Cheonma.
He emerged as a calamity, riding the currents of the times.
Once he began to move, it was the end. His extraordinary momentum, almost dragon-like, left few who could stand against him.
Even those who could not afford to underestimate him formed alliances, but the outcome remained unchanged.
Churches, guilds, associations, governments of various countries, and giant corporations—all were his opponents, yet none could overpower him.
This means that for over a hundred years, Cheonma alone had dealt with them all.
If there was economic retaliation, he would bring down corporations. When pressured, he single-handedly destroyed guilds.
Living as if such a way of life was natural, he uprooted laws and the privileged class, scoffing at social contracts.
Thanks to him, Dowon had been peaceful for a long time. The elders of various factions fighting for power, something that would never have happened without this foundation of peace.
-Kwaang!
But now, for the first time, the peace of Dowon began to crumble.
"Kyaaaak!"
An unexpected attack. Along with the sunken tiled roofs, the mountainside slowly crumbled from the bottom.
The scream of a woman emerging from her house became her death throes as she collapsed instantaneously, her throat pierced by the attacker's sword. Thud—She fell to the ground like a paper doll.
"Weren't these supposed to be martial artists? They're useless."
"Damn, that's just talk. They're no different from barbarians who can't even use magic."
Emblazoned with the guild's crest, a capable A-rank hunter drafted from the association.
Strutting around, they drew a mocking smile as they looked at the pool of blood beneath the woman.
"The only good thing is… the women here are exceptional. All of them are pretty, with voluptuous bodies. Look at this~"
A man lifted the woman's face and forcefully grabbed her ample chest. His companion chuckled disdainfully.
"Krgh…eugh."
Air bubbles burst from the woman's pierced throat. She was still alive, looking at the two men in terror.
"We didn't come here to mess around."
"What? You think we came to capture Cheonma? We're just here to pick up scraps. And what do you know? Here's some."
The other side of war. Those who secretly satisfied their desires.
Whether it was disgusting sexual lust or the impulse to kill didn't matter.
"Ever done it with a corpse?"
"Stop spouting nonsense."
"…We can't make a living as hunters without doing this kind of stuff. When have we ever sought justice or anything like that?"
Those who made a living by killing were considered to have their own mental issues. The man tore off the woman's top.
"Do you know why slaves from Dowon are popular? They're all innocent. Hardly any experience. Kidnap them, drug them a bit, and they'll do anything. You'll learn everything once you play in this water."
"It seems that's been cut off recently too."
"Yeah, because of that Cheonma bastard. But after today, things will go back to normal."
Their conversation was filled with mocking laughter. The light slowly faded from the woman's eyes.
"Anyway, let's just fight enough to escape, grab a woman, and go to the bushes nearby… You know?"
Just as the man was about to throw the woman aside and stomp on her head,
In that brief moment, a bright red line appeared on the hunters' necks.
"Ah… Krgh?!"
The emerging voice turned into a leaking air sound. Frantically reaching for their necks… but their heads were already severed. The two men comically fell to the ground, clutching their own necks.
Heads hollowed out. The two corpses collapsed next to the woman, unaware even in death.
"Heal her."
Dressed in black, an old man stood in front of her, scattering cigarette smoke. Another man following him placed his hand on the woman's neck.
Two warriors appeared at the lower part of Dowon.
The situation changed in an instant.
"Ah, ah. Aaaaah."
Experiencing a piercing through the throat was not something an ordinary person could endure. Even if it healed and there was no pain, the vivid memory would continue to torment.
A woman, her upper clothing completely removed.
I removed my outer garment and draped it over the woman's shoulders.
"Come back to your senses."
"Ah. Ah."
I was not unaware of the horrors of war. Such events have been rampant throughout history, long before now.
Ironically, these types of crimes were very effective in boosting military morale. They deserved praise for not discriminating in their methods.
The bastards from the World Tree.
[Not all trees are like that.]
'I know.'
Once they set their sights on attacking Dowon, civilian casualties were inevitable. I knew, but… since today wasn't the end of Dowon, I might have taken it a bit lightly.
I watched the old man's back.
Black dragons appeared on his arms, their heads and tails moving back and forth, rapidly increasing his internal energy. Wooong- The surrounding air began to tremble with the emerging wave.
"Are you leaving?"
"…Yes."
It would be nice to stay together, but I shouldn't be here. It's regrettable that I wouldn't be able to see the old man's full power.
I placed my hand on the woman's shoulder and activated my magic.
-Flash.
Spatial magic. The destination was the topmost part of Dowon. The woman, terrified, was instantly transported.
While minimizing victims, I had my own place to go. The main base. I had long since figured out where they were stationed.
Those who were determined to cause trouble under the cover of dawn were not only them.
'…Taking a break.'
[You may, but if you encounter trouble while disconnected, it could be irreversible.]
I had to return to the present, perfectly disguising my death. Finding the perfect timing was crucial. But before that, I needed to act in a manner befitting the Young Demon. If I died without demonstrating sufficient skill, they would start to doubt whether I was really the Young Demon.
[I wish you luck.]
Of course. There's no way she would doubt me from her side.
'Eh.'
[The connection with the World Tree is temporarily withdrawn.]
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my shoulders, watching the old man who had gone ahead.
I crouched down, bending my legs, and slowly revealed the magic over my shoulders.
-Zzzzt.
A sound like electricity flowing. It seemed like petals blooming, scattering irregularly.
I pushed off the ground and moved forward.
-Kugugu!
A straight black line was drawn across the only plain in the vast Dowon. Barely a few seconds passed before bodies from outside were sprawled along the roadside. Then, in the middle, overwhelmed by a single powerful aura, my body flinched.
-Screeeeech!
The sound of two magics clashing, tearing through the eardrums.
'Have they met?'
Cheonma and Mugung. Rebels that have been in conflict since ancient times.
If that person's ankle was caught, there was no need to hesitate anymore. The only person who could truly take my life had disappeared from the borderline.
Dowon won't fall just because I was not there. Those who had slowly prepared were now descending to the lower parts of Dowon.
Elders of the factions I had once conversed with, Jinnyang, and countless warriors who had once stood in my way are now on the same side, sharpening their swords. The vice-principal who had splendidly assisted her under Hongyeon must also be opening his eyes wide.
I moved ahead of them, beyond Dowon, towards the outside.
My movement cuts through the surrounding air, widening my field of view as everything in front becomes blurred. The screams coming from inside Dowon felt unpleasant, like the thick smell of oil fog.
Muscles tightened, then relaxed. Facial muscles became rigid.
My body started to heat up, gradually transitioning into the optimal state, as if recalling the training with Cheonma.
-Standing still.
"..."
-A heavy downpour falls. Wet hair obscures vision.
But it was okay. Even without seeing ahead, everything around was within the range of my magic detection.
Several trees gathered in the dense forest. The torrential rain and wind bend many branches, finally breaking them towards the outskirts of Dowon.
"...Hoo."
Nameless tree figures gathered around me as a starting point. It was regrettable that it was raining.
Because the brightly blooming peach blossoms of Dowon would all be swept away by a single downpour.
-Clang!
Enemies boldly drew their swords. The magic gathering towards a single point was clearly visible to my eyes.
I stopped my idle thoughts.
"Meeting after such a long time… is a greeting necessary?"
At the old man's playful greeting, Cheonma frowned, his wrinkled eyes narrowing.
Black and white. The beauty of each color was lost the moment they mixed. In a way, two pure wooden figures. Having met before, they became sworn enemies from that day.
The leaders of Dowon and the Hunter's Association, Mugung and Cheonma.
They did not remember each other's names.
There's no time or value in exchanging names at the pinnacle of battle. They simply rushed at each other like blood-stained dogs, based solely on each other's abilities. It's a muddy fight over who would grab the neck first. Despite the loss being immense, they did not care.
"The rain pours down like a pack of dogs."
Cheonma sneered.
Hundreds of corpses decorated the old man's shadow, all of them outsiders.
Holes gaping wide open, necks severed, arms crushed. If there was one commonality, it was their faces of despair. Their weapons were no more substantial to Cheonma than thin twigs.
-Swoooosh!
The blood swept away by the rainwater gathered at Cheonma's feet, forming a puddle.
The old man, as if disgusted, lifted his head. Another elder, holding a scabbard, was looking at him.
Two unfathomable energies began to spread slowly from their feet.
The expanding magical power clashed, unable to overcome each other's momentum.
─Baekdan Simgye · Seondeok (Virtue)
─Cheonma Singong · Il (One) Baekdo (White Peach)
Flash!
Suddenly, morning arrived in the dim dawn. White lightning, Thunder, engulfed the entirety of Dowon in a white swirl.
-Crackle!
Nearby trees were uprooted, finely chopped, and disappeared into dust carried by the wind. The old man appeared in front of Cheonma, cutting through the dust storm.
With a blade sharp as ice, Mugung seemed to swing his sword.
─Cheongdan Simgye · Heogong (Void)
In the blink of an eye, a strike from below. The blue lake harshly tore through Cheonma's body.
Waves of fluctuating magical power surged over Cheonma like a tide. A triple strike came from directly above.
─Baedalgye · Daedeoksa Baek · Baekran (White Circle)
The appearance of a crescent moon. The curved sword strike shattered perceptions.
A battle out of reach for ordinary people, fought by those who have reached a certain realm.
-Boom!
White energy was shattered with a single punch from Cheonma.
"…Annoyingly busy as ever."
"Wouldn't you say the same?"
Mugung nonchalantly responded to Cheonma's sarcasm. Unlike the serious Cheonma, Mugung's face was filled with joy.
"You haven't rusted a bit. Astonishingly so."
Mugung shrugged his shoulders, lowering his pointed sword. The lifespan of Cheonma, of which not much remained, contrasted with the relatively young Mugung. It was obvious who had the upper hand.
"…If you haven't gone senile, you'd know."
"Are you referring to aiming for my successor?"
They both knew what the other was aware of. Cheonma and Mugung had accepted this.
"That kid is doomed today. Dowon, the name fits quite well."
Aptly named. The moment Dowon died, Dowon too perished. Cheonma scoffed at the double entendre.
"Do you truly believe he will die?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Don't underestimate him too much. Despite being foolishly naive, the Sword Saint's eye is rotten to the core of a knothole."
Cheonma's eyes sharpened.
-Thump!
A presence was felt over his shoulder. Despite being beyond the realm and in full power, it was not a potential to be easily dismissed.
Mugung's face stiffened momentarily upon feeling this but then relaxed. The potential was there, but it hadn't become a significant force yet.
Young Demon. Dowon. The only one who knew about him was Cheonma.
"Sometimes, there's someone whose mind just snaps."
"…Are you talking about your disciple?"
"In a duel, the first and last five minutes are utterly frivolous. Foolishly laughing, making pointless jokes, and above all, weak."
What made that man like that remained unknown. Cheonma reminisced about the training of Dowon from his memories.
-...
A face frozen cold. Pupils devoid of light. He wouldn't respond to words, only silently craving victory.
Even with restricted magical power, he was an opponent that even Cheonma could not afford to underestimate.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Cheonma's eyes twitched in annoyance.
"You'll understand when you meet him."
There was a reason why he rudely borrowed the name of Young Demon without saying anything.
"We are not the beasts."
-...
Even blood turned to ice.
The dead or dying humans and tree figures. Their gaze was fixed in one place.
Could there be anyone else in this world who could embody fear any better?
The murderous intent piercing deeply through the body makes one's legs give out. Those without real experience were unable to do anything.
The horrified gaze of everyone at the crossroads of life and death.
"..."
The man, with inscrutable eyes, looked at the corpses without saying a word.
Standing silently.