CFZ

Thump-thump—!!
My heart was pounding. Of course, it should be beating, but this felt different. How should I put it? It was as if I instantly knew I was screwed the moment I felt it. In any case, it wasn’t a good feeling.
"Damn it."

I hadn’t intended to swallow it, so how did it end up inside me? It certainly wasn’t of my own volition.
"Shit."
What kind of nonsense was this? Anyone could see it was dangerous, and I had no intention of eating it.

I immediately regulated my breathing and checked my body.
Buzz—!!
The energy that had started from my heart began reverberating outward.

This was bad.
I tried to calm it down somehow, but the energy refused to listen.
Rumble—!!
It was coming.

Boom—!!
"Urgh."
Shockwaves erupted inside me. It felt as though consecutive explosions were going off. I clutched my chest and fell to my knees.

Every vein in my body bulged. It felt like a giant had grabbed me with one hand, squeezing me with such force that my body seemed on the verge of imploding.
"...Ugh..."
Just as I was about to swallow a groan from the pain—

"...Damn it."
Dragging my aching body, I forced myself to move. I pushed strength into my legs and managed a short leap.
Clang! A sword struck the spot where I had been moments ago.

Frowning, I looked straight ahead. It was the Celestial Stream Sect Leader's doing. Despite his ragged breathing, his body remained tensed and ready.
‘That bastard of an old man.’
As I had suspected earlier, he was sharp. The moment he sensed something strange happening to me, he launched an attack. His quick judgment was commendable.

["I never expected you to swallow the Dragon Pearl."]
His eyes were filled with fury.
["You must be enraged, but judging by your state, there seems to be an issue with your Awakening, doesn’t there?"]

Awakening? It was a curious word. Was something supposed to bloom? While his cryptic statement nagged at me—
"Shit."
This wasn’t the time to dwell on it. I forced my stiffening body to move.
Barely dodging the sword flying toward me, I stumbled through my footwork. My legs felt heavy. My knees were stiff, and my muscles screamed in agony.

I was moving at a fraction of my usual speed. Even trying to muster strength was an ordeal.
It was hell.
Swish—!!

A flying sword came at me, and at the same time, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader charged at me, exuding a powerful aura.
I was screwed. There was no way to dodge this.
‘Guess I’ll have to let myself get stabbed a bit.’

Deciding to minimize the damage, I shifted my body accordingly.
Clang—!
["Tsk!"]

Something wedged itself between me and the Celestial Stream Sect Leader. Two swords struck him in succession.
Crackle—!!
Lightning qi and a golden gleam blocked my view.

It was Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah.
["Damn these wretched women…!"]
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader growled, glaring at the two of them. I, too, was infuriated.

"You two… I told you to stay out of this…."
"I’ll handle the left."
"Alright."

Ignoring my words, they exchanged a brief conversation and nodded at each other.
And then—
Whoosh—!!
A surge of energy erupted from both of them. The qi surrounding Wi Seol-ah began to change.

Seeing this, I shouted, veins bulging in my neck.
"You…! I told you not to do that!"
"Young Master."

Cutting off my outburst, Wi Seol-ah turned to look at me. Strangely, her eyes were smiling.
"I’ll take the scolding later. Sorry."
With those words, her hair turned stark white.

At the same time—
Crackle—!! Namgung Bi-ah's lightning qi exploded outward.
In her hands was Thunder Fang, which had appeared before I even noticed. The lightning qi seeped into her hair, rippling through the air.

["Hah."]
Watching the two of them, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader clenched his lips tightly.
["How ridiculous…."]

His reaction showed his disdain, but his gaze flicked briefly toward Wi Seol-ah. Mine did too. From the very beginning, I had thought so, but now it was undeniable—there was something strikingly similar between Wi Seol-ah and the Celestial Stream Sect Leader.
Not just in appearance, but especially in aura.
While it bothered me—

‘Stand up.’
Rising was my priority right now.
I forced myself to stabilize my posture. Even if my body wouldn’t cooperate, I couldn’t stay idle. Even if my body burst apart, I had to keep moving. With that thought, I strained my body—

Suddenly.
Grip—!
Something grabbed my back. Startled, I glanced over my shoulder.

No one was there. There wasn’t a soul behind me.
Yet, it felt as though someone’s hand had firmly gripped my back. What the hell was this? The question filled my mind—
["Move aside."]

A familiar voice echoed.
Whoosh—!!
Whatever had been gripping my back pulled me sharply.

And then, everything went dark.
 
   ****************
   
Not long after, I opened my eyes.
The moment I opened them, I immediately understood.

Where I was.
"Hah. This damn bastard."
Cursing under my breath, I scowled. It was a place I had become all too familiar with from repeated visits.
The dark, dense floor and the iron gate that had grown irritatingly familiar.

This was the same place where, not long ago, I had been thoroughly wrecked.
However, there was a difference. Unlike before, when the surroundings were shrouded in darkness, the area was now strangely bright.
I tilted my head up in confusion, trying to make sense of the odd situation.
"What the hell is that?"

Something hung in the sky.
It was a massive, white object.
At first glance, it looked like the sun. However, it wasn’t the sun. It was far too close to be that.
That thing seemed to be the source of the brightness. But why had something like that suddenly appeared?
The question crossed my mind when—

Creak.
A sound came from behind me, and I immediately turned my head.
My expression hardened as I spotted the source of the noise.
As expected, that damned bastard was there.
Looking at him, I spoke.

"You goddamn son of a bitch."
My voice naturally carried a murderous edge.
"Don’t you get tired of showing your face twice in a single day?"

The black-clad bastard sat in a chair, staring at me.
No response. He simply looked at me with a lofty air.
What the hell was that expression supposed to mean, coming from a bastard like him? It didn’t suit him in the slightest.
"Hah…"

A sigh escaped me. Even that sigh carried hints of my killing intent.
I already knew what he wanted.
"I don’t have time to be dealing with this right now."
Grinding my teeth, I clenched my fist tightly.

"Hurry up and let me out of here. Before I really kill you."
The suppressed killing intent I had been holding back erupted and broke free.
Energy surged from the tips of my feet, and only then did he react.
His whites, stained black, and violet pupils turned to me.
Then—

As he felt my killing intent, he smiled.
["Now, this is more to my liking."]
I broke into a sprint, shattering the ground beneath me as I charged at him.

   ******************
   
Creak-crack---!!!
A harsh noise echoed.
It was the sound of swords clashing. Blades of different colors collided furiously, striking one another like maniacs.

In a fraction of a second, dozens of flashes burst into the air.
The sky was filled with flying swords, and the ground was a chaotic blur of swirling hues.
Clang! Clang-clang--!!

Nothing was visible. All that could be seen were brief flashes of sparks, while the air itself seemed to tear apart.
Crackle---!!!
Suddenly, lightning qi erupted like a thunderclap.
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader swung his sword fiercely at the sight of it.

Crash!
A shockwave formed by powerful energy rippled through the lightning qi. It was a tidal wave made of pure force.
Amid the overflowing chaos, Wi Seol-ah swiftly thrust her sword forward.
Moon Slice Reflection.

A thin crescent moon cut through the tidal wave, creating an opening through which Namgung Bi-ah charged forward.
At the tip of her sword, thunder descended.
Boom—!!
A flash of light engulfed the area.
The sequence of explosions was relentless. Though the space was vast, it was completely filled with raging energy.

["Rrraaaagh—!!"]
A monstrous scream erupted. The smoke formed from concentrated energy dissipated in an instant, revealing the Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s enraged figure as he roared furiously.
["You damn women---!!!"]

Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah tightened their grips on their swords at the sight.
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s body was riddled with wounds, the aftermath of the battle evident.
However—
Sssss.
His regenerative abilities were so advanced that the wounds visibly healed before their eyes.

Meanwhile, the two women were visibly fatigued.
"...Hah…"
Wi Seol-ah exhaled, her breath heavy. Sweat rolled down her face and dripped from her chin.
The exhaustion was overwhelming, exacerbated by her lack of experience in maintaining this power for so long.

She recalled what Gu Yangcheon had once told her.
Even if the situation called for it, she was never to use this technique. He told her to run if she ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) had to, and he would come to save her instead.
She remembered his words clearly, but Wi Seol-ah ignored them.

From the moment she used this power, she had known. She understood that it would deplete her innate energy.
But right now, it was necessary.
Wiping the sweat from her chin, Wi Seol-ah glanced to her side.
"...Sister."

Namgung Bi-ah turned at Wi Seol-ah’s call.
"How long can you hold out?"
Namgung Bi-ah looked just as exhausted. She was already injured, staunching her wounds with qi while fighting, which was far from ideal.

After thinking for a moment, Namgung Bi-ah answered.
"Not long. But I’ll endure."
"Understood."
Neither of them uttered words like "run away" or "leave me behind," despite knowing the difficulty of the situation. There was something they had to protect.
For that, their lives held no meaning.

Swish.
The golden swords floating around Wi Seol-ah returned to her. Six in total.
Namgung Bi-ah tightened her grip on Thunder Fang.

Crackle---!!
The lightning qi radiated even brighter.
Though their bodies were exhausted, their minds were sharp. This was their way of proving it.
["Tsk."]

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader clicked his tongue at the sight.
["How persistent."]
Suppressing his anger, he glanced at his arm. Although his wounds appeared to be healing quickly, the reality was different.

["It’s slower…"]
Something felt off. His body felt slightly heavier.
By combat standards, fighting the Star King alone had been far more grueling, yet this situation felt stranger.

What was causing the problem? The Celestial Stream Sect Leader pondered before his gaze shifted to one person.
Wi Seol-ah.
[...]
It was her. That strange energy. Ever since it had touched his body, things had been amiss.

What was it? Not just the energy, but what was she?
His eyes narrowed as he stared at Wi Seol-ah.
Deep down, he already knew the answer.

["A mere vessel dares to act so arrogantly."]
"...What did you just say?"
Wi Seol-ah’s face twisted in a frown, seemingly aware that the comment was directed at her.

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader said no more.
He maintained his silence, gathering strength in his body.
This had to end quickly.
["It seems no reinforcements are coming…. Something must have happened."]

If reinforcements were coming, they should have arrived long ago. The fact that none had appeared meant something had gone wrong.
He needed to confirm the situation.
Hooo—!!

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader focused all his remaining power into his feet. At the sight of this, the two women braced themselves, preparing for an intense onslaught.
["Hah!!"]
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader shot forward like a drawn bowstring. He was fast.

Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah moved instinctively. They launched twin streaks of light, intending to block his advance.
Thud! Thud!
"…!"

"Gasp!"
Their eyes widened at the sight. Their attacks had landed.
But that wasn’t what shocked them.

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader, as if expecting the attack, barely avoided a critical hit, brushing past them to dart forward.
They finally realized his goal.
Namgung Bi-ah immediately enveloped herself in lightning qi and pursued him, but—

["Stop."]
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader had already reached his destination.
In his hand was an unconscious Gu Yangcheon.

["Move, and this boy’s life is forfeit."]
At his words, the two women froze.
Satisfied with their reaction, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s lips curled into a smile.

As expected.
These women were incapable of fighting properly while trying to protect this boy.
In that case, all he had to do was seize the boy.
["For all your skill, you’re disappointingly dull."]

Even the Star King had been no different. While he had fought valiantly to protect those women, this method had forced him to block every path and rendered such a strategy impossible.
These two, however, lacked the experience and finesse, making it easier to secure his position.
["Drop your weapons and kneel."]

Crunch!
When there was no response, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader tightened his grip.
Finally, the two women relented, releasing their power.
Seeing this, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s smirk deepened.

It seemed his plan had succeeded.
But then—
["Now, kneel."]

"..."
"..."
For some reason, the two only released their power. They did not kneel as he demanded.

Instead, they stared at Gu Yangcheon in his grasp with strange expressions.
The Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s brows furrowed.
["Can’t you hear me? Must I break this boy’s neck before you—"]

"Take your hands off me, insect."
Startled, the Celestial Stream Sect Leader stopped mid-sentence. He glanced at his hand.
The voice had come from Gu Yangcheon.

But the boy remained unconscious, his eyes closed.
Was it a mistake? The thought crossed his mind, but then—
Gu Yangcheon spoke again, opening his eyes.

The Celestial Stream Sect Leader met his gaze.
In that moment, Gu Yangcheon raised a hand to the Sect Leader’s face.
"Disgusting."

Boom---!!!
Black flames erupted onto the Celestial Stream Sect Leader’s face.