Hapbi, Anhui Province.

A boisterous drinking party was taking place on the top floor of a high-class inn.

“Haha, drink up. How can a man refuse alcohol!”

Dan Hwigyeong, seated at the head of the table, wrapped his arm around a courtesan’s waist and raised his wine cup.

A dashing man with a dignified physique and thick eyebrows.

He was truly the epitome of a martial artist.

“Of course, haha.”

“Why would we refuse a toast and receive a penalty drink?”

The martial artists seated before him continuously flattered Dan Hwigyeong, drinking heartily.

They, too, were masters with profound Internal Energy. Even if they drank as much as offered, a single circulation of internal energy would expel all intoxication, so there was no need to displease Dan Hwigyeong.

“Go and play the Autumn Soul Night Song!”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The courtesan, with an endearing tone and a smile, bowed slightly, then rose like a feather and began to play the zither.

The emperor’s desperation and sorrow, fleeing from chaos, spread through the melody.

Dan Hwigyeong listened to the urgent and heartfelt song, which was almost uncomfortably intense, with a very pleased expression.

Just like an enemy soldier pursuing the emperor.

“Excellent.”

Dan Hwigyeong, who had been listening with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them before the song even finished.

“But how is the Hyeopjeongmun Sect doing? What’s the Sect Leader’s epithet there?”

“Demon Slaying Sword.”

A middle-aged martial artist bowed his head and replied. By rank and age, he was not someone who would normally be intimidated by Dan Hwigyeong, but he had his own intentions.

All of his current hardships would be compensated the moment Dan Hwigyeong secured a position in the Martial Alliance.

“Demon Slaying Sword? It seems they’re also obsessed with the Extermination of Demons.”

“Of course. The Extermination of Demons is a great cause.”

“Hahahaha.”

Dan Hwigyeong laughed loudly as if he had heard an amusing joke.

“A great cause… Honestly, in the current situation, is the Extermination of Demons even a plausible idea? How can we talk about the Extermination of Demons when we can’t even mobilize troops even if the Alliance Leader’s grandson dies? I’m gathering the Extermination of Demons followers to increase my power, but when I look at them closely, they’re just pathetic.”

‘Extermination of Demons followers’.

It was a clear derogatory term for those who made it their business to eradicate demons based on their hatred for Ilwol.

It was not a remark that should come from Dan Hwigyeong, who was emerging as the vanguard of the Extermination of Demons within the Murim Alliance.

“They are people who live in the past, unable to recognize that the world has changed with time. They are narrow-minded people anyway. If we just keep telling them what they want to hear, they’ll even sacrifice their lives, hehe.”

Those who genuinely advocated for the Extermination of Demons were already gathering under Dan Hwigyeong.

As if Dan Hwigyeong would raise an army against Ilwol.

From Dan Hwigyeong’s perspective, who had to enjoy power by relying on the Murim Alliance, it was a ridiculous notion, but for now, he was desperate for power.

“The problem is that I occasionally feel like a dog. It’s pathetic to be in a position where I have to borrow the hands of such enemies. If only I had been born into the Namgung Family, I wouldn’t need to do such things.”

Dan Hwigyeong spoke everything without reservation.

He was waving the flag of the Extermination of Demons and gathering various enemies, but it was not a very large force compared to the entire Murim Alliance.

In contrast, Namgung Jin could truly be called someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

His father, the head of the Namgung Family, was currently the Murim Alliance leader, so what more was there to say?

“Damn it.”

He soothed his empty feelings with alcohol.

As Dan Hwigyeong revealed his discomfort, his followers, as expected, eagerly began to lick his wounds with their tongues.

“Don’t you know the story of ‘sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall’? In this bloated Murim Alliance, gathering people is the most important thing. Who follows is not important, but how many follow is important.”

“Moreover, because Namgung Jin insisted on a peace treaty, quite a few Murim people have come over to our side. If we continue to grow like this, we won’t envy any major sect.”

The martial artists sitting in front of Dan Hwigyeong poured out embarrassing words without batting an eye.

They had already weighed their options. Dan Hwigyeong would build his power through the ideology of the Extermination of Demons, and although it was a small force now, if things went according to plan, he would be able to have a voice within the Murim Alliance.

Considering the size of the Murim Alliance, just being able to have a voice was a significant achievement.

“By the way, it doesn’t seem like Namgung Jin will die a natural death, does it?”

“He seems to still be associating with those Ilwol guys these days…”

“Exactly. It’s a foolish thing to do. Isn’t he someone who could even aim for the position of Murim Alliance leader if he just preserved his life? Although the Extermination of Demons followers are foolish, it’s clear that one shouldn’t trust Ilwol. Who knows when they’ll change their minds…”

It was then.

“A guest has arrived.”

The servant’s voice echoed from outside the door. The martial artists all fell silent. All the conversations that had just taken place in the room were of a kind that should not leak out.

Dan Hwigyeong scanned the room as if to tell them to keep quiet and then raised his voice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s a man named Yi Gwa-yun.”

“Yi Gwa-yun?”

When Dan Hwigyeong asked again,

“Yi Gwa-yun, a subordinate of Young Master Namgung Family.”

Yi Gwa-yun introduced himself.

Dan Hwigyeong tilted his head.

If it was the Namgung Family’s Young Master, it would be Namgung Jin.

There was no reason for his subordinate to come looking for him.

Dan Hwigyeong had no acquaintance with Namgung Jin whatsoever.

Furthermore, their paths were different, so there would be no reason for them to associate in the future.

And Dan Hwigyeong was not the only one who felt perplexed by Yi Gwa-yun’s visit.

No one present could guess the purpose of Yi Gwa-yun’s visit.

“Let him in first.”

A Martial Artist advised. It wasn’t wrong. There was enough strength in the room to handle Yi Gwa-yun even if he suddenly started a sword dance.

Dan Hwigyeong nodded in agreement.

“Come in.”

As permission was given, the door opened and Yi Gwa-yun entered with a polite gesture.

“I apologize for visiting without prior notice. I am truly sorry if I have caused any disturbance.”

Yi Gwa-yun performed a Cupped Fist Salutation.

“Haha, how can one stop someone who comes?”

Dan Hwigyeong laughed heartily and offered Yi Gwa-yun a seat.

“So, what is the matter?”

Yi Gwa-yun bowed his head as if in gratitude for Dan Hwigyeong’s consideration and began to speak.

“It’s nothing else, but a direct descendant of the Divine Demon has appeared near Pyeong, where the White Tiger Squad is stationed.”

“A direct descendant of the Divine Demon…?”

Dan Hwigyeong’s eyes immediately changed.

“Yes, Young Master Namgung Jin is ‘neglecting’ the Divine Demon’s descendant… but I thought Dan Hwigyeong might have a different opinion, so I came to see you.”

Even amidst that, Yi Gwa-yun defended Namgung Jin. He said they weren’t close, but merely neglecting the situation.

Of course, others didn’t pay attention to that part.

Dan Hwigyeong and his subordinates exchanged glances for a moment. Their eyes held joy.

This was an unexpected windfall.

If they could eliminate the Divine Demon’s descendant, they would further establish themselves as a great torch of the Extermination of Demons.

Because it was not an achievement that just anyone could accomplish.

Moreover, from what he heard, it wouldn’t be a difficult opponent for Dan Hwigyeong.

If they eliminated the Divine Demon’s descendant and hung their head in front of the main gate, it was obvious that forces who had been hesitant to join would flock to them upon seeing that achievement.

Dan Hwigyeong had to carefully embrace that windfall instead of kicking it away.

“Oh, a direct descendant of the Divine Demon… For such an ill omen to appear near the Namgung Family’s Young Master. This is something that cannot be easily overlooked.”

As always, Dan Hwigyeong hid his true intentions and acted the part of a great hero.

“I am grateful that you think so.”

“Leave it to me. You’ve come to exactly the right person. With such excellent personnel management skills, I truly envy the Young Master for having a subordinate like you, haha.”

“No, not at all. You flatter me.”

“Since you’re here, have a drink! Here!”

After receiving just that one drink, Yi Gwa-yun left.

From the start, his plan was to use Dan Hwigyeong to kill with a borrowed knife, not to build a relationship with him.

Dan Hwigyeong would come to kill the Nothingness-conditioned Celestial Spirit Maiden.

Dan Hwigyeong’s Thread power was at the very edge of a B-rank Dungeon.

The Celestial Spirit Maiden, the moment her location was discovered, was as good as dead.

***

“They said you have to gather it at one point.”

A Hunter said. In front of him, Setsu was sitting, concentrating his mind on a green sphere.

“Like this?”

“That’s not it.”

The Hunter, Dabatz, replied indifferently while sharpening his sword.

Dabatz had experience teaming up with a Supernatural Ability user while climbing the Dungeon.

From what he heard, the Supernatural Ability user was from a completely different world than Setsu, but the mechanism of Supernatural Ability was similar.

Supernatural Abilities were truly diverse, but the ability users of both worlds showed similar tendencies. If so, their ‘Training methods’ could also be shared.

“That guy could control rocks. But when he trained, he would just sit there and stare into the void. So I asked him, ‘What are you looking at?’ And he said, ‘I’m not looking at anything, I’m concentrating my ability there.'”

There were indeed people with the Supernatural Ability to control rocks in Setsu’s world.

That’s why he guessed it was a world that shared similar types of Supernatural Abilities.

“Someone who controls rocks concentrates their ability without rocks?”

“I asked that too. And he chuckled and said that even if every Supernatural Ability user’s ability was different, the core was all the same. He said he was concentrating on that core, or something. I should have punched him in the face then. He had such an annoying expression.”

Dabatz checked his Sword Blade and shook his head, seemingly regretful.

“The core? What’s the core?”

It was a theory that didn’t exist in Setsu’s world.

The late blossoming of Supernatural Ability in Setsu’s world indirectly contributed to its downfall.

There was a reason why science had advanced enough to produce canned goods, despite the existence of Supernatural Abilities.

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“You can’t think of anything else?”

“Hmm… he said that as you train, your ability will transform into another form. And eventually, they all become the same, or something…”

“Anything else?”

“I told you, no.”

“You’ve been remembering things just fine until now. You always say there’s nothing.”

“What can I do if I think of something even when I thought there was nothing?”

“Then think again.”

“You little brat… now there’s really nothing. You should probably look for another Supernatural Ability user. They’re rare, but not nonexistent.”

Dabatz, perhaps annoyed by Setsu, got up and left.

“If you remember anything else, please tell me.”

“I told you, I will.”

He answered with a grunt and fled into the tent.

Left alone, Setsu pondered Dabatz’s words.

‘The core…?’

It was a topic he had never considered.

Is this it…?

However, surprisingly, it was immediately discernible. After passing Voidor’s Trial, when using a Supernatural Ability, he began to feel the light move first.

A green substance exists inside Setsu’s body, which he extracts and transforms into mass.

But the green substance wasn’t the beginning; the light was the beginning.

It seemed that light was considered the core.

Setsu extracted only that and concentrated it at one point.

Though it wasn’t visible, he could strangely feel its brightness.

Concentrating it at one point wasn’t difficult. It just happened as he thought it would.

About five minutes passed.

Suddenly, a translucent green sphere appeared at that point.

It was the size of a fist.

Originally, Setsu’s ability was opaque. But this time, it was translucent.

It looked as if the green substance inside his body had been scattered.

Setsu cautiously touched the sphere. His finger passed right through it.

What is this?

It was then.

He saw Kim Songcheol pass by quickly.

Brother…

Setsu raised his hand, then slowly lowered it.

Because Kim Songcheol’s expression was unusual.

As if something was about to happen.