Chapter 470 - Myriad
Her long black hair, falling past her waist, was like silk.
Its blackness, devoid of any color or light, instead inspired a sense of nobility.
Her pale skin made it stand out even more.
Beautiful.
Anyone who saw this woman would say so.
The purple irises within her pupils held light.
Those pupils were a mark of demonic qi that demonic humans would naturally possess, but—
The level was different.
They were far more vivid, feeling like finely crafted, beautiful gems with no hint of murky color.
A beautiful woman who would make anyone's heart race just by looking at her.
However, what I felt from her was not such a trivial thrill.
'Why.'
Just terror.
'Why... this one.'
And fear.
Emotions etched deep within my body surged to the top of my head in an instant.
I clenched my fingers tightly. Because they felt like they would tremble at any moment.
It had been that way from the moment I faced those purple-light pupils.
Breathless.
A feeling as if my heart was growing cold.
A sensation of my body being heavily pressed down, of something tightening around me.
Creak-craaack-!
A rattling sound lingered in my ears.
Shifting my gaze, the sound came from the empty air the woman was grabbing.
'That crazy...'
The inexplicable demonic realm gate that had tried to drag me away.
That gate was in a state of being grabbed and closed shut by the woman.
This sound was the rift struggling to open again.
'...To catch and close a dimension.'
What kind of outrageous feat was that?
Leaving aside whether it was even possible.
The recoil of its struggle to reopen was no trivial matter.
The ripple of energy alone was enough to make my skin crawl.
The woman... no.
The Lord of Ten Thousand Demons.
Cheonma wore an unbothered expression.
Creak... craaack-!
At the continuous ringing sound, Cheonma's head turned toward the rift.
"How noisy."
The faint smile she wore vanished.
"...Be quiet for a moment. You're giving me a headache."
Frost lined her voice.
Hum.
Night unfolded from beneath Cheonma's feet.
Rumble-!
Darkness spread its domain.
Though it was broad daylight with the sun still in the sky, as soon as Cheonma willed the darkness, the ground was overturned into night.
I widened my eyes at the black domain beginning to spread densely.
Demonic qi.
This darkness was all demonic qi.
Only, compared to the demonic qi emitted by demonic humans, it was far denser, and furthermore—
'Simply foul.'
Night had fallen.
That was the thought I had while looking at Cheonma's demonic qi filling the earth.
She had created night at a time when the moon was not in the sky.
It was not like the Gu Clan's secret technique, Jeokcheon, or other martial arts.
By merely releasing her energy, she had overturned the surrounding air and circumstances.
Creak... creak... click....
Cheonma quietly gazed at the rift.
As her frosty, cold eyes looked on while emitting energy—
Creak....
Surprisingly, the rift swallowed the sounds it had been making on its own.
"You listen well. Good."
Had the rift truly silenced itself out of fear of Cheonma?
Impossible.
The demonic realm gate was no living creature; how could it feel fear?
And yet—
'...If not that, there's no explaining it.'
The problem was that there was no other way to explain it.
The demonic realm gate that had been thrashing about as if demanding to be released immediately—
Had stopped its movements like a ghost the moment Cheonma released her energy, and seeing that, I had to feel a sense of distant awe.
Cheonma's gaze turned this way again. Meeting those eyes, I furrowed my brow.
'...As expected.'
It really was Cheonma.
The only one in this world who could emit such an atmosphere was none other than Cheonma.
The one called the Heaven of the Demonic Cult, who had ascended to the position of the World's Strongest in the shortest amount of time.
Just by looking at her, I felt like bowing my head involuntarily.
A person who suited being in the heavens more than anyone else.
That was the kind of being Cheonma was.
"How fascinating."
"...!"
Though I was looking at Cheonma without a word, it was Cheonma who spoke to me first instead.
Only then could I pull myself together completely.
"This is a first for me."
A smile formed gently.
I feared that smile.
"A truly refreshing gift. Is it not?"
Holding her smile, she took a step closer to me.
Then, a hand reached out.
What should I do?
Though my mind raced to find a way—
Swish.
My body had already taken a step back.
It was something I had done unconsciously.
It was an act that should have wounded my pride, yet no such thought arose in my head.
Cheonma was not a being about whom such thoughts could even arise.
The problem was—
Even if I had taken a step back.
She was already standing before me.
Tap.
I was caught.
Cheonma approached and brazenly grabbed my left arm.
She brought it before her eyes and began to examine it.
I tried to pull my hand out immediately at that sensation, but—
Clench-!
'Damn it.'
The caught hand showed no intention of moving.
"Hm."
My left arm was lifted.
The skin that had been covered by martial robes was revealed, and its grotesque state was clearly visible.
A left arm covered in blue scales.
A somewhat repulsive sight was completely exposed.
While being held like that for a moment, suddenly my hand was flung out.
Had I escaped by my own strength?
'Impossible.'
This was only possible because Cheonma had permitted it.
It was bullshit, but that was reality.
"Daeju."
"...!"
My body stiffened at the title Cheonma used to call me.
Daeju.
She had definitely called me that.
I looked at Cheonma with trembling eyes.
"...How...."
I realized she had recognized me.
How had she recognized me?
And in the first place—
'Why is Cheonma here?'
The mere fact that she was here right now was impossible.
As I looked at Cheonma, unable to say anything, she continued speaking, looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes.
"This seat surely told you."
I swallowed dryly as her voice reached me.
"If you came back recklessly injured, I would be angry."
The corners of her eyes curved like half-moons.
Though her smiling face was exceptionally beautiful, the presence surging from her body was by no means shallow.
I felt like I would be overwhelmed by fear at any moment.
No, was I already afraid?
If so, I had to endure.
"...I don't know who you're confusing me with. I'm not someone called Daeju."
I forced the words out. Since I planned to kill her someday, I couldn't back down out of fear.
"Hmmm."
Cheonma, hearing my words, took on an expression as if thinking for a moment, then soon nodded her head slightly.
"Is that so."
What? Was she really agreeing just like that?
That thought crossed my mind for only a moment.
"It seems you are not called Daeju over there."
"...!"
My spine tingled at the words she spat out flatly.
"Or, have I not appeared yet? Though that shouldn't be the case."
Cheonma propped her chin and slightly furrowed her brow.
Swallowing a scream at that sight—
'Had she even figured out that I came from another dimension?'
Cheonma had brazenly appeared holding Cheonjon's head.
It seemed she had even figured out who I was and where I came from.
Thump-thump.
A reaction came from near my heart.
Energy suddenly surged.
'What?'
I bent my body at that unexpected turn of events.
Because the violent throbbing was similar to pain.
Moreover, it wasn't just my heart.
It was as if a heart was attached to my left arm too, for it too began to thump like crazy.
Where was this? I had definitely felt this somewhere before.
This was—
'Ah.'
I remembered.
That moment during the last Orthodox Alliance meeting when I faced the Blood Demon wearing Jang Seonyeon's skin.
The hostility I had felt then.
'Why that?'
Why was that sensation surging now as I looked at Cheonma?
'No, now is not the time to worry about that.'
The situation before me was incomparably dangerous; it was not the time to assess my body's condition.
'What should I do?'
I felt a gaze.
The gaze with which Cheonma was looking at me.
It should just be the height of her looking straight at me, yet I had the illusion that she was looking down on me.
Thump-! Thump-!
Just as rising hostility mingled with gradually surging heat—
Swoosh.
Feeling something at my chin, my head was slightly lifted upward.
Cheonma had lifted my chin with her hand.
"Daeju."
"...I am not Daeju..."
"Looking at your eyes, Daeju knows me. Correct?"
"..."
"How do you know? That is what I find curious."
With my lifted head, I lowered my gaze to look at Cheonma.
She was still holding a smile.
"Those are unpleasant eyes. I feel like gouging them out right this instant."
Words incomparably savage.
"..."
"This seat shall let it pass. As always. This seat is merciful, after all."
I had to shake off this hand immediately.
But my body was frozen and wouldn't move.
I had gathered my strength and stabilized my incomplete realm. Just moments ago, I had thought I could go anywhere without being easily pushed around.
'Fuck.'
To think I'd face Cheonma right after thinking that. Anyway, my luck was utter shit.
'And on top of that.'
I turned my gaze to the floor.
Cheonjon's severed head was rolling across the dirt ground without a care.
Even so, the Demon Sword Empress caught my attention.
'Tch.'
From the moment Cheonma appeared, the Demon Sword Empress was already on her knees with her head bowed.
That was the attitude a demonic human took when facing the Cult Leader.
"Daeju."
I turned my gaze back at the piercing voice.
"If you are speaking with this seat, do not avert your eyes."
Words spat out nonchalantly.
At those words, I gritted my teeth and snatched at Cheonma's hand.
Swish.
"Hm."
When I grabbed her wrist, a small reaction came from Cheonma's mouth.
"I told you I'm not your Daeju."
Even while speaking, I had to be careful lest my voice tremble.
At my words, her purple eyes moved to the wrist I was holding. There, tension boiled up in my body.
"How refreshing."
I had expected her to pull her caught hand away immediately, but Cheonma remained indifferent.
"This is a first...."
A faint heat lingered in her voice. My shoulders trembled.
"This isn't so bad either."
Cheonma smiled as she spoke.
Something spine-chilling permeated that captivating smile.
"There is one thing I wish to ask."
Was it intense interest?
Or if not, petty curiosity?
Some emotion was mixed in Cheonma's eyes.
It was no easy thing.
For emotion to mix into Cheonma's eyes was nearly unheard of.
Even if it happened occasionally, it was mostly close to killing intent.
"Is this seat's final choice at the end ultimately you?"
"What is that—"
I tried to respond to Cheonma's words, but Cheonma shifted her gaze to the empty sky.
Even then, she didn't let go of the hand holding the demonic realm gate.
"Regrettably, a guest has arrived."
At the indifferent voice, I involuntarily surveyed where Cheonma was looking.
"...Huh?"
Something approached from beyond the sky where nothing had been visible.
Shiiiiick-!
Swords.
Pure white swords hovered in the air, approaching this way.
Easily hundreds.
A feast of swords likely numbering in the thousands.
Seeing that overwhelming sight, I couldn't help but bite my lip.
'Why are you here too...?'
As if Cheonma coming wasn't enough, the situation worsened.
That was the energy of the person who most should not be here right now.
Looking at the swords filling the sky, Cheonma tidied her hair.
When I focused, I could see—
A figure riding atop a sword and appearing here.
Her once splendid blonde hair had turned white.
The swords held in both hands emitted an even clearer light.
With her back to the sun, rather than her blocking the light, it seemed as if sunlight had taken human form.
It was the appearance of her that I hated the most.
Because that was a form that could only be taken by burning one's own lifeline.
As I looked at the woman who had appeared suddenly—
"Fortunately, it seems you sensed it properly."
Cheonma spat out in a cold voice.
"Still an unsightly face."
It was rather amusing.
How could it not be amusing?
Cheonma who spoke thus, and the woman who appeared suddenly, possessed faces that were exactly alike.