Chapter 1073: Scorched World.

What did you just say? I immediately shot up from my seat upon hearing what the man behind me had spat out.

Kwadang-!

As I stood up with a loud noise from my seat, everyone around me turned to stare.

Ignoring their gazes, I approached the one who had just spoken.

“Huh?”

As I suddenly approached, the man showed signs of panic, but I immediately grabbed him by the collar.

“What did you just say?”

“Nnngh!? What are you doing?!”

“I asked you what you just said!?”

“W-wait. Let go of me for a second…!”

He struggled, but couldn’t break free from my arm.

Staring at the man with burning eyes, I asked again.

“I told you to spit out what you just said.”

“What words…?”

“What you just said.”

“The Azure Dragon Brigade…?”

“And then.”

“The Brigade Leader…?”

“Yes. That.”

“What do you mean, ‘So what if the Divine Dragon became the Brigade Leader’…!”

The man said it as if he were wronged. At his words, I contorted my face and asked again.

“The Azure Dragon Brigade’s leader. That the Divine Dragon is from the Shanxi District. Is that true?”

“Nnngh… Y-yes… It’s common knowledge…!”

“What the…”

There are things that should be common knowledge, and things that shouldn’t. At this absurd story, the strength in my hand naturally loosened.

“Gack!”

The man I was holding slumped down as if collapsing.

“Cough. Cough!”

“Jang Hyung…! Are you alright?”

His friends approached the man who had suffered the assault, expressing their concern.

“What is this sudden rudeness…!”

“Baek Au. Calm down… We are warriors, aren’t we…!”

“Tsk…”

Being able to lift a grown man without effort meant they were warriors. They seemed unable to utter a word even if wronged, gnashing their teeth.

Seeing that, I threw something.

Ting.

A coin rolled across the floor and landed near him.

“…Sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry.”

“Huh?”

The man’s expression instantly softened upon receiving the money.

“Oh, goodness, don’t mention it…”

He was grinning sheepishly.

“You know, things like that happen when you’re alive. Hahaha.”

“…”

His attitude was as if he’d forgotten what had just happened.

Although the money was created with the power of wind, it was perfect for resolving the situation.

“Ah, it seems Young Hero, you’ve also come to take the Alliance’s entrance exam.”

“…Exam?”

“Well, they say the exam is being held today, don’t they? And the Divine Dragon’s appearance seems to have caused a significant increase in applicants.”

“…”

I felt dizzy. Too many strange things were being said.

“… Hmph. Anyway, I apologize.”

Feeling it would be too much to stay here, I walked away.

Just then, I saw a waiter bringing my dumplings from up ahead.

“Huh? Customer?”

“The customer over there will pay the bill.”

I pointed towards the person I had just thrown money at.

I quickly left the shop. I needed to get away and think things through again. As I made that judgment and moved my body…

Wham-!

“Tsk!?”

I bumped into someone.

The person I collided with fell to the ground.

Damn.

‘I’m so out of it.’

Normally, I would have sensed their presence and reacted immediately. But I was so distracted, I even ran into someone.

“Damn it…! Who are you!”

The fallen person immediately got angry. Since it was my fault, I was about to apologize…

“Sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry… Huh?”

As I looked at the fallen person, I narrowed my eyes. What is it?

A handsome man with white hair and blue eyes. He had a rather arrogant look, reminding me of someone I’d met before.

“You Namgung bastard?”

“…What?”

That damn son of the Namgung family. He looked strikingly similar to Namgung Cheonjun. But it didn’t seem like Namgung Cheonjun.

Even knowing that, it was a familiar face. If not him, where else have I seen a face like this… Ah.

It came to me.

“Namgung Jin.”

“…Hmph.”

At my words, the handsome young man got up. Then, with a sneering smile, he said to me,

“You committed such rudeness even though you know who I am?”

“…”

It was Namgung Jin. Namgung Jin, the Sky-Piercing Sword King. The father of Namgung Bi-ah and Namgung Cheonjun.

Namgung Jin was the head of the Namgung family that I knew.

“Unless you’ve gone mad, you wouldn’t act like this?”

He was glaring at me with a face that looked significantly younger.

“You picked a fight like this, knowing full well I am Namgung Jin, the Sword Dragon?”

Not the Sword King, but the Sword Dragon.

Moreover, he looked much younger. At most, only a few years older than I am now.

As I looked at him, completely flustered…

“Calm down, Sword Dragon.”

Someone beside him tried to calm Namgung Jin. When I looked over, I had to suppress my astonishment again.

“Causing more trouble here won’t end well, will it?”

The person blocking Namgung Jin with a composed demeanor.

It was none other than.

“Moyong… Moyong Tae?”

“…”

At my words, the other young man also looked at me.

It was Moyong Tae, the father of Moyong Hi-ah.

“That’s right. I am Moyong Tae. It seems you know both of us. What might your name be, Young Master?”

“…”

At his words, I involuntarily took a step back.

‘Oh crap, this shouldn’t be happening?’

My thoughts tangled. My mind wasn’t working properly.

Grind.

Gritting my teeth, I quickly turned and leaped away.

“Hey!! Wait up!!”

Seeing me speed up, Namgung Jin tried to grab me urgently, but my body had already taken flight.

“Hah! That guy dares to run away!?”

Watching me disappear, Namgung Jin ground his teeth. Just as he was about to get furious…

“…But what is it?”

A sudden question made Namgung Jin tilt his head.

“What is it?”

Moyong Tae asked curiously, and Namgung Jin replied with a displeased expression.

“No, it’s just that he resembles someone.”

“Who?”

“…Someone.”

Namgung Jin evaded the question, clicking his tongue.

Those fierce eyes and that unique gaze.

His face is several times better looking than the guy I know, though.

Still, he resembles him.

Namgung Jin recalled the person he hated the most in his mind, annoyance rising.

---

I escaped the town and returned to the forest. I was completely overwhelmed. Feeling a sense of vertigo, I caught my breath.

“Hah… Hah…”

How did this happen? I gripped a tree and rolled my eyes.

Namgung Jin, Moyong Tae…

And what was this talk about the Shanxi District?

I couldn’t help but feel that something had gone terribly wrong.

‘…It’s not just a different timeline?’

It’s not simply a different world. This is…

‘…This isn’t good?’

No matter how many times I thought about it, the situation was far from ordinary.

I felt a sense of distance. Back then, it was my previous life’s world. If that’s the case, then this place…

‘…If my guess is right…’

This wasn’t a place I should have ended up.

‘What should I do?’

Why did I suddenly fall into a place like this?

Even if it were just the Central Plains, it would be a problem, but this isn’t the level of the ordinary Central Plains, is it?

“Hah.”

Arrangement. Recalling the ancestor’s words, I furrowed my brow.

“This is what you call an arrangement?”

How could this possibly be an arrangement?

What am I supposed to do here?

“Damn it all.”

I don’t even know what I should do, and now I’m even suffering through ridiculous crap like this.

Slaap-!

I slapped my own cheek. It hurt. I had hoped it was just a dream, but as expected, it wasn’t.

Meaning the pain was real too.

‘Damn it…’

Seriously, what should I do? If it’s not a dream, then what must I do?

Namgung Jin, Moyong Tae…

Why did I have to come here? Why at this specific time?

‘What does the arrangement want?’

What did Mother expect from me to just drop me in a place like this?

I couldn’t understand it no matter how many times I thought about it.

“…”

Given the situation, what should I do now?

It feels like there’s something expected of me, but I’m confused because I don’t know what it is.

“Damn it.”

I ran my hand over my face.

I don’t have time for this.

Arrangement or whatever, this wasn’t the time.

I repeatedly washed my face with dry hands, over and over.

‘I need to escape quickly.’

The conclusion was simple. Whatever it is, I need to escape this place first.

So, how should I do that?

Having already experienced a similar situation once, I know it’s futile if I don’t achieve the desired outcome.

So, in the end, I have to achieve the desired outcome.

‘How?’

I don’t even know what they want from me here. What should I do?

Shaking off my frustration, I forced my mind to work.

‘In this Shanxi District…’

‘It seems Young Hero has also come to take the Alliance’s entrance exam.’

‘The Divine Dragon…’

“…”

Not long after, I lowered my hands from my face and lifted my head.

“…Ah, screw it.”

No way, it can’t be.

I thought about it again and again, but…

“…”

No matter how I think about it, there seems to be only one answer. If this wasn’t it, there would be no reason to send me to a place like this.

“…”

Besides, now is not the time to argue whether it’s right or wrong. It’s time to try anything, and if an option arises, it’s not the time to hesitate.

‘Keep this in mind.’

The ancestor’s words come to mind.

‘Nothing changes.’

I wondered why they said that…

“Damn it.”

There seems to be only one answer. Trying to think of anything else is pointless.

Honestly, Namgung Jin or Moyong Tae. Even without them, I knew the moment I heard the man’s words.

Even if I don’t know what I need to do here.

I knew there was someone I had to meet.

Making a forced judgment, I turned my head.

The town I was just in, and beyond it, a huge, sprawling building. Looking towards where the main headquarters must be, I bit my lip.

It seems.

That’s where I need to head.

At the same time, I thought of someone. Probably someone I absolutely must meet in this world.

My father would be there.