In the time that flowed so slowly it might as well have stopped, his anxiety birthed an ever-deepening distress, which soon awakened that which lay dormant deep within him. The moment his complex thoughts vanished and his mind became simple, Fwoosh! A black flame entered Mok Gyeong-un's vision.
It had the form of a flame, yet it held a darkness like an abyss. Within that bottomless pit, he felt not only ferocity but also a pure demonic nature. Though he was seeing this for the first time, it felt remarkably familiar.
What in the world is this thing before me? As he wondered, the black flame flickered and a voice was heard. -Can you see?
‘!?’ -So you can.
Do we finally face each other properly?
‘You….’ -I thought it would take much longer for you to contemplate yourself.
Truly surprising. This voice.
It was definitely it. The being that was inside him. Is this its form?
What is this? As he marveled at its unexpectedly alien appearance, the black flame flickered again, and the voice echoed in his ears. -There is no need to question the natural order that has come to pass. Your encounter with me like this means your will has attained a certain rank.
‘Rank?’ -Though I lost the core, your rank, born entirely of a human will, cannot be the same as mine, who has lived for an eternity.
An eternity?