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Kugugugung–!!!

Jjeojeojeojik–!!!

With a rough shock, cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier. The space surrounding it was collapsing entirely.

Passsssss.

Fragments shattered and fell to the ground, dispersing into dust as they landed.

I frowned, watching as it repeated.

“—-!!!”

A huge roar erupted. It was coming from the direction of the Divine Tree. More precisely, it was the source of the roots forming the barrier, so it could be considered the sound of the Abyss.

“…This isn’t good.”

The turtle spoke in a hushed voice.

Woowoo–! A light burst from his staff. It seemed to cover the space below the Abyss with light once more.

He looked like he was trying to reinforce the barrier, but…

Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah—!!!!

Kugugugung—!!!

Another shock ripped through, tearing apart the barrier that was hastily constructed.

“Cough!”

The turtle shook as if caught by the shock. I quickly approached him.

“Elder…!”

Drip, drip.

Blood flowed from the turtle’s mouth.

Even the energy he was using to regenerate released.

He had gathered a considerable amount of energy, yet it dissipated in an instant.

It implied that a considerable rebound had occurred.

Just as he was about to infuse energy again.

“…Stay still.”

The turtle grasped my wrist.

“I need to hide my energy as much as possible… No, that’s not it. If it were Yolo, he would have noticed already.”

His expression displayed obvious concern as he looked up at the sky.

Following his gaze, I turned my head, and beyond a large crack, a woman was staring at us.

A small physical form floated in the void.

Her long white hair fluttered, matching her equally pale skin.

Along with her eyes shining with extreme light and several tails.

I realized immediately.

‘That is divine status.’

The distant elegance and supreme presence emanating from the woman.

Could this really be the divine status that the Ancestor or Taechon spoke of?

‘This is on a different level.’

Unlike Taechon, who borrowed another’s body, or the Abyss, which was currently being formed.

Seeing that, I understood it was true divine status.

No, rather, it was elusive.

‘It’s so distant that I can’t grasp it.’

Due to being on a different level, my senses were barely firing.

Despite being in a definitely perilous situation, I couldn’t even process that.

I could now grasp that this being existed beyond my understanding.

At that moment, the woman, looking somewhat fatigued, flicked her finger, and the auroras that filled the night sky began to move.

The auroras, which had merely filled the night sky, responded to her call.

Kuguguguguguguak—!!!

With one beam of light, it struck the barrier once more.

Bang-!!!

The ground shook again.

“—!!!”

The Abyss howled in rage. The barrier attempted to regenerate again, but the speed of destruction exceeded it.

Boom-! Boomboom-!! Kugugung–!!!

Just as the shaking ground was about to collapse.

“Abyss.”

A piercing voice came from beyond the crack.

“What are you trying to achieve?”

A voice devoid of any emotion.

The Master of Mankye spoke to the Abyss.

“I wondered where you ran off without bearing the karma that you should accept. So this is all you could come up with?”

“—!!”

“The situation is not good. I don’t know why, but it’s better to stop now.”

My body trembled. Just hearing her voice resonated within my soul.

It was dreadful. The energies drifting without a vessel moved incessantly, reacting to their master’s words.

Since I held no vessel within me, the shock felt all the more acute.

“Gah.”

My knees buckled. As I staggered and bowed, I could sense her gaze.

It was heavy. I felt the Master’s eyes on me from afar.

When I managed to lift my head and look back at her.

“I see.”

The Master narrowed her eyes at me as if realizing something.

Chills ran down my spine.

‘Something’s different.’

Was it the sound of forgetting? Was the punishment she received related to lost memories?

Her eyes seemed frostbitten and cold, as if they had been touched by frost.

There was no emotion.

Her gaze felt as though she was looking at a fallen branch or rock.

It was drastically different from the way my mother looked at me when she touched the Divine Tree or when we encountered each other in the Central Plains.

Those eyes seemed to emphatically illustrate that she was an entirely different being.

“What were you trying to hide so much for? Was it like that back then too? Was it because of that?”

Her finger moved.

Kugagagakang-!!!

A flash shot out again. However, unlike before.

A much stronger power was felt.

“It’s a dragon.”

It was a remark directed at me.

“What’s your intention in hiding the dragon? That is merely a remnant left by the Dragon Emperor.”

With each word, the attack intensified.

“Abyss. You ought to know. How troublesome the traces of the Dragon Emperor can be.”

Kugung-! Boomboom-!!!

With each bombardment, my chest resonated.

It was something different from merely the aftershocks of a shockwave.

This was.

‘…Resonance.’

The energy was rebelling within me. It had been persistently rebelling as if insisting I must go there at once.

Grgrgrrk.

The energy was moving recklessly from inside.

It was fierce enough to toss me around, and yet I lacked the vessel to contain it.

Just as I pondered about it.

“Hmm?”

The Master tilted her head, looking at me.

“…What is it?”

An incredulous reaction came, and the ensuing bombardments momentarily ceased.

“This is strange.”

Her voice drew closer.

Although the distance should have been far, her voice felt strangely close.

It seemed to denote that the Master had recognized me properly.

“Why?”

The problem was.

“Why can I feel the divine status of Mankye from there?”

At the same time, the energy gathering changed once more.

It was a level different from before. My body trembled under the overpowering energy emanating.

Just as I shuddered in surprise.

Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaah—-!!!!!

A tremendous shock reverberated.

Paaaah-!!

The barrier shattered, creating a massive gap. The barrier attempted to regenerate again, but the Master was one step ahead.

Thunk.

Once I realized it, she had already landed on the ground.

As her small, white foot touched the earth, a miracle occurred.

Passssssss.

From the tip of her foot, verdant vitality began to sprout from the wrecked ground.

The ruined earth began to recover, and the heavy atmosphere felt lighter.

Conversely, a sense of tension surged. Just as I faced the Master with trembling eyes.

She turned to look at the Heavenly Demon beside me, standing some distance away.

“There are two dragons. And both possess divine status.”

The Master of Mankye nodded.

“It’s strange. How could I have not realized this?”

Kugugugung-! The black sky swirled. Perhaps due to the barrier becoming pointless, the energy that was once released began to gather in one spot.

At that moment.

“…It’s not a clone.”

The turtle said while looking at the Master.

“Mankye… has come in person?”

At those words, the Master’s eyes turned to the turtle.

“I had to come. Since it became this noisy, how could I not?”

“…Taechon was here.”

As the turtle spoke, the Master narrowed her eyes.

“Taechon?”

“Yes. He came to Mankye and meddled.”

“That can’t be.”

The Master shook her head.

“I didn’t sense anything like that.”

“It’s true. We…”

“Shh.”

“…!”

The turtle fell silent at her small voice. His face contorted as if he could no longer speak.

“I won’t answer any unnecessary questions. Unfortunately, I’m quite tired right now.”

Miracles spreading out covered the entire space. When the land ruined by the fierce battle turned lush with vitality, all at once.

Kugagagagag-!!!

The black qi that had been in the sky plummeted to the ground.

While it was a large energy, once it fell to the earth, it quickly diminished in size. By the time the energy disappeared completely.

“Gr-growl.”

It took shape, becoming a small dog. It was the Abyss.

“Abyss.”

The Master of Mankye narrowed her eyes at the Abyss.

“You’ve shrunk quite a bit.”

“Grrr…”

“And it’s even your main body. Where did the divine status go? What exactly do you want?”

Her attitude displayed constant dissatisfaction.

“Fulfilling your karma. While you were away, Mankye is deteriorating.”

“Grrr!”

The Abyss merely howled with aggression at Mankye’s words.

The woman’s expression finally soured at that action.

“…I don’t understand.”

What could possibly be the reason?

“It seems like you’re trying to protect them.”

The Abyss displayed hostility towards Mankye while guarding me.

The Master of Mankye consistently frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend it.

“Could it be the Dragon Emperor? Did he do something to you?”

“Grr!”

“Even after sealing you away and banishing you, how could that be possible?”

Scarlet eyes wavered.

It was unnatural. As I watched, I could hardly believe how unsettling it was.

‘Forgetting.’

Was that what punishment felt like?

It seemed like a form that merely followed the established procedure with no belief involved.

I could only feel confusion looking at the Master, my mother.

“…That’s enough.”

And with that, I couldn’t do even that.

“I just need to clean it up.”

A voice came right before my face. The Master had approached me. I hadn’t noticed.

“This is…!”

“Grrr!”

The turtle and the Abyss reacted, but the Master’s hand was already reaching for my neck.

It was fast.

Just as her fingertips touched my neck.

Zzap.

“Hmm…?”

“…Cough!?”

A brief pain flickered through my skin.

It was strangely short and odd.

When I opened my eyes, feeling like a static shock had occurred.

-Listen closely.

A voice resonated from within me. It was the Ancestor. The voice of the Ancestor.

-I shall speak quickly, for time is short.

‘What’s happening all of a sudden…?’

-This is what your mother has prepared. Moreover.

There was no time to respond.

Both my mouth and the entire world had come to a standstill.

With the Master’s hand still on my neck.

As I sensed a situation reminiscent of something I had felt before, something clicked.

-Descendant. This is a warning.

The Ancestor spoke.

-No matter what you go to do, nothing will change. Just remember this.

As the incomprehensible words set in, my vision faded to black.

 

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