Chapter 1259: Scorched World

Night poured down. A pitch-black night, enough to cover my eyes fully, obscured my vision.

Glancing at the enveloping space, I scanned my surroundings.

‘…This.’

It was a familiar space.

As if the fight I was just having with Father was nothing, a quiet and serene space appeared, far too nonchalantly.

Looking into the darkness, I glanced sideways. Cheolryong Master wore a startled expression.

“This is…”

Judging by his face, it seemed he knew what this was too.

Cheolryong Master glanced at me cautiously amidst this.

But then again, it was a fact I already knew from the beginning.

‘Right. No wonder.’

The subtle sense of strangeness I’d felt around me. I felt like I knew what it was that hadn’t been sensed well, even after heightening my senses.

‘…That that person was here.’

It wasn’t strange, considering it was someone who could be anywhere and nowhere, but…

‘He couldn’t avoid it either?’

I was puzzled that even he, a person renowned for his speed in the Central Plains, couldn’t avoid the Ma-gyeong Gate.

As I was catching my breath, puzzled by this.

“How strange.”

A sound was heard.

Subsequently.

Sreung.

Something sharp touched my neck.

“You’re not surprised.”

“…”

I glanced sideways. Someone was standing behind me. Judging by their appearance, they looked small and frail, a person I was seeing for the first time, but…

‘…As expected.’

She. No, he was indeed someone I knew.

“Who are you?”

To his question, I said with a smirk.

“I didn’t expect to meet the Zenith of the Shadow Guests here.”

“…”

My body tingled. Killing intent was suppressing me. Even though all my energy was drained, it felt menacing.

The Zenith of the Shadow Guests.

Right.

This person’s identity was precisely the Shadow King.

‘…Why are you here?’

Although we didn’t have much contact in my past life, in this current life, he was quite close. We had a symbiotic relationship based on mutual goals.

Because I was in a position where I had sworn loyalty, as the Shadow King had something he wanted from me.

To think I’d meet such a person in this life too.

And in a situation like this, no less.

‘Nice.’

Thanks to that, I could laugh inwardly.

“This is interesting.”

Chilling.

“You know me.”

“I know you a bit.”

“How do you know me?”

“If I said I heard it from my master… would you believe me?”

“…”

Phook.

Oh, shit.

Blood trickled from the sword tip that had slightly dug into my neck.

“There won’t be a second time.”

“…”

How menacing. It stopped right before the vital point. Had it dug in just a little deeper, it would have been a dangerous spot.

“Who are you?”

“It’s something I hear often these days… it’s hard to say what to call myself. But, is it okay for you to be like this? It seems a bit dangerous outside.”

Hoodedeudeuk.

At my words, the black barrier disappeared. What appeared next was surprisingly the front of the hideout.

‘Whoa.’

What is this? I hadn’t heard that the Shadow King could use something like this.

To think he could move space itself.

‘Then what happened to Father?’

Even if he moved like this, Father’s condition was a sudden question, but now that I faced the Shadow King, I couldn’t think of anything else.

‘…Since there was something like this.’

He must not have known the Shadow King’s identity until now; it was an unusual event.

“Now you should answer, shouldn’t you?”

“…”

Before speaking, I stared intently at Cheolryong Master.

“It’s something that might be awkward if someone else heard. Would you be alright with that?”

“Are you trying to scheme?”

“No. I need to hear about the dragon. Would it be okay-“

Kkigigigik-!!!

In an instant, shadows surged. Covering the barrier again, darkness descended.

It felt like walls were erected on all sides. Its quality was different from the formation barrier.

“What did you say?”

A cold voice pierced my ears.

Kkwak-!

“…!”

A hand flew in and gripped my neck. Although she appeared to be a small woman, the pressure felt was on a different level.

“Did you say dragon?”

“…Gasp…”

“How do you know about the dragon?”

It was something on a different level than the killing intent shown earlier. It wasn’t just emitting presence; anger was clearly felt.

It was the anger of a Beyond Heaven level martial artist. Just feeling it externally was dizzying.

“…Won’t I answer if you release this?”

I was now certain that the Shadow King couldn’t kill me. Because I knew where his earnestness and actions stemmed from.

“…”

The Shadow King’s eyes looked like they would pierce through me. Then.

“…Bi-ju has brought in something strange.”

Subsequently, he let go of the hand that was gripping me.

“Hoo.”

Stroking my neck, I said to him.

“You’re rougher than I expected. I thought you’d be much colder.”

“Answer me. I said there won’t be a second time.”

“Eh. Whether it’s twice or thrice doesn’t matter anymore.”

“What?”

“You can’t kill me, Senior. Because-“

At those words, something approached. Although it was a dagger that would normally have been more than enough to slice off my head, I knew.

He intentionally…

“Because I am the one who will fulfill your wish, Senior.”

Because I knew it was cutting slower than the speed of sound.

As if to prove this.

U-ttuk.

The dagger stopped against my neck.

“…The one who will fulfill my wish?”

“I know what your wish is, Senior. You probably came all the way here for that, didn’t you?”

“…”

The Shadow King gave fewer answers. I already knew the answer anyway.

‘Something’s off.’

I wondered if the Blood Demon’s attempt, however brilliant, could have matched the Shadow King’s speed, and furthermore… I had the thought that he didn’t seem like someone who would suffer such a fate.

So what came to mind was none other than this:

‘It was intentional.’

The possibility that he intentionally got caught up in the transfer.

He could have done that. Because…

‘With this, there would have been hope of being able to die.’

The Shadow King is someone who desires his own death. Therefore, it was possible he might have gambled on something like this, but… Seeing his reaction, it seemed correct after all.

“You…”

“Therefore, I will grant your wish, Senior.”

“…What?”

“You desire death, don’t you? Don’t you want to escape Yeon’s curse?”

“…How could you know that?”

“I can solve that curse for you.”

It’s possible if it’s me.

The Shadow King had said so.

“Because I am a dragon.”

“…!”

“That curse is something only a dragon can solve. I will solve that curse for you.”

“…You’re a dragon?”

“Yes.”

Speaking, I narrowed my eyes. Originally, the Shadow King should have realized I was a dragon first, but looking now, he was watching me with suspicious eyes.

‘What is it?’

Why doesn’t he know? Is it because I have no energy?

Or perhaps.

‘Is it because this is a false world?’

I don’t know the reason. However, it seemed correct that he hadn’t noticed me.

“How will you prove it?”

At the Shadow King’s words, I looked into his eyes. I felt it. Not fleetingly, but clearly.

‘How earnest.’

Those eyes, looking at me earnestly as if a thread of hope had appeared.

Feeling that, I said to him.

I wasn’t speaking simply.

‘Will it work?’

Recalling the very faint remaining energy, I imbued my voice with sensation.

[Kneel.]

“…!”

As the Dragon Tongue burst forth, half of the Shadow King’s knee bent down.

At this, the Shadow King’s eyes widened like saucers.

“…This!”

“My condition isn’t good right now, so this is all I can show you, but…”

Slowly approaching, I continued speaking.

“Even with this much, you should be able to tell, Senior. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

I made eye contact.

“I will grant your wish, Senior.”

So.

“Could you help me a bit first?”

This time too, I was just making a proposal he couldn’t refuse.

---

The weather before nightfall.

Around that time, the party returned.

“Young Master Baek…!”

Poison Phoenix hurried over and checked on me.

“Are you alright…?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. There’s no problem.”

I was in a bit of trouble because I’d left the search party behind, but fortunately, it seemed they returned safely. Amidst this, it felt quite strange that they worried about me first.

“As for you, Young Lady Dang, were there any incidents?”

“Yes… We were fine.”

“That’s fortunate.”

I nodded. Truthfully, I wasn’t too worried, but they said it anyway.

“…Thank you for worrying.”

“…”

Feeling their reaction was too welcoming, I felt a bit sorry.

“…Let’s go inside first. We need to set up the formation before it gets dangerous.”

Cheolryong Master said, looking at us. Since the waiting party had all arrived, we could finally enter the hideout.

At that moment, Cheolryong Master told the others.

“Set up the formation.”

“Understood.”

Kkiiik! Kung!

As the door closed, the formation experts waiting nearby waved their hands.

U-u-ung-!!!!!

It seemed they were using the surrounding rocks and trees to unfold the formation.

“…Focus-!”

“You can’t make mistakes in the calculations! Focus harder!”

The formation experts moved frantically. Someone was diligently writing something on the floor. Others were scanning the walls, busy moving and sweating profusely.

“…What are they doing?”

As I asked Cheolryong Master about this.

“As you can see, they’re setting up a formation. Now that we know an apostle appeared nearby… we need to hide the hideout more strongly.”

“Ah.”

“So that’s what they’re doing?”

To reinforce the formation barrier set up here?

“Hmm…”

Watching the ceaselessly moving people, I scratched my head.

‘Do they really have to do it like that?’

I looked with my Mind’s Eye activated.

“Let’s stop this. First, I need to urgently report to the Young Master… Baek Yangcheon?”

“Young Master? Where are you going…”

Cheolryong Master and Poison Phoenix flinched. It was because I had suddenly approached the formation experts.

“Hey! If you go there now…”

“Move it next to the rock.”

Ignoring Cheolryong Master’s warning, I nudged the rock with my foot.

“What the-!”

The formation experts were aghast.

“If you touch this…!”

Hu-u-u-uk-!!!!!

The barrier set up around trembled violently.

“Ah, no…!”

“The pattern is distorting…! We have to block it quickly!”

“Block what?”

I pushed through the panicked crowd. Then, I placed my hand on the wall.

“It was flawed from the very beginning when it was built, you know.”

The threads covering the wall… I lightly touched them. I organized the tangled and awkward parts, then tightly tied up what was about to come loose. As if tying a final knot, I reinforced it too.

Hu-a-a-a-a-a—–!!!!!

As the barrier quickly surged upwards, it thickly enveloped the surroundings of the hideout.

“Huh?”

“Huh… Huh?”

The formation experts stared at the barrier with surprised eyes. Since they were trembling as if it were unbelievable, I said to them.

“Is this that difficult? Why can’t they do this…?”

Why couldn’t they do this simple thing?

I truly couldn’t understand.