Li Xiaoguang was a transcendent belonging to the Revolution Knight. Moreover, he had reached the level of a 7-star transcendent. The day he encountered Sungshik at Baekdu Mountain, he had indeed come in search of the secret techniques of the Heaven-Splitting Gate.

“The Martial Emperor definitely said he obtained it here.”

That was correct. He too had come, knowing that in the future, the Martial Emperor had obtained the secret techniques of the Heaven-Splitting Gate here. After arriving, he searched thoroughly all day but was unable to find the secret chamber.

“Tsk, the only place left is inside that lake.”

His instincts kept warning him. Telling him not to approach. His five senses detected an enormous presence lurking below.

A day passed as he struggled with what to do, wondering if there was some hidden spot he had missed. That was when someone appeared at the lake.

Xiaoguang narrowed his eyes.

‘What’s this? The power I sense is only about 2-star?’

Watching carefully, the person seemed to be searching for something near the lake, much like himself looking for the Heaven-Splitting Martial Art’s secret chamber.

‘Well, well.’

That was how Xiaoguang approached Sungshik. Through a few questions and answers, Xiaoguang realized something.

‘He didn’t just wander up here by chance. He knows something.’

That meant there was no reason to let him live.

He intended to extract a bit more information out of curiosity before finishing him off. However, just as he was about to act, the beast inside the lake appeared.

‘Damn it.’

He had been careless, thinking it was safe since there was no reaction even when he got close to the lake.

‘Because of this weakling.’

Grinding his teeth, Xiaoguang engaged in battle with the beast. Soon, he realized something—it was only an avatar.

‘For some reason, the real body must be unable to move.’

Otherwise, there was no reason to summon just an avatar.

Xiaoguang thought this was actually fortunate. If he could eliminate this avatar along with that weakling, he could dive directly into the lake. If his guess was right, and the real body couldn't move, he might even be able to destroy it.

After exchanging blows for a while, his assumption was confirmed. The avatar’s strength was impressive, but it couldn't surpass his own.

“Hahaha, even if you are a legendary beast, did you really think you could stop me with just an avatar?”

A provocation born out of his confidence in victory. But it was a premature celebration. That weakling had already entered the Heaven-Splitting Martial Art’s secret chamber.

Though he eventually defeated the avatar, he took a massive blow in the final exchange, leaving his body in shambles. He would need quite some time to recover.

“Tch, damn it.”

For the first time since obtaining knowledge of the future, he had failed.

“Just wait, weakling.”

He had memorized that face. The moment he found him, he would kill him without hesitation. Since the energy he sensed was only around 2-star, it was highly likely that the boy belonged to the Superhuman Academy

Whether he was from the Academy or not didn't matter. Infiltrating the Academy and getting caught while trying to kill him would be a hassle. But his fury was not something that could be ignored. He was willing to take that risk.

“The two major Superhuman Academies in Korea—Seoul, and Busan.”

Using his intelligence network, he investigated all students from both academies, including recent graduates.

“He’s not there?”

He clearly remembered that face. Yet, no one matched.

His gaze sharpened.

“Was he a Joseonjok?”

The boy had spoken Korean. Thanks to his translation skill, he hadn’t paid much attention at the time, but the language was definitely Korean.

“This doesn’t make sense.”

Then, something caught his eye—Seoul Transcendent Academy’s 1v1 tournament finals. The martial arts used by someone named Heo Sungshik were strikingly impressive.

“That kind of martial art exists?”

Xiaoguang instinctively knew—it was no ordinary technique. At the very least, it was of [SSS Rank].

In all the future knowledge he possessed, no high-rank martial art like that existed.

Heo Sungshik’s face was also unfamiliar. No high-ranking transcendent with that face existed.

Could he be the weakling from Baekdu Mountain?

“But he’s already near 5-star.”

Even if the Heaven-Splitting Martial Art was truly an EX-rank technique, it wouldn't be enough to raise a 2-star transcendent to 5-star in such a short time.

“I need to meet him in person.”

And so, Xiaoguang decided to move himself.

“By the way, could I ask the name of the martial art you used?”

Li Xiaoguang’s question was sharp, his gaze piercing. It was so intense that Sungshik involuntarily flinched.

‘That gaze…’

Was this how a frog felt before a snake?

‘For his aura to be this overwhelming… Just how strong is he? I still have a long way to go.’

Feeling the man’s overwhelming presence, Sungshik reaffirmed his determination, realizing he had barely reached the threshold of 6-star.

“I’d rather not reveal the name of my martial art. It’s a branch of traditional Korean martial arts.”

Sungshik suspected that Xiaoguang had come looking for him because of the ‘Heaven-Splitting Divine Art.’ So, he answered vaguely.

“Ah, my apologies for being rude. I was simply curious about such an impressive martial art.”

Fortunately, Xiaoguang did not press further. In fact, many warriors disliked being asked about their martial arts, making such questions a delicate matter.

‘He still seems suspicious.’

Observing Xiaoguang’s expression carefully, Sungshik had that impression.

It seemed that Xiaoguang wasn’t exactly sure what the Heaven-Splitting Martial Art was, but for some reason, he still harbored suspicions.

‘I need to be careful.’

Meeting him outside the academy could be dangerous.

“Miss Kim Subin, you’ve already joined a clan, correct?”

“Yes.”

Kim Subin responded with a rather reluctant expression, as if disgusted by a dirty stray dog approaching her. Xiaoguang seemed to pick up on that.

“It seems I’ve taken too much of your time. If you ever consider joining a clan, please feel free to contact me, Sungshik.”

With an inscrutable smile, Xiaoguang turned and left.

Both Sungshik and Kim Subin watched his retreating figure. Then, they turned to look at each other.

“Sungshik, that man…”

Kim Subin hesitated, as if she had something to say.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“It might be meddlesome of me to say this, but I don’t get a good feeling about him. Even if you don’t join my clan, I think you should consider avoiding that man.”

Kim Subin cautiously voiced her thoughts, clearly wary of Li Xiaoguang.

‘That man used dark-attribute powers…’

Indeed, the power Xiaoguang had used at Baekdu Mountain was related to darkness. Meanwhile, Kim Subin’s attribute was of the light element.

‘Could it be that the opposing attributes are instinctively causing repulsion?’

As Sungshik tilted his head in thought, Kim Subin asked again.

“No, this won’t do. Sungshik, let’s talk privately for a moment.”

She requested a moment alone with Sungshik.

From the moment Kim Subin first laid eyes on the man, she felt an intense and unpleasant sensation.

‘This feels bad.’

Just looking at him made her feel deeply unsettled.

‘Why am I feeling this way?’

She had never felt such a strong sense of rejection toward anyone before in her life.

―That man harbors an extremely ominous energy.

At that moment, Luna, who had been silent, spoke up.

‘Ominous energy?’

―Yes. A very murky and malevolent aura. Ah! This energy, could it be…?

Luna let out a short gasp, as if she had realized something. Seeing this, Kim Subin asked again.

‘What is it, Luna? Do you recognize this energy?’

―…He isn’t revealing his full aura, so I can’t be certain, but the faint energy I sense from that man… it closely resembles the energy of the Lords of the Night.

‘…Lords of the Night? Are you saying that man is one of them?’

―No, I don’t think so. Their power isn’t something that can be concealed just by hiding it. He isn’t a Lord of the Night. But the energy he carries is eerily similar to theirs.

Hearing Luna speak with such seriousness, Kim Subin couldn’t help but worry.

―Hmm… Wait a moment, Subin.

Watching as the man observed Heo Sungshik with an odd intensity, Luna came to a decision.

―Subin, you still have the ‘Rune of the Full Moon,’ right?

‘Yes, of course.’

―Give it to Heo Sungshik.

Kim Subin’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at Luna’s unexpected words.

The Rune of the Full Moon—it was a rune created from a fragment of the Moon’s Source. A highly valuable item. Before her regression, Kim Subin had used this rune when casting a self-sacrificing spell.

She had only been able to use that spell because she had the ‘Rune of the Full Moon.’ Luna had always insisted that it was a precious item and should be kept safe.

‘The Rune of the Full Moon? Alright, I understand.’

Though initially shocked by Luna’s words, Kim Subin quickly nodded in agreement. Even if Luna didn’t explain her reasoning, she believed this item would be beneficial to Sungshik in some way.

And that was why she had asked to speak with Sungshik privately.

Kim Subin retrieved a small, pebble-like gemstone from her inventory. It emitted a gentle yellow glow, resembling a piece of topaz.

She handed the stone to Sungshik.

“Here, take this.”

“…What is this?”

Sungshik accepted the small, yellow-glowing stone from her. He immediately used ‘Insight’ on it.

‘Insight.’

[Rune of the Full Moon]

• Grade: Legendary
• A fragment of the Moon’s Source, crafted into a rune by the goddess Luna. It holds the fundamental power of the moon.
• Effect when carried: Light Attribute +25 / Darkness Resistance +25 / Light Attribute Attack Power +20%

Upon seeing the item’s details, Sungshik was taken aback. A [Legendary] grade item. Simply possessing it significantly boosted his attributes and resistances.

‘A boost of 25 to Light Attribute and Darkness Resistance?’

The numbers were shockingly high. The maximum possible value for attributes and resistances was 100. It was extremely difficult to increase these stats. Later on, even a single point of increase would be considered significant, yet this rune granted a boost of 25.

‘No wonder this is classified as [Legendary].’

For those with Light Attribute abilities, this could almost be considered a [Mythic] grade item.

‘Why is she giving me something so valuable?’

Sungshik looked at Kim Subin with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you giving me this…?”

Kim Subin smiled playfully at him.

“It’s a graduation gift.”

As Sungshik opened his mouth to respond, she quickly added,

“So don’t lose it, and make sure to keep it with you at all times.”

Seeing her bright, sparkling eyes, Sungshik grinned.

“Alright, thanks. I’ll keep it safe. But I didn’t prepare anything in return…”

“That’s fine. Just keep in touch often—”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s keep in touch. I’ll give you a gift next time. Thanks.”

“That’s a promise, okay? I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Was she looking forward to the gift, or to them staying in touch? Seeing her warm smile, Sungshik smiled back as well.

After the graduation ceremony, Sungshik returned to his dormitory. Soon, he would have to vacate his room.

“Should I go home for now?”

During the early days of the Great Cataclysm, before people knew that leaving gates unattended would lead to Breaks, Sungshik’s family had fallen victim to a Gate Break.

Left as an orphan, Sungshik had lived alone using the inheritance they left behind until he awakened and joined the Superhuman Academy. Going home wouldn’t mean being welcomed by anyone.

“I should just start clearing gates and rank up right away.”

At first, he had thought about stopping by home to rest for a bit, but after recalling the man from the graduation ceremony, he decided to dive straight into gate clearing. He wanted to rank up as soon as possible, so he would never feel that kind of threat again.

“That guy… I had a feeling he was from Revolution Knight, and I was right.”

Lying on his bed, Sungshik fiddled with the name tag the man had given him.

‘Since it’s still intact, I guess he won against the doppelgänger of the Celestial Beast back then.’

He had secretly hoped the Celestial Beast would defeat him, but it seemed that had just been wishful thinking.

“If I were to fight him now, could I at least manage to run away?”

Recalling the man’s overwhelming power, Sungshik wasn’t even sure if escaping would be possible.

“Once I reach 6-star, use ‘Future Vision,’ and make use of this rune I got from Subin today… maybe then I’ll have a chance.”

The man seemed to be on the verge of breaking past the 7-star threshold, if he hadn’t already. If Sungshik could reach 6-star and activate Future Vision, he might be able to summon power close to that level. And with the increased Darkness Resistance from the rune, he might be able to put up a fight.

“I really owe Subin. Every time I need something, she always ends up helping me.”

Thinking back, it was true. When he regained his Hyper-Sense trait, it had likely been thanks to Luna’s intervention.

Later, in the mutated gate, Subin had helped him once again without him knowing. And when he obtained the Pacheon Art, if not for the stone she had given him, he might never have escaped from the illusionary world.

He had received a lot of help from her.

‘Someday, I’ll return the favor.’

With that thought, he took out the ‘Rune of the Full Moon.’

That was when—

“Huh?”

Sungshik let out a startled voice as a sudden notification appeared.

―The ‘Rune of the Full Moon’ and ‘Key of the Sky’ resonate.

―Special condition detected. [EX-Rank] Consumption activated. Absorbing the power of ‘Rune of the Full Moon.’

“What the—?”

Hearing the next notification, Sungshik was even more dumbfounded.