Chapter 1001: The Divine Tree and the Master.

A dark space where no light penetrated.

Following that path, I moved my way, and a silent space appeared, devoid even of the few signs of life.

Kkiik.

Yusa sat in a wooden box with nothing in it. His light green hair fluttered.

Watching him, I thought.

‘He’s strong.’

Strong.

Perhaps because I had reached Transcendence, I could see it exceptionally well. Things I hadn’t noticed until now were clearly discernible from him.

‘Strong and massive.’

Not just the power he possessed.

Even when I saw him last time, I felt it; the intense presence contained within that small body kept bothering me.

Back then, I didn’t know.

What was contained within that small body.

There was only a prediction that something existed.

‘Now I can see.’

My body, having reached a new level, could see more.

‘……He’s intentionally maintaining that small body.’

Compressed, compressed again.

For some reason, Yusa was applying considerable pressure to maintain that frail body.

‘This is absurd.’

I felt like laughing.

I managed to hold it in somehow.

But no matter how I looked at it, it was absurd.

‘He was harboring that?’

Yusa was far different from my expectations. To what extent?

‘It’s a miracle I survived that night.’

The night I confronted both Cheongsaek and Yusa. The fact that I survived after provoking him, and even the words I exchanged with him face-to-face back then flashed through my mind.

The fact that I said those things and survived was laughable.

‘He was that strong.’

My eyes changed, allowing me to glimpse his true form.

Just how deeply should I have looked? And how much pressure would I have needed to exert…

‘To hide that size?’

Behind Yusa, I stared into the space where his shadow stretched.

The shadow, extending as if to cover the entire building, sent shivers down my spine just looking at it.

It was certain.

‘If I had fought him, I would have lost.’

When I was at Hwagyeong, I thought I could have managed if I used every trick in the book, but…

‘What a joke.’

Looking back now, no words could have been more arrogant.

‘Trying to win against that?’

I felt ridiculous, thinking back to my ignorant self.

And, I thought it was fortunate that I knew now.

If I had fought Yusa, I would have died unconditionally. I didn’t know it then, but I knew it now.

‘Would using my techniques have been enough?’

Myung and Magi.

The realms of Gwijung and Authority.

If I had used not only the martial arts I possessed but also all other external powers, could I have faced him?

‘Hmm.’

I couldn’t be sure since I never tried, but if I had to guess.

‘It might have been possible.’

It wasn’t impossible. Myung and my Authority were fatal to him.

Then.

‘What about now?’

What about now?

Could I face him now that I’ve reached Transcendence?

As I pondered this, looking at him.

“You. You know who I am, right?”

“……You are the General.”

I know him well. He was the one getting thrashed by Noya-nim last time.

Recalling that moment, I quietly watched him.

“Then you know where that guy is right now, don’t you?”

Yusa continued speaking to me.

Hearing the words ‘that guy,’ I nodded.

“Who are you referring to?”

“The one you call Sect Leader.”

“……Ah.”

I belatedly nodded at Yusa’s words.

I already knew who he was talking about, but I was also pretending not to know.

“What is that guy doing now?”

“Hmm, well. General, why are you looking for our Sect Leader…?”

“I have something to ask him.”

“Something to ask?”

I glanced at Yusa’s expression. I sensed impatience.

Was it just impatience? I sensed an unknown anxiety mixed in.

It wasn’t the same expression as the people seen in Ya-wol, but…

‘It seems there has been a change in his thinking.’

My killing of Baeksaek yesterday must have made him realize something was wrong.

If he realized it here…

‘Rather than Baeksaek’s death.’

It was the strangeness surrounding the ‘Ju-in’, who hadn’t appeared when Baeksaek was taken down.

There was a possibility that Yusa, not just me, felt it too.

If that’s the case, what would he be thinking?

‘I know well that he’s wavering.’

But in which direction is he wavering?

That’s what I was curious about.

“Hey.”

In that situation, Yusa called me again.

“……Answer me. What is that guy doing now?”

“I don’t know either.”

“What?”

Yusa frowned at my answer.

“I was also given orders, so I don’t know exactly what the Sect Leader is doing.”

“What do you mean? Why don’t you know if you received orders?”

‘Aren’t you here on the Sect Leader’s orders?’ Hearing my implied question, I thought for a moment.

Though it was just a moment, a brief pause like taking a breath, I formulated my answer.

“It’s because the person who gave me orders was not the Sect Leader.”

“What are you….”

Yusa stopped mid-sentence.

He must have been thinking right now.

If not the Sect Leader, then who gave me orders? It was probably the being who had recently occupied Yusa’s mind.

Thinking of that, I gave him the answer.

“Cheonma (Heavenly Demon).”

“…….”

“He gave me the order.”

Upon mentioning Cheonma, Yusa bit his lip. His face showed he was deep in thought.

Watching him, I said to him.

“Therefore, I wanted to see you, General, anyway. It’s truly fortunate that I can see you like this.”

“……What?”

Mentioning Yusa, he widened his eyes and looked at me.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I came to see you, General, on his orders.”

“……What?”

At the words ‘you came to see me,’ Yusa’s eyes flickered.

It wasn’t a lie. I had indeed come to see Yusa.

It was just… I was contemplating.

Whether to take care of my business here.

‘Or perhaps.’

I shifted my gaze to look beyond the city wall.

‘Do it out there.’

I thought about it, but the conclusion was already formed.

“You came to see me? Why?”

Yusa asked, looking at me. His attitude conveyed urgency.

Sensing that, I said to him.

“Cheonma wishes to see you, General.”

Upon hearing my answer, Yusa’s eyes narrowed.

“……But why are you the one coming to deliver the message?”

“He has something he’s doing right now, so I came to relay the message in his stead.”

“Ha-! Something he’s doing?”

He has something to do after causing this mess?

His reaction was filled with that implication.

Kwadeudeudeuk-!!

Energy erupted from Yusa’s body. His displeasure was clearly evident.

Ppudeudeuk.

A rough sound came from his teeth grinding.

The more he did, the stronger the energy became. Feeling that, I carefully knelt.

“It… It hurts. So… Much.”

I deliberately groaned and collapsed.

“……?”

Yusa looked at me strangely at my action.

What?

‘……It was perfect?’

He seemed amazed by my acting of collapsing under the pressure.

Suspicion instantly dawned in Yusa’s eyes.

Damn it. What is it?

“You….”

As Yusa was about to say something, looking at me, I spoke first.

“……Before midnight-! Tell him to come to the North Forest……! Along with the message that you know the location, General!”

I spoke while looking at the ground, trying to hide my face. I thought it might be better if my face was hidden.

“The North Forest……”

Hearing the location, Yusa retracted the energy he was emitting.

And then.

“……This is so annoying, really.”

Padeudeuk-!!

Grinding his teeth roughly, he stood up. Then he looked at me and said.

“You.”

“Yes……”

“Tell the Sect Leader this clearly too. If he doesn’t come find me before it’s too late, I’ll go myself and chew his head off. Got it?”

“……I will deliver the message.”

Keureureung.

A beast-like growl was heard, and then Yusa’s presence faded from the front.

How far did he go? Or was he watching from nearby?

While thinking that, I didn’t straighten my kneeling knees.

After a long while.

“……Hmph.”

Pretending to let out a rough breath, I staggered to my feet.

Then I recalled Yusa’s words. It was absurd. It was laughable that he was acting so high and mighty after getting beaten black and blue by Noya-nim.

Ttdudeuk.

I flexed my hands. The sound of bones cracking echoed from my fingers.

I slowly stretched my body. My expression at that time must have been completely distorted.

This is really not good. Is it the aftereffect of reaching Transcendence? I get upset over trivial things.

‘……Chew my head off, you son of a bitch.’

Whose head does he think he can chew off?

The more I repeated it, the more strength gathered.

Though I moved my body while suppressing my emotions, it wasn’t as easy as I thought.

‘Chew?’

Chew whose head?

Kkeudeudeu…

As I recalled the words, something stirred in my shadow. It was Tam.

My Authority, sensing my emotions, was trying to push its head out recklessly.

Even while seeing that, I didn’t force it down, but…

‘Try to hold on.’

I spoke to it, trying to calm it down.

‘Not now. Endure.’

Just endure a little longer. It’ll be over soon anyway.

As I thought this repeatedly.

Kkeudeude…

Tam seemed to calm down and seeped back into the shadow.

“…….”

Confirming that, I reached into my pocket and took something out.

It was a white mask.

Putting it on my face, I moved my body.

---

Around midnight, I crossed the city wall and arrived at the location.

The North Forest. More precisely, it was around the place where I had met Yusa before.

Upon arriving and surveying the area, I saw someone standing in the center.

It was Yusa.

Pasak.

As I appeared, stepping on the grass, Yusa reacted quickly.

“Were you waiting?”

Yusa glared at me in response to my words.

“……I heard you summoned me.”

“Yes, I had business with you, this venerable one. So, I sent the child to relay the message, and it seems I did well.”

“What’s your purpose?”

“It’s just that I have something to ask you.”

“Something to ask?”

Yusa furrowed his brow deeply.

Seeing that, I asked directly.

“General. Do you know the location of the Sacred Tree in Ya-wol?”

“…….”

I got straight to the point without beating around the bush, and upon hearing that, Yusa…

Keureureung.

He let out a beast-like growl and began emitting killing intent.

The ground slowly vibrated with that intense growl.