CFZ

Rumble—!!!

The ground trembled violently underfoot.
I steadied myself with Qi and looked up at the sky.
Torn dimensions—countless rifts like opened eyes filled the air.

The sky was crawling with Magyeong Gates.
“Fucking lunatic.”
The words spilled out before I could stop them.

And who could blame me?
It wasn’t just the sheer number of gates.
Every single one radiated red light.

That meant—they were all red Magyeong Gates, and red-ranked monsters were about to pour out of them.
Monsters that required a peak-level martial artist just to be hunted.
Creatures capable of turning the surroundings into ruins with their mere presence.

Of course, at this point, they weren’t all that threatening to me anymore.
‘I can handle a couple of them easily.’
Realistically, I could probably take on five, maybe six, at once.

But—
‘This is overkill.’
There were just too many of them.

I counted roughly over thirty.
Thirty red-ranked monsters?
‘They could flatten Hanam without breaking a sweat.’
Even in my past life, I’d never seen numbers like this.

This was completely outside my expectations.
Fighting numbers like that wasn’t just harder—it was exponentially worse.
Especially under these circumstances.

With no way to run and no chance to hunt them down while retreating, abandoning this position wasn’t an option.
‘There’s too much to protect.’
I scanned the area.

Fifty-some people still remained.
Understandably, their faces were filled with horror.
“R-red Magyeong Gates… so many of them.”

“Damn it. What are we supposed to do now?”
“How… how do we stop that…?”
Their despair rang out through the air.

Even in the grip of terror, they asked how to stop it rather than how to run.
‘Tsk.’
They knew.

They knew what would happen the moment they turned their backs.
They understood what would become of the people they’d left behind.
And so, even faced with despair, they couldn’t flee.

‘…Hah.’
What a mess.
‘So this is what it means to be orthodox martial artists.’

Fools.
This was why they died early.
You want to know why the war in my past life turned into such a shitshow?

Because these kinds of people died first.
‘Idiots who can’t cut their losses.’
Even knowing they couldn’t win, they fought instead of running.

And reality wasn’t kind enough to grant miracles.
They ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) all died with their eyes closed in pools of blood.
That was reality.

“Shit.”
My lips went dry.
If this went wrong, we’d all end up the same way.

The problem—
‘It’s my fault this time.’
Not Cheonma’s fault.

Not Blood Calamity’s fault.
This mess was something I’d created.
‘Goddamn it.’

I swallowed the bitter feelings and forced myself to focus.
There was no time for self-recrimination.
I had to assess the situation first.

‘Find a solution.’
No matter what.
I forced my sluggish brain into overdrive.

[Aaaahhhhh—!!!]
The monster was still howling.
Its cracked body made it look desperate, as if it were lashing out wildly.

I tore my gaze away from it and focused on the Magyeong Gates.
And then—
‘…What is that?’

I narrowed my eyes.
Inside the gates, there were lines—strange, connected lines.
What were those?

The moment the question formed, the answer followed.
‘They’re like the patterns in the sky.’
The crimson sigils that had appeared before the monster’s arrival.

The lines inside the gates looked just like the patterns completing those sigils.
I focused on them.
‘Despite the gates being open, no monsters have appeared yet.’

Why?
If there was a reason—
‘Is it the lines?’

What if the monsters only came out after those lines connected?
It was just a theory, but—
‘No time to second-guess.’

I couldn’t afford hesitation.
Boom—!!
I stomped the ground, wrapping my body in blue flames.

“Listen carefully.”
I paused to add one more thing before acting.
I was about to say, “If you don’t want to die, kill that thing.”

But I stopped short.
Something more effective came to mind.
Something I wasn’t proud to say—but useful nonetheless.

“Now’s the time. If we don’t kill it now, we can’t save anyone.”
“…!”
“There won’t be another chance.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the atmosphere shifted.
Fear and despair were still there—but so was something else.
Determination.

The realization that if they didn’t act, someone would die.
I didn’t understand why these idiots cared so much about that.
But for them, it was more important than their own lives.

These were the kind of people who had gathered here.
And probably—
“Therefore.”

—everyone except me.
“We have to kill it. No matter what.”
I spat out the words and launched forward.

[Aaaaahhh—!!!]
The monster kept howling as I closed in.
Fwoosh—!!

The blue flames coiled around my hand.
Nine Flames Firewheel.
The compressed fire fused with Heart Fist (Simkwon) and exploded from my fist.

A strike with everything I had.
It was about to land when—
[Kyaaaah—!!]

The monster moved, dodging the attack.
Boom—!!
The flames burst, creating a massive blaze behind it.

I pulled back my fist and twisted my body.
Thud—!
Its claws dug into the ground.

Damn thing was ridiculously fast.
I glanced down.
My martial robe had been torn.

I couldn’t see clearly, but I was sure my torso had been scratched.
Not that I cared about a minor wound.
I looked up.

‘The lines.’
I checked the connections inside the Magyeong Gates.
‘Hmm.’

They were still forming.
Apparently, keeping the monster moving didn’t stop the process.
Unfortunate—but the good news was—

‘It slowed down.’
The lines were connecting slower now.
Not much, but enough to make a difference.

That meant—
‘The gates are tied to this thing’s mind—or its power.’
Slash—!

I dodged another claw and kept analyzing.
‘Is this its Authority?’
I kicked out.

Boom—!!
Crash—!
The monster’s Qi barrier shattered under my kick.

Without flames to reinforce it, the blow lacked power.
But it didn’t matter.
Ssssshh—!!

A torrent of presences surged in from behind.
“Yahoo!!”
With a cheerful shout, Bong Soon’s staff shot forward.

Smash—!
[Kuuuiek—!!]
Her blunt attack drove through the broken barrier, sending shards flying as it struck the monster’s torso.

Watching the scattered fragments, I frowned.
‘Its skin feels… unnatural.’
I analyzed the details even while fighting, my head throbbing from the effort.

“Hyaa!”
Apparently unsatisfied, Bong Soon raised her staff again, aiming for a follow-up.
But the barrier had already regenerated.

She knew that—and yet, she didn’t stop attacking.
Was she just blindly believing it would work? No.
Not faith in her own attack.

Sssshhh—!!!
She believed in what was coming next.
Crash—!!

A golden flash shattered the barrier again.
The opening was small—but Bong Soon didn’t miss it.
“Hyaah!”

Smash—!!
[Kiaaa—!!]
The monster thrashed in agony from the relentless strikes.

I yanked Bong Soon back before it could retaliate.
Its claws tore through the air where she had just stood.
“Whew!”

“I’ll join the fight!”
More martial artists jumped in.
They wore different robes, and their Qi carried distinct traits.

Their levels ranged from peak to high-level cultivators.
Decent for their age, but not enough for this battle.
They had to know that.

‘Why the hell are they here?’
It made no sense.
Any fool could see they’d die if they stayed.

‘Is this… chivalry?’
Were they clinging to outdated ideals in this rotting Jianghu?
It was laughable.

Clang—! Boom—!!
“Argh!”
“Be careful…!!”

They struck through the barrier, landing blows on the monster’s inner body.
[Kiaaa—!!]
The repeated hits forced it to scream—but the impact was weaker than before.

Its rage swelled as it swung its arms wildly.
Dangerous.
If this continued, they’d all die.

But stepping in would cost me, too.
There was no safe way to save them without taking damage.
Letting them die might’ve been smarter.

“…Shit.”
Yet my body was already moving.
I ramped up my firepower and pushed my speed to the limit.

Fwoosh—!
Flames erupted as I dashed in, grabbing the martial artists with Phantom Grasp.
“Hah!”

Crash—!
I barely managed to pull them out as claws smashed into the ground.
The monster’s eyes locked onto me immediately.

Its attack followed.
‘Damn it.’
The recoil from my burst of speed slowed me down.

I couldn’t dodge in time.
Its claws were about to rip into my shoulder when—
Thwip—!

Clang—!!
[Kriiik!?]
“…What?”

An arrow flew in, deflecting the claws.
An arrow? In this situation?
I was too surprised to think—

“Duck.”
I dropped my head instinctively.
A blade swept past where my head had been.

Crackle—!!!!
[Kiaaa—!!]
Lightning exploded.

Namgung Bi-ah had entered the fight.
But she wasn’t alone.
“I’ll take the right side.”

“…Got it.”
Gold and lightning intertwined as Wi Seol-ah joined her.
Swish! Slash!

Their sword energy danced in the air, flowing dangerously close without colliding.
Smooth. Precise.
Each strike avoided disrupting the other, keeping their power intact.

Shhhhk—!
Wi Seol-ah’s sword cut through the barrier.
She could wield Intent Blade (Simgeom), allowing her to pierce the defense.

As the opening formed, lightning crashed into the exposed flesh.
Crackle—!!!
[Kiaaaagh!!]

The monster lashed out, but Bong Soon blocked with her staff.
Thunk—!!
Where the staff fell short, a dagger flew in, finishing the block.

Synchronized.
Simgeom led the strikes as the others reinforced.
[Kyaaaah—!!!]

Slice—! Slash—! Crash—!
The four of them moved with perfect coordination, leaving no openings.
Even the other martial artists couldn’t interfere.

“…Uh…”
Neither could I.
I stood there, slack-jawed.

Why the hell are they so good…?
It was absurd.
I could understand the three of them working well together, but Bong Soon?

“Hahaha—!!!”
She laughed like a lunatic as she swung her staff.
Despite her carefree attitude, her attacks were heavy and precise.

She deflected blows without even breaking through the monster’s Intent Shield.
It was ridiculous.
The monster couldn’t catch its breath and was getting pummeled.

[Kyaa… Kyaaaagh…!]
I almost felt sorry for it.
But I looked up.

The Magyeong Gates.
And—
‘…Damn it.’

The lines were still forming.
Even slowed down, we didn’t have much time.
We had to finish this.

Even if we drove the monster back, the Magyeong Gates would ruin everything.
Clench—!!
I focused my Qi, rotating my core.

I was preparing to form the Spear.
A bigger, stronger strike than usual—
I compressed my Qi.

‘Wi Seol-ah will break the barrier. Then…’
I wouldn’t waste my strength on breaking the barrier.
She’d open the gap, and I’d finish it.

That was the plan—
[Kiiii—!!]
Buzz—!

“What?”
Suddenly, my heart throbbed.
The sensation came from the monster.

Its presence felt…
“Get back—!”
“…!!!”

At my warning, everyone retreated toward me.
And then—
[Kyaaaaaah—!!!]

Its mouth opened wide as it screamed.
Not just that—
Whoooom—!!

Light gathered inside its gaping maw.
Kuaaaaaaa—!!!!
A massive blast erupted.

I leapt forward.
The light engulfed me.