The dark dawn.

A commotion broke out.

The child had disappeared.

According to the child’s mother, a giant tiger had taken him away.

Remembering that the woodcutter in the inner house could wield a sword, the child's mother had run barefoot, pounding on his door.

It was Seop Mugwang's house.

“Please, save my child, save my child! Help me, please...!”

The child's mother pleaded through tears and wailing.

“Where did it go?”

“That way, that way! Toward the mountain!”

Seop Mugwang dashed out without hesitation.

As he fastened his outer robe, glancing at the direction the mother indicated, he was about to head out.

“You are going?”

Seolhwa grabbed his arm.

Seop Mugwang turned sharply to her.

“What are you doing! The child was taken!”

“I will go. You should stay home; it is dangerous for you.”

“How can you search this vast mountain alone? You just arrived here a few days ago! My body is broken, but dealing with one tiger is still...!”

“It is a spiritual beast.”

“...What?”

“It is not an ordinary tiger. It is a spiritual beast.”

Seolhwa turned to the child's mother.

“You said it was a giant tiger. Tell me exactly how large it was.”

“Well... that is...”

The child's mother hesitated to speak.

She thought they would not help if she revealed the truth.

“I will help you. But you must speak honestly. I have trained in martial arts.”

Seolhwa revealed the sword hanging at her waist.

The child's mother stared at the sword with trembling eyes, then shut her eyes tightly and shouted.

“It... it was the size of a house! It ran that way, and with a single leap, it jumped into the forest and disappeared...!”

A tiger the size of a house.

A tiger capable of leaping over two li—approximately eight kilometers—in one bound.

It could not possibly be an ordinary tiger.

“Please... Save my child. I beg you... He will die otherwise... Hic...”

“You heard that. It is not an ordinary tiger.”

“You heard, so step aside. The child will die.”

Seolhwa and Seop Mugwang briefly stood at odds.

But Seolhwa knew she could not stop him.

Seop Mugwang rushed past her and ran out.

Exhaling softly, Seolhwa pursued him.

Seop Mugwang was slow; he could not use movement arts.

Without him noticing, Seolhwa overtook him, entering the forest ahead.

Snap—!

As Seolhwa snapped her fingers, dozens of martial artists appeared, following her.

They were warriors of the Namgoong Clan.

Seolhwa addressed the warrior beside her.

“Group One protects the village. The others scatter into the forest and search for the child.”

“Understood.”

At the lead warrior's hand signal, the Namgoong warriors dispersed in perfect order.

Only Ryeong, Seolhwa’s bodyguard, remained by her side.

—My lady. A message has arrived from Hao Gate.

Seolhwa's brow faintly furrowed.

—For what reason?

—It concerns the Head of the Medical Hall. The Enforcement Unit of the Orthodox Alliance is coming with news from Hao Gate's leader.

—The entire Enforcement Unit?

The entire Enforcement Unit of the Orthodox Alliance was coming?

Why?

The Enforcement Unit would only act without her orders if the Grand Strategist, Jade-Faced Scholar, and the Hao Gate Leader all agreed.

That meant the upper echelon of the Orthodox Alliance believed the Alliance Master—herself—was in danger.

And if this was connected to Choryeon...

‘As expected, the Blood Demon Cult has made a move?’

Targeting Choryeon?

Thinking back, in her past life, Choryeon was indispensable to the Blood Demon Cult.

The exceptional Head of the Medical Hall.

It was also why the Blood Demon allowed her to poison cult members whenever an opportunity arose.

Therefore, even if Seop Mugwang had not died, it would have been natural for them to target Choryeon.

Failing to anticipate this was a mistake, but it was fortunate she happened to be here now.

‘Wait.’

Seolhwa stopped walking.

Ryeong halted beside her.

“What is wrong?”

“A mistake.”

“Pardon?”

“This is not the way.”

Tat—!

Seolhwa turned and sprinted in the opposite direction.

She ran toward the place with the most traces of the spiritual beast.

However, if the Blood Demon Cult was involved in this, then they would surely...

‘They are targeting the Thunder and Wind Divine Art.’

They would try to kill the still-living Seop Mugwang.

Damn it.

When she tracked the spiritual beast's traces during the day, she had found it strange.

As expected, all these traces were traps.

Traps meant to lure others, excluding Seop Mugwang.

Grrraang—!

“!”

As if answering her thoughts, a beast's roar echoed from afar.

Tat—!

Seolhwa accelerated.

‘Please... Please...!’

Hoping desperately he was still alive, she drew upon the power of the Imoogi.

Hoo—!

“!”

Seolhwa's figure vanished in an instant.

Unable to keep up, Ryeong clenched her teeth and ran in Seolhwa’s direction.

****

Grrraang—!

The deafening roar made Seop Mugwang cover his ears.

“Damn...! Why is it so huge?!”

A sword was in his hand.

The sword he had hidden near the forest entrance.

Grrr...

The tiger was indeed the size of a house.

No, larger than the house he currently lived in.

Could he truly defeat such ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ a beast?

Whether from instinctive fear or something else, sweat coated his hands, and despite his grip, the trembling in his fingertips would not stop.

Seop Mugwang forced a crooked smile and raised his sword.

“Listen, I do not let scum who harm children off easy.”

Saliva dripped from its mouth, and killing intent radiated from its bloodshot eyes.

A terrifying sight in the dark forest before dawn.

“But if you give the child back, I will let you go. How about it?”

The white tiger roared fiercely.

A clear rejection.

“What a temper you have. If you hate it, fine, but do not shout at me!”

Seop Mugwang shouted back just as fiercely.

Grrraang!

Woosh— Kaang—!

“!”

The white tiger swung its forepaw.

Seop Mugwang instinctively blocked with his sword but was overpowered and sent flying.

“Guh...!”

Thud—!

He crashed into a tree and hit the ground.

For a moment, he could not breathe.

Cough, cough!

Forcing himself to inhale, Seop Mugwang clutched his chest and staggered upright.

“Damn, it is insanely strong....”

Woosh— Whoosh!

The white tiger did not wait for him to recover.

It charged, swinging its massive paws relentlessly.

Crash! Crack!

Trees tore apart like paper.

There was no time to observe.

Seop Mugwang rolled and leapt to dodge its strikes.

His clothes shredded, his body cut, blood dripping.

Tat—!

With no internal energy left, only his martial instincts and combat awareness remained.

Seop Mugwang focused entirely, desperately searching for an opening.

Whoosh— Tat—!

As the tiger swung again, Seop Mugwang dodged to the opposite side, diving beneath it.

Slash—!

Grrraang!!

His first attack landed successfully.

But without internal energy, his sword could not inflict serious damage on the beast’s tough hide.

A faint, hairline wound bled.

A scratch so minor, it barely mattered.

“Damn it, this is hopeless....”

Retreating swiftly, Seop Mugwang wiped the blood from his lips, disappointed.

He had struck with all his might.

And only managed a scratch?

At this rate, even fighting until dawn would change nothing.

Worse, a single mistake could see him shredded like those fallen trees.

“I should have listened to that kid.”

Indeed, this beast was beyond what his current body could handle.

To win, he would have to gamble his life.

Yet, the smile never left Seop Mugwang’s face.

The trembling in his hand had long ceased.

“You picked the wrong fight today.”

Seop Mugwang tightened his grip and took his stance.

His eyes gleamed sharply.

“This is a fight to the death now, beast.”

A life-or-death battle began.

****

Boom—! Kaang!

Grrrrumble!

When Seolhwa arrived, Seop Mugwang was already engaged in fierce combat with the spiritual beast.

Though battered and bloodied, Seop Mugwang stood his ground.

Just as Seolhwa was about to intervene—

[Wait.]

The Imoogi stopped her.

Seolhwa halted, turning to the Imoogi.

“What is it?”

[It would be better to leave this fight to your master.]

“...What?”

[Look there.]

The Imoogi gestured toward the battlefield.

Seolhwa looked at him, locked in combat.

[He is holding on for his life. It does not appear hopeless.]

The Imoogi was right.

Though she expected Seop Mugwang to be utterly overwhelmed, the fight was unexpectedly even.

To be precise, the beast was overwhelmingly stronger, but Seop Mugwang's seasoned combat experience bridged the gap.

[This may be an opportunity for your master. Experience gained from fighting a stronger opponent is invaluable.]

Woosh— Boom!

The beast's ferocious attack made Seolhwa flinch unconsciously.

Her heart urged her to leap in, slay the beast, and help him immediately.

[Look. Does he not seem rather pleased?]

As the Imoogi pointed out, Seop Mugwang's face brimmed with more vigor than ever.

Each faint wound he inflicted added to his energy.

A stark contrast to how he looked gathering herbs.

[Wait a little longer. If it turns dangerous, you can always step in.]

Clenching her fists tightly, Seolhwa silently observed the razor-thin battle.