Fsss—!

Debris falls.

Fragments rain down from the sky, and the air seems to carry more dust than usual.

The sky, once bright, had turned overcast, with clouds gathering ominously, blocking even the faint light that had remained.

Kurrung—! Kuung!!

Thunder rumbled through the massed clouds.

The unusual sky caught the eye first.

The once lush, green field was now consumed by flames, the stench of burning filling the air.

What was once a vibrant, life-filled forest had been completely destroyed, vanishing in the wake of the fire.

What had happened here?

It was impossible to know.

Fsss—!

In the scorched remains, someone staggered. A figure buried in the dirt was slowly rising.

“Cough...”

The one rising, bleeding, was none other than the Turtle.

“Cough... hack...”

Just as the Turtle struggled to rise, something flew through the air and struck him.

Thwok—!!

“......!!”

The Turtle let out no scream as he was forced back to the ground, once again pinned.

“Disgusting.”

The owner of the spear, which had struck the Turtle, unfurled his wings ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ and approached.

“Is this the final end of a master who has lost his name? How fleeting.”

Though the tone seemed to express pity, it was laced with mockery.

“I’ve always wondered how the Master of the Abyss could accept a master of another world. Now, I finally understand.”

“Grrgh... ugh.”

“Now that you’ve become so insignificant, it seems there’s no need to care about you anymore. Isn’t that right?”

The Turtle groaned in pain as he heard the man’s words. Meanwhile, his staff emitted a faint glow.

Kurrung—!!

A bolt of lightning struck the man from the sky.

Kurrururung—!!!

The enormous bolt of lightning hit the man, but—

“Tch.”

The man clicked his tongue, unscathed by the lightning.

“Useless resistance. You already know, don’t you? Without divinity, it’s impossible to close the distance between us.”

The man extended his hand, and the spear lodged in the Turtle’s body was effortlessly pulled out.

“Cough!”

The man grasped the bloodstained spear and turned his gaze to the Turtle, a cruel smile creeping across his face.

“Did you call me a fool? So what has changed?”

Even if his rank had risen, it didn’t matter. No one could challenge him with that alone.

“Hhh... hh...”

Exhausted, the Turtle looked up at the man.

He asked, staring into the man’s cold blue eyes.

“What is your purpose?”

“Isn’t it a bit too late to ask that? You should have asked this question long ago.”

Heh heh.

The man chuckled, suppressing his laughter, and continued.

“The heavens look upon the Abyss. This is all for that.”

“The heavens... ha...”

The Turtle’s eyes widened as he realized.

“It’s Taechon.”

Kugung.

At those words, an oppressive energy radiated from the man’s body.

“Don’t speak carelessly. You are not worthy to speak of such a being.”

“......The vile one finally brings out his hidden fangs.”

Heh heh heh.

This time, it was the Turtle who laughed.

“Poor child. Do you truly think you are following Taechon’s will? You are mistaken.”

Staggering, the Turtle struggled to rise, using his staff as leverage to barely lift himself.

“You are but a pawn as well.”

“Perhaps.”

Sshhhrrr—

Feathers burst out, surrounding the man. The white feathers floated gently, before quickly transforming into spears.

“As I said before, what does it change? I’ve become great by listening to his words.”

“Is that greatness? You don’t understand what it means to become a true master.”

“That is something I will learn over time. But how laughable that one who has lost his rank is advising me.”

“......” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“What I wonder is one thing. What could be hidden in that place called Mount Hua? What could it be that the heavens have commanded me to retrieve?”

The words rang in his ears as he gazed at the master who had lost his name.

He didn’t know what it was, but—

“There must be something. I can tell by what you are guarding.”

“......”

Having created chaos, the man, with the Abyss's grace, used his life so recklessly to protect something.

There had to be something powerful enough to be guarded with such strength. The man knew this fact well.

“Impressive.”

He acknowledged it.

“Even without a name, to maintain such a presence.”

Even with the power granted by the heavens, he still couldn’t break through it.

What could possibly be inside, causing such desperate efforts?

“I can’t stand it.”

He had to know. With that resolve, the man reached out his hand.

At that moment—

Whiing.

Countless spearheads appeared, all pointed forward.

“Ugh...”

The Turtle tried to move his staff again, but weakened, he couldn’t even raise his arm.

“Rain down.”

Chwaaaaa—!!!

The spears poured down like rain.

Kugukukukuku—!!!!

Countless spears shot forward, and in what seemed like an empty field, it felt as if a wall had formed from the impacts.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga—!!!

The shocks continued relentlessly, and there was no time to dissipate them. The man had the strength to continue.

With sheer force, he tore through the spears. He thought only of that as he continued to unleash his barrage.

Finally—

Chik—!

A tearing sound echoed, and then—

Chwaaa—!!!

The barrier, which had maintained its form, was stripped away in an instant.

Only then did the man raise his hand. The spear that had continued its barrage vanished.

In the place where the barrier had disappeared, an entirely different world existed.

“...I see.”

The man, upon witnessing it, grasped the situation.

“It wasn’t hidden. It was created.”

It wasn’t a mere illusion to deceive the eyes. It was fundamentally different from the gray space granted to him by Taechon.

This was a complete creation of space.

Or perhaps, a space borrowed from somewhere unknown.

He didn’t know how it was connected to this place, but he could accept it, knowing exactly who had made it.

‘The Master of Sorcery.’

Or, the King of Sorcery.

Known by the name Juryung (Master of Sorcery).

Once a being who stood as the sky of a world, but through a series of events, lost everything—even his true name. His original name had been long forgotten.

He was said to dwell somewhere within the Mangye, though the ruler of Mangye had explicitly stated not to seek him out. Hence, his existence remained shrouded.

“...So, you were playing house here.”

To think that such a being was hiding within Mount Hua.

He couldn’t suppress his laughter.

Sssss...

As the last remnants of the barrier dissolved, the interior was revealed.

It was a space linked to another dimension—alien in its backdrop, yet perfectly visible.

Numerous presences filled the space, and in the far distance, an artificial village stood. But more than that—

“Hah... I see. So that’s what you were hiding.”

Far beyond, despite the distance, he could clearly see it—a colossal tree beyond comprehension.

It scattered deep crimson petals, as if having borne fruit from some unknown seed.

A sacred tree—and it was massive.

“So, it’s that.”

That was what he sought.

“How... how is it so vast?”

The size of a sacred tree reflected the stature of its possessor. As his own power grew, the tree linked to him also expanded.

That should have made his tree large and noticeable. But it didn’t matter. He had already absorbed all the energy radiating from the tree here.

Whether or not the ruler of Mangye sensed it was beyond his concern.

“...Well.”

The ruler wouldn’t be able to move. It was obvious—they would be preoccupied using all their strength to seal the Abyssal Pit.

That was why he chose this moment to act.

“Oh, heavens...”

Even his own tree was considered colossal.

But what was that? How could a sacred tree reach such an unimaginable scale?

A question arose within him—along with an insatiable hunger.

“If I could claim that...”

If he could seize that sacred tree, he would fill the gap in his power.

With it, he would finally reach the heights he sought.

With that thought, he raised his hand toward the sky.

“...So, you plan to cross the line after all.”

A voice—aged and hoarse—echoed.

Without looking, the man answered the speaker—a turtle.

“A line? Such a thing never existed.”

If he had cared about such boundaries, he would never have started this endeavor in the first place.

Hearing that, the turtle replied with a weary voice.

“...So, you’re not afraid?”

“Afraid?”

What was there to fear?

The man briefly glanced at the turtle.

“Are you referring to the ruler of Mangye? Don’t trouble yourself. She won’t come—”

“That’s not it.”

“...What?”

The turtle cut him off.

Not the ruler of Mangye?

Then what, exactly, was there to fear?

His expression twisted in confusion as he stared at the turtle.

“The one who’s been sleeping peacefully all this time...” The turtle's voice lowered.

“...I suspect they’ve awakened because of what you just did.”

“What...?”

What nonsense was this? Was the turtle simply stalling for time?

It wouldn’t matter. Nothing would change the inevitable.

“What are you trying to—”

As he moved to resume his actions—

—he froze.

Suddenly, his gaze snapped toward the sacred tree.

“...What—?”

His eyes trembled.

From that colossal tree—so vast it defied comprehension—something was approaching.

At first, he mistook it for the sheer presence emanating from the tree. But as it drew nearer, he realized—

It wasn’t the tree.

He flinched, his body stiffening.

And then—

Step.

Someone walked forward, treating the sky as a path.

The man's eyes narrowed.

“...You.”

He recognized them.

A being he had seen several times—thanks to the magnanimity of the ruler of Mangye.

A figure who once stood at the cusp of being called a General—until they committed a crime: stealing the seed of the sacred tree and vanishing.

The very one who had founded that laughable sect, the Mount Hua Sect (화산파).

An old man, clad in white martial robes embroidered with petal-shaped patterns across the chest.

Not from the Moonlit Night Tribe. Not a banished entity from another world.

A true Outsider—one not welcomed in any realm.

“...You...”

Cold sweat trickled down his temple as he stared at the old man.

Something was wrong.

“...Why?”

Why—?

Why did the old man feel so powerful?

He had met him before. Back then, he felt nothing remarkable.

But now, standing here—after his own power had reached heights he once couldn’t fathom—he saw it.

No, this was impossible. An outsider with no standing in the ranks of power should not—could not—feel like this.

And then—

“Good grief,”

The old man spoke, his voice laced with fatigue.

“I was just trying to get some sleep... and you had to make such a racket.”

In the blink of an eye—

“...Annoying.”

Swish!

“...Huh?”

A sharp, slicing sound.

The man’s gaze dropped.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

His body—

—was cleaved in half.

Without even realizing when it had happened.