CFZ

The first sensation I felt was cold.
Cold that pierced through my entire body.

If even a body accustomed to the fiery arts feels this level of chill, just how cold could it be?
“Ssss.”
As I let out a short breath, a puff of mist escaped my lips. Seeing that, I immediately slapped my cheek.

Smack!
It was a sharp, stinging slap.
“It hurts.”

It hurt enough to confirm that my senses were functioning properly. I slowly started to take stock of my surroundings.
“Hm.”
I raised my senses and focused, but nothing stood out. All I could see was pitch-black darkness.

It felt…
‘Familiar.’
The sight was familiar. Where had I seen this before? Thinking for a moment, the memory quickly surfaced.

‘It’s similar to that place.’
The place where I encountered another god, Noya, while fighting Yung Pung during the martial arts tournament. This place bore a striking resemblance to that space.
The difference?

‘The ground.’
Tap, tap.
I knocked the ground lightly with my toes. The hard surface beneath me was the most notable difference.

‘Last time, it was water.’
The previous space had been filled with black water. Though the dark surroundings were similar, this was clearly different.
‘Solid.’
The ground was firm. It was complete terrain. I sighed as I processed the texture beneath my feet.

“What the hell is this place?”
What sort of nonsense was this? My expression instinctively twisted into a scowl.
Why was I suddenly here?

“All I did was eat a single pill.”
The newly created Dokcheon Pill. This was the result of consuming just one.
“Hmph.”

I shifted my thoughts.
‘What’s going on?’
Why had this happened?

It seemed immediate. The moment I swallowed the pill, it activated.
‘My senses are working, but this doesn’t feel like reality.’
Having endured so much, I couldn’t take the situation lightly.

‘…There’s always a reason for things like this.’
Something had caused this scenario to unfold. The key was identifying the trigger.
‘Is it the Dokcheon Pill?’

A pill infused with my own energy—was it the source of this? Or…
‘Something else.’
Could there be another reason?

I pondered, but no answer came. There simply wasn’t enough information.
The only solace I could take was…
‘At least it’s not completely empty.’

A black sky and a black ground, with no trace of energy or life.
In a place like this, could there really be anything?
‘What’s this feeling?’

Yet, I felt something.
And it was…
‘Unpleasant.’

Extremely unpleasant, like a sickening itch deep within my bones.
It was hard to describe—a disgusting sensation, like insects crawling all over my body, making me want to retch.
What the hell was this feeling?

I grimaced and looked ahead, toward a point in the darkness.
‘There.’
The source of the unsettling sensation seemed to originate from that direction.

I started walking.
Even though every fiber of my being screamed not to, I had no choice. From all my past experiences, I knew one thing:
If I didn’t go, nothing would progress.

‘What now?’
Having seen all kinds of horrors, I doubted anything could surprise me anymore. By now, curiosity outweighed fear.
As I stepped on the hard ground, the sensation grew stronger.

What lay at the end of this? What could possibly cause such repulsion?
The questions kept piling up as I walked.
“Hm?”

Something began to take shape in the distance.
Narrowing my eyes, I tried to make it out, but it remained blurry.
Still, I could tell I was getting closer to my destination.

Resisting the urge to slow down, I forced myself onward.
After a while, the cause of my discomfort finally revealed itself.
And it was…

“What the hell is that?”
I couldn’t comprehend it.
In front of me stood a door.

A massive door.
Made of some unknown black metal, it loomed ominously. I stepped closer to examine it.
But no matter how closely I looked, I couldn’t make sense of it.

It was just a thick, black, metallic door wrapped tightly in heavy chains.
That was all I could see.
‘Unsettling.’

Just looking at it made me angry. No, it went beyond that—rage simmered within me.
Was there something about this door? I reached out cautiously.
The surface felt cold, typical of metal.

As if that were all, but then—
Kugugugu---!!!
“…!?”

Suddenly, the door trembled violently, emitting a deafening noise. The vibrations were so intense that the ground beneath me shook.
I quickly leapt back to create some distance.
“Shit.”

What the hell was going to come out of there? Tension gripped me as I stared at the door.
It looked ominous. Should I just run?
‘Where to?’

There was nowhere to escape to.
I didn’t even know how I got here. Running wasn’t an option.
I instinctively raised my energy, steadying my breathing as I readied myself.

“Sssss.”
I exhaled sharply, activating my body in preparation for anything.
Kugugugu---!!!!

The door’s violent shaking continued for a long time.
And then…
Kugugu…

The tremors slowly subsided. For a moment, I feared it might explode, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Even so, I couldn’t let my guard down.
This was a situation where anything could happen at any moment.

As I heightened my senses and kept my eyes on the door…
Clink.
The chains binding the door shifted slightly.

Clatter—Thud! Thud-thud!
They unraveled in an instant, crashing to the ground with a deafening noise.
Caught off guard, I stared at the fallen chains, blinking in surprise.

Creak.
This time, a sound came from the door itself.
A door that looked like it would never budge began to move.

‘It’s opening.’
Slowly, with a great deal of effort, the door started to part.
I tensed as I watched, goosebumps rising on my skin.

Sweat trickled down my back, my forehead drenched.
Since the moment the door began to open, I had felt it.
‘Damn it.’

I wiped the sweat from my jaw. My pounding heart was beyond control.
‘This is insane.’
Through the narrow opening, an indescribable presence seeped out—a deep, overwhelming…

‘Killing intent.’
The raw, fundamental urge to destroy, condensed into an aura so intense it felt tangible.
Killing intent, like martial prowess, varied in intensity and depth.

And this… was feral, overwhelming.
The kind of intent that demanded every ounce of caution from me.
How twisted must the thing inside be to emit such malice?

‘It’s definitely not normal.’
Whatever lay beyond that door was no ordinary being.
Even I felt like running away.

“Sigh.”
I exhaled deeply and took a step forward.
As much as I didn’t want to, there was only one option.

Why else would the door open like this?
‘It wants me to see.’
Knowing the answer, I couldn’t ignore it.

I moved closer.
Peering through the narrow gap, I realized one thing.
‘It won’t open easily.’

I hadn’t tried, but it was clear that immense effort would be needed to fully open it.
What mattered was…
‘It can be opened.’

Knowing that made it worse.
It felt like the door itself was urging me to open it.
I glanced through the gap, noting it was just wide enough to look inside but not enough to enter.

‘Let’s see.’
What could be inside?
What could possibly be emitting such an ominous energy?
Tension mixed with curiosity.

What kind of insane monster is looking for me now?
I steadied my breath and glanced through the crack in # Nоvеlight # the door.
‘Huh?’

The inside of the door was the same darkness as before.
It didn’t seem like there was anything in there. At least, that was my initial impression.
‘No, there is something.’
That thought vanished in mere seconds.
Something was there, beyond the darkness.
At the center of the black fog, something was present.

‘A chair?’
A rather imposing chair. Why was such a chair there, out of the blue? And on top of that...
‘...Who is that?’

Someone was sitting on the chair. The moment I saw them, I understood.
‘It’s him.’
The bastard who made every nerve in my body stand on end.
The source of this overwhelming killing intent.
It was unmistakably him.

I narrowed my eyes to get a clearer look.
With each passing second, the figure grew sharper.
The once indistinct outline began to take form.
The first thing I could discern was that the figure sitting on the chair was human.
Though I couldn’t gauge his height precisely, he didn’t seem very tall.
His clothing looked like black martial robes.

His posture was slouched, with one hand propping up his chin... and his face...
“...”
That’s as far as I got before my body froze.

Goosebumps spread across my skin, penetrating to my very soul.
Only after seeing his face did I recognize the dissonance I’d been feeling.
An overwhelming sense of hostility and discomfort.
It made me want to run away immediately, but within it, there was a strange familiarity.
If not for that, I wouldn’t have even made it this far.

Why did such ominous energy feel so familiar?
That unanswered question was finally resolved.
“Ha.”
A breath escaped me involuntarily.

A large, heavy chair. The figure sitting atop it stared at me.
Purple irises and sclera blackened as though tainted.
Creak.

The figure stirred and opened his mouth.
[Let me ask you something.]
With each word he spoke, the killing intent thickened.
How twisted must someone be to exude such a murderous aura? This was beyond comprehension.

[Why.]
That bastard staring straight at me was none other than...
[Are you still alive?]

...my past self.

   *****************
   
What could be inside?
What could possibly be emitting such an ominous energy?

Tension mixed with curiosity.
What kind of insane monster is looking for me now?
I steadied my breath and glanced through the crack in the door.

‘Huh?’
The inside of the door was the same darkness as before.
It didn’t seem like there was anything in there. At least, that was my initial impression.
‘No, there is something.’

That thought vanished in mere seconds.
Something was there, beyond the darkness.
At the center of the black fog, something was present.
‘A chair?’
A rather imposing chair. Why was such a chair there, out of the blue? And on top of that...

‘...Who is that?’
Someone was sitting on the chair. The moment I saw them, I understood.
‘It’s him.’

The bastard who made every nerve in my body stand on end.
The source of this overwhelming killing intent.
It was unmistakably him.
I narrowed my eyes to get a clearer look.
With each passing second, the figure grew sharper.
The once indistinct outline began to take form.

The first thing I could discern was that the figure sitting on the chair was human.
Though I couldn’t gauge his height precisely, he didn’t seem very tall.
His clothing looked like black martial robes.
His posture was slouched, with one hand propping up his chin... and his face...
“...”

That’s as far as I got before my body froze.
Goosebumps spread across my skin, penetrating to my very soul.
Only after seeing his face did I recognize the dissonance I’d been feeling.
An overwhelming sense of hostility and discomfort.

It made me want to run away immediately, but within it, there was a strange familiarity.
If not for that, I wouldn’t have even made it this far.
Why did such ominous energy feel so familiar?
That unanswered question was finally resolved.
“Ha.”

A breath escaped me involuntarily.
A large, heavy chair. The figure sitting atop it stared at me.
Purple irises and sclera blackened as though tainted.

Creak.
The figure stirred and opened his mouth.
[Let me ask you something.]

With each word he spoke, the killing intent thickened.
How twisted must someone be to exude such a murderous aura? This was beyond comprehension.
[Why.]
That bastard staring straight at me was none other than...

[Are you still alive?]
...my past self.
“Master Gu! Master Gu!”

“...Gu Gongja!”
“...!”
A sharp voice pierced my ears, snapping me back to reality.

“...Haa...”
I supported my body, which was about to collapse.
I staggered, glancing around.
The first thing I saw was the Poison King’s face, staring at me in shock.

Judging by his reaction, not much time had passed.
My body still seemed to be standing.
“Master Gu! Are you all right? Hey!”
“Ah, yes, I’m fine...”

I waved my hand dismissively as I replied to the Poison King. Even as I spoke, my insides felt jumbled.
Just sorting through what I had experienced was overwhelming.
‘What was that just now?’
What exactly had I gone through? Why was I there, and why was...

‘...I there?’
Me. Specifically, my past self. Could this have been the effect of the Dokcheon Pill I just made?
‘If so, then why...’

As the questions repeated and I searched for answers,
“Master Gu, are you truly all right? Master Gu!”
The Poison King’s voice forced me to bite my lip lightly.
Even after I had said I was fine, he kept asking, and it was starting to irritate me.

“Look, Clan Leader Tang, I already told you I’m fine—”
I waved my hand to cut him off once more.
“Wait... huh?”

Mid-sentence, I froze.
Something about my hand was very off.
“...What the...?”

It was a hand. It looked like a hand...
Fwoosh—
It was burning. No, I had channeled fire techniques to cover my hands many times before, but this was different.

‘This is fire itself.’
The sensation of my flesh turning into flames. A strange feeling I couldn’t begin to describe.
‘If a breeze were to blow, I might just vanish.’

I had no idea how I was even holding this form together. It felt unstable and precarious.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“...No, I don’t think I am.”

“...”
A person’s hand turning into this? There was no way I could be okay. And it wasn’t just my hand.
‘My body seems to be partially affected too.’

It wasn’t just my hand—about thirty percent of my body seemed to be made of flames.
Burning.
It was a vivid, brilliant flame.
It felt like I wasn’t myself anymore. It was an unfamiliar sensation, impossible to explain.

The important part was...
‘I feel like I can do anything.’
The unease gave way to exhilaration.
An inexplicable sense of superiority coursed through me.

‘This...’
This feeling...
I’d seen it before. I definitely knew it.
Even if it was my first time feeling it, I had seen it.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long to figure out what it was.

A memory was already etched into my mind.
‘Father?’
It wasn’t even that long ago. Back when we left for the North Sea and encountered a White-Rank beast.
At the time, my father had told me to watch closely and then obliterated the beast.

And this flame...
-Gu Yeom’s Extreme Flame Formation.
It was the same as the flames my father had shown me back then.

If that was the case...
‘Could this flame be...?’
The power said to be unlocked only by mastering the Gu Yeom Flame Wheel Technique...

Snap.
“Ah.”
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the flames disappeared instantly.
My hands returned to normal, and so did my body.

The exhilaration faded.
It felt like I had soared into the sky, only to crash down to the ground.