Chapter 952: Bow down.

Kugugugung.

Under a terrible pressure, my knees buckled, unable to lift my head, I could only stare at the floor.

Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!

The sound of my heart pounding echoed through my entire body.

This was the current state of Yu-sa.

“Hooook… hoo….”

He breathed raggedly.

With each breath, a bead of sweat trickled down his face, soaking the floor.

‘What in the….’

What in the world happened here.

Why am I like this?

Even now, Yu-sa couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Why was he kneeling, and why couldn’t he utter a single word?

He didn’t know.

What’s more.

Kkeugeugeuk!

What was this foul emotion I felt within?

The hunger I’d felt my entire life had dulled.

My constant craving had never felt this shallow before.

Am I not hungry? No.

It’s different from that.

‘This is….’

Something was layered on top of the hunger.

Something heavy and dense, preventing me from feeling anything at all.

What could this be?

Yu-sa pondered, then realized.

‘…Fear?’

Looking at his trembling fingertips, Yu-sa recalled the answer.

But.

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Yu-sa denied it, thinking it impossible.

Me, feeling fear? It couldn’t be.

Furthermore.

‘Move. Hurry up and move.’

Even kneeling like this was unacceptable.

I am a General.

Yet I’m oppressed by a single word and forced to kneel?

And by a servant of the Moonlit Night?

‘Move.’

Move now and devour that bastard.

Eat him whole, leaving no bone behind.

Thinking thus, Yu-sa tried to move his body, but.

Kkugugeug–!!

His body still wouldn’t move.

The trembling in his fingertips only intensified.

“Keeeuh….”

He strained, veins threatening to burst in his eyes.

Just then.

[Your struggling is pitiful.]

The figure spoke to Yu-sa.

[As always, the thrashing of the weak is quite unpleasant to watch….]

His chin was lifted.

The figure lifted Yu-sa’s chin with a finger.

[I want to trample you. I can’t stand it.]

Meeting the violet eyes, Yu-sa’s heart pounded even harder.

His heartbeat was so loud now, it felt like his whole body was trembling.

[Isn’t that right? That’s how it is for me.]

His eyes shifted. Even though he wore a mask, Yu-sa could tell the fellow was smiling.

This is humiliating.

So utterly humiliating.

That I, a General, am suffering this at the hands of someone I don’t even know.

And.

‘What the hell is that guy?’

That something, not even the Master, was giving me orders.

Nothing made sense, only confusion.

More than the emotions I felt, that guy’s identity was stranger.

An Order (命) itself is a power and law contained within the soul.

A power that absolutely cannot be activated unless the rank is higher than mine.

‘…How.’

Can that guy use Orders on me?

I just couldn’t understand it.

Perhaps.

‘…Did the Master appoint another General?’

Is there a possibility another General was added without my knowledge?

Keeping that in mind, Yu-sa soon shook his head.

‘No…. The Seed of the Divine Tree hasn’t opened any further.’

To become a General, one had to receive the Divine Tree.

Only by receiving the Divine Tree could one receive the Master’s baptism.

Only then could one receive the authority recognized as a General.

It was unusual that Ya-rang received authority without the Divine Tree, but that was a very special circumstance.

As the Master himself said it would never happen again, there should be no anomaly.

If so.

‘Then who is that guy?’

In the first place, even among Generals, Orders cannot be issued to each other.

Therefore, it’s something that can only be explained by having a higher soul rank.

‘…What the hell is he.’

Yu-sa couldn’t solve the question no matter how much he thought, his brow furrowing.

At that moment.

Ttuk-!

“…!”

Suddenly, the pressure on Yu-sa’s body vanished.

He realized the control had subsided and his body’s freedom had returned.

What is it? Why did the pressure disappear?

He felt something strange, but it wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Yu-sa looked at the figure.

He was still looking at Yu-sa, and seeing that, Yu-sa gathered the strength he had been holding back.

Kkadeudeuk.

The fear within his body disappeared.

A terrible hunger surged.

I’m hungry.

I need to devour the guy in front of me right now.

No sooner had he thought that.

‘Let’s eat it all.’

Yu-sa grinned and swung his hand.

His large arm moved, heading towards the figure.

“Gluttony (飽食).”

As Yu-sa uttered the words, cracks appeared on his large palm,

Jjyeok-!

spreading wide like a mouth.

He lunged forward to swallow the guy whole.

‘Whatever it is, I’m swallowing it now.’

Whatever the question, eating it would be the end of it.

It was the moment his strength returned. I won’t miss it.

My authority could swallow anything.

The guy in front of me should be no different.

Thinking thus, just as Yu-sa’s hand reached for the guy,

Kkadeuk-!

“…Huh?”

Yu-sa let out a yelp.

He couldn’t help it.

His arm, which should have swallowed the guy whole, had instead been bitten by something.

“What the…?”

It was black in form.

Something that sprang from the figure’s shadow bit down on Yu-sa’s arm.

Kkadeudeuk.

“Keeueuk!?”

Yu-sa reacted to the intense pain. He quickly pulled his arm free with force.

Fortunately, his arm managed to break free, but.

Jureureuk.

Blood flowed down Yu-sa’s arm onto the ground.

“…Kkeueueu….”

A chunk of flesh had been torn from his arm, leaving clear bite marks.

At that moment, Yu-sa, whose eyes darted in panic, heard a voice.

[Gluttony…. Not bad.]

“…You bastard….”

The guy uttering the name of my authority.

As if unfazed, he simply stared silently at Yu-sa.

And the form that emerged from his shadow was crawling up his body like a snake climbing a tree.

‘What is… what is that…?’

It sent chills down my spine.

Just looking at it made my legs tremble.

“You bastard! What the hell did you do!”

[What do you mean, ‘what did I do’? We just did what we’re good at.]

“What we’re good at…?”

[Yes, just like you enjoy eating.]

Seureureuk.

The black form slithered over his body and wrapped around the figure’s arm.

[I’m also quite confident in that area.]

“…”

Yu-sa frowned.

Could it be.

‘Is it an Authority?’

Is that also an Authority?

Yu-sa looked at his torn arm.

A terrible pain gnawed at his body.

How could it be this painful? That was also a question.

‘…It’s not regenerating?’

My injured arm isn’t regenerating.

The wound should have healed long ago.

Yu-sa’s arm only brought pain, showing no signs of regeneration.

Seeing that, Yu-sa shifted his gaze sideways.

He could see the moon rising beyond the window.

It clearly meant it was nighttime.

But why isn’t it regenerating like this?

Moreover.

“…Why isn’t it moving.”

Gluttony, which should devour everything, isn’t activating properly.

No matter how much strength he put into his body, his palm didn’t open into a mouth like before.

Realizing this, Yu-sa yelled towards the figure.

“What did you do to me…!”

It was him. That guy just did something.

That’s why my Authority isn’t obeying me like this.

[Hmm.]

In response to Yu-sa’s words, the figure nodded.

[I don’t know how much further I’ll be disappointed.]

The softly spoken words pierced Yu-sa’s heart.

Kkadeuk-!

Yu-sa finally clenched his teeth tightly.

Seeing that, the figure suddenly turned his back.

[I came specifically out of curiosity about a General… but seeing you like this, I don’t feel like getting involved.]

“What…?”

What does that mean? Could it be.

“Are you going to run away like this?”

Yu-sa spoke fiercely to the figure who had turned his back, but.

[Run away?]

At those words, the masked figure glanced back slightly and added.

[Run away? That’s something you say to the weak.]

There’s no need to run away from scum like you. That’s what it meant.

[Yes, if I had to put it precisely….]

The figure paused as if thinking, then said.

[It would be more accurate to call it picky eating. I’m the type who doesn’t eat things that aren’t tasty.]

“You bastard…!!”

Infuriated by those words, Yu-sa tried to muster all his strength, but.

Jikkeun-!

“Kkueuk…!”

The intense pain in his arm kept blocking his energy.

His Authority wouldn’t manifest, and his energy wouldn’t even move.

Furthermore.

“Heok… heok….”

Something seemed wrong with his body, as his breathing grew increasingly ragged.

Yu-sa staggered and clutched his knees, and seeing that, the figure turned his head back again.

[When we meet next time, I hope you’ll entertain me more.]

He grabbed the door and went outside. And before the door closed.

The figure looked at Yu-sa and said.

[There are no second chances.]

Kung.

As soon as the words were spoken, the door shut.

“Keuh….”

Seeing that, Yu-sa quickly got his body up.

His body, which had been strange for a moment, barely recovered in that brief instant.

So he urgently burst the door open and looked outside, but.

“…Where are you! Where did you go!”

No one was visible in the corridor outside the door.

In the empty corridor, Yu-sa frowned and checked for any presence nearby.

However.

“Damn it…!!”

The presences that should have been felt were completely absent.

It seemed that the problem with his Authority had also affected this.

“That bastard! How dare he…!”

Yu-sa’s eyes snapped open fiercely, veins bulging.

Where did he go? I had to find him immediately.

As Yu-sa rolled his eyes for a moment.

“…!”

His eyes suddenly lit up as he looked somewhere.

That place was none other than the prison within the Azure Manor.

He didn’t hesitate.

Yu-sa rushed towards the prison, his speed faster than the wind.

---

Kkwang-!

Yu-sa rushed to the prison and opened the door.

No one stood in his way.

Due to the sudden commotion, the guards in the prison had also disappeared.

Even if that weren’t the case, Yu-sa had deliberately kept the guards away.

In that situation, Yu-sa hastily dashed into the prison and peered inside the bars.

However.

“…Huh….”

The inside of the bars was quite different from Yu-sa’s expectations.

“Why…?”

Yu-sa’s eyes widened as he checked inside.

There.

“Huh?”

The captured black-haired woman sat quietly, and next to her.

“…Mmmph…. What… is it morning?”

The young man who had been lying down. The person who introduced himself as Cheol Ji-seon was waking up with sleepy eyes.

“…”

“Oh, you’re here…?”

Cheol Ji-seon greeted him calmly.

Seeing him, Yu-sa scowled.

The condition of the bars was unchanged, and the shackles were the same as before.

It meant there was no sign of him having left.

Then.

“…Wasn’t it you?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if the guy I just met wasn’t you. Answer me.”

“No…. What are you suddenly talking about….”

“Answer me!”

Yu-sa’s voice boomed, echoing through the prison.

At that action, Cheol Ji-seon finally answered, flustered.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, but, ah, no. I’ve been here the whole time.”

“…”

He answered ‘no’ again. If so, could it be true, but.

‘…That guy’s Orders didn’t work either.’

Since that masked fellow’s Orders didn’t work on me, this guy might be the same.

‘Could this be him?’

Yu-sa repeatedly thought to himself.

His gut feeling kept pointing towards that guy.

If so.

“There’s something I need to confirm with you.”

Let’s confirm.

Thinking thus, Yu-sa tried to exert his power, but.

“Hey, General-!”

A voice calling him from outside was heard.

“Up in the sky right now–!”

“…!”

Hearing the words, Yu-sa quickly opened the door and looked up at the sky.

And then.

“That guy…!”

Under the black night sky and the crimson moon.

Someone was standing in mid-air, looking down at this place.

It was him.

The guy who toyed with me and humiliated me, that guy was floating in the sky, looking down at me.

“You bastard!!”

Kung-!

Yu-sa immediately stomped on the ground and leaped into the sky.

He slashed forward with his sharp claws, aiming to cut the guy down, but.

Kwaak-!

Hwaaaaaa!

Yu-sa’s claws passed through without cutting anything.

It felt flimsy, as if slicing through empty air.

“What the…?”

Why does it feel like this?

Yu-sa wore a dumbfounded expression at the failed attack, but.

[General, as I said again.]

The figure merely spoke his words to Yu-sa.

[There are no second chances. When we meet next time, you’d better not disappoint me.]

Saying that, the figure vanished like mist.

“…Where, where did you go.”

Yu-sa bared his fangs as he watched him go and shouted.

“Where did you go–!!”

Kwaaaaaa—-!!!!

The roar generated a gust of wind.

It was truly immense energy.

It was so strong it swept through the entire mansion, even reaching inside the prison.

“Hmm.”

Cheol Ji-seon felt that wind.

No, Gu Yangcheon secretly wiped the blood from his lips and felt certain.

‘I can kill him.’

I can kill the General.

That kind of certainty.