Chapter 1046: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Quaaaahhhh!

A blue light pours down, becoming a giant pillar.

Its size is enormous, far exceeding the pit I made.

Kugugugung!

The ground shakes terribly. It was a vibration so intense that I couldn’t stand properly without exerting my energy.

“Keuk.”

I barely managed to land my body, which had been flung away by the impact.

Nevertheless, I was on the verge of being pushed back by the wind pressure.

Kwadeudeuk.

My soles slid, leaving marks on the floor.

Frowning, I poured more energy into my body.

Kwak!

Only when the ground cracked under the unbearable weight could I stop my body.

Right then, I reached out my hand.

Huuk!

Energy burst forth from my fingertips, enveloping Ya-rang, who was beside me.

I grabbed and held her steady.

Ya-rang, held fast, turns to look at me.

Even though she wore a mask, her gaze was clearly visible.

Whether she was some kind of creature, her expression was hidden, but her pupils were visible.

I couldn’t quite tell what emotion it was, but at least it wasn’t hostility.

That’s a relief.

Such a thought flashed through my mind, and I promptly erased it.

Because it wasn’t something I should be thinking about right now.

‘What do I need to do about this first.’

The monstrous pillar visible before me. Looking at it, I let out a groan.

‘What is that.’

What on earth is that?

It was clearly something unusual, I could tell just by looking, and I felt it the same way.

The problem is.

‘What I’m feeling is even worse.’

What could that vast energy possibly be?

Moreover, it wasn’t just that the energy was large.

‘It’s entirely made of life force.’

That pillar of so much energy was entirely composed of life force. The innate life force that living beings possess from birth.

It was a form refined and refined, then condensed.

It was tremendous. I’d never encountered such overwhelming life force before. What kind of energy could that possibly be?

In reality, there was no need to think. Hadn’t I already seen the origin of such life force?

‘Crystal.’

The life force that came out of the crystals. All of it piled up in the air, and then poured onto it.

‘Those crystals…’

The life forces I had been sensing ever since I arrived.

They were the crystals piled up throughout this inexplicable gray space. As soon as I saw the crystals, I knew.

‘What was inside was alive.’

Although they were made of crystal, the life forms within were still breathing.

They must have been alive within the crystal, unable to die yet.

It’s horrific.

How could they have remained alive in such a state?

‘…Was it that thing’s doing?’

The last general, known as the Crow.

As far as I could tell, he seemed to be trying to do something without Mother’s knowledge. An unexpected anomaly occurred, so it seems he hastily dealt with the situation.

‘What is that…’

The result of dealing with it like that is that pillar?

What on earth could that nonsensical statement possibly mean?

Shiiiiiaaaa!

The relentlessly pouring energy. It was full of life force, making it seem sacred, but knowing how it was made, it felt ominous.

‘This isn’t the time.’

This isn’t the time to feel such things. If I feel them, I must resolve it.

If I leave it like this, everything will be ruined.

I know that instinctively.

Kwagak.

Piercing through the wind pressure, I sent out energy.

I clenched my fist and fired flames, but…

Pareureuk!

The advancing flames were ridiculously pushed back by the energy and repelled.

“Huh?”

“What the hell. Why did that get repelled?”

It was absurd. As I stared at it with bewildered eyes…

Kkuuk.

Someone grabbed my collar. I looked, and of course, it was Ya-rang. She pointed to her sword with her hand.

“What is it all of a sudden?”

At that moment.

Paaah!

The Demon-Slaying energy envelops her sword.

“……!”

Seeing that, I realized. Was she telling me to use Demon-Slaying?

At the same time, I had a question.

“You…”

“How did you know I could use Demon-Slaying energy?”

I wanted to ask that, but the situation wasn’t favorable.

Putting the question aside, I first focused power into my heart.

Hwa-reureureureuk!

Immediately, flames enveloped my body. Grasping the flames burning along my shoulders in my hand.

Then, I resonated deep inside my heart.

As a result.

Hwa-reuk!

The flames’ color changed. No, rather than changing, it was like shedding a shell; the blue color disappeared, leaving only white.

Demon-Slaying (破魔).

An alien energy that annihilates evil. The Demon-Slaying flames wrapped around my hand.

Grasping the white flames, I manipulated the energy accordingly.

Hwa-reureuk!

The ring floating behind my back had also long since changed color.

Giiiiiiing!

As I applied power to the changed ring, it began to spin madly. Scattering embers, the white flames swirled violently.

I changed the form of the flames thus created.

From a Flame Prison into a Sacred Lance.

It was the first time I’d done this with white flames, but it wasn’t that difficult.

It’s just that I felt a slight discomfort in my heart. Other than that, it was fine.

As I grasped the Sacred Lance thus created.

Quaaaahhhh!

Ya-rang beside me, seemingly having finished her preparations, gathered light onto her sword.

Seeing that, I twisted my waist. Ya-rang moved her sword as if she had been waiting.

A white flash split the air.

The sword strike and the Sacred Lance rushed towards the pillar.

Although their power was diminished by the wind pressure, that was only for an instant. By pouring in overwhelming energy, they weren’t pushed back just to this extent.

Then, the energy poured towards the light.

Following that.

Tung!

Along with a small noise.

Kuuuuung!

An explosion occurred. The pillar broke, scattering. The energy that had been striking down was disrupted and instead shot up into the air.

A mushroom cloud rose.

A mushroom cloud tangled with life force and white energy. Watching it spread like that, I lowered my gaze.

Not yet.

‘What about it?’

Demon-Slaying works. So the energy was cut off, but…

‘It’s still there.’

Although the energy’s explosion had an effect, I could still tell.

‘It’s not dead.’

That thing didn’t die. Rather…

‘What is this feeling?’

The sense of foreboding doubled. The hair on my arms stood on end. An inexplicable sense of unease rose within me.

Huuuk.

The smoke subsided. This was my doing.

Waving my hand, I created wind to clear it. I needed to see what was ahead quickly.

Because no matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see what was inside the smoke.

After clearing the smoke like that, where I looked…

“…What is that?”

Something was there.

Hududuk.

Breaking through a shell, something rose up.

It had a human form, but its skin was incredibly white. The wings on its back had increased from two pairs to three pairs.

Is it the Crow?

That’s the Crow? It had changed significantly compared to the form I first saw.

What is that? That thing…

‘Is it even a living creature?’

Is it something that breathes? I couldn’t comprehend it even as I looked.

Long hair hung down, scattering on the floor.

It gradually raised its body.

Hwaak!

Its three pairs of wings revealed their immense form.

It raised its head, its gaze falling upon me through its hair.

Blue.

Blue, and yet more blue pupils.

The sky was contained within them.

Osak!

“……!”

I got goosebumps. When our eyes met, my entire body trembled.

What kind of being is that? It feels like looking up at the sky.

An incomprehensible, distant being. Something that surpassed my comprehension was looking at me.

Just then.

“How detestable.”

It spoke. It was strange; though it was speaking, its voice sounded like it was striking down from the heavens.

“To be hindered even by this. How could you lot break through God’s blessing? I find it baffling.”

Seureuk.

Its feet moved.

One step back.

The instincts of my human self urged me to flee immediately.

My instincts as a dragon urged me to devour that thing.

Facing a being I couldn’t possibly comprehend, feeling fear.

My dragon self was saying to tear apart and eat this superior opponent.

Regardless, I had faced an absurd being.

“You couldn’t even obtain half. What a shame. But…”

It disappeared. I moved the moment I saw it.

“This alone is enough. What do you think?”

It was already in front of me.

“How does it feel to face a truly great being?”

“……”

The blue eyes spoke to me. I bit my lip. I was certain.

‘I can’t win.’

I really can’t win this.

I couldn’t feel its energy or its presence. The only thing I could sense was a faint life force.

I clenched my arm. My dragon instincts kept stirring, urging me to bite its neck off.

‘Damn it. Just stay still for a second.’

I forcibly stopped it.

“What are you?”

I asked the question.

“Ha.”

At my words, it let out a hollow laugh.

“You haven’t lost your spirit even after facing me. I should praise you for that.”

It grinned broadly.

“As for me?”

To my question, it replied.

“I, yes. I am the new master of the myriad realms, sent by the heavens.”

“What kind of crazy talk is this now?”

A new master of the myriad realms? It was something I’d never heard of before.

A new master out of nowhere? What kind of bullshit is this?

Unable to comprehend, I stared at it.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.”

Its eyes curved into crescent moons.

“Because it’s not something you need to know.”

Hearing that, my body reacted instinctively. It was an automatic reflex born from the chill, but…

Chwaak.

Its fingertips had already dug into my shoulder.

It was too late. I couldn’t keep up with the speed.

If it continued like this, my upper body would be torn off. My eyes widened in alarm.

Something rushed forward in front of me.

Paaat!

The intervening body pushed me back.

Chwaaak!

It took the attack instead of me.

It was Ya-rang.

“Eh?”

Ya-rang collapses.

Tuk.

The black mask covering her face fell off.

Rolling onto the floor, her face was revealed to the world once more.

A familiar face.

It was the face I had longed to see so much.

“……”

That face collapsed powerlessly.

Lying on the floor, she was completely still.

“Ah.”

Ah.

A single sound escaped me.

And then.

From that moment on, something snapped inside my head.