Chapter 1113: Scorched World.

A day passed.

Chirp. Chirp chirp.

Listening to the chirping of insects and the calls of birds coming through the gaps in the window, I sat up. These were the sounds announcing the arrival of dawn.

Crackle.

I twisted my stiff body slightly. I strained my somewhat dim eyes to shake off the fatigue. I subtly rotated my joints, clearing away any remaining tiredness.

Did I sleep for about two hours? It was insufficient sleep considering I tried to get a good night’s rest after several days, but I was at a level where I didn’t need to worry about such things.

My body, which could go without sleep for half a month, could clear away fatigue like this with just a few rotations of my joints.

“You’re awake?”

“…Ah, yeah.”

As I sat up, I made eye contact with Do-yun, who was beside me. That guy must have finished his training early this morning, as he fell asleep around the same time as me.

But waking up at the same time too.

“You didn’t sleep?”

“Ah, ahaha… I didn’t mean to. It just sort of happened.”

“Get some sleep. You’ll crash if you keep this up?”

“Wouldn’t you say that’s a bit rich coming from you, Baek?”

“…”

I was momentarily speechless.

Because it felt incredibly awkward to say, ‘You and I are on different levels.’

So, I just got up without saying anything.

“Where are you going?”

Do-yun asked. Because there had only been orders to wait until now, there was no need to move unnecessarily.

But.

“I have some business to attend to.”

I said, frowning deeply. Yes, business. I had business to attend to since dawn.

It was because I had to see my father.

---

Knock knock.

I moved through the corridors and reached the quarters where my father would be. It wasn’t that far, so finding it wasn’t difficult.

Approaching lightly, I knocked on the door with my hand and said,

“Gu… No, it’s Baek Yangcheon.”

“Come in.”

“…”

It somehow felt the same as finding my father’s family head’s quarters in the future. He’s clearly around my age, so why am I so nervous?

Moreover.

‘He’s probably weaker than me right now.’

My father’s level of cultivation was surprisingly strong for someone his age. Although not among the top ten experts I knew, he definitely wasn’t just a late-stage practitioner.

Still, even if I wanted to, I could defeat him in an instant at my current level.

‘…I’m still nervous.’

Perhaps it was because of something embedded in my body. Whenever I saw my father, nervousness would surge.

Creak.

Pushing the door open, I found my father already dressed and reading scrolls.

Where did all those scrolls come from?

Just as I was looking at them in surprise.

“You’ve arrived.”

My father looked at me, his eyes flashing red.

“Sit.”

“…Yes.”

At his weighty command, I went and sat down. As I plopped down, I saw a teacup already placed before me.

Did he brew it in advance, knowing I would come?

When I tentatively reached out, my father showed no particular reaction. That must mean it was indeed mine.

I took a sip.

As my body warmed up, my tension started to ease.

“You know why I summoned you, don’t you?”

“…”

The tension that was starting to ease surged back.

“Ahem…”

Just as I tried to avoid his gaze, letting out an awkward cough.

“Yesterday. I want to know the reason why you were with her.”

“…”

My father directly asked the question without preamble.

If he meant ‘her’, there was no need to think otherwise; it had to be my mother.

‘Why were you with her?’

The answer to that question was obvious.

“Even if you ask why… she suddenly appeared and said she was hungry and asked for some food.”

“…”

Speaking the absolute truth caused my father’s brow to furrow slightly.

“Actually, I’m the one who wants to ask…”

“…”

I had spoken honestly, but my father’s expression wasn’t good at all.

Was he displeased about something?

So, I gave an awkward smile and blurted out something else.

“Where is that young lady now?”

“Miss Mi has her.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Are you curious?”

“What? No. Not really.”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious, but I preferred not to pry further here.

‘It’s not my world anyway.’

Doing anything here wouldn’t change anything, I was told.

Furthermore.

‘It would be troublesome if the future changed because I interfered.’

I didn’t know what situations would unfold or how they would lead back to the future I knew.

I wanted to minimize unnecessary actions here as much as possible.

It was the same regarding my mother.

Even though she was someone I had longed to see.

‘I shouldn’t get involved more than necessary.’

Despite such feelings, I was trying hard to maintain my reason. However.

‘I do want to resolve some of my curiosities.’

I wanted to resolve the questions I had developed about my mother in this world.

‘Why does my Ki act up?’

The reason my Ki acted up whenever I was near my mother. The incidents that occurred because of it were also a problem.

This was also a reason why I tried to avoid being near my mother whenever possible.

‘Anyway.’

I’ll let this slide for now.

“Did you summon me just to ask about that?”

Did my father summon me just to ask about something like this? I didn’t think so.

‘Surely it’s not jealousy or anything.’

Nah, no way.

I erased the thought the moment it crossed my mind.

Because no matter how I looked at it, my father wasn’t the type of person to do something like that.

“…”

In response to my question, my father merely stared intently at me.

Huh.

‘What is it?’

What could that gaze mean? Could it really be?

‘Did he really call me because he felt jealous?’

Even while concluding it was impossible, the situation was unfolding strangely, making me think maybe it was possible.

Because there was a conversation I had with Hyeon So-yeon before falling asleep.

From her perspective, the relationship between my mother and me seemed incredibly strange.

‘If Father saw it the same way.’

It could be quite a situation. Just as I was about to quickly explain to my father, holding back a bead of cold sweat.

“Um-“

“Do you remember the Great Demonic Mirror Text you saw yesterday?”

“Yes?”

Just before I could speak, my father brought up something else.

“The reason I summoned you is to investigate the Great Demonic Mirror Text.”

“Ah… Ah? Oh, I see? So that’s why.”

“What do you mean?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just felt relieved.”

As expected. It wasn’t jealousy or anything. Of course, my father wouldn’t be jealous.

The idea of this man, who seemed like he wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed with a sword, feeling jealousy, even if he was young, was laughable.

Jealousy towards me and my mother? Thinking about it again, it was absurd.

Feeling relieved, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

“But, are we the only two going for the investigation?”

When I pointed out the strange part and asked, my father nodded.

“Yes, just the two of us.”

“Ah… ha…?”

“Is there a problem?”

Investigating with just the two of us…?

Just imagining it made my throat feel dry. Was there a problem? Yes, a huge one.

However.

“No.”

“Then we’ll depart in half an hour, so get ready.”

“…Understood.”

The problem was simply that I had no grounds to refuse.

---

Creak. Thump.

With that, Baek Yangcheon left.

“…”

Gu Cheol-un, left alone, blinked. Then, he suddenly looked at the desk placed before him. There were two teacups placed there. Gu Cheol-un’s tea was still full, untouched.

“…”

Looking at it, he quietly recalled the conversation they just had.

Why had he summoned Baek Yangcheon?

This was the matter weighing on his mind.

If it was to grasp the circumstances of the incident, that would make sense. Since there was also the matter concerning the Great Demonic Mirror Text, this could also be the reason. Whatever the reason, the justification was sufficient, so even he thought it didn’t seem particularly strange.

“…”

Tap. Tap tap.

Gu Cheol-un, perhaps feeling something amiss, began tapping his desk with his fingers. It was a long-standing habit from his childhood.

Tap tap tap.

There was definitely something bothering him, but strangely, he couldn’t recall it.

Frustration welled up. As a result, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

What was making him feel so displeased?

Was it Baek Yangcheon’s very existence? He didn’t deny it. Because from the moment Gu Cheol-un met Baek Yangcheon, he had been inexplicably bothered.

Yes, it was annoyance.

He felt it the moment he saw him. Just a fierce-looking late-stage practitioner of the same age.

Something felt off.

So, what was it? He posed the question to himself, but couldn’t recall the answer.

He couldn’t clearly define it.

That was how he felt right now.

It was just annoyance.

Especially his state yesterday.

Something came to mind, and that was the sight of the woman.

She was an annoying and bothersome woman. Why had he meddled so unnecessarily?

It wasn’t a situation or a life where he should be concerned about such things. The problem was that he had done something useless and gotten entangled.

He wished he could quickly get rid of it and erase it.

What he had so desperately wished for now felt strangely close.

A scene flashed through his mind.

‘Eat this too.’

The woman, known for her gluttony and always getting scolded for it, hadn’t eaten herself while giving her food to Baek Yangcheon.

‘Ah, no! That’s mine!’

Then, the memory overlapped with her trying to snatch his food.

That irked him immensely.

Why was it bothering him? Gu Cheol-un felt the rising irritation.

‘Where is that young lady now?’

The question Baek Yangcheon had asked.

‘Are you curious?’

His own answer regarding that.

It was something he wouldn’t normally say.

Why had he asked that back?

“…”

Tap. Tap tap. Tap…

Gu Cheol-un, who had been tapping the desk, suddenly stopped.

“Hoo…”

A low breath carried heat.

It’s bothersome. Is Baek Yangcheon the bother? Or is something else bothering me?

I don’t know.

Swish.

He just got up.

He bundled up the miscellaneous thoughts and shoved them away. He didn’t know what it meant, but now wasn’t the time to ponder such things.

‘Confirmation comes first.’

Along with figuring out the matter concerning the Great Demonic Mirror Text.

Finding out about Baek Yangcheon.

That was what he needed to do now, and reminding himself of that, Gu Cheol-un stood up.

First, he was going to work.

Thinking so, he stepped out the door.

Inside the room, now empty.

On the desk where Gu Cheol-un had been sitting, the traces of his finger tapping remained rough, having carved holes into it.