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I flew for a while.

With all my strength, bursting into flames, I flew and flew.

It was around one moment that I finally stopped.

“Hah… Hah…”

Feeling my breath becoming ragged and cold sweat starting to flow, I halted my movements.

“…Hah.”

As soon as I stopped, harsh breaths escaped from me.

Was it because I had flown at maximum speed? There was a little recoil.

‘It’s worse than when I was going from Sichuan to Hanam, isn’t it?’

Back then, I could fly for two days without rest and still feel fine, but now, just having flown for one moment, my body was fatigued.

Honestly, I think I could move for another day like this.

‘But two days won’t be possible.’

Perhaps it was because my body felt light from the energy in the air.

The amount of power I utilized was increasing, and the failures in control were part of the cause.

‘But thanks to that…’

I glanced back.

‘It seems I’ve flown at double my usual speed.’

Just how far have I come?

I couldn’t even gauge the distance. Even to me, it felt like considerable speed.

‘Is this enough?’

One moment to the north.

This was where I landed after heeding Kkurung’s words.

“…”

I still wasn’t sure if this choice was the right one.

It had truly been a decision driven by instinct.

‘Was it right to flee, leaving my mother behind?’

Choosing Kkurung over my mother back there.

Was this truly the correct decision?

Even on my way here, I had been thinking relentlessly.

‘What can I do?’

The action had already been taken the moment I fled.

Rather than dwelling on what had happened, I needed to decide what to do now.

I glanced to the side.

Next to me was the Heavenly Demon. Realizing I was still holding her wrist, I let go immediately.

“Ah.”

The Heavenly Demon reacted to my action. She didn’t look particularly tired.

‘She ran this distance and isn’t tired at all?’

While I was already feeling fatigued, why was she so fine?

‘…Is there that much of a gap in ability?’

Though it did seem a bit strange, there wasn’t really a time to question that right now, so I decided to let it slide.

First, I heightened my Qi perception.

Huuuu—!!!

It spread quickly and scanned my surroundings. Fortunately, I didn’t feel anything.

The problem was.

‘It’s too quiet.’

There was an odd lack of any presence. Normally, I would have detected insects in the bushes or some signs of wild animals.

But there was nothing at all.

The colorless silence was oddly intrusive and foreign.

‘What the hell is going on?’

The more I looked, the less I understood.

What kind of place was this?

I knew it wasn’t the Central Plains, and I could tell it wasn’t the world I came from.

But then.

‘So where the hell am I?’

That was what mattered to me.

As I took a breath and recalled the earlier situation.

The disagreement between Kkurung and my mother.

I didn’t know what they fought about, but my mother’s appearance here was significant.

‘My mother also mentioned that she was the master of the world.’

Muah had said that.

The name of that world was definitely.

‘Mankye.’

The world mentioned both by the Blood Demon and Muah.

I didn’t know what it was, but I had a hunch it was similar to some places in the Central Plains.

This meant.

‘The world beyond the Demonic Gate.’

This was a world that should have existed beyond the Demonic Gate.

‘…Is it always this peaceful?’

Compared to the world where Muah existed, it felt way too serene.

There wasn’t a single sprout of grass there, yet here it was full of bushes, flowers, and vitality.

‘Of course, the absence of other life forms is weird…’

That part was strange, but I let it slide.

‘If this is my mother’s world…’

More precisely, if it’s a world where she resides as the master.

“…”

What should I do about that?

My thoughts suddenly felt cut off, as if my brain had frozen.

“Crap.”

My mind wasn’t functioning well.

It had to do with what had happened earlier.

“…Mother.”

The image of my mother, pressing down on Kkurung, stuck in my mind.

Bearing the ears of a beast rather than a human.

In that moment, with her white tail held aloft.

An absolute presence and form that could not be deemed human.

‘The strange energy I felt there too.’

I knew she was my mother, yet for some reason, seeing her made me feel danger.

It was a clear warning to get the hell out of there.

My instincts screamed at me.

“Ugh.”

What kind of situation is this?

I kept ruminating, but nothing came to mind.

“Are you okay?”

The Heavenly Demon looked at me and asked.

I sighed without making eye contact.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But.”

“I’m just a little annoyed, that’s all.”

I turned my body to look north again.

‘What should I do from here on out?’

I had come flying north, but.

‘If there’s nothing my perception can catch, what’s the point in going?’

What was the purpose of heading north?

Coming here only revealed an endless expanse of emptiness.

‘Or should I go even further?’

Maybe I’d find something if I went a bit further?

That thought also seemed distant since I felt I’d already traveled quite a distance.

“Damn it.”

I frowned. I needed some information to at least have a clue.

There’s nothing, and I don’t know anything. The irritation kept boiling inside me.

‘Should I just turn back now?’

Should I head back to the place where my mother was?

If I don’t know anything, isn’t that better? That thought crossed my mind.

“Oh, hell.”

No matter what I thought, a clear answer wouldn’t come. I tangled my hair in frustration.

What should I do?

How do I get through this damn situation?

While I was stuck in that contemplation.

Swooosh.

“…Huh?”

I sensed something strange.

I immediately looked up at the sky.

At that moment.

Kiiieeeek-!

“Huh, what the hell?”

Suddenly, the sky ripped apart, revealing a scarlet Demonic Gate. And it wasn’t just one.

Dozens.

Dozens of Demonic Gates began to fill the air.

“What the hell is this?”

What cluster of nonsense is happening now? I squinted my eyes, raising my guard.

[I found you.]

A deep voice rang in my ears.

[I discovered the filthy little dragon. Let the hunt begin.]

“What?”

A dragon? Hunting?

My face twisted at the words.

[Koooaahhhh—!!]|

With a rough crying sound, something began to spill out from the Demonic Gate.

Boom-! Boom-boom-boom—!!

[Koooaahhhh—!!!]

‘Demon Beasts?’

What was pouring down toward the ground beneath me was, surprisingly, Demon Beasts.

In the blink of an eye, the ground was filled with them.

I narrowed my eyes at the sight.

They were all types of Demon Beasts I had never seen before.

And moreover.

‘Their colors are different.’

Instead of being divided into green, blue, red, and white like usual, each Demon Beast had its own color.

Some had gray fur, and others had orange fur, and all of it was vastly different from what I knew.

‘And they look like nothing I’ve seen before.’

Most of them had the heads of beasts and human bodies.

I had seen plenty of beast-type Demon Beasts before, but this was a first.

‘What the hell?’

What kind of Demon Beasts are those? I was momentarily flustered by the unfamiliar sight.

[Your Master’s words were correct.]

Kuuuuuuuug—!!!

From the largest scarlet Demonic Gate, a colossal presence fell.

A strong impact sent dust flying in all directions.

[Indeed, it is a dragon.]

Narrowing my eyes against the rugged wind, I stared straight ahead.

[I will ask. You, arrogant and ugly one.]

A thick malice made my body instinctively respond.

Huuuuuu—!! Flames swirled around my body. I raised my guard and wrapped my Qi around myself.

[How did you pathetic beings, who should have gone extinct along with the Dragon Emperor, appear here?]

As the wind settled, the owner of the voice appeared.

First off, it was massive.

Even when compared to Elder Lee, who was exceptionally large among humans, this creature was easily several times larger.

Even next to the other Demon Beasts, its size dwarfed them.

It had a muscular body cloaked in black fur and a head resembling that of a bull.

In its hands, it wielded a gigantic axe, one that was even larger than I was.

What was more astonishing was.

‘Can it speak?’

The Demon Beast was using human language.

After all, there had been Mang from the North Sea, and Tolly could speak, so I could take this as not bizarre.

‘…And even more, it’s giving off a pressure that reminds me it’s no weak existence.’

As an unarmed, this creature was at least Transformation Realm level.

Compared to Demon Beasts, it felt akin to a White Grade Demon Beast.

“What are you?”

I asked, and the creature huffed out a breath from its nose.

Whoosh!

Flame burst from its nostrils.

[There is no obligation to answer the likes of you. You will simply respond to my question.]

“…What a foul-mouthed brat.”

[If you choose not to answer, it won’t change anything.]

Boom-!

It pointed at me with the axe it was holding.

[Either way, the outcome will be the same.]

“Hah.”

At that statement, I raised my Qi.

Whether it talked or not, the outcome would be unchanged. This meant.

‘It was planning to kill me from the very start.’

I loosened my body slightly. At the same time, I scanned my surroundings with my eyes.

There were a lot. Close to a hundred of them.

This wasn’t some haphazard gathering of monsters.

“Guess this works out.”

I smiled as I beheld their numbers.

“Was looking for someone to ask questions. I was just getting a headache.”

Crunch. I clenched my fist tightly.

“You, do you speak well? I have many questions, and if you stutter later, you’ll die.”

[…]

With energy already building up, the creature snorted again.

[As expected.]

Kuuuuu—!!! Its massive muscles rippled, and its veins grew tense.

[Dragons are arrogant.]

“I hear that all the time.”

With that said, I drew my energy to its peak.

Whoosh—!!!

A heated blue flame radiated from my entire body. I erupted it fiercely into my surroundings.

Flame~~~~~!!!

[Kyeeehhrrr—!!]

[Kruoarrr—!!]

The Demon Beasts caught in the flames let out cries. The ones near me were burnt to cinders without a trace.

If there’s a downside, it was that their numbers were not as great as I’d hoped.

[Feast upon them.]

At the command of the bull creature, the horde of Demon Beasts rushed toward me.

Watching that, I immediately reached out.

Flame Pearl.

The blue flames whirled and spread out in all directions. Although it was similar to earlier, this time, the creatures pierced through the flames instead of being easily burned.

‘They have high resistance.’

It seems they were different from the others.

In that case.

I tightened my fist.

The sparks bursting out in the air froze in place.

Whoosh—!!!

Each spark transformed into Flame Jade.

Dozens of Flame Jade rose into the sky.

I made the slightest gesture with my fingers.

Swooshhhhh!!!

Dozens of Flame Jade began to rapidly rotate. It took on the form of a whirlpool.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the spinning Flame Jade collided with the Demon Beasts, each impact caused an explosion.

[Kyaaahhhh—!!]

[Krrroarrr–!!]

Even the Demon Beasts that managed to hold their ground before couldn’t withstand the explosions and were blown apart, the flames sending surging towards the ground.

In an instant, the area became a sea of flames.

Though my strength remained above half, it also meant that I had wiped out half of them in a short time.

‘It’s been a while, and this feels nice.’

Honestly, it was refreshing.

Since my power was specialized for mass slaughter, I was somewhat of an expert on this.

Moving the remaining Flame Jade to one hand, I gathered fire in my other.

Changing its shape and reconstructing it, what was created was the Flame Jade Sacred Spear.

Right after maximizing the rotational speed.

“Whoosh!”

With all my might, I shot it forth.

The spear flew straight, piercing through the Demon Beasts, heading towards its target.

That target was precisely where the bull creature was.

I aimed to strike it directly.

However.

Crack-!!

Kooaahhhhh—!!

The bull creature caught the oncoming spear and crushed it.

The recoil ignited an explosion.

“…Is it insane?”

I stared in disbelief at what was happening.

[Remarkably unexpected.]

Astonishingly, the bull creature spoke to me without any signs of injury.

I thought it hadn’t taken damage, but that wasn’t the case.

I saw its arm had been blown off at the shoulder.

Yet.

Crunch—!

“…!”

Its hand quickly grew back, flesh and bone knitting back into place.

‘What regeneration!’

It was a level of regeneration simply absurd. Comparable to facing a Divine Beast.

[A little dragon is utilizing its power well. This is quite unusual… quite remarkable.]

“Who’s calling who remarkable?”

[It seems I underestimated you. I apologize.]

The creature, which had been quiet, advanced forward, causing the previously roaring Demon Beasts to fall silent as if a mouse had struck.

[I am Duryeong.]

“…”

[I shall now proceed to kill you.]

It was a blunt and ignorant declaration. Yet.

Kugugug!!!!

The pressure oozing from the bull creature proved that it wasn’t just idle words.

‘Damn.’

This pressure was a different level from earlier.

I could tell it was a magnitude greater than anything I’d felt from a tenth-rate master.

‘This is troublesome.’

I would likely need to use every trick I had.

‘And it’s not alone.’

Taking on a being like that while being surrounded by others?

Not good.

At least, the only saving grace here was.

‘The Heavenly Demon is here with me.’

I turned my head instinctively toward the Heavenly Demon beside me.

She was still looking at the sky behind me.

“Hey, stop staring and help—”

“I’ve come.”

She replied, and I squinted.

“I’ve come.”

“What do you mean by that? Instead of saying that, help me out here.”

“A strong one has arrived.”

“What?”

What the hell does that mean? Following her gaze, I turned to look at the sky.

“…There really is something there?”

Indeed, there was something up there.

Something floated just beneath the moonlit sky.

What could it be? I squinted to see more clearly.

Then, it became a bit clearer.

“Uh…?”

As I recognized the figure, I uttered in a daze.

In the sky was a clear human form.

With his arms crossed, he looked down here with an air of nobility.

Although not fully visible, it was evident he was tall.

Dressed in white martial robes, with white hair and a beard, I could tell he was an elder.

Honestly, the specifics didn’t matter too much.

What truly mattered to me was.

‘That…’

The insignia on the chest of the robe the elder wore.

The white robe embroidered with a depiction of petals was the attire worn only by a certain place in the Central Plains.

As I gaped with a dazed expression, he chuckled softly.

“How hideous as always.”

With those words,

A fragrance of plum blossoms wafted toward my nose.

 

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