“What did you just say?”

The astonishment on Baek Wol’s face quickly turned into murderous intent.

Crunch!

His muscles swelled as if tearing through his clothes, and his disheveled hair rose skyward like creeping flames.

Ssssssaaahhh---!!!

The hostility radiating from Baek Wol engulfed the entire alley.

Crack!

The walls fractured, and the surge of his aura seemed ready to push back the darkness ahead, but...

[Not bad for a little display.]

The man didn’t seem the least bit bothered.

Despite the overwhelming hostility, which caused even the attendants behind Baek Wol to foam at the mouth and collapse, the man remained utterly composed.

With his hands clasped behind his back, the man simply stared at Baek Wol. It infuriated him.

‘What is this?’

How could anyone show such composure in front of him?

It was deeply unsettling.

Baek Wol clutched his chest.

It wasn’t just the atmosphere. There was something else, something gnawing at him.

Thump... thump...

The distinct vibration he felt in his heart made Baek Wol’s expression twist further.

‘A noble?’

This sensation was one he had only ever felt from other nobles.

And yet, despite this resonance, the man before him showed no visible signs of such lineage.

Could he be a pureblood of an even higher class?

No, that couldn’t be it. Baek Wol was certain.

If the man were truly a noble...

“Do you dare insult my master...?”

There was no way a noble would speak so flippantly about such a revered existence.

In a world where even mentioning the General’s name caused hesitation, to refer to someone even more exalted in such a manner...

It was unthinkable.

[Insult?]

The man tilted his head at Baek Wol’s words.

[What insult are you referring to?]

“Silence.”

Crash---!!!

Baek Wol’s foot slammed into the ground, causing a sudden whirlwind to erupt.

“You will die here.”

Boom!

Baek Wol lunged forward with tremendous speed.

Despite his massive frame, his movements tore through the alley as if nothing could stand in his way.

Crunch--!!

His enormous hand sprouted claws, each glowing with an intense blue aura.

Grrrrrrr---!!!

With a beastly growl, Baek Wol swung his claws. The very air seemed to tear apart, his ferocious attack slicing through the void as it surged toward the man.

Just as his claws were about to shred the man’s head...

[Stop.]

---!!!

“Guh!?”

At the man’s command, Baek Wol’s body froze in place.

It was only for a fleeting moment, no longer than the blink of an eye.

But in that brief moment, a black sphere appeared before Baek Wol’s eyes.

Woom---!

A faint vibration followed, and then...

BOOOOOOM---!!!

The sphere erupted in a massive explosion, engulfing the alley in black flames.

The strange thing was that, despite the flames consuming the entire alley, there were no lingering embers or signs of damage.

The fire rose briefly before vanishing, leaving no trace.

But for Baek Wol, the damage was undeniable.

Though he had narrowly avoided the full force of the attack, his clothes were scorched, and his skin bore burns.

The only solace was that such injuries would heal quickly.

Though momentarily immobilized, Baek Wol prepared to launch his next attack when...

Fwoosh--!

The flames began to take shape.

From the black fire, a hand extended, grabbing Baek Wol by the collar and pulling him off balance.

And then...

A knee slammed into Baek Wol’s face.

Crack--!

“Gah!”

The force sent his jaw snapping backward.

The blow was so powerful that his massive body seemed ready to be hurled backward, but...

Tight---!

“...!?”

Baek Wol didn’t fly backward. Looking down, he felt an unfamiliar pressure around his waist.

A black cloth had wrapped around his midsection, holding him in place as if to prevent escape.

“Urgh!”

Baek Wol struggled to rip the cloth apart.

Tight---!

But no matter how much strength he exerted, the thin fabric didn’t tear.

“This... can’t be real—!”

BOOM---!!

“Guh!”

Before he could finish his words, countless strikes rained down on Baek Wol’s body.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!--!!

The man’s attacks landed on his face, torso, and legs without pause, each blow connecting without mercy.

Even when Baek Wol’s body recoiled from the impact, the cloth pulled him back toward the man, subjecting him to repeated assaults.

The relentless barrage doubled the force of the strikes.

“Guhahhh...!!”

Unable to resist, Baek Wol could only endure the beating.

He wasn’t entirely passive; he tried to escape whenever possible, but...

‘This bastard...!’

Each time he tried, the man countered, targeting his joints or striking preemptively to prevent any movement.

As a result, Baek Wol continued to take a merciless beating.

And just when the punches finally ceased...

Thud...

Baek Wol’s knees gave out, collapsing to the ground.

“Urgh...”

Blood dripped from his mouth as he slumped, but he didn’t fall entirely. The man held him upright by his hair.

[Pathetic.]

“Ghh... hrgh...”

[For a noble of Yahwol Palace, I had expected some entertainment. I’m disappointed.]

The man’s voice was filled with contempt, and Baek Wol’s eyes trembled at the insult.

Humiliation welled up in his chest.

Raising his eyes, he glanced at the sky.

The sun was setting.

Night was still far off.

‘...Damn it.’

Night needed to fall.

Only then could he show this unknown opponent his true strength. As things stood, he couldn’t fight properly.

Grimacing in pain, Baek Wol clenched his teeth.

The man smirked as he watched.

[Oh, beast of Yahwol Palace. Were you waiting for nightfall?]

“...!”

Baek Wol swallowed hard, his true intentions laid bare.

[How amusing.]

The man’s voice dripped with mockery.

[Do you really think that when night comes, you’ll be able to stand against me?]

“You... bastard...”

Blood trickled from Baek Wol’s mouth as he forced out the words.

[Wrong.]

BOOM---!!

“Gahhh!”

The man struck Baek Wol with another devastating punch, still gripping his hair.

Baek Wol thought he heard something break, accompanied by a sharp crack!

[Even when night falls, nothing will change for you. Look closely.]

The man leaned closer, his violet eyes gleaming behind the cracked mask.

[It is already night here.]

Sssssaaahhh---!

The dark aura radiating from the man encircled Baek Wol.

It was as if night itself had descended, but to Baek Wol, it felt different.

‘...Darker than night.’

The night of the Myriad Realms was beautiful, but this darkness was different.

It was pure, oppressive, and chilling.

“You... what are you...?”

Baek Wol’s trembling voice asked the question.

The man released his grip.

Thud--!

Baek Wol’s body crumpled to the ground, finally free.

Looking down at the defeated figure, the man spoke.

[...Who knows.]

There wasn’t a shred of interest in his voice.

[You’re not worth explaining it to.]

“You bastard... do you know who I—!”

[I had some expectations for my first prey, but...]

Crunch--!

“Urgh.”

"Couldn't even finish your words, huh?"

Before Baek Wol could finish speaking, the back of his head slammed into the ground.

The man had stomped on his head with his foot.

[Next time, be sure to bow your head differently.]

Crunch! Crunch-crunch-crunch!!

He trampled Baek Wol’s head mercilessly, grinding it into the ground.

Baek Wol’s head sank deeper into the dirt.

[A wretch like you has no right to look to the heavens in my presence.]

CRUNCH---!!!

With one final, powerful stomp, the man pulled his foot away from the ground.

He shook his foot slightly to rid it of any debris and spoke while staring straight ahead.

[Dispose of this trash. I can’t stand the sight of it.]

As he spoke, the oppressive pressure that had filled the area dissipated.

Only then did people rush forward in a panic.

“L-Lord Baek Wol!!”

But as they ran toward him, they stopped short, their eyes locking onto the man.

Disbelief and sheer terror were etched into their faces as they stared at him.

The man, noticing their reactions, began to rise slowly from the ground, as if levitating into the air.

The bystanders could do nothing but watch in stunned silence.

[When that vermin wakes up, deliver this message.]

The man’s voice cut through the stillness.

[He’s far too pathetic to be called a noble.]

With those words...

Fwoosh--!!

The man transformed into black flames and vanished into the sky.

“Lord Baek Wol...!!”

“What happened here?!”

Chaos erupted as those who had come to rescue Baek Wol clashed with others drawn to the commotion.

********

"Save the Lord at once!"

"Contact the family immediately!"

"What just happened?"

"Aren’t they from the White family?"

"Who’s that... wait, is someone’s head buried in the ground?"

"That outfit... no way...!"

Voices filled the air, their murmurs spreading in every direction.

It was clear the commotion was only going to get louder.

From a distance, I watched the scene unfold, resting my chin on my hand.

“Hm...”

I sighed, a hint of exhaustion creeping into the sound.

It couldn’t be helped.

‘That was dangerous.’

It had been a precarious fight.

Thankfully, it ended quickly, but...

‘He was faster and stronger than I expected.’

Baek Wol was far more formidable than I had anticipated.

‘Good thing Dragon Speech worked.’

I had tried it as a gamble, and fortunately, it worked.

The seconds it bought me were enough to turn the tide of the fight.

Once his stance broke, I didn’t give him a chance to recover, bombarding him with attacks and using Eternal Bind to immobilize him.

Those methods allowed me to seize victory in a short span of time.

But still...

‘What if Dragon Speech hadn’t worked?’

If he hadn’t been thrown off by it, I wouldn’t have won so easily.

Of course...

‘I still would’ve won in the end.’

After exchanging blows, I could tell I would have come out on top eventually.

No matter how fast or tough he was, it wasn’t enough to defeat me.

The problem was...

‘What if it had been night?’

At night, he could have used the powers and abilities unique to his kind.

Would I have still won?

I couldn’t say for certain.

The Wolya tribe at night was something else entirely.

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and reviewed the information I’d gathered during the fight.

‘When I mentioned the Myriad Realms, his reaction was intense.’

He lunged at me with such ferocity, as if he couldn’t tolerate the mention of it.

I hadn’t said it to provoke him; it was merely a passing remark.

I wondered what he thought about it.

I’d mentioned it to gauge his reaction, and...

‘It worked better than I expected.’

He lost control and charged, which played right into my hands.

‘And then...’

I glanced down at the scene below. It still seemed chaotic.

‘Thanks to that, I’ve diverted attention away from Mount Hua.’

By now, Mount Hua was probably the last thing on their minds.

Just dealing with the injured beast and responding to the sudden attack would keep them too busy to think about anything else.

While it seemed like my plan to cause confusion and misdirect attention had worked...

‘Did it really?’

I couldn’t be certain.

‘Will Eternal Bind work as effectively here as it does in Zhongyuan?’

It seemed to have worked during the fight, but I wasn’t sure if the mask’s concealment had held up.

There was a possibility this could lead to trouble later.

‘For now, it looks like I’m in the clear.’

“Hm.”

I pulled my gaze away from the scene below.

‘What a hassle.’

Absentmindedly, I touched ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) my ears.

They still felt soft and pliable.

“...”

I found myself rubbing them out of habit.

They’d become oddly comforting to touch.

‘They say they come undone with vigorous movement, but they’re still intact.’

Even after using Transfiguration of Apparent Form to transform, they remained stable. It was impressive.

This wasn’t just about creating ears and a tail...

‘It seems to alter one’s entire presence.’

There was something deeper at play.

Fascinating.

‘I wonder if I could learn it.’

It seemed possible.

If I could understand the principle behind it, I might be able to replicate it.

As I continued mulling it over, idly rubbing my ears...

Squish. Squish-squish. Squish...

I suddenly noticed an unfamiliar sensation.

Someone else’s hand was touching my ears.

With a snap, I grabbed the wrist and turned to look behind me.

Sure enough, someone was there.

“When did you get here?”

“Caught me.”

Of course, the culprit was none other than Cheonma.

“...Didn’t I tell you to behave? Why can’t you ever listen properly?”

“I was behaving.”

Cheonma protested with a tone of mock indignation.

To be fair, he had stayed out of sight and hadn’t caused any trouble.

Realizing this, I felt a bit awkward.

“You touched my ears.”

“That has nothing to do with anything.”

“Shut up.”

“...”

It was a weak response, but I wasn’t about to admit defeat.

Cheonma wrinkled her nose and fell silent.

Scoffing, I turned and started heading back toward the building.

“I am the darkness born of the heavens.”

“...”

I froze mid-step and turned back.

“...You.”

Cheonma was watching me.

Her lips curled into a faint smirk.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was mockery.

“What did you just say...?”

“Not bad for a little display.”

“...”

“I, the great—”

“Shut up. Just shut up!”

Before she could finish, I cut her off with a shout.

Her smirk only deepened.

Damn it.

‘That damn woman heard everything.’

Embarrassment crashed over me like a tidal wave.