Chapter 1 - Adaptation (1)

“Cult Leader. This is…!”

“Silence, 1st Demon.”

“…!”

The black-clad person bit their lip. The Heavenly Demon flicked away a strand of dangling saliva with her finger.

My heart was beating strangely fast. I realized this wasn't a simple flutter.

An irregular beat.

A choking sensation in my throat.

Something had entered me through the Heavenly Demon's mouth.

“Ugh…!”

“I will raise you from now on. The method will be quite harsh. I’m not one to raise dogs gently. If raised gently, they forget they're dogs and crawl everywhere.”

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

“What I’ve placed on you now is a leash. I don't need to explain. 1st Demon will explain. I have planted a very small seed in you. Your physique is wretched, and your Qi sensitivity is unbearable. Is your Qi deep? Not even that. Your mind seems somewhat sharp… but not that sharp. You're right, Jeok Un. You were born as trash and live a trashy life.”

“…”

“But this seed will change you. This lady is the strongest. There’s no one under heaven who can meet this lady’s eyes. This lady reigns supreme, and therefore, from your perspective, this lady is like a god. Receive gratefully what a god bestows upon you.”

The Heavenly Demon crouched down and poked my cheeks.

“A human's meridians and physique should not be touched lightly. Forcibly trying to alter them will cause unwanted side effects. Insanity Syndrome and pain. If you overcome them, all of that will become yours. You will also be this lady's favorite dog. This lady dislikes docile dogs. This lady prefers men who are capable of any madness for their master.”

“Ugggh…!”

“The seed this lady has sown is currently changing only a single grain within you. If you can't even overcome this beginning, you might as well die now.”

Slender and long. Delicate hands.

Hands like they held the white moonlight caressed my cheek.

“But if possible, show me, Jeok Un. Your body is pathetic, but didn't you just prove that even prey has spirit?”

“Gwaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!”

“This lady rather liked that. So, 1st Demon, train him and bring him back. This lady shouldn't waste her time on a mere dog. This lady has much to do. Isn't that right?”

“…”

“My, my. You have a habit of remaining silent when faced with unpleasant tasks. I’ve mentioned this three times now. 1st Demon, it's because it’s you that I’ve given you three chances. There will be no fourth.”

“…As you command.”

Her fingers left my cheek. Amidst the agonizing pain, the Heavenly Demon’s voice felt distant.

“Until we meet next time. I hope you will have at least taken the form of a dog. One that can survive being thrown into the depths of a cliff.”

It felt like something was digging into my head.

A feeling of even my soul being consumed by force. A feeling of grasping at something I shouldn't have, as a consequence of twisting the Heavenly Qi.

“I look forward to our reunion.”

I closed my eyes. My body contorted.

Death was before me. I could feel it licking my cheek.

But for some reason, I was still chasing the mark the Heavenly Demon left behind, more than my own life.

That strength. That arrogance.

Because I had never possessed even a trace of those things… I desired them even more.

. . .

I opened my eyes. I was lying in my shabby room.

I sat up. I thought there would be a change in my body, but there wasn't much.

Looking in the old mirror, I was still me. But that didn't mean what I had experienced was a dream.

Something small had changed.

Something I couldn't perceive.

“Third-rate.”

Someone was outside the door. I tried to open the door. But it wouldn't open.

“A message from the Cult Leader. Send a messenger pigeon to the Murim Alliance, as usual. Immediately.”

…Indeed.

It wasn’t a dream, was it?

The voice outside the door was definitely one I’d heard before. The black-clad figure standing behind the Heavenly Demon.

It must be her voice.

“Write a reason why you are still alive within the Divine Sect. The Murim Alliance discarded you once already. They won't particularly care whether you live or die. Include the reasoning that, for some reason, you cannot escape.”

Hearing those words, I became certain of my current situation.

“Are you saying… to become a double agent?”

“You aren't worth that much, Third-rate. You are merely the Cult Leader’s dog. And right now, you're not even a fully formed dog, just a human. It’s too arrogant of you to even utter the words ‘double agent.’”

Contempt dripped from her words. Similar to the gazes I always felt from others.

…Is the Heavenly Demon trying to use my identity to kill those who betrayed her?

Martial Artists who leave the Divine Sect are eventually discovered. Hiding one’s origins isn't easy.

But I’m different. I was born in the Orthodox Sect and, belatedly, continued my life as a Martial Artist in the Floral Shadow Sect. Not in the typical manner, but simply as one of many initiates…

Having a connection meant that I could operate normally within the Murim Alliance.

Of course, that would only be possible if I returned.

I moved my arm, which lacked strength. A bitter taste lingered on my tongue. I felt slightly lightheaded.

Was it the effects of a drug? For now, I wrote the letter. As I handed it outside the door, I could feel her rustling through it.

“Where is the messenger pigeon?”

“It will come from the forest when I give the signal.”

“Call it.”

I let out a small bird call. With a fluttering sound, the messenger pigeon landed outside the door.

After tying the letter to the pigeon, she ordered me, “The effects of the drug will soon wear off. Sit in the lotus position and perform the Lesser Heavenly Circulation Arts.”

I didn’t disobey her. I sat in the lotus position and drew up my Qi.

A single wisp. That was the only Qi I possessed. My exhalation technique was poor, and all I knew of the Lesser Heavenly Circulation Arts was to gently circulate Qi and accumulate it, however shallowly, in my Dantian.

No depth. But I had repeated this for nearly ten years.

So, the Lesser Heavenly Circulation Arts should be quick…

“Ugh?!”

Blood erupted from my mouth. My reversed Qi caused my Blood Energy to boil throughout my body.

My meridians were blocked. The pathways, however narrow they had been, which were always open, were completely sealed. I couldn’t manipulate even a single wisp of Qi, let alone Inner Energy.

Black roots.

Something beyond comprehension was filling every part of my meridians.

“Wh…at…is…this…?!”

“Looks like it's taken root properly.”

The woman outside the door scoffed.

“It’s the Cult Leader’s whim, Third-rate. Be grateful. Your body is currently a blank slate. Like it has returned to nothingness, except for one thing. Your meridians are blocked. Even moving your body will be difficult. Your hands won't grip properly, and you won't even be able to stand.”

Her words were true. I belatedly checked my body's condition.

It wouldn’t move properly. My body and mind were tattered, like a worn-out rag.

“Bow to the Cult Leader. What you have received is nothing short of a blessing.”

“…”

A blessing?

Isn’t this just a curse?

I gasped for breath with difficulty. Think. I can’t just sit here like an idiot.

Purpose. What was my purpose? Originally, it was to survive. Then, it was to earn money for my younger sister.

But in a single instant, I lost both of those things. So, what's left for me now?

Why… am I trying to survive?

「This lady is the Heavenly Demon, Jeok Un. Red Cloud. Beneath this lady, who frolics in the sky, you shall reside. Even if it's not the end of the world… 」

…Ah.

「People will no longer be able to look down on you.」

Admiration.

That is the reason.

Now that I’ve rekindled my reason, I steel my resolve once more.

“…Then.”

I opened my mouth, biting the inside of my cheek to endure the pain.

“What should I do?”

“…Hmm. You’re a funny one.”

The black-clad figure outside the door stepped away.

“What you have to do is simple. Seven days. Within that time, walk and move. Eat and stand on two feet. Stroll casually through the garden to prove you're fine. Otherwise, you will be discarded.”

“Explain…”

“What has been engraved within your body is the Cult Leader’s ‘Thousand Veils.’ If you have ears, you must have heard of the Heavenly Demon's Qi Arts.”

I know. I know that much.

A powerful Martial Art that anyone who knows of the Heavenly Demon would have heard of. A name that's never omitted when discussing the best Martial Arts under heaven, passed down through a single lineage.

“Thousand Veils is the seed. One of the foundations necessary to learn the Heavenly Demon’s Qi Arts. To use your own words… the gaze of a predator. You could see it that way.”

“…”

“Thousand Veils itself is a strange thing. No one knows its true nature. The Cult Leader might know something, but I, at least, don't. But I do know that those born with it have always made a name for themselves. You’ve had it forcibly implanted.”

The black-clad figure scoffed.

“Be grateful for the Cult Leader’s grace. And at the same time, despair for being born a herbivore. You cannot make Thousand Veils your own. That is heavenly fate, and that is the natural order.”

The sound of footsteps faded away. I tried to follow, but I couldn’t move my body.

Not even an inch. If I tried to extend my leg, pain would consume my entire being. I could only gasp shallowly, unable to even breathe properly.

Seven days.

To overcome this pain in seven days.

I slammed my head against the floor. I couldn't even control my eyelids.

Pain assaulted me.

I swallowed a scream I couldn't utter.

. . .

“Elder Sister.”

1st Demon turned her head.

A shadow flickered beyond the open window. Because it was human, 1st Demon frowned.

“It's 1st Demon, not Elder Sister.”

“It’s not like you’re on official duty, is it?”

“If that’s the case, then there’s even less reason for you to address me that way.”

“Oh dear. Even if it seems that way, I’m still the fourth. Shouldn’t you show some kindness as the eldest?”

The shadow climbed through the window and plopped down on the bed, resting their chin in their hands.

Large build. Like a bear. Just what did they eat to grow so big?

1st Demon gritted her teeth. She desperately suppressed the urge to rip out that messy long hair.

“I’ll count to three. Get out.”

“I’ll leave if you answer just one question. Even if we snarl at each other when we meet, we can do that much, can’t we?”

The white-clad man grinned. 1st Demon suppressed the urge to slap that face.

“What’s your business?”

“You brought in a strange one. I took a peek, and it seems the Cult Leader has played a little prank… A plaything for a night? Or is there another intention?”

“4th Demon, are you daring to question the Cult Leader's intentions?”

“Don’t bare your fangs at me, Elder Sister. I don't want to be bitten. 1st Demon's fangs… Even the Murim Alliance Leader would shudder. Could someone like me dare to challenge them? I'm just curious. Why did she plant Thousand Veils in such an insignificant being? What's the meaning behind it?”

“Get lost.”

“My, my. It’s hard to have a conversation. When are you going to get married, Elder Sister? Your beauty is wasted.”

A dagger grazed 4th Demon’s cheek.

“Whoa, whoa. I’ll go, I’ll go.”

4th Demon hopped out the window and leaned their head against the window frame. Without erasing their sly grin, they spoke.

“Still, you’re kind at heart, Elder Sister.”

“…”

“You could have secretly killed him if you didn’t like it, but you’re giving him at least a minimal chance, aren't you? As expected, a beautiful face reflects a beautiful heart…”

“Next time, it’ll be a sword.”

“I don’t want to be stabbed, so I’ll leave now, Elder Sister.”

The noisy one disappeared. 1st Demon looked in the mirror.

She saw her own face. But she glared at what lay beyond it.

Thousand Veils.

Tainted blood that can never be possessed unless one is born a Demon.

She still couldn’t understand the Heavenly Demon's intentions in giving it to that man.

As 4th Demon said, was she really thinking of using him for a night's amusement?

Or…

—Did she truly believe that he could overcome Thousand Veils?

“…Impossible.”

The words she uttered were filled with conviction. 1st Demon turned away from the mirror.

It’s impossible for anyone. For someone not born with Demonic blood to handle Thousand Veils is inconceivable.

It’s not a matter of madness. It’s not a matter of tainted blood.

It’s a matter of pain.

The pain that drives one mad just by possessing it, if it’s not meant for their body.

An ordinary person would die from cardiac arrest before even taking the first step. Perhaps, even before their heart stops, they would stab themselves to end the pain.

She implanted that into the body of a man who was not even ordinary, a man with no discernible talent.

1st Demon could say with certainty.

That man, the Gatekeeper named Jeok Un…

Could never handle Thousand Veils.

1st Demon fiddled with the medicine in her pocket. The Cult Leader had said to use this if he seemed close to death.

But there would be no need to use it.

A useless dog deserves to die.

She couldn't waste a treasure on an insignificant life.