I was destined to become a disaster.

After hearing those words, I had to remain still for a while.

That small tree had been the Divine Tree.

That my soul had been twisted until I ate the Divine Fruit.

That my twisted, lost soul had found its place only after consuming it.

All of it was shocking.

But in the end, the most shocking thing was that I was fated to become a disaster.

‘...So, in the end.’

Was this what it had all been leading to?

The words Yeon Ilcheon had spoken.

Everything I had experienced in Zhongyuan.

Even my regression itself—was all of it the will of the world?

‘...And my mother as well?’

So, my mother hadn’t come to Zhongyuan as a disaster.

‘She came to leave a disaster behind.’

The thought that she had come to leave behind the true disaster—

I couldn’t process it. My mind had gone completely blank.

Why would the ruler of Mangye destroy Zhongyuan just to take its place?

A disaster was meant to be someone who had lost their world and was now taking action.

My mother already ruled over Mangye, and yet she appeared in Zhongyuan.

I had once thought it was because of Abyssal Pit, another ruler.

‘...But if she wasn’t here to become a disaster, but to create one—’

Then it all made sense.

And that was exactly why it was so fucking unbearable.

Because if this was the truth—if this was the correct answer—then it was completely and utterly maddening.

“Goddamn it...!”

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath my fist.

The force of my emotions, combined with my cultivation, crushed the earth like soft tofu.

“Shit.”

I wanted to deny it.

I needed it to be wrong.

I hoped it wasn’t true.

‘...Fucking hell.’

But I couldn’t deny it.

The reality of the situation wouldn’t allow me to.

And the life I had lived up until now wouldn’t allow me to either.

A regression forced upon me?

The unknown things embedded in my body?

The events that kept unfolding beyond my will?

None of that mattered.

What did matter was—

‘Even if I deny it, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

Even if I kept pounding the ground and screaming in denial, nothing would change.

I knew that.

Which meant I had to accept it as quickly as possible and find a way to overcome it.

That was how I had survived until now.

My mind was already trying to come up with a solution—

‘...Shut the fuck up, you bastard.’

The fact that I was still forcing myself to think rationally in this situation was pathetic beyond words.

Did I really have to be like this even now?

‘...Even after learning that I was fated to be a disaster?’

I had no time to grieve.

No time to be angry.

Even now, I had to keep moving forward?

‘What the hell am I supposed to do?’

After coming this far, what was I supposed to do?

I had declared that I would surpass Cheonma, that I would take down the Blood Demon.

‘But if this is true, then I’m even more dangerous than them.’

If I was meant to be the disaster of Zhongyuan—

Then wasn’t I more dangerous than Cheonma or the Blood Demon?

“Haha...”

Laughter slipped out on its own.

It was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help myself.

“This is... This is fucking ridiculous.”

I raised my hand to slam the ground again—

But I stopped myself.

“What the hell am I even doing...?”

I felt empty.

Completely, utterly hollow.

I had been running forward without stopping.

I had fought with my ridiculous temperament, forcing myself to push through every obstacle.

Even when I wanted to give up, I had stubbornly endured.

And yet—

“What the hell...”

What the hell had I been doing all this time?

Crack.

My fist clenched so tightly that my bones creaked.

My mind was still sluggish, unable to process anything properly.

Only my emotions swirled chaotically, tangling around me.

A disaster?

I was supposed to be the disaster?

Those words kept repeating in my mind.

‘Why me?’

Why the hell was I the disaster?

After everything I had gone through.

After everything I had endured since my regression.

‘...I might be the cause of it all?’

The thing I needed to stop—

might not be anyone else,

but myself.

Then what should I do?

If I was truly fated to become a disaster—

‘Should I just die?’

Would it all end if I just died?

If it was really that simple, should I just kill myself right now?

I ran a hand through my hair.

“...Shit.”

The curse came out instinctively.

Dying?

I wasn’t afraid of that.

I had long since moved past the point of fearing death.

But—

There was something else that scared me.

The faces I wouldn’t be able to see again.

The things I couldn’t let go of anymore.

The reasons that kept me moving, pushing me forward with such ruthless determination.

Thinking about those things—

I realized I couldn’t bring myself to die so easily.

“...This is fucking ridiculous.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

And then, doubt crept in.

“...Don’t tell me. Is even this part of your plan?”

What if even this moment—

even this state I was in—was all part of the world’s design?

Everything was suspicious.

If my current self was nothing more than someone else’s plan, then what was the point of all of it?

“...Ah.”

A wave of exhaustion hit me.

I knew absolutely nothing.

“...Mother.”

I whispered softly, the words carrying an unspoken question.

What exactly were you trying to do?

Was leaving me behind as a disaster truly the only reason you came?

‘Then why did you twist my soul?’

Noya had said that my twisted soul had allowed me to escape my fate.

That it had pulled me away from the path of becoming a disaster.

Then why—

‘Why now?’

Why had she made me eat the Divine Fruit now?

Yarang had been the one to feed it to me, but both Noya and I believed that behind Yarang’s actions lay my mother’s intentions.

Noya had said—

If she had restored my soul now,

it meant she had a plan.

That there was a way forward.

Hearing that had helped me regain control of my breathing.

But staying there...

Staying in that place was unbearable.

So I left, almost running away.

I didn’t leave Mount Hua entirely.

I simply sat alone, a fair distance away from the Divine Tree.

I knew full well that neither Noya nor the turtle would have any trouble finding me.

But I was certain they wouldn’t come.

Because they knew—

that I needed time.

Crunch.

As if my hands couldn’t stay still, I kept plucking the weeds growing from the ground.

Tens of thousands of thoughts surged at once, making it impossible to remain idle.

‘If I am fated to become a disaster...’

Did that mean I was destined to become the ruler of Zhongyuan?

If so, it meant I would wipe out all living things and take the place of the former ruler, Muah.

‘...How?’

If I were to erase everything, how exactly would that happen?

Would it be through sheer force, like the Blood Demon?

Or was there something else entirely?

At the very least, I had no such thoughts right now.

I had no desire, no intent to become a disaster.

If that was something to hope for, then maybe... it was.

‘Noya might be wrong.’

As infallible as Noya seemed, wasn’t there a chance that, just this once, he was mistaken?

I clung to that slim hope.

“......”

I stopped thinking and ran a hand over my face.

I rubbed it dry and repeated the motion over and over again.

“...Ah.”

What was I supposed to do?

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

What did the world want from me?

I didn’t know.

And that only made everything more suffocating.

My hands were trembling.

I bit down on my shaking fingertips.

A thin trail of blood trickled down my hand.

Even knowing I had wounded myself, I bit down harder.

‘Get a grip.’

Now was not the time for this.

I had to pull myself together.

I had to find a way forward.

I couldn’t afford to stay like this.

I needed to think of a solution.

Even if nothing came to mind—

I had to force myself to come up with something.

Because that was what I had always done.

And that was what I had to do now.

‘What do I do? If Noya is right? Should I assume he is and plan accordingly? If so, what should I plan? How do I escape this fate? How do I break free?’

Question after question.

A cycle of fruitless thoughts.

The endless repetition began to eat away at me.

Gnaw, gnaw.

I kept chewing on my fingers, the taste of blood filling my mouth.

There had to be pain, but I ignored it and kept biting.

‘What if I really do become a disaster? If I turn into one and have to kill them all? Then shouldn’t I stay away? Should I just remain here—’

I was sinking.

Gradually, I was crumbling under the weight of my own thoughts.

And then—

Swish.

Someone gently wrapped their hand around mine, stopping me from biting my fingers any further.

Startled by the unexpected touch, I flinched.

Flick!

I yanked my hand away and turned in shock—

“...Ah.”

“...You.”

The one who had grabbed my hand was Cheonma.

When had she arrived?

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed her presence.

As I stood frozen in confusion, Cheonma stepped forward and took my hand once again.

Blood was still dripping from it.

“...Are you okay?”

She asked, her voice carrying a trace of concern.

I scowled.

“Mind your own business.”

With my emotions in turmoil, I couldn’t keep my tone in check.

My words came out in a snarl.

“...I’m in no state to talk to you right now. Just get lost.”

“......”

Even as I spat those words, as always, Cheonma didn’t move.

The only difference this time was that her expression wasn’t as unreadable as usual.

‘Something’s... off today.’

Her normally indifferent eyes weren’t as detached.

There was a faint glimmer in her gaze, a subtle shift in her expression—

A hint of something that almost resembled a smile.

‘Am I imagining things?’

Was my current state making me hallucinate?

That fleeting thought crossed my mind—

And then she spoke.

“...Are you struggling a lot?”

“...What?”

“You look like you’re having a hard time.”

I pursed my lips.

“Oh? And what, are you going to comfort me now?”

The words came out dripping with sarcasm.

Like an idiot.

Like a complete fucking idiot.

“Don’t /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. And don’t start thinking we’re close just because we’ve traveled together.”

I was drowning in my emotions.

I was lashing out like a cornered animal.

I knew how pathetic it was.

I knew exactly how disgusting this display was.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

“I’ve told you before—I find you absolutely repul—”

Before I could finish, my face was suddenly pulled forward.

Straight into her embrace.

“...What the—?!”

I was about to yell at her, furious, demanding to know what the hell she was doing.

But—

“...It’s okay.”

“......”

“It’s okay.”

I froze.

A hand gently patted my back.

“...It’s okay. It’s okay.”

It wasn’t some hollow, flowery reassurance.

She was just saying it.

And yet—

Even though the one saying it was the person I hated most—

Even though it was Cheonma—

Maybe...

Maybe I had just needed something—

someone—

to lean on.

So I stayed silent.

I just stood there without saying a word.

“...It’s okay.”

That was why—

“You’ve always done well.”

Her tone—

It was completely different from usual.

Bzzzz...

Within the hand that stroked my back, there was an unfamiliar energy.

But at that moment—

I failed to notice it.

“...So it’s okay.”

“......”

I didn’t pull her closer.

I didn’t cry in her arms.

I didn’t do anything stupid like that.

I just stood still.

I simply remained silent.

That was the best I could do.

By the time I finally sensed something was off—

By the time I slowly pulled away from Cheonma’s embrace—

“...Goodbye.”

Her expression had already returned to normal.