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The night had fallen, and the surroundings were dim.

As darkness settled in, it waited for the dawn that would gradually approach.

I hadn’t bothered to light a lantern, and without any organization, the unruly undergrowth was visible.

I hadn’t paid it much mind, but it seemed I should probably tidy it up someday.

Of course, I wouldn’t be the one to do it…

Woo Hyeok was currently unwell, so I might as well have Cheol Jiseon handle it.

Anyway.

Creep—! Creep—!

In the still atmosphere, the sounds of insects chirping filled the air.

I stepped softly, treading on the grass and stopping at a certain point.

Right next to where the moonlight shone.

I cautiously halted my steps next to it.

When did it become so?

I had grown averse to quietly observing the moonlight or standing beneath its glow.

I already knew the reason.

It was truly amusing, and just recalling it brought a wry smile to my face.

“What a ridiculous situation.”

I chuckled at how silly it was, as it couldn’t be more absurd.

It seemed I should be over it by now, yet here I was, still acting this way.

Even after getting older, it felt like I was stuck in the same place.

“…”

That was enough for this moment.

Just as I tried to step into the moonlight, I felt my feet hesitate.

Truly, this was nothing short of madness.

“Tsk.”

Ultimately, I withdrew my foot and resumed my stance.

It felt strange to be attempting anything unnecessary.

After all, I hadn’t come here to dither; I should get to the point.

“Ha…”

After letting out a slight sigh, I closed my eyes.

Then, I released all the Qi Perception I had been holding back.

Huuuuuuuuu—!!!

The senses I had confined with the bet suddenly awakened in an instant. The range rapidly expanded, bringing in all sorts of information.

Sounds felt sharper, and even the sensation of the breeze brushing against my skin became heightened.

It had improved significantly since before, but the senses still felt uncomfortable.

Even though I wanted to shut it down immediately, I had things to confirm, so I released everything as much as possible.

Swoosh—!!!

Creep—! Creeeep—!!

Countless sounds hammered into my ears.

It was not that the sounds were louder because my perception had grown. It was more accurate to say that more sounds were coming in.

I needed to ascertain from where and at what distance those sounds were coming from.

But even that was still beyond my grasp.

‘Hmm.’

Before long, I began to feel a headache.

Separately from the heightened perception and energy, it seemed I wasn’t prepared to take it all in so easily.

Ssssssss.

I repeated deep breaths, gradually trying to control my internal state.

With so much information flooding in, I had ignored the reason I fully released it all.

‘Alright, then.’

I figured I could get at least this much.

‘Where could it be?’

The released perception spread out around me like a spiderweb.

No gaps were being left, it spread densely.

Sounds, movements, the information contained within.

The pain was overwhelming, but I endured it to grasp it all.

It felt like I needed to, just to understand.

After a considerable time had passed.

No, what felt like a considerable moment flowed by.

‘Ah.’

Amid the countless flows, I finally managed to find what I wanted.

To describe it honestly, it felt like finding a tiny pearl in a gravel pit.

So minuscule, it was as though I had forgotten how I found it.

In other words.

‘Is this what it takes?’

The formation of my senses had gotten to a level where I could catch such a thing.

‘Unbelievable.’

It was truly absurd enough to only earn a sigh from me.

A jolt.

“…”

I frowned at the ache I felt.

The headache was also reaching its limits.

I immediately exerted my energy to shut down my Qi perception once more.

Hooof-!!

As I closed it, the torrent of information ceased, and I could finally release my held breath.

Wow, this is tough. If I had continued a bit longer, I might have started sweating in this weather.

I shook my head to brush off the lingering traces and carefully opened my eyes to look at a certain spot.

From what I could see, there were just grown weeds and thick grass. It looked like there was nothing.

Even the space was suffocating, making it seem empty, but—

“You’re a bit late.”

My perception clearly indicated it was right there, so I spoke as if deceived.

Then.

Swish.

‘Crazy.’

A human figure suddenly appeared in what looked like an empty space.

Dressed in a black martial robe with white skin.

Hair like shining silver, almost white, matched with stark dark eyes.

A young man with an appearance suggestive of being near adulthood appeared there.

His expression was unreadable.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.

This young man was known as the King of Demons in the current Central Plains.

He was the king of all assassins and the master of the best assassin group.

With the inclusion of the Three Eminent Beings, he was someone who could kill anyone he wished.

He was the King of Demons.

‘…Well, then.’

Seeing him, I also swallowed hard, recalling that the King of Demons had arrived, and I heard he was heading this way.

So I tried this out of curiosity.

‘Did it really succeed?’

I had found the King of Demons from an utterly empty spot.

The presence of the King of Demons, which hadn’t been graspable before, seemed to have come into my reach a little now.

Maybe the King of Demons had also realized it, as he stood there quietly observing me, then spoke.

“It seems you have gained an opportunity.”

As expected, it seemed he figured it out right away.

“I consumed something good recently.”

“Congratulations.”

“…Though you don’t seem to be acting like it’s a congratulations. Thank you.”

There was no change in his expression. To congratulate me while looking like that was truly odd.

Moreover.

“Where did you leave one eye?”

“…”

For some reason, the King of Demons had a bandage on one eye.

It appeared something had gone wrong.

“The fact that you arrived later than the indicated time suggests something must have happened.”

“Indeed.”

As he spoke, the King of Demons gently ran his fingers over the eye he had covered.

“It was for a transaction.”

“Transaction?”

What could he possibly buy that required giving up an eye?

And with it being called a transaction.

‘That indicates he wasn’t beaten up somewhere.’

Of course, it’s not like the King of Demons would be the one to get beaten up.

Either he lays waste to those who oppose him or faces death himself.

Yet there seemed to be an issue here.

“It seems you cannot regenerate your eye?”

The fact that the King of Demons’ eye wasn’t reviving.

He had clearly told me that he couldn’t die even if he wished to.

Given he possessed insane regeneration abilities, one would think he’d simply regenerate even after giving it away.

“Yes.”

The King of Demons calmly told me that he could not regenerate.

“This appears to function separately from the curse.”

“…I see? Then, does that mean you could die if things go well?”

The fact he did not regenerate after offering his eye.

That meant the King of Demons had likely accomplished his goal.

His goal was indeed death.

For someone who yearned for their own peace, this was an opportunity not to be overlooked, yet it left me puzzled as to how this came to be.

In response to my inquiry, the King of Demons said.

“That is not peace.”

“Not peace, you say?”

“The eye has not disappeared; rather, it has been offered to him. To seek the peace you speak of is impossible for him.”

“Could you elaborate on that? It’s hard to understand.”

“If I grant my life as I did my eye, it would lead to the cessation of his existence, thus enabling him to live many more years.”

“…”

After hearing his words, I frowned.

To give my life does not mean to embrace death.

Rather, it suggests that I would offer it to the other party, leading to a life devoid of anything.

‘What is he talking about?’

It seemed I understood yet could not grasp it entirely.

Moreover.

‘The curse that Yeon Ilcheon received was imposed by the Blood Demon. A being capable of taking an eye from him despite the curse,’ I thought as I continued to question the King of Demons.

“You were heading elsewhere for a bit. Just what did you see?”

The King of Demons had suddenly gone off somewhere, claimed to be visiting the Demonic Gate.

What could he possibly have experienced there to end up in such a state?

As I inquired, he replied.

“I went to the Demonic Gate of Taechon and met its master.”

The King of Demons answered.

“There…”

But then.

“…”

“King of Demons?”

He had paused halfway through his answer, seemingly lost in thought, making a pained expression.

It was intriguing to see a change in the King of Demons’ expression, as I had never seen him frown like that before.

As a brief moment of time passed.

“I see. I think this is where it must end for me.”

“Excuse me?”

Suddenly, the King of Demons blurted out something strange.

Crack—!

“…!?”

Without warning, he grabbed his left hand’s pinky and ring finger with his right hand and tore them off.

It happened so instantly I couldn’t even process it properly.

“…King of Demons, why suddenly?”

What is he doing? I looked down at the fingers he had ripped off.

Chiiiii—!!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a black mist wrapped around his severed fingers, and they instantly disintegrated.

Upon witnessing that, I looked back at the King of Demons.

“Is that the Golden Binding technique?”

“…”

He didn’t answer, but I understood the answer.

Was that a price for saying something that shouldn’t have been said?

He sacrificed two fingers just for sharing a few words?

That was extremely unprofitable. Moreover, it was clear I wasn’t in the realm of martial arts.

‘Sorcery…’

Now that I recognized the distinction between the two, it became even clearer.

That wasn’t a martial arts technique; it was in the realm of sorcery.

Swoosh—!

The King of Demons’ fingers healed immediately, but he did not regenerate them.

I had heard he was capable of regeneration.

“…What a shame.”

I felt a twinge of guilt seeing him lose two fingers in an effort to respond to my statement.

“The Blood Demon aims to dismantle the world’s regulations.”

“Excuse me?”

Once again, the King of Demons began to speak suddenly, as he had before.

“He doesn’t yet have the qualifications to head to another world. However, that time is drawing near, and the masters of another world are wary of this.”

“King of Demons, what are you doing?”

“To gain this qualification, one must first deal with the apostles…”

Clap.

Once again, he fell silent in the middle of his sentence. What followed was.

Crisp—!

Without needing to touch it, his left arm, which lost the fingers, simply vanished below the shoulder.

Seeing this, I spoke to him.

“Are you crazy?”

He just discarded his left arm after losing his fingers?

I was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend the absurdity.

“That was merely worth the value of one left arm’s worth of words.”

The King of Demons remained completely indifferent.

Even after losing his left arm right in front of me, he reacted with that same monotone.

“I’m afraid I can’t reveal everything. However, it won’t take long until you can find the rest.”

“What sort of homework is this? What are you doing? Are you not worried about losing your life at this rate?”

“Yes.”

“Ah?”

What a ridiculously easy answer.

“That was the lowest value of what I can present.”

“…This is absurd.”

The purpose of the Blood Demon.

To simply appear out of nowhere after a long time and declare such an extreme statement.

‘The purpose of the Blood Demon.’

A monster that once caused calamities while sowing terror over the years.

Even until now, he seemed to be plotting something.

Was it true that the King of Demons had understood his intent to dismantle the regulations?

‘…Regulations.’

What sort of regulations was he referring to?

And why did the Blood Demon wish to break them?

Questions sprouted in my mind.

Years ago, I had also heard about the purpose of the Blood Demon.

That too, from the being himself.

No, it was somewhat inaccurate to say it was from him. It was from somewhere else altogether.

Yet, despite being so, it didn’t change the fact that it was the Blood Demon.

He had clearly told me.

-A paradise.

He dreamed of paradise, he claimed.

That was his purpose.

Yet if the information the King of Demons had learned was indeed correct.

‘What on earth does paradise have to do with regulations?’

What relation do these two concepts hold?

What does the Blood Demon mean when speaking of paradise?

Above all, the most critical question was.

‘Paradise for whom?’

What exactly is the paradise that the Blood Demon refers to for whom?

“…”

I quietly turned these thoughts around.

Then I lifted my gaze to look at the King of Demons.

“King of Demons.”

“Yes?”

“You mentioned before that if you strengthened Tang Soyeol, you’d kill him. That statement.”

“Yes.”

“Could you delay that a bit longer?”

“…”

“It shouldn’t take too long.”

There was no response.

I also wasn’t really seeking a reply.

What I needed to do now was simply recollect.

The excuse of there being too many tasks ahead had led me to procrastinate on what needed to be done.

There were essential matters I had to attend to.

It was time to refocus and recommit to those tasks.

“I have a favor to ask.”

Time passed.

To be exact, it had been two days since I wielded the Double Blade, and one day since gathering all the personnel for the Star Dragon.

Right after the incident, I had to head to the alliance to gather more personnel.

As I mentioned before, I had requested ten, but there seemed to be a shortage.

Ultimately, I brought in three more and gathered ten in total.

Next, I added those provided by the Martial Alliance, making it a total of twenty.

The remaining five needed to be taken elsewhere for specific tasks.

Thus, the Star Dragon was formed.

“I greet the Star Dragon Master.”

“…I greet the Great Lord.”

“Yes. Yes.”

Today was my first day officially attending as the Great Lord.

Attending work. The very word felt somewhat ridiculous.

Receiving various gazes, I strolled through the alliance grounds.

The incident with the Double Blade had already spread as a rumor, and apparently, that one was still stuck in bed, unable to regain consciousness.

In such circumstances, for the perpetrator to be walking about was certainly odd; everyone seemed to be suspicious of me.

I found it surprising myself. I had expected to be restricted from entering for a while or to be subjected to interrogations, but it seemed Muk Yeon had managed to arrange something for me.

Thanks to that, I could continue to come and go within the alliance, and as a result.

“…I meet the Great Lord.”

“Yes. Nice to see you.”

“This is the robe prepared by the alliance…”

Before the words could be finished, a martial artist handed me the robe, which I threw over my shoulders.

Flap—!

It was a robe slightly large for my frame.

It was a robe said to be given only to Great Lords in the Martial Alliance.

It was crafted from the threads of a special demon beast.

Not only was it resistant to fire and water, but it was also said that after saturating it with energy, it could also serve as a shield.

It was a luxury item I would likely never wear in my lifetime.

‘I’ve seen Moyong Hi-ah wear similar things.’

Of course, Moyong Hi-ah, due to her background, often donned such attire.

‘A robe meant for a great lord.’

The sensation of it resting on my shoulders felt strangely peculiar.

I never expected to wear something like this in my life.

In my previous life, I had played the role of a great lord in the Demonic Sect.

This time, I was doing so in the Righteous Faction. Should I consider myself fortunate to be in such a position?

‘Well, I can’t say for sure, but I definitely did become a dragon this time.’

After muttering to myself, I moved on.

Upon wearing the robe and being guided, I arrived at what I heard was the troop originally used by the Ilryong Group.

Creak.

As I pushed open the door and entered, I could see people already gathered inside.

A spacious courtyard was divided right down the middle. On one side, it appeared to be the external recruits, and on the opposite, it was those sent by the alliance.

It felt like an unfriendly atmosphere, as if they were poised for a standoff.

I took slow steps towards them.

Upon arriving, all eyes immediately turned toward me, and I calmly bore their stares, letting them trail off.

I reached the center and clasped my hands behind my back as I looked over the two groups.

First impressions matter considerably.

‘Since it’s been a while, shall I try to be a bit friendly?’

I pondered this and smiled as I said.

“Hello?”

I spoke with all the warmth I could muster.

But then.

Flinch—!!

Upon seeing my smile, for some reason, they all seemed to raise their guards significantly.

…Oh, darn it.

It had been a while since I felt a little hurt.

 

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