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Clank.

Rumbling sounds of machinery echoed continuously.

Amidst the incessant noise, a woman lifted her head.

In the pitch-black darkness, she gazed toward the source of the sound.

From deep within the oppressive gloom, a noise reverberated. The door that had been firmly sealed now stood wide open.

A door that should never have been allowed to open. No matter what happened, under no circumstances should it have ever opened again.

And yet, it was glowing brightly ajar.

As the woman stared blankly at this sight,

Whooooosh—!!!

Black Heavenly Qi flooded out from within the door, spilling forth as if it were a deranged torrent.

This flood rapidly filled the woman’s desolate and long-burned Black Space.

Whooooosh.

Waves of water crept beneath her bare feet.

Feeling the rising tide, the woman’s eyes trembled.

How?

How could that door have opened?

The woman was bewildered. She had sealed it shut with every possible means. It absolutely should not have opened.

The fact that it had meant her choice was either wrong or—

“Memory has been broken.”

It indicated that something crucial she had discarded for her choice had been unlocked.

“No way.”

This mustn’t be. How could something that had been sealed so tightly come undone?

Swish–!!

Cutting through the rushing current of water, the woman forged ahead. This was the wave that had once filled the endlessly stretching space.

Since it contained everything she had experienced over countless eons, the oncoming torrent threatened to bury her.

Yet, still, the woman did not falter.

No, she could not stop. She had to somehow move forward and lock that door again.

It must be done.

The door that had opened again felt miraculous. If left as is, it might even work to her advantage.

But—

“No way.”

For him, it would not be a good thing.

She moved forward with tenacity. Waves pressed down on her whole body, yet the woman did not stop.

After a long struggle, she finally reached the door.

With her twisted lips as a guide, she reached out her hand.

Her hand touched the door. The water burst forth like an explosion, making it difficult to close, but she summoned her strength nonetheless.

Creeeek…

Perhaps spurred by her effort, the door began to slowly close. Just as the woman, enduring the torrent, was about to shut the door,

Clutch.

Someone grabbed her wrist.

“…!”

The woman’s eyes widened in shock. This was a space where no one should be. Yet, she could feel another’s presence within it? Stunned, the woman quickly checked the owner of the hand.

“Ah…”

Upon seeing the face, the woman whispered softly.

It was someone she never expected to see here.

A face she had longed for.

A face she had always yearned for.

With a uniquely indifferent yet fierce gaze softened by tenderness.

The man who had been her everything now stared at her from a place that should never exist.

“You…”

Just as the woman was about to speak to him,

“Yeohwa.”

“…!”

He called her name.

The name she thought she would never hear again.

Upon hearing her name, Yeohwa’s body froze. The door she was attempting to close stiffened. The young man slowly tightened his grip on her wrist, releasing her hand.

While watching Yeohwa like this, the young man asked,

“Is this your name?”

“…”

Yeohwa could not respond to that question.

No, she simply did not.

It felt like she shouldn’t respond.

But—

‘Name? Name, huh? Hmm… okay.’

‘From now on, you shall be Yeohwa. Let’s go with that.’

Yet, the yearning surged within her.

Words floated forth, but silence prevailed as she remained motionless.

The emotions bursting from the door she could not shut finally enveloped her whole body.

And so, Yeohwa’s world filled with the Black Heavenly Qi.

*

KRA-KOW-WOW!!!

With a thunderous roar, the splintered energy shattered the worn sword apart in midair.

The strangely warped sky in the distance hinted at how powerful Taechon’s energy was.

“…hahaha.”

Exhibiting such overwhelming power, Taechon instead wore a look of wearied laughter.

Thud.

Something fell from his body. Upon checking what had dropped to the ground, it was his arm. The severed forearm rolled on the floor, and before long, it turned to dust and vanished.

“Can this really be happening…?”

The severed arm seemed indifferent to the situation as Taechon grimaced while staring straight ahead.

He was trying to see the existence that had severed his energy and arm.

But facing him was something utterly absurd.

KUGAKAKKAOW!!!

What could that even be called?

An unfathomable, gathering darkness with not a speck of light, appearing utterly foreign.

It could not even be called night. It was purely darkness.

It expanded like a puff of smoke only to repeatedly cluster together again.

Taechon faced an unknown form, unable to find words.

“How could something like that exist…?”

His restrained voice finally let out a question, a puzzled one at that.

It could not be helped.

That alien form was all Divine Status.

An unfathomable Divine Status emerging from nowhere.

“…That thing is on the level of a physical manifestation of a main body, isn’t it?”

The master of Divine Status.

That very existence itself was a shame upon the land. The volume of Divine Status Taechon witnessed was indeed of that caliber.

However, even so, it was just too powerful.

The pressure was enough to affect another realm.

The overwhelming pressure in the distance could crush the very world itself.

Proving this point,

Creeeek…!!

Cracks began to form originating from where the darkness dwelled.

Though still shallow and subtle, it would not be long before its magnitude surged rapidly.

“…”

Taechon narrowed his eyes.

A variable.

Everything had been a variable up to now, but this was even more so.

This level of variable felt overwhelmingly daunting.

That darkness appeared too formidable even to Taechon.

“Just where did that come from?”

Simply seeing it as a piece of the Dragon Emperor was too late.

That was a wholly standing Divine Status. Among them, the presence with such proportions and Divine Status was few to none that Taechon knew of.

If anything, one could say it came from the master of this vast world—Mankye.

“I can’t make sense of it.”

Taechon uttered as he gazed at that darkness.

“Why does it carry the Divine Status of Mankye with it?”

This was the reason Taechon was flustered. That was not a singular Divine Status.

It was an amalgamation of countless Divine Statuses combined into a bizarre existence.

And even—

“…I can even sense my own Divine Status.”

The familiar sensation wriggled within it.

His own powers could be felt. How could that be possible?

“Just what are you holding inside you?”

As Taechon continuously spat out such questions, just then,

Whoooooosh—!!!

The writhing darkness suddenly became quiet, slowly beginning to assume form. From merely filling space, it was gradually molding itself into a human shape.

At first, it appeared as a figure draped in shadows.

Then, hair sprouted atop, the skin gradually changed, and soon the eyes were imbued with color.

Purple Eyes.

And pale skin accompanied by long hair.

The woman Taechon had just faced was an exact replica.

“…!”

Taechon felt chills creeping up his spine as he stared at her.

Identical? No way.

He could never be mistaken.

Pffffffft.

The being reforming her physical body was entirely different from what he had seen moments before.

“Phew…”

With a low sigh, her hair fluttered.

The woman’s half-lidded purple eyes fixed themselves upon Taechon.

Flame…

The darkness that had enveloped her soon transformed into clothing, draping over her form.

A cloak made of black fur. At first glance, it seemed to cling tightly to her shoulders.

In her hand was a sword, far clearer and sharper than before.

As the woman completed her transformation,

“Ah…”

She sighed as she covered her eyes with her hand.

“Why…?”

Why had it come to this? Her expression held the utmost confusion.

“Who… are you…?”

Taechon began to speak, yet—

KUGAKAW!!!

Just as he was about to release those words, an overwhelming pressure cascaded towards him.

His mouth snapped shut.

Crack.

With the sound of bones shattering, Taechon knelt.

“Guh…”

“…Shut up. My head hurts, and I don’t want to hear you right now.”

The woman’s gaze remained fixed on the collapsing Taechon.

In her eyes, emotions brimming with fervor crystallized.

“Who… are you?”

A sense of oblivion permeated the air.

In terms of value of Divine Status, it soared high and lifted even higher.

This was a definitive descent of a true body.

At this point, just like he had expected earlier, it could only be a being with a Divine Status akin to his.

But still, how had she achieved this descent?

“Mankye wouldn’t have allowed…”

With that immense power, it should have been prohibited since Mankye itself would not grant such permission.

How could that woman accomplish such a feat with such ease?

As Taechon, crumbling, posed his questions,

“Allowed?”

The woman chuckled softly in response.

“Such things were buried long ago.”

A time no one could remember.

“…”

Taechon’s face distorted at her answer.

“What are you?”

The question about her identity had been asked so many times, and again he thought he wouldn’t receive an answer.

“About my identity, huh.”

With sunken eyes, the woman answered.

“Heavenly Demon.”

She uttered those words flatly.

At that, Taechon tried to react,

“Just go back. I no longer have the time to deal with you.”

Shh-coated.

A dark line sliced through the air, splitting Taechon’s head in half.

Thud.

As soon as the severed head landed on the ground, it crumbled into dust like the earlier arm.

Watching the swirling dust, Yeohwa turned back with slightly trembling eyes.

There, stood Gu Yangcheong, who looked extremely fatigued, gazing at her.

With an expression that seemed to be deep in thought.

 

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