Chapter 1275: Scorched World

I came out of the cave and put a little distance between us.

I wondered if I could just go out carelessly, but I had already captured one Apostle. Even if I went outside, there was no one to stop me.

Taehoan-nim also showed an understanding nod, so it was fine.

‘He’ll handle Namgung Jin’s situation himself.’

I didn’t know if he had memories or what his situation was, but it would take a while for that guy to wake up.

‘For starters, he wouldn’t wake up even with my aura.’

I even tried forcing my aura out to wake him, but that didn’t work either. It meant it wasn’t something that could be solved with aura.

‘Actually, that’s for the best.’

It seemed like I could use this gap to move around a bit.

This was the time for that.

“In that sense, I have a small request.”

“…….”

I said this while looking at Amwang, and he, disguised as another person, frowned.

“……What are you hoping for? Where do you intend to go?”

He looked uncomfortable, but fortunately, he didn’t refuse. He had also seen me turn Namgung Jin back into a human, so he must have realized better how extraordinary my power was.

So, he was probably trying to treat me reasonably well.

“Ah, I’m not trying to pinpoint a specific location. I’m thinking of going as far as possible.”

“……Far?”

“Yes. Far.”

“…….”

As far as Amwang knew.

When I asked for that, Amwang seemed to tilt his head for a moment.

Fwoooosh-!

Before long, black energy enveloped the two of us. When I opened my eyes, a vast, empty plain greeted me.

“……Where is this.”

“I came here for reconnaissance. I haven’t ventured further than this before.”

“Hmm.”

Was it just a simple plain? The sky looked the same, and the surrounding terrain was similar. I wondered how far it was in terms of distance, but this was the extent of it.

‘I’ve got a general grasp of the location for now.’

I immediately unleashed my sensory perception.

Fwoooooosh—!

I boldly unleashed it, even using up some of my energy. It only took an instant for that energy to cover the surroundings.

Right after covering the space. I tried to ascertain what was inside.

‘I don’t feel any monsters.’

There was no sign of the monsters that should have been there. Having assessed that much, I immediately retracted my sensory perception.

“That’s done.”

“……?”

Since I resolved it so quickly, Amwang looked at me strangely. It was the look of someone asking if I came all this way just for this.

Yes, this is what I came for.

‘I’ll have a use for this later.’

While recording the information obtained through my senses, I asked Amwang for something else.

“This place is fine, so… let’s go somewhere else now.”

“Where are you talking about now?”

“The hideout where the Heavenly Venerate used to be. You’ve been there before, haven’t you?”

“…….”

At my words, Amwang’s expression briefly lost its vitality. The place where the Heavenly Venerate was. Hearing that, Amwang nodded at me.

“Do you have a purpose there?”

“Yes. Haven’t you been there by any chance?”

“I have.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

It was a place I intended to visit anyway, so it was convenient that Amwang had been there.

“…….”

Amwang seemed about to say something in response to my reaction, but.

Swish.

He chose to act rather than continue speaking.

Fwoosh-!

Black energy covered my vision once again.

---

Swoooooosh-!

After the energy obscuring my vision disappeared, I looked ahead.

“…….”

And for a moment, I was speechless.

‘What is this.’

My eyes narrowed involuntarily. The scenery before me was strange.

‘……It’s a mess?’

The empty plain we were just in wasn’t strange, but this place… what happened here?

“Did a few meteorites fall or something?”

If not, it resembled the scene of a Rank 100 monster rampaging. Trees and rocks were blown away, and what looked like grass was already in ruins.

It was impossible to tell what it looked like originally.

‘……What happened here.’

Even though time must have passed, there was still residual energy lingering around. This is…

‘This was created by martial artists.’

Humans. A terrain destroyed by the hands of martial artists. What kind of fight would it take to make it look like this?

‘Wow.’

I haven’t even fought this fiercely myself. How long would one have to fight to cause this?

“……So this is where the hideout was.”

“Yes.”

“……Hmm.”

This was where the Heavenly Venerate fought Cheolhyeolbusun. It should have been a hideout originally, but it wasn’t anymore.

I expected it to be extraordinary, but I didn’t think it would be this much.

I couldn’t even imagine how they fought.

‘This is… I don’t think I can even find any traces.’

There needs to be something left to find it or not. It was meaningless like this.

“What a shame.”

I scooped up a handful of dry dirt. I felt the characteristic texture of the soil, and within the dry sensation, I felt a faint residual energy.

It was almost gone, but I could still feel it. Perhaps others wouldn’t be able to sense it, but.

‘……That’s right.’

I could feel it. This was the aftermath of the Tua Pa Cheon Gong.

It was also proof that the Heavenly Venerate had rampaged here.

“Is it true?”

The story that the Heavenly Venerate fought Cheolhyeolbusun, who had become an Apostle, and both went missing.

Does that mean it’s true?

“…….”

It was hard to deny it, given how devastated this place was.

It was such a mess that I wondered if there could be any survivors. I subtly unleashed my sensory perception to see if anyone was there, but.

‘Why bother.’

It was a ‘why bother’ situation. I didn’t have the capacity to identify anyone. Even if I did, I had no reason to take responsibility for them.

Especially in this world, there was no need to do so.

‘Well, I’ve seen what I needed to see, so should I head back?’

There was no information to gain here.

Thinking that, I was about to speak to Amwang again when.

Rumble.

“…….”

I stopped and looked back. I felt a vibration.

‘What is it?’

Something was there. Heat rose in my body, and energy erupted. All the emanating energy was converted into sensory perception.

Swoooosh—-!

I scanned the direction the vibration came from. I identified a fast, narrow range, not wide. Before long, I found the source of the vibration.

Thump.

I took a step forward. Among the sunken spaces, I headed towards the deepest one. As soon as I descended, I clenched my fist.

Kuaaaaaa-!

Air pressure burst forth, sending dust and dirt soaring. The hidden ground shattered and scattered in all directions. Then, something inside came into view.

“…….”

I picked up the revealed object.

What could this be?

‘Gauntlets?’

They were gauntlets. Black gauntlets. A strange vibration emanated from them. This…

‘Tua Pa Cheon Gong.’

I could feel the Heavenly Venerate’s residual energy. Something that shouldn’t be felt from these gauntlets was somehow present.

‘……These.’

They don’t seem like ordinary gauntlets? They definitely feel like mystical artifacts. It’s a sensation not found in normal gauntlets.

Only mystical artifacts.

And it was my dragon instinct that sensed it.

‘Did the Heavenly Venerate use mystical artifacts?’

I had no idea. Knowing him, I thought his pride wouldn’t allow him to rely on such things.

The energy felt here was undeniably the Heavenly Venerate’s.

‘Hmm.’

As I held the gauntlets, narrowing my eyes.

“What are you holding?”

Amwang asked me.

“Amwang. Do you know what this is?”

I showed him the gauntlets. Seeing them, Amwang’s eyes narrowed just like mine.

“Black Iron Armor Gauntlets.”

“……Black Iron Armor Gauntlets?”

“It’s a mystical artifact of the Bi family. There was much talk about it disappearing, but it seems Bijoo was holding onto it.”

A mystical artifact of the Seowan Bi family.

It was the first time I’d heard of it. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be strange for Bijoo to have it.

‘The Heavenly Venerate used a mystical artifact.’

It was also strange that the man who seemed like he would never accept help from mystical artifacts used this.

It was quite baffling that he carried it around secretly.

‘What is this?’

What on earth happened here? It’s a series of baffling events.

For now, I tucked the armor gauntlets into my chest.

“You intend to take it?”

“……We can’t just leave it here, can we?”

“Do as you please. It’s none of my business.”

Amwang nonchalantly began to emit his energy. Black energy immediately enveloped my body.

My vision slowly began to fade.

‘We’re back.’

When I opened my eyes, I was back in front of the cave where I started.

---

Thus, above the ruins where the original Gu Yangcheon and Amwang had disappeared.

An anomaly occurred over the completely destroyed terrain.

Kugugugugung-!

Space tore open, and a large arm emerged from it.

The appearing arm strained, tearing the surrounding space further. Then, the being inside fully revealed itself.

“Ugh.”

A giant with two large bull horns. Cheolhyeolbusun, whose eyes had turned gray, appeared and slowly descended to the ground.

Kwoooong-!

Despite the seemingly light landing, the ground shook violently. Feeling a considerable earthquake, Cheolhyeolbusun looked around.

“What is this?”

His voice was filled with bewilderment.

“……Where did they go?”

What should have been felt was not there. He had followed the energy, but there was nothing. Cheolhyeolbusun looked somewhere.

“The armor gauntlets containing that guy’s energy should be here.”

What he had stored there was no longer present.

This is problematic.

“……Damn it, I took the time to store it there specifically.”

It was something stored in the ground over several months, and it suddenly disappeared? No.

‘It didn’t disappear.’

Cheolhyeolbusun looked down at the ground. Its appearance had changed considerably from what he remembered.

It was the trace of someone intentionally digging up the ground.

“Hah.”

Who could have done this?

“Interesting.”

Interest flickered in Cheolhyeolbusun’s eyes. Although Geomhu had ordered me to do something, so what? Geomhu would understand this much.

“Playing tag is something this old man excels at.”

A new amusement has appeared.

And it seems like it might be quite enjoyable.