Chapter 1262: Scorched World

What is that guy? the man wonders. His sudden appearance is strange enough as it is.

‘What’s with that expression.’

What kind of expression is that, approaching me?

For a human to wear that expression…

‘No… is he not human?’

The man frowned. He seemed strange for a human. He looked too frightening to be human?

Can that even be called human…?

Though puzzled, his actions preceded his thoughts. Anyway, a human had appeared. Regardless of the reason.

“To think prey would come here on its own.”

The man grinned, lifting the corners of his mouth, and advanced.

“You’ve lost all fear! Do you even know where this is?!”

“Who cares where it is?”

“What?”

Crunch.

The youth. Baek Yangcheon advanced, stomping the ground. The man faltered upon seeing that.

‘What is it?’

It was strange.

‘Why can’t I feel any energy?’

How is it that I sense absolutely nothing from this human? Just watching him, something felt off. Is it possible to be this devoid of presence?

‘…It is strange, though.’

Even so, nothing changes. The man immediately moved.

“Move. Prey has arrived.”

He commanded the monsters. Capture that guy quickly. Bring him to me. He gave the order, but…

Grrrrr-.

Grrr… rrrr…

“Hm?”

The monsters weren’t charging. What the heck? Why aren’t these guys listening to me?

“What are you doing? Move!”

He shouted again, but it was the same. The monsters didn’t obey the man’s command. As if…

‘…They seem terrified.’

They weren’t moving, as if terrified of something. This was impossible. Monsters live solely on simple instincts.

Appetite.

Or the urge to fight.

Creatures whose only remaining instincts are to kill and devour something… feel fear of something?

“Don’t make me laugh.”

What could they possibly feel fear towards? Could it be the human standing right there? His face is certainly frightening, but that’s a separate issue entirely.

“…Bullshit.”

He’s human.

Humans who become endlessly weak before Apostles. Feeling a sense of strangeness towards that? The man could not accept it.

‘Because I didn’t want to become like that.’

This path as an Apostle was chosen precisely because I didn’t want to become like that. Why would some punk like him inspire fear?

“If you lot won’t move, then I’ll have to move myself.”

Hunt that guy.

The man moved solely with that thought.

Crunch.

He tensed his muscles, powering up his lower body. He kicked off the ground and charged at the opponent.

Fingernails sprouted from his hands. They were like beast claws.

“Hooop!”

He would kill that thing in one go. He swung his hand with that thought. Normally, it should have flown off, torn off his neck, and had plenty left over.

Crack-!!

“What?”

The flying claw passed through empty air and embedded itself in the ground. The opponent had dodged it lightly.

“What the…!”

“What are you doing.”

Smack-!

“Ngh!?”

His jaw shot upward. Because, as his stance collapsed, the opponent kicked him square in the jaw as if waiting for the chance.

Pain shot through him. He grabbed his jaw and created distance. The man’s eyes widened.

“…It hurts?”

Why did it hurt? He shouldn’t have taken damage from a martial artist’s attack, yet it strangely hurt. How could this happen?

“You. What are you.”

“What do you mean, ‘what am I’? I’m just a guest.”

“…Are you trying to play word games?”

“Play games? Don’t be like that.”

Baek Yangcheon laughed at his words.

“I just came here to eat because I was hungry, you know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Um… just.”

Ending with those words.

“I mean it literally.”

WHAM-!!

Baek Yangcheon charged at the man. Seeing that, the man lowered his body. Slow. I still can’t feel any energy. It was definitely a slow, slow movement. So slow it could never possibly reach me, who had received divine power.

Grrr.

A beast’s roar spread as hair sprouted from the man’s body. The deer antlers growing on him became larger. His body grew stronger as muscles swelled.

“I’ll kill you.”

The man, having bulked up his body, swung his hand, and the swiftly flying attack struck Baek Yangcheon squarely.

Smack-!!

BOOM–!!

Hit by the impact, he was slammed into the wall. The sensation in his hand was clear. It felt like a direct hit.

“As expected.”

That must have been a fluke just now. He must have made a mistake out of panic seeing a human. Thinking so, he headed towards the wall where the guy was embedded, but…

Stagger.

“…!”

Suddenly, his body staggered. He tried to brace himself, barely managing to support himself with one foot, but…

Thump-!

His strength gave out completely, and his knees buckled.

“…What is this?”

Why was there no strength in his body? He was flustered. As the man struggled to comprehend the sudden situation…

Click-clack-clack.

An unknown sound came from the direction of the wall.

Click… Click-clack-clack…

It was the sound of something being readjusted and fitted back together.

Then, as the dust raised by the collapsing space cleared…

“Hooah.”

Baek Yangcheon slowly walked out from there. In a very bizarre form, no less.

His body, his arm twisted as if unusable, but…

Click-clack-clack.

Soon, you could see his joints readjusting themselves.

What? What is that?

“Ah… damn, that hurt like hell.”

“…What are you… what the hell are you…”

“Still, I ate pretty well. Not bad.”

“What?”

“Be careful. If you leave it like that, the fur will fall out?”

He said something while pointing with his hand. At his words, the man looked in the direction he was pointing. It was the arm he himself had attacked.

‘Huh?’

It was strange. Only that part was losing its fur bit by bit. Seeing that, he realized belatedly.

‘My energy-‘

A certain amount of his own energy was gone. How did this happen?

While he was wondering…

“I ate a bit too little, so it’s borderline, but… This much should be fine.”

The guy who uttered words he didn’t understand.

“Shall we continue?”

He said it in an instant and disappeared. Soon after, when his voice was heard again…

“What are you doing.”

“…!”

The guy was standing right in front of his nose. His body moved instinctively. He swung his hand again to strike the guy, but…

Wham-!

“Huh!?”

This time, the guy easily blocked his arm. Not only did he block it nonchalantly, but he then grabbed his arm. Then…

WHOOOSH–!!!!

“Nnngh!?”

His energy started draining from his body in an instant. It was an incredible speed. If this continued, it felt like all of it would be gone before a moment passed.

He forcibly pulled his hand away and retreated.

“Gasp… cough…”

More than half was gone. The man’s pupils trembled. The fur that had sprouted on his body was rapidly falling off.

“What… are you… what the hell are you…”

He was taking his energy. Feeling the energy being stolen and his power weakening, the man’s voice trembled.

“I told you so.”

Baek Yangcheon laughed, seemingly amused by the reaction.

“I told you I came to eat?”

“…”

“Continue.”

He took a step forward. Seeing that, the man involuntarily stepped back. Feeling that, he froze. No way. Was he scared right now too? He couldn’t believe it.

“Aren’t you going to do it?”

Was that reaction the problem? Suddenly, a languid expression crossed Baek Yangcheon’s face.

“Then I’ll make my move.”

There was no time to answer.

GRAB-!!

“Nnngh!!!”

Because Baek Yangcheon instantly lunged forward and grabbed the man by the neck.

“Gak!”

He had to escape. He tried with all his might to break free, but…

CRUNCH-!!

“…Nnngh!?”

Black energy suddenly erupted from the ground and bit down, swallowing the man’s legs. His center of gravity completely collapsed. The man fell to the ground,

BAM.

Pinned to the ground by his neck.

SSUUUUUUUU–!!!

His energy kept getting sucked out.

“Gasp… Gak! Let… Let go…!”

He had to escape. If this continued, he would die. He had become an Apostle to survive, but this couldn’t be happening. He wanted to force his escape with his remaining strength, but the more his energy was drained, the weaker he became.

“…N-no… This can’t… Please…”

Save me.

Just as he was about to say that…

“Shut up.”

Looking into Baek Yangcheon’s eyes, the man shut his mouth. What was reflected in those blue eyes was a chilling contempt.

“Asking for mercy here is way too shameless.”

GRAB.

“Shouldn’t you have said that after clearing away those bones shoved in that corner?”

At those words, the man rolled his eyes towards the corner of the wall. Human bones were piled up there.

“I can overlook falling into depravity and becoming disgusting because I’ve experienced it…”

WHOOOSH-!!

The energy stored in his dantian was almost completely depleted.

“Nnngh… ahhh…”

“You shouldn’t have enjoyed this, you idiot.”

“Gasp…”

Finally, all the energy was absorbed. The man began to wither away instantly. The fur that had sprouted on his body all fell off, and his previously enlarged body rapidly shrank.

“Gasp… pant… Gasp…”

Even his labored breaths gradually lessened.

Thud.

His arm fell limply to the ground, and his body crumbled away.

“…”.

The Apostle who met his death just like that. Watching that, Baek Yangcheon got up.

Grrr… Grrr…

Then, at the moment the monsters trembled as if terrified…

WHOOSH–!!!!

Flames erupted from Baek Yangcheon’s body and engulfed the monsters.

KYAARRRGH–!!

Caught in the inferno, the monsters burned away, and the human bones piled in the corner burned away with them.

“Hoo.”

Baek Yangcheon took a deep breath and said, “Not bad for my first meal.”

The expression with which he said it was considerably irritated. Strangely so.