Chapter 1: It’s not… over yet!

Fwoosh.

A man spewed blazing flames from his entire body.

Kim Seo-jun’s hair burned bright red like molten metal in a furnace, and he stared straight ahead with a chilling gaze.

Countless pieces of scrap iron poured down like rain around him.

They were the shattered remains of the Demon War Machines that Kim Seo-jun had just pulverized with a force that could split heaven and earth.

Demon War Machines.

Colossal monstrous war machines towering five meters tall.

Their predatory, beast-like appearances bristled with lethal intent, and their advanced armor was so strong that ordinary weapons couldn’t even leave a scratch.

They were the pinnacle of cutting-edge technology—the Demon War Machines.

“Hoo… hoo…”

Kim Seo-jun’s breath came in ragged gasps.

He had faced more than forty Demon War Machines all by himself.

His comrades who came here together had long since met a gruesome death.

Seven comrades with whom he had shared life and death, forged deep friendships with over a long time, and the brave allies who had vowed to topple Chunma and uphold justice—all had become cold corpses scattered silently across the earth.

Kim Seo-jun poured everything he had into defeating the last of the Demon War Machines.

Each Demon War Machine wielded power enough to easily overwhelm two or three peak masters.

Though Chunma was still very much alive, Kim Seo-jun no longer had the strength to face him.

‘Chun Kang-woo! Even if I die, I will take you down with me!’

The anger was overwhelming, maddening.

Chunma Gun-jang Chun Kang-woo.

The absolute ruler of this era, who had already seized most of the world’s power.

If he had a benevolent heart and did not treat human lives like ants, he would have been praised as a great hero in history.

But Chun Kang-woo was no good.

More vicious than any villain, a mad killer who slaughtered countless people for no reason.

Among his victims were Kim Seo-jun’s own parents.

At the tender age of nine, Kim Seo-jun had watched in horror as Chunma Gun-jang Chun Kang-woo mercilessly murdered them simply because they dared to stand in his way.

So Kim Seo-jun had lived blindly for revenge for twenty long years.

Fortunately, Kim Seo-jun was gifted with innate martial arts talent.

Thanks to that, he caught the attention of many reclusive masters and received powerful martial arts teachings.

Still, it was far from enough to face Chunma Gun-jang Chun Kang-woo.

“Ugh…”

Having exhausted all his inner energy to the very bottom, Kim Seo-jun staggered, barely able to stay standing.

It was the side effect of the supreme technique he had mastered, the ‘Solar Man Technique.’

By drawing the power of the sun into his body and burning his flesh like the sun itself, the Solar Man Technique granted him godlike strength.

Its power rivaled that of martial gods, but it came with a fatal flaw.

The higher the proficiency of the Solar Man Technique, the faster the internal organs deteriorated.

If pushed beyond its limit, the technique would destroy the cells in the body, ultimately resulting in death.

This was exactly Kim Seo-jun’s current condition.

To destroy the hundred or so Demon War Machines protecting Chun Kang-woo, he had to raise all his strength—and in doing so, he had exceeded even his body’s limits.

This was the result.

“Ughhhk!”

Kim Seo-jun coughed up black, dead blood.

“So, you’ve come this far.”

A man approached Kim Seo-jun, who was coughing up blood.

Crack, crack.

He crushed the corpses of comrades scattered everywhere beneath his feet.

Shattering the fragments of the Demon War Machines.

That man was none other than Chunma Gun-jang Chun Kang-woo.

Though in his early forties, his mastery of the Chunma Sect’s martial arts made him look like he was barely in his late twenties.

Tall and broad-shouldered.

His body was draped in a radiant golden armor that made him seem like a divine emissary.

“It’s not… over yet!”

Kim Seo-jun gritted his teeth and shouted, but Chun Kang-woo lightly swept back the hair falling over his eyes and smirked.

“In the end, they all cried out the same words as you. But they all died by my hand.”

Chun Kang-woo clenched his fist, showering golden light.

The arrogance of one who has achieved everything.

The confidence of an undefeated invincible warrior.

When facing Chun Kang-woo, you could feel those things in your bones.

By the age of thirty, he had crushed most of Asia, including China, under his feet.

After turning forty, he conquered four of the five Western martial arts sects.

Now, only two factions opposed him.

One of them was the Dangun Martial Arts Sect led by Kim Seo-jun.

But even the Dangun Sect’s fate was sealed today.

Kim Seo-jun had poured all the sect’s strength into this battle—and lost everything except himself.

And now.

Kim Seo-jun himself was on the brink of death.

“It’s time to join your comrades.”

The moment Chun Kang-woo raised his eyes,

Fwoosh!

A golden light more brilliant than his golden armor began to bloom from his body.

The Martial Demon Energy, unleashed only by those who had mastered the Chunma Sect to the extreme.

The Martial Demon Energy contained a terrifying aura that could pulverize the body with just a touch.

Seeing this, Kim Seo-jun bit his lips hard enough to draw blood.

‘I won’t survive anyway.’

Most of his internal organs had already ceased functioning after pushing the Solar Man Technique beyond its limit.

Ssssss—

Intense flames of solar fire erupted around his body.

The ground beneath his feet melted in an instant, and the scattered corpses and fragments of Demon War Machines floated, engulfed in flames.

Chun Kang-woo’s eyes flickered with interest.

“Your last desperate struggle? Not bad. Since you risk your life, I’ll honor you accordingly.”

With a flick of his right hand,

Klang!

A long crescent blade appeared in Chun Kang-woo’s hand.

The blade was the ‘Tragic Crescent Blade,’ the weapon that had contributed most to his world conquest.

Hundreds of heroes had lost their lives to the Tragic Crescent Blade.

No weapon could properly block its strikes, and no martial art could protect its user from its fatal power—hence it was called the strongest weapon.

But even facing the Tragic Crescent Blade, Kim Seo-jun was not intimidated.

Instead, he poured even more of the Solar Man Technique’s power into both hands.

Hwoooosh—

His hands glowed bright red, as if heated to molten metal.

Solar Man.

The final move of the Solar Man Technique, Solar Man, shone from Kim Seo-jun’s hands for the first and last time.

“Come.”

Kim Seo-jun yielded the initiative.

In truth, he was conserving the strength needed to rush Chun Kang-woo, but his arrogance was enough to provoke the latter.

“Pathetic.”

Boom!

The ground shattered, and Chun Kang-woo vanished from his spot.

He reappeared directly in front of Kim Seo-jun.

The twenty meters of space between them vanished in an instant, and the Tragic Crescent Blade was already slicing toward Kim Seo-jun’s neck. Then,

Thud!

Kim Seo-jun’s blazing red hand grabbed the Tragic Crescent Blade.

Ssssss—

Pale smoke hissed from his hand holding the blade, and the Solar Man energy within it began to crumble and disappear.

But even this astonished Chun Kang-woo.

It was the first time anyone had blocked his Tragic Crescent Blade with bare hands—and held firm.

“Your blocking of my strike is commendable… ugh!”

Suddenly, Chun Kang-woo’s expression twisted in pain.

Lowering his gaze, he saw Kim Seo-jun’s hand blade piercing slightly into his dantian.

Though Chun Kang-woo’s body was protected by Martial Demon Energy, the blade had penetrated through its rebounding force—how could he not be surprised?

But that was as far as it went.

The blade did not go any deeper and stopped.

Now, if Chun Kang-woo pushed the blade away and slashed Kim Seo-jun’s throat, everything would be over.

Yet, Kim Seo-jun was smiling.

Despite his left hand nearly crumbling from the Martial Demon Energy on the blade, he showed no sign of pain.

A chilling feeling came over Chun Kang-woo.

Startled, he tried to retreat—but Kim Seo-jun wouldn’t let him.

Crunch!

Instead of the vanished left hand, Kim Seo-jun twisted his forearm and grabbed the Tragic Crescent Blade against his body.

Kim Seo-jun paid no mind to the blade piercing his neck.

Chun Kang-woo’s body was pulled forward for a moment, but he immediately reacted and tried to push back.

However,

“Ugh!”

His body didn’t move back.

At the same time, a searing pain rushed through him.

Looking down, he saw Kim Seo-jun’s right hand blade had already penetrated halfway.

Kim Seo-jun gripped the penetrating blade, preventing Chun Kang-woo from escaping.

“… How dare you!”

Regretting his misjudgment, Chun Kang-woo pressed the Tragic Crescent Blade down harder.

Ssssss—

The blade sank deeper, but Kim Seo-jun’s smile only grew wider.

“You won’t be lonely on your way to the afterlife.”

Kim Seo-jun spoke as if having transcended everything.

At the same moment, his right hand glowed even more crimson.

Crunch!

“Ugh!”

Kim Seo-jun’s hand blade finally pierced through Chun Kang-woo’s dantian.

From the dantian came a sudden, crimson hand that burst out from behind Chun Kang-woo.

The golden light surrounding Chun Kang-woo instantly faded.

Once the dantian was destroyed, the Martial Demon Energy of the Chunma Sect could no longer exist.

“You… you…!”

Chun Kang-woo glared at Kim Seo-jun with a look of utter disbelief.

But he no longer had any strength.

Clatter.

The mighty Tragic Crescent Blade fell to the ground, and Chun Kang-woo’s body collapsed weakly.

“Ughhhk! Ha… haha. What a damn idiot…”

Chun Kang-woo coughed up blood and lay down.

Kim Seo-jun, too, stumbled backward and fell onto the broken debris of the Demon War Machines.

His left arm had completely disappeared up to the forearm.

The neck area where the Tragic Crescent Blade had pierced was gradually turning to dust, scattering in the wind.

“Kim Seo-jun… you’ve finally won.”

Chun Kang-woo, seemingly giving up on life, muttered weakly.

“What does winning or losing matter? Heh… As long as I drag you down to hell with me, that’s enough.”

Kim Seo-jun leaned against the torso of a Demon War Machine and looked up at the sky.

Thanks to burning everything with the tactic of mutual destruction, he had defeated Chun Kang-woo, and his heart was calm.

“Enough… you say? Heh heh heh… You really know nothing.”

Chun Kang-woo muttered strange words.

Kim Seo-jun picked up a stone with his remaining hand and threw it toward Chun Kang-woo.

But the stone barely flew a meter before dropping.

“Stop babbling and accept death, demon bastard.”

“Heh heh heh. Yes, I am a demon. A murderous demon who killed hundreds, thousands of lives. But tell me… do you think it’s all over when I die? Do you think the Demon War Machines here are all there are?”

“……”

Chun Kang-woo’s words were too serious to dismiss as nonsense.

But what difference would it make to listen now?

Kim Seo-jun gave a bitter smile.

“The Demon War Machines… those devil’s puppets were not made by me. They just suddenly appeared before me one day after tearing open the sky.”

Demon War Machines tearing open the sky and appearing?

Kim Seo-jun thought Chun Kang-woo had truly lost his mind.

“The Demon War Machines you destroyed… they were just the beginning. Even if I die, they’ll create a second, a third Chunma Gun-jang and lead the world to destruction…”

With those words, Chun Kang-woo bowed his head.

The death of Chun Kang-woo, who had reigned supreme as the pinnacle of evil for decades.

Then—

Rumble rumble rumble

Thunder roared in the sky.

Kim Seo-jun forced his heavy eyelids open and stared intently at the sky.

Crackle crackle.

Rumble!

Along with the thunder, the sky tore open.

Kim Seo-jun recalled what Chun Kang-woo had just said.

That the Demon War Machines had torn open the sky and appeared.

He had thought it was nonsense, but it was true.

‘How on earth is this possible…?’

As if answering his question, something began to appear through the tear in the sky above.

A Demon War Machine resembling a lion in appearance.

It wasn’t just one Demon War Machine.

One after another descended from the crack in the sky—some resembling tigers, others resembling bears and wolves.

Exactly eight in total.

Kim Seo-jun was in no state to face even one, much less eight, and wore a stunned expression.

But that wasn’t all.

Whirrrrr—

Clank clank!

Click clack.

Eerie noises echoed as the eight Demon War Machines transformed.

From four-legged beast forms into humanoid robotic forms.

Wings spread from their backs, and swords and laser guns appeared in their hands.

What had once been five-meter-tall war machines transformed into giant twelve-meter-tall robotic soldiers.

Kim Seo-jun was speechless.

Wide-eyed, he glared at the transformed Demon War Machines.

One of the humanoid machines aimed its laser gun at Kim Seo-jun.

A brilliant light gathered at the muzzle of the laser gun.

Then,

Zzuuuuu—

A dazzling beam shot out, filling Kim Seo-jun’s vision.

Kaboom!

An ensuing explosion.

Where Kim Seo-jun had stood, a massive mushroom cloud rose, and a pit over a hundred meters wide was created.

The place was filled with flames and heat, but nothing remained.