Chapter 1221: Scorched World

Bright, clear eyes pierced right through me.

At Mother’s words, I flinched. It felt like she could see right through me.

“Hmm.”

Tilting her head, a small, delicate hand brushed against my chest.

“What is it? What could it be?”

“……What is?”

“It’s contained. Isn’t it?”

Contained?

“What the…….”

“A seed is contained… but there’s no land… Where did it go?”

“……!”

A seed. At that word, my eyes widened.

Because it seemed like the seed referred to the one I consumed on the front lines.

But no land? It was a puzzling statement.

“No land? What do you mean by that?”

“Huh? There’s no land.”

“So, what is land?”

“Land is land?”

“No… I mean…”

“Excuse me.”

As I tried to urgently ask my question, Mi Hyoran appeared. She sighed and spoke to me.

“Don’t raise your voice. How many eyes are watching? If you’re going to have a conversation, go inside.”

“……Ah, um… Yes. I apologize.”

Under her cool gaze, I quickly entered the room.

---

I entered Mi Hyoran’s room. Mi Hyoran didn’t come in, saying she had to observe from outside. Inside the room, there were only Mother and I.

“What is this?”

The room was rather messy. There was quite a lot of food on the not-so-small table.

And it looked like most of it had been eaten.

“Huh? What?”

“This table.”

“Ah! I ate…!”

“Food… You ate this much? The two of you?”

“No?”

Right? It would have been tough for just two people. Was someone else here? Just as I was thinking that…

“I ate it all by myself! Hyoran didn’t eat because she said she needs to lose weight.”

“……”

Not two people, but just one. Hmm. That’s unexpected.

‘……What’s inside my stomach?’

It was just as strange as it was with Wi Seol-ah.

Anyway… After roughly clearing away the food in front of me, I asked Mother.

“What did you mean by seed and land?”

“A seed is a seed, and land is land?”

“……Not like that, I mean, a bit more explanation.”

I needed a bit more explanation than just a simple conversation. Even though she seemed utterly clueless right now.

‘Mother is the ruler of the Myriad Realms.’

A mighty being standing upon that vast, rough land.

As someone who had seen Mother’s original form, this appearance felt rather awkward.

‘Wouldn’t Mother know some way?’

The seed and land in my body. Since she mentioned them, she might know something.

I believed she would know. That’s why I sought her out to ask about this.

“When you say a seed is contained but there’s no land, does that mean it disappeared, or it was never there to begin with?”

I asked more simply, wondering if the answer might differ.

“It’s gone.”

Only then did Mother give me the answer I wanted.

“There’s no land… But I planted the seed.”

“……So, is that why the problem occurred?”

“Huh? Problem?”

“Yes. Isn’t it?”

“There’s no problem?”

“……Yes?”

No problem? Anyone could see there were plenty of problems, what was she talking about?

How could there be no problem when all my energy was gone?

And yet.

“No problem? Why…?”

Mother said there was no problem. What on earth was she looking at?

“The seed is looking for land. Since it’s just looking because it’s missing, there’s no problem, right?”

“How can it look for land if there’s no land?”

“It’s somewhere! You just didn’t bring it.”

“What the……?”

The seed was contained, but there was no land.

I had it, but I didn’t bring it?

“What on earth is this land?”

“Land is land.”

“……”

I rubbed my forehead. I understood that the seed meant the seed of the Sacred Tree. And I knew it had gained the owner’s power upon being contained within my body.

‘There is no land.’

I don’t know what that land refers to. Even stranger was that she said I possessed it.

‘What did I possess?’

And what did I leave behind?

I couldn’t understand. I felt like I was going to get an ulcer talking to her.

“So, what is this damn land? If I find it, can I go back to how I was?”

“What is ‘how you were’?”

“Huh?”

Mother asked me with her clear eyes.

“What is ‘how you were’?”

“……How I was, is how I was……”

What else could I say when asked what ‘how I was’ meant? I just wanted to return to the appearance and aura I possessed.

Hearing this, Mother spoke to me with the same look in her eyes.

“I don’t know what ‘how you were’ you desire, but if you find the land, that won’t happen.”

“What do you mean…?”

“It’s greed. Greed is bad.”

“……”

“You must leave greed behind.”

“What are you talking about, greed all of a sudden? No, I mean, anyway…”

That wasn’t the important part.

“If I find the land, I can regain my strength. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Um… Hmm…”

Mother tilted her head.

I closed my eyes tightly. What should I do? I felt like punching her lightly on the head. If it were Wi Seol-ah, she would have hit her already. Since she had a history of patricide, maybe I should just try this? The thought flashed through my mind involuntarily, but…

I forced myself to endure.

Just as I was calming myself down with deep breaths…

“So…”

As I tried to speak again…

“Why!”

A loud voice came from outside.

“……Don’t raise your voice.”

Mi Hyoran’s voice could also be heard. That shouting just now. It was a familiar voice?

“……You are quite stubborn. Why are you forcing the family’s affairs?”

“……Because I don’t want to. Isn’t that a life I can choose? And, Young Master Namgung already has a partner, so why are you doing this? It’s uncomfortable to see.”

“……Miss Mi. This isn’t something else; it’s a decision made by the family. It’s not something you can simply refuse by saying you don’t want to.”

It was Namgung Jin. I wondered who it was, but it was Namgung Jin’s voice.

Did he come all the way here? The state of their conversation was absurd.

It was a continuation of what the Guild Leader had said earlier. This meant…

‘So Namgung Jin orchestrated this.’

I understood the Guild Leader’s reaction. At the same time…

‘Look at this bastard.’

One lingering question was resolved.

“Hah.”

Mi Hyoran’s dry laugh could be heard.

“You’re being stubborn about the family’s choice? I don’t know who’s one to talk.”

“What do you mean?”

“Who is the one being stubborn about the engagement and marriage with Miss Hyeon?”

“……”

Namgung Jin shut his mouth. Because what she said was also true.

Since there was no response, Mi Hyoran continued as if she had been waiting.

“Don’t involve me in this. I don’t have feelings for Young Master Namgung, nor do I intend to get entangled in something like this. Matters of the family and the guild? I’m confident I can handle those. So…”

Her cold voice swept through the surroundings.

“Please never come looking for me again.”

“……Miss Mi!”

Thwack-!

“Oof!”

A stifled sound could be heard.

Hearing all that, I got up.

Creak.

I kicked the door open and went out.

The gazes of those outside turned towards me.

Upon seeing me, Mi Hyoran’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Why…!”

Why did you come out of the room? I felt that gaze, but I ignored her and looked somewhere else.

Namgung Jin was tightly gripping Mi Hyoran’s wrist.

“You…? Why are you there…!”

Namgung Jin’s gaze was filled with anger.

“You bastard…! Just like Miss Hyeon, could it be…!!”

I didn’t bother listening to the bullshit that followed.

“Where are you touching me, you son of a bitch?”

“What?”

My body moved first.

My sole slammed right into Namgung Jin’s face.

Thwack!

“Gah!”

His head snapped back, and blood splattered. Blood gushed from his nose.

“Kugh!”

Namgung Jin quickly covered his face and drew his sword at me.

Kwajijijik-!!

Ki energy spread. Lightning energy enveloped his body.

“You bastard…! Is it you again…!! Why is it always you…!!”

“Speak properly. Stop stuttering and annoying me.”

Kwajijijijik-!!

Lightning roared, and a flash of light shot towards me.

Seeing that, I loosened up my body.

“Young Master Baek…!”

Mi Hyoran tried to stop me, watching the fight. But my body was already lunging forward.

“You used Ki, so you threw the first punch.”

I dodged the blue sword energy and charged in. I was about to drive my fist into his solar plexus when…

Koong-!

“……!”

My knees grew heavy. Pressure crushed my entire body.

‘Emperor Sword Form.’

The pressure of battle intent.

The Namgung family’s secret technique bore down on my body.

“I won’t let you off…!”

While I was frozen, the enraged Namgung Jin charged at me. It was a dangerous situation, in a way, but…

“Damn it.”

Kwadeudeuk-!!

I moved, overcoming the pressure binding my body. My muscles screamed. This was what happened when I forced my way through, but…

This much is nothing.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

My energy might be gone, but my sturdy body remained. I could easily overcome this much.

Whoosh-!!

I twisted my upper body diagonally. The sword energy grazed where I had been.

“Tsk!”

As I dodged the attack, Namgung Jin gritted his teeth. He seemed to be recovering his stance and preparing the next sword path, but…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Twak-!!

I grabbed his recovering wrist.

Jjiririt-!

A tingling sensation spread due to the internal energy wrapped around it. I ignored it.

I pulled him forward. As I pulled, I pushed with my thigh. With my leg bouncing back, I easily closed the distance.

I drove my fist straight into his solar plexus.

Kwahng-!!

“Kuhuk!”

Namgung Jin, hit in the solar plexus, screamed. It seemed like Ki energy was gathered there. I shattered it with my bare fist.

My bones ached. It felt like my fist might have cracked slightly, but…

‘Who cares.’

I’ll treat it later.

Thinking that, I approached the staggering bastard.

“Young Master Baek… Stop…!”

Mi Hyoran tried to stop me, looking at me.

“I was going to let it go.”

I grabbed Namgung Jin’s left arm.

“Why do you keep provoking me, pissing me off?”

Sensing the grip strength and angle, Namgung Jin’s eyes widened.

“Wait…!”

He seemed to realize my intention and tried to call out to me, but…

Oudeudeudeuk—-!!

I twisted his arm as I held it.

“–!”

Namgung Jin trembled and let out a silent scream.