Chapter 1258: Scorched World

Hwarureureuk.

What floated in the empty air resembled the sun. Though its color was strange, the sky itself was contradictory, so that monstrosity didn’t stand out.

Gray flames.

As I couldn’t take my eyes off that flickering form.

“……Damn!”

The Iron Dragon Unit Leader reacted upon seeing it.

“How… is that fellow now…!”

There was no time for me to ask anything. Immediately, the Iron Dragon Unit Leader grabbed my wrist.

“It’s dangerous… We must run…”

“Run?”

Hearing this, I had to furrow my brow.

“When you were suspecting him as an Apostle just moments ago, and now you’re telling me to run?”

“……I’ll explain the situation later. For now…”

“Besides.”

It didn’t matter what he said anyway.

“It’s already too late.”

The situation had already blown up, and then some.

Hwaaaaaaaah—!!!

The burning flames plummeted. Quickly, it accelerated as if a meteor were falling.

Anyone could tell it was heading this way.

Soon.

Kwaaaaaaaaah—!!!

The flames that hit the ground exploded momentarily. The impact wasn’t that strong, but.

“Oof.”

The heat I felt made me certain once again.

“I’d heard all sorts of things, so I half didn’t believe it.”

From within the gray flames.

Tteobeok.

Someone walked out. A large build, fierce eyes. However, he was a handsome man with a strong facial structure.

Normally, he should have had fiery red eyes. For some reason, he possessed gray eyes.

Another difference was.

“You’ve become quite a strange sight? Unit Leader-nim…”

The fact that a considerable horn protruded from his forehead.

“……”

Father.

Father appeared, bursting forth with flames.

“…Gu Cheol-un!”

The Iron Dragon Unit Leader exclaimed in shock at the sight.

Then, seeing me and the Iron Dragon Unit Leader, Father spoke with a blank expression.

“Found you.”

It was a low voice.

And then.

Hwaaaaaaaaah—!!!

Unlike his quiet voice, immense flames wrapped around his hand.

“…Wow.”

Seeing that, I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Your objective is quite clear.”

There seemed to be no room for conversation.

Hwarureureuk-!!!

The swirling flames gathered in his hand. A flame prison was created. The color was, as expected, gray.

‘So he became an Apostle.’

Something must have changed.

‘The flames are too threatening.’

They were rougher and more intense than the flames Father used in this era.

At the same time, I felt a palpable killing intent.

Even when mixed with fighting spirit, he never used such killing intent.

I took a stance.

“Hey, old man.”

“…!”

I quietly called out to the Iron Dragon Unit Leader.

“You should be able to move now. Stay out of the way.”

“What do you mean…!”

“Getting involved will only get in the way. Don’t you understand?”

“…!”

“Don’t make me say it twice, it’s annoying. I’ve already been lenient. Just get lost, please.”

Saying that, I kicked off the ground. Seeing me charge, Father reached out his hand.

The flame prison shrank.

Then.

Kwaaaaaaak-!!!

It exploded from his hand, pouring out like a beam of light.

Kwaak-!!

I increased my speed and barely dodged.

Kuaaaaaaaaaah—!!!

The flash that flew backward exploded with impact, blasting the ground.

‘…Well now.’

What’s with that condensation and rotational force? What kind of changes happened while I wasn’t looking?

‘He’s already surpassed the Hwa-gyeong level.’

Early Hwa-gyeong. It seemed he had moved beyond that level to become a master of Hwa-gyeong.

Whether it was the aftermath of becoming an Apostle, or what happened over the past year, I didn’t know.

‘Still.’

At least he’s not dead.

Is that fortunate, then?

‘Fortunate my ass.’

I shifted my stance, steadying my mind.

“Unit Leader-nim. You’ve gotten much stronger while I wasn’t looking.”

I tried speaking cautiously, but.

“……”

Father didn’t answer.

He just conjured flames again.

“Hmm…”

Is this what happens when one becomes an Apostle?

The hostility is no joke.

‘…I have to fight Father.’

This isn’t good. Fighting Father has never been a good experience.

But then again.

‘I can’t just not fight now.’

We had to have a showdown.

It seemed necessary to gauge Father’s condition.

Even if not for that.

‘Let’s give it a shot.’

It was time to see if this time would be any different.

Hwarureuk-!

I felt the flames. The moment I saw them, I braced myself.

‘Tam.’

Kkiiiiii.

My shadow writhed.

Tam flew straight towards Father’s flames, intending to devour them, but.

Meomchit!

“Huh?”

Tam stopped right in front of me and then hid back into the shadows.

“Ah, you crazy…!”

Thanks to that, the flames plunged right at me.

I quickly turned my head and barely managed to evade.

Kwarureureuk!!!

Watching the flames blast the ground as they passed, I gritted my teeth.

‘Why is this crazy thing acting like this all of a sudden?’

Tam, which usually devoured everything, didn’t consume Father’s flames. What the hell is this? I’m baffled.

Tam should devour anything that’s a divine power.

‘Why those flames?’

Are Father’s flames not a divine power?

‘No, they are.’

I can feel the scent of divine power.

It’s impossible to deny that I feel something.

It’s just a mystery why Tam won’t consume them.

‘This is a problem.’

If Tam doesn’t activate against the flames, it means I have to engage directly.

“……Damn it.”

Kung.

I stomped hard on the ground.

Gray flames flashed and burned all over Father’s body.

‘Should I use Tua Pa Cheon Mu?’

I pondered the martial art.

There wasn’t much time to think.

‘Sseup.’

The moment I tried to channel the Heart Technique of the Martial Lord into my body.

‘…No good.’

I changed my mind.

Using Tua Pa Cheon Mu in my current state wouldn’t be cost-effective.

I could see my internal energy scattering after just a couple of uses.

In that case, there’s no other way.

Hwarureuk.

“…?”

I wrapped my hand in azure flames.

As the flames coiled around my hand, a reaction flickered in Father’s eyes.

Deudeudeuk.

I stepped on the ground with my foot.

Unlike Father, I didn’t envelop my entire body in flames.

I condensed and compressed small flames, coiling them in my hand.

Flame prison.

I floated the strongly gathered sphere in the air.

Then.

“Hup.”

With a shout, I punched the sphere.

And then.

Tung-!!

The flame prison shot towards Father at tremendous speed.

Seeing this, Father threw the flame prison he had created right back.

Kwadeuk-!

The flame prisons collided, erupting in an explosion.

Flames of different colors intertwined and soared into the sky.

The surrounding air changed, turning hot.

The flames transformed, swirling like a vortex.

In the midst of it, I activated my Mind’s Eye.

It was to find Father’s location.

‘Found him.’

I confirmed his position shortly after.

Father hadn’t moved from his spot.

Now that I knew his position, I had to attack.

I wrapped flames around my leg and swung it.

Gu Yeom Tae Ryun Gak.

My kick spewed forth a blazing inferno.

I flew straight at Father, aiming to overwhelm him.

Kwaaaaaaaaaah—!!!

The ground became a mess.

The azure flames covered the area and then some.

Normally, everything would have melted away.

‘Not yet.’

I believed.

That Father wouldn’t fall to mere flames like these.

Hwarureuk.

I gathered energy throughout my body and increased my speed.

I plunged into the flames.

Kwak-!!

‘As expected.’

Something was caught in my hand.

I expelled air, clearing the obscured vision.

It was his neck.

Father’s neck was caught by me.

His expression was still blank.

He looked at me with faint eyes, sending an unsettling chill down my spine.

Irritated by his gaze, I unconsciously tightened my grip and threw Father aside.

Kwaang.

Father’s body crashed onto the ground.

Paseuseuseuk.

Father slowly got up from amidst the debris.

Watching him, I asked.

“Why did you end up like this?”

“……”

“You’re not the type to become an Apostle. How did you end up doing something like this?”

What’s with the sudden mention of Apostle?

If it were another person, I might understand.

But Father becoming an Apostle? I just can’t comprehend it.

“Is there some reason? Because otherwise…”

As I tried to understand somehow.

“How amusing.”

Father said, looking at me.

“What do you know about me?”

“…Well…”

“I thought you were already dead. You managed to survive. So, it seems you’re the reason ‘He’ had doubts.”

“…Unit Leader-nim.”

“I don’t listen to pointless chatter.”

Hwaaaaaaa.

Father conjured flames once more.

Then, he condensed them in his hand.

The form was somehow strange.

‘It’s not a flame prison.’

It wasn’t a sphere like a flame prison.

It was closer to a more common form of flame.

Then, it slowly began to transform.

‘Is that…?’

A bow.

It resembled a large longbow.

At the same time, an arrow made of flames appeared on the bow.

Seeing this, my body moved before I could think.

Gu Yeom Tae Ryun A.

I expanded the flames surrounding my body.

Holding another flame prison in my hand, I charged.

It’s a martial art I’ve never seen before.

Or maybe it’s not a martial art?

Whatever it was, I had to block it.

With only that thought, I charged to attack, but.

Seuuk.

Gauging where the arrow’s tip was aimed, my body stopped.

Pik.

The flaming arrow flew.

Not towards me, but towards the Iron Dragon Unit Leader.

Just before the flying arrow reached the Iron Dragon Unit Leader.

“Damn it-“

Paaak-!

I immediately recalled the flames and detonated them in my palm.

Using the recoil, I flew backward and stood in front of the Iron Dragon Unit Leader.

Kwaaaaaaaaaah—!!!

“…Baek Yangcheon?”

The Iron Dragon Unit Leader looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Why…!”

“…Ah, shit. That hurt like hell.”

Twae.

I spat out the blood I had pooled in my mouth.

One of my arms felt numb.

It seemed I had taken a direct hit.

Fortunately, it seemed to have stopped at just broken bones.

‘I’m screwed.’

All the energy in my body was spent on that defense.

‘What do I do?’

If it’s like this, I’m really screwed, aren’t I?

“I didn’t expect you, Unit Leader-nim, to be so cheap.”

I said, looking at Father.

He wasn’t the type to fight this way, to act so pettily.

To my question.

“Likewise.”

Father said, holding another arrow.

“I didn’t expect you to block him instead.”

“…I know.”

It felt like my mistake too.

I shouldn’t have done that.

“Hoo…”

I let out a breath and looked at my arm.

It was trembling.

What do I do?

Tam doesn’t work, and I have no energy left.

What should I do in this state?

If things continue like this, I might die by Father’s hand.

What methods are there?

I pondered and pondered, but.

“This is the end.”

Pik-!

Father, showing no intention of waiting, shot the arrow.

Just before the arrow reached us.

“Close your eyes.”

Along with a strangely familiar voice.

Seeeeeee-!!!

Sudden darkness fell upon me.