Chapter 448: Resonance.

As the flames were shifting into a menacing form.

“I know you summoned us unnecessarily. How could I not know.”

“Heeu… heeu…”

The voice, brimming with laughter, was rather frightening.

How could one not fear the palpable killing intent contained within the words, so thick as it was?

“Your pathetic struggles are amusing to watch…. Unfortunately, they’ve grown a bit tiresome. Meaning, it’s too much to watch for long.”

Chulkeok.

Mageomhu placed his hand on the sword’s hilt.

It seemed he understood the intention without needing words.

It was the same for me.

‘That bastard is pissed.’

And not just pissed, but properly pissed off. The way he spoke while chuckling was exactly that.

As expected, his inability to control his anger is legendary.

Biyeonseom seemed to be at his limit.

“Huuk… huuk…”

His breathing was ragged.

The aura he possessed was clearly in disarray.

Biyeonseom wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure from the Demon King right in front of him for much longer.

While the Demon King’s demonic energy encroached from all sides, Mookwon appeared from behind, dragging the Demon Cultists.

Perhaps seeing me and Mageomhu charge forward, he must have hastily picked up the pace to lead them.

Mookwon is quite perceptive.

As soon as he assessed the situation, he slightly frowned and gestured behind him.

In response, the Demon Cultists stirred, raising their fighting spirit.

On the verge of breaking out.

That seems to be the perfect description.

It means battle is about to erupt.

Even amidst this, I was busy looking around.

I needed to understand why this damn situation had unfolded.

Of course, the situation was important, but…

‘Where is she.’

There was something more important.

According to the information Mookwon provided, she should definitely be here.

‘So Geomseong….’

The Wi Seol-ah of this era.

I heard she was here, but she wasn’t visible yet.

Was she in the village far away?

Just as I was glancing around here and there.

Ttuk.

Biyeonseom, who had been facing the Demon King, soon stumbled, his stance faltering.

Fortunately, he didn’t fall, but he looked like he was about to.

What was puzzling was.

Not just the Demon King, but Mageomhu and even Mookwon had already lost interest in Biyeonseom.

No…

‘Were they not looking from the start?’

I followed their gazes and looked somewhere.

It was empty space where nothing could be seen.

I focused my internal energy towards that spot. I figured they were looking because something was there.

Then.

‘…!’

I really felt something.

It was faint, but there was definitely something there.

‘This is.’

An unknown chill.

A sensation like someone pointing a sword at me.

Recalling that, I activated my body’s internal energy.

Now I understood why everyone was directing their gazes over there.

I had been so focused on So Geomseong that I’d forgotten the crucial part.

That she wasn’t the only one here.

Pajijik.

Lightning crackled in the empty space where nothing had been.

Mageomhu reacted slightly upon seeing it. That was clearly similar to her lightning energy.

As I stared at the empty space, suppressing my pounding heart.

[You are still the same, io.]

The voice came along with the growing lightning energy.

Paduk-! The lightning energy gradually grew in size, quickly forming an apparition.

The apparition, which seemed to be made of energy, gradually took on the form of a person.

Tak.

As the figure that appeared in the air touched the ground.

Hooook-! The pressure that had been spreading around rapidly receded.

The figure that appeared suddenly was a white-haired old man.

The old man, with his hands behind his back, approached slowly with light steps.

Confirming that, I swallowed dryly.

I saw white hair that spoke of history and blue eyes that reminded me of someone.

It was someone I hadn’t faced in a long time either.

More precisely, it was someone I hadn’t met since my regression.

“Heok… heok…”

Perhaps because the pressure had lifted. Biyeonseom was continuously gasping for breath.

As the old man approached and touched Biyeonseom’s back with his hand.

“Kulok.”

Biyeonseom vomited black blood.

It seemed he had forcibly corrected his twisted insides.

“Rest for a bit.”

“S-sorry.”

In response to Biyeonseom’s words, the old man patted his shoulder, answering in his stead.

The Demon King, watching that expressionlessly, spoke towards the old man.

“I was wondering where you were hiding. So you were here.”

“Kkulkkul…. Hiding? I’ve never hidden.”

“Because you kept on my nerves like a rat, I thought you were desperately thrashing about in fear.”

‘Wow.’

Just hearing it made my head spin; it was such a provocation.

I wanted to shut that damned bastard’s mouth right then and there.

I wondered if his brain wasn’t pickled by demonic energy.

‘…Did I really act like that?’

I wanted to deny it.

To be able to act so brazenly in front of not just anyone, but one of the Three Venerables and the absolute master of the Namgung family…

‘I really was living life on the edge.’

The old man before my eyes was none other than Cheonjun (天尊 – Heavenly Venerable).

Facing the ancient being sitting in the heavens of the Central Plains, the Demon King was casually running his mouth.

“I was just about to kill and eliminate the ancient being nearby, as I heard there was one. Good timing.”

Kkulkkul.

Even at the Demon King’s words, Cheonjun merely smiled.

“…An ancient being…. Yes, that’s right. I suppose I am living just to avoid dying.”

Cheonjun smiled wryly and looked somewhere.

In Mageomhu’s direction.

“It’s been a while.”

“…”

To Cheonjun’s words, Mageomhu offered no reply.

He simply stared at him silently.

The Namgung family had been annihilated by Mageomhu’s hand.

Cheonjun couldn’t stop it, so if there were any Namgung bloodline left in the entire Central Plains, it would only be these two.

It was truly an uncomfortable relationship.

“…I have things to discuss and stories to conclude now that we meet after so long, but unfortunately, I have something else to attend to first.”

Something to attend to?

I focused my attention on Cheonjun’s words.

As expected, it meant there was something to be done here.

“Something to attend to….”

The other ‘me’ also heard Cheonjun’s words.

He frowned and asked Cheonjun.

“You mean you have something to do that requires you to step forward like this, ignoring the Cult Leader’s warning?”

“That’s right.”

Cheonjun smiled towards the Demon King.

“We wish to make a deal with you.”

A deal… I tried to focus for a moment to interpret that unexpected statement, but…

“Ha.”

I had to roll my eyes at the sudden burst of hollow laughter from the Demon King.

‘Ah, that’s a bad sign.’

As expected.

“A deal? Just now, that lowly creature was asking for a conversation. Now an ancient being is proposing a deal.”

“This wouldn’t be bad for you either….”

“Shut up. My ears are starting to rot.”

The pressure, which had paused momentarily, surged again.

Even the remaining trace of laughter vanished from the Demon King, leaving only palpable rage.

“The Cult Leader showed you mercy…. But as always, those who don’t know their place tend to lose gratitude.”

Flames wrapped around the Demon King’s body.

“Therefore, if you don’t know your place, it’s only right that I personally teach you.”

“…Do you always believe one must see bloodshed to be taught?”

At Cheonjun’s words, the Demon King waved his hand.

“Don’t spew your pathetic ideals at me.”

Kwaaaaaaaaah-! Following his gesture, the flames floating in the air let out a fierce roar and began to fall towards the ground.

“Because you don’t have the right to say such things either.”

The fireball, slowly beginning its descent.

Its speed was by no means slow, yet Cheonjun, facing the Demon King, merely frowned and seemed to have no intention of taking any particular action.

What is it?

Watching that, I swallowed nervously.

‘Is he really going to drop that?’

Even if I was a madman back then, I wouldn’t have just recklessly detonated it in front of Cheonjun like this.

What on earth is he thinking?

I couldn’t fathom his intentions.

Meaning, even I didn’t know what this crazy bastard was thinking, driving him to commit such madness.

Could I have defeated that old man at this time?

‘Impossible…?’

No matter how I looked at it, it was impossible.

It wasn’t about the amount of energy, but rather, they were individuals who had clearly reached a higher level than me.

It would barely be possible even if I teamed up with Mageomhu.

That was the dignity the Three Venerables possessed, yet he was recklessly causing trouble as if he didn’t care at all.

Hwarureureuk-! The flames gradually drew closer to the ground.

Consequently, deeper despair flashed across the faces of the martial artists nearby.

“Ah, no!”

“Save us!”

They began to panic and their formation started to collapse.

Even until then, Cheonjun hadn’t moved an inch.

He hadn’t drawn his sword, nor was he emitting any energy.

Why?

Was it because the power was something Cheonjun couldn’t block?

That couldn’t be.

Even with demonic energy mixed in, that old man’s power should be more than enough.

‘But why, then.’

The flames grew closer.

Soon they would hit the ground and cause a massive explosion.

Just as I wondered if he intended to burn everyone here.

Shwik-! Something flew towards the flames from beyond the sky.

Its speed was incredibly fast.

Before I could even properly identify what it was, dozens more followed, plunging towards the flames.

An anomaly occurred immediately.

Swoooooosh–!

“…!”

The massive flames, which had been exuding overwhelming might, gradually began to subside.

The black flames hovering in the air, as if being sucked somewhere, vanished in an instant.

It only took a few seconds for all those flames to disappear.

‘Ah.’

Only after confirming the anomaly did I look at the Demon King and understand his intention.

The reason he went through the trouble of using so much energy for this.

‘It was to summon someone.’

While it might have been to establish dominance, the true intention was to show someone and summon that person.

In the space where the flames had vanished, something was slowly rotating. It was swords.

Several strange swords imbued with golden light.

They were gracefully floating in the air.

Witnessing the flames disappear, the martial artists, who had been filled with despair moments before, began to cheer.

It seemed they recognized whose swords those were.

“She’s here…! The Great Master has arrived!”

At their shouts, the Demon Cultists frowned and looked towards the sky.

Just then, the golden swords floating in the air flew rapidly towards somewhere.

The location was directly above where Cheonjun was standing.

In the space where there had been no one just moments before, someone appeared to be floating.

“…”

Seeing her, I had to bite my lip.

As it was a fantasy related to my past life, I had the thought that I might possibly meet her someday.

I didn’t know whether to call this anticipation, worry.

Or perhaps anxiety.

I had consistently anticipated the possibility of seeing her.

But.

‘…This is.’

Facing her directly, far more emotions than I expected flashed through me.

Several swords moved as if protecting the woman.

The woman stood calmly atop the swords floating in the air.

Her hair, no longer brown, had turned completely golden.

Unlike her shining pupils, her eyes, filled with fatigue, gave off a dreamlike aura.

She was different from the woman who always sat beside me, chirping away with a smile.

“…So Geomseong.”

The Demon King murmured softly, looking at the woman.

Could she possibly have heard that quiet voice?

So Geomseong directed her gaze this way.

It seemed like she was looking at the Demon King…

‘Huh?’

…Or so I thought.

Something’s strange.

‘What is it?’

So Geomseong wasn’t looking at the Demon King.

This might be a mistake, but it didn’t seem like it.

So Geomseong wasn’t looking at the Demon King. Rather than the Demon King…

‘It feels like she’s looking at me…?’

For some reason, it felt like she was looking at me.

I didn’t know why, but she was definitely looking at me.

And with eyes full of surprise, no less.