The office of the Martial Alliance leader in the main building of the Martial Alliance.

There, two people were sitting and talking.

"Are you really okay, Alliance Leader?"

"It seems I just collapsed from accumulated fatigue. It was a needless fuss."

One was the current Martial Alliance leader, Namgung Jehyun, and the other was the Martial Alliance's military strategist, Sima Un.

The two were talking about the recent incident of the attack on the Martial Alliance leader.

The conclusion was that since the person involved, Namgung Jehyun, had said himself that he had just fainted for a moment because he was tired, it was not a big deal.

Although it seemed nonsensical that a transcendent martial artist would faint from fatigue, since it was not something that never happened.

"I think it might be because of this."

To Sima Un, who was still suspicious of Namgung Jehyun's collapse, Namgung Jehyun took out something like a piece of a stone tablet from his bosom.

"You said it was a part of the Wu Hou's Eight Gates Formation Diagram, right? To me, it just looks like a piece of a stone tablet, but since the strategist said it was a divine object, I wonder if it had some effect."

"Even if it had an effect, it wouldn't have a negative one, so that's probably not it."

Namgung Jehyun placed the piece of the stone tablet on the table and rolled it around.

No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem particularly special.

"Is this really the divine object left by the Marquis of Wu?"

"That's right. This is something that only a part of the Zhuge family and a part of our Sima family know."

Unlike Namgung Jehyun, Sima Un looked at the piece of the stone tablet with a serious face.

It is said that just before Zhuge Liang died, he performed a magic trick to extend his lifespan.

Although it is just a legend, it is a well-known story.

But the truth is.

"A divine object that contains his resentment."

A divine object created by pouring out all his remaining lifespan, not a magic to extend his own lifespan.

It is not known what power it has.

But the fact that all those who know of its existence know is.

"A divine object that can conquer the world if you get your hands on it."

Hearing Sima Un's murmur, Namgung Jehyun looked seriously at the piece of the stone tablet under his hand.

He didn't feel anything in particular.

But it certainly did not look light.

After finishing his meeting with Namgung Jehyun, Sima Un returned to his home.

The most secluded place in the Sima family mansion.

He set foot in a place that was difficult to enter unless one knew of its existence, as it was protected by formations and mechanisms, and the entrance itself was hidden.

Ssssssk.

Inside, there were all sorts of suspicious items lined up, and among them was a jar where a large number of insects that resembled black silkworms but had the feet of a centipede were being cultivated.

Sima Un stealthily checked the insects in the jar and muttered.

"It's still not enough."

"It seems there is a limit to mass production."

Someone from a corner of the room answered Sima Un's murmur.

"On top of that, since the restoration is unstable, it's difficult to control them without using magic in parallel."

"Even though I poured so much support, is this all the income so far? Does that make sense!"

Sima Un shouted, looking at the corner.

At that moment.

Shuk.

A streak of light grazed Sima Un's cheek.

That light was stuck in the wall.

Its identity was a palm-sized throwing knife.

Sima Un wiped the blood streaming down his cheek and glared at the corner from which the throwing knife had flown.

"What is this!"

"We are not your subordinates."

Regardless of such an attitude from Sima Un, words flowed out nonchalantly from the corner.

"You've been very confident lately. Did you get something to believe in, even if it's trivial? That Namgung family? The Wu Hou's Eight Gates Formation Diagram? Or maybe..."

Although no figure was visible in the corner, it seemed as if someone there was stealthily raising the corners of their mouth, even if it couldn't be seen.

"The White-Robed Sword Immortal who has suddenly resumed his activities recently?"

"Ridiculous. It's obvious that it's a fake, isn't it?"

"That's something we don't know. It is said that the great plan of Sichuan was ruined because of his intervention."

"Nonsense!"

Sima Un gritted his teeth and glared at the corner.

But there still seemed to be nothing in the corner.

"If the White-Robed Sword Immortal had resumed his activities, your necks would have fallen long ago!"

"Sima Un."

Sima Un's name echoed coldly from the corner.

In an instant, the air seemed to freeze.

"We are not evil."

In the quiet space, only a cold voice echoed.

"We are just dyeing the sky black according to the natural order."

Quietly, with an absolute conviction.

A dark night, the cliff next to Baek Yoonjun's temporary residence.

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

A figure came at Cheon Suhye.

"Wh-who are you?!"

Startled, Cheon Suhye avoided the being that was rushing at her.

Her martial arts, which had improved incomparably to before, gave her the leeway to identify what it was while avoiding the being.

What had attacked her was a person.

And a familiar person at that.

"Brother?"

One of the brothers she had teamed up with in prison.

For some reason, although he was drooling and his eyes were clouded with a white film, it was definitely him.

Cheon Suhye, who was momentarily dazed by the sudden attack, saw the bushes near her shake.

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

From there, another person she had teamed up with in prison jumped out.

This person also, like the one who had appeared before, seemed to have no intelligence.

"What are you doing?!"

Cheon Suhye drew her sword and swung it.

It was a sword swung for intimidation, not with the intention of inflicting injury.

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

But the opponent, as if he had really lost his intelligence, rushed at the swung sword instead of retreating.

"R-retreat!!!"

Avoiding the opponent who was rushing at her without even caring about being cut by the sword, Cheon Suhye retreated.

For Cheon Suhye, she could not understand the current situation at all.

Although their first meeting was not good, after that, they had definitely teamed up and had even become sworn brothers while drunk.

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

But now, they were rushing at her, letting out roars like beasts.

'A beast?'

As the word 'beast' came to Cheon Suhye's mind, a certain situation was substituted.

"Could it be that you drank too much?"

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

Instead of an answer, a roar and a hand came back.

Cheon Suhye narrowly avoided the opponent's hand.

Although she had thought for a very short time, 'Could it be that he's just very drunk?', after thinking again, it didn't seem to be the case.

This was like.

'It's as if he's lost his intelligence?!'

At that time, to avoid the incoming hand, Cheon Suhye rolled on the ground.

Kwajik!

The missed hand struck a rock near where Cheon Suhye had rolled, and the rock was shattered.

"Hic!!"

Cheon Suhye let out a groan at the shocking sight of the rock shattering.

But there was no time to be shocked.

There were two beings who seemed to have lost their intelligence.

Without even having time to think, Cheon Suhye rolled on the ground like crazy and avoided the attacks.

The attacks of the beings who seemed to have lost their intelligence gradually became fiercer.

In a situation where there was not even a moment to catch her breath, Cheon Suhye continued to hesitate.

'I have to swing my sword to live. But.'

How could she cut down those with whom she had shared a drink, even if it was for just one night.

Moreover, if they were attacking her with malice, it would be a different story, but no matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem like they were doing it of their own will.

And so, the hesitation that had begun.

Kwajik.

It brought about a not-so-good result.

"Keok!"

Cheon Suhye, who had been directly hit by the opponent's body, flew away and was slammed into a rock next to the cliff.

"Keuleok! Keuleok!"

The area around her ribs seemed to have completely collapsed, as if it were properly broken.

The beings who had lost their intelligence rushed at Cheon Suhye, who was continuously coughing up blood.

'What a fool!'

Blaming herself, Cheon Suhye tried to move her body.

And so, the moment she was close to death.

Thump.

"Ugh."

A pain was felt in Cheon Suhye's heart.

It was not because her ribs were broken.

This was a pain that was always there.

But the intensity of the pain was different.

A pain of a different dimension from the pain of a broken rib was squeezing her heart like crazy.

It was a severe pain to the point where not even a groan came out and her mind was bleached white.

And in her eyes, the humans who had been rushing at her like crazy until just now came into view.

Although they had been rushing at her as if to eat her up until just now, they were not doing anything now.

'Why?'

The question was brief.

She could not continue to think because of the pain.

And she realized it unconsciously.

That the things in the shape of humans in front of her were not human.

And that she was also becoming a being like them.

'Noooooo!!'

Although she screamed like crazy, it did not come out.

Even that scream disappeared with the feeling that something was eating away at her from the inside.

'It's ominous. Very ominous.'

Baek Yoonjun, at the sudden ominous feeling, left Luoyang and was climbing the mountain where his temporary residence was.

Although his heart was in a hurry, his body condition was the complete opposite of his heart, and it had rapidly worsened, so he could not climb quickly.

'Of all times!'

Although it was just a premonition, for Baek Yoonjun, a premonition was a being that was quite accurate.

'About 60%.'

Recalling the probability of his premonition being right, Baek Yoonjun flinched for a moment.

'Is it not that accurate?'

Suddenly, a question about it being accurate went crazy in his mind.

'No. Whether the premonition is right or not, I still have to go. If I don't go, even if nothing happened, I'll continue to feel uneasy.'

Baek Yoonjun hurried his steps again.

Although his heart was in a hurry, his steps were still slow.

And so, as he was climbing, another question dominated his mind.

'Is the direction of my martial arts wrong?'

It was a question that naturally came to him because his body was not following him at such a time when his heart was in a hurry.

'Why is my foot slowing down at a time like this?!'

Far from his internal energy filling up as usual, it was only being consumed continuously.

On top of that, the amount of internal energy consumed was much more severe than usual.

'What's the use of worrying? Let's just stop thinking and climb quickly.'

Baek Yoonjun tried to reduce his stray thoughts as much as possible and continued to move his feet.

Although it was much slower than usual, lightness skill was lightness skill.

Baek Yoonjun was able to climb the mountain and arrive at his temporary residence in less than a moment.

"Sister Suhye!"

As soon as he arrived, Baek Yoonjun looked for Cheon Suhye first.

After arriving in front of Cheon Suhye's room, he first called out, knocked on the door, and then checked with his senses.

Even in his hurry, Baek Yoonjun, due to his disposition, could not bring himself to enter a woman's room carelessly.

'She's not here?'

Having no choice, he opened the door and went inside, but there was no one.

'Where is she?'

Baek Yoonjun spread his senses.

Since the operation of his internal energy was more unstable than usual, it was difficult to check properly.

At that time.

"Keoeoeoeoeo!!"

A roar was heard from near the residence, and he felt the presence of something quickly approaching this place.

'What is it at a time like this?'

Baek Yoonjun moved his feet towards the quickly approaching presence.

There.

'Zombies?! Why are they here again?!'

Two figures, presumed to be jiangshi that he had seen before, were rushing at Baek Yoonjun like crazy.

Baek Yoonjun swung his sword at the rushing jiangshi.

Slice.

Remembering the characteristic of the jiangshi that did not die easily from before, Baek Yoonjun swung his sword several times and dismantled the jiangshi.

'What is it? Could it be that they attacked Sister Suhye?'

Wrapped in an ominous feeling, Baek Yoonjun performed his lightness skill towards the place where the jiangshi had rushed from.

'This is the direction of the cliff. Could it be that she fell off the cliff?'

Wrapped in an ominous premonition, Baek Yoonjun quickly scanned his surroundings.

And.

"Sister Suhye?"

He found Cheon Suhye slammed into a rock next to the cliff.

"Sister Suhye! Are you okay?"

Baek Yoonjun approached Cheon Suhye, grabbed her shoulder, and shook her.

Fortunately, there was a reaction from Cheon Suhye.

Slowly, Cheon Suhye, who had raised her face.

Cheon Suhye's eyes were clouded with a white film.

And.

"Krrrrrrrr."

A sound as if a person were making the sound of a beast flowed from her throat.

"Huh?"

Letting out a dazed sound, Baek Yoonjun quickly retreated.

Although his mind went blank for a moment, he could tell what had just happened.

'Sister Suhye became a zombie?'

Cheon Suhye twisted her body bizarrely and raised her body from the rock.

Although her body was not as stiff and bizarrely twisted as the jiangshi that Baek Yoonjun had seen before, it was certain that she had deviated from being human.

'Infection? Incubation? Why on earth?!'

Baek Yoonjun's mind was spinning like crazy.

But no particular answer came to him.

'That's not the problem right now.'

Baek Yoonjun brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.

But he could not draw it.

'Can I cut down Sister Suhye?'

A being with whom he had lived face to face for even a few days.

Although he had not given it any particular meaning, a being whom they had called older brother and sister.

A being who was not particularly evil.

Baek Yoonjun worried if he could cut down such a being.

(End of Chapter)