The first sensation I felt was cold.
A coldness that pierced through my entire body.
Just how cold must it be for a body trained in the Fire Arts to feel this chilly?
“*Suu.*”
A short exhale produced visible breath. Seeing this, I immediately slapped my own cheek.
*Smack—!*
I struck it hard enough to sting.
“That hurts.”
It hurt. Which meant I could definitely feel this sensation.
I assessed things one by one and surveyed my surroundings.
“Hm.”
I raised my Spiritual Sense and focused, but there was nothing much to see. Only pitch-black darkness.
What was this….
‘It looks like somewhere I’ve seen before.’
It was a familiar sight. If I’d seen it, where had it been? After a brief moment of thought, it immediately came to mind.
‘It’s similar to that place I saw back then.’
Around the time I’d fought Yeongpung at the Martial Arts Tournament.
The space where I’d faced the other god, Noya, who had been inside him. It resembled that place greatly.
If there was one difference.
‘The floor.’
*Tuk, tuk.*
I drummed the ground with the tip of my foot. The floor felt hard. That was the biggest difference.
‘Back then, it was water.’
Ink-colored water had filled the floor. Though it was the same black world, now it was different from then.
‘It’s hard.’
The floor was solid. It was a complete ground surface. Feeling the texture, I let out a sigh.
“What the hell is this place now.”
What kind of bullshit was this? My expression naturally scrunched up.
Why the hell was I here all of a sudden?
“All I did was devour a single Spirit Pill.”
I’d eaten just one newly created Dokcheondan. And this was what became of me.
“Hmmm.”
I turned my thoughts.
‘What is this.’
Why had this happened?
This was an immediate manifestation. It was correct to think that it had activated the moment I swallowed the Spirit Pill.
‘My five senses are functioning properly. But it’s ambiguous to call this reality.’
Having been through so much, I couldn’t take things lightly by thinking simply.
‘…Usually, in cases like this, there was always a reason.’
This was a situation that had occurred for some reason.
The important thing was the mechanism that had allowed this situation to activate.
‘Is it because of the Dokcheondan?’
A Dokcheondan mixed with my energy. Did a problem occur while consuming it… or else.
‘Something else.’
Was there another cause?
I pondered, but nothing came to mind right now. There was too little information to go on.
If there was anything fortunate.
‘It’s that it’s not completely empty.’
Black sky and black earth. An environment where not even a trace of presence could be felt.
I wondered what could possibly be in such a place, but.
‘What?’
I was strangely feeling something.
And that too.
‘Discomfort.’
A very unpleasant, shitty feeling.
It was a nauseating sensation, difficult to describe.
It felt like bugs were crawling all over my body, and nausea rose all the way to the back of my throat.
Just what kind of sensation was this?
I scrunched up my face and stared in one direction. Beyond the scenery that only looked dark.
‘Is it over there?’
The cause of this inexplicable discomfort was coming from over there.
I immediately moved my steps.
I really didn’t want to go even if it killed me, but I had to go anyway. Didn’t I know well enough from everything I’d experienced so far?
That something would only progress if I went there.
‘What is it this time.’
Having lived through all manner of things, I didn’t think I’d be surprised by whatever came out. Having come this far, curiosity took precedence over anxiety.
I kept walking, treading on the ground.
Walking while matching the direction as if my thoughts were correct, the feeling gradually grew stronger.
Just what was at the end? What was there that made me feel such rejection?
When questions were continuing in an endless chain.
“Hm?”
Something revealed its outline ahead.
I couldn’t see it properly, so I narrowed my eyes. Still the same.
Still, I could tell I had come close to the destination.
Enduring steps that were growing sluggish, I forced myself to walk. After walking a bit further like that, finally the cause of my discomfort clearly appeared.
The problem was.
“…What the hell is that.”
What the hell was that? I couldn’t tell even looking at it.
What appeared ahead was a door.
An extremely large door at that.
A door made of black iron, the composition of which was unknown. I approached closer and examined it in more detail.
However, no matter how I looked, I couldn’t tell what it was.
Only that it was a thick black iron door. And that, for some reason, it was wrapped tightly with thick chains.
For now, that was all there was to see.
‘It’s ominous.’
Just looking at it annoyed me. Now it felt like I might even get angry.
Was there something on the door? I cautiously reached out my hand.
The sensation that met my palm was only the coldness unique to iron.
The moment I thought there was no other particular difference.
*Kugugugugugu—!!!*
“…!?”
Suddenly, rough vibrations and noise came from the door. The vibrations were so intense that the ground was practically shaking.
Reading the situation, I hurriedly widened the distance.
“Fuck.”
What the hell was trying to pop out now? Raising my alertness, I stared at the door.
It looked strange at a glance. Should I just run now?
‘If I run, where to?’
There was nowhere to run.
How could I run when I didn’t even know how I’d gotten here?
*Huuuk—!* I instinctively raised my energy. I steadied my posture and regulated my breathing.
“*Suuuuu.*”
Exhaling a narrow breath, I activated my flesh. Preparing for any possible situation.
*Kugugugugung—!!!!*
The iron door that had been rumbling for a while longer like that.
*Kugugugu…*
As time passed, the vibrations gradually ceased. Given the momentum that seemed like it would destroy everything around it, I’d wondered if it might explode. Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
However, letting my guard down just because it stopped was out of the question.
It was a situation where no one knew what might suddenly happen.
Therefore, while watching the door on guard with my Spiritual Sense fully raised.
*Cheolgeureok—.*
The iron chain bound to the door moved briefly.
*Chareureureureuk—!! Kung—! Kungkung—!!*
It came undone in an instant and fell to the floor. Since it was not small in size, an enormous sound burst out when it fell.
This too happened suddenly. I was looking at the chain with slightly flustered eyes when.
*Kkiiik.*
This time, a sound came from the door.
The door, which had seemed as immovable as an iron fortress even if one died, reacted.
‘It’s opening.’
Slowly. It was prying open a gap with great effort.
Watching this, I strained my eyes and felt my arm. Goosebumps had risen on my skin before I knew it.
Cold sweat flowed down my spine and even my forehead.
It had been like this since the door began to open.
‘Crazy.’
I wiped my jaw beaded with sweat. My pounding heart was no longer controllable.
‘I’m losing it.’
From the thinly opened door gap, something absurd emanated. Something as deep and distant as it was terrible….
‘Killing intent (殺氣).’
The fundamental emotion that something had to be killed. A phenomenon where that accumulated in energy and took form.
Killing intent is an energy of different grade depending on the depth of the emotion.
Just as a martial artist’s years are contained in the dantian. Killing intent lets one know how much murderous will existed within those years.
The energy I was feeling now was incomparably violent and savage.
To the point that I invested all my strength into vigilance.
Just what kind of rough killing intent was this? Just how twisted a bastard was inside for such killing intent to be felt?
‘For one thing, it’s not a normal bastard.’
Whatever was inside, it was absolutely not a normal bastard. So much so that even I wanted to run.
“*Huuh.*”
After exhaling a deep sigh. I advanced my steps.
My reluctance to look was clear, but there was only one way regardless.
Why had that door suddenly opened?
‘It’s telling me to look, what else.’
I knew the answer, but I couldn’t turn away.
I approached. Checking while peering at the opened gap, I could tell one thing.
‘It won’t open with ordinary strength.’
I hadn’t tried to exert force, but I could tell I’d need to use all my strength to open it.
The important thing here.
‘Is that it does open.’
It seemed I could open it if I put in strength. I could tell that.
Knowing that it could open made it worse. Wasn’t it like something was pushing my back, telling me to open the door?
Feeling this, I sent my gaze through the door gap. It was too narrow to squeeze my body through, but just right to check inside.
‘As expected.’
What was inside? What was there to emit such a terrible energy?
Curiosity felt alongside tension.
What kind of crazy monster was calling for me again?
Regulating my breathing, I sent my gaze through the door gap.
‘Hm?’
The inside of the door I looked at like that was the same darkness as before.
Nothing seemed to be there. That was certainly my first impression, but.
‘There is something.’
That thought subsided in mere seconds. Something was felt beyond the darkness. There was something at the center of the background covered in black mist.
‘A chair?’
A chair boasting considerable size. Why was such a chair there so suddenly? Moreover.
‘…Who?’
Someone was sitting on that chair. The moment I saw him, I understood.
‘It’s him.’
The bastard who had made every nerve in my body stand on end. The owner of this absurd killing intent. That was definitely him.
I narrowed my eyes to see a little more accurately.
As time passed, it gradually became clearer.
An outline that had been unseen was being revealed.
First thing I could tell. The bastard sitting on the chair was human.
I couldn’t properly gauge his height, but he didn’t look very tall. His clothes seemed to be black martial attire.
His posture was chin in hand… and his face was….
“…”
Seeing that far, my body stiffened completely.
The goosebumps on my body felt like they were penetrating my soul.
Only when I saw the bastard’s face did I realize the sense of alienation I’d felt until now.
Killing intent and discomfort enough to make one recoil in horror.
It made me want to run away immediately, but within that there was an incomprehensible familiarity.
If that hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have walked all the way here.
Just what was so familiar about such a terrible energy?
An unknown doubt was resolved at this very moment.
“Ha.”
An empty laugh naturally escaped.
A large, thick chair. The bastard sitting on it looked at me.
Purple pupils and whites dyed black turned toward me.
*Kkiik.*
The bastard showed signs of movement and opened his mouth.
[I ask.]
Each time he spat out words, the killing intent grew denser.
I had wondered how twisted a bastard he was to emit such killing intent… Of all things.
[Why.]
That bastard looking at me was none other than.
[Are you still alive?]
My past life self.
*****************
“Y-Young…! Master…!”
“…Young Master Gu!”
“…!”
At the ear-piercing voice, my eyes snapped open and I came to my senses.
“…Huuh….”
I supported my body which was about to collapse.
Staggering, I looked around.
The first thing I saw was the Poison King’s face. He was looking at me, seemingly very surprised.
Judging by his reaction, it seemed not much time had passed.
My body also seemed to be standing fine.
“Young Master Gu…! Are you alright? Hey!”
“Ah, yes, I’m fine….”
I answered, waving my hand at the Poison King’s words. Even as I spoke, I felt dizzy inside.
Just sorting out the situation I’d experienced moments ago was overwhelming.
‘What was that just now?’
What was the situation I’d experienced? Why the hell had I gone there, and there was….
‘I was there, right?’
Me. To be precise, had my past life self been there? Was this truly the effect of the Dokcheondan I’d just made?
‘If so, why….’
The moment I was repeating questions, seeking the answer.
“Young Master Gu. Are you really alright? Young Master Gu…!”
At the Poison King’s voice, I had to bite my lip slightly.
It got on my nerves that he kept asking even though I said I was fine.
“No, Lord Tang. I told you I’m really fine….”
Trying to speak while waving my hand once more.
“Isn’t… huh?”
I stopped mid-sentence and stiffened.
Because my hand, caught in my sight, was very strange.
“…Huh?”
My hand was not a hand. It definitely looked like a hand, but….
*Hwargeureuk—…*
My hand was burning. No, I possessed Fire Arts and had wrapped my hands in flames many times before. But this was different from that.
‘It is the flame itself.’
The sensation of my flesh becoming flame. An indescribably strange feeling.
‘If the wind blew, it felt like I’d fly away.’
I didn’t even know how I was holding onto this phenomenon. I felt anxious and impatient, as if floating.
“…Are you truly alright?”
“…No. I don’t think I’m alright?”
“…”
Like hell I’d be fine when a person’s hand ends up like this. Moreover, it wasn’t just my hand.
‘It seems my body is mixed in too.’
Not just my hand—it seemed about thirty percent of my body was flame as well.
It was burning. Such a vivid flame.
It felt like I wasn’t myself; having felt this for the first time, there was no way to explain it.
The important thing.
‘It feels like I can do anything.’
Leaving anxiety behind, I felt exhilaration (高揚感). An inexplicable sense of superiority.
‘This.’
This feeling.
I’d seen it. I definitely knew it.
Though it was a sensation I was feeling for the first time, I had seen this before. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to realize what it was.
Because the scene was already vividly embedded in my mind.
‘Father?’
And relatively recently. The moment I’d faced a hundred-grade demonic beast when I left for the North Sea.
At that time, Father had told me to watch closely and then tore the hundred-grade demonic beast apart.
And this flame.
—Guyeom Geuk Taesan Ohyeong.
It felt exactly like the flame Father had shown me then.
If that’s the case….
‘Could it be this flame?’
Does this mean it’s the power one can only obtain upon reaching major attainment in the Guyeom Hwarungong….
Realization.
“Oh.”
The moment I thought that, the flame vanished in an instant.
My hand returned to normal, and my body was the same.
The exhilaration disappeared.
It felt like I’d been floating in the sky, only to crash to the ground.