Chapter 1035: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Hooook…… Hook…….

Ragged breaths could be heard near my ears. A body, large for a human, was continuously exhaling.

Its stained purple eyes stared intently at me, piercing through the darkness.

The naked body was somewhat bothersome, but I didn’t mind it.

I too simply met its gaze, waiting for the words it would spit out.

And so, a moment flowed by.

“……What did you do?”

That guy.

The being, originally called a General, possessing the head of an ox and the body of a human.

The leader spoke to me.

“Seriously, what did you do to me…!?”

Kugung-!!

The guy roared, unleashing his aura. The sound was enough to shake the surroundings, but I merely felt the energy and nodded my head.

The reason is simple.

‘You’ve grown weaker.’

I could feel that the guy’s power had significantly weakened.

Compared to just before when we fought, maybe twice as weak?

I looked up at the sky. The moon was still up.

Confirming that, I immediately moved my hand.

Chwaak-!

“Kkuhk!?”

I cut his chest.

Blood splattered, and I could see a deep wound forming.

The guy contorted his face in pain. At that moment.

Sssshhh–!!!

Heat flowed from the wound, and it began to heal. Although the speed was quite fast.

‘Tsk.’

Even seeing that, I had to smack my lips as if disappointed.

‘Has even immortality weakened?’

His regeneration ability also seemed weaker compared to before. I considered cutting off his neck or arm again, but stopped myself.

‘It would be troublesome if he couldn’t regenerate or even died.’

After going to such lengths to create him, he couldn’t just die.

Suppressing my thoughts, I examined the guy.

Except for the horns, he looked not much different from a human. Though he looked excessively large for a human, compared to his previous size and appearance, he had shrunk considerably.

“Keeu……”

The fellow contorted his face as if frustrated. His purple eyes, shining brightly within the upward-slanted corners of his eyes.

Watching that, I closely examined the guy’s condition.

‘A demon.’

The guy had become a demon.

This was because I had made him so by emitting demonic energy.

‘Success.’

I poured demonic energy into the guy who was on the verge of death. As a result, the fellow was able to become a demon.

It was possible to corrupt him because he was nearly dead, and it was the result of extreme concentration and pouring out most of the demonic energy I possessed.

‘But why did his appearance turn out like that?’

Having succeeded in the demonification, I quickly withdrew my probing.

Then, it was good that the leader survived thanks to regeneration right before death, but…

‘…Suddenly his body changed like that.’

Abruptly, his body shrank and he became humanized.

That was the result.

‘What is it?’

What could be the reason? Why did the leader suddenly become human?

Even if he wasn’t a Moonlit Tribe member, he was at least not human.

As he became a demon, the guy’s body transformed.

‘Hmm.’

Through what process did this happen?

I confirmed the change, but work was urgent, so I went to Mareong-dong.

And when I returned.

‘Now he’s completely changed.’

An appearance that anyone would recognize as human.

Moreover, his presence has diminished, of course. Since his authority is maintained, even his power has decreased.

If I had to say, the edge of Hwagyeong. Or.

‘The upper echelon of the Ten Great Masters.’

Compared to his original transcendent level, it could be seen as significantly weakened.

“Keeu……”

The leader himself seemed aware of the situation, as his thoughts could be read from his crumpled expression.

“How dare… a mere dragon… “

A deep hatred flowed through his voice.

Just then.

Kwajijijik-!!

“Keuk!”

The backlash erupted, and the leader groaned.

It was the demonic energy reacting.

‘The demonic energy moves because he tries to resist me.’

Unlike corrupting other demons, corrupting a demon in Manye didn’t instill loyalty.

So I thought it would be difficult to use him fully.

‘It seems the demonic energy moves like this to prevent him from resisting.’

This is…

‘The same as when I was corrupted by the Heavenly Demon.’

The situation when I was captured by the Heavenly Demon and became a demon.

It was no different from that.

Those who became demons willingly, intoxicated by the Heavenly Demon’s overwhelming power, would have no problem. But there were definitely those like me who were forced into becoming demons.

Half of them swore loyalty due to the demonic energy, but…

‘I wasn’t.’

In comparison, I was different.

My mind collapsed from the demonic energy, and I lived for years rampaging like a madman.

After that, my cultivation increased, and I regained my sanity, but…

‘Even so, loyalty didn’t arise.’

Rather, I planned my escape several times. Although all of them failed.

Recalling that…

‘This guy is no different.’

He’s prevented from resisting by the demonic energy, but loyalty isn’t manifested.

Moreover.

“…Just kill me!”

Even death wasn’t permitted.

“Hmm.”

Watching this, I flicked my finger lightly.

Ttak-!

As the sound echoed, the shackles binding the guy were released.

“Keeu!?”

The guy seemed to feel them loosen and immediately charged at me. The moment he clenched his large fist, intending to swing it at me.

Uttuk-!!

Before my face could be hit by the fist, I saw his body freeze again.

It wasn’t by his own will, absolutely. The demonic energy materialized from his body, binding his flesh.

Glancing at the guy’s fist with my eyes, I then observed his expression.

“Kkeueueueue—!!!”

He tried to attack me with all his might, but the demonic energy perfectly controlled his actions.

‘Good.’

Even though the guy’s power had weakened, it wasn’t weak by any means. And yet, I was blocking him so easily in that state.

‘Is this because my cultivation has increased?’

A part that arose from reaching transcendence and gaining more energy.

I thought that might be it.

‘Although I don’t know what happened to this guy’s body.’

Becoming human.

If I had to recall a reason.

‘Perhaps it’s a problem with my psyche.’

I overlaid the characteristic of ‘demon’ onto the guy’s race. Compared to the small difference between humans and demons, the fact that this guy’s state differed…

‘…is because, within me, the concept of a demon is close to that of a human.’

I wondered if it wasn’t a change stemming from the difference in perception.

Even though I myself no longer see him as human and think of him as a dragon…

‘…to me, a demon is no different from a human.’

Since my perception is like that, I thought perhaps this phenomenon occurred when I made him a demon.

‘Though that’s just a guess.’

Even this doesn’t matter.

“Kill me—!!!”

What’s important is how I’ll make use of the leader.

“Kill me right now-“

“Shut up. I’m thinking.”

“……!!”

His mouth shut.

“Kneel.”

Kung-!

The leader immediately knelt.

I didn’t use a command, but it was convenient using the demonic energy.

“Yeah, if it were up to me, I’d prefer killing you too, you know?”

“……”

“Honestly, that would be much easier, but it’s just not that simple.”

Because Mother is a concern? Of course, that was the starting point, but…

“Since it’s come to this. If I use him well, won’t something good come of it?”

Such thoughts filled my mind.

If I can utilize such a strong individual properly. I’ll be able to use him for anything.

“Besides.”

It wasn’t just about power; I also had something to ask the leader.

“You. Why do you hate dragons so much?”

“……”

Mentioning the word ‘dragon’ made the guy’s shoulders tremble.

It wasn’t just this guy.

‘In Manye, whenever dragons are mentioned, the reactions are all similar.’

What are dragons to these people?

What were they that they harbored such negative emotions?

I asked the leader about it. Because, excluding the Small Folk, he was the one who showed the most hatred towards dragons among those I’d seen so far.

‘As for those people, they were used extensively by dragons, so that’s understandable.’

But why does this guy hate dragons so much?

I wanted to ask that.

“Keeu……”

The fellow reacted to my question. His reluctance to speak was evident, but…

“Speak.”

I moved the demonic energy to make him speak.

Then.

“…Dragons must be killed.”

The guy’s lips trembled as he began to speak.

“Arrogant and detestable beings…”

The beginning was an insult.

“They are beings whose desires were so deep that they eventually perished, buried by their own greed.”

The core was a curse.

“Thus, unable to control their instincts, they were sealed by the Master.”

The end was an unexpected statement.

‘Sealed?’

Dragons.

No, did Mother seal the Blood Demon?

---

Kugugugung-!!!

The pristine void tore open. A rift occurred, bringing forth a sense of foreignness, and someone burst out from within and rolled across the floor.

“Kluk–!”

It was a man with black, enormous wings. He rolled on the ground, letting out groans. Blood flowed during the process, soaking the floor.

“Huuuk… Huu……”

Perhaps the wounds were deep, as the man continuously took pained breaths.

“Damn it…”

Grinding his teeth simultaneously, he contorted his face.

“That… damned thing…”

The man recalled the woman he had been fighting until just moments ago. She was undeniably a tenacious bitch. She persistently pursued and ensnared him, and her strength was considerable, making it barely possible to escape.

“Shit… To think I ended up using one of my Beaks.”

He could escape by using one of the remaining ‘Beaks’, fewer than five, but the cost was too great.

“What the hell is it?”

What could those guys be?

What happened to the leader?

I could sense he wasn’t dead yet.

“…This isn’t good.”

The situation feels complicated.

“There’s still plenty of time left.”

The time for the goal the man had set hadn’t arrived yet, but if it comes to this…

“…I’ll have to advance the plan.”

Although uneasy, I had to force the progression of events.

“The opportunity has just arrived…!”

Kwang!

The man slammed the floor. The events in Manye have occurred. Mujeogaeng vanished without a trace, and because of that, the Master’s true body is currently absent.

I should have proceeded more perfectly at this time.

“Damn it…”

The man grit his teeth at the unintended anomaly. At the same time, he pulled something from his bosom.

It was a black orb.

Kwajik-!

As the man crushed it with his hand. The orb shattered, scattering fragments.

Just then.

Uuung…!!!

The void distorted, creating another rift.

Jjjeo-eok-!!

The rift momentarily changed shape, becoming like a giant eye gazing down at the man. Under the chilling gaze, the man immediately knelt and bowed his head.

The situation was tense.

“…Great Heaven (Taecheon)-isiyeo.”

The man paid his respects to the giant eye.

“There has been a snag in the plan…”

Kureureung-!!!

The eye stirred at the man’s words, then curved into a crescent moon shape. The sight was as if it were smiling.