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**

I steadied my breath and touched my face.

It was torn. The mask and part of my face armor too.

I felt the wind seeping through the gaps. One side of my face was covered, yet everyone was already looking at me.

But no one spoke.

“…I am.”

One of the many warriors straightened up and walked past me.

“I saw nothing.”

“…Me too.”

“Same here.”

Countless warriors brushed past me.

I spat as I looked down at the split body.

“Damned bastard.”

“How wronged the Lord must have felt.”

“…Damn it. I should have sensed this before it happened.”

Something touched my shoulder. I turned around.

A familiar guard from the Black Heaven Sect was holding my shoulder and whispered.

“…Wang So-hong. I don’t know who you really are, but… thank you.”

“…….”

“You are the benefactor of the Black Heaven Sect. A warrior who awakened the almost forgotten truth.”

The guard drew his sword. He planted the fierce blade into the ground, then clasped his hands together in reverence.

Kneeling on one knee. The blade, soaked in moonlight, glimmered pale.

“I, Jeok Dae-gwang, am indebted to Wang So-hong. Even after this night ends, I will not forget this debt. This is my respect for the Lord… and my gratitude to you who sheltered what needed to be protected.”

The warriors looked at each other.

One more knelt down.

“I, Mak Sa-min, will not forget this kindness. The Lord’s benefactor is my benefactor. If you face difficulties, call for me. I may not know your real name, but just whisper the events of this night to me. That alone, I would risk my life for.”

The crowd gathered.

A small cloud of dust rose as knees fell one by one.

“I, Jo No-baek, cannot express how much gratitude I owe to the Lord. I will never forget you who repaid the lost kindness.”

“I, Jin Bu-young. If the sword of a hero calls, I will draw my axe from anywhere, at least once. Thank you for restoring the honor of the Black Heaven Sect.”

“I, Deung Pae-cheon. I vow to the Black Sect that if you ever need my help in the future, come find me. I will lend you my axe anytime.”

“I, So-baek…”

Words were pouring out.

They were so numerous I couldn’t even respond.

…No, was there ever a response to give?

I spat the blood pooling in my mouth onto the ground.

Amidst the endless oaths of the Black Heaven Sect warriors, I could once again feel the reputation of the Black Heaven Lord.

No one blamed me for hiding my identity. They were simply grateful for avenging their enemies.

Thus, I too offered my own respect. I bowed my head lightly.

The night was coming to an end.

The time as Wang So-hong was also coming to a close.

“This wasn’t something I did to receive anything in return.”

“……”

“……”

“Everyone, lift your heads. I…”

I chuckled softly.

“I am just like you. I wanted to return what I received from the Lord.”

I staggered as I walked away, feeling countless gazes fixed on my back.

But I didn’t turn back. I had come here to kill him after all. I couldn’t dirty my hands, nor was I in a position to receive their gratitude.

We simply each chose what we wanted to do from our own situations.

“…….”

Even so, I felt relieved.

“So-hong.”

It felt like I made the right choice.

…

I joined up with Twenty-Nine. She was looking around, having missed the person known as Teacher Bai.

“You ran away fast. You’re not someone who learned martial arts carelessly. At the very least, you were on my level.”

“If we’re equals…”

“The Peak of Extremity. A warrior facing the wall. But you…”

The tips of Twenty-Nine’s toes trembled. I finally realized where she belonged.

A realm so large it was previously invisible. But now its outline was clearly visible.

The Peak of Extremity.

A monster stood before me, only a gigantic wall of the Supremacy remaining.

Twenty-Nine frowned.

“Did you meet a fortuitous encounter?”

“It all burst at once.”

“…Hmm. Congratulations. But it’s still not perfect. Do you know what the Heart Qi is?”

“I’ve heard of it…”

“Only when your heart, energy, and body reach the same realm can it be called ‘Extreme.’ If any one of them is lacking, you become a half-baked warrior. It seems like your heart has reached the peak, but your body and energy are ridiculously lacking. It’s better to see it as the end of the first class. Can you draw out your sword intent?”

“Not at all.”

I tried on the way here.

But it didn’t go well.

“When the three balances align, you can infuse your sword with the energy you desire. Until then, hold back. There may be a backlash.”

“Thank you.”

Twenty-Nine turned her head. She looked down at the moving warriors of the Black Heaven Sect.

“Did everything go well?”

“My heart feels unburdened.”

“That’s a relief. The Black Heaven warriors seem not to lack humanity after all. Sending someone as suspicious as you away.”

“I think it was because of the infamous reputation of Maeng-so-un.”

“That might be so. But you know? It’s different. It’s not because of Maeng-so-un’s misdeeds, but perhaps you showed them something with your sword.”

Twenty-Nine chuckled.

“The piglet looked like he still had a hidden card… so you beat that? Well done. Thirty, for someone who just crossed a small wall, that’s impressive.”

“…….”

“You have talent.”

Talent, huh.

I laughed softly in disbelief. It was a word I had never heard in my life, making it rather amusing.

If someone else had said it, I would have suspected sarcasm. But the words from Twenty-Nine sounded sincere.

Talent.

Talent.

“…Even if I don’t have talent, I plan to create it.”

“Do your best.”

“Yes.”

We returned to our lodging just like that. We were packing our belongings to leave.

But someone came rushing up.

“So, So-hong!”

A familiar guard.

He was panting in front of me.

“I thought you were leaving… I’m glad you didn’t postpone. I almost missed you…”

“…What is it?”

“Don’t be on guard. I just came to pass something along.”

He rummaged through his pocket. He pulled out a small black amulet.

“I found this placed among Maeng-so-un’s corpse. At first, I thought it was excrement, but it wasn’t. It’s presumed to have been embedded in his chest. And that energy itself…”

“…It resembles the Lord’s.”

I fiddled with the amulet he offered. I felt it.

The trace I sensed from Maeng-cheon’s axe.

“Why give this to me…?”

“Maeng-so-un was a beast-like man. A pig that knew nothing of humanity. Even if we’re believers of the new religion, we are still human, right? We killed a beast, so we can’t let another take the spoils. That would be truly beast-like.”

“…….”

“It’s something that belongs to the one who should take it. Since I joined the Black Heaven Sect, it was the first time I saw the Lord smile so brightly. It was a smile I hadn’t seen in ten years.”

The guard chuckled bitterly.

“I don’t know your real name, but still, So-hong. This belongs to you. No one else should take it. I believe that’s what the Lord would desire as well.”

“…….”

“Why? Is that not an action befitting the new religion?”

“…Well… it is.”

“The Black Heaven Sect is a faction under the new religion. But still, the Lord always emphasized a significant intent.”

The guard took a stance.

“Mutual aid. If you’ve received help, you must also give back. Even the new religion is not a beast craving only power. At least the Black Heaven Sect isn’t.”

“…….”

“You’ve done the same, haven’t you? You returned what you had received, just as you wished.”

He patted my shoulder.

“I’m the same. I received, so I’ve just come to return it.”

“…What is your name?”

“I told you earlier… Haha. Were you out of it? Jeok Dae-gwang. What’s your name?”

“Regrettably, I can’t tell you.”

“But…”

I tucked the amulet into my coat.

“Jeok Dae-gwang. I will remember your name. Since I have received, I must also give back, don’t you think?”

“…Hehe. At this rate, it’ll never end.”

The guard, Jeok Dae-gwang, laughed heartily.

“I wish I had spoken to you more deeply earlier. My sight was poor. But now, I will only remember the two characters, So-hong. Though this may not suit the new religion, it’s one more way for me to remember you.”

“What does that mean…?”

“A hero. Doesn’t it suit you well? Go now, So-hong. I don’t know where you’re headed…”

Jeok Dae-gwang stepped back.

His somewhat lonely brows wrinkled slightly.

“I look forward to our reunion.”

“…Yes. Jeok-hyung.”

I too offered my respect.

“I hope to see you again someday.”

…

“The report has arrived. Ilma-nim.”

“Oh, really?”

The Blood Demon Leader handed a letter to Ilma.

“Twenty-Nine and Thirty from the Blood Demon Sect… killed not just the Lord of the Black Heaven Sect but also his eldest son?”

“Yes, Ilma-nim.”

“…….”

A heavy silence hung in the air.

The Blood Demon Leader knew Ilma well. He had never seen the face behind the mask, but it was clear just by her presence that she was a master he could never dare to look up to.

Even at the peak of extremity, a powerhouse whose position was completely unknown. A member of the Heavenly Eight Martial Artists who, at the incredibly young age of eight, had been directly chosen by the sect leader.

There was an overwhelming gap between the person before him and himself.

And he also understood that she despised things going awry in her plans immensely.

The Blood Demon Leader buried his head deep into the ground.

He was just desperately trying to divert her furious blade away from himself.

“I will handle those who acted impulsively. Ilma-nim. I will also ensure the aftermath is flawless. You needn’t worry…”

“No. There’s no need.”

Ilma nodded her head.

“What I meant was to report properly what occurred, not this.”

“…….?”

…Something’s off.

The Blood Demon Leader cautiously looked around. Asking for clarity on what happened was not the usual behavior of Ilma.

If she was asking for a report, there must be some hidden circumstances involved, right?

“Are your ears clogged?”

“N-No! I will report! Twenty-Nine and Thirty learned of the Lord of Black Heaven Sect’s death a day before the operation. According to the report… despite hearing rumors, they infiltrated the Black Heaven Sect again on the day of the operation to confirm the body.”

“That much is written here. What I asked was about the two who clashed with them.”

“According to the intelligence agency, I heard that the eldest son of the Lord was trained in the martial art known as Bai Ma-Shin. And that there was also a man called Teacher Bai, who is a disciple of Man-sa-shin-ui.”

“Bai Ma-Shin?”

A fierce gaze pierced down from beneath Ilma’s black mask.

“Is that true?”

“According to the information gathered, yes…”

“And then?”

“Twenty-Nine clashed with this Teacher Bai. I heard that he was injured and fled.”

“So, this Twenty-Nine seems to wield a decent sword.”

“…Do you know this Teacher Bai?”

“That’s not your concern. Go on.”

“Y-Yes! And then… the eldest son of the Lord trained in Bai Ma-Shin clashed with Thirty.”

“And?”

The Blood Demon Leader was desperately trying to gauge Ilma’s mood. For some reason, the atmosphere felt heavier than usual, as if it contained something.

What’s going on? Thirty? Wait, he wasn’t one of the previously included ones? Moreover, it felt strange that he was the first to receive a report that Ilma would normally ignore.

Could it be related to Ilma somehow…?

“Your ears aren’t useful. You may as well not have them.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“This is the last warning. So what happened?”

“T-Thirty… In other words, Thirty killed the eldest son of the Lord trained in Bai Ma-Shin. Apparently, he was in danger and then split him in half from head to groin with a single strike.”

“Killed the one training in Bai Ma-Shin?”

“Y-Yes?”

Ilma went silent for a moment. The Blood Demon Leader felt a pulse of unease, thinking he might have relayed some mistaken information or something.

After a moment of silence, Ilma finally spoke.

“…Sama is coming to find the Blood Demon Sect. That guy has a ridiculously large desire for talent. When his eyes turn, he moves without consideration. It’s only been a year since he entered Demon Valley, yet he has already stepped on the wall of peak.”

“…Huh?”

“Return to Demon Valley. Blood Demon Leader.”

Ilma turned her head back to the documents.

“When Twenty-Nine and Thirty arrive at Demon Valley, send a message. I will go to see them personally.”

 

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