Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

The grand circular window, adorned with antiquated charm, gleamed a pristine white.

Transparent sunlight flowed gently through it, making the room's most vivid light shine as if it were a painting of someone's face. The owner of the room had chosen it to be so.

Within the room, the dense magical energy floated like mist.

Beside the bed, Baek Mi-ryeo sat cross-legged in meditation.

Her face, eyes closed as if lost in deep thought, was framed by her exceptionally dark hair, which cascaded down her back, brushing the floor, even as her blue warrior attire draped over her shoulders. On both knees, she had laid the long Ip-hwang sword. She was a swordswoman.

The golden rug, laid out under the bed, was untouched, with no signs of wear or indentations. It was in stark contrast to Baek Mi-ryeo's state of mind.

“……”

Her pale eyelids twitched, trembling slightly. This had become a recurrent occurrence.

—The new purple-clad master is dead.

A few days earlier, So Cheonmujuk had entered her room unexpectedly and bluntly stated this.

Moreover, using a strange technique that seemed as elusive as a mirage in the vast desert, So Cheonmujuk had even shown her the circumstances surrounding the event.

The river flowing arrogantly, a blind man walking across the surface, a giant iceberg, the Dark Heaven Emperor... and Jeong Yeon-shin. The marketplace, where his body had been dragged out in silence after being subdued by the Bloodflame Cult's leader, was marked with a large stake belonging to the cult.

There were even rumors that the Taemosan Fortress had secured the divine sword of the Lotus Blossom.

Afterward, she had been re-imprisoned.

She had found herself in the middle of the Mingma Duel Formation, which So Cheonmujuk had personally demonstrated. True to its name, the formation severed the space itself, making escape impossible from the blue cloaked Ip-hwang Fortress.

Suddenly, Baek Mi-ryeo's internal breathing faltered.

It was deep meditation.

“So, the successor has arrived,”

The polite voice of a middle-aged woman echoed from outside the door. The spiritual pressure radiating from her presence was overwhelmingly strong.

In Ip-hwang Fortress, even a person wearing the blue attire would still be a high-ranking figure. Her aura subtly carried a touch of dark magic as well.

The attendant, despite her lower rank, held great martial power, disguised beneath her true identity.

She had been assigned by the Bloodflame Cult's leader to oversee Baek Mi-ryeo as a successor to So Cheonmujuk. It was an unexpected respect, considering Baek Mi-ryeo’s family background and the fact she was from a branch family.

“……”

Yet, despite the attendant’s call, Baek Mi-ryeo did not open her eyes.

Her meditation was not rooted in martial practice. It was fueled by deep guilt and the sorrow of losing everything.

Just like Jeong Yeon-shin’s Ip-hwang sword and the Northern Sword, shattered during a mission.

The crime of driving the great lord to death.

The crime of not being able to commit suicide before his eyes.

The crime of robbing him of the short life he had left. The world, once wide before the young lord, was still open, though never seen by him.

‘…The crime of losing to the long-past past.’

Her meditation grew deeper.

Suddenly, the hinge ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) of the opposite door creaked—producing a sharp sound. The blackened leather shoes with golden dragon stitching stepped heavily into the room.