Chapter 1238: Scorched World

The words that he would be pushed forward as his successor.

Everyone around reacted faster to those words.

“Successor……? The word ‘successor’…”

“……Does that mean he’ll be pushed as the Dragon Lord of the Divine Dragon Unit?”

“Hah! Such a thing!”

It was ridiculous. Such reactions filled the air.

“How can you give that much to that brat?”

“To someone who hasn’t even been here a year…”

“Even if he’s the disciple of the Sword Saint…!”

“Quiet.”

Everyone shut up at Taehoan’s words. He must have exuded his aura.

“Being the Sword Saint’s disciple means nothing. It’s too trivial to value someone based on just that nickname.”

“……Then…”

“But setting that aside, from what I see, that fellow Baek Yangcheon seems more than capable of rising to this position.”

“……”

It was truly a grateful assessment.

“If he was going to come here eventually anyway, wouldn’t it look better to call him in advance? What do you think?”

“That’s a very generous assessment.”

“For someone who received such praise, your expression is quite calm? As if you expected it.”

My expression was like this because I wasn’t particularly surprised or anything.

‘I don’t really have strong feelings about the Divine Dragon Unit anyway.’

It might be a great sword unit now, but I’m not from this world, and even in the future, there was nothing that would make me desperately cling to the Divine Dragon Unit.

“Pushing someone for Unit Leader… Then, does that mean the current Unit Leader can become the Grand Leader?”

“He is aiming for that. However, even if not, he has to step down from the Unit Leader position. It’ll be three years soon.”

“……Hmm.”

So the Unit Leader position only lasts for three years?

“Then, does that mean I get to take that Unit Leader position?”

“That’s right. If you want it.”

“What about the backlash from the other unit members?”

The Divine Dragon Unit isn’t just one person, so backlash will definitely exist. Look at them now.

“Those people back there seem displeased.”

The expressions of the same Divine Dragon Unit members were already sour at Taehoan’s words. They were full of discontent, their faces looking like grumpy old women.

“Ah. Those guys?”

He grinned.

“Don’t worry about them. You’re not the type to worry about that, are you?”

“Wow. You’re quite the free spirit, aren’t you?”

“Of course. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, after all.”

“……Follow the words of the strong?”

“If you have a complaint, you step up. If you can’t accept it, you have to overcome it yourself.”

“Hmm.”

Those are cool words. But in the end…

‘It means if you don’t like it, fight to prove it.’

If you don’t like it, challenge them and win. What convenient words.

What those words implied was…

‘There’s a high chance I’ll have to fight there too.’

I held back a sigh.

I should definitely refuse. The moment I thought that.

“Unit Leader-nim.”

I called out to my father. My father, still radiating heat, looked at me.

“Why did you refuse, Unit Leader-nim?”

“What?”

“I heard you were told to join the Divine Dragon Unit. I was wondering why you refused, Unit Leader-nim.”

“……”

The reason I specifically chose to join the Azure Dragon Unit. I was curious about that. My father paused when I asked him that.

Then, opening his mouth again.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“I thought it might help with my choice.”

“That’s pointless.”

“Hey. It could be useful to me.”

“……”

Father narrowed his eyes. I flinched slightly at his suddenly cold gaze.

“Are you entrusting your choice to me?”

“……Hmm.”

Honestly. He’s always good at saying things that hit where it hurts.

Tsk. I clicked my tongue and turned my head.

I immediately spoke to Taehoan.

“I don’t think I can go.”

“Why not?”

“Well… I just feel like it.”

“Won’t you regret it?”

“Regret… Regret? The Divine Dragon Unit isn’t worth that much to me.”

“Hah.”

Hearing my words, Taehoan shrugged his shoulders. At that moment, hostility flowed from him.

“…I don’t know if it’s a characteristic of the Azure Dragon Unit members, but you certainly are arrogant?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Alright, if that’s how you feel, I can’t demand any further.”

He quickly dispelled the hostility that had been flowing for a moment and turned his back. I looked at the fluttering golden patterns. Perhaps deciding not to ask again, Taehoan walked away without hesitation. Only then did the gazes of those who had been peeking at us disappear.

“…You’re refusing this?”

“Seriously-“

While the attention was focused on my refusal. That was all there was to it. As I watched Taehoan walk away.

“Why did you refuse?”

“Huh?”

Father asked me.

“Why? I just told you.”

“It could have been a good opportunity.”

“What? Weren’t you trying to stop me from going?”

“That’s incorrect.”

“Then?”

“I was trying to mediate because Taehoan crossed the line, not because I intended to stop your choice.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

I thought he was trying to stop me from going. Was it just because he didn’t like Taehoan that he intervened?

I wasn’t particularly disappointed.

“I didn’t really plan on going anyway. There was nothing for me to gain there. I was just curious.”

“About what?”

“About why you… Father… no, Unit Leader-nim, specifically stayed in the Azure Dragon Unit. You didn’t stay just because they offered you the Unit Leader position, did you?”

“……”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me. My choice wouldn’t change even if I heard it.”

It was okay if he didn’t tell me. I never had any interest in the Divine Dragon Unit in the first place. As I turned my head.

“Just a moment.”

Seeing something, I got up.

“I’ll be right back. It won’t take long.”

A gaze peeking out from afar. Seeing that, I took a step forward.

---

A place between the spectator stands and the martial arts stage. It was somewhat deserted. People’s gazes didn’t really wander there. Someone was standing there. Rather than standing, they were peeking out from behind a wall… Could that possibly be hiding? Thinking it couldn’t be, I approached.

“Excuse me.”

“Ack!”

Startled by my call, they flinched. What the…?

“H-How did you know?”

“……”

Seeing their reaction, I rubbed my forehead. Were they really hiding? It made my head spin. The reaction reminded me of someone.

“…What are you doing here?”

It was Mother, hiding. Seeing her glancing at me, I approached. I had something I needed to ask, after all.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes. It seems that way from here… No, never mind that.”

Never mind. Hiding or whatever wasn’t the important thing.

“That thing earlier. Was that you?”

“Hm? What?”

Mother reacted with wide eyes, as if asking what I meant. Her large eyes looked like they held jewels.

“I’m talking about my energy returning earlier.”

“Ah-. Hearing my words, Mother reacted brightly, as if she just realized what I meant.

“It didn’t return.”

“…It didn’t return?”

“Nope!”

“Then why…?”

“You looked like you needed it, so I lent it to you.”

“…Lent it?”

I narrowed my eyes. Lent it? So, was that Mother’s energy? But how could it be so similar to my own energy? I scrunched up my face.

“How did you lend it…?”

“I just lent it. Didn’t you need it?”

“No, I did need it. I did need it, but…”

I was just puzzled whether it could be given and received like that.

‘How.’

How was that even possible? I pondered deeply.

‘…Come to think of it.’

As I thought about it, a few possibilities came to mind. It was about where my existence as a master originated.

‘I absorbed a lot of the Sacred Tree’s energy. And all those Sacred Trees were arrangements left by Mother.’

That state called ‘Masterification’ was also something Mother had prepared. Since my body came from Mother and my power was derived from Mother’s energy…

‘Perhaps.’

Could it be that Mother can give me energy now if she wants to? Thinking that far, I asked.

“Energy… Can you give it?”

“Do you need it?”

“A little.”

The moment I said it.

Whoooooosh—!!!

“…!”

My insides grew hot, and my energy swelled. Something warm enveloped the empty space within me.

“Huh.”

It was energy. The energy that had disappeared filled me up. Moreover, it was too similar to my own energy to be considered something I received.

“How…”

Can it be this similar? As I wondered.

“Is this much enough?”

Mother asked, looking at me.

“…Can you give more?”

“I’ll give it if you need it!”

“Then more-“

Just as I was about to ask for more energy.

Flick-!

“Whoa.”

The energy in my body disappeared. As the swollen energy vanished, my insides instantly felt empty. I wondered why she took it back.

“It doesn’t last long! You have to use it quickly.”

“…Ah.”

It wasn’t sustained. That was a bit disappointing. If that’s the case…

“Can I sustain the energy…?”

“If I keep giving it?”

So I could only maintain it if we kept exchanging energy. Wow.

‘What should I do.’

I thought I had found a way to gain energy. But if it only lasts briefly, that changes things.

“……”

I ran my hand through my hair. I asked Mother directly. It was the same question I asked last time.

“…Is there really no way to get my energy back?”

Besides receiving it from Mother, was there nothing else? If things continued like this, nothing would work out. I asked out of frustration.

“Hmm…”

Mother pondered for a moment.

“Ah.”

She reacted as if she’d just remembered something.

“There is.”

“Hm? Yes?”

There is? The moment I widened my eyes and asked.

“Eat a snake!”

“……What?”

She uttered a bizarre statement.

……What did she tell me to eat?