Chapter 1286: Scorched World

Chi-i-i-ik.

My palm, imbued with the Gu family’s secret technique and divine power. I pressed it against the tree and spoke to Father.

“If you try anything else. I’ll burn this tree down. And the person inside goes with it. You know that, right?”

As I said it, pressing my palm close to the tree as if ready to burn it, Father flinched.

“……What are you doing right now?”

His voice was flustered. The moment I heard it, I smirked.

“What do you think? Can’t you tell? I’m blackmailing you.”

Seuk.

Father tried to move. The instant I saw that, I pressed my hand even closer to the tree.

“Don’t move, Father.”

Flinch. Seeing that, Father stopped. It worked.

“If you move even one step further, I’ll burn you right up?”

“……”

Of course, I had no intention of actually burning it. No matter what, I wouldn’t burn Mother, but I figured showing some genuine resolve might actually work.

“Don’t you believe me? Should I burn it?”

“……Wait.”

Father spoke. His voice held a subtle urgency.

“Wait.”

“I’m already waiting quite a lot.”

I had no intention of letting up on that urgency.

Chi-i-i-ik.

I increased the heat in my palm. Pouring more of my inner energy into it to fuel the flames. It was a heat so intense it felt like it could burn anything just by touching it.

Feeling that, Father scrunched his brow tightly.

Hwaaaaaaah-!!!

He extinguished all the flames surrounding his body. His Awakened state dissolved, returning him to his original form.

“……Stop it.”

He meant that since he’d stopped, I should too. Seeing that, I slightly pulled my hand away.

“Who knows if you’ll pounce the moment I pull away? Increase the distance.”

At my words, Father retreated a fair distance. Only then, seeing his posture, did I release the power in my palm.

Though he could still attack anytime, at that distance, it was enough to threaten him again.

Father, knowing that, merely scowled and didn’t attack.

“Good. Stay right there.”

“……What do you want?”

“What do I want? What are you talking about?”

Seriously?

“Weren’t you the one who wouldn’t listen and was about to charge right at me, Commander?”

“……”

“Ever since becoming an Apostle, your temper’s become fiery, hasn’t it?”

I said, smirking. Even then, Father’s gaze was fixed solely on that tree.

Seeing that, I asked on a hunch.

“Do you remember your time as a human?”

I asked because I wondered if, like Namgung Jin, becoming an Apostle might have caused memory problems.

“……”

Father didn’t answer. From beginning to end, he just kept staring at the tree Mother was bound to.

I could tell he wasn’t in a normal state.

Does that mean he’s not even in a state where I can ask if he remembers anything?

“What do you want?”

Father asked the same thing as before. Repeating the question of what I wanted.

What do I want?

“……Hmm.”

What could that question mean? I pondered for a moment.

“I don’t really want anything. I just came to check things out… and it doesn’t feel like the right time to fight you.”

The situation isn’t exactly great. Not to mention I’m low on energy.

‘The fact that Father can use his Awakened state is also a problem.’

Mi Hyoran’s question about whether I could turn Father back into a human. To do that…

‘I need to subdue him somehow.’

I’m in a state where I need to subdue Father first before I can check things, but the current problem is that I can’t.

If it comes to this.

‘I’ll retreat for now.’

I had to retreat from here. The problem was I hadn’t even considered the possibility of running into Father here.

“May I leave?”

“……”

There was no answer. But I could understand the meaning from the way Father looked at me.

“I’m leaving.”

As long as I held this tree hostage, I knew Father couldn’t disobey me.

‘……Mother is the weakness, isn’t she.’

I carefully stepped back. Watching Father’s reaction, I made a small leap.

Hoo-ook.

The distance grew, but Father didn’t chase me. Seeing that, I moved quickly.

Until I could no longer feel Father’s flames.

---

“……”

Shortly after the figure disappeared into the distance. Gu Cheol-un only moved his feet once he could no longer sense Gu Yangcheon’s presence.

Carefully. And quickly, he approached the tree.

“……”

He took a breath and examined the tree. Fortunately, no issues were found. Even the woman inside was unharmed.

Seeing this, he felt relieved.

“……”

A low breath escaped him. Mixed with relief, Gu Cheol-un briefly closed and opened his eyes.

Next, he looked in the direction Baek Yangcheon had disappeared.

‘How.’

How did he find this place? It was baffling that he even broke through. Sword Empress had clearly stated that no one could breach this barrier.

And yet.

‘How did you…’

How did Baek Yangcheon manage to breach this barrier? Moreover.

“The tree reacted.”

The tree binding the woman. Gu Cheol-un could feel it reacting. What in the world was going on? Wasn’t this contrary to Sword Empress’s words?

What was even more surprising was.

“……Those flames.”

The blue flames Baek Yangcheon used. They were just a different color, but anyone could see they held the aura of the Sanseo Gu family’s martial art, the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.

I could tell just from the resonance between the flames within my own body and Baek Yangcheon’s flames.

“……”

What exactly was this Baek Yangcheon who appeared so suddenly?

Furthermore.

‘Why did I let him go?’

Why did I just let Baek Yangcheon go like that? Even though he held the tree and the woman hostage.

‘I could have captured him.’

If I had utilized the situation properly, I wouldn’t have let Baek Yangcheon escape. Even if I had just calculated the distance he was fleeing at, capturing him wouldn’t have been that difficult.

Gu Cheol-un simply let Baek Yangcheon go.

Yes, ‘let him go’ would be the correct way to put it. Because I reached the judgment that there was no need to capture him.

‘Why.’

Baek Yangcheon was someone capable of taking the tree hostage.

Why had I let Baek Yangcheon go like that? I couldn’t understand it.

If there was one thing I could understand, perhaps.

‘Back then.’

That moment he threatened me, using the tree as a hostage.

‘He trembled.’

Gu Cheol-un saw it. Baek Yangcheon’s hand was trembling. The atmosphere suggested he couldn’t bring himself to burn the tree. And the look in his eyes too.

From that contorted expression, as if forced to do something he didn’t want to, Gu Cheol-un felt a strange sensation.

“Just what…”

What is that guy?

What is his true nature that keeps snagging my thoughts like this?

Gu Cheol-un couldn’t know.

“……”

Seuk.

He merely brushed the tree, trying to erase the thoughts.

No matter what happened.

‘Right now.’

This was more important than that.

Touching the tree, Gu Cheol-un maintained a blank expression.

Save the woman.

That was the only thing left in Gu Cheol-un’s mind.

---

Hoo-ook-!!

I landed on the ground, trailing flames.

“Oof.”

As soon as I arrived, I let out a sigh.

“Thought I was screwed.”

I barely escaped. I was worried he might follow, but thankfully, Father didn’t chase me.

I looked back. I’d flown quite a distance. I still had some energy left, though.

“……Tsk.”

Father appearing out of nowhere, and Mother, inexplicably tied to a tree.

Also, I’m annoyed that my conversation with Mu-ah was so unproductive. Still, it wasn’t entirely without results.

‘Even though I can’t sense his presence anymore.’

Mu-ah drifted away, making it impossible to know where he was again, but…

‘The mark is still there.’

Mu-ah’s Apostle mark, etched onto my soul. That seal still remained within me.

Using it, finding Mu-ah again shouldn’t be difficult.

“However… I don’t know if finding him will actually lead anywhere.”

Mu-ah had spoken as if he lacked strength.

His diminished size and his inability to properly convey his message seemed to stem from that reason.

‘How did Mother end up bound to that tree?’

If Mother was the cause, it was even stranger.

‘And what about Father?’

It was strange that Father, now an Apostle, would want to protect Mother. The whole situation was just bizarre.

“Where did things get so tangled up?”

It’s frustrating. Honestly, nothing ever goes smoothly.

“……Should I have tried asking Father more?”

I don’t know if that would have been better, but if a fight had broken out right then, I probably would have lost more.

“Tam doesn’t work.”

Tam can’t be absorbed by Father’s flames. That was the biggest problem right now.

“An Apostle whose flames Tam can’t absorb…”

It’s different from Cheolhyeol Busan. With him, it felt like he blocked with wind. But Father…

‘Tam is simply rejected.’

It was closer to Tam being unable to consume the flames.

‘If this is the case.’

Maybe I won’t be able to turn Father back into a human.

I frowned.

“This isn’t good.”

The situation was bad. Though, when was it ever good?

“……Hmm.”

I ran a hand through my hair. And thought. The conclusion was the same anyway. Mu-ah had told me as much.

‘……For now.’

The origin point of all this, the being who possesses the power of the myriad realms.

“I need to meet Sword Empress.”

Eul-yeong Sword Empress.

I felt I needed to meet her, the one called the source of Apostles. And if possible.

“Can I kill her?”

It would be even better if I could kill Sword Empress. With chilling eyes, I stood up.

So, what would be the way to meet her? That wasn’t particularly difficult.

After all.

‘If I cause enough trouble, she’ll come find me on her own.’

Rather than going to see Sword Empress right away.

It was more important to make Sword Empress come find me. I intended to act towards that goal.

So.

“……I’m starving, so I should eat first.”

I’ll fill my very empty stomach first.

Keureureung.

Tam quietly let out a hungry sound.