Chapter 1089: Scorched World.

A day had passed.

Another day passed, and it was time to head out to the Cheongryongdae again. This time, I was scheduled to receive lodging, so I had to leave the place I was staying at from the morning.

It had only been three days, at most. I was leaving the lodging I’d stayed in with money earned from exterminating monsters. There wasn’t really any particular feeling about it. It was just a place I’d obtained solely for sleeping.

I could just leave, but I figured I should eat breakfast, so I ordered some somyeon (thin wheat noodles) at least. So, as I was lightly preparing to eat,

Hmph.

I sensed someone’s presence from somewhere. Curious, I looked over, and a familiar figure was nearby, watching me with wide eyes.

Upon confirming, it was someone I’d seen before.

‘Was her name Tang Seon.’

A blood relative of the Tang family. She was the woman called the Poisonous Crane of this era. She was the one who had sought me out last time, claiming to be interested in me.

Tang Seon, whose impression bore a strong resemblance to Tang Soyeol, stiffened as she looked at me.

I stared intently at her, then reacted first.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes!? Ah, yes…… W-well, of course.”

“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate.”

I nodded appropriately. I wasn’t looking to continue the conversation. Tang Seon, seemingly no different, watched me silently before giving a slight bow.

I returned the bow and examined her clothes.

‘She doesn’t seem to belong anywhere.’

She was wearing the martial attire of the Tang family. This meant she wasn’t affiliated with the Alliance’s Sword Unit. In the first place, the fact that she was staying at this lodging probably meant she had no affiliation.

“Well then…… excuse…… me.”

“Yes.”

As I lost interest, I had that thought.

She wasn’t someone I’d likely cross paths with again anyway. Just as I thought that and was about to let Tang Seon go,

“No-nim (older sister)……”

Someone approached Tang Seon. It was a familiar young man this time too. Of course.

‘Poison King… no, Poison Dragon’

Poison Dragon Tang Cheon-gi.

He was the one who would become the future head of the Tang family and inherit the title of Poison King.

He appeared, clad in familiar martial attire, and approached Tang Seon.

‘Right, Tang Seon did mention she was Poison Dragon’s no-nim.’

I’d never heard of the Poison King having a sister. Then again, it was strange that I knew such information anyway.

‘Besides, she’s someone I don’t know.’

The Poisonous Crane of this era was someone I wouldn’t know in the future.

The name Tang Seon was like that too. If she were a famous person, I should have remembered or known her. Seeing as that wasn’t the case,

‘She must have died.’

It meant she either died from some incident or was someone who wouldn’t be known even if she were alive.

‘Speaking of which.’

The more I looked, the more they resembled each other.

The woman named Tang Seon truly had a face that brought Tang Soyeol to mind.

‘……Hmm.’

The difference was that her chest was a bit different, but that wasn’t particularly important.

So, as I watched her with a faint sense of longing and indifference,

“What are you looking at?”

The Poison Dragon beside me frowned and spoke to me.

“Yes?”

“Do you have business with us, or rather, my no-nim?”

“……Cheon-gi? It’s not like that……”

“And you, no-nim. I definitely secured lodging for you. Why are you staying in a place like this? It took me quite a while to find you.”

“……Ahaha.”

At Tang Cheon-gi’s words, Tang Seon chuckled awkwardly. Hearing them speak, it seemed she was having some sort of issue with Tang Cheon-gi.

But.

“If you had gone to the place I secured for you, you wouldn’t have gotten involved with someone like that.”

‘Someone like that.’

I hadn’t expected Tang Cheon-gi to say that right to my face. I was dumbfounded.

“Cheon-gi-ya.”

At that, Tang Seon contorted her face.

“How rude, what is that supposed to mean? Apologize right now.”

Her tone was firm and sharp. At her words, Tang Cheon-gi flinched and opened his eyes wide.

“……No-nim.”

“Hurry.”

With an annoyed tone, Tang Cheon-gi bit his lip. Then, he frowned,

“Forget it. I’ll bring Tang family martial artists, so just stay put.”

“Cheon-gi-ya!”

Ignoring her words, Tang Cheon-gi turned his back and left the inn.

As I watched him go without saying anything,

“Haa.”

Tang Seon let out a quiet sigh. She then looked at me, wearing an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. My brother is really immature……. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

“Ah, it’s alright.”

I forced a smile.

“Your brother seems to like you a lot, no-nim.”

I had experienced such things before. I had developed a tolerance due to Namgung Cheon-jun’s incident. That level of attitude was acceptable to me.

‘It’s also quite strange.’

The Poison King was someone I felt was relatively human among the figures of the Four Great Families. To think his younger days were like this felt unexpected.

Of course.

‘Still, he’s better than Sword King.’

Sword King. Considering that guy’s immaturity, the Poison King could be considered an enlightened being.

“I don’t mind it much, so please don’t worry about it.”

I told Tang Seon and stood up.

I didn’t want to get involved. Even without that, too many people had gotten unnecessarily involved with me within just a few days of arriving.

Thinking that, I passed by Tang Seon.

“Ah.”

As I passed, Tang Seon tried to grab me, perhaps having something to say, but I didn’t bother waiting, and in the end, Tang Seon didn’t stop me.

Leaving Tang Seon behind, I exited the inn and gave a slight nod.

‘Come to think of it.’

I wasn’t sure about Tang Seon, but the martial attire Tang Cheon-gi was wearing.

That was.

‘Was it the Cheollyongdae’s martial attire?’

The martial attire of the Cheollyongdae, different from the Cheongryongdae. For some reason, it caught my attention and lodged itself in my memory.

Why was that?

‘I don’t think I’ll particularly get involved with the Cheollyongdae.’

Why did it bother me so much? Moreover, why did such an ominous premonition arise?

I would realize the truth of this soon enough. As always, my ominous premonitions had never been wrong.

---

“I am Jo Ya-hyeok, the Deputy Commander of the Cheollyongdae, who will be guiding today’s joint training.”

“……”

As soon as I entered the Cheongryongdae, I was practically dragged somewhere. I had come early specifically because I heard there would be morning training. But as soon as I arrived, they said there would be joint training and took me somewhere. Following along, I found other martial artists gathered on the mountain.

“Today, as instructed, there will be a joint training session between the Cheongryongdae and the Cheollyongdae.”

The Cheollyongdae Deputy Commander. As the man named Jo Ya-hyeok spoke, the Cheollyongdae members nodded, but the expressions of the Cheongryongdae members were different.

‘……These guys.’

They looked as if they hadn’t known about it themselves. From my perspective.

‘No way. Did Sword Lord forget?’

Cheong Yeol-geomju (Sword Lord). I suspect that fellow might have forgotten what he said. As if to prove this, Sword Phoenix So-i, who was participating with me, along with senior members, kept scowling.

‘Damn it.’

The Sword Unit is really going downhill. It couldn’t be more of a mess.

‘Speaking of which, joint training?’

Joint training right after arriving. It’s something I’ve never heard of. From the brief explanation, it seemed to be training for members within three years of joining the Alliance,

‘And it just had to be with the Cheongryongdae and the Cheollyongdae?’

I turned my head at the gazes I felt. Then, from where the Cheollyongdae were gathered, someone was looking this way. More precisely, they were glaring at me.

Poison Dragon Tang Cheon-gi.

He was staring fiercely at me.

‘Damn.’

I’ve been marked. It seemed he remembered what happened earlier today.

‘Seriously, why are those guys acting like this?’

Whether it’s Sword Dragon or Poison Dragon. They’re all strange. It was baffling why the ones who were supposed to become future family heads were all like this.

I turned my head, holding back a sigh.

‘Father isn’t here.’

My father, the Deputy Commander, doesn’t seem to be participating. I heard Father was also within the three-year mark, though.

Other than that.

‘Sword Dragon isn’t here either.’

Sword Dragon, whom I beat up, also didn’t join, possibly still recuperating. That was somewhat fortunate.

“Ooh, I’m getting nervous. Friend Baek. Aren’t you too?”

Do Yoon, who had been next to me, trembled slightly beside me and approached me with a smile, striking up a conversation.

‘Hmm.’

I nodded, looking at Do Yoon.

“A little?”

“Ahaha! You’re lying. You don’t look nervous at all, really.”

That was true. I wasn’t particularly nervous.

After all, joint training is just

‘A monster hunt, isn’t it?’

It’s about junior members banding together to hunt monsters. It was closer to a team-building exercise to foster camaraderie within the Sword Unit.

‘Besides, at best, it’ll be Green and Blue ranks.’

Red is already pointless, so Green and Blue? That’s even more meaningless.

For me, something else was more bothersome than the joint training.

Moreover.

‘This guy is also bothering me.’

This fellow named Do Yoon, who kept acting friendly beside me. This guy was also bothering me. There was something bothering me about him.

So, as I stared intently at Do Yoon,

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. The training is about to start, so focus.”

“Oh. You’re right.”

As soon as Do Yoon finished speaking, Jo Ya-hyeok shouted.

“Alright, we shall begin the training. Everyone, take out your magic scrolls.”

At Jo Ya-hyeok’s words, everyone took out their magic scrolls from their pockets as if they had been waiting.

“The training is simple, as explained earlier. You will simply hunt monsters. We will assess the events that occur during the process and assign scores.”

Several individuals, excluding Jo Ya-hyeok, the Deputy Commander, stepped forward. They were people, including him, who seemed to possess a higher cultivation level.

‘Hmm.’

I thought, looking at the fluttering magic scrolls.

‘How far should I go?’

Just how far should I step forward? Or should I just pretend to go along and then slip away for a bit?

It was at that moment that such thoughts arose.

---

As the members gathered and prepared for the training, in the mountain behind the Alliance conducting the training, the place called the heart of the mountain range,

Pajijik-!

Pajijijik–!!

Cracks were appearing, breaking the silence. As mountains are, the appearance of monsters wouldn’t be strange, but

Pajijijijik—!!!

The demonic rift tearing through the silence was not the usual Green or Blue, but

Pajijijijijik—-!!!!!

it bore a deep, crimson red color.

Keureureureureu…….

From within, the cry of a monster, incomparable to Green or Blue, flowed out.

It was an anomaly.