TDWAD 28

Chapter 28  

“Kgh.”

There was no time to care about the groan rising from his throat.

He stood at the boundary between life and death.

Doyun’s mind sharpened like a blade.

‘Internal energy cultivation is a cycle of accumulation and breakthrough.’

Accumulation—essentially, “just eat and breathe right” boiled down into a phrase.

As long as one had the potential of a martial artist, time spent training would naturally fill the dantian with energy.

‘But the real problem is the breakthrough—expanding the vessel. In the world of the elite, bone-deep effort is only the starting line.’

What one truly needed was innate talent, a miraculous opportunity from the heavens, and ideally, a wise master—or sheer luck to guide one down the right path at every turning point.

Without all three, no matter how gifted, one couldn’t reach a breakthrough.

But there was something even harder than breaking through:

The final stage—refining the overflowing energy and anchoring it in the dantian.

If one failed in refining?

The vessel shattered.

A shattered vessel could hold nothing.

And more than that—

“Ghk…!”

Doyun’s body staggered.

The energy that had exploded in his dantian surged like a tidal wave, sweeping through every corner of his body.

His blood vessels felt like they would burst.

A fire rampaged beneath his skin.

Clear signs of inner energy rampage.

And the higher the level, the more deadly the refinement process became.

How many martial artists had become invalids after failing at this very stage?

‘With this much energy, getting torn to pieces wouldn’t be the worst way to go out.’

His instincts screamed at him to clamp down.

To subdue the rampaging power.

But then—

-Resist, and be broken. Flow with it, and it will be contained. Harmony leads to unity.

A line of sacred teachings echoed through his mind.

‘I trust in this teaching.’

Harmony with heaven’s order.

The Heavenly Flame Scripture was a cultivation method that harmonized with all types of energy, without clashing.

-Resist, and be broken.

Doyun stopped resisting. He accepted the violent energy as it was.

Like a still lake on a windless day—tranquil and calm.

And then—

The rampaging energy swirling through his bloodstream began seeping into the Governing and Conception vessels (임독양맥).

The pressure was still there.

But something had changed.

The energy no longer surged wildly—it began flowing along defined paths.

Still dangerous.

Still powerful enough to tear his body apart.

But now, he could see it.

The outline of this beastly force.

-Flow with it, and it will be contained.

Rather than resist, Doyun guided the energy along his meridians and acupuncture points.

Before, his meridians would have torn from the strain.

But the internal energy of the Heavenly Flame Scripture softened the more it flowed.

How much time passed like that?

It was impossible to measure.

Eventually, he felt it—he could now seize the reins.

‘…The final gate.’

-Harmony leads to unity. Let go of distinctions and become one with nature.

His previously cultivated inner energy.

The overwhelming force that had surged from outside.

They were different, without a doubt.

But Doyun no longer saw them as separate.

‘All things in heaven and earth arise from the same flow.’

The energy coursing along his meridians returned to the dantian.

And in that moment—

A profound truth pierced his mind.

A shuddering surge swept through his limbs.

[‘Heavenly Flame Scripture – 5 Star’ achieved!]

‘Bloom.’

Flash!

Doyun’s eyes burst open with radiant light.

Above his head, buds of luminous light bloomed into petals.

One, two… three in total.

[‘Three Flowers Crown the Head (三花聚頂)’ has been achieved.]
[Achievement unlocked! “Three Flowers in Bloom.”]
[Achievement reward granted.]
– A new Trait has bloomed.

[Union of Spirit and Energy (AA)]
You have reached a pinnacle where essence, energy, and spirit are unified.
– Energy use delay removed, energy control optimized. Inner power consumption –15%.
– Sensory perception is heightened. +1 to ‘Intuition’, +1 to ‘Combat Instinct’. No cap limit for related stats.

– New Title obtained:

[Peak Expert Above Masters (AA)]
+2 ‘Charisma’, +2 ‘Mental Strength’
– A transcendent aura emanates, overwhelming foes by presence alone.
– Can freely control and transform energy types. Enables conversion of sword energy.

[Player ‘Hyun Doyun’, Rank Upgraded!]
[Rank: AAA]

Flap-flap!

Irritated wingbeats.

The enhanced Magic Beasts of Prey exchanged glances.

“Keeek!”

A cry signaled the attack—four shadows rushed at Han Yeonha from all sides.

The black encirclement closed in.

“Hoo…”

Yeonha took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and sharpened her senses.

And whispered to herself,

‘This time, I have to show him.’

Swoosh.

She weaved out of three attacks with flowing movement.

Screeeech!

But from the front, a clawed talon came plunging down.

Deadly intent sliced through the air.

But Yeonha no longer trembled or froze.

She stepped just out of reach—by a sliver—and twisted her waist.

Saaang.
A wing’s edge grazed her brow.

Saeeng.
A beak thrust for her crown.

Swoosh!
A combined assault aimed to crush her.

But—

Tap.

With a graceful step from the Flowing Cloud Steps, all they hit was empty air.

‘…Crude as it is, she’s starting to perceive the path to survival. That’s quite the leap from this morning.’

Doyun stroked his chin.

Flowing Cloud Steps—a footwork technique that defeats speed with slowness.

And yet Yeonha had speed too.

Always slipping through claws just barely—escaping every time.

Crack!

Frustrated, the beasts clawed uselessly at the concrete floor.

– Test over. Collecting answer sheets.

Shff.

Doyun’s form blurred, rising just outside the monsters’ vision—above their heads.

Slice, slash, hiss!

He dispatched the remaining beasts instantly and peeked from behind Yeonha.

“Your stance stayed firm.”

“Wh-when did you get there?!”

She flinched.

“You didn’t get tangled up either. That deserves bonus points.”

“D-don’t tease me! My feet only got tangled once—just once!”

“Not teasing. That was praise. You adapted quickly. In this nest, there’s… honestly nothing to critique.”

He smiled.

“You turned A-rank monsters into a bunch of headless chickens. I didn’t even need to step in.”

“So…?”

Yeonha pressed her palms together, holding her breath.

“You pass.”

“R-really?!”

“Just barely, but yes. Expecting more in one day would be greedy.”

“Waaah…!”

Her eyes sparkled wide.

A sense of deep achievement bloomed in her chest.

‘Finally free of the suppressor!’

Her earlier vow to be useful had crumbled after witnessing Doyun’s feats up close.

But now, her relentless effort had paid off.

‘Yeonha’s foundation is solid now. And with that, we’re ready.’

The hatchery was wrecked—cracked and torn like after a storm.

Doyun pushed away the dead mother beast with his foot, revealing a nest of eggs.

He stabbed his flame sword into them.

Whoosh!

Flames spread in all directions.

[‘Nest’ has been destroyed.]
[Remaining nests: 9]

It was the eleventh such message.

Until now, they hadn’t meant much.

But this one was different.

Because now—Kimcheon Gate was truly beginning.

In the past timeline, after destroying nests, the raid teams had still been annihilated.

‘…When the remaining nests drop to single digits, the gates of hell open.’

[The ‘Colony’ senses danger from the decreasing nest count.]
[The ‘Colony’ begins rapid consolidation. All nests enter full combat mode.]
[Initiating player hunt.]
[※Warning: All Magic Beasts of Prey will now attack indiscriminately!]

“U-uh, Doyun-nim…”

Yeonha tugged his sleeve gently.

Hands trembling, clinging close.

“We… we’ll make it out, right?”

“Depends. Just stay calm and recall your training.”

“Huh?”

“If you can move exactly as you learned, there’s no reason to fear.”

Yeonha inhaled deeply.

“…Then I’m not scared at all.”

As her breath steadied, Doyun slowly raised his head.

Above the city, a massive gate loomed.

The sky, already tinged with crimson cracks, turned pitch black in an instant.

Flapflapflapflap!
Fwrrrrrrroooom!

A monstrous swarm of beasts blanketed the sky.

Thousands of them landed atop buildings—

“Kyaaaaaah!”

With a roar from the mother beasts,

Scout, Combat, and Enhanced classes—all of Kimcheon’s beasts spread their wings and charged.

Shrieking cries shook the heavens.

Murderous intent rained down like a storm.

Doyun stood motionless beneath the onslaught—so still it was unnerving.

But his eyes darted—measuring the distance to the lead attackers.

‘Now.’

Whoosh.

From the flame sword rose searing heat, and a shimmering aura coiled from the tip.

“KIIIIEEE!”

As they dove, Doyun casually swung.

A thin thread of sword energy unfurled like silk from the blade.

The monsters didn’t know—

That this delicate strand was a transformed sword energy, a privilege of top masters.

And this particular type?

The most deadly—Sword Thread (劍絲).

Slice!

A geyser of blood erupted.

Heads fell in unison.

Whirrr!

As the sword thread danced again, everything it touched was cleaved in two.

Bodies split. Wings severed.

One after another, the beasts crashed to the concrete below.

‘…So this is the destructive power of transformed sword energy.’

If sword aura is iron, transformation is smithing.

Into thread, spike, or any form—amplifying its power.

Still, even that couldn’t hold back an army.

The space tightened.

Beasts swarmed the rooftop.

“Well, now that you’re all seated… let’s begin.”

Doyun smirked and summoned his inner power.

[Heavenly Cloud Sword Art (Legendary)]
└[Form 3 – Annihilation Thread (滅絲)]

The world paused for a breath.

Delicate threads of blue light filled the air.

[‘Heavenly Cloud Sword Art – 4 Star’ achieved!]

BOOOOM!

A cascade of chain explosions erupted outward from Doyun.

Every path his blade traced exploded in carnage.

The rooftop swarmed by beasts was wiped clean in an instant.

Limbs torn. Bodies scattered.

Total massacre.

“……!”

Black feathers rained over the light shield.

Yeonha couldn’t exhale the breath she held.

Stunned by Doyun’s divine might.

Terrified to her core.

‘What even is this…’

Who was hunting whom?

BOOM, BOOM!

Explosion after explosion.

Like a brush painting hell with blood.

Until the corpses piled like hills and the sky cleared, Doyun didn’t stop.

“Hoo…”

Finally, he lowered his flaming sword.

Yeonha approached, half-frozen.

“I-is it over…?”

“I wish. But the status window hasn’t spoken yet.”

[Remaining Magic Beasts: 0]
[‘Magic Beast Colony’ has collapsed.]

“Y-you see that? Looks like we cleared it!”

‘Sorry, not yet.’

Doyun’s eyes grew serious.

Kimcheon Gate’s final chapter—

Was not the beast waves.

[The Gate is reclaiming its demonic energy.]

All across the city, black souls rose from beast corpses, sucked out through beaks and nostrils.

Ssssshhh…

Like all darkness from Kimcheon was being drawn inward.

BOOOOOOOM—!

The gate roared, tearing wider into a gaping red-black maw.

[Boss Appears!]
[※WARNING! Top-Tier Difficulty!]
[VVIP Advice: Current rank insufficient for solo clear. Do NOT engage recklessly.]
[Demonic Fusion Entity – Black Flame Demon Bird descends upon the earth.]

A grotesque figure made entirely of black flame—

“KRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

Doyun—and humanity—faced the boss monster for the first time.

Its roar split the skies of Kimcheon.