Kim Hyeonwoo watched the battle that had already begun in the distance and spoke to Hyeonmu, who was beside him.
"Teacher-nim, it seems the fight has already started."
Hyeonmu squinted his small eyes and gazed into the distance. Baek Yeoju and Dochul were fighting in the sky above Heugyosi with a massive explosion.
"That fool finally caused a mess...!!!"
Kim Hyeonwoo looked at Hyeonmu, who had suddenly frozen mid-sentence, with a puzzled expression. Hyeonmu's face instantly turned pale, and his entire body began to tremble.
"Teacher-nim? What's wrong all of a sudden?"
"Hyeo, Hyeonwoo... run away."
"Yes...?"
Hyeonmu's voice was trembling. His usual dignified demeanor was nowhere to be found; he was terrified, as if he had seen something horrific.
"...It has awakened."
Along with Hyeonmu's words, something fell from the sky.
-Kwoooong!
The ground cracked with a tremendous impact. And from its center, an overwhelming aura surged forth.
The moment Kim Hyeonwoo felt that aura, he felt his entire body freeze. It was more intense and overwhelming than any power he had ever encountered.
"W-What is this...?"
"It's him..."
Hyeonmu gritted his teeth and spoke with a trembling voice.
"Something... has become a completely different being."
The smoke cleared, and a figure stood in the middle of the cracked earth. The appearance was clearly Jin Seoyun. But the aura emanating from him was something that could not be called human.
'How am I supposed to face a monster like this?'
Jin Seoyun slowly began to move. Each of his steps vibrated the ground, and the surrounding air distorted.
"We have to run, Teacher-nim."
Kim Hyeonwoo said with a trembling voice.
"Yes, running is the right thing to do now."
Hyeonmu agreed. Pride didn't matter. Surviving was the priority now.
Just then, Jin Seoyun slowly raised an arm. In his hand was a sword, drawn at some unknown moment.
-Swoosh.
Very lightly, as if sweeping the air, the tip of the sword was drawn downwards.
-Kwaaaaaang!!
Instantly, the world split in half.
The explosive shockwave tore through the ground, twisting the air as it swept forward. The distant land, forest, and the yokai encampment were instantly wiped away.
"Teacher-nim...!"
Kim Hyeonwoo called out to Hyeonmu with a trembling voice.
"Damn it...!"
Hyeonmu's face hardened, and his small body was instantly enveloped in light. Hyeonmu hastily raised his arm.
-Kwaaaaaang!!
Amidst the thunderous roar, the protective barrier created from Hyeonmu's fingertips collided with the sword energy Jin Seoyun had unleashed, barely holding on.
"Hyeonwoo... run!"
Hyeonmu's voice echoed urgently. Kim Hyeonwoo swallowed his breath and instinctively stepped back. But his legs lost strength, and he stumbled, barely managing to retreat.
And at that moment, their eyes met again with Jin Seoyun.
His breath caught in his throat.
Those eyes were indifferent. No, rather than indifferent... they were cold, cruelly devoid of any emotion. It was as if he wasn't looking at humans, but at a swarm of insects beneath his feet.
***
"Oh, he blocked that?"
It had been a while since I'd seen Kim Hyeonwoo's face, so I lightly swung my sword as a greeting. But some brat blocked it.
"What kind of brat is that?"
Just then, Baek Yeoju quietly approached and said in a low voice.
"That's Hyeonmu."
"Ah, that's Hyeonmu?"
"Yes, and more importantly. How strong have you become?"
"Hmm- I don't know."
I slowly curled the corners of my lips.
"Honestly... I'm overflowing with power, to the point where I can't control it right now."
Baek Yeoju's eyes widened slightly.
"That strong?"
"Yes. My six months of training paid off."
I lightly moved my hand. Just that caused the air to distort, creating tiny cracks around me.
"That's truly incredible."
Baek Yeoju exclaimed in admiration.
"At that level, Hyeonmu should be no problem."
From a distance, Hyeonmu and Kim Hyeonwoo were looking at us with wary eyes. Kim Hyeonwoo, in particular, was trembling all over.
"That kid's a bit pitiful."
"Kim Hyeonwoo?"
"Yeah. He must have been gritting his teeth, vowing revenge... but his opponent became too strong."
I chuckled at Baek Yeoju's words.
'Somehow... I think I've become stronger than this world's final boss.'
Perhaps... I might end up playing the role of the final boss.
'The final boss, huh. That's not bad at all.'
I raised my fingertips to the sky. Teal and black energy intertwined and surged, twisting the air around me.
I slowly took a step forward.
"I'll go take care of the bugs."
"Okay, I'll rest a bit."
Baek Yeoju waved her hand and stepped back. I turned my gaze forward.
In the distance, I saw Dochul, his face pale. Behind him were the trembling, insignificant yokai.
"You worm-like bastards, try to struggle one last time."
With those words, the moment I put strength into my toes-
-Kwaaang!!
The earth cracked deeply, and from the fissure, black flames erupted explosively. As if spewing hellfire, the black flames spread in all directions.
"Kuaaaak!!"
The yokai screamed. But their screams didn't last long. Engulfed in flames, their bodies burned away, unable to maintain their forms, and they instantly vanished into ash, leaving no bones behind.
A few high-ranking yokai managed to grit their teeth and try to endure, but that too was only for a moment.
I watched the scene indifferently and swung my sword towards Dochul, who was trying to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The sword energy struck Dochul's back.
"Kuaaak!"
Dochul was thrown to the ground. His massive body rolled across the floor, smashing rocks.
"Dochul."
I slowly approached Dochul.
"You brought a Celestial Sealing Stone and threatened my woman?"
"K-Kugh..."
Dochul writhed, spitting blood.
"Forgive... me..."
"Forgiveness?"
I scoffed.
"You touch my woman and ask for forgiveness?"
The aura of the Four Fiends was leaking from Dochul's body. That powerful force was scattering helplessly before me.
"You, I'll torture you until you die."
The sword was swung once, and Dochul's arms and legs were successively severed, causing him to collapse to the ground.
"N-No! Please...!"
"Hand this one over to the torturers."
At my command, soldiers immediately rushed forward and roughly dragged Dochul away.
I slowly turned my head.
Kim Hyeonwoo and Hyeonmu had long since disappeared into the distance.
"Biyeon. Guard Heugyosi in my stead."
Biyeon, who had been in the form of a sword, slowly transformed into a human.
"Where are you going?"
I smiled and replied.
"It's been a while... I'm going to let the protagonist experience a taste of NTR."
"Alright, go ahead."
I chuckled and nodded. As I regulated my breathing and concealed my aura, my presence completely vanished.
I launched myself, moving as if melting into the air.
I felt it from afar. The presence of Hyeonmu and Kim Hyeonwoo, panting roughly as they fled.
I quietly followed them at a steady pace.
***
Kim Hyeonwoo and Hyeonmu, who had been struggling to escape, created a certain distance. At that moment, Hyeonmu flicked his fingertip and pulled out a small talisman.
The talisman flashed brightly in the air, then enveloped the two of them. Instantly, space distorted, and Kim Hyeonwoo and Hyeonmu's figures vanished from the air as if sucked into water.
-Shwiiik!
In the middle of a forest far from Mount Baek, the two of them burst out of thin air as if throwing themselves from it.
"Huk... huk..."
Without time to catch their breath, they started running again. Amidst that, Hyeonmu spoke.
"We might need to find the other Four Divine Beasts... and borrow their power."
"The other... Four Divine Beasts?"
As Kim Hyeonwoo asked, panting, Hyeonmu nodded.
"Yes. The only way to defeat him is to borrow their power, or fight together."
"Can we win...?"
"If we borrow the power of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, and the Vermilion Bird, we might be able to confront him."
"But... how do we find them?"
Hyeonmu paused to catch his breath and replied.
"The Azure Dragon is deep in the East Sea. The White Tiger is on Mount Baekdu in the west.
And... I don't know about the Vermilion Bird."
"You don't know?"
Hyeonmu sighed softly and said.
"The Vermilion Bird doesn't stay in one place like the others. It has a strong wanderlust, so no one knows where it is."
"Then... how can we find it?"
Hyeonmu rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought, then spoke.
"Still, there's a child who knows news of the Vermilion Bird. If you ask that child, you might get a small clue."
"Then... how about we look for the Azure Dragon first?"
"That would be good. The Azure Dragon's location is certain."
Hyeonmu nodded.
"However, you must be careful. The Azure Dragon has a difficult personality.
He dislikes half-demons and values etiquette. If you're even slightly rude, you'll be immediately chased away."
Kim Hyeonwoo asked with a worried expression.
"Then... what about the White Tiger?"
"The White Tiger is the exact opposite of the Azure Dragon. He's very aggressive and straightforward. If you're not recognized for your skill, he won't even bother with you."
"By skill...?"
"Yes. He only acknowledges the strong. There's a high possibility he'll test your strength."
Kim Hyeonwoo gritted his teeth. Anxiety rose within him, wondering if he could face the White Tiger in his current state, but he nodded, steeling his resolve.
"......Understood. So, the White Tiger after the Azure Dragon."
Hyeonmu looked at Kim Hyeonwoo for a moment, then sighed softly and continued.
"More importantly, Sohyun's role will become crucial. Now that he's become so strong, the power of humans, especially the exorcists, is desperately needed."
Kim Hyeonwoo hesitated for a moment, then cautiously replied.
"My sister... is in contact with the exorcists. But, because she helped me, it seems some people are overtly hostile. So... honestly, I'm worried."
Hyeonmu closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them.
"I've put Baekryeong by her side, so she won't be in immediate danger. But... without the cooperation of humans, catching him will be too difficult. We need their power to create even a small chance of victory."
Kim Hyeonwoo bit his lip and nodded slightly.
The exorcists were already well aware of the Black Dragon's danger. But they had consistently refused full intervention, claiming it was an internal matter for the yokai.
Just then, Hyeonmu's small hand was quietly placed on his shoulder.
"Be strong. The path will be rough, but you must not give up."
"Yes, Teacher-nim."
Kim Hyeonwoo caught his trembling breath and replied softly. However, as Jin Seoyun's gaze from earlier came to mind, his legs began to tremble.