Chapter 1176: Scorched World.

Blinking, beyond my sight, my senses gradually return.

For a moment, only light shone into my eyes, making nothing visible. Not long after, when the scene became visible as if my eyesight was returning.

“……Here again?”

I was standing in a pure white world.

A place I’d grown sick of, having come here so many times now. It’s my inner world.

Holding back a sigh that came naturally, I looked around.

‘Is no one here?’

I wondered if perhaps anyone might be here. Since something always happened every time I came here, I wondered if I’d see something again.

As I was thinking that.

Tadak.

“……!”

There’s a smell. At the scent that brushed past my nose, I immediately looked back.

The smell of burning. It was a noxious smell of burning.

Just like that, I turned my gaze.

“What are you looking for?”

“…….”

Someone was standing there.

Someone sitting casually on the floor, in a full lotus position, looking at me.

Looking at him, I narrowed my eyes.

Fiery red hair and a gaze just like his. His eyeballs were red enough to mistake him for a Blood Demon, but he wasn’t one.

‘It feels hot.’

It felt hot just looking at him. I knew his true identity.

“Should I say it’s been a while?”

“Whatever you say.”

The being called my ancestor and forefather. He was also the one who sent me here.

He was looking at me with displeased eyes. I also had to nod while looking at him.

“You’ve changed quite a bit?”

His appearance was different. When I saw him before, he looked exactly like me or was in the form of flames. Now, it was different from that. Strictly speaking, he did look similar to me, but something was different.

“It’s not a particularly important part.”

The ancestor answered with a blank expression, as if he didn’t care. Right, his appearance wasn’t particularly important to me either. What was important was…

“Have you come out to explain?”

Because it was an explanation regarding this situation.

“What is this place?”

Why was I dropped into a world like this? It was finally the point where I could hear that. To my question like that, the ancestor looked at me with clear eyes.

“You already know, don’t you?”

“I’m not asking something simple.”

The world from my father’s youth. That wasn’t important.

“Since you said it was a fake world anyway, that’s fine, but what I need to do here is what’s important. What do you want, exactly?”

“…….”

To the question, the ancestor was silent for a moment. It was a brief silence.

“Do as you’ve been doing. You’re doing well.”

“……What do you mean, ‘as I’ve been doing’?”

“What you’re doing right now.”

“Does that mean I just need to keep causing trouble? Whatever happens to this world?”

As I said that with annoyance, the ancestor suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha-!”

“What the hell? Why are you laughing like that?”

Making me so pissed off.

As I narrowed my eyes, the ancestor stopped laughing and spoke to me.

“I definitely told you.”

His voice was somewhat low, and like his scent, it carried the smell of burning.

“Descendant. No matter what you do, nothing will change.”

“……That’s…”

“Knowing this clearly, are you worrying about this world? How absurd.”

“Who said I was worrying?”

Worrying about the world? Just as I was about to get heated up over such nonsensical words.

“Right, you aren’t worrying about the world. Those children inside you. If you say you’re worried about those children who will appear here in the future, stop that.”

Hwa-reuk.

Red flames flowed out from where the ancestor was sitting.

“As I said, it’s a world made of fakes anyway. The emotions you tried to cherish have no meaning. Just gain what you can here. Even for your own sake.”

“……Just gain what I can?”

“Yes, just like you are now.”

“…….”

“Binding the energies into one wasn’t a bad choice. Causing the energies to fight amongst themselves was also… Your prediction was correct.”

Because the power of the Mujeogaeng disappeared. It meant my prediction was correct: that the focal point binding the energies disappeared, causing them to immediately start rampaging.

“Then, the reason the Mujeogaeng disappeared too….”

“That’s also correct.”

The second prediction was also correct. The reason the Mujeogaeng disappeared. To be precise. ‘The reason his power could no longer reach me.’ If the ancestor’s words were correct. ‘My status rose.’ Being a Master. My status rose to that level, so the Mujeogaeng’s power no longer activated. It meant the hypothesis that the energies rampaged as a result was also correct.

‘It means this happened while I was touching that egg.’ Thinking up to this point, I widened my eyes.

“The egg. What is that egg?”

“…….”

To my question, the ancestor’s head tilted slightly.

“What do you think it is?”

“Is this the time to ask me back? Is he crazy.” He’s asking back again when he should be telling me! I felt like smashing the whole thing.

At my reaction, the ancestor chuckled.

“I was kidding.”

“This really sucks.”

“That’s the seed of a Divine Tree (神木).”

“……A Divine Tree?”

I widened my eyes. A Divine Tree? If it’s a Divine Tree…

“Do you mean that thing I saw in the Myriad Worlds?”

“Yes.”

“Why is that thing there….”

Why in the Central Plains? And on the front line at that? As I was wondering about that.

“Do you know what a Divine Tree is?”

The ancestor said to me.

“Well…?”

How could I possibly know that.

“A Divine Tree symbolizes the Master’s very existence.”

The ancestor spoke and lightly snapped his fingers.

Ttak-!

Along with that sound.

Udeudeudeuk-!

A harsh sound was heard from behind me. Wondering, I looked back, and something was growing behind me.

Saiaaaa-!

It’s a tree. The tree grew large and fast. The thick, massive tree became lush in an instant. Growing like that, it filled the ceiling.

“This…”

It’s not just any tree. The tree was black like charcoal, and its leaves…

“Flames?”

Strangely, I saw that they were made of flames. Furthermore.

“……I can feel an energy.”

I felt a familiar energy from the tree itself. This is definitely the fiery energy of the Nine-Flame Wheel Art.

“A Divine Tree is the source and proof of the status a Master possesses. And the existence of the Divine Tree is also the mark that the world and the Master have become connected.”

“This tree…?”

It’s an unusual tree, but it contains something of that magnitude? Moreover.

“You mean that seed is the seed of a Divine Tree?”

That egg on the front line. Is that really a Divine Tree seed?

“Why would something like that be here?”

Why was the seed on the front line? When I asked this.

“What’s surprising about that? You already know the meaning behind the Gu Clan families, don’t you?”

“…….”

The ancestor said, as if it were obvious. Master’s Representative. If the seed was here because of that Master’s Representative,

“Ah, so it was here because of your guys’ crap again?”

“…….”

At my remark, the ancestor flinched. He subsequently lost his words. Of course. What could that guy possibly say? I held back a sigh. Right, this is all because I ended up with the wrong family. I understood the cause. But.

“……Why did that react now?”

The reason it reacted when I touched it. I was curious about that. This too.

“Is it because I possess the status?”

“Yes.”

“……”

I understood up to this point. Then.

“Is this an arrangement intended by you and my mother?”

Regarding the question of whether this was a planned situation.

“That’s not it.”

He gave a denial.

“I don’t know your mother’s thoughts, but she didn’t predict this far.”

“Is that true?”

“To be precise. I hoped you wouldn’t touch the seed.”

“Why is that?”

“The fact that you touched this and the seed reacted means, ultimately… it’s the same as confronting a situation you didn’t want.”

“……”

Hearing that, I felt a chill. A situation I didn’t want. Surely not.

“……Does it mean disaster?”

“Yes.”

That I would become a disaster. That’s what it means.

“The seed’s reaction is proof of the Master. It means that you obtaining the Master’s status becomes a disaster. In fact, the seed has already reacted and begun to bloom.”

“So does that mean I… ultimately become a disaster?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

What kind of talk is this now? You don’t know? I looked at the ancestor with a frown, but his expression remained the same.

“As I said, this is a fake world prepared by your mother. It means whether things that happen here will turn out like my predictions is uncertain.”

Hearing the ancestor say he doesn’t know, another question arose. That was true. If this is a fake world, And if whatever happens here has no effect on the real world,

“Then what on earth am I supposed to do here?”

What purpose was this world prepared for? And besides,

“You told me to do as I’ve been doing. That means there’s something decided I have to do, doesn’t it?”

Something I need to see, hear, and realize. If that’s decided, you could just tell me easily. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for.

“Like I said earlier, do as you please.”

“Don’t give me frustrating answers like that…”

“This is the best I can do. Here, whatever you do, you will end up in a predetermined place. It’s the world your mother created.”

“……Whatever I do, a predetermined ending?”

“Just, whatever it may be, it would be good to hurry a little. Because there isn’t much time.”

“…….”

It will reach somehow. But hurry a little. Those were truly convenient words. In a world where nothing changes. To head towards a predetermined ending no matter what!

“What a damn situation.”

It’s not even funny. At my reaction like this, the ancestor softly sighed.

“If you knew the things your mother gave up for this, You would understand too.”

“Your trivial consolation is enough.”

My insides grew cold. At the same time, I recalled. If it was all just a story of predetermined events.

“Was the fact that Hyeon Soyeon saw Namgung Bi-ah’s mental energy also meant to provoke me?”

“What?”

Hearing that, the ancestor reacted strangely. I didn’t think much of that reaction.

“It was strange, wasn’t it? There’s no way Namgung Bi-ah should be in this world. I wondered why, but it turns out… That was also predetermined, wasn’t it?”

“What are you talking about? Who appeared?”

“……Why are you acting like that? Last time, in Hyeon Soyeon’s body…”

Just as I was about to mention what happened last night.

Kugugugugung–!!!

The white world shook.

Kwagagak!

The maintained world collapsed and was crushed, sending fragments falling down.

“What the heck, is time up?”

It seemed like it was time to wake up now. It wasn’t something I’d experienced just once or twice, so I was used to it by now. But.

“Descendant.”

The ancestor said to me with somewhat surprised eyes.

“What?”

“Regarding the girl, nothing was done from this side.”

“……What?”

“Apparently, something seems to have happened.”

“What is it?”

You don’t know about Namgung Bi-ah? Trying to ask the ancestor again about his puzzling words,

Kwaga-gag!

The world finally collapsed completely.

“Huk-!”

Just like that, I opened my closed eyes and came to my senses. What came straight into view was an unfamiliar ceiling.