Chapter 156 – Socheonma, Dowon (5)

Ever since sharing time with Dowon, Cheondo found herself eagerly anticipating the next day. What would she do with him tomorrow? What should she bring tonight? Even while working, Dowon’s face would surface in her thoughts, and memories of the previous night would fill her mind without fail.

After taking on the heavy burden of being Socheonma, Cheondo’s life had been nothing but a series of challenges and hardships. Now, for the first time, she found herself looking forward to her daily life.

“…Why.”

However, her once cherished routine had now been shattered.

The catalyst for this change was the murder of the elderly couple who owned the inn where she worked. They had been two people she greatly respected, and the loss of her connection to them was both sudden and devastating.

“Ugh…ugh.”

The man, grabbed by the collar and pinned to the floor by Cheondo, cried out in pain. With the title of Socheonma, she had effortlessly subdued a hunter, showing no shame in her abilities.

– Drip, drip.

Drops of blood bead and fall on Cheondo’s forearm. The body of the fallen hunter is riddled with wind-torn holes, as if struck by a hail of random punches.

Through her disheveled bangs, Cheondo fixes her gaze on Jung Ho-Moon.

“Stop it now.”

Her eyes are bloodshot. Her father’s advice to always remain calm fails to surface in Cheondo’s mind at this crucial moment.

“Otherwise…”

Blood evaporates from the black magic power coiled around her arms. The surrounding air trembles, resonating with the energy.

Jung Ho-Moon converses calmly with the hunter beside him.

“Keep your composure and contact the communications unit.”
“Don’t give me orders, damn it.”

The man reaches for the radio immediately. With just those words, Cheondo’s visage vanishes from sight, as though he realized he had no alternative.

As the woman standing on the collapsed roof tiles disappears, Jung Ho-Moon’s brow furrows.

“They’re coming! Put the radio away first.”

“I know… Wow, I’m trembling.”

For a moment, the two unsheathed their swords and conversed, while a white surge of energy emanated from Cheondo’s hand.

A form of technique. White Peach.

In the blink of an eye, Cheondo, who had swiftly moved backward, threw a punch. Ho-Moon and the man turned their heads and blocked the attack with their swords.

-Kwagagagaga!

A massive wave of petals engulfed the two hunters in an instant.

Unlike the techniques of Heavenly Demon and Lee Si-heon, it was a spell that appeared almost beautiful when truly observed. Its form would change depending on the individual’s aptitude, training, and growth. The rustling petals scratched the hunters’ bodies as they passed.

-Kwajik!

As Cheondo stepped on the ground, fissures formed in the soil, and whirlwinds erupted. Numerous veins bulged on her forehead.

‘…White Peach. Zodiac.’

The faces of the two sisters flashed through her mind. Cheondo was not so weak that she couldn’t protect herself, but she was not as skilled as they were.

The situation was dire and worrisome.

In her desperation, Cheondo had no time to spare. She needed to deal with the situation quickly and find the other two.

However, the opponents were formidable. The two men facing Cheondo were skilled enough to represent their respective guilds.

– Huung!

The waves of splitting petals surged. As the two hunters, who had escaped from White Peach’s lingering effects, swung their swords, nearby buildings crumbled amidst the petals.

“Are you so out of it that you’ll be heading to your graves?”

Faces of Jeong Ho-moon and the other man showed no leisure. The hunter laughed boisterously, as if trying to alleviate his tension. Observing the enraged expression of young Cheondo, Ho-moon seemed far from pleased.

“Shut up when you’re speaking.”

Cheondo said, her eyes trembling with anger.

“Look at that attitude. Just a kid.”
“Get it together. Follow me.”

Regardless of age, those who felt the power of the Heavenly Demon had to be killed. Jeong Ho-moon unsheathed his sword and charged toward Cheondo before anyone else.

“If we make a mistake, we die.”
“Understood—Ah!”

Hunter’s words were abruptly interrupted. This was because Cheondo found an opening and kicked his body. However, it wasn’t such a severe blow. Cheondo leaped into the air after kicking Hunter’s shoulder, delivering a light follow-up strike to his chin.

Jung Ho-Moon, and the short-haired Hunter. Being captured by them would mean certain death.

‘…Execution.’

Why would she worry even though they were stronger than her? Thoughts of her father crossed her mind infrequently.

Could it be that what they were aiming for was her master’s life? Amidst such thoughts, Cheondo felt something wrapping around her body.

‘Magic?’

A characteristic of the magical power she had never experienced before, or perhaps occasionally sensed from her executioner. A bright yellow chain that suddenly appeared in the air suppressed her body as if it were dominating her.

With a chilling sensation, she looked around and saw a woman wearing a hat reaching out her hand in her direction.

“…Ugh.”

As mana coursed through her entire being, black magical power surged from Cheondo’s body. A ferocity akin to a lion’s, but it was fleeting; the more she resisted, the quicker the mana drained from her.

“Indeed.”

The short-haired hunter grunted and tightened his grip on the sword. As the rough resistance gradually diminished, elation welled up within him.

The World Tree’s power had been transformed into an artifact. Treated as a national treasure, this esteemed relic of the sect was now in the woman’s hands.

“Ugh. Hngh.”

*Gurgle* – Blood trickled from Cheondo’s mouth. The attempt to forcefully rip the chains away had only provoked greater defiance.

A dark fissure materialized from the empty void, and from it, fifteen chains suspended Cheondo, dangling her in mid-air.

Her body felt as if it had become many times heavier. Cheondo’s face was drained of color, as if she might lose consciousness at any moment.

“It’s not wondrous without reason.”

Whiyu. A short-haired man who whistled.
He examined Cheon Do’s body and shrugged his shoulders.

“Looking at her like this… Hmm. She doesn’t resemble that monster from before.”
“Shut up and get ready to fight.”

Jung Ho-Moon cut off the frivolous man’s words.
The man with the most exceptional skills among the Byeoldongdae. His words made the surrounding hunters tense.

“Why? Isn’t it over? Ah, are we going to capture the cult leader?”
“That’s not it.”
“What… ah.”

Only then did the short-haired hunter stop talking.

Something was approaching without concealing its presence.

* * * * * * *

Do-won dies.

Hong-Yeon was sharply leading the scene due to the attack that took place without time to grieve over the fact.

“The salvation of the Lesser Heavenly Demon. Support from the Heavenly Demon. Don’t think about anything else. Focus on just one thing.”

With eyes utterly unlike her usual demeanor.
Click-clack. Every time her shoes echoed, the nearby magical energy quivered.

The swords floating behind Hong-Yeon trailed after her.

**”…Slay every single person who has set foot in here.”**

A hunter’s corpse, grasped in Hong-Yeon’s hand.
The torn and savaged flesh was gruesomely brutal.

With a face that left no doubt of her position as the leader of the Demonic Cult, Hong-Yeon showed her steely expression to the others.

**”Immediately.”**

“Y-yes!!!”

Do-won’s warriors spread out, covering the entire mountain range as if to encompass it. Each one boasted exceptional combat prowess.

*’…Don’t think about anything. Not a single thought.’*

Even as her heart felt ripped apart and tears of blood threatened to flow, Hong-Yeon clenched her teeth and held onto her reason. Her gaze focused on one place.

**”Are you alright?”**
“I-I’m okay. Thank you.”

A woman garbed in black, adorned with an image representing a small heavenly horse.
One could immediately deduce the ordeal she was on the verge of facing, by the sight of her torn blouse reflected within.

“There’s water inside. Let’s have a drink.”
“…Yes.”

Her body trembled, yet she obediently responded to Hong-Yeon’s words.

“Calm down. It’ll be over soon.”

Several individuals were abruptly sent to the innermost depths of Do-won.
Observing the people continuously dispatched to a specific set of coordinates, Hong-Yeon swiftly realized who was responsible.

“The inside has been secured. But the outside of this building is utter chaos, from the lower to the middle levels.”
“I’m aware.”

Even beyond the day of their death, that person continued to aid the people of Do-won.
True to their name, they were the embodiment of Do-won itself.

“Master? Where are you headed?”
“Outside.”
“It’s too dangerous.”

Enduring the acrid taste in her mouth, Hong-Yeon steadily advanced forward. At the warrior’s words of protest, a cracked voice unique to her liberated throat emerged from her lips.

“I am the leader. What do you doubt?”

The warrior fell silent. Upon hearing Hong-Yeon’s declaration, numerous eyes within the building widened and focused on her.

Hong-Yeon, known for her devotion to Do-won’s internal affairs and rumored to have flaws in her abilities, had never before exhibited such charisma.

“Trust me.”

This was the first attack of such magnitude.

She lacked significant experience in field command. Still, she held the position of Do-won’s leader. Hong-Yeon needed to make a level-headed decision about what she must do, not swayed by trivial emotions.

-Thunk!

The tightly closed door opened. The corpses of the warriors who had fled through the window lay strewn outside the door.

Upon seeing Hong-Yeon, various hunters looked at her with eyes filled with an array of emotions.

“What place is this? How dare you step here.”

With a trembling voice, a sword stretched straight towards the hunter, resonating with her fear.

Maple leaves escaping from the width of her skirt transformed into swords, gradually extending.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
A dark red lightning bolt smeared onto the sword’s body.
The tip of the blade quivered as if held by her very own hand.

“What place is this… What did you say?”

Had it not been for those people, that person wouldn’t have died.
Hong-Yeon, suppressing her clenching heart with both hands, opened her eyes to face forward.

The approaching hunters.

– Flicker!

The sword moves.

Swords extending in different directions collide with one another, reversing their trajectory.

– Clang, Clang, Clang!

Leaving a trail of red, the sword that stretched far away scattered in all directions.

The sanctuary of light is momentarily dyed red by the gleam of the sword.

In that instant.

– Koo-goo-goo!

A silhouette flashed before Hong-Yeon’s wide-open eyes. The horizon of her vision revealed a man soaring rapidly towards the distance, so fast that he was hardly visible.

Hong-Yeon’s lips quivered. Instinctively, she sensed this would be the last time she would see him. Her heart pounded as if time had stopped; her mind cleared, and the surroundings slowed.

For a brief moment, the man seemed to glance her way. Clad in white, bloodied but unyielding, he continued his flight.

‘Ah.’

She stifled a sigh of regret. Overwhelming emotions, dizziness – even now… Thoughts that seemed to span countless lines if put into words, swirled chaotically in Hong-Yeon’s mind. Yet, all she chose was a single action.

“…”

Hong-Yeon did not make eye contact with him.

Instead, she raised her rigid hand and swept it once around her.

– Kwajijijik!

Scattered swords impale the hunters’ bodies. Blood spurts. Bone fragments tumble at her feet. The scene concludes in an instant. Shards of shattered armor and corpses of soldiers with broken necks litter the ground.

The leader of the Demonic Cult.

His sword lengthened, and before he knew it, it had reached fifty.

* * * * * *

Nothing ever unfolds as desired.

My life has always been like that.

That’s why I never assumed it wouldn’t happen again. Nothing ever goes according to plan – for me or for those bastards.

– Uuung!

The mana emanating from my body seems endless, no matter how much I draw upon it. Despite accelerating with all the magical power I can muster, my body never tires.

I haven’t slept for days, yet I’m not even tired. It feels as if I’ve sprouted wings and taken flight.

– Quaang!

A hunter pursues a fleeing civilian in the provincial town. I extend my fist, causing the hunter’s head to explode, then take a step forward and teleport the civilian to the deepest safe location.

All of these actions flow seamlessly, as if I had planned them from the start. No… my thoughts were indeed accurate. It was peculiar that my body moved precisely as I had envisioned. It’s like painting on a blank white canvas; my senses are unrestricted. Even the pain, which usually acts as a brake on my body, has become a lubricant for me.

It hurts. Yet, despite the pain, I move.

When I fought, it seemed as if my consciousness had briefly faded.

– When you fight, there’s something different about you.

Isn’t there a sensation of mental fog when you have a vague imagination in your head? Although I couldn’t say it was exactly the same, I felt similar emotions.

“By the Heavens!”

The Hunter, having climbed onto the roof to block the way, extended his sword. She lightly tilted her head to the side, deftly dodging the blade before diving in close.

A gentle stab with her open palm. That was all it took.

*Clang!*

The Hunter, now with a hole in his chest, lost the light in his eyes and slid off the roof.

“You seem to temporarily lose your memory during training,” he remarked.

“Are you talking about me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

That was why the training time had felt so short. She didn’t know why, but she would find out during actual combat.

Everything felt slow—the swordsmanship, the magic, even her own fists. Her mind raced at a breakneck pace, allowing her to cast spells with incredible speed.

*Whoosh!*

A female mage unleashed her magic. As she effortlessly dispelled the spell, a bewildered expression flashed across the mage’s face.

Without hesitation, she swung her arm and severed the mage’s throat. Blood gushed forth like a fountain. She kicked the collapsing body aside, clearing her line of sight.

Born with it, indeed. This training must have suited you well.

He isn’t one to have inherited King Mokryeong’s power for nothing.
The Heavenly Demon said to me.

Suddenly, as I recalled the old man’s words, the day I first killed a person vividly appeared before my eyes.
It was when I was entangled in a cult. I began by stabbing and killing a believer who wholeheartedly trusted me as their ally.

…It was something I had to do. And it didn’t bother me at all.
Am I insane?

Well, perhaps.

As the old man said,
Even if I were to rot away, I was still my father’s bloodline.
The people around me nagged that I wasn’t supposed to be like this, but their whining made me nauseous.
Hypocrisy, or whatever it may be. What does that matter now?
My people were important.
Depending on the situation, anyone can become cruel, and if there’s something to be ashamed of, they can turn ugly. Isn’t that just a fact everyone knows? I’ve been such a perpetrator for a long time.

Ever since the incident in the dungeon, there has been much confusion surrounding my identity.

However, after foreseeing Lee Se-Young’s death, I began to reflect.

Myself.

I’m a spineless fool, doing whatever I please.
At times, I show mercy, shrugging my shoulders, and when I can, I lend a helping hand.
I assist others out of compassion, but sometimes I regard them with disdainful arrogance.
If someone disregards my actions, I become embarrassed and angry. Pitifully, I make excuses like, “This is what I meant.” Pretending to be nonchalant, I hide my hurt feelings.

I must change. Yet, while claiming so, I repeat the same actions.

By nature, I am a petty person; even if I display a virtuous facade, I cannot maintain it indefinitely. I am merely that kind of person.

I am like a reed, but there was one thing I longed to protect.
Now, however, even that is at risk of being lost.

Such thoughts occur to me even as I move.

As Icontinue in motion.

-Kwaji Jijik!

As I halt my movement, a tile snags on the tip of my foot and soars away.
From one end of the building’s rooftop to the other.

As if gliding, I swiftly found myself before Heaven.

“…”

Heaven, bound in chains, gazed at me with eyes that had lost their light. Gradually, the radiance returned to her eyes.

“…Execution?”