Chapter: 581
“Hello.”
A light greeting.
It’s a statement that appears problem-free to anyone who hears it.
However, I couldn’t react at all while watching the person who said it.
The purple eyes I feared would appear in my dreams.
And the black hair subtly swirling with another shade.
Even the appearance that reminds me of someone.
I had thought that I would have to see it someday.
But I never imagined I would suddenly run into this in a noodle restaurant in a back alley of Hanam.
No, I don’t think any human could have predicted such a meeting in the first place.
Thump—!
My heart was racing wildly.
As soon as I recognized it, my body tensed up on its own.
I felt a surge of strength in my heart.
Huff—!
At the same time, the energy within me began to surge.
Crack.
Energy rushed into my veins, and I felt burdens on my still unhealed body.
Still, I filled my energy as if it didn’t matter.
It had to be that way.
In fact, even that wasn’t enough.
‘What should I do?’
Why on earth is that thing here?
Could it be that I’m still dreaming?
‘Damn it.’
I knew better than anyone that couldn’t be true.
For this situation to be a dream, the magic thrumming with intensity couldn’t be that vivid.
The magic that had been dormant began to move on its own.
It clearly reacted to the other person.
I guess you can’t stand the presence of another magic in the same space.
What kind of crazy energy is this? It’s making me feel all kinds of crazy.
But right now, Magi and Nabal aren’t the important things.
Yet, one thought crossed my mind.
‘Can I kill it?’
I wonder if I can kill that thing in front of me.
That was the only thought filling my head.
A few years ago, when we met at Shinryongwan.
I wanted to somehow fill the gap I felt back then.
I’ve filled my strength to an extent that’s incomparable to that time.
‘Still, it’s not enough.’
It would still fall far short when facing the Cheonma I remember.
She is known as the Heavenly Demon of the Central Plains and toyed with the Three Deities in the sky as if playing.
No matter how strong I’ve become now.
The opponent is that Cheonma.
Cold sweat trickles down my face.
While I concentrate fully, fearing that my breathing will falter.
It wasn’t easy to maintain control.
The Cheonma merely stared at me, not making any sudden moves.
As I watched, I thought.
‘Should I run away?’
That’s the most realistic approach.
No matter how much my level has increased, it’s dangerous in this state.
Moreover, I wasn’t even at full strength.
Surely, she must know that.
Wooooo—!
Instinctively, it kept pushing me to abandon my will.
The magic urged me on to kill that thing.
Tap tap.
I took a step forward toward the Cheonma.
I gave my heart another boost.
Reason knows.
You shouldn’t start a fight here.
It’s a hasty judgment, an irrational act.
But.
My fingertips were already moving against my own thoughts.
At that moment.
“No.”
The Cheonma, who had been quietly watching me, spoke.
I involuntarily halted at the sound of that voice.
Her purple eyes looked somewhat tranquil and lost.
They appeared so calm, unlike the bizarre situation.
Unlike the bowls of noodles piled high on the table.
I looked at the Cheonma with a frown.
When our eyes met, all sorts of emotions whirled within me.
Hatred.
Resentment.
Fear.
A chaotic blend of those feelings.
“What…?”
I barely managed to spit out the words.
That was the best I could express.
“No.”
The Cheonma repeated the same response and then showed me the bowl of noodles she was holding.
What is that? What on earth does that behavior mean?
As I thought about it.
“Food.”
The Cheonma spoke briefly.
“…What?”
“When I eat, my sister told me to sit quietly.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
In the midst of the confusion I had felt just moments ago, bewilderment now took over.
It was a conversation I couldn’t comprehend, no matter how hard I tried to fit it together.
Whether she realized my state or not, the Cheonma ignored me, focusing on her own words.
“So you too, stay quiet.”
After saying that, she started eating the noodles with her chopsticks again.
It was quite the competitive slurp.
Her behavior reminded me of Weiseol-ah, perhaps due to her appearance.
At that sight, my pupils almost fell out like there’d been an earthquake.
‘What is that?’
What on earth is happening?
I came here to grab breakfast and found the Cheonma eating somen.
This absurd scenario is already a joke, but what on earth is this appearance right now?
‘…Is that really the Cheonma?’
Is it any wonder this bizarre query crossed my mind?
But those doubts were quickly extinguished. I knew it was nonsensical.
That Cheonma is real.
Otherwise, the magic wouldn’t be radiating such hostility.
I can tell.
That woman is condensed with an incredible amount of magic.
She is the original source and master of magic itself.
Even if I have changed her magic to mine, does that fact change anything now?
No, it does not.
Can’t you see it?
I used a bet to gaze at the woman eating noodles without a care.
No, I wished to do so, but it didn’t succeed.
Even trying to look deeper was blocked by an enormous wall.
What’s more.
All barriers blocking are magic.
The tremendous power preventing me from seeing the Heavenly Demon was immense magic.
Years have passed since I regressed.
I’ve been gathering magic for quite some time by hunting monsters.
But looking at the Cheonma, I could realize it once more.
The quantity and quality of what she possessed was worlds apart from mine.
That is undeniably the Cheonma.
It means that she is the one I need to kill in this lifetime.
Then….
‘What’s with that attitude?’
What on earth is she doing looking so casual? It left me completely baffled.
The Cheonma is eating somen here.
Even her demeanor seems to have changed somehow.
What was the Cheonma like in her past life?
Her existence was a disaster and despair for humanity.
She regarded all beings besides herself as mere insects.
She was a being of immense power who could maintain such arrogant behavior.
Above all men.
She brought down the three deities that ruled the skies of the Central Plains.
A monster standing alone on top, looking down on all others.
That was the Cheonma.
Yet.
What is this in front of me now?
Slurp!
Whether it’s arrogance or anything, she was scarfing down her noodles like a madwoman, and now she’s even picking up the bowl to slurp the broth.
And then.
Thud.
Once she finished, she placed the bowl back down on the table.
The expression she made while doing so was quite a sight.
“Hmm….”
She wore a look of great satisfaction.
How many bowls did she have? Even if I count it roughly, it looks like she ate close to ten.
Then she said.
“It was delicious.”
With a brief comment, the Cheonma got up.
“…!”
As I watched that, I had to brace myself.
For a brief moment, I felt shaken by the ridiculous situation, but my opponent was a thousand times more formidable.
I had to remind myself once again who I was dealing with.
Thoughts raced through my mind.
What would happen if we fought now?
If I expect the surrounding area to be incinerated, when will the clan intervene?
Can I endure until they step in? Even if I could, would they be on my side?
There was not just one or two problems.
Merely meeting the Cheonma here was a substantial issue for my plans.
My teeth clenched tight.
There were so many problematic situations.
And knowing all that only made me feel more trapped.
Is this an opportunity or a crisis?
I struggled to reach a decision amidst the swirling thoughts, which gradually consumed my mind.
And so.
Despite the Cheonma already being near me, I couldn’t react at all.
‘This…!’
Before I knew it, the Cheonma had approached my side.
Just as I finally tried to move my body in a hurry.
Snap—!
I felt the Cheonma grip my arm.
“…!”
I couldn’t shake off her hold.
The grip was firm.
It’d take a great deal of energy to break free.
My head spun.
In the midst of that, the Cheonma wasn’t even looking at me.
In that brief moment, I wondered where she was looking.
“Please calculate it for me.”
With a nonchalant expression, the Cheonma spoke.
Then an old woman appeared.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my, the skinny lady ate quite a lot.”
The old woman smiled as if in a good mood, looking at the stacked bowls.
Watching that, the Cheonma handed over something to the old woman. It was a silver coin.
At this, the old woman’s eyes widened.
“Oh my. I don’t have anything to give you as change…”
It was an amount that was almost unthinkable—even selling noodles all day wouldn’t earn this.
The old woman was awfully flustered, but the Cheonma seemed unfazed.
“No need for change.”
Saying this, she bowed slightly to the old woman.
I took a deep breath when I saw that.
Because it’s impossible for the Cheonma to bow to someone.
“It was delicious. I’ll come again next time.”
As the Cheonma was just about to head out, the old woman tried to say something.
Grabbing my wrist, the Cheonma pulled me out of the store.
The instant we stepped outside, I quickly shook off the Cheonma’s hand.
Thwak—!
There was no need to exert much force.
The Cheonma was no longer holding on tightly.
When I drew my hand back, the Cheonma tilted her head, staring at the empty space where my hand had been.
I glared at her with a grimace.
I asked the Cheonma, trying to suppress my emotions that felt ready to explode at any moment.
“…Why are you here?”
No matter how much I tried to keep it together, my tone turned fierce.
That response was my best effort.
Hearing this, the Cheonma gazed at me quietly.
And then she answered.
“I came here to eat…?”
I grinded my teeth upon hearing that response.
“Stop spouting nonsense, what on earth are you plotting…!”
Are you joking with me? That was utterly absurd.
When I questioned her in disbelief, the Cheonma replied.
“You.”
What was she going to say? In that moment of tension.
“Why do you hate me?”
An unexpected question flew out.
“…What?”
I asked, stunned.
The Cheonma looked at me with a questioning gaze.
“I didn’t do anything. Why do you hate me?”
That was the most bewildering thing I’d heard since my return.
Why do I hate you?
Can that even be considered a question?
I could list several reasons off the top of my head about why I despise you.
I could have hounded her with a hundred grievances.
But for some reason, I couldn’t utter a single word.
‘What?’
I was at a loss for words.
It felt as if something was gripping my mouth, stopping me from speaking.
What am I hesitating for?
Am I afraid of the magic?
Indeed, I am scared.
I fear for that being who snatched everything from me and tried to set the world ablaze.
But that wouldn’t be a reason for me to stay silent.
So, what’s the problem?
As I chewed on my tongue in frustration, I tried to get words out, yet it remained impossible.
Time passed.
If I couldn’t wield a sword with my tongue, I should at least do so with my fingertips.
But I couldn’t manage that either.
I could only stare at the Cheonma in silence.
“…”
Several seconds passed as we held gaze with her purple eyes.
Unable to utter a word, the Cheonma turned her head and gestured at something.
I followed her gesture and found it was the store I had just exited.
“Here, it’s delicious. It’s my favorite place.”
Her voice rang out.
“You should try it too.”
That struck me as a trivial comment.
So I turned to look back at the Cheonma again.
“…Damn it.”
Was it a mistake to have given her a tiny opening?
The Cheonma had vanished from that spot.
I could taste blood where I had bitten my tongue.
Simultaneously, I had to wipe my face with my dry hands.
It was a fact I had known well up until now.
But now I truly grasped it.
That unlike what I once believed, something had twisted so deeply that it was beyond recognition.
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