The other guests did the same. Powerful men from different factions knelt on one knee and looked at the City Head with vengeful eyes.

“We request your assistance to kill the Madman.”

At first, he wasn't called the Madman but the Northern Hero. He first appeared in Murim 50 years ago at the same time as ‘Awakeners’ and dungeons first appeared in this martial world. With his power that was different from martial arts, he exhibited force as powerful as Divine Masters. Mostly because of him, humanity was able to close most dungeons.

However during the recent years, hundreds of martial artists disappeared. The mystery of their disappearance was only discovered when a herb gatherer stumbled upon a cave full of dead bodies. Upon further investigation, it was found out to be the doing of the Northern Hero, now called the Madman.

“He’s hiding in the Northern Mountain Range. If we don’t catch him this time, many more will die.”

“I know.”

The City Head strummed his finger on his chair. He too wanted the Madman killed. It was neither for revenge nor glory but for the people’s safety.

That’s why he always kept a watchful eye on the movement of the Madman. When he first found out that the Madman was in the Northern Mountain Range, he was the one who spread the rumors that the Madman hid there.

Although he could, he didn’t assemble the warriors to pursue the Madman. He knew what the Madman was capable of. He was there when the Madman casted a huge ball of fire the size of a city, exterminating all monsters within. If the Madman were to cast the same spell over the Celestial Dragon City, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Knock, knock.

A masked man rushed in and whispered something to the Chief Strategist.

“Elder Yoo, what is it?” The City Head asked.

“A reconnaissance squad was annihilated. The only survivor is being kept under quarantine. The Madman’s exact location has been found.”

***

Next morning.

The Wall Chief stood on top of the walls at the north gate. Every morning it has been his routine to look over the mountain. Today was the same.

He had already been here for half an hour. During this time, the Squad Leader of the warriors in duty was giving him a full report.

“That’s what happened, sir.”

“You’re dismissed.”

The Squad Leader left. Meanwhile, the Wall Chief’s gaze remained on the corpses that lay on the snow. Some of them wore green cloaks, ones the reconnaissance squad wore.

Sigh.

“Father, what are you doing here?”

A man that looked almost the same as him arrived. He wore a white robe, signifying his rank as a first rate warrior.

“People will die.”

“What do you mean, father?”

“A few days from now, a lot of people will die. We’re going to kill the Northern Hero.”

“The Northern Hero?’”

“Indeed.”

The Wall Chief reminisced that time 50 years ago.

At that time, the colossal walls still weren’t in place. He was just a budding warrior meant to be a fodder against the horde of monsters.

Surrounded by all sorts of monsters, one ordinary warrior on the verge of death awakened a strange power. He uttered strange words back then.

“Shibal. I really want to go home. I miss the Into Neto.”

After saying this, he raised one hand and said another strange word.

“Mit Yo.”

A ball of fire appeared from the sky. From the Wall Chief’s perspective, it looked like the man summoned the sun itself. The ball of fire blasted onto a fire-breathing bird, the same bird that even Divine Masters find difficult to kill.

But that monster easily succumbed to the ball of fire. Yet it didn’t stop there. It crashed into the sea of monsters, creating a blinding ray of light. When he opened his eyes, none of the monsters remained.

After the battle, the Hero walked away.

“Wait.”

The young City Head grabbed the man’s arm. Behind him were the surviving warriors, all of whom were covered in blood.

“Hero, please stay with us.”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to be turned into a lab rat.”

“La bu rat? What’s that?”

“Never mind.”

With that, he left and never came back. Only news of his glory returned. Every traveller that came to the newly established Celestial Dragon City sung praises about the Northern Hero.

Along with that, news of people similar to the Hero spread. However, none of was as powerful as the Northern Hero.

The Wall Chief breathed a deep sigh. He still couldn’t believe that the honored hero of the past would return to them as the most dangerous criminal.

“Why are we going to kill the Northern Hero?”

“He is no longer a hero.”

“I thought the massacres he committed were just rumors.”

“It's not.”

“Even so, he is..”

Wang Jihu couldn’t look for the right word. Our hero, too strong, a legend. As an awakener himself, he couldn’t fathom the idea of killing the man he looked up to the most.

“Although he is formidable, he won’t be able to handle the combined forces of several Divine Masters. I know that you also look up to him but for the sake of the city's safety, he must be killed.”

The Wall Chief patted the shoulders of his son. Then, his demeanor changed from a nostalgic man to a cold commander.

“We have three days to prepare.”

***

Haaaaah...

Bummed. Pissed. Annoyed.

I woke up once again to see the moldy walls of the prison. No words could describe the pain of being separated from one’s loved one, especially since I had no choice in the matter.

“Good morning Third Rate Warrior Kim Sheon.”

And of course, the woman that brought me to such a predicament didn’t forget to blandly greet me. She was seated in a lotus position with both her eyes close.

“Lady Jisoo, you can just address me as Warrior Sheon.”

“People may misunderstand us if I address you with an informal title, Third Rate Warrior Kim Sheon. And also, please don’t forget to address me as First Rate Warrior Choi Jisoo.”

“I get it, I get it.”

'I swear this stoic woman has a few loose screws.'

The only good thing here was the scrumptious food that regular people couldn’t afford.

I joyfully sat down, rubbed the chopsticks together and savored the smell of stir-fried vegetables with shrimp.

‘If it’s like this then getting quarantined my whole life would be alright.’

“Didn’t I tell you that training before meals is important?”

‘Right. This woman was a training addict. Nags harder than my earth mother. ‘

I looked at her. She was still in a lotus position, cultivating her ki. I had been like that in the past, a diligent martial artist who always trained.

After doing it for several years, I quit. It was useless for me. Most of my colleagues had already broken through the next level while I remained as is. No matter how much I tried to grow my dantian, it never did.

Cultivation novels, shounen manga and all those anime spouting training is the key were all bullshit.

Anyway, I got enraged and threw a tantrum.

“See, Miss First Rate Warrior Choi Jisoo, I don’t have talent for cultivation. No matter how much more I train or no matter how many pills I take, nothing ever happens.”

“I am sick with some kind of unknown disease. Every single fucking day, I feel that my head’s about to explode. Blood keeps coming off my nose. On lucky days, it's just a few droplets, on bad days, it oozes like a waterfall.”

“But you know what? I endured everything. I trained thrice as harder as everyone. I worked myself to the bone just to get the best manuals I could. Yet what happened? The lazy bums who didn’t even try went ahead and left me in the dust. You talk as if you know everything but you're just born lucky.”

At the end of my speech, Choi Jisoo opened her eyes and stared at me. Strangely, her deep green eyes stirred something inside of me. I felt in my heart that maybe, this person could understand me. Did I want someone to take pity on me? To at least let someone know of my pain and frustrations that I couldn't even tell my partner?

‘I shouldn’t have screamed like a baby. Damn it, I look like a loser.’

But she wasn’t the person I thought she could be.

“Then you have not worked hard enough.”

Choi Jisoo closed her eyes and went back to meditating.

‘This stuck up bitch.’

I was about to open my mouth when the door opened.

“Alright quarantine is over.”

“Squad Leader?”

“To be stuck with a lady from the Choi family, you should be so happy, huh?”

The Squad Leader unlocked the door to my cell and then proceeded to unlock Choi Jisoo’s cell.

“Lady Choi, your family has requested to let you rest at your house. There’s no need to report to anyone else.”

“Thank you.”

Choi Jisoo stood up and left. She didn't even touch the food. Before completely leaving, she left me a few words.

“Third Rate Warrior Kim Sheon, I apologize for my words. I realize that I have said something rude. As an apology for what I said and gratitude for your quick response in that incident, I will do you one favor.”

“Ahem, there’s no need to apologize.”

My timid character kicked in. Let’s just say I’m a person that’s quite easy to appease.

Without any further words, she left. Unknowingly, my eyes lingered on her back until she completely left my sight. Somehow, her image overlapped with the woman who gave alms to the beggar.

Slap!

“Tsk. This kid.”

"What the hell? That hurt! And I'm already 27 so don't call me a kid."

“Quit staring at her back.”

“Who the hell is staring where? I was just touched to see the light again.”

'The light yeah. The sunlight’s pretty.'

Then I ran into the light.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I haven’t seen my girlfriend in three days.”

“Come back before noon. There’s an order for mobilization.”

“I won’t be late!”

God, I miss her so much.