Park Gun's fist tore through the air.
Fast.
Precise.
Lethal.
A direct, devastating strike aimed straight at Yang Kai's face—enough force behind it to shatter bone, to cave in a skull, to end a life in a single moment.
The air cracked.
Zoya's breath stopped.
Xia Niu's eyes sharpened.
And Yang Kai—
Had less than a heartbeat to respond.
Then—
He moved.
Not with panic.
Not with brute force.
But with something far more refined.
His arm rose in a smooth, flowing motion—soft, controlled, almost gentle. His palm met the incoming strike not head-on, but at an angle.
A red-black shimmer flickered faintly around his body.
Crimson-black spiritual energy.
And in that instant—
He shifted.
Redirected.
Absorbed.
Released.
Tai Chi.
But not the crude imitation of mortals—
This was mastery.
The kind refined over lifetimes.
The kind that turned overwhelming force… into its own destruction.
Park Gun's punch never landed.
Instead—
His own momentum was caught, twisted, and violently returned.
Boom!
His body was flung backward like a cannonball.
He smashed into a tree—
Crack!
The trunk shattered instantly.
Then another—
Boom!
Another tree snapped in half.
Then another.
And another.
Until finally—
Thud!
His body slammed into a thick trunk and stuck there, bark splintering around him.
Silence.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
On Yang Kai's side—
His hand slowly lowered.
His expression… was no longer confused.
But shocked.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Those eyes…
A flicker of recognition passed through his mind.
That's…
Something ancient.
Something familiar.
Something dangerous.
Meanwhile—
Park Gun hung against the tree for a brief second.
Then—
Cough.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
But instead of anger—
Instead of pain—
He smiled.
Wide.
Excited.
His body slid down from the broken trunk, landing on the ground.
And then—
He stood up.
Casually.
As if nothing had happened.
No strain.
No hesitation.
Only that same twisted excitement burning in his eyes.
On the other side—
Zoya stood frozen.
Her eyes locked onto Yang Kai.
H-he…
Her thoughts trembled.
He was hiding his strength… all this time.
Everything clicked.
The explosion.
The survival.
The abnormal presence.
And now—
This.
Beside her, Xia Niu observed quietly.
His gaze lingered on Yang Kai, thoughtful.
Tai Chi…
A faint smile returned to his lips.
And not just basic…
He's using it like someone who's practiced it for hundreds of years.
His grip on the spear tightened slightly.
That's genuinely impressive.
The atmosphere thickened again.
Park Gun straightened his posture fully.
Then—
A surge of spiritual energy began to rise from his body.
Dark.
Heavy.
Violent.
The ground beneath him cracked further as his aura expanded.
He was about to attack again.
This time—
Seriously.
But—
Before he could move—
Everything stopped.
Not slowed.
Not interrupted.
Stopped.
Every single Regular in the forest froze in place.
Mid-breath.
Mid-motion.
Mid-thought.
Even the air itself felt like it had been locked.
Above the sky—
The numbers halted.
002,000,000
Exactly.
No more.
No less.
And then—
A voice echoed.
Not through the air.
But directly inside their minds.
Cold.
Absolute.
"The First Test Has Been Completed."
"The Survivors Will Be Teleported To Their Rooms."
No one could react.
No one could resist.
A faint light began to envelop every remaining individual.
Zoya's grip loosened.
Xia Niu's smile faded into calm.
Park Gun's eyes flickered once more toward Yang Kai.
And Yang Kai—
Stood still.
Watching.
Thinking.
Then—
In an instant—
They all vanished.
The forest—
Silent once again.
---
A soft hum lingered in the air.
Then—
A flicker of blue light.
In an instant, Yang Kai's figure materialized inside a small, enclosed room.
Pure white.
Clean.
Silent.
It looked like a compact apartment—minimalistic to the extreme. A single bed rested against one wall, neatly arranged. There were no windows, no visible exits—only a single door leading to what appeared to be a combined bathroom.
And yet—
The room was illuminated.
No lamps.
No visible source.
Just a steady, ambient glow that filled every corner evenly.
Yang Kai stood still for a moment, scanning the space.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
It's the Regular's Chamber…
His gaze softened slightly.
Damn… I really put my heart into designing this place.
He walked a few steps forward, his hand brushing lightly against the smooth wall.
Memories surfaced.
Regular's Chamber… a personal sanctuary.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
No one can invade this place… unless they possess that specific item.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
Perfect isolation. Perfect safety.
Before he could think further—
A ripple of energy formed in front of him.
Condensed.
Compressed.
And then—
A small figure appeared.
Jin.
Not his real body.
A spiritual avatar.
Tiny in size compared to his real form, yet the aura it carried was undeniably powerful.
It hovered in the air, glowing faintly.
"As you know, I am Jin."
His voice echoed clearly within the room.
"And as you already know—your first test has been completed."
His tone remained calm. Formal.
"This will now be your personal room."
The words carried weight.
Not just here—
But everywhere.
At the same exact moment, identical avatars of Jin appeared in every Regular's chamber.
Zoya.
Liyo.
Rose.
Park Gun.
Xia Niu.
Every survivor.
All hearing the same message.
Back in Yang Kai's room—
Jin continued.
"Your second test will begin in three to four days."
A slight pause.
"Until then, you may access the shared space by saying 'Public Area'."
"And to return here, say 'Personal Chamber'."
The avatar hovered steadily as it explained further.
"You do not need to worry. Only Regulars within your age group can access the Public Area—just like in the Forest Test."
Yang Kai listened silently.
His expression unreadable.
But inside—
His mind moved quickly.
Public Area…
His eyes sharpened slightly.
They want us to gather.
Exchange information… form alliances… or kill each other again.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Interesting.
Jin's avatar began to fade.
Its form flickering lightly.
"My role here is complete."
And just like that—
It disappeared.
The room returned to silence.
Yang Kai stood there for a moment longer.
Then exhaled.
His gaze shifted.
Toward the bathroom door.
"…First things first."
Without hesitation, he walked toward it.
Click.
The door opened.
Inside—
A compact, modern setup.
A bathtub.
A shower.
A toilet.
Basic supplies neatly arranged.
Yang Kai stepped in, his eyes scanning everything.
Then—
They landed on the toilet.
He froze for a second.
Then scratched his head awkwardly.
"…What the fuck was I thinking back then?"
A dry laugh escaped him.
"Well… no one even gets hungry here… or needs to shit…"
He let out a low chuckle.
"…and I still added a toilet."
He shook his head.
Half amused.
Half embarrassed by his past self.
But then—
His expression shifted.
More serious.
He moved toward the mirror.
And stopped.
Slowly—
He raised his gaze.
Time to fix this mess.
His reflection stared back at him—
Messy hair.
Dull eyes.
A face that once carried pride…
Now reduced to something he barely recognized.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…Yeah."
His voice dropped.
Calm.
But firm.
"First… we fix this fucking face."
The bathroom door creaked open after a long silence, and a figure stepped out slowly.
Steam trailed behind him, curling faintly in the air before fading away. Water droplets slid down his skin, tracing sharp lines across a body that now looked entirely different from before.
Yang Kai stood there—completely naked—but what truly changed wasn't his state of dress.
It was him.
His once rough, neglected hair now flowed smoothly to his shoulders, dark and refined, tied loosely behind his head. His face… no, it had been reshaped. The dullness was gone. His features were sharp, defined—like they had been carved carefully, restoring a beauty that once made immortal fairies lose their composure.
His eyes, once lifeless and tired, now gleamed with a dangerous brilliance.
Cold.
Confident.
Terrifying.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
Then—
He laughed.
"Haha… Ahahaha… Ahahahahaha…"
The laughter echoed through the small chamber, low at first, then rising into something unrestrained—something that carried a devilish arrogance.
"Now that my charming face returned…" he muttered, his grin widening, "…she'll never dare to call me ugly again."
Zoya's cold words replayed in his mind.
Ugly.
The word that had shaken him more than any battle.
But now?
Gone.
Completely fucking gone.
He lowered his gaze, observing himself with satisfaction before exhaling lightly.
"Now it's time to wear clothes."
His expression shifted slightly as a thought crossed his mind.
Well… Jin didn't say it, but I already know.
A faint smile appeared.
I created this place.
Closing his eyes, Yang Kai focused.
He visualized the clothes clearly—every detail, every thread, every fold.
A robe he had worn countless times in his past life.
Something that matched his identity.
Something that matched him.
In the next moment, a soft white spiritual glow enveloped his body. It shimmered for a brief second—
And vanished.
When the light disappeared, Yang Kai stood fully dressed.
A flowing crimson-black robe wrapped around him, elegant yet domineering. The fabric carried an aura of authority, its colors blending like blood and darkness. His hair was tied neatly with a red ribbon, giving him a composed yet deadly appearance.
He looked… complete.
Satisfied, he walked toward the bed and sat down, his expression slowly turning serious.
His thoughts drifted.
"To those eyes…"
His gaze darkened.
"Those were definitely Devil Void Eyes."
He leaned back slightly, brows furrowing.
"They weren't pure like in the Immortal World… but even then, they were that powerful."
A pause.
Confusion flickered across his face.
"But why the fuck would something like that exist in a lowly world like Earth…"
Silence filled the room.
Then his gaze lifted toward the unseen ceiling.
What happened… after this tower disappeared?
How many years have passed…?
His jaw tightened slightly.
And what the hell has this place turned into…
Exhaling slowly, Yang Kai pushed those thoughts aside for now.
There was no point overthinking without information.
"Public Area."
The moment the words left his mouth—
His body vanished.
---
A vast, open space unfolded.
The Public Area.
Dozens… hundreds… thousands of Regulars stood scattered across the enormous field, their eyes filled with curiosity, tension, and lingering exhaustion from the previous test.
The atmosphere was heavy.
But what truly dominated the scene were the five colossal structures.
They towered over everything—each easily comparable to a hundred-floor modern skyscraper.
A massive Fire Dragon, its body coiled and flames carved into its scales.
An elegant Ice Phoenix, wings spread wide as if frozen mid-flight.
A ferocious Thunder Tiger, its form crackling with implied lightning.
A graceful Wind Crane, standing tall with its wings slightly lifted.
And a sturdy Earth Turtle, ancient and immovable, like a mountain itself.
The five beasts formed a perfect circle—each facing inward.
Toward the center.
Toward something important.
Regulars continued to appear near the base of these massive structures, each teleporting randomly to one of the five zones.
Confusion spread among them as they tried to understand this new environment.
But then—
A figure appeared.
Not near any of the structures.
Not at the edges.
But directly…
At the center of the circle.
Yang Kai.
His crimson-black robe fluttered lightly as he materialized, standing alone in the very heart of the formation.
Immediately—
Attention shifted.
Eyes turned.
People noticed.
Because while they were scattered like ants around giants…
He stood where no one else had appeared.
At the place that clearly meant something.
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
A faint smirk formed on his lips.
"Looks like…" he muttered under his breath, "…I am here."