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In front of me sat a gigantic fist. If I had been even a moment slower, this fist would have delivered a solid smack right to my face.

The fist remained frozen in place. As I stared at it intently—

“What did you just say?”

The voice of Pejon echoed in the air. The gigantic fist was still in front of me, and even the surrounding strong energy remained unchanged.

That meant he hadn’t relaxed his strength yet.

With that realization, I turned my gaze slightly towards Pejon.

“I was talking about my identity.”

I asked while maintaining eye contact.

“I answered because you asked.”

“I asked what you called it.”

“I said I’m your disciple.”

“…Whose?”

I pointed at the hefty elder in front of me with my hand.

“Yours, of course.”

“…Huh?”

A sigh escaped as I felt the pressure thickening in the air. Watching this, I turned my body and clenched my fist.

Tua Mu Quan.

Pejon’s Tua Mu Quan was unleashed.

Tua Mu Quan.

I retaliated with my own Tua Mu Quan.

Kuaaa—!!!

A shockwave erupted around us. Trees and rocks were once again blown away, slightly widening the gap between Pejon and me.

Seeing this, I frowned.

“Seriously, couldn’t we just confirm this with words instead of throwing punches?”

“If you’re planning to joke around, then I’m not interested in listening.”

“This is no joke.”

Thud.

I removed my martial robe and dropped it to the ground.

“Honestly, there’s no other answer besides this, you know it too. No—.”

I stopped mid-sentence.

I had to say something I had never spat out at Pejon before.

“You know my Master is aware of this, right?”

Master. Or teacher.

It was something I had never said since becoming Pejon’s disciple, but now I had to.

“Haha.”

Pejon’s laughter grew denser. This was the crossroads.

It meant he was on the verge of getting really angry.

“I have no memory of teaching you. Do you think I’m possessed by an evil spirit or something?”

“Given your actions, it does seem likely.”

“What did you say?”

Oops. I unconsciously pushed his buttons a bit too much.

I habitually refrained from doing that.

“…Anyway, you definitely haven’t taught me. At least not now.”

“Not now?”

“Yes. You heard me.”

I loosened my body slightly. It seemed I was a bit tired after all the sudden movements.

The fatigue that hadn’t appeared in Mankye was beginning to set in here.

“I said I’ve reversed time.”

“….”

Pejon’s expression darkened at those words.

“What do you mean? Are you saying you came back to the past?”

“Oh, correct. Sharp as ever, aren’t you?”

“Ha!”

Kugung!

At my words, an even stronger gust erupted from Pejon. At that sight, I found myself instinctively shivering.

‘Strong.’

We both knew our fight was just a pretend skirmish, yet that level of pressure was quite daunting.

However.

“What an absurd joke.”

“It’s no joke.”

Kuwuung—!!

This was a situation where I couldn’t afford to back down, so I unleashed every ounce of power I held.

The energy of Tua Pacheonmu fully erupted, intertwining with Pejon’s energy.

The same energy.

A resonance of energies that only two exist in the current Central Plains mingled together.

“Then how do you explain the current situation?”

“….”

Pejon scowled. Anyone would find it unbelievable. I had come back in time? What lunatic would say such a thing?

‘Even I wouldn’t believe it.’

This was something I had experienced firsthand, which was why it was understandable.

But Pejon hadn’t.

So I had to show him.

“This is all thanks to you, Master.”

Kawagaga—!

The power of Tua Pacheonmu that I had harnessed during my experiences thus far was shown to Pejon.

“Can you still not believe what you see?”

The wave of power pouring out and the blade-like energy coming from my body were staring him dead in the eye.

Then suddenly,

Sweeek—! He retracted the energy he had been manifesting, and I followed suit, dispersing my energy.

“I can’t believe it.”

Pejon stated. Naturally, it was hard to believe.

“If so, then what?”

“Then prove it.”

“Eh…?”

Feigning surprise with wide eyes.

“Whatever you do, prove it. How is this even possible?”

Pejon asked. Just as I expected, I had anticipated he would ask me something like this.

Thus, I was prepared with an answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Ha?”

The perfect response.

“I really don’t know. When I died and opened my eyes, I found myself back in the past.”

It wasn’t just any experience; it was something I had personally gone through. I spoke with certainty, as it wasn’t a lie.

“I died…? Is that even a thing you say?”

“Believe it or not, it’s the truth. I died once and when I opened my eyes, I was in the past.”

“So, you mean before you died, you were my disciple?”

“Correct.”

“When did you become my disciple?”

“When we’re talking timeline, it’s precisely around the time you came to the Alliance.”

“Then.”

“Yes. I was taking the exam at the time.”

From this point on, it was crucial. I mixed what I had experienced with what I hadn’t and spoke.

“Back then, out of nowhere, you approached me and told me to become your disciple.”

“And then?”

“What do you mean, and then? When the great Three Eminent Beings ask you to be their disciple, you don’t hesitate.”

“Then you trained under me? How ridiculous.”

Pejon laughed at my explanation.

“That’s a nonsensical tale. The reason I approached you was that I sensed the energy of Tua Pacheonmu from your body.”

“….”

As expected.

Upon hearing that, I realized. This old man really sensed the hidden energy the moment he laid eyes on me.

What a monstrous elder.

“Yet, you say you wanted me to be your disciple? What nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense.”

Still, I continued to explain.

“You said that the moment you saw me. That this body was what you had been searching for.”

“…!”

Upon hearing that, Pejon’s eyes widened. It seemed I had hit the nail on the head.

‘So, you were searching since then.’

Someone who could learn Tua Pacheonmu.

A person who was likely to fulfill a dream he could never achieve.

That’s what Pejon had been looking for.

Wasn’t that the same reasoning when he first saw me? He needed the perfect body.

“Ha…”

He wavered. I immediately pushed on.

“From that moment, it was hell. The energy of martial arts I learned tore and ripped my body apart, and my so-called Master kept insisting that every single movement was important while having me repeat things to the point of exhaustion—asking me to punch caves—It was nothing but ridiculous training.”

“….”

Pejon fell silent, lost for words. He wouldn’t have anything to retort. I had gone through those training methods myself.

“At first, I thought, ‘What kind of absurd energy is this?’ and regretted it, but there was simply no way back.”

“…And then?”

“What do you mean, and then? I just trained hard, doing exactly what I was told.”

“No, not that.”

“Eh?”

“Not that. Did you achieve greatness?”

“Ah.”

Even in this situation, Pejon asked that question. Truly an unwavering man.

I shrugged and answered.

“Not yet. I still have a long way to go.”

Even if I had mastered the Technique of the Flame Wheel, I couldn’t perfect the Breaking Heaven Technique.

This damn difficult martial art wasn’t something you could learn easily.

“So you came back without mastering it?”

“No, I died, so what could I do?”

“How did you die?”

“It was an ambush.”

Once again, I mixed truth with a lie.

“An ambush?”

“Yes. It was a group with a name I didn’t even know… They swiftly overran the Martial Alliance and took control of the Central Plains.”

“Absurd. The Martial Alliance was overrun? This place has the Sword Sovereign and that senile old man.”

Pejon reacted as if he couldn’t believe it.

A lot of others couldn’t believe it, especially with the presence of the Sword Sovereign.

Was that the Sword Sovereign’s status? Somehow fascinating, while the only statement I could make was one.

“That is the truth. I died at that time.”

“…And then you returned to the past?”

“Yes. I just needed the time to build up my power. I emerged when the time was right.”

“So, at that age, you achieved such a realm?”

“Correct.”

“….”

There was not really any other way aside from reincarnation. Pejon had experienced my strength firsthand and thus he understood.

That’s why he was torn between disbelief and contemplation.

‘So, what now.’

I needed to push further. To make him genuinely believe, I would need to involve him too.

“Master.”

“….”

“Since it has been discovered, I’ll say it now.”

I spoke, locking eyes with Pejon.

“Whatever you’re planning, don’t do it.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about that foolish action you think will achieve your goal.”

“…!”

Pejon reacted violently. It seemed he understood what I meant.

“Rejuvenation Technique. If you do that, you’ll regret it.”

“How do you know…!”

This was something only I knew about Pejon in this world.

It hadn’t happened yet, but one day it would.

“What do you mean, how do I know?”

I spoke as calmly as possible.

“You disappear out of nowhere during training, saying you can’t do it, only to reemerge as a baby… Ha…”

“….”

“And your body grows weak, not a bit of your original ability returns, and now you’re just regretting it.”

“….”

“Why would you rescue a disciple and think of doing it yourself… I truly don’t understand.”

Pejon wouldn’t have considered doing the Rejuvenation Technique if he’d succeeded in saving a disciple.

By mentioning both, I was emphasizing that I had experienced this firsthand.

“Is it really true that you reversed time?”

“Correct.”

“….”

Pejon fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. I knew it wouldn’t take long, so I waited patiently.

“I will ask you one more thing.”

As expected, Pejon quickly concluded his thoughts and asked me.

“Among the things I taught you, tell me the one you remember the most.”

“…Yes?”

The one I remembered most?

“…Are you talking about martial arts or swordplay?”

“Anything. Say what can convince me.”

“…Hmm.”

I scratched my cheek. Something that could convince him.

‘Even if it’s not that.’

The thing that stood out the most.

“Ah.”

It came to mind quickly.

There was something that stood out vividly in my mind.

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

Pejon said with a habitual tone.

The words that moved like a curse over me.

“Do it until you succeed.”

“…What?”

“There’s nothing you can’t do. Just do it until it works.”

“….”

Whether it was martial arts or techniques, everything had been reconstituted by Pejon, but the most important thing was this.

“Master, this is what I learned from you.”

“….”

At my words, Pejon was briefly left speechless.

*

Crack.

In the underground of the Martial Alliance.

In a place commonly called the Wind Dragon Order’s laboratory, a huge corpse was brought in.

“Prepare!”

“Bring forth the Great Lord!”

The members were hastily moving as they observed the incoming Demon Beast’s corpse. It was large enough to fill the not-so-small room.

It had been a while since it had lost its breath, yet the size remained imposing.

A gigantic bear covered with sparse red fur.

It was the corpse of the Jeokseokung, which had been beheaded by the Sword Sovereign not long ago.

“…It’s really red.”

“How could a Red Demon Beast be…?”

“Is the Great Lord still not here?”

The Wind Dragon Order’s personnel looked at the Red Demon Beast in astonishment.

The sudden appearance of a Demon Beast was completely beyond belief.

A top-tier Demon Beast that hadn’t appeared in hundreds of years.

It was enough to trigger a shock, and had enormous research value as well.

A command had even come from the Alliance leader to study the Demon Beast.

Everyone was rushing about like crazy; they had to move without respite.

Yet among them, one individual remained quietly observant—a young man.

He was rolling his eyes at the sight of the incoming Demon Beast and muttered.

“What on earth is going on?”

His response seemed utterly bewildered.

The eyes of the young man were, strangely enough, red.

 

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