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I’m having trouble understanding the situation right now.

‘Why?!’

When the Divine Thief struck, I instinctively knew that dodging or blocking his technique was out of the question. It all happened in an instant, so at that moment, I felt like it was game over. Hence, I resolved to steal his mask instead.

That meant the Divine Thief and I had both stolen each other’s masks… Does that mean our bodies will swap too?!

For now, it was certain that I was in Howol’s body. I fumbled around to check if this was some sort of illusion, then decided to manifest my internal power.

Hmm…

‘Well, I do have some internal energy, but…’

Isn’t this just a superficial level of cultivation? In our world, this feels like someone who trained for maybe three or four years at best—definitely not an expert. The meridians are barely open, the flow of Qi is weak, and the overall amount is exceptionally low. Plus, it looks like this energy was accumulated through just physical training instead of actual internal martial arts; even the Dantian seems undisciplined.

“……”

Of course, the Spirit Power and Fire Eye Golden Spirit were gone too. The Power of the Constellation vanished as well. I even checked for the Apostolic Seal I received from Dalma, but that was missing too. All the spiritual and divine powers I had were completely erased.

Could it be that I’ve lost all my strength?!

I sat there, astonished, mouth agape. As I blankly stared ahead, Princess Ayuta came over to pat my back gently.

“Sibling, stay strong…”

“… I don’t understand. Why did Baek Woong trap us? Surely the Divine Thief is only one person, so why imprison everyone?”

A voice beside me answered; it was Seong Jin, the prince of a fallen nation.

“He must have brainwashed all of us before trapping us.”

“Did Dalma really believe that?”

Seong Jin looked at me, sensing something odd. But he quickly nodded.

“Yes. It seems the Master trusted this Baek Woong… Hoo.”

“……”

Instead of being overwhelmed by the shock of losing all my strength, I tried to maintain my composure regarding the current situation. Only one thought resonated in my mind.

‘Heavenly Secret.’

In this case, it seems I’ve lost the Heavenly Secret to the Divine Thief. Naturally, he would have noticed the secret I usually keep hidden. It might also mean that I could lose my Rebirth Ability to the Divine Thief as well. While that did worry me a bit, I swiftly moved on to another thought.

‘If possessing it alone allowed him to take it, then I would have lost it dozens of times by now. This isn’t the time to fret over that… What’s truly strange is…’

A sensation of discomfort lingered in my head.

‘How could the Divine Thief deliver an unavoidable attack using such a wretched body?’

This doesn’t make any sense at all.

Howol’s body, originally a general and martial artist, is firmly trained and muscular. However, since he has never formally practiced internal energy, from a martial artist’s standpoint, he could be considered weak. I can’t properly utilize either internal energy or Qi. Logically, controlling a body like this, regardless of possessing world-class martial skills, would reduce one’s strength significantly.

As I blankly gazed at the prison walls, I slowly took up a basic stance of the Thunder God Lineage’s fist techniques. Calming my breath, I swiftly executed a single palm strike against the wall.

Bam!!

“……!!”

“Huh! Sibling…”

Boom…

The strongest fist technique of the Thunder God Lineage, Thunder Spirit Seal, erupted, leaving an impressive palm imprint across the stone wall that extended four meters. The large palm print was deeply engraved with barely any dust falling. With such a technique, one would receive accolades as a peak expert in Jianghu, yet I wore a bitter expression as I gazed at the imprint.

‘Just as I thought… If I use Intent, even a tiny shred of internal energy can amplify the power. But there’s a limit.’

Using Howol’s body, which is practically devoid of any martial artist qualities, to produce this level of Thunder Spirit Seal shows the potential of Intent. However, as demonstrated by the strength of a Dharma Guardian, even if someone excels at using Intent, they are still heavily bound by the internal energy they possess. Had I still possessed my original internal energy, I could have toppled a massive city wall with just one strike of Thunder Spirit. Yet, my power was vastly restricted. No matter how skilled I am at martial arts and how well I leverage my Intent, pushing beyond this point is impossible.

Still, the attack the Divine Thief hit me with earlier was so terrifyingly powerful that not even my entire repertoire could match it. How was that even possible? Even with the strength of a Dharma Guardian, I would have been able to calmly deflect an attack, yet the force behind the Divine Thief’s strike had far surpassed that level.

Calmly turning my mind, I thought, ‘With my body swiped and the Heavenly Secret taken, the only answer is to end it all.’

Taking my own life would provide a chance to rebirth and seize the next opportunity. If I foolishly gave time to the Divine Thief, who might discover how to use the Heavenly Secret and steal away my Rebirth Ability, then everything would be over. Logically speaking, ending my own life first was the right call.

‘No. It’s still too early to end it!’

If I died here, I would start anew without knowing that the Divine Thief has transformed into Howol. In the end, it would be no better than being at square one. Had I simply pursued efficiency and the sacrifices involved, I wouldn’t have ended up in this dire situation. At the very least, I’d need to understand the Divine Thief’s motives in this before accepting my demise.

Realizing what I needed to do, I inhaled deeply.

I sat cross-legged and began to activate my internal energy cultivation techniques.

Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique

The pinnacle of the Thunder God Lineage’s martial arts! The energy of lightning surged and twisted, swirling around my Dantian, as I began to gather internal energy with powerful suction. It was undoubtedly ahead of countless other internal techniques in Jianghu and was perfect for unleashing the Thunder God Lineage’s martial skills.

‘Normally, one would need to cultivate the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique for at least three years to have usable internal energy, but…’

Intent attracts energy!

Intent can surpass the laws of the world!

Thanks to the level of Intent I reached since becoming a peak expert, I could transcend the limitations of conventional internal energy cultivation. I gathered clear Intent, focused my mind, and shortly after unleashed it to pull in significant amounts of external Qi.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…

Ordinarily, an internal cultivation technique gathers Qi from the atmosphere through the skin and meridians, then gradually refines it at the Dantian, but I disregarded that process completely and forcefully drew in the mass of Qi that had formed around me straight into my Baihui point on the top of my head.

Boom!!

With intense pain, it felt like a hidden vein in my entire body was swelling up. Typically, internal energy involves drawing in Qi over extended periods to strengthen the meridians and then using those fortified meridians to gather more Qi. It’s akin to building muscle. Therefore, it wouldn’t be weird to simply die if I stuck such a massive amount of Qi into my Baihui without any conditioning. The reason internal energy cultivation developed throughout martial history wasn’t for no reason.

‘Gah!’

Yet, I grit my teeth and held in the blood pooling in my mouth, inflating my cheeks to suppress it. I felt as though my body could burst at any moment, but clinging onto my Intent with all my might allowed me to reinforce my body. It was a trick I could only perform because I had the skill in Intent.

Simultaneously, as the Qi surged into my Baihui, I dispersed the tremendous force throughout my body.

With an electrifying sensation as if thousands of bugs crawled on my skin, eating away at my insides! I endured the pain while quickly converting the energy into Thunder Power using the Thunder God Lineage’s techniques, then refined my internal energy for a second time. The refined energy rapidly expanded the meridians throughout my body, adapting my form to suit the internal cultivation method.

Once that process was complete, I took a couple of breaths and once again pulled much larger amounts of Qi from the atmosphere, gathering it in a far more significant mass than previously.

With gritted teeth, I forcefully thrust the Qi once more into my Baihui.

Boom!!

“Cough!!”

I ultimately couldn’t hold it any longer and blood dribbled from my mouth. Blood also streamed from my eyes, indicating that I had likely sustained some significant internal injury. Nevertheless, I disregarded it and spread the refined energy throughout my body once more. Suddenly, my internal energy surged massively, allowing me to heal my internal injuries once again.

Literally an unrestrained speed-run of external techniques!

Theoretically possible, but practically considered impossible. At least, to perform this at a peak expert level, one would ideally handle Intent so expertly that they wouldn’t lack the requisite internal energy. Mastering internal energy after an extensive training period is fundamentally intertwined with realizing the potential of Intent, yet I was using sheer brute force to accelerate my cultivation because I desperately needed power right then.

Boom!

Boom!

How many times had I drawn in and distributed Qi before I realized it?

I eventually felt my internal energy coiling tightly, expanding my Dantian and opening half of the meridians in my limbs at last. According to the principle of Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence synergizing, I was drawing forth tremendous strength. Wiping the blood from my mouth, I thought, ‘Alright. Have I gathered roughly fifteen years’ worth of training experience…’

In barely half a moment, I had acquired peak-level internal energy.

With this level of internal energy, I would also gain many options. I slowly reached out and grasped the iron bars, easily bending them as I stepped outside.

Creak…

“Huh…”

“What, Sibling?!”

The other four disciples looked at me in shock. In a world where martial skills had not properly developed, it was unthinkable for a human to twist iron bars like candy with their bare hands. I glanced back over my shoulder and said,

“I have a question.”

“……”

“If to save the world, you’d willingly give your life, would you do it?”

At my question, they fell silent. Then, Hye Ga, sitting closest, clasped his hands and spoke.

“Of course.”

“And if it meant destroying the world?”

“That too, of course.”

“Is that how you all feel?”

Then Hye Ga and the other four disciples solemnly affirmed with determined faces.

“Of course!”

They must have realized I wasn’t Howol anymore.

“……”

Recognizing their expressions were genuine, I acknowledged that, as Dalma said, they could surrender their lives for a greater cause, and it was clear they strongly desired the world to perish. After all, having witnessed the harrowing truth of this world alongside Dalma, that may have been expected.

‘Damn it. I don’t know…’

Am I foolish to try and save them all? They seem so willing to die, do I really need to intervene? Perhaps this is just my selfishness?

Feeling confused, I shook my head and stepped outside the prison.

I headed back to the place where the Divine Thief had ambushed me, and there sat the Divine Thief, now possessing my physical body, alongside Dalma. They were seated across from each other, seemingly deep in conversation, and I walked quietly behind the Divine Thief.

Stop.

As I halted behind him, the Divine Thief, maintaining the voice of ‘Baek Woong’, spoke without turning.

“How surprising. I thought you’d run off since you lost everything, but you chose to stay.”

“Don’t assume everything goes your way.”

“Hehe…”

The Divine Thief chuckled lightly, then shifted into a more comfortable position, kneeling while addressing Dalma.

“Tell me, Dalma, which of us would you prefer to work with?”

[……]

Dalma remained silent, seemingly contemplating as he kept his hood pulled low over his face. After a moment, he spoke.

[Are you two sharing memories?]

In response to Dalma’s question, the Divine Thief didn’t even turn to acknowledge him.

“Nope! Originally, I planned to seize that punk’s memories, but some twist unavoidably switched our bodies instead. This is a first for me. Unexpectedly, I’ve gained quite the power, while he’s left a shell.”

Just as the Divine Thief had said, in that moment, the swap had occurred equally between us. So the originally overwhelming [Mask Steal] had manifested as a mere body swap.

I gritted my teeth and exclaimed.

“Divine Thief! The best thief in the world ambushing me…”

The Divine Thief scratched his head, as if confused.

“What? Isn’t mugging supposed to be a thief’s strength? I feel like a proper thief here…”

“……”

“Why are you being so arrogant after getting ambushed like an idiot?”

Though it hurt my heart, I erupted in anger.

“Don’t think that you’ve won!”

“Oh? The way I look at your amassed power shows you’ve got some confidence.”

Chuckling, the Divine Thief stood, turning to face me with Baek Woong’s smug expression twisting his face into a grin.

“How about we place a wager?”

“A wager? What kind of wager?”

“You came here without running away, so it’s clear you’ve got a final move or want to negotiate with me… Given this situation, it seems I want to seize everything from you.”

“……”

I felt like my innermost thoughts had been uncovered.

Ultimately, if Dalma and the Divine Thief were indeed working together, then escaping was pointless, and whether I succeeded or failed, I had to uncover as much of the Divine Thief’s identity as possible before dying. If I planned to scrape for information, it seems my intentions were being seen through.

“Shall we try again?”

“What do you mean?”

The Divine Thief grinned mischievously.

“The Mask Steal.”

“……”

“The conditions are almost identical. Let’s see who’s faster.”

“Identical? What kind of nonsense is that?! You’re using my body!”

“Strange. So why was it a draw when I had this body?”

Gah!

I found myself at a loss for words, but within, I had to concede the point.

In the end, the Divine Thief was superior to me!

Operating in this body, devoid of nearly any internal energy, even if he ambushed me, I acknowledged that the Divine Thief’s prowess exceeded mine in this regard.

‘Huh? Wait a minute…’

Something doesn’t add up.

Why hasn’t the Divine Thief cultivated any internal energy or training?

Having internal energy would be undoubtedly beneficial for surviving in this world and make him stronger… so why hasn’t he?

Despite sensing something odd, the Divine Thief strode boldly toward me.

“Your choice is out of your hands. A thief never asks for permission from the owner before stealing.”

Whack!

In that instant, the Divine Thief lunged at me once more, and I felt his approach in that split second. As everything slowed down, his hand reached for me just as it had before.

…Huh?

The same speed?

What supernatural speed, but if it’s not faster than the last time…

‘…Could it be?’

I sensed something and desperately activated [Steal] in that fleeting moment. Just like before, despite not casting a spell, I saw the mask materializing behind the back of my opponent. Simultaneously, I felt something emerge behind me, likely a reflection of us engaging in a duel of [Mask Steal].

‘Great! I’ve matched the speed!’

The effort I put into raising my internal energy to peak levels paid off this time! I desperately reached out to snag the mask.

“Ugh!”

A moment of surprise crossed the Divine Thief’s face.

Bang!

In that instant, I was struck by a kick from the Divine Thief and fell backward. I had just managed to block with Intent and internal energy, but the immense force broke a rib and sent me coughing up blood.

“Ugh!!”

“Oh dear… Looks like my pesky disciple showed up.”

“……”

“If I want to take everything, I’ll need to cook it slowly.”

The Divine Thief licked his lips, and I realized the motive behind his prior refusal to engage in a direct exchange with me.

‘Right.’

Our hands were equally fast.

That was independent of the physical strength or power each body possessed.

This means that the Divine Thief could skillfully execute theft at the utmost speed regardless of strength, but paradoxically, his speed also had limitations. I, too, employed Intent to perform the stealing technique and, despite my current condition, matched his speed.

How such a phenomenon came to be was crystal clear. I had likewise ascended to a similar realm in [Steal]. It was limited to that technique, but even so, I found it to be an equal match.

Upon hearing my laughter, the Divine Thief’s expression grew slightly tense.

“Heh, my pride as the greatest thief in the world is feeling a bit bruised…”

I was overcome with a strange feeling of foreboding.

That one comment had opened the door to an extremely tough road ahead.