Chapter 385: Catgirl and the Red Mist Boss

This was also why the system's description of Byeol had included the phrase "a fight to the death." Originally, only one of them could survive. The one who emerged victorious would then receive the blessing of the Fate and become even stronger.

Astral Diviner were very possessive beings. Anyone who shared their Fate Star would be a competitor. Either the other person would switch to a different Transcendent path, or they would die. Otherwise, sooner or later, the two would inevitably fight.

Byeol was the only exception.

The unique connection between Astral Diviner was originally meant to allow those who had embarked on this path first to eliminate any existence that might threaten them.

Fate was unpredictable, yet it also followed a certain order of precedence. Or rather, in the realm of Fate, the one who managed to embark on this path first had already been chosen by Fate itself.

However, this unique ability that allowed those who possessed a special Fate to essentially cheat the rules of the world had taken on a different purpose in Joo Joowon's hands.

This state of being unobservable and imperceptible, of both existing and not existing, was almost like briefly becoming a four-dimensional being.

Strictly speaking, though, it could not really be called a "being," because he had currently become an incarnation of his Fate.

After reaching his destination, a magnificent yet bizarre scene appeared before his eyes.

Byeol was glowing.

More precisely, it was his own Fate manifesting as light.

The two baleful forces, Calamity and Solitude, formed an embracing circle around a vast expanse of "red mist," enclosing it within their grasp.

The sight resembled a gigantic valley surrounding a "lake" at its center. Setting aside the colors, it could even be described as a beautiful and pleasant landscape.

However, upon looking more closely, one would discover a hideous monster beneath the red mist.

Chains shrouded in black energy bound it tightly beneath the red lake. Whenever the chains swayed, enormous roars could be heard from below. When the movements became too violent, even the surrounding "valley" would twist and distort in response.

Yet no matter how desperately the monster struggled, the surface of the lake remained as smooth as a mirror, as though covered by a thick layer of ice.

However, as the monster beneath the lake continued to struggle, ripples occasionally began to appear on the surface, as if the entire lake were about to shatter under its impact.

It seemed the "valley" had not expected the monster to struggle so fiercely. In an instant, it dispersed into wisps of cloud and smoke before slowly gathering together again.

The starlight drifted away with the clouds and smoke. When it landed, it took the form of... a catgirl?

Joo Joowon genuinely did not know how else to describe it. The figure was definitely humanoid.

She was a tall catgirl, perhaps even an elegant, mature woman. Her skin was so black that it seemed to absorb almost all light. She wore a tight-fitting outfit that appeared to be woven from starlight, its patterns and colors continuously flowing and changing.

Her face had almost no discernible features. The only visible details were her eyes, one orange-yellow and the other azure blue.

She had short, snow-white hair, a pair of cat ears on her head, and a fluffy tail resembling that of a squirrel behind her.

Yet Joo Joowon felt a faint sense of familiarity with her.

The most important thing was that the other party seemed to have seen him.

However, according to all logic, his current form should have been impossible to observe.

Yet the other party paid him no attention.

"She" pressed down with her foot, and the entire starry universe seemed to tremble for a moment.

Joo Joowon felt himself dispersing. Although "dispersing" did not seem to be the most accurate description, it was more like he was expanding outward.

The catgirl before him was expanding along with him.

The radiance of the stars grew even brighter. The surroundings were pitch-black, with only scattered points of starlight twinkling between her white strands of hair. However, Joo Joowon's vision suddenly seemed to be covered by a layer of dark haze. Under its influence, when he looked at the lake again, he saw an entirely different scene.

The red lake appeared even darker, while the tiny points of starlight on the chains shone more brilliantly.

Gradually, the chains began to move. Like tiny droplets of water merging into a river, they flowed into the red lake.

The monster seemed to believe that it had finally broken free of its restraints. Without a moment's hesitation, it shot upward, attempting to escape from the lake.

Little did it know that the lake was actually its protective barrier.

The moment its head emerged above the surface, the "sky" suddenly brightened. Countless stars descended from above, shining with dazzling radiance. They formed a net that continuously tightened around the monster, trapping it so completely that it could barely move.

When the monster finally realized what was happening and tried to return to the lake, it discovered that the surface had seemingly frozen over. No matter how hard it struggled, the surface remained completely motionless.

The lake appeared soft and gentle, yet its surface clearly reflected the starry sky. The stars and galaxies revolved endlessly, resembling the eternal Milky Way of the universe, something no one could ever hope to shake.

The monster grew as frantic as an ant on a hot pan, scurrying back and forth across the lake's surface. After a while, it seemed to realize something. Its gaze shifted toward the catgirl, who had become nothing more than a flickering, indistinct phantom.

The monster lunged toward her.

"She" crouched on the ground in a manner no ordinary human would ever adopt. Her tail curled around the backs of her feet, while both arms rested on the ground, her knuckles slightly bent. Even her ears did not twitch in the slightest as she calmly watched the approaching monster.