Published at 27th of August 2026 7:12 pm

Chapter 1079: The World of Ascension (9)

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"Haa..."

I let out a long sigh as I stepped out of the building.

The third test was finally over.

As expected, I passed.

Or... was that really something I should take for granted?

"How the hell was that even close?"

I turned around, dumbfounded.

The first test had been a sparring match against an examiner.

The second test was a written exam on demonic beasts.

And the third test was an interview—meant to assess my character.

Yet, as I was leaving, the examiner’s words had stuck with me.

"Your first two tests were overwhelmingly impressive, so you passed... but the third was a bit risky. I advise you to be more careful."

That was what he had said.

I was honestly speechless.

"What the hell did I even do?"

Failing the character test? The third test was famous for being practically impossible to fail.

And yet, he said I had barely made it?

‘I barely even said anything.’

When asked how I would respond if a superior gave an unreasonable order—

I had answered, "If it doesn’t make sense, I won’t follow it."

When asked what I would do if I witnessed my superior committing corruption—

I had simply replied, "If he's a moron, I’ll beat him to death."

And when asked how I would react if a comrade was in danger while facing a demonic beast—

I had asked, "Is that person even useful?"

That last one had really ruined the examiners’ expressions.

"...And? So what?"

I still didn’t see the problem.

Even though I somehow managed to pass, their reactions still bothered me.

Would they have failed me if things had gone a little differently?

‘Nah, that’s ridiculous.’

They probably just didn’t like my answers, but I doubted it was enough to cause real trouble.

Anyway—

"Let’s see now..."

I left the main headquarters and started walking.

I strolled through the city, taking in my surroundings. There were many things I had to take care of, but first, I needed to secure a base of operations.

"...Which means I need money."

I needed money right away.

"Hmm."

How should I go about it?

Technically, I could just create wealth using my Authority, and no one would be able to tell.

But that was only a temporary fix.

I had no idea how long I’d be staying here.

But from what I could tell—

‘This won’t be over in a day or two.’

This wasn’t something I could wrap up in a single day.

"...Tsk."

I scratched my head.

Money, huh...

After a brief moment of thought, something came to mind.

"There is a way."

No matter what era it was, some things never changed.

Even in the present, one method of making money remained simple.

If you grew up in a family with a sword division, then it was obvious.

"Guess I’ll go hunting."

It had been a while since I last went hunting.

***

I left the city and headed toward the mountains.

The sun had just begun to set, and I wouldn’t need to return to the main headquarters until the next day.

That meant I had tonight to take care of things.

Tap.

I stepped onto a tree branch and leaped upward.

Then—

Fwoooosh—!

I unleashed the energy I had been suppressing, letting it spread in all directions.

As my Qi Sense expanded, it covered the entire mountain range.

Instantly, I felt the presence of every living creature in the area.

"Hmmm..."

Not long after—

Grrrrr...

I sensed what I was looking for.

I immediately propelled myself forward.

My surroundings blurred as I moved at high speed, arriving exactly where I wanted.

Krrrk!?

I spotted it.

A demonic beast—one that resembled a monkey, covered in blue fur.

Without hesitation, I reached out and ripped its head off.

Crunch.

Then, I collected the Magic Stone that popped out.

I carefully controlled my Demonic Heaven Absorption Art, making sure not to absorb it. If I absorbed the Magic Stone, the beast’s body would disappear.

And that wouldn’t do.

‘One down.’

Without pause, I moved again.

I began to massacre the surrounding demonic beasts.

Crack—! Snap—!!!

My body, engulfed in flames, shot through the battlefield.

Everywhere I passed, demonic beasts perished.

By the time about half an hour had passed—

"Hmph."

I dusted off my hands and looked at the pile of corpses I had accumulated.

No matter how peaceful Hanam was, no matter how safe it was supposed to be—

‘Demonic beasts exist everywhere.’

There were always some left lurking around.

And I had just killed most of them.

The reason was simple.

"Now then... how was it that you butcher these things again?"

The skins and bones of demonic beasts could be sold for money.

They were often used to craft weapons and clothing in Zhongyuan.

The problem was—

"...This is going to be a pain in the ass."

Separating the skins and bones was going to be a hassle.

What should I do?

I quickly came up with an answer.

Fwoosh—!

I ignited flames, instantly engulfing the demonic beasts.

Fwooooom—!!!

The scent of burning flesh filled the air.

Soon, the flesh and skin had completely burned away, leaving behind only bare bones.

"Nice."

Too much of a hassle—so I’d just sell the bones.

That alone should be enough to make some money.

Now, the next issue—

“...How the hell am I going to carry all this?”

It was time to figure that out.

*****

"Thank you! Please come again!"

The night was still deep. The shop owner sent me off with a bright smile as I stepped out of the building.

I tucked the money I had earned into my robe.

‘Well, I managed to sell it all somehow.’

The bones had fetched a decent price.

Moving everything back and forth had been a hassle, but at least I was properly compensated for my labor.

The shop owner was pleased, too.

He probably hadn’t expected an individual, rather than the Martial Alliance, to bring him such a large haul of bones.

Especially blue-furred demonic beast bones—that had earned me an extra bonus.

‘...It would’ve been easier if I just used Elemental Telekinesis.’

But that would’ve drawn too much attention, so I had to transport them manually.

Still, the results were satisfying.

I had enough for food and lodging now.

"Now, where should I go?"

As I glanced around, my gaze landed on a towering inn in the distance.

"Oh."

I widened my eyes.

I recognized that place.

Back when I participated in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, the Martial Alliance had provided that very inn as my lodging.

‘So it existed even in this era, huh?’

Should I stay there?

I immediately started walking toward it.

"Welcome!"

"Do you have any rooms available?"

"What type of room are you looking for?"

"The cheapest one you have."

"Ah... I see."

At my response, the innkeeper’s expression subtly changed.

Fucking hell. This damn world hasn’t changed at all.

Still, there were available rooms.

I paid for my stay along with a small meal and went up to my assigned room.

It was on the second floor.

When I stayed here in the past, I had been assigned the top floor.

I guess the lower the floor, the cheaper the room.

Creak.

I stepped inside.

Sure enough, the room was absurdly small.

‘The hell? Why is this so cramped?’

Good thing I didn’t have any luggage—if I did, it would’ve been a nightmare.

"...Ah, whatever."

If I got into the Martial Alliance, they’d probably provide accommodations anyway.

This was fine for now.

With that thought, I quickly organized my things and stepped back outside.

I was about to head downstairs to grab some food—

When I noticed someone coming up the stairs.

I didn’t pay much attention.

I simply stepped aside to let them pass—

"Hm?"

But they didn’t move past me.

Instead, they stopped right in front of me.

‘What the hell?’

Why wasn’t she moving?

I glanced at the person.

A woman—wearing a face veil.

I narrowed my eyes.

My enhanced vision pierced right through the veil.

Unless it was a relic-level artifact, a mere veil wouldn’t be enough to obstruct my sight.

‘...Huh?’

She had large eyes.

Her frame was small, and her robes were a deep green color.

‘...She looks familiar?’

She bore an uncanny resemblance to Tang So-yeol.

The resemblance was so strong that even I was taken aback.

"Do you need something?"

I asked.

The woman flinched, visibly startled.

"Oh, no. My apologies."

"Alright."

She quickly stepped aside, seemingly flustered.

Even her voice sounded like Tang So-yeol’s.

That was the end of it.

Since I didn’t feel anything particularly significant, I brushed it off and headed downstairs.

"You can sit here."

As soon as I came down, the innkeeper’s assistant led me to a small table.

It was obviously a shitty seat, but I didn’t care.

I was going to eat alone anyway.

I sat down in silence.

Not long after, my food arrived.

I had ordered dumplings and thin noodles.

‘Smells good.’

The aroma was rich and inviting.

I picked up a dumpling and took a bite.

The taste was solid.

‘...So this really isn’t a dream.’

Everything was just like reality.

That realization settled in deeper.

I calmly ate my meal.

But then—

"Did you hear? Paejon personally attended the Martial Alliance entrance exam this time."

"Paejon? You mean, that Paejon?"

Nearby, I overheard a conversation.

They were talking about Paejon.

‘Ah, this isn’t good.’

I immediately knew where this was going.

If they were talking about Paejon...

"And get this—he actually took an interest in one of the examinees and wants to take them as a disciple."

‘Shit.’

There was a high chance they were about to start talking about me.

"A disciple? Paejon wants to take a disciple?"

"That’s right."

"Why would he suddenly do that...?"

"No one knows."

"Who is it? Who did Paejon choose?"

"That... no one knows for sure. But from what I heard, it was one of the later-generation prodigies..."

‘Ugh.’

I stuffed my mouth with dumplings to suppress my frustration.

‘I should finish eating and go upstairs.’

Or maybe I should just block out the sound with Qi.

Yeah. That seemed like a good idea.

I nodded to myself and was about to cut off my hearing—

"Um, excuse me."

"Huh?"

I felt a presence approach.

I looked up.

It was the woman I had run into earlier.

"...What is it?"

What now?

I gave her a confused look.

She hesitated for a moment, her hands trembling slightly before she finally spoke.

"I... I never do things like this, but..."

"Huh?"

"I really don’t, but..."

"...What are you talking about?"

"Would you..."

She swallowed dryly.

"Would you mind if I... sat with you?"

"...?"

What?

I frowned.

Why the hell did she want to sit with me?

"There are plenty of empty seats. Why?"

There were seats everywhere.

And judging by her clothes, she was definitely well-off.

Wait.

‘Her robes...’

A green martial uniform.

And not just any green—a very familiar shade.

More importantly—

‘She looks like Tang So-yeol. And she’s wearing that uniform...?’

Just as a realization began to form—

She spoke again.

"I... I just like you."

"...What?"

Even I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

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