Yusa stared down at the fallen Red Commander.

Her body was a complete wreck, barely hanging onto consciousness.

And yet—

Cheonma remained exactly the same as when the fight had started.

Yusa had seen it with his own eyes.

This wasn’t even something he could call a fight.

And that was the problem.

‘...What the hell is he?’

Even when Yusa had fought the Red Commander before, it wasn’t like this.

Sure, he had always been able to defeat them.

Even if they were Commanders, it wasn’t difficult for him.

However—

‘Not like that.’

Toying with her like a child’s plaything—

That was something he couldn’t do.

That was why Yusa was now biting his lip,

staring at Cheonma with unease.

“Well, well.”

Tap. Tap.

Cheonma nudged Hong Jeong’s cheek with his foot.

“So, you actually care about your subordinates?”

His tone was mocking.

“I thought you simply gifted her to me for my entertainment.”

“......”

“Or is this enough for you to confirm your doubts?”

Confirm.

At that word, Yusa gritted his teeth.

‘He knows what I was trying to do.’

Did this man actually understand what Yusa had been suspecting?

Had he known all along, yet still come here on purpose?

As Yusa silently glared at him,

Cheonma suddenly turned away with an air of casual indifference.

Step by step, he began to walk.

Step...

His pace was leisurely.

There was no urgency, no concern in his movements.

His unrushed steps stole Yusa’s attention.

“I have been quite generous with you.”

The killing intent from before had completely vanished.

The terrifying aura that had suffocated the battlefield just moments ago—

Gone, as if it had never existed.

“Are you aware of that?”

As he approached, Yusa’s tension heightened.

“I refrained from letting my tongue slip.”

Cheonma took another step forward.

“I did not bring along any insignificant insects to confirm things for me.”

Another step.

Yusa’s muscles tensed, his arm veins bulging in response.

“And despite not knowing your place,

you had the sense not to try and flaunt your strength before me.”

By now—

Cheonma was right in front of him.

A mere fist’s length away.

Yusa could see the cracks in his mask,

the intense gaze beneath it.

“But.”

As Yusa’s eyes were momentarily distracted,

Cheonma—hands behind his back—spoke again.

“How much longer must I continue being generous?”

His voice was soft, but it unsettled Yusa’s entire body.

“I am reaching my limit, you see.”

His calm words carried an undertone of unshakable dominance.

“What do you think?”

“......”

How long will you keep stalling?

That was the real question.

Yusa’s mind raced.

What was the best move here?

But before he could respond—

“...Hmm.”

Cheonma exhaled as if disappointed.

Then, he spoke again.

“Your gaze is too high.”

“Lower yourself.”

BOOOOM—!!!

“—Kuhh!!!”

Gravity collapsed on him.

Yusa’s knees slammed into the ground.

That command again.

The same as before.

Cheonma had used his Authority on him.

The difference in presence was the same as last time.

The engraved burden within his soul—

The law that dictated:

Bow before those greater than you.

Rule over those beneath you.

It had activated against his will.

‘He... is the child of the Abyss.’

The words resurfaced in Yusa’s mind.

Was it true?

Was this man truly the son of their master?

‘The Abyss has never had a child.’

As far as he knew, that was impossible.

The only exception had been that girl, Yarang.

Their Master had claimed her as his daughter,

but she had appeared out of nowhere.

And this man—

He was the same.

He had simply arrived one day, claiming to be a child of the Abyss.

It was the exact same situation.

‘...Then how can he use this power?’

If his lineage was false,

Then how could he command this Authority?

This power wasn’t exclusive to the Master’s kin.

It simply required a being of higher existence to wield it.

Which meant—

‘This man is... on the same level as the Abyss?’

How was that possible?

There was no other entity in this world that could stand equal to their Master.

The only possible exception was the ruler of the Abyssal Pit,

but even he could not use this power.

‘Then what the hell... is he?’

As Yusa remained silent, his mind racing,

Cheonma spoke again.

“Let me ask you /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ once more.”

His voice was calm, unhurried.

“What will you do now?”

Though Yusa’s head was forced to the ground,

he could feel Cheonma’s gaze piercing through him.

“Will you take my hand and become a new sky—”

“—Or will you remain a worm and end your life as one?”

Words failed him.

He didn’t even know what becoming a new sky meant.

He didn’t know what would happen if he refused.

He couldn’t even ask.

This wasn’t a discussion.

It was a demand for a decision.

A simple yes or no.

“Decide.”

Despite the pressure in his voice,

his tone remained as relaxed as ever.

It was as if—

He had already decided Yusa’s answer wouldn’t matter.

What would happen if he refused?

Before Yusa could think—

A hand rested on his head.

“I will count to three.”

He knew what that meant.

His instincts screamed it.

He didn’t know how it would end,

But he could already picture the outcome.

“One.”

CRACK—!!!

He struggled to move, but his body refused to obey.

“Two.”

The numbers continued to rise.

Yusa could do nothing but sit there,

watching the count tick closer to his fate.

He couldn’t even speak.

His blood boiled, his mind raced,

But—

“Three.”

Time had finally run out.

WUUUUUNG—!!

At the very moment when an unknown force began to gather at the crown of his head—

“...Fine...”

Yusa’s lips parted, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll do it...”

At those words, Cheonma's movements came to a halt.

"Hm."

The weight pressing down on Yusa’s head disappeared as Cheonma lifted his palm away.

Relief flooded through him.

“Haa... Hahh...”

He struggled to regulate his breathing, wiping his chin with trembling fingers. Cold sweat clung to his skin, trickling down his neck. At the same time, the invisible force that had bound his body dissipated, allowing him to slowly raise his head.

His gaze locked onto Cheonma.

The sun was still high in the sky, yet strangely, shadows seemed to gather unnaturally around him.

A pair of violet eyes gleamed from the darkness—glowing, yet simultaneously swallowing the light.

Yusa swallowed dryly.

“What... do you want from me?”

His voice trembled. He noticed it himself, and the realization made his pride crumble further. The shame of it clawed at his insides. But he forced himself to endure it, to push out the words.

Cheonma remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Your tone lacks respect."

CRACK—!

Once again, Yusa’s shoulders were crushed under an invisible force.

Feeling the weight pressing down on him, he hurriedly corrected himself.

“W-what... do you want from me?”

The moment his tone shifted, the pressure vanished.

“What I want...”

Cheonma tilted his head slightly, then turned away and walked toward where Hong Jeong lay unconscious.

Reaching her limp body, he grabbed her by the collar and casually tossed her toward Yusa’s feet.

THUD!

Hong Jeong’s battered body collapsed in front of him.

“For now, get rid of this,” Cheonma said, his voice dripping with indifference. “I have no interest in looking at something so unsightly.”

Dusting off his hands as if ridding himself of filth, he added,

“I will return soon. Be ready.”

And just like that—

Cheonma vanished without hesitation.

“...Hah.”

Gone. Just like that.

Only then did Yusa finally release the breath he had been holding.

*******

Through the dense forest, he ran.

He ran—and ran, and ran—

Until he was certain no presence followed him.

Even then, he forced himself to move twice as far, just to be sure.

Only when he reached a place he deemed safe did he grab onto a tree for support.

As his body relaxed—

FSSSSSHHHHHH—!!!

CRACK. CRACK. CRUNCH—!!!

A sound like steam escaping rang out as his bones twisted back into place.

His enlarged physique shrank, returning to its original state.

His clothes suddenly felt loose, and the mask he had been wearing slipped off, falling to the ground.

Thud.

“...Ugh.”

Blood dripped from his lips.

And then,

Pain crashed over him like a tidal wave.

“Guhh—!!”

A backlash.

Not only had he pushed himself too far, but he had also squeezed out every last drop of his internal energy.

And now, his body was paying the price.

“...Damn it...”

He had barely survived that encounter.

It was too much to even say out loud.

Fighting the Red Commander alone had been one thing.

But having to face Yusa immediately after?

He had been moments away from death.

‘My heart nearly exploded back there.’

He had drained every last ounce of energy.

If he had gone any further, he would have burned through his innate energy—a fatal mistake that could have resulted in Qi deviation.

He had endured it by sheer willpower, but the consequences had left him in a pitiful state.

‘I barely held on...’

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK—!!!

The backlash only grew stronger.

‘Damn... this is bad...’

If this kept up, it could turn into a serious problem.

‘At this rate...’

He was going to lose consciousness...

THUD.

Before he could finish the thought,

Gu Yangcheon collapsed onto the ground.

Then— 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Rustle.

Not far away, hidden in the shadows,

A figure emerged.

Their movements were too natural, as if they had been there all along.

The figure approached Gu Yangcheon, standing over his unconscious body.

After a brief moment of silence—

Swoosh.

They lifted him onto their back.

The figure, a woman with brown hair hidden behind a black mask—

Yarang.