Chapter 447: Resonance.

‘That crazy bastard.’

As soon as I saw it, I spat out curses. It was because, despite the considerable distance, the heat felt even here was extraordinary. If the heat is this much at this distance, just how hot must the center of that flame be?

I looked at the flame. Its size was so enormous that just looking from afar, it displayed an overwhelming majesty.

‘Haa.’

How much energy would be needed to emit an amount of heat that size? What I can be sure of is that I, right now, cannot emit flames of that magnitude.

Feeling the heat, I increased my speed. I wasn’t the only one increasing speed; Mukwon and Magyeomhu, who were running at the front, had also increased theirs, so I increased mine while watching them.

Pajik.

From up ahead, I heard the sound of lightning energy crackling.

Deudeudeudeuk-!

Magyeomhu suddenly increased her speed and shot forward.

“Unit Leader-nim…!”

Seeing that, Mukwon urgently called out to Magyeomhu, but she had already gone far ahead. Confirming this, I wrapped my feet tightly in energy.

‘Tsk.’

The sensation I felt was really unsatisfactory. Since I can’t use Guyeomhwaryugong, I couldn’t use explosive power. Moreover, since my internal energy in the dantian hasn’t properly recovered yet, doing anything feels really uncomfortable.

‘What can I do? It’s all my karma.’

Since I was the one who caused the trouble, it was none other than me, so I couldn’t blame anyone. As much as I’d like to just follow along moderately.

‘Haa….’

Seeing that ridiculous flame, I just couldn’t do that.

Kung-!

Putting strength into it, I leaped. Since I used a lot of energy, the difference in speed was clearly felt.

The problem is.

‘I almost screwed up.’

Trying to unleash too much power, it felt like the flames would burst out uncontrollably. Since I was maintaining Demonification, if the flames burst out like this, it would all be for nothing.

“Paljeolyeop!”

Mukwon called out to me as I dashed out, but I ignored him just the same. In the meantime, his name bothers me. If he was going to use a name, he should have used a proper alias.

As I got closer to the destination, I felt suffocated. The black flame was still burning fiercely, maintaining its position. It was truly a terrible heat.

I scanned the air. Above the high-soaring flame, I could see someone floating in the air.

‘That damn bastard.’

Maje was floating in the air, clad in black flames. Even at that moment, immense energy must be being used, but for him, it’s probably trivial.

I looked around. The giant flame surrounded everything, but it wasn’t clinging to and burning the forest. This meant he was controlling it to some extent.

‘Rather than control….’

It looks ridiculous, but this kind of flame itself was close to being just for show. Its size was enough to make one tingle just by looking.

‘…It’s not something just anyone can do.’

Honestly speaking, I could dare say this is a method only I can use. If I had to pick someone else, maybe Cheonma could also do it.

‘In terms of intimidation, I’m better.’

The fiery waves, reminiscent of a tsunami, made it too easy to instill fear in onlookers. Because I know this aspect all too well, I used to employ this method before starting.

Behold.

‘…It’s already having an effect.’

As I reached the area of heat, I noticed the others gathered there. Wearing similar white clothes, they were looking despairingly at the tsunami spread before them. It was just as Mukwon said. Martial artists of considerable strength were gathered.

‘What is this?’

Moreover, looking at them, their martial prowess doesn’t seem ordinary. I could barely see any martial artists below the peak level. If measured by clans, I sense a large number of martial artists easily at the level of unit leaders in the Sword Brigade.

‘They gathered this much strength?’

And in such a short time? If I recall the past I knew, deploying such strength to Sichuan wouldn’t have taken a long time. They must have gathered them in a real hurry. Considering that, it was considerable strength.

As I slowed down watching them, the gazes of the martial artists turned towards me. They were unfriendly gazes. Some looked at me with contempt. Others looked at me with sad eyes.

‘Sadness…’

The reason they look at me like that is probably because my appearance is quite young. ‘Even a martial artist this young has become a demon.’ They must be looking at me with that thought in mind.

Feeling their gazes, I continued to move. Only after arriving at the destination could I stop my body. At the place I arrived, Magyeomhu was already there, looking at the air, her gaze directed towards Maje. I too followed her gaze and sent my gaze towards that guy. In the air high above, I could see a man clad in flames around his body. Maje was looking down at the assembled people with his characteristic gaze.

This place is precisely the border line. The dried-up forest was a sign of the Demon’s territory, and the green forest, reachable with just one step forward, was Cheonma’s mercy. The Alliance’s forces are staying behind the border line beyond Sichuan. Meaning they haven’t entered Sichuan yet.

Kwareureureuk-!

The flames begin to surge. Given their size, even the slightest movement caused a reaction. The waves that seemed like they would engulf people any moment roared violently and soared high into the sky.

Deudeudeudeudeuk-!

As the flames rose, pressure erupted. As a result of the shockwave, the dried and cracked ground began to crack here and there.

It was an indescribable sight.

‘To think I’d see this with my own eyes.’

I didn’t realize it when I was doing it myself, but seeing it from another’s perspective, it was truly overwhelming. For flames of that magnitude to soar into the sky all at once, how could it not be awe-inspiring to others? Moreover, if they imagined those flames being shot at them. Could they really maintain their sanity?

Kwaaaaaa-!!

The sound coming from the flames sounded like a monster’s roar. The flames that had all risen into the air soon converged, forming into a sphere (구). This is a different power from the secret technique, Yeomok (염옥).

‘Secret technique my ass… That’s just…’

It’s really just lifting and gathering an enormous flame. Considerable energy must have been poured into emitting the flames. And then again to float it in the air. Furthermore, maintaining it gathered at a single point like that would require immense power. Even though I, at this time, overflowed with energy, pouring energy so inefficiently like that…

‘I would have used at least half.’

My energy is abundant, not infinite. Even if I possessed an absurd amount of energy back then, having used this much, it’s safe to say I would have used up half my stored energy. Despite that, the reason I’m doing this so abruptly is.

‘Gaining the upper hand.’

To give the enemy forces a definite psychological advantage. And when showing a display like that, in my experience, it was certainly effective. Just look at the situation now.

“Wh-what is this…”

Seeing the expressions of the opposing forces, it seemed to have worked properly.

Despair.

Their faces were filled only with despair and fear. Maje slowly scanned them with his eyes. Those who met his gaze trembled uncontrollably or collapsed from sheer terror. It’s always like that. Whoever it may be, faced with something overwhelming, they tend to react like that. I, at this time, particularly exploited that well.

Amidst the chilling silence, only the breathing sound of the flames could be heard. Maje spoke first.

“Quite a crowd has gathered.”

His energy mixed with his resonant voice, causing the enemy forces to flinch.

“I heard bugs were hiding and doing something, so I came, and it seems to be true.”

The way he spoke with a slanted grin was damn infuriating. Same goes for his choice of words. Can’t he just speak normally… I desperately wished, but unlike my wish, his mouth wouldn’t stop.

“What were you doing hiding here?”

At Maje’s words, the guys hesitated and backed away. No one could answer his question. Seeing that, Maje’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I’ll count to three. If I don’t hear an answer by then, there will be no further conversation.”

It was a threat to start the war. Maje finished speaking and began folding his fingers down one by one. Each time a finger folded, the giant ball of fire forming behind Maje began to sizzle and boil. It was obvious that he’d blow it up if things went south.

Finally, two fingers were folded, and just before the last one. From among the Murim Alliance members, someone stepped forward. Judging by the robe worn over his martial arts uniform, he seemed to be a Brigade Leader level. He looked young for a Brigade Leader. The man, with a tense expression, approached and spoke to Maje.

“…The Brigade Leader of the Golden Dragon Brigade. My name is Biyeonsum.”

As expected, he was a Brigade Leader…

‘…Wait.’

Biyeonsum? I’d definitely heard that name somewhere.

‘Where did I hear it?’

Judging by this, it doesn’t seem like it was a particularly important name. Anyway, the man who introduced himself as the Golden Dragon Brigade Leader approached Maje from the side that didn’t cross the border line and started a conversation.

“…Representing the Murim Alliance, I request a dialogue with you.”

“Dialogue?”

At Biyeonsum’s words, Maje burst out laughing.

“In your eyes, does this look like someone here to have a dialogue?”

“…”

“You must think I’m an idiot.”

Bringing a large number of peak-level martial artists to the border line for a dialogue? It was nonsensical. Moreover.

“Just you, someone like me, coming out to talk… You must really think my sect is a joke.”

The problem was that it was just a Brigade Leader level requesting dialogue. With forces massed behind him, a Brigade Leader level appears to talk?

‘Are they really underestimating us?’

They’ve fought in wars multiple times, they shouldn’t see us like this. Even if this is part of a plan, it’s hard to understand. Even if the Murim Alliance is full of idiots, they wouldn’t be clueless about the situation. They are not in a position to request dialogue right now. Towards a starving beast that has tasted blood, the prey should be begging for its life. Why they would step forward like this, I still couldn’t understand. Or the reason why the situation changed like this.

The problem is.

Keureureureu….

Right now, I only have questions and doubts. But my past self knew it wouldn’t end there. The constructed black flame boiled even more fiercely. Its appearance was like the sun.

Seueueu….

The giant sphere slowly moved its bulk, changing its position. It created the illusion of obscuring the sun. Along with that, Maje slowly began descending from the air. His robe fluttering slowly. Seeing that, Magyeomhu took a few steps back, making space. Maje naturally landed in that spot. He approached Biyeonsum, who was tense.

In my past life, I wasn’t particularly tall for a martial artist. Compared to Magyeomhu, I was a bit taller. But compared to the martial artist named Biyeonsum, I would be much shorter. Despite that, the way I approached didn’t feel small at all.

As I took a step forward.

Kuuung-!

Pressure spread throughout the forest.

“Kkeueuk…!”

“Heueok…!”

Under the spreading pressure, the Murim Alliance martial artists trembled and collapsed. The border line drawn by Cheonma. Maje walked beyond it. It didn’t matter. This was merely the mercy Cheonma granted the Murim Alliance. Promising to spare their lives as long as they didn’t cross the line. That kind of mercy.

Maje, having crossed the line and gone outside Sichuan, approached Biyeonsum and gently reached towards his neck.

“You bastard.”

He didn’t grab him. He just slowly stroked his neck. Even with just that, the air grew heavy. His striking violet eyes met Biyeonsum’s dark eyes.

“Don’t try any pointless tricks on me. Unlike the Sect Leader-nim, I don’t have much patience.”

Kwaaaaaa-!

The fireball obscuring the sun in the sky gradually began to change its form. Every time the flames moved, the space distorted from the intense heat. The sound of something sizzling and burning reached my ears. Its form changed once more. Though distorted and hard to grasp properly, vaguely, it looked like.

“A wolf?”

It resembled a wolf with its mouth wide open. Its appearance seemed ready to devour everything at any moment.