“...”

A strange ceiling.

That was my first impression as I opened my eyes.

No, not entirely unfamiliar—it was a ceiling I must’ve seen before, but it didn’t feel familiar.

Most likely, it belonged to the quarters I’d been given behind Shin Noya’s space.

A place I rarely visited and thus knew little about.

‘Well, I’ve never actually come here to sleep.’

Since arriving at the volcanic sect Shin Noya had created, I’d never spent the night here.

Not just this place—sleep itself had become a rare thing.

Always busy doing something or organizing matters, I simply had no time to sleep.

And this body of mine wasn’t the type to break down just because I skipped rest.

So, I hadn’t bothered sleeping, much less inspecting my quarters. That’s why the ceiling felt unfamiliar.

But enough about the ceiling. Time to get up.

With that thought, I braced myself against the floor with my arm.

Creak—!

“...!!!”

An unbearable pain shot through me, and I almost let out a scream.

“Guh...”

I managed to stifle it, exhaling sharply instead.

The pain was too intense to ignore completely.

I stayed frozen for a moment, my body trembling uncontrollably.

Eventually, the shaking subsided.

“Hah...”

I let out a long breath, drenched in cold sweat.

“What the hell...?”

The pain was absurd, almost comical.

What was going on?

Every part of my body hurt, but especially my left arm—it felt like it was on fire.

Why was this happening all of a sudden?

‘...Ah.’

Memories of what had happened before I passed out came rushing back.

“That must be it.”

The last thing I did—forcing my inner energy to bind together.

I had used the friction and pressure created within to unleash power.

Barely, I had managed to release a single strike. And then...

‘Did I collapse?’

The moment my strength gave out, I must’ve blacked out.

‘From just one strike?’

It wasn’t even a proper strike—just a single, incomplete punch.

The stance hadn’t been right, and the punch itself was sloppy at best.

Yet...

‘Even that was enough.’

The result of that clumsy punch had exceeded my imagination.

It might very well be the most destructive technique I could wield.

It was only natural, though.

‘Because I combined everything.’

The firepower of Nine Flames Firewheel.

The compression and explosive force of Tua Pacheonmu.

The mental imagery I had cultivated through training.

And finally, the thread of sorcery that tied it all together.

The result of pouring in everything I had.

Nine Flames Firewheel alone couldn’t produce such destructive power.

Tua Pacheonmu couldn’t unleash such widespread firepower.

But by merging them, I had created something entirely new.

“Grrgh...”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to reassess my body.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been unconscious, but judging by my condition, it must’ve been quite a while.

My qi had somewhat recovered—though barely halfway.

My blood vessels were swollen and inflamed.

As for my joints—

‘Not broken, but nearly shattered.’

How long had it been since I’d been this wrecked in a fight?

This body could regenerate from being pierced through the stomach in no time.

Yet, a single punch—a move that wasn’t even a real fight—had left me in this state.

‘Hmm...’

I concluded that this technique was unusable in actual combat.

The casting time was impractical, and the execution was far from complete.

If Shin Noya hadn’t waited for me to finish, I’d have been decapitated long before I could use it.

The sheer pain of concentrating my energy in one place, combined with the aftermath of releasing it, meant...

It was a technique I could only use with the mindset of sacrificing myself.

Not feasible in a real battle.

Even so—

“...Haha...”

I couldn’t suppress a laugh.

“See? I was right.”

I had been right.

Even with my body destroyed and my qi depleted—

‘I pulled it off.’

Somehow, I had done it. And that success filled me with an overwhelming sense of joy.

I had proven my theory correct.

And the result of that theory... 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

‘Should I call this good?’

I wasn’t sure if it was right to call it “good,” but I decided it was.

The power it unleashed was immense, proportional to the energy and physical toll it demanded.

‘Even more than I expected.’

When I’d imagined what success might look like, I’d pictured something remarkable.

This far exceeded those expectations.

‘If it’s something I can’t even use, then it’s meaningless... but still.’

Forcing two inner energies to collide and generate power wasn’t something anyone else would attempt.

A normal body couldn’t even contain two distinct energies, let alone handle their simultaneous use.

I had known this from the very beginning.

‘A typical body wouldn’t survive.’

My reinforced body could endure it, but my past self would’ve exploded in an instant.

Still, the friction generated was the source of its power.

Martial arts, after all, were about harnessing the friction and pressure created by a moving body filled with energy.

This insight had been inspired by Paejon, who could create massive ripples with simple, precise movements.

Martial arts were ultimately about power—efficiently channeling energy into the body and unleashing it.

‘Martial arts ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) are friction, pressure, rotation, and release.’

If I could amplify those elements, the result would be a technique of unparalleled destructive power.

And the key to amplifying it further?

‘Collision.’

By colliding energies within the body, I could generate incredible friction and pressure.

If I could withstand and release that energy, the result would be immense.

This was a feat only I could accomplish.

And now that I had succeeded, the thrill of it surpassed all expectations.

‘Though it’s laughable to call this a success.’

If I couldn’t use it in battle, it was effectively a failure.

But for now, I found satisfaction in the mere fact that I had used it.

Even if it left my body in ruins.

“...Hnn...”

Suppressing a groan, I forced myself upright.

It hurt, but it was bearable.

I decided to get up and head outside.

As I moved to rise from the bed—

Soft.

“...?”

My hand touched something unexpectedly soft.

It wasn’t fabric.

What was this strange softness?

Lowering my gaze—

“...”

Then, my gaze met the eyes of someone lying beside me.

It was Cheonma.

She was lying next to my bed, staring at me.

And I... was touching her chest.

A few seconds passed as we locked eyes.

“Hello,” she greeted me calmly, her tone utterly nonchalant.

“Wha—holy shit!”

I screamed and scrambled off the bed, practically falling over myself in the process.

***********

After screaming at the top of my lungs—

“...What’s with that face?”

That was the first thing Shin Noya said when he saw me step outside. I frowned and replied,

“...What kind of face am I making?”

“You look like you just bit into bug dung.”

“...”

Without answering, I frowned even more, and Shin Noya’s expression turned oddly curious.

“Something must’ve happened during the long night, huh?”

This old man...

“Nothing happened,” I said with a sigh.

What could’ve possibly happened?

‘Technically, I’m not lying.’

At least, nothing happened at night. Something incredibly annoying happened during the day, though.

“Hmm... Is that so?”

“It’s the truth, so please stop giving me that strange look.”

Shin Noya chuckled at my response, clearly amused.

“What’s with that reaction...?”

I looked at him and, reluctantly, asked the question I didn’t want to ask.

“What do you mean?”

“...Why was she lying next to me?”

At my words, Shin Noya’s eyes widened.

“What? Did you two sleep together?”

He sounded genuinely surprised, but the exaggerated look on his face made my brows knit together like crumpled paper.

“Stop joking around...”

His expression was so deliberately artificial that it was obvious he already knew everything.

“Click.”

Shin Noya clicked his tongue, seemingly annoyed that I caught on.

“No fun at all.”

“Is this really the time for jokes?”

“So what if I joke a little? Didn’t you say nothing happened?”

“...”

I didn’t even know where to begin. My head was starting to ache.

‘Damn it.’

The memory of what had happened earlier refused to leave my mind.

The fact that she was lying next to me. The way Cheonma’s eyes had met mine.

And—

“...”

The sensation still lingering on my palm gnawed at my thoughts. I had to actively suppress the urge to focus on it.

Watching me, Shin Noya spoke with an almost pitying look.

“Kid.”

“...Yes?”

“The moment you collapsed, that girl supported you.”

“...”

“Don’t you remember?”

I remembered. How could I not? The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Cheonma’s eyes—and the sensation of her touch.

“And then, she carried you off somewhere. Turns out it was to your room.”

“Wait, and you didn’t stop her?”

“Why would I?”

Shin Noya’s response left me speechless.

“I was busy cleaning up the mess you made. How could I possibly stop her?”

He gestured vaguely with his hand as though exasperated.

“Do you have any idea how much effort it took to fix that?”

I followed the direction of his gesture.

“...Huh?”

My eyes widened.

An empty field stretched before me, pristine and untouched.

This was the very spot that had been in utter ruins yesterday. The sheer power I unleashed had devastated an enormous area, yet now—

There wasn’t a single trace left.

“...What... how?”

How had that disaster been cleaned up in just one day?

Or had more time passed than I thought?

While I was grappling with these questions—

“Kkurung put in some work,” Shin Noya explained casually.

‘Kkurung?’

That black beast, known as the ruler of the Abyssal Gorge.

Apparently, it had been the one to restore the area.

“It’s been a while since I saw it struggle. Quite amusing, honestly,” Shin Noya added with a chuckle, his smug expression irritating me slightly.

“...By the way, Noya.”

I decided to turn the tables and teased him.

“You ended up drawing your sword, didn’t you?”

“...”

Shin Noya fell silent.

“You said you wouldn’t draw your sword no matter what, but in the end, you did. I saw it.”

He had stubbornly refused to draw his sword, yet at the last moment, he had done just that.

I meant to tease him further, but—

“You’re right,” he said quietly.

His reaction caught me off guard.

“I did draw it. That kid managed to make me unsheathe my sword. It’s truly fascinating.”

Shin Noya’s tone turned contemplative, and I paused, unsure how to respond.

The faint amusement in his voice faded, replaced by something heavier.

“So let me ask you, kid.”

“...Yes?”

“What exactly did you create?”

“...”

What had I created?

Shin Noya’s gaze was filled with curiosity, a hint of disbelief, and something I couldn’t quite place.

“...Why? Did it seem strange to you?”

“Strange? What kind of lunatic would come up with something like that?”

His expression practically screamed, What else did you expect me to say? It seemed he had fully grasped the absurdity of what I had done.

“You’re out of your damn mind. I thought you were reckless, but this... this is on another level. Do you even think before you act?”

The scolding tone made me scratch the back of my head awkwardly.

“...Well, it turned out fine, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, you’re lucky it did. What if it hadn’t?”

“I would’ve figured it out then.”

“Hah.”

His exasperation was almost palpable as he let out a long sigh.

“Do you even hear yourself...?”

It seemed like he was about to launch into another lecture, but then—

“...”

He suddenly fell silent.

What now? I looked at him in confusion.

A moment passed.

“Hoo...”

He let out a deep, weary sigh and shook his head, as if giving up.

“...Fine.”

“What?”

“You made something, didn’t you? So, what’s its name?”

“...Huh?”

His question caught me completely off guard.

“You haven’t named it yet?”

“Oh.”

I finally understood what he meant.

“...I wasn’t really thinking about that.”

“I see. Then come up with one now. If you’re going to create something like that, you might as well name it properly.”

“...”

I realized what he was trying to say.

It was his way of acknowledging my efforts.

“...A name, huh.”

But naming it out of the blue felt strange, especially for something I couldn’t even use in real combat yet.

Not to mention—

‘I don’t plan to use this in open combat.’

This technique was something I intended to use only as part of my guise as Cheonma.

After mulling it over, one name came to mind.

“...Cheonma Divine Art?”

“...”

The moment I said it, Shin Noya’s face twisted into an expression of utter disgust.

Why?

I thought it sounded cool...

Didn’t it?