CFZ

Rustle…

The monster’s body scattered into the wind, leaving only the White Demon Stone behind.
The mana stone stood there, unnaturally perfect, as if someone had deliberately placed it.
It appeared translucent yet sharply white, emanating an immense aura from within.

Even compared to the highest-grade elixir, the Dokcheon Pill, its energy was far more abundant.
I knew obtaining it would be a great help.
“...”

But I couldn’t bring myself to touch the stone.
It wasn’t just the lingering stares I felt behind me that stopped me from using the Devouring Sky Technique.
It was the memory of the moment right before.

‘What was that?’
Why did I feel so unsettled?
What exactly did I just hear?

["Thank... Thank... you…."]
“...”
Before it disappeared, the monster had thanked me.

Its voice was awkward, but there was no mistaking the words.
Could it have been a misheard phrase? A hallucination?
No—I knew better than anyone that it wasn’t.

‘What the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) hell.’
Hearing a monster speak wasn’t particularly surprising.
Creatures like dragons couldn’t be lumped in with ordinary monsters.
Even Mang from the North Sea had spoken to me clearly.

So this shouldn’t have shocked me.
And yet…
“Why….”

Why did it choose to speak to me only at the very end?
And of all things, why express gratitude?
The fact that it had said that—those words—left a suffocating unease lingering in my chest.

What did it mean?
I could’ve brushed it off as meaningless, but the thought stuck like a thorn in my mind.
‘Damn it.’

I scowled.
Why couldn’t it have just died like any other monster?
Why leave me with this unsettling feeling?

‘Nothing in my life ever ends cleanly.’
That’s just how things always were.
Shit.

Ignoring the knot in my chest, I slumped to the ground.
“Haa….”
I let out a long, pent-up sigh.

And then—
“Is… Is it over?”
“The monster…?”

“I don’t see it… I think… I think it’s truly over.”
Uneasy voices murmured around me as the others surveyed the aftermath.
The monster had long vanished, and only the scorched remains of its red aura lingered.

The tension settled into a quiet stillness—
Until one voice erupted in excitement.
“So-So Yeomra has slain the monster!”

Huh?
I snapped my head toward them immediately.
What the hell did he just say?

“Now it makes sense! He approached so boldly—it was to finish the monster off!”
“With a body that beaten and battered? Could it be… he wanted to save us from danger?”
“So Yeomra… You….”

A group of older men stood with teary eyes.
Their collective admiration made me recoil in horror, and I shouted.
“Have you all lost your minds? Did none of you see the thunder from the heavens just now?”

What kind of bullshit was this?
Anyone watching would think I killed it alone.
Heavenly Lord did all the work, and I ended up with the credit.

How the hell did they come to this idiotic conclusion?
“I was just checking something! It was already dead when I got here—don’t misunderstand!”
“So humble…”

“I feel ashamed for judging him by his appearance. So Yeomra is nothing like the rumors!”
“They said he was skilled but ill-tempered, terrifying to look at, and obsessed with women… But he’s actually selfless!”
“This just proves you can’t trust gossip….”

“…I swear, I’m going to start ripping out tongues.”
I was ready to snap when—
Stagger—!

“Urgh!”
My body wavered, and I collapsed back onto the ground.
“Haah… Hah.”

Damn it.
My body had reached its limit, and I nearly blacked out.
‘No.’

I couldn’t pass out yet.
The immediate threat was gone, but—
‘…I still have work to do.’

The most important task remained.
I forced myself to regain focus.
“Haa….”

As I struggled to steady my breath, Tang So-yeol rushed over and supported me.
“Are you okay?”
“…Of course I am.”

“What part of you looks okay…?”
“My arms and legs are intact. That’s good enough.”
At least nothing had been ripped off.

That was plenty.
Ignoring the blood bubbling in my throat, I swallowed it down and assessed my condition.
The dragon’s body was already starting to regenerate.

I didn’t use any energy for it.
There was only a tiny amount left, and I couldn’t afford to waste it on healing.
I glanced up at the sky.

‘…Fast.’
The sky cleared quickly, signaling the monster’s death.
Relief began to spread across everyone’s faces.

But—
“We don’t have time for this.”
I spoke firmly, cutting through the moment.

“That thing may be dead, but the attack isn’t over yet.”
“...”
The reminder wiped the relief from their expressions.

The main threat was gone, but fires were still burning elsewhere.
That was the point I wanted to make.
The assault wasn’t finished.

We barely managed to evacuate people from the center.
Countless monsters were still out there, and battles were happening all over.
And if possible—

‘I need more time.’
Not much, but enough to act.
The enemy must have noticed by now.

They’d seen the sky clear and realized something had gone wrong.
‘Not that it matters. It’s already too late.’
Shaking off the thought, I turned back to the others.

“Now isn’t the time to relax. We need to focus.”
“…You’re right.”
“We still have work to do.”

They all nodded.
Clearing out the remaining threats.
Protecting civilians.

Maintaining order.
Despite the noble façade, I silently memorized each of their faces.
I scanned the dozens of people present and made one realization.

‘…I barely know any of them.’
Most of these faces were unfamiliar to me.
They were probably people who had died early in the war in my past life.

“...”
I committed their faces to memory.
No one had done that before—not me, not anyone else.

I knew I didn’t deserve to.
But this time—
At least this time—I would remember them.

   ******************
   
I headed straight toward the area where civilians had gathered for evacuation.
It wasn’t far from the Martial Alliance headquarters—close enough to be seen at a glance.

One might wonder why it was positioned so dangerously near the site of the attack.
But there was a reason for it.
‘They need to see it.’

The gathered people needed to see the Martial Alliance.
That way—
‘Distrust will only deepen.’

The evacuees included those who had already lost faith in the Alliance or whose trust had been shaken by the current situation.
This setup was meant to further deepen the cracks in their faith.
And it was proving to be far more effective than expected.

“Be careful—!”
“Move with caution!”
Crowds of people packed tightly into the area, and amidst them, individuals clad in yellow martial robes stood guard, both guiding and protecting the evacuees.

They were members of the Hwangbo Clan.
“Anyone feeling unwell, report here immediately!”
Doctors had been stationed with supplies of water, and martial artists stood on high alert, prepared for any sudden attacks.

“…They even brought physicians….”
“How could they…?”
Many people murmured in admiration.

Physicians were highly respected and scarce in the Central Plains, especially those affiliated with noble families, who were practically untouchable even by blood relatives.
Yet here they were, treating evacuees without hesitation.
“…The Hwangbo Clan truly is a noble family among noble families….”

“I heard they were the first to act during the attack.”
“They’re incredible.”
“How will we ever repay this debt…?”

Gratitude filled their faces.
Most of those present had already received aid from the Hwangbo Clan, making their admiration all the stronger.
“In contrast, the Martial Alliance…!”

The murmured words caused an immediate hush to fall over the crowd.
Despite the tension, the man who spoke couldn’t suppress his emotions.
“Be careful with your words…. Criticizing the Martial Alliance so openly—”

“Careful? What’s there to be careful about? Look at the state we’re in—what did the Alliance do to prevent this?!”
Criticizing the Alliance in the heart of Henan was no small risk, yet the man couldn’t hold back.
And others, though hesitant, began nodding in agreement.

“They claim to protect the Central Plains, but where were they? What were they doing?!”
“Exactly! They were too busy guarding wealthy merchants and officials to care about us!”
“I saw it too…!”

Voices joined one by one, swelling into a chorus of frustration.
“What kind of justice is this? Even now, the Alliance Leader is holed up inside, unable to move. How were we ever supposed to trust them to protect us?”
The rising anger gave way to despair—a bitter realization that the institution they had trusted was failing them.

I watched them quietly, moving without drawing attention.
Or rather, Heavenly Lord moved.
Because, at the moment, I was slung over his back.

‘…Seriously.’
To think I’d end up being carried by one of the Three Elders.
It was beyond uncomfortable.

But I had no choice.
I needed to recover my strength as quickly as possible.
And since I couldn’t move on my own, I had to rely on someone else.

‘…Why did they start fighting over this?’
The women had started arguing the moment I asked someone to carry me to our destination.
As soon as the words left my mouth, their eyes practically burst into flames.

It began with Tang So-yeol.
She stepped forward without hesitation, ready to carry me, but was immediately blocked by Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah.
Their argument? Why should Tang So-yeol get to carry me?

Tang So-yeol argued that she had always supported me, so it was only natural she would do so again.
It was a logical point, but the other two refused to accept it.
Namgung Bi-ah countered that she hadn’t been around earlier, which was why Tang So-yeol had taken on that role.

Now that she was here, it was her turn.
Wi Seol-ah, meanwhile, claimed it was her original job as my attendant, so she was simply fulfilling her duties.
That statement left me stunned.

Her job as an attendant?
She had quit that role long ago.
Not to mention, she was still bandaged up and recovering in bed.

How did it make any sense for her to try carrying me?
What started as a logical debate quickly devolved into pure determination—a battle of wills fueled by selfish desire.
Then Bong Soon tried to sneak in and carry me herself.

When the others caught her, the situation spiraled even further out of control.
Things were on the verge of turning violent when—
“I’ll carry him.”

Heavenly Lord stepped in, putting an end to the chaos.
And just like that, they all fell silent.
‘What the hell was that all about….’

What was it about carrying someone on your back that sparked such ridiculous fights? I couldn’t understand it.
Anyway.
After observing the evacuees for a while, I had Heavenly Lord’s help in heading toward the pavilion.

‘I can see it.’
The Martial Alliance headquarters—specifically, the pavilion where the martial arts tournament had been taking place.
Upon arriving, I saw several people gathered.

The moment they spotted us, they drew their swords without hesitation.
Sching—!!
“…State your identity.”

Keeping some distance, I scanned the group.
‘Hah.’
I let out a small scoff as soon as I saw their faces.

‘Three division leaders?’
There were over forty martial artists in the group, and three of them were division leaders.
One of them, who immediately drew his sword, was someone I recognized.

“Ilcheong Sword.”
Ilcheong Sword, Jang Seongmyeong.
The current leader of the Azure Dragon Division and one of the Hundred Great Masters.

‘That bastard Jang’s right-hand man.’
In my past life, he was known as the right hand of the Meteor Sword.
At that moment—

“…S-So Yeomra…?”
One of them widened his eyes as he recognized me.
“Oh.”

It turned out to be another familiar face.
“It’s been a while, Dragon Division Leader.”
I smiled, and the man flinched.

His name was Bumdong, the leader of the Dragon Division.
“H-How are you here…?”
Bumdong stammered in surprise, while Ilcheong Sword gave me a strange look.

“I thought you looked familiar. So you’re So Yeomra.”
He acknowledged my identity but still didn’t lower his sword.
“I know who you are, but I must ask—why have you come here?”

I could sense his wariness.
Even as his sharp energy pressed toward me, I stepped forward.
“I heard the Alliance Leader is trapped here. I came to offer my help.”

“…You did?”
Hearing that, his wariness only increased.
Honestly, I couldn’t blame him for being suspicious.

“Yes.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Why not?”

“The situation is unstable, and we cannot allow outsiders inside. If you truly wish to help, it would be better to assist elsewhere.”
“…Unstable, huh….”
I mulled over his words.

It wasn’t a completely unreasonable response, which made it even more annoying to deal with.
“Well, I suppose the situation is a complete mess right now.”
“Thank you for—”

“But what exactly are you all doing here in this mess?”
“…What?”
I paused before rolling my neck, though I stopped midway, realizing it’d probably hurt like hell if I continued.

“Monsters attacked. The city was in chaos. People were screaming and crying in terror. And what were you doing?”
Even as the attack raged and monsters rampaged, what had the Martial Alliance been doing?
I already knew the answer.

“Protecting merchants, faction leaders, and sponsors first—meanwhile, three division leaders are standing around here doing nothing. No wonder this situation turned into such a disaster.”
As I spoke, Ilcheong Sword’s expression twisted further and further.
“Did you just… What did you just say?”

“You don’t seem hard of hearing, but if you need me to repeat it, I will. Though, I’ll probably be harsher the second time. Still want to hear it?”
“You—!”
Ilcheong Sword erupted in fury, releasing a wave of murderous intent.

“Did you just insult not only me but the entire Martial Alliance?”
“You think that sounded like a compliment? If you heard it that way, you should see a doctor.”
“This insolent—!”

Ilcheong Sword stormed toward me, looking like he was ready to cut me down.
Frankly, I didn’t care if he got angry.
In fact, I wanted him to.

It would make my job easier.
At least, that’s what I thought.
‘But damn it.’

No matter how much I rationalized it, I couldn’t suppress my anger.
I kept thinking about the people who had thrown themselves at the monsters.
The faces I’d committed to memory flashed through my mind.

I regretted memorizing them.
If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be this pissed off.
‘But what choice do I have?’

Since I remembered them, I had to bear the responsibility.
Ilcheong Sword advanced furiously, and I braced myself.
“Calm yourself.”

Heavenly Lord’s hand landed firmly on my shoulder.
The moment I felt his grip, my body stopped moving instinctively.
“I apologize. Allow me to speak on his behalf.”

“This is a matter of insulting the Alliance. No one should interfere—”
Ilcheong Sword turned sharply toward Heavenly Lord but froze mid-sentence.
It seemed he finally recognized who he was talking to.

After all, no division leader could fail to recognize Heavenly Lord.
“…E-Elder…?”
Ilcheong Sword’s face drained of color the moment he identified him.

“Why… Why are you here, Elder…?”
Seeing his panic, Heavenly Lord replied calmly.
“My young master had business here, so I accompanied him.”

“Young master…?”
Ilcheong Sword’s gaze flicked back to me.
Normally, I would’ve clarified or denied it.

But this time, I didn’t bother.
“What are you staring at?”
“...”

My facial expression was openly sending him the fuck out:
Judging by the look on Ilcheong Sword’s face, the message got through loud and clear.