CFZ

Disasters fell from the sky.
"Graaaahhh---!!!"

Dozens of creatures with mixed hues plummeted from the skies above the branch base to the ground.
The martial artists who witnessed this stared in shock, their faces etched with astonishment.
At that moment—
“Cough! Ptuh!”

Tang So-yeol, who had been coughing and spitting out dirt while rolling on the ground, stood up.
At the same time, she turned her gaze and scanned her surroundings.
Her eyes carried the look of someone searching for someone else.
"Where did they go?" Tang So-yeol muttered, rubbing her stomach as she looked around.
But they were already long gone. No one remained in the area.
The oppressive energy that had been suffocating the surroundings had also vanished.

Tang So-yeol frowned as she observed the scene.
Was it because she had let the enemy escape? No, that wasn’t it.
‘The sensation.’
The feeling she had when she was struck had been strange.
She tried to focus on the oddity of that sensation for a moment, but—
"Grrrrr!! Graaaaah--!!"

There wasn’t any time to dwell on it, not with those things falling from the sky.
Tang So-yeol barely managed to steady herself and shouted,
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
At her small yet commanding voice, the martial artists quickly assumed their stances.

   ******************
   
"Graaaaah---!!!"
The distant wailing echoed in the background. Guided by the sound, he landed deep within the forest.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he collapsed to his knees, as if his legs had given out.
"[Urgh...]"
Clutching his chest, he dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Thud! The mask he had been wearing fell off.
Crack—!
Bones realigned as if waiting for this moment, and his body began to shrink.
“Hah… haah…”

Cold sweat streamed down his face.
If he had endured just a little longer, he would have been in serious danger.
“Damn it…”
If he had stayed like that any longer, the Qi Transformation Technique would have unraveled.
He had barely been able to regulate his energy, but it had nearly snapped all at once.

How was his Qi now?
‘It’s significantly reduced.’
The seemingly abundant Qi he had earlier had mostly been consumed.
To think that using the authority just once would leave him so drained—it was far more taxing than he had anticipated.

Even so—
‘…Considering what it accomplished, it’s not entirely unreasonable.’
Looking at the situation he had created with that single use, it wasn’t something one could call inefficient.
The results were clear to the naked eye.
"Graaaaahhh--!!"

Boom, boom!
Even through the vibrations that reverberated through his body, he could feel it.
Countless Magyeong Gates had unfolded across the night sky. From within them, blue and red monsters poured forth in a dazzling display.
Watching the beings he had created through his authority, he let out a hollow laugh.

‘…So, it actually works.’
The authority he had obtained after killing the warden was the Wind of the Abyss.
A power that could manifest the sights he envisioned and desired.
Its limitations were clear—it couldn’t do everything, and the more intricate and detailed the forms, the shorter the duration.

But this time—
‘This one isn’t too bad.’
The power he had taken from the white-class monster in Hanam allowed him to open Magyeong Gates.

‘Though it feels a bit different from Cheol Ji-seon’s.’
Cheol Ji-seon had the ability to open Magyeong Gates with his hands, but their powers were distinctly different.
The beings emerging from those gates weren’t actual monsters.
While the white-class monster could summon real creatures,
the ones he created were akin to the Wind of the Abyss.

‘It uses my demonic energy to create monsters.’
It only appeared as though they were emerging from Magyeong Gates. They weren’t actual living beings.
The proof of this lay in the fact that—
‘The colors are different.’

While the monsters had distinct colors resembling real creatures, their hues were far too dark.
Practically black, to the point that distinguishing their colors was almost impossible.
And furthermore—
"Graaaahhh--!!"

Boom! Crash!
Each time one of them fell, he could feel it in his body.
Perhaps because they were creations of his energy, he could sense their every action.
Closing his eyes as if to focus, his vision shifted.

"Graaaaah--!!"
Something was charging recklessly.
Ahead stood a young man, calm and unflinching. It was Seong Yul.
‘…’

Seong Yul’s dull golden eyes turned toward him. At that moment—
Slash.
His vision split in half, and he snapped back to reality.

Seong Yul had cut it down.
‘Hm.’
Even at this distance, it worked. He nodded in satisfaction.

This wasn’t his first time testing it.

He could seize the vision of the monsters he created.
The duration depended on the size and actions of the creatures—
‘The smaller they are, the longer they last. The larger they are, the shorter.’
Additionally—

‘Stronger monsters… also last a shorter time.’
The further away they were, the weaker their strength and the shorter their duration.
It was a power riddled with limitations, but that was acceptable.
‘If there’s one thing that bothers me….’

The monsters he could create were limited to those he had hunted.
No, to be precise—
‘The ones I’ve consumed.’
It seemed he could only create monsters whose demonic stones he had once ingested.

"Graaaah--!!"
Hearing the roar, he waved his hand slightly, issuing a command.
It was possible to either share their vision or give them orders.
But as expected, the efficiency decreased with distance.

‘Just enough.’
He imprinted commands into the monsters. Based on his experiments, this was the maximum range.
The order was to keep fighting but to avoid slaughter.
Given their extraordinarily low intelligence, it was unlikely they’d follow it properly.

‘This should be enough.’
It was sufficient to cause hesitation.
The people dealing with these monsters wouldn’t die so easily, after all.
It was more than enough for a display and a distraction.

“…I wanted to try using it properly anyway.”
He had invested most of his demonic energy into testing its limits, and the results exceeded his expectations.
‘…Perhaps this authority suits me.’

Regeneration and the wind hadn’t meshed well with him, making them inefficient.
But this authority tied to life itself seemed to harmonize with him.
As he was mulling over this—
“…Are you okay?”

Someone approached from the forest, speaking to him.
It was Cheol Ji-seon.
“Yangcheon.”
“…Huff. I’m fine.”

“…You…”
Cheol Ji-seon began to ask something but turned his head elsewhere.
"Graaaaahhh---!!!"

“…What’s that?”
It seemed the monstrous cries were bothering him.
Well, it would be strange if they didn’t.
"…Don’t worry about it."

"But…"
"There’s nothing to worry about. Just focus on your task."
"…"

I wiped the cold sweat dripping down my face.
Cheol Ji-seon’s expression slightly twisted as he glanced at my trembling hand, but I ignored it and asked,
"How’s the task I assigned you coming along?"
"…Most of it is taken care of."

"Good. You’re not late."
I had told him to finish it by tomorrow. If he managed to wrap it up by now, it meant he had done his best.
"I’ve passed word to the Open Faction and informed the trading group as well…"

Cheol Ji-seon cast an uneasy glance toward the branch base in the distance.
"…To think it would really come to this."
Boom! Boom, boom!

The vibrations from the branch base continued unabated as the battle raged on.
The roars of the monsters and the clash of martial artists' inner energy blended into a chaotic cacophony.
"…Monsters… Magyeong Gate…"
Muttering those words, Cheol Ji-seon turned to look at me.
Understanding the meaning behind his gaze, I immediately responded.

"This isn’t something you can deal with. It’s on a completely different level."
"…"
"I’ll explain everything once this is over, so stop staring at me like that."

I didn’t have the time to go into detail. It was nearly time.
Just as I was trying to adjust my body’s fatigue—
"It’s been handled."
A message I had been waiting for arrived from the Shadow ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) King.
His voice carried an unusual fervor, a rarity for him.

‘…He must be furious.’
It wasn’t directed at me, of course. Most likely, his anger stemmed from matters involving the Celestial Stream Sect and the Ilcheon Cult.
And—

‘That’s something I’m also invested in.’
I had to finish this task quickly and move on to that matter.
There was far too much I needed to see for myself.

   ******************
   

"Graaaaah---!!!"
"Don’t lose your composure! We’re almost done!"
"Don’t overexert your energy!"

Swoosh—!
A monster’s head was severed and its body collapsed to the ground.
The moment its body touched the earth, it disintegrated, leaving no trace behind.
"Damn it," one martial artist muttered through gritted teeth.
The situation was unnerving.

"Where on earth are these monsters coming from?"

"Could it really be that Cheonma summoned them?"
"How could a human… summon monsters?"

"Focus!"
"…!!"
Someone yelled furiously, cutting through the idle chatter mid-battle.
Tang So-yeol glared at them with a terrifying expression.

"What the hell are you doing? Chatting during combat? Do you all have a death wish?"
"We’re sorry…!"
"Get it together if you don’t want to die here."

The chilling tone of her voice sent shivers down their spines.
Tang So-yeol was right—the battle wasn’t over yet.
Fortunately—
‘There are no casualties.’

While there were a few injured, no one had lost their life.
Perhaps it was because they were all highly skilled, but still…
‘Something about these monsters…’
They seemed less ferocious, almost weaker than expected.
Despite the overwhelming energy they exuded, their attacks lacked substance.

Why? The question lingered, though ultimately, it was a relief.
Thanks to that, there were no fatalities.
"There aren’t many left…! Stay focused!"
Growl—!!

Less than ten monsters remained.
The branch base was in shambles, but it seemed the situation was nearing its conclusion.
The martial artists were exhausted but not to a dangerous degree.
As they rallied their strength for the final push—
Boom—!!!

A brilliant light erupted from the sky.
"Graaaaah---!!! Kyahaaa---!!!"
Scorching heat swept across the ground, a dazzling display of flames.

"This is…!"
"The Young Master!"
The martial artists looked toward the sky with hope-filled eyes.
There was only one person they knew who wielded such azure flames.

"…The Young Master…"
Tang So-yeol murmured as she gazed up with the others.
Beneath the moonlight, a young man stood.
It was Gu Yangcheon, his expression slightly weary.

His azure eyes glimmered as he frowned, then he lightly waved his hand.
Fwoooosh—!!!
The flames surged, consuming all the monsters.
The searing fire incinerated every last one of them in an instant.

As the now-empty battlefield cooled, Gu Yangcheon descended onto the ground.
"Haa…"
"Young Master…! Are you alright!?"

Despite the concern in their voices, Gu Yangcheon didn’t respond.
He scanned the area, taking in the condition of each person, before asking,
"Anyone injured?"
"There are a few minor injuries, but no casualties."

"I see… That’s a relief."
He let out a quiet sigh.
Tang So-yeol immediately approached Gu Yangcheon, though her steps were hesitant.
The memory of Gu Yangcheon’s killing intent earlier, when he had faced Ilcheon Sword, lingered in her mind.

"Young… Young Master."
"Report the situation."
"…"

His decisive tone made Tang So-yeol purse her lips before she finally spoke.
"Following your orders, we detained the criminal. Miss Pi apprehended Ilcheon Sword, who confessed."
"Did he now?"

Gu Yangcheon’s response was dry, as if he had expected it.
"Perhaps due to heightened emotions, he attempted to act unpredictably. He posed a potential threat, so I moved to eliminate him, but… Cheonma interfered."
"Cheonma?"

Gu Yangcheon frowned.
"And yet, everyone survived?"
His tone grew oddly rigid, but the intensity of the situation made it difficult to notice.

"Yes… He said it was a gift for thwarting his plan."
"…Hmm…"
Gu Yangcheon covered his mouth as if deep in thought.
No one noticed that he was actually trying to hide his reaction.

"…This complicates things."
"We can’t be certain he’s gone for good. It seems prudent to remain on guard. We still don’t know what he wants."
"…You’re right. That’s a valid point."

As Gu Yangcheon began to speak, Tang So-yeol silently observed him.
"…What is it?"
"Nothing, Young Master. Are your hands injured?"

"My hands? No, they’re fine…"
"Let me see."
Before Gu Yangcheon could finish, Tang So-yeol grabbed his hand and examined it.

"…I told you, I’m fine."
"…"
He really wasn’t injured. Even if he had been, his body would have already healed.
Pulling his hand away, Gu Yangcheon continued,

"First, handle the cleanup around here. After that…"
"Young Master."
A voice echoed in his mind. Gu Yangcheon turned toward the source.

At that moment—
"Is the Young Master… Cheonma?"
"…"

Gu Yangcheon froze mid-sentence.
He had been exposed.