Following the masked man’s lead, we arrived at the mountainside.
Scattered throughout the area were wooden pavilions, old yet well-maintained.
“Enter.”
The architecture resembled traditional wooden buildings I’d only ever seen in historical dramas. Though aged, it was clear someone had been taking care of them.
Feeling a strange sense of nostalgia, I stepped inside.
After settling the soldiers into their own rooms to rest, I sat across from the masked man.
“You desire my martial arts, yes? Fine. Who do you wish to begin with?”
“Before that, let’s start with introductions.”
Calling him masked man the whole time would be a hassle.
“Introductions? We’re not exactly here to make friends, but fine. Call me Seohwan.”
“I’m Shin Youngjun. Now, first, I have a question.”
“...A question?”
Seohwan’s expression twisted in irritation.
“I let you in because I had no choice, but having outsiders here isn’t exactly a pleasant experience. I’d prefer if you learned your martial arts quickly and left.”
“No, I think you misunderstood the deal.”
“...What?”
Martial arts were just one part of it.
The price for sparing his life was—
“I said everything you have.”
“...”
“Your knowledge. Your memories. I need them.”
Seohwan sighed heavily.
He didn’t seem pleased, but he also wasn’t about to risk his life.
“...Fine. Ask your questions. I’ll answer if I can.”
I observed him closely.
[Combat Power Measurement] triggered.
His aura was—
Blue.
As expected.
It wasn’t that he was weak.
It was just that he had run into opponents far beyond his level.
“My question is simple.”
A being this strong...
“Tell me how this world was destroyed.”
Why was he alone in this shattered world?
I needed to know.
***
The monsters that suddenly appeared in our world—
I had some idea of what they were now.
Otherworldly beings.
That was what the system called them.
But why they invaded?
That was still a mystery.
Ariella had said she woke up on Earth after being sealed by vampire hunters.
The Pope of the Deep Ones seemed to know something.
But after I cooked his kin, he refused to share anything important.
“My homeland’s destruction, huh?”
And now—
Seohwan.
If anyone knew, it might be him.
“I’ll explain it simply. Monsters appeared.”
Monsters.
Just like in the pope’s world.
“I don’t know the exact reason. Why they targeted our world. What their objective was...”
“Tch. So you’re useless.”
“...But there’s one thing I do know.”
His fist clenched.
His voice dropped.
“There was a malicious will involved in the process.”
“...!”
Chills ran down my spine.
Because—
‘He came to the same conclusion as I did.’
The monsters that invaded our world.
It wasn’t just that they appeared suddenly.
What stood out was—
“Their first target was our military.”
The very force that could have resisted them.
The army.
“The first to fall was the imperial family. Then the Celestial Heart League. The Black Demon Lotus. The Grand Ming Sect...”
“...Celestial what?”
“They were the strongest factions in our world. Even if monsters had flooded in, had they been intact, they ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) could have fought back. But—”
“They were taken out first.”
“...According to survivors, they weren’t even given a chance to respond.”
Exactly like our world.
The military was the first to be destroyed.
His world and mine—
The pattern was identical.
‘That malicious will... is real.’
Before, I only had suspicions.
Now, I was certain.
“The monsters only got stronger over time. At first, we could manage. But the great demon beasts that destroyed the imperial family soon became commonplace.”
The pope had said the same.
The longer they stayed, the stronger they became.
‘Fucking hell.’
Even now, monster extermination wasn’t easy.
And things were only going to get worse?
“We lost contact with others. It became impossible to move freely. Eventually, I assumed everyone had perished.”
“Why do these things invade? What’s their goal? How do we stop them?”
I couldn’t hold back my frustration.
“I already told you—I don’t know. Not even why this place survived when everything else was destroyed.”
“How do you not know? You lived through it.”
“I just survived. I didn’t do anything remarkable.”
...Damn it.
“So is there anyone who might have answers?”
Seohwan glanced out the window.
“My master, perhaps.”
“Master?”
At the mountaintop—
A massive pavilion stood.
“I was never particularly strong. The only reason I survived was thanks to my master.”
“So this guy... was really powerful?”
“He was recognized as the strongest in our world. He disliked politics, so he didn’t belong to any faction. But he occasionally exchanged words with the celestial beings.”
Celestial beings?
“Perhaps he knew something. He never shared it with me, though.”
...What the hell did I just hear?
Celestial beings?
“This place still exists because of them. If anyone would know the truth, it would be my master.”
It sounded ridiculous.
But this was another world.
No point in questioning their reality.
“Then let’s meet this master of yours.”
“...That will be difficult.”
“Why? Oh—don’t tell me. He’s already dead?”
“No. He’s alive.”
“...Then what’s the problem?”
Seohwan sighed.
“He’s just barely alive.”
“...?”
“My master was strong. But the enemies that came for him were even stronger.”
His gaze drifted to the peak.
“When he fought them, he suffered a Qi deviation. Since then, I haven’t seen him.”
Following his eyes—
I focused on the mountaintop.
[Combat Power Measurement] activated.
And then—
I froze.
The skill ranked enemies using colors.
The weakest were red.
Then orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and finally, violet.
Until now—
The strongest monsters I’d ever encountered were blue.
But this?
“...Violet?”
The pavilion at the summit.
Completely engulfed in brilliant, violet energy.
“To meet my master, you’d have to be prepared to die.”
***
And so—
Meeting Seohwan’s master was off the table.
There was nothing I could do.
‘Violet is way too much.’
The strongest beings I had faced were blue.
I hadn’t even seen indigo before.
And now?
Violet.
Even thinking about it made my skin crawl.
That aura had completely enshrouded the entire mountain peak.
Walking into that would be suicide.
Instead—
“Well then, as promised, I will pass down my martial arts.”
We moved on to our original goal.
Learning his techniques.
I had heard from Monk Seungju about the martial arts he had learned.
But I was curious—
How exactly was it taught?
“...Alright. We’ll begin with sparring.”
...Sparring?
