Chapter 1013: The Divine Tree and the Master.

“Hello.”

Cheonma waved her hand. Seeing her, I narrowed my brow.

It wasn’t strange for her to appear and greet me like that. I already knew her actions were strange, so that wasn’t the issue.

“…What are you riding?”

The being Cheonma was currently riding. That was the problem.

I pointed at the black wolf-like creature with my hand, and Cheonma looked down, following my hand. Then she looked back at me and said.

“Friend.”

“…What?”

“Friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yeah.”

“…That thing? And you?”

“Yeah.”

What kind of crazy talk was this now? Cheonma had befriended Kkureungi? I couldn’t even react properly to the absurd statement.

-Kkureureung.

At Cheonma’s words, Kkureungi let out a low growl. Was that a denial or an affirmation? I lacked the ability to discern the meaning of that short growl to feel that much. So I just stared at the creature. Kkureungi suddenly lifted its head and looked at Cheonma. Their eyes met. Then Cheonma casually slid off its back. Did they have some kind of conversation during that brief eye contact?

-Kkureureung.

After that, Kkureungi slowly walked over and stopped in front of me. Its appearance was truly like that of a dog or a wolf. It stared at me with purple eyes, similar to Cheonma’s. Gazing at it, I narrowed my eyes and asked.

“…You… were you perhaps waiting for me?”

-Kkureureung.

For a beast’s growl, it was quite a crude sound. As it growled, the creature slightly nodded its head. It meant it had been waiting because it knew I would look for it. This meant.

“So you knew too.”

This guy also knew about the arrangements Mother made.

“Is it okay to be out here like this?”

I heard it was located beneath the Sacred Tree. Was it okay for it to come out like this? Asking with curiosity, the creature answered with action instead.

Sssueueue-!!

Its body began to change. From its wolf-like form, it gradually shrank and transformed into the shape of a small bird. Then it flew up and landed on my head. Seeing that, I realized.

‘It’s a clone.’

It wasn’t the main body. It seemed like it had left its main body under the Sacred Tree and appeared as a clone.

-Kkureureung.

The creature pointed somewhere with its beak. Was it telling me to move? I started walking in the direction its beak was pointing. Just then, Cheonma reacted as if she was going to follow, and Kkureungi looked at her.

“….”

Cheonma, receiving that gaze, frowned and stopped. Seeing this, I let out a hollow laugh.

“You guys seem close?”

“We’re friends.”

“…Right. Make lots of friends.”

Whether you make friends or not is up to you. I leaped slightly, as if saying I’d be back. My body lifted, increasing the distance. I felt eyes on my back. Cheonma was staring intently at me as I flew away. I felt it, but deliberately ignored it and moved away.

---

The location I moved to wasn’t far. It was still within the Mount Hua Sect, after all. It was just a place with fewer people, but still visible from afar, the Sacred Tree. As I moved a certain distance, Kkureungi, who had been on my head, hopped down.

Kkureureung.

It made its characteristic growling sound, and as soon as it landed on the ground, it changed its form again. This time, it was a rabbit.

“…What are you doing?”

Why does it keep changing its body? Especially transforming into animal forms, it felt somewhat strange.

Kkureureung.

The creature growled as if telling me not to mind… But how could I not mind? The way it tapped its large ears with its hind legs made it look like a real rabbit. I tried to ignore it and spoke to the creature.

“I went to see Mother.”

-….

At my words, the creature paused for a moment. Then, perhaps my imagination, it looked at me with calm eyes.

“If you have anything you want to ask, she said to ask you. Oh, and she said to tell you thank you?”

-….

At those words, the creature’s ears perked up. Seeing that, I continued.

“I have something I want to ask.”

There was something I had always wanted to ask the creature.

“You. Since when exactly have you been inside me?”

-….

Since when had the Master of the Bottomless Pit been inside me? I knew the creature was also part of Mother’s arrangements. The problem was.

‘So since when?’

Since when exactly had Mother’s arrangement been contained within my body? Was it before I regressed, or after? In my past life, I didn’t even know of the existence of the Bottomless Pit. Even at the moment of my death. That’s why I asked the creature. The creature, which had been quietly watching me.

-From the beginning…

This time, it spoke to me, not with a growl. It wasn’t surprising. It had spoken occasionally before. The problem was.

“From the beginning?”

The ‘beginning’ the creature mentioned. That was the problem.

“…When is that beginning from?”

It was an ambiguous answer. So I decided to ask differently.

“Was it before I regressed? Or after.”

-….

The creature knew I had regressed anyway. So I asked directly. Then.

-From the beginning.

The creature gave the same answer again. But this time, the meaning felt distinctly different.

“…You mean, from before I regressed?”

Before I regressed upon my death. It meant the Bottomless Pit had been in my body since then.

“Why? For what purpose were you in my body? You… no.”

I paused for a moment, then asked again.

“Are you the Madocheonheupgong?”

The power of the Heavenly Demon that allowed me to reach this point. Did you become its manifestation? Or were you the one giving me such power? That was the meaning behind the question.

Shaking its head.

Kkureungi shook its head at my words. Just as I thought it was a denial.

-That’s a cover.

The creature spoke to me again.

“…A cover? What do you mean?”

-Or a shadow.

“Speak properly. What do you mean by shadow or cover?”

-You… were not supposed to become the Master. This… is for that.

“…!”

Hearing the creature’s words, my eyes widened. What did that mean? I wasn’t supposed to become the Master? And that’s why it was covered by the Madocheonheupgong? That meant.

“…Are you saying the Madocheonheupgong prevented me from becoming the Master?”

This time, the Master of the Bottomless Pit nodded. The Turtle said my soul was twisted, allowing me to escape my original fate. Could the twisting mean the Madocheonheupgong? If so, that was strange. I couldn’t understand.

“That can’t be. Why would the Madocheonheupgong play such a role? This…”

It wasn’t something Mother gave me, but a power bestowed by the Heavenly Demon. How could it have such an effect? Moreover, seeing the creature speak like that, it seemed like the Master of the Bottomless Pit itself was related to the Madocheonheupgong.

“That’s strange. You were in my body at Mother’s request-“

-No.

“What?”

Before I could finish, the Master of the Bottomless Pit denied my words. No? ‘Not at Mother’s request?’ That couldn’t be right. Mother had clearly said that the Master of the Bottomless Pit was helping at her request. But if the creature said no, it didn’t make sense. Just as I was about to be flustered by the contradictory statement.

-I am.

The Master of the Bottomless Pit told me.

-Helping you at a friend’s request.

“Friend? What friend are you-!”

I stopped talking and turned my head. Friend? That word burrowed into my mind.

‘A friend…?’

Someone the Master of the Bottomless Pit would call a friend. At that word, someone came to mind. Didn’t I just see the Master of the Bottomless Pit call it a friend moments ago?

“…Cheonma?”

The one who described herself as a friend to the Master of the Bottomless Pit. Furthermore.

‘The woman who made me regress.’

The Demon King from my past life who directly influenced my regression. Not Mother, but her…

‘…Not just regression, but the one who put the Master of the Bottomless Pit into my body?’

It was an unimaginable thought.

---

A huge cave located at the summit of Mount Maryeong. A quiet and desolate place where even wild animals wouldn’t cry out. Here, even insects would hold their breath and flee, trying desperately not to approach. Do not even breathe without his permission. That was the established rule of Mount Maryeong. It warned that if his mood was disturbed, the entire mountain would shake. How ridiculous those established rules were.

Kugugugugugugugugung—-!!!!!

One day, the mountain was shaking. The vibrations originating from the mountain summit spread in all directions. The roughly spreading tremors shook as if to shatter the mountain. Where was the center of these violent vibrations? Digging and digging, I entered the cave at the summit and found the cause. Inside the cave, a being with a massive body sat cross-legged. The aura emanating from it was shaking the entire mountain.

Kuhu-!

Huu-!!

The being, with a human body and a face made of hands, exhaled breaths ceaselessly. With every exhale, flames erupted.

“Krrreureureu.”

A rough, low growl spread across the floor. As if conveying his mood, his explosive aura and bulging muscles were busy emphasizing his presence. After stirring for a long time, the being slowly rose from its seated position.

Kung-!!

As its massive body moved, the surroundings shook. The being stood straight, planting its feet, its gleaming eyes rolling continuously.

Huuuu-!

A sigh filled with flames covered the floor.

Kureureung.

Beyond the growl breaking the silence, the being. The General Commander of the Ten Thousand Realms spoke.

“The idiot is dead?”

Krrreureureureureu.

The Commander spoke, turning around. He wasn’t talking to himself. Leaning against the cave wall, a man stood in silence.

“Is that true?”

“It is true.”

“Keuhheuh….”

Another general had died. Hearing this, the Commander let out a sound. If anything, the sound was close to elation.

“How foolish.”

Who did it. How it happened. He didn’t even hear such details. Just the fact that it was dead made the Commander laugh.

“What did the Master say?”

“The Master is currently away for a moment. However, being omnipotent, they surely already know.”

“Krrreureu.”

“This means a vacancy will arise, so we’ll need to bring in a new general… but resolving this matter is the priority.”

“Resolve?”

“Yes. Since a general has died, we must resolve this matter before we can select a new one.”

“It’s just one idiot who died. Is there really a need for that?”

As the Commander spoke as if it were no big deal, the man frowned. As always, it was difficult to converse with this guy for long.

“…Forget it. It’ll just be tiring to talk further. Besides, I didn’t come here to discuss solutions.”

Flutter-!

Black wings fluttered from the man’s back.

“Today, I merely came to deliver a warning.”

“A warning?”

“Yes, excluding those who stepped down voluntarily, this is the first general’s death in a long time. Since the Master is busy, be cautious on your own.”

“Ha.”

At those words, the Commander burst into laughter.

Ku-gung-!

As he laughed, the entire mountain vibrated greatly.

“Do you think I, Yusa, am the same as that punk?”

If you just considered the basics, he didn’t seem much different. The man hid such thoughts and said.

“…It means there’s no harm in being cautious.”

“Get lost.”

The Commander, not hiding his irritation, told the man.

“Tsk.”

Reacting to that, the man clicked his tongue and moved his hand. His fingers sliced through the air, and surprisingly, a dimension tore open, revealing his body.

“Just as a precaution, don’t think about moving unnecessarily-“

The man reached out, mid-sentence. At that moment.

Ku-aaaaaaaaa—-!!!

A rough tearing sound erupted from the man’s palm. The Commander had swung his arm to attack.

“I told you to get lost.”

“…Hmph.”

The man ultimately didn’t reply, shook his head, and stepped into the torn dimension. And so, the man disappeared. Left alone, the Commander swung his fist once more towards the direction the man had vanished.

Kwaaaaaa-!!!

With a rough gust of wind, the cave wall crumbled.

“Krrreureureu.”

The Commander’s eyes gleamed. There is someone who kills generals. And there is someone who can kill them. At those words, a certain being came to the Commander’s mind.