Chapter 1107: Scorched World.

“……Huh?”

Our eyes met. The signature blue eyes of the Namgung Family. A handsome face, so much like Namgung Myung, if Lord Shin’s words were to be believed.

Compared to Namgung Jin, this young man had a sharper, colder impression.

“What… What is it?”

Eccentric Immortal Namgung Hyung.

The very person who would later run away from home with the Noea to become a martial artist of the Shaman sect.

My eyes met his, comparing him to his younger self.

‘Crazy.’

In my momentary panic, I couldn’t even breathe. It was really Namgung Hyung?

I hadn’t expected to run into him here, so I shut my mouth and stared intently at him.

“……Who are you?”

Namgung Hyung spoke, his guard fully up. His hand was already reaching for his waist.

Seeing this, I quickly raised my hands.

“Ah… um… I came from the Alliance.”

“Hm? The Alliance?”

The mention of the Alliance made Namgung Hyung’s eyes widen slightly.

“……You mean the Murim Alliance?”

“Yes. I’m from the Murim Alliance.”

As I spoke, I showed him my chest. I was wearing the martial uniform of the Cheongryong Unit issued by the Alliance, and the emblem representing the Murim Alliance was emblazoned on my chest.

Upon confirming this, Namgung Hyung seemed to relax his guard slightly, but…

“……How is someone like you here? Outsiders aren’t allowed in this place.”

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. This was the Namgung Family’s repository.

It wasn’t a place outsiders could just waltz into, so the fact that someone from the Alliance was here was inherently problematic.

“Well. I got lost…”

That was the best excuse I could manage.

“……Lost?”

Namgung Hyung’s suspicion intensified. Naturally.

“I’m serious.”

“Shouldn’t there be a guard up front?”

“There wasn’t.”

“……There wasn’t? Huh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Why wasn’t there?”

“Why are you asking me that… No, wait a second.”

I frowned as I spoke.

“But why are you speaking informally?”

“You are too. You seem like my age.”

“Ah…”

I nodded at his words. Right. That guy was that strange fellow they called Eccentric Immortal.

“Anyway. Why are you here?”

“Can’t you tell?”

“I can tell you’re a blood relative. But we both know you didn’t get permission to enter.”

“What are you talking about? How would you know that?”

“Because you weren’t sure when I mentioned there was no guard.”

If he had seen me arriving, he should have been suspicious when I said there was no one.

‘There wasn’t? Huh, really?’

He only showed a reaction of surprise. This meant he himself wasn’t sure if there was or wasn’t a guard.

“Oh, you’re smart?”

“Furthermore, you seemed to be talking to someone. Who were you talking to?”

“……”

When I asked, Namgung Hyung shut his mouth. It was obvious who he was talking to.

‘It must be Namgung Myung.’

The lingering thoughts of Namgung Myung, said to be contained within the Noea.

Specifically, the obsession fueled by the desire to continue the Namgung family’s sword legacy.

He must have been conversing with that.

“……I tend to talk to myself.”

“……”

I could sense it from Namgung Hyung’s words.

‘That guy can’t lie either.’

Our acting skills seem terrible.

“Ah, really…?”

“Yes. No. Anyway.”

Namgung Hyung got to his feet.

“I snuck in, as you can see. Even if I just get scolded, that’s the end of it for me. But it’s different for you, isn’t it?”

Swish.

He drew his sword.

“I know it’s an obvious excuse. But I have my position too, so I have to subdue intruders, you see?”

Hearing him, I briefly clicked my tongue.

“Ah, that’s not a great choice… Can’t we just let this slide?”

“I told you. I have my position too. Let’s just understand each other?”

Thump-!

Namgung Hyung suddenly lunged. He closed the distance in an instant, arriving right in front of me. He twisted his body and swiftly swung his sword.

‘Oh.’

His movements were clean. Much better than what I saw from Namgung Jin.

Definitely.

‘This guy is better.’

Namgung Hyung’s talent was superior to Namgung Jin’s.

Ggrrrrip-!

“Huh?”

I cut him off before the sword could gain proper momentum. Namgung Hyung’s eyes widened as I suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Ggrrrrip-

He tried to apply more force, but the sword wouldn’t budge. Seeing this, bewilderment crept into Namgung Hyung’s eyes.

“Wha- Huh? Why is this-“

Namgung Hyung’s body spun. I tripped him, completely throwing off his balance.

The guard on his upper body, which he had maintained defensively, faltered. Seeing that opening, I lightly pushed him with my foot.

Thwack-!!

“Oof!?”

Namgung Hyung was sent flying backward.

Even as I watched him go, I couldn’t help but admire him slightly.

‘He’s still defending?’

Even though I created an opening and pushed him, in that brief moment, he had gathered his internal energy in his abdomen.

Grrrk-!

Thanks to that, Namgung Hyung, who was being pushed back, stopped not too far away.

“Whoa…”

He looked at me, sword still in hand, his eyes shining.

“You’re strong, aren’t you?”

“I hear that a lot.”

“And a bit rude, too?”

“I hear that a lot too.”

“Ahaha.”

Namgung Hyung laughed.

“I see. Now I understand.”

Understand what? I looked at him quizzically.

“You’re the Divine Dragon, aren’t you?”

“……Hm?”

He uttered complete nonsense.

“I heard that the famous Divine Dragon was coming to the family. Since there was so much fuss, I was getting curious…”

Swish.

Namgung Hyung raised his sword again.

“Looking at you now, I get it. Your level is truly different?”

One sword strike. One brief contact.

Having confirmed something from that, Namgung Hyung’s eyes lit up.

“You’re the Divine Dragon, right?”

“……No-“

“Though your face is a bit messed up compared to what I heard.”

“……This punk?”

I was about to deny it, but I got angry. Why bring up my face of all things?

“Anyway. You’re the Divine Dragon. Right?”

“Ha… Do you believe me if I say I’m not?”

“No, it’s not that… Our old man wouldn’t be making such a fuss otherwise.”

Namgung Hyung said with a laugh, and I glanced at the sword hanging on the wall.

• Careful. That guy’s a monster. A monster wearing the guise of a child.

‘…….’

Senior’s words are a bit much.

A monster wearing the guise of a child. It wasn’t wrong, but it felt a bit unpleasant.

‘I can still hear the voice.’

Something that couldn’t be heard unless one was a blood relative.

Moreover, one needed talent to hear the voice from the Noea.

There was even a rumor that receiving the Noea’s choice made one the Family Head, but…

‘They said that changed.’

I didn’t know when the standard shifted, but they said that since the time of the Heavenly Venerable, one no longer needed the Noea’s choice.

• Don’t mess with him, it could be dangerous.

“Geez, you’re noisy. Old Man. I’ll handle it myself.”

“……You want more?”

“I have to. I told you, I have my circumstances too, remember?”

What ‘circumstances’? Anyone could see those were eyes that just wanted to fight.

‘That guy was passionate back then, wasn’t he.’

Eccentric Immortal was endlessly laid-back, basically defined by his laziness.

Was he passionate about martial arts now? Or was he simply excited to meet a strong opponent?

I couldn’t tell, but…

‘Can’t be helped.’

If it’s like this, I have no choice either.

“Gah-!”

Just as Namgung Hyung was about to charge again.

Fwack!

“Oof!?”

I moved closer and struck his jaw. His head jerked slightly from the impact.

Thump.

Namgung Hyung dropped his sword and collapsed.

“……Phew.”

I used just enough force to knock him out. He’d probably be asleep for half a day.

Leaving the fallen Namgung Hyung, I turned my head.

• Descendant! Descendant! Wake up!

The Noea attached to the wall kept screaming. Ignoring it, I looked at another wall.

‘Was it here?’

When I visited the Namgung Family before. I remembered stumbling upon something when I went looking for his repository.

The residual consciousness left by Namgung Myung.

I remembered something else being here besides the Noea.

Swoosh.

I approached what I met back then, but…

‘No reaction?’

Contrary to my expectations, it didn’t react. Even when I touched it or tried emitting energy towards it.

“Ugh…”

I had wondered if I could talk to it again if I came back, but…

It didn’t seem like it.

‘Then.’

• Descendant-!

Should I talk to that Noea making noise right now? I could certainly pretend to know it, but…

‘That doesn’t seem right.’

There doesn’t seem to be any benefit in pretending to know it. It’s true that only blood relatives can hear the Noea’s voice.

Showing my abilities would be problematic.

‘The problem is this guy.’

Running into Namgung Hyung of all people.

Is it really okay to just leave this guy here? I pondered that.

“……”

I scratched my head and looked towards a certain spot.

It was where I had been feeling a slight breeze from earlier.

The painting hanging below the wall. I felt it faintly from there.

As I approached and moved the painting aside…

“……It’s here.”

There was an opening.

This explained how Namgung Hyung had gotten in.

Looking at it, I thought.

“Should I use it?”

I immediately picked up Namgung Hyung.

• Descendant-!

Ignoring the noisy Noea, I shoved my body into the opening.

---

I came out outside. The hole was longer than I expected, but I managed to push through somehow.

The place I emerged into was some quarters.

It seemed to be Namgung Hyung’s room.

‘……His room is connected to the repository?’

I wondered how that was possible, but it was true.

“Hmm.”

After checking the room, I roughly tossed Namgung Hyung inside and went outside.

‘It’s small.’

The quarters were smaller than mine and located much farther out.

Practically on the edge, you could say?

Not only was it meager for quarters given to a blood relative,

‘not even a servant was visible.’

Whether it was a guard at the door or a servant handling household chores.

Not a single person was in sight.

‘……His treatment is crap, isn’t it?’

It looked twice as bad as the treatment I received at the palace.

Looks like he doesn’t live a good life.

‘That’s why he ran away.’

I could understand why Namgung Hyung ran away with the Noea.

“Should I go for now.”

Leaving the fallen Namgung Hyung, I took flight.

The place I headed for was my own quarters.

When I arrived, fortunately, the power I had set up was still maintained.

Click-!

As soon as I saw it, I deactivated the power and let out a sigh of relief. Doyun still hadn’t come in, it seemed.

At that moment.

“Are you there?”

I heard someone approaching from behind.

“Ah, yes.”

“Going in?”

“Yes.”

Rattle. The door opened, revealing So-i.

She looked at me with her usual uncomfortable gaze and said,

“The Deputy Leader ordered us to assemble.”

“Now?”

“Yes. He said to prepare for an investigation immediately.”

“An investigation?”

They’re moving right away? As I wondered what kind of investigation required such haste…

“The Great Demonic Mirror Scripture. An investigation regarding the Red Great Demonic Mirror Scripture.”

“……!”

Hearing that, my eyes widened.

…The Great Demonic Mirror Scripture?