Chapter 900: Man-gye (Ten Thousand Worlds).

The wind still did not blow in the world.

The sun was slowly rising, and the aurora, which had been so beautiful, along with the crimson waves that floated in the sky, embraced the light and disappeared without a trace.

Watching the gradually brightening sky, I thought.

‘Can you really call that gone?’

Certainly, the night had broken and the lingering stars had left their places.

But separately from that, this world was also utterly strange during the day.

The aurora and stars hadn’t disappeared. Rather, they had permeated the sky.

If you consider the time, it was heading from dawn towards noon, but the sky here, just like the night, was different from the Central Plains.

‘To think the sky would be crimson too….’

At first glance, it looked like a sunset, but it was a color fundamentally different from that.

It’s a sky I’ve never seen before in the world.

I stared at it for a moment before lowering my gaze.

I noticed this place was strange as soon as I arrived, and even if the sky was bizarre too, I didn’t have the capacity to care about it.

Because there was something even stranger right before my eyes.

Looking at his broad back, I said.

“Noy-nim.”

“Hmm?”

At my call, the figure walking ahead turned around.

He was an old man with slightly tinted, rosy eyes, a sharp gaze, and wrinkled skin.

The most respected hero of Mount Hua. Mount Hua Sword Saint Shin Cheol.

After my regression, he had barged into my body and constantly nagged and picked on me.

Back then, I could only hear him as a spirit, but now he had taken on a complete human form.

“…Where are we going right now?”

We had been walking aimlessly for already an hour.

Frustrated from only following his back, I asked him, and Shin Noy-nim made a face like he’d eaten something foul and said.

“Haven’t I been telling you to fix your impatient personality? You’re whining after barely walking. Honestly, you have such a foul temper.”

“It’s because you won’t tell me the destination! If you were Noy-nim, you would have cursed up a storm already, so why are you only giving me shit-.”

WHAM-!

“GACK!”

Feeling the impact on my crown, I immediately clutched my head.

“Giving you shit? Gi-ving you SHIT?”

“Ghhhuuuu…!”

I thought my skull was about to crack right open-

KWAANG-!!

“GACK!”

I got hit again.

I stumbled and collapsed.

The dizzying pain twisted my breathing.

I glared at Shin Noy-nim with trembling eyes.

“Why two hits…!”

“Who said I’d only hit you once? What? If you don’t like it, want another one?”

Damn it.

Not only had he taken form, but he could even touch me.

“Violence is bad….”

“Bullshit.”

Noy-nim, after spitting that out, chuckled.

“Ah, that felt refreshing.”

His voice sounded incredibly refreshed. Enough to piss someone off.

“I always wanted to beat you up someday. I can’t believe how fortunate it is that things turned out this way.”

“…Who’s calling who foul-tempered… I’m kidding.”

Seeing him raise his hand again, I quickly continued. What kind of dog-like behavior is it for that damn old man to raise his hand immediately.

‘If you’re old, at least age gracefully.’

I could guess how foul-tempered he must have been when he was young. I must not age like that.

“Your eyes look weird?”

“My eyes are always like this.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“…Shit?”

“What did you say, you bastard?”

Damn it all. I immediately bowed my head under his glare.

It was absurd. At the same time, I couldn’t help but admire him.

‘I couldn’t dodge it.’

I couldn’t dodge when he flicked my forehead. I clearly saw his arm raise, but by the time I noticed, I was already bowing my head in pain.

‘…What a monstrous old man.’

The way he calmly dealt with that cow bastard, and the quality of the sword intent floating in the sky.

I wondered if that guy was truly human.

‘This is very different from back then.’

Yeongpung’s inner world. Shin Noy-nim from another world within it.

When fighting that guy, I saw hope. That’s why I could use tactics to win.

‘There’s no answer in sight for this.’

Even though I was at least twice as strong as back then, looking at Shin Noy-nim now felt like staring into endless darkness.

Can I reach him? That wasn’t the question.

I can’t reach him.

Such thoughts naturally crossed my mind.

Just then.

“Tsk tsk.”

Shin Noy-nim, who was looking at me, clicked his tongue.

“It seems your face isn’t the only thing that’s gotten uglier while I wasn’t looking, huh?”

“…!”

He seemed to have figured out what I was thinking.

Embarrassment surged. I clenched my teeth and got up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hmph.”

Noy-nim snorted and started walking again. Following him, I changed the subject and asked again.

“So. Are you really not going to tell me?”

“Ah. You really are something. Didn’t I tell you? Just follow me obediently.”

“If you’re not going to tell me the destination, at least say something else.”

While walking endlessly, it wasn’t that I hadn’t asked anything.

Where is this place? How did you end up here looking like that? What was that cow bastard we just fought? How does that guy know Noy-nim?

And so on and so forth.

I asked what I wanted to ask, but Noy-nim’s answer was always the same.

“I’ll tell you when we get there.”

The words that he would explain everything once we reached the destination.

To the same answer as before, I let out a sigh.

“This is like teasing someone, isn’t it….”

“It can’t be helped.”

With words spoken as if tired, Noy-nim gave his answer.

“If we’re not careful, we might be overheard. The eyes and ears of this place are everywhere.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re that frustrated, you can leave. I won’t particularly stop you.”

“Huh?”

He said he wouldn’t stop me if I left? My eyes widened at Noy-nim’s words.

“If I leave now, where am I supposed to go?”

“How should I know? You’re not a toddler, are you? I don’t need to worry about that.”

What this meant was: if I was pissed off, I should just shut up and follow.

“What will you do?”

Noy-nim asked, turning slightly behind him.

“…”

For me, frustratingly, there was only one answer I could give.

---

We walked for a long time after that. There were no more words exchanged between us.

Since I couldn’t get answers even if I asked, I had nothing to say, and besides, neither of us had the personality for small talk like ‘How have you been?’.

How much longer did we walk like that?

“We’re almost there.”

Shin Noy-nim spoke.

At his words, I widened my eyes and looked ahead, but…

“…What’s almost here?”

There was nothing in front of me. Just the same vast, empty plain as before.

What could possibly be here? Just as such thoughts began to sprout.

“Was it around here?”

Noy-nim looked around here and there. What was this…?

‘What is there?’

He acted as if there was something, so I focused my gaze.

Still, nothing was visible. Yet, he kept looking around as if searching for something.

‘Hmm?’

Something very, very faintly appeared.

I didn’t know what it was, but it was there.

‘Perhaps.’

Thinking he might be looking for that, I took a step forward and reached out my hand.

Woong-!

As expected, I felt a sensation at my fingertips.

“Noy-nim, is this it?”

“Hmm?”

Noy-nim looked at my fingertips. Then he frowned.

It seemed to be correct.

“Hmm…? How could you….”

“I just saw it.”

“…You saw it? You shouldn’t be able to see it? How can you, a whelp like you, see this?”

“Mm.”

He asked with great curiosity. His eyes were quite serious. Judging by his reaction, it seemed like something I really shouldn’t be able to see.

So I told him.

“I’ll tell you when we arrive.”

“…Tch.”

Using his own words against him like that, Shin Noy-nim let out a scoff.

Will I get hit? At this point, getting hit once or twice would be fine.

Preparing myself with that thought.

“You impudent brat.”

Instead of hitting me, Shin Noy-nim just chuckled.

Then, he raised his thin, dry hand and reached out into space.

As Shin Noy-nim raised his hand, plum blossoms flowed from his fingertips.

Sarak.

The leaves fluttered gracefully as if dancing in the air, and upon touching the foreign sensation I felt.

Ttorok.

With the sound of a water droplet falling from somewhere, the space changed.

Hwaaaaaa.

“…Crazy?”

I cursed at the sight that unfolded.

Suddenly, the space rippled, tore, and a hole began to open.

It was an entrance just the right size for Shin Noy-nim to pass through.

Staring blankly at the hole that had suddenly appeared.

“Let’s go in.”

Shin Noy-nim casually stepped inside.

I hesitated for a moment, but Cheonma, who had been following without a word, entered the space before me.

Seeing that, I followed and entered the space.

Swish-!

As soon as I came inside, what looked like an entrance disappeared.

“This is….”

The moment I checked the interior.

“What is this?”

I was taken aback by the world that unfolded. This was another world. Before, it was just a barren plain with occasional weeds, but this was a forest.

The place we first arrived at was also a forest, but this was different.

It was much more familiar.

The sky being blue, even the air felt familiar.

The problem was.

‘It’s heavy.’

As soon as the space changed, my body became heavy.

Or rather, should I say it returned to normal?

‘Outside was too light.’

Because of the energy floating in the air, my body felt quite light and good, but this place was similar to the Central Plains, if you think about it.

Chirp-! Chirp-chirp! Chirrrp!

Bird and insect sounds, which hadn’t been heard before, tickled my ears.

If the place we were just in was extremely foreign, this place, conversely, felt incredibly natural.

“Noy-nim… Where is this?”

“Fortunately, it seems to be okay.”

“Huh?”

“Hmm.”

Noy-nim took a breath as if relieved, then looked at me and asked.

“Follow me.”

Saying that, he started walking again.

It was the same as before, so I walked with him.

“What did I ask first… Ah, right. Was it about that guy from earlier?”

“…!”

As if finally ready to speak after a long silence, Noy-nim suddenly began explaining to me.

Was he really planning to tell me as soon as we got here?

It was abrupt, but since I could finally hear it, I focused.

“That guy is the leader. As you saw, he’s a crude and violent fellow.”

“…Yes.”

It was the first impression I got the moment I saw him. Crude and rough.

It was the very essence of the feeling he gave off.

‘He was a strange guy.’

I was so surprised that he even spoke. While thinking about that guy, I was racking my brain.

“Whelp.”

Shin Noy-nim said to me.

“Yes, Noy-nim.”

“I’ll ask. What did that guy look like to you?”

“What did he look like? Of course, he was…”

A monster.

I was about to say that word, but I involuntarily closed my mouth.

A monster.

Can I even call that a monster? All sorts of doubts sprouted.

Seeing me like that, Shin Noy-nim turned his head and continued speaking.

His steps didn’t stop even then.

“It’s not wrong, from your perspective. And from my perspective, calling them monsters wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“Does that mean… you think they could also be seen as not monsters?”

“Oh.”

At my words, Noy-nim exclaimed softly.

“It seems you’ve learned to use your head a bit while I wasn’t looking.”

“…”

I wish you’d just curse me, you human.

I couldn’t say it out loud, so I gritted my teeth inwardly.

“If you consider them not to be, then yes, you could see them that way. But that’s not the answer either.”

“…I don’t quite understand.”

Is it right if it’s right? Saying it could be seen that way is too vague an answer.

“Hmm, ah, yes. I suppose I can explain it like this.”

As I listened to the explanation, I suddenly frowned.

I saw something beyond.

“They were originally beings who were about to become monsters. That would be the correct way to call them.”

“About to become?”

“Yes, beings who were about to become. The leader is an exceptionally strong individual among them. He was so strong that he caught her eye and even received a divine power.”

Pause.

I stopped walking upon hearing Noy-nim’s words. The word ‘divine power’ particularly grated on my ears.

“Divine power…?”

“Yes, that guy has something called divine power. He calls himself immortal, but… in my opinion, he’s not quite there yet. Just a bit troublesome, perhaps.”

“…”

“Anyway. The important thing isn’t this. Seeing your eyes, it seems you want to hear about something else rather than this right now. Is that correct?”

“…Yes, it is.”

Where are Cheonma and I right now?

What kind of place is this that we’ve suddenly arrived at? Like Noy-nim said, it was the most important among the many things I was curious about.

I held out hope, thinking he might finally tell me, but…

“This is necessary to explain that, so listen carefully.”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“I just said it, didn’t I? The leader is someone who might have become a monster.”

“…Yes.”

“Whelp. So, what is a monster in your eyes?”

“Huh?”

I looked at Noy-nim, wondering what kind of question this was.

Noy-nim had turned his head to look at me, and his eyes were serious.

He didn’t seem to be joking. So I answered immediately.

“Monsters that come through the Demon Gate. That’s what I think.”

“Correct.”

“…”

Should I be happy I got it right? I feel rather unpleasant?

‘Why ask something so obvious…?’

As I scowled and looked at Noy-nim, he immediately continued speaking.

“Then, where on earth do those monsters come from?”

“…That’s obvious, isn’t it? From beyond the Demon Gate.”

“That’s also true. However, if you dig a little deeper, doesn’t the story change?”

“Change?”

“What does the Demon Gate even mean in the first place? What’s inside it that spews out monsters? It’s about that.”

“…”

My eyes narrowed.

The Demon Gate and monsters.

It was something I had never thought deeply about. From the beginning, the Demon Gate had existed since I was born. Hunting the monsters that came from it was common sense.

But if you ask how they are connected…

‘Well.’

I didn’t know. As I said, I had never thought about it deeply.

So, just as my eyes were narrowing.

“Monsters, you see.”

Noy-nim said.

“They are beings from a world that has already perished.”

“…!”

“Beings who lost their master and were annihilated by a changed master. Those are monsters.”

“That’s…”

“A world that loses its master, upon welcoming a new master, erases all its living beings. So, where do those erased beings go?”

I looked into his eyes.

“The answer, it turns out, is that.”

Noy-nim’s eyes, as he spoke, were incredibly bitter and cold.