienced such bewilderment, the sound closed in.

쿠우웅—!!!

Now it was audible from a distance, close enough for him to see. He gave a nod.

Before long—

“Crow—-!!!”

With a distant shout, the source of the sound revealed itself.

Yet—

“……Hmm?”

Seeing the manifested being, the crow tilted its head in confusion. It was different from his expectations.

“What is that?”

What appeared was not what he had expected at all. While it had horns and a rugged physique, the voice bore a passing resemblance.

“It’s not the Duryeong…?”

What he anticipated to see clearly didn’t fit the description of a Duryeong.

In fact, it seemed that—

“It must have died at the hands of the dragon.”

The dragon—the one being which caused him the most confusion had likely perished at its hands, so that thing couldn’t possibly be a Duryeong.

“How strange.”

What on earth could that be? Just as he narrowed his eyes at the incomprehensible situation—

화르르륵-!!

From the massive figure’s hand, something materialized. Black flames erupted, forming a giant axe.

“Ho.”

The man’s eyes widened upon seeing it. That axe was undoubtedly the Duryeong’s.

If that were the case—

“Could it really be the Duryeong?”

That means the creature before him was indeed one of the generals, the Duryeong.

“Why…?”

Why had it appeared here?

“This beast–!!”

As the man struggled to fathom, the Duryeong charged forward, swinging its axe downward.

The black flames surged aggressively, diving toward him.

“Tch.”

With a short click of the tongue, an explosion erupted.

쿠우우우웅—!!!

The black flames ignited.