“I thought you were going to punish him.”

The man, who was dressed in black robes and had just spoken, trembled, as the man sitting across from him remained silent. As the silence stretched, he began to suffocate.

“Cough. I made a mistake being so upset. Please forgive me,” the shadowy man spoke. His tremulous voice clearly held the meaning of forgiveness. He’s at the level of choking me just because he’s upset. And yet…he’s still not sure he can defeat the Cult Leader…? ‘Soul Splitting Flame King’, Joo Moon-baek. 

That was when Joo Moon-baek said, “It looks like I’ve underestimated him.”

“Are you talking about that brat?”

“Brat? I really think you should reevaluate those words…” Joo Moon-baek tilted his head and squeezed the teacup in his hands. The water boiled and white steam spilled out. “Within two years of leaving the Cave of Latent Demons, he started from a Demonic General and ended up a Demonic King. Yet you still insist on calling him a brat?”

The man in shadow unknowingly nodded at these words. 

“Admittedly, even I thought of him as a mere lynx, but he turned out to be a tiger. This is clearly my fault.”

Joo Moon-baek admitted that it was his mistake, but the other man could not respond. It wasn’t because he disagreed, but because he had seen Joo Moon-baek’s power with his own eyes. It was surprising, and doubtful, that Joo Moon-baek would have made such a mistake.

“However, just because I made a small mistake does not mean that the big plan is ruined.”

The man in shadow twitched. “Did you succeed?”

“Of course,” Joo Moon-baek grinned. 

The shadowy man really disliked that smile, but he did not forget to pay attention to the words being said. 

“The Cult Leader consumed the poison yesterday.”

“Oh!”

“Considering how deep and powerful his inner strength is, we still need to wait for any symptoms to show up. But I can guarantee with my life that he has consumed the poison.”

“Is that so?” The Soul Splitting Flame King… I doubt the Vice Leader of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon would make up a lie like that. 

“The process would be faster if we gave him some more poison, but unfortunately, I don’t think that will be possible.”

The man in shadow closed his eyes, thinking. His organization’s alliance with Joo Moon-baek was built on mutual understanding. But it would take a long time to get confirmation? 

That was a shame. 

“Hmm. How long do you think it will take?”

“Six months, at maximum. And within a whole year, he will barely be able to move his body.”

Hmm, the shadowy man took a moment to think. If it wasn’t for the Spearmaster 10 years ago, the big plan would’ve been achieved then. But it was a plan prepared for decades, so a single year shouldn’t be a big deal…

“Do you have a problem?”

“No,” the man in black quickly shook his head at the question. “I just remembered an unpleasant memory.”

Anyways, the shadowy man shook his head, as if erasing that memory. The two people of the Spear Master Sect were killed that day, and as long as the Cult of the Heavenly Demon moves as planned, our big plan will be completed. 

Joo Moon-baek laughed, “How about forgetting the unpleasant past and moving on to the future?”

“I should do that,” the man also smiled.

Both of them grinned, hiding their poisonous intentions. 

“‘The ‘Spear of Gale’ or the ‘Spear of the Black Dragon’.”

Woon-seong, who had been following after the Senior Strategist, suddenly stopped and looked over in confusion. 

Sang Gwan-chuk was still facing forward and walking, “Some even say it’s the ‘Spear of the Black Gale’.”

“I don’t follow,” Woon-seong said, chasing after the other again.

The Senior Strategist glanced at Woon-seong for the first time, “Is it the first time you’re out of the ward?”

“It took me some time to recover.”

I see. “Then that makes sense,” Sang Gwan-chuk nodded. “It’s what the demonic people are starting to call you.”

Now that Woon-seong understood they were nicknames, he slowed down once more. “Oh.”

“It’s a nickname they made because your movements on the stage looked like that of a black dragon or a gust of wind. The ‘Black Gale’, I say it’s quite the nickname.”

That said, Woon-seong smiled unconsciously. ‘Black Gale’. I see. So it’s ‘black’ because of the color of the Intimidation Dress and ‘gale’ because of my vigorous moves.

Without having looked back, the Senior Strategist commented, “You seem pleased.”

“It’s not bad.”

After that, there was a period of comfortable silence. Woon-seong took the time to look around him.

It’s a path with complete darkness, but the glowing marbles in the walls lead the way. Glowing marbles are supposed to be more expensive than gold, yet there are so many of them.

Where the hell are we going?

Woon-seong smiled bitterly to himself, remembering how they got here.

A steel door behind a monument in the Divine Palace. And a tunnel connected to it. Has it been about 15 minutes since we entered? I think I hear water flowing somewhere… 

Right then, the Senior Strategist broke the silence, as if reading his mind, “Did you know that there’s a lake above this tunnel?”

The word ‘lake’ made the Woon-seong’s shoulders twitch and tremble. Just now, he had indeed heard the sound of water. “I was wondering what that sound of water was. So it was a lake.”

There’s a lake at a place of such high altitude? Woon-seong silently marveled to himself. 

“Yes. This path was made under the lake. No need to worry that the lake might collapse on top of us.”

Sang Gwan-chuk smiled at his little joke. Woon-seong also smiled despite not finding it very funny, thinking it would be better to match the atmosphere.

“Do you know where this path leads to?” the Strategist asked him. 

“Since we’re in the Divine Palace, I simply assume it’s somewhere inside the Palace.”

Somewhere in the Palace, the Strategist snorted to himself. 

“Somewhere in the Palace, that’s not wrong.”

After speaking, he accelerated. Following him, Woon-seong also sped up.

“The Divine Palace is divided into the Inner Garden and the Outer Grounds.”

After saying that, the Senior Strategist glanced at Woon-seong. He was speaking lightly, but he could clearly feel the boy’s gaze sharpen.

“The Great Demons do not know about this. They simply presume that there’s a place somewhere that the Cult Leader dwells.”

They stopped walking for the first time.

“And we are heading to the Inner Garden,” continued the Senior Strategist. “This tunnel, which is the path to where the Cult Leader dwells, is only known to the Demonic Kings. Since you are now a Demonic King, there’s nothing wrong for you to know about it.”

There was an iron gate where they had stopped, just like how there had been one at the entrance of this tunnel. Woon-seong looked at it curiously.

“Do you know what this means?”

“It means that this place is about as important as it gets. I assume only Demonic Kings or above are allowed, with the exception of maybe the Cult Leader’s family members.”

As Woon-seong talked, the Senior Strategist slowly brought them closer to the iron gate with a laugh.

“Exactly. What you said is all correct except one thing. The right to enter the inner garden without being a Demonic King or the Cult Leader’s family member. Do you know what that is?”

“I cannot say I do.”

The moment Woon-seong shook his head, the Senior Strategist knocked on the gate and then pushed it open with his hands.

Cold wind blew through the gap and some wisps of grass rushed past the two. 

The smell of vegetation between the gates…The outside?

Woon-seong became sure that the iron gate led outside and turned toward the Strategist. Unlike before, the Senior Strategist was smiling earnestly and gesturing forwards.

“The answer lies here.” 

The world beyond the iron gate.

A wide open field with a perfect view of the vast night sky.