Thud.

Thud.

A sound echoed near my ears. What was that noise?

It sounded like footsteps.

First, my hearing responded. Then, my sense of smell followed.

A faint floral scent brushed past the tip of my nose.

It wasn’t overpowering—soft and subtle—yet the fragrance lingered.

As the sound and scent drifted in, I felt something against me.

Someone’s back. Was the owner of this back the source of both the fragrance and the touch?

‘It’s comfortable.’

A strange sense of comfort settled over me.

Before I realized it, I was about to close my eyes again.

‘...Wait.’

A back? A scent? Someone else?

‘That means...’

I was being carried by someone?

"...!"

The realization jolted me awake. I hastily pushed myself up.

The hands supporting me loosened their grip, allowing me to naturally [N O V E L I G H T] slide down to the ground.

As soon as I landed, I turned to see who had been carrying me.

CRACK—!

"Urgh...!!"

A searing pain shot through my entire body, forcing me to my knees.

The pain surged through my meridians and spread from my heart, a vicious agony gnawing at my core.

Staggering, I clutched my chest.

"Shit... this is insane..."

How long had it been since I last felt pain like this?

Even when I first succeeded in performing Cheonma Divine Art, it hadn’t been this bad.

This wasn’t even in the same league—it was incomparable.

"Haa... haa..."

The blood vessels in my eyes throbbed. My trembling hand clutched my chest.

‘Did I pass out?’

It seemed likely. I had blacked out.

Fortunately, I hadn’t died, meaning it wasn’t the worst-case scenario.

For now, I needed to endure the pain and slowly raise my head.

‘Who could it be?’

The pain was a problem, but the bigger question was—who had been carrying me?

I turned my gaze to find out.

"...!"

My eyes widened as I saw the figure standing before me.

"You...."

A woman stood there, watching me.

A woman with brown hair and a black mask.

In this place, she was called Yarang.

But if my memory was correct, she had another name.

"...Why are you here?"

Why was she here?

Did that mean she was the one who had carried me here?

Suppressing my confusion, I glanced around.

A forest. The exact location was unclear.

It didn’t look too different from the forest I had seen before I collapsed.

Did that mean I hadn’t been taken too far?

‘I can’t be sure.’

Forests tended to look the same no matter where you went.

I couldn’t determine my location just by looking.

Should I extend my senses?

I steadied my breath and tried to manipulate my energy.

Zzt—!

"Fucking hell."

The energy didn’t move—only pain spread through me.

Though I had recovered somewhat, controlling my energy was still impossible.

Detecting any presence was difficult.

For now, I suppressed my frustration and focused on Yarang.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

Yarang should be with my mother—no, with the Master—in Yahwol Palace.

And yet, not only had she found me after I collapsed...

"Where were you planning to take me?"

Where exactly was she trying to take me?

I stared at Yarang, filled with questions.

"..."

But Yarang simply looked at me in silence.

Her expression was hidden.

The mask made her presence feel even more obscure.

"..."

She just stood there, watching.

It would have been better if she said something—anything—but she remained silent.

What was this?

"Say something. You must have a reason for being here."

I frowned.

She was the same as before.

Why wouldn’t she speak?

Could it be...

"Can’t you talk?"

"..."

At my question, Yarang gave a small nod.

‘...She can’t talk?’

Was she mute?

So that’s why she never responded.

I only realized it now.

No wonder she had stayed silent all this time.

‘I don’t know if it’s true, but...’

Even if it was the truth, it didn’t change anything.

"Why do you keep lingering around me?"

Even if I wouldn’t get an answer, I still asked.

Cheonma had warned me.

And whenever I had a strange feeling, Yarang had always been near.

They called her the eyes and ears of Mangye.

Even Shin Noya had described her that way.

Which meant... everything Yarang saw and heard, her master would also know.

‘Could she already know everything?’

Had the Master already been aware of all this?

Had she sent Yarang despite knowing?

Or...

"...You. Do you know something?"

Unlike the Master, who had lost her memories...

Did Yarang remember something?

I asked her, hoping for some kind of answer.

But—

"..."

Yarang didn’t react.

Her expression was hidden by the mask, making it even more frustrating.

I knew she was the Divine Sword.

Every instinct in my body screamed that it was true.

Yet she stood there, unmoving.

The Divine Sword had disappeared—vanished completely, even her soul.

So how was she walking before me now?

But then again...

‘Shin Noya too.’

Shin Noya had a body. He moved.

So why couldn’t Yarang do the same?

I believed something must have happened to her.

And now she lingered around me like this.

What was she trying to do?

"Even if you can’t talk, at least react somehow."

At least say something.

I desperately hoped for a response.

"..."

"Goddamn it."

But Yarang remained as unresponsive as ever.

I let out a sigh.

Forcing myself to suppress my frustration, I slowly stood up.

The pain still burned through me, but I could endure it.

Crack.

...No. I take that back.

My bones screamed in protest, nearly making me scream as well.

"Urgh."

I barely swallowed my groan and straightened myself.

Then, I looked at Yarang again.

"Are you really not going to say anything?"

"..."

"...Fine, whatever."

Frowning, I turned away.

She clearly had some reason for being here.

Yet if she wouldn’t react, there was nothing I could do.

If she reported back to the Master, what would happen?

Did the Master order her to come here?

Or had she acted on her own?

That question lingered in my mind.

‘...There’s no point trying to dig deeper.’

She wasn’t giving me anything to work with.

Even before, when Cheonma intervened and a battle broke out, she had been the same.

Besides...

‘She doesn’t seem hostile.’

It didn’t feel like she intended to attack me.

It was as if she was just watching.

‘This time, she carried me.’

If she had carried me while I was unconscious, then she wasn’t just watching from afar.

What was her intent?

Was this her master’s will?

Or was it her own?

If it was the former, that would be problematic.

Personally, I preferred it to be the latter.

‘If I’m right... if Yarang is really you...’

Then it wasn’t just an empty shell she was borrowing.

Even if she had no memories, maybe a fragment of something remained—something that made her seek me out.

That’s what I desperately wished for as I tried to move.

Clench.

"...!"

As I took a step forward, Yarang suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"What the..."

Startled by the sudden grip, I turned to look at her.

She was pointing at something with her free hand.

"What is it?"

"..."

"You want me to go there?"

Nod.

She gave a small nod.

I scowled.

"...Why the hell should I go there?"

She wouldn’t say a single word, yet she wanted to take me somewhere?

Annoyed, I tried to shake off her hand.

"..."

But no matter how much force I used, I couldn’t break free.

My strength was depleted.

"Let go."

"..."

"I said, let go."

"..."

"Just—damn it, let g—!"

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, Yarang tightened her grip and pulled me toward her.

I barely had time to react before my body was yanked forward.

At that moment—

Srrrng.

"...Huh?"

A cold sensation pressed against my throat.

At some point, Yarang had drawn a white blade and was holding it to my neck.

"..."

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

I let out a dry chuckle and looked her in the eye.

"You’re really going to kill me if I don’t follow?"

"..."

She didn’t answer.

But her gaze spoke for her.

That look—it was a yes.

"...Unbelievable."

Since words wouldn’t work, she resorted to threats.

It was almost funny.

"Where the hell are you taking me that you’d go this far?"

Regardless, I stopped resisting.

Not because I had no way out.

It was because something from my past life surfaced in my mind.

I remembered how the Divine Sword used to act when words failed.

She had a habit of resorting to this exact method.

And now, Yarang was doing the same.

It felt eerily familiar.

For some reason, that softened my irritation.

"..."

Seeing that I had stopped struggling, Yarang lowered her sword slightly and turned away.

She began walking.

My wrist, still held in her grasp, was gently pulled forward.

With no other choice, I followed.

*******

How long had we been walking?

Yarang led me through the forest, still holding onto my wrist.

We walked in circles, went straight, turned at odd angles.

As the path became less defined, the sun began to set.

‘Where the hell are we going?’

A faint unease crept up my spine as I glanced at Yarang.

Nightfall would be a problem.

‘...Shit. This could be bad.’

Walking for a while had helped my body recover slightly,

but I was in no condition to fight.

If a battle broke out now, could I even win?

‘If Yarang’s strength is anything like the Divine Sword’s in my past life...’

Then absolutely not.

During fight with Cheonma, things had been too chaotic for me to gauge Yarang’s true power.

I had to consider the possibility that she was far stronger than I imagined.

Even if I believed she was the Divine Sword...

If my mother couldn’t remember me, then who knew what else had changed?

And now, we were in the middle of nowhere.

I had to stay alert.

Then—

Stop.

Yarang came to a sudden halt.

I instinctively glanced around.

An empty clearing.

Was this our destination?

"Why did we come he—"

I started to ask.

Srrrng.

Yarang once again conjured a blade from pure energy.

The aura around her weapon pulsed, concentrating into the blade.

"You...!"

I instinctively tried to summon my own strength.

But Yarang moved first.

Slice—!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

I frowned.

It wasn’t my body she had struck.

Yarang had swung at empty space.

What the hell was she doing?

Before I could process it—

Ssshhh—!

The space she had cut suddenly began to tear apart, like paper being neatly sliced.

Fwoosh—!

Something poured out from the opening.

I narrowed my eyes.

Butterflies.

Hundreds of butterflies, dyed in a deep magenta hue, flooded out.

"...What the hell?"

The swarm engulfed me and Yarang, completely obscuring my vision.

And then—

Rustle—!

The butterflies scattered in an instant.

What... just happened?

I barely had time to feel bewildered before my eyes widened.

A second ago, this clearing had been completely empty.

There was nothing but open space in front of me.

But now—

"...What is this?"

Something enormous stood in my path.

I instinctively tilted my head up.

"...A tree?"

A tree.

Not just any tree.

A breathtaking tree with leaves entirely dyed in a brilliant shade of magenta.