---

Time Passed

Time had passed. It was still daytime.

Looking at the position of the Sun, it seemed like it would be a while before sunset.

With that thought, I slowly moved forward.

As I calmly shifted my body, my mind was filled with various thoughts.

I recalled Shin Noya’s concerns regarding Yusa.

Additionally, I assessed my physical condition in case of unforeseen circumstances.

‘…Hmph.’

The body I observed while circulating my energy was not in great shape.

There was no surprise there. I had already been significantly damaged while facing the Blue Chief at night.

I hadn’t sustained any serious wounds, so at least that was a plus.

However, moving my body when I should be waiting for regeneration left me with little time to heal.

‘…Using Qi Transformation hinders regeneration.’

It was a crucial power to change my physical form, but it also came with clear drawbacks.

The pain felt like my bones were shattering when I transformed.

Afterwards, I had to expend a considerable amount of energy to maintain that change.

Moreover.

The transformed body healed wounds at a much slower rate and felt pain more keenly, among other things.

In reality, other than the ability to transform my body, there weren’t many advantages.

Because of that, I thought,

‘I hope nothing happens.’

After all, I had already battled the Blue Chief.

Considering the injuries from before, my body was not in an optimal condition.

Knowing this, I wanted to pass quietly if possible.

‘…Is that really possible?’

I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that vaguely lingered.

Gradually arriving at my destination,

‘Hmm.’

In the thick forest, I stood at the center and surveyed my surroundings.

‘Nothing’s here?’

I couldn’t see anything.

Was someone watching me from somewhere? As I tried to raise my Qi perception to check,

Crisp.

I felt a presence.

The moment I sensed that and turned around—

“Hahaha.”

I heard a cheerful laugh.

At the same time,

“It’s you!”

A tremendous amount of killing intent surged toward me.

*

Boom–!!!!

Something plummeted towards me. I twisted my body to evade the attack.

‘What the heck?’

A sudden ambush. What was going on? I dodged while rolling my eyes at the ongoing attacks.

Was this Yusa’s doing?

If it were, then it would make sense.

However, it didn’t seem like he was the one attacking directly. Did he summon an army?

‘But that’s not it.’

The presence felt like just one person.

This individual was radiating an exceptionally strong energy.

I narrowed my eyes and focused on the opponent. The dust swirled as the offensive came my way.

Avoiding the incoming claws, I finally caught a glimpse of the attacker’s face.

‘Ah.’

I recognized who it was. This was my first time seeing her in person, but I already knew about her.

‘Red Chief.’

Red Chief Hongjeong.

Wasn’t she referred to as the strongest noble of all?

‘By just the name, it must mean she’s the strongest among the chiefs.’

She appeared young. Other chiefs also looked overly young for their age, but that could be considered a trait of the Moon Night Clan.

Looking at her closer,

‘She doesn’t seem to be over twenty.’

While the others appeared to be around thirty or in their forties, this red-haired woman looked barely over the age of majority.

“Hehehe–!!!”

Meanwhile, whatever it was, she was in an excited frenzy.

‘Tsk.’

She was fast. It didn’t appear she was using a weapon. Her style seemed to rely on martial arts skills, especially focused on her fists.

Bang! Bang–!!

With every clash of fists and claws, the ground shattered and trees were cleaved.

Her movements were infused with remarkable energy.

‘Hmm.’

What should I do about this?

‘Why the heck did this chick suddenly show up?’

I had no need for such naivety. It was all too obvious.

‘This was Yusa’s doing.’

Was this confirmation of Noya’s worries?

What was the reason for sending the Red Chief?

Once I was done pondering, a new wave of concerns washed over me.

But—

Wham–!!

‘Damn it.’

I couldn’t afford to think about anything right now.

After dodging those claws once again,

Bang-!!

I slammed my foot hard against the ground and twisted my waist.

The spinning tip of my foot connected with her red figure.

Boom–!!!

The impact exploded, sending her flying a distance away. It didn’t hit solidly.

Red Chief managed to block that brief strike and even performed a roll to regain her stance.

“Oh… you’re going to attack in such a gap?”

Surprised by my attack, her eyes widened.

Holding back a sigh, I spoke to her.

“Looks like you’re not the one I wanted to meet.”

Implying Yusa was nowhere to be found, I asked.

“No, that’s right. I was actually waiting for you.”

The Red Chief simply said with a grin.

“I was quite curious since my silly brothers got hurt.”

Crunch–!

She coiled up as if preparing to leap. Pressure radiated from her feet.

“Let’s see what your upper body looks like!”

Boom–!!!

A red flash shot forward.

Oh boy.

Seeing the Red Chief charging at me, I frowned.

I never thought she would just charge in like that.

Crack! Crack!

‘Gah!’

I narrowly dodged her claws. At that moment, her tail surged.

Whack!

With her tail charging at me, I moved my hands. It was impossible to dodge; I had to block it.

Bam!!

Pain shot through my arm as I was pushed back.

Why does she look like a fluffball yet hit so hard?

‘Damn it.’

I bit my lip and called upon my energy.

Strong energy surged into my body, activating it.

Even while trying to gauge her movements with my heart eye,

‘This is insane.’

I couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly.

‘Her instincts are off the charts.’

It was unlike anything I’d seen before; not even beasts behaved this ruthlessly.

Fighting a creature that looked human but charged like a beast was something new.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!!!”

The Red Chief, laughing joyously, lunged at me.

That reminded me of something.

‘Ah.’

This wasn’t my first experience feeling this way.

I had fought with someone reminiscent of her before.

‘She’s just like Bong-Soon.’

Her fighting style was similar to Bong-Soon’s: relying entirely on instincts during combat.

Her appearance didn’t reflect that, but her wild actions definitely did.

“Where do you think you’re running to!!”

Crack!!!

Her claws split the air.

The energy was so intense it left clear marks where she swiped.

I twisted my head left and right to evade her strikes.

She was indeed reminiscent of Bong-Soon, just without a stick.

The issue was.

‘She’s a way stronger version of Bong-Soon.’

The difference in levels was drastic. It felt like she could rival my previous life as a Celestial.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

She charged at me repeatedly, laughter echoing like madness in her eyes.

‘If someone saw her, they’d think she was possessed by a demon.’

How could someone wear such an expression with a sound mind?

After a while, she paused for a second.

“Oh? You’re giving up now…?”

Bam!!

“Ugh…!”

I dove into her while she lunged, driving my fist straight into her solar plexus.

She was hit hard, flying backward this time.

Different from before, she couldn’t block or recover.

Crack! Crack! Bang!!

Explosion rang out as the front turned into chaos.

I dusted off my hands, releasing my tension slightly.

Was she strong like Bong-Soon?

The level of a Celestial?

‘What now?’

But it was still daytime, and I had no fear of the Moon Night Clan when the moon hadn’t risen yet.

“Cough…!”

I saw Red Chief kneeling through the dust, clutching her solar plexus and spitting out blood.

“Hehehehe…”

Even like this, she was laughing. The sight of her blood-soaked smile was genuinely bizarre.

“This is fun… It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way…?”

Her eyes glimmered. It was clear she was intent on killing me.

What to do about that?

Even in my current state, I could win.

‘It’s still a long time until night, but…’

Preserving my physical body was key.

‘Should I provoke her?’

With this, I decided to taunt her into a more manageable fight.

I opened my mouth based on that judgment.

“Pathetic.”

The words left my lips, and the Red Chief turned to look at me.

“Your antics don’t even amount to a jest, so there’s no excitement in this.”

“…Ha ha ha. Why? It should be more fun than the Blue Chief, right?”

“The Blue Chief? Ah.”

She nodded, as if recalling something she had almost forgotten.

“Yes, there was that guy too.”

“Hah, you even made a hole in your chest? You forgot that, huh? It hasn’t even been a day yet.”

“I have no compassion to remember the weak.”

“Oh… That’s quite a statement. I like it.”

“Moreover, that goes for you as well.”

With a flick, I brushed off my hands lightly.

“I’m still extremely bored, and it’s just as dull as before.”

I focused on my heart. Demon energy wrapped around my hand.

“If I were to argue who was better, your little comedy from yesterday was slightly more entertaining.”

“What…?”

The Red Chief froze at my comment, her body stiffening at the fact that the Blue Chief was said to be better than herself.

‘Hmm.’

Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes.

Was my little taunt effective?

If it wasn’t effective, I’d have to prepare for another taunt.

“Ah, that’s a bit.”

Fortunately, it seemed like I wouldn’t need to do that.

“I’m getting pretty angry now?”

KWA-THUD!!!!!

‘Damn it.’

I had to suppress the urge to curse as her overwhelming energy surged forth.

The killing intent and pressure radiating from her far surpassed before.

‘…What did I say?’

Was she called the greatest noble? Or the strongest noble?

I had heard quite a bit about her, but…

‘This is excessive.’

The presence she was releasing now surpassed my wildest imagination.

Did I miscalculate a bit?

Tsk. I clicked my tongue as I tasted bitterness in my mouth.

I felt like I had made a mistake.

Now the scenario was…

‘I might have to kill her.’

I had wanted to see if I could prevent demonization by keeping her alive, but at this level, I wouldn’t have that luxury.

I steeled my resolve.

‘Let’s kill her.’

Just as she intended, I too let the killing intent I had been holding back erupt.

 

---