The world had been split in half.

At least, that was how it appeared to the man.

Blossoms bloomed across the sky as a fine line stretched thin, skewing the horizon itself.

From that horizon, something was splitting apart.

Crack.

The man instinctively knew—it was his own body.

And as his vision shifted downward, he saw—

An old man gazing at him from above.

The one who had introduced himself as a martial artist was looking down at him with an indifferent stare.

“......How.”

Gaps between realms were never meant to be crossed.

Unless one achieved enlightenment, or unless the world itself underwent drastic upheaval, such things should have been impossible.

“You, of all people—”

An outsider from another world.

Though his strength was undeniable, that was his limit.

One who did not possess Rank could never reach him. That was the law of this world, an unbreakable rule set in stone.

“Ghhkk.......”

As the man felt his body being split in two, his eyes burned with fury.

“This cannot be.”

His voice echoed—twice.

“Something so insignificant.”

He could not accept defeat at the hands of one unworthy of Rank.

“To the likes of you—!!”

Szzzzzt—!!

Just as his severed body was about to be completely torn apart, something burst forth from the exposed cross-section like writhing tendrils.

The substance that had escaped immediately latched onto the wound, stitching his body back together.

And in an instant—

“Haa—!”

Not only had his body restored itself, but it felt even stronger than before.

The overwhelming force and divinity emanating from within left the man in awe.

“This is.......”

He knew exactly what had happened. Immediately, he lifted his head to the sky.

“Heavens above!! So it was you!”

It was Him.

The One had bestowed yet another blessing upon him.

A gift, so that he would not suffer defeat at the hands of such a lowly opponent. A blessing to ensure that His servant would not experience such an ignoble loss.

And just as the realization dawned upon him, a smile began to spread across his face.

“...Huh?”

The man froze.

What?

Why—

“Why is my vision—?”

Why was his view moving on its own?

Why ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) was it spinning?

His surroundings blurred into a dizzying whirl, and before long, he saw it.

His own body.

His own head, cleanly severed at the neck, tumbling away from his shoulders.

The moment his eyes processed what had happened, he finally understood.

His head had been cut off.

But by then—

It was already too late.

Plum Blossom Myriad Slashes.

Petals bloomed from the sword’s tip, filling the sky.

And with them came an uncountable number of slashes.

Chwarararak—!!!!

Like flower petals swept into a raging storm, a barrage of devastating sword strikes shredded him apart.

In an instant, his head was reduced to dust, and the same fate befell his body.

It was annihilated.

Not a single fragment remained.

As if to erase even the tiniest trace, Shin Cheol swung his sword at a speed beyond visibility.

“.......”

And as the last of the scattered remains crumbled into dust, Shin Cheol finally ceased his strikes and looked at the empty space before him.

He watched in silence as the remnants drifted away, then turned his gaze.

Lying there, bleeding, was a turtle.

Step.

He stepped lightly onto a fallen blossom and descended calmly.

Once he reached the ground, Shin Cheol examined the turtle.

It had lost a significant amount of blood. Seeing this, he placed a hand over its abdomen.

Fwoooosh—!!!

With a deep breath, he infused it with energy, sealing the wound.

“You were so full of yourself—what the hell happened to you?”

He smirked as he spoke, causing the turtle to scowl.

“......You were off napping while I ended up like this, and now you dare speak nonsense?”

“Well, to be fair, I did get a good nap thanks to you. So? How does it feel?”

“Do I look like I’m fine?”

“Nope.”

The turtle looked like it could drop dead any moment.

“Thanks.”

“.......”

For managing to do so much, Shin Cheol was genuinely grateful.

Hearing that, the turtle made a sheepish face.

“...How pointless. Forget it.”

It quickly dismissed the sentiment.

Not because of embarrassment, but because there was something more pressing.

“We’re not done here yet, are we?”

At those words, Shin Cheol’s expression hardened.

The turtle was right.

Turning away, he shifted his gaze toward the empty sky.

A vast, empty void.

And as he stared into it, Shin Cheol murmured.

“How long do you plan to keep hiding?”

His low, venomous voice rippled through the air.

Though it was merely a voice, its vibrations spread in all directions.

And in that moment—

“Oh. My.”

A startled voice rang out.

Rumble—!!!!

The void trembled, and cracks began to form.

Despite the sudden change, neither Shin Cheol nor the turtle seemed surprised.

They had been expecting this.

And moments later—

Whoooooooosh—!!!

A massive gust of wind surged, enveloping the entire battlefield.

It was as if they had been swallowed by a raging vortex.

The sky vanished, and the swirling storm cast the heavens in an ominous gray.

And then—

“How fascinating.”

The voice from earlier returned, bringing with it a new shift in the air.

Crrrack—!!

The fissures in the void split apart, tearing open to reveal—

A massive, unblinking eye.

“How did you know?”

“It was obvious.”

Hearing that response, Shin Cheol smirked.

Swish.

The sword spun in a full circle.

Slaaash—!!!!

It sliced horizontally through the eye. However, despite the clean hit, the eye remained unchanged.

"At least introduce yourself. Who are you?"

Despite what had just happened, Shin Cheol spoke nonchalantly.

The eye narrowed slightly.

"For a greeting, that was rather aggressive, don’t you think?"

"These kinds of greetings tend to leave a stronger impression."

Shin Cheol smirked, and the eye chuckled.

"Hahahaha—!!"

Rumble.

The ground trembled with its laughter.

"Guh—!"

The turtle, unable to withstand the vibrations, coughed up blood.

Seeing this, Shin Cheol flicked his fingers lightly.

A petal drifted down, landing on the turtle’s body, forming a thin protective barrier.

"How amusing. The beings from your world I met before were the same way. You are no different. Interesting."

"Before? Who exactly did you meet?"

"Who knows? I don't have the luxury of remembering names. I only recall that someone came. They were rather entertaining."

"......Hmm."

Who could it have been?

Someone from Zhongyuan, other than himself.

It piqued his curiosity for a moment, but Shin Cheol quickly dismissed the thought.

It wasn't important right now.

"In that case, let me ask something else."

Srrrrrrr—

A deep crimson aura enveloped his sword.

"What brings a being of the Netherworld to this distant place?"

"Hah."

At Shin Cheol’s question, the eye widened.

"You are quite perceptive."

"Perception has nothing to do with it. It would be stranger if I didn’t know."

A being capable of influencing the Myriad Realms on such a scale.

The moment Shin Cheol had seen the man with white wings, he knew.

Something was happening.

"Who are you?"

He aimed his sword at the eye and asked.

"Who dares disturb my precious slumber?"

His tone was arrogant. And he had every right to be.

The eye observed Shin Cheol and came to a conclusion.

This body, capable of containing such strength beyond its Rank, was noble.

It was worthy of envy.

"I am called Taechon (太天)."

"Taechon......."

"Since the birth of the heavens, I alone have stood supreme."

"And what brings such a great being to this place?"

Shin Cheol tilted his head as he asked.

At that moment, something shifted in the air.

Dust.

Ashen dust flowed toward the massive eye, coalescing before it.

And before long, it took shape.

It was the winged man whom Shin Cheol had reduced to dust.

"I had business here."

"I had business here."

The words spoken by the eye echoed from the newly formed body.

"In the Myriad Realms?"

"Yes. I merely had some matters to attend to in this place."

"For a simple errand, you’ve been rather excessive, don’t you think?"

Entering without permission.

Turning everything into a mess.

How could this be called "having business"?

"The homeowner happened to be away, so I intended to finish my affairs quickly and leave."

"Ah, I see. So, trespassing."

With that, a blinding flash erupted.

Shin Cheol’s sword lunged toward the man once again.

Krrrch—!

Just before it could connect, something blocked it.

But it didn’t matter.

"Hup!"

Craaaack—!!

If something blocked him, he would simply cut through it.

With a sharp breath, he put more force into his strike.

The Sword Will surged, and enormous sword blades rained down upon the man.

His body was cleaved in half once more.

At a glance, it seemed like the attack had landed—

"Click."

—but Shin Cheol immediately withdrew, creating distance.

Then, he looked at his sword.

Nothing clung to its blade.

A strange sensation.

"You are quick-witted."

Taechon spoke, gazing at Shin Cheol.

"I like that. So, I’ll ask just once."

His tone shifted.

"Come and serve under me."

"Hmm?"

"What this pathetic fool failed to obtain Crow, I shall grant to you. What do you say? Will you leave behind your insignificant Rank and ascend to the Heavens?"

The Heavens.

At those words, Shin Cheol glanced up.

The sky was tainted in the same ashen hue as the swirling storm.

"The Heavens. Sounds nice."

It was an enticing proposition.

To ascend to a higher realm—nothing could be more appealing to a warrior.

"But you see—"

Shin Cheol, who had been gazing at the sky, lowered his head to look at Taechon.

"Reaching the Heavens only holds meaning if I do it myself. Not by being lifted there by some meaningless hand."

"I see."

At the firm rejection, Taechon nodded.

"Then just die."

Rumble—!!!

With his words, an immense mass of tendrils erupted from his shadow.

Dozens of massive, grotesque tentacles.

They surged forward, writhing toward Shin Cheol like a chaotic storm.

"Huuuuh......."

Shin Cheol inhaled deeply, channeling energy into his sword.

Just as he prepared to strike—

Fwoooooosh—!!!!!

"Hm?"

Before him, the tentacles were engulfed in flames.

Boom—!!

A scorching heatwave swept across the battlefield.

White flames.

"Hah."

Seeing this, Shin Cheol turned his head toward the source of the fire.

There—

"......Damn brat. Always barging in at the worst times."

A young man, face twisted in anger.

Gu Yangcheon stood there, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent as he glared at Taechon.

The moment Taechon shifted his gaze toward him—

"You miserable bastard dares—"

Gu Yangcheon spat venomously as White Flames flared up around his body.