“Then would your neck still be attached now?”

At my words, Hideous Demon laughed incredulously as if this was absurd.

“There are many monsters in the world, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a monster.”

“…”

“A child that must not be left alive.”

His aura changed.

I could feel that I had lost my greatest weapon due to the failure of the previous strike.

[You’ll have trouble moving for a while.]

Uncle Dagger indirectly said he would use my body more recklessly.

I extended my sword and aimed for Hideous Demon’s side.

Hideous Demon still seemed unable to shake off his surprise.

He countered my sword somewhat late.

Clang! Clang!

After exchanging a few blows, I could feel it even more.

‘It’s a battle against time.’

But of course, Uncle Dagger was stronger than Hideous Demon.

Uncle Dagger tried to take down Hideous Demon as quickly as possible.

The area Uncle Dagger focused on targeting was where his injured hand was.

And as he did so, Hideous Demon’s complexion grew increasingly pale.

Deep disbelief clouded his face.

He lamented as if groaning.

“Impossible… This monster-like…”

Whoosh!

Hideous Demon’s sword grazed past my ear. But the price he paid for it was devastating.

My sword created another fatal wound on his hand.

The duel between him and Uncle Dagger was beyond what my eyes could follow.

I could vaguely sense it.

That Uncle Dagger would ultimately emerge victorious. Hideous Demon must have felt this fact too.

Anxiety crept onto his face.

That’s when it happened.

Hideous Demon’s movements changed. I too noticed his change.

Hideous Demon ran towards Ji Cheon Wu. He grabbed Ji Cheon Wu and threw him at me.

Uncle Dagger shouted urgently at me.

[Don’t move!]

Uncle Dagger tried to move my body. He was trying to stop me from running towards Ji Cheon Wu.

But unlike before, I didn’t allow it this time.

I ignored Uncle Dagger’s will and ran towards where Ji Cheon Wu was.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ji Cheon Wu, run away!”

Time began to flow slowly.

Ji Cheon Wu touched his cheek.

Blood, blood splattered.

What happened was exactly like what he had seen in his dream. He couldn’t understand what was happening now.

‘Why…?’

Ji Cheon Wu’s head tilted slowly. He saw Nam Gung Lin holding him tightly.

“Ah…”

His hands trembled.

Ji Cheon Wu slowly embraced the collapsing Nam Gung Lin. Nam Gung Lin’s body was small.

It was incomprehensible how she had fought against that cruel demon.

His mind went numb.

His mind was so numb that no thoughts could form.

Ji Cheon Wu stared blankly at what was unfolding before him. Nam Gung Lin made no movement. She remained collapsed, unable to move.

“Ah, aah…”

An indescribable groan escaped Ji Cheon Wu’s mouth.

He heard Hideous Demon clicking his tongue. Hideous Demon was looking at Nam Gung Lin as if he was afraid.

“What a monstrous girl, if I don’t kill her now, she’ll cause big trouble! Fortunately, befitting a pathetic righteous sect, your heart is weak.”

“…”

“I’ll specially cut off your head and send it to the old monster of the Nam Gung family.”

Hideous Demon approached Nam Gung Lin and himself.

Ji Cheon Wu couldn’t help but understand what Hideous Demon was trying to do.

He was trying to kill Nam Gung Lin. He was about to cut off her delicate neck.

The person who got hurt to protect him.

A sense of powerlessness consumed him.

Never before had he felt so bitter about the fact that he was weak. Getting hit when struck, dying when someone tries to kill him.

He thought it was fine to live like that. He had nothing precious, so there was no need to become strong.

That’s why he just lived submitting to fate.

But regret came too late.

Nam Gung Lin had already fallen, and the demon was approaching to take their lives. Ji Cheon Wu grasped the sword Nam Gung Lin had dropped.

He resolved to die protecting Nam Gung Lin if he had to die. Hideous Demon, with sinister eyes, asked Ji Cheon Wu.

“Are you disregarding me too?”

Without answering, Ji Cheon Wu carefully laid Nam Gung Lin down. He then stood up and pointed his sword at Hideous Demon.

Ji Cheon Wu imitated the stance Nam Gung Lin had taken.

Hideous Demon’s face twisted horribly.

“What are you trying to do when you can’t even use internal energy? This is why righteous sect people…”

Saying that, Hideous Demon swung his sword. Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes followed his sword, but his body couldn’t keep up.

A long gash appeared on his shoulder.

Hideous Demon grabbed Ji Cheon Wu’s neck.

Then he opened his mouth.

“Isn’t it interesting? If I had come a little later, you guys would have become monsters.”

“…”

“I’m really glad. That I discovered you before you got stronger. This is why I love this job.”

Saying that, Hideous Demon smiled slightly. That face felt grotesque.

“I’ll play with you slowly before killing you. I wonder what expression you’ll make when I kill that girl first?”

Hideous Demon approached Nam Gung Lin.

“Shut up! Don’t touch that child.”

Ji Cheon Wu’s struggle intensified.

Hideous Demon, as if annoyed, stabbed his sword into his shoulder.

“Don’t be annoying. I was going to blind you after taking care of that girl, but I guess I’ll have to do it first!”

Hideous Demon’s words were not empty threats. His sword aimed for Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes.

Nevertheless, Ji Cheon Wu, with his eyes wide open, didn’t avoid Hideous Demon’s gaze.

“You really are terrifying things. My discovery of you today is truly a blessing from heaven.”

Saying that, Hideous Demon was about to swing his sword at Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes.

But his sword didn’t reach Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes.

Clang!

Nam Gung Lin, who had been lying down, was suddenly blocking Hideous Demon’s sword.

“H-How…?”

Nam Gung Lin’s face was expressionless.

Hideous Demon stumbled backward.

[I warned you like that.]

Although it was clearly Nam Gung Lin who opened her mouth, Ji Cheon Wu could instinctively realize. That the person in front of his eyes now was not Nam Gung Lin.

While clearly the same person, the aura changed in an instant.

Nam Gung Lin’s gaze turned to Hideous Demon.

[Your meeting with me is not a blessing from heaven.]

She slowly opened her mouth.

[It’s divine punishment.] [This is the timeline separator]

Everyone has their own aura.

An aura that cannot be expressed by strong martial arts or strength.

One could guess how many times they had crossed the boundary between life and death by observing that aura. It was not something that could be built up with a thousand years of talent.

Hideous Demon also felt a similar intuition as Ji Cheon Wu.

The person in front of him was not the soft-hearted girl he had seen earlier.

In an instant, the aura changed.

Hideous Demon threw Ji Cheon Wu to the ground. Now he could no longer be a hostage.

Even if he broke Ji Cheon Wu’s neck now, the girl in front of him wouldn’t budge.

“Who are you?”

Hideous Demon slowly stepped back.

[Are you curious about that?]

The girl, no, the boy, or perhaps they or she.

The head of the being whose exact existence was unknown tilted slowly.

It would certainly be strange to feel fear at that sight.

After all, Nam Gung Lin’s appearance was just that of a somewhat cute-looking child. But Hideous Demon clearly felt fear.

[Did you also ask those whose dreams you crushed?]

Hideous Demon remained silent at Nam Gung Lin’s words.

It was as Nam Gung Lin said.

He had never been curious about them while stealing the futures of countless late bloomers.

Their dreams.

The things they wanted to achieve.

Rather, hadn’t he felt pleasure in trampling on those dreams? What they wanted to do wasn’t important to him.

Nam Gung Lin’s sword pointed at him.

A familiar-looking sword energy enveloped her sword.

The clear blue color symbolizing the Nam Gung family.

It was something he had seen before.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon had also used a similar sword energy to the girl in front of him.

Hideous Demon’s face changed color.

He trembled with a face filled with fear.

“That… sword energy…”

He had to kill her.

No, even if he couldn’t kill her, he had to inform his comrades that a monster was living and breathing in the Nam Gung family.

It wasn’t just the old monster in the Nam Gung family. A being capable of drawing out sword energy at the young age of eight.

Although he didn’t know what kind of trick was used, it was clear that in the distant future, she would become their worst enemy.

The mere fact that she could draw out sword energy made her a clear target for elimination.

[Many children must have cried because of what you’ve done.]

Hideous Demon gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.

[I can see the vengeful spirits clinging to your ankles.]

It was strange.

Hideous Demon frowned.

As soon as Nam Gung Lin finished speaking, he felt his feet grow heavy.

He seemed to hear crying sounds he had never heard before.

The people who had begged him.

They were all just memories of the past. He didn’t remember those he had killed once.

He thought they were humans not worth remembering.

Nam Gung Lin opened her mouth towards Hideous Demon.

[You will not receive salvation even in death.]

Nam Gung Lin’s sword drew a beautiful trajectory. The sword moved at a speed that Hideous Demon couldn’t possibly keep up with.

It was a movement that surpassed the limitations of Nam Gung Lin’s small body.

That sword contained an understanding that Hideous Demon didn’t know.

Fast but heavy.

At that moment, Hideous Demon tried to cry out for help.

But no words came out of his throat. Hideous Demon saw his body slowly tilting.

His head was falling off.

‘Ah, I’m already dead.’

Only after his body had completely collapsed did he realize.

The fact that he had died.