Chapter 1276: Scorched World

Returned to the cave. The Demon King’s divine power was useful every time I saw it.

Complete spatial teleportation. I’d never heard of such a thing.

‘At least, within the scope of my knowledge, it seems like the best divine power.’

Among the divine powers I’d seen or obtained so far, this seemed the most outstanding.

Of course, according to the Demon King, it didn’t originally show this level of efficiency. Though I suppose it’s something that only manifests in this demonic mirror world.

‘Still.’

With power like that, I wondered if the Demon King had always been good at hiding their existence.

“You’re back.”

As I re-entered the cave, Poison Phoenix reacted as if waiting for me. It seemed like they really were waiting.

“Ah, yes. Was everything alright?”

“Yes…”

Nothing much would have happened. I had already captured Namgung Jin, the Apostle. Besides, I had already dealt with the monsters I brought along.

‘Looks like no other Apostles came.’

Then again, it would be strange for them to come one after another.

“What about the others?”

“Shinryong’s Unit Leader and Miss Mi are with Geomryong.”

“Did that human wake up?”

“Just now.”

“Then I should go see them too.”

Nodding, I immediately started walking.

---

When I arrived at the destination, the personnel were gathered as Poison Phoenix had explained.

“…You don’t remember?”

Mi Hyoran was asking Namgung Jin something with a serious expression. In response to the question, Namgung Jin nodded with a weary look.

“…Yes, I don’t remember anything.”

“Up to what point do you remember?”

“Clearly… up until the moment the Apostle appeared at our hideout-…”

“So you mean you have no memory after being dragged away.”

After Namgung Jin was dragged away by them as if he were a sacrifice. He was saying he couldn’t remember the months he spent acting as an Apostle.

“…!”

Then, Namgung Jin noticed me.

“Baek Yangcheon…”

His call drew gazes towards me. I gave a slight wave.

“Have you all been well?”

“…You’ve returned. Where did you go?”

“I just went for a short stroll.”

“At this time?”

“Yes. I was feeling a bit stifled.”

Tae Ho-an looked at me with a look of incomprehension. I casually ignored it.

“So. You’re saying you don’t remember anything at all?”

“…How did you get here?”

“Because I beat you up and fixed you?”

“What…?”

“I heard you were dragged away instead to save others. Is that right?”

“… “

Namgung Jin didn’t answer. I realized my words were problematic and corrected myself immediately.

“Ah, not others, but to save Miss Mi, wasn’t it?”

“You…”

“Well, that doesn’t matter. Do you really not remember?”

I looked at him with an indifferent gaze. Sensing my gaze, Namgung Jin frowned.

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm.”

It didn’t seem like a lie. That was my feeling. Moreover, the presence he had as an Apostle earlier was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like many changes had occurred upon returning to being human.

‘First, the memory from that time is gone.’

If it’s not a lie.

‘I’ll need to find out if the other Apostles are like this too.’

Another thing had come up that I needed to investigate.

“So, that means you don’t know what you were doing when you were an Apostle.”

“…What did I do?”

Namgung Jin asked with anxious eyes. At that moment.

“You don’t remember…!”

Someone from behind flared up.

“The colleague you… you killed…!!”

It was a martial artist watching from outside the bars, unable to enter. He yelled repeatedly, looking furious.

“Not only did you betray us as an Apostle, but you forgot everything you did? How is that even possible!! Bring them back-…!”

Thwack!

Cough.

He collapsed without finishing his sentence. Tae Ho-an released his pressure, severing the man’s consciousness.

“Apologies for interrupting the conversation. We have a sensitive individual here.”

He tried to smile as he said it, but Namgung Jin’s expression had already soured.

“…What… what did I do?”

“As for what you did…”

Tae Ho-an said, scratching his cheek.

“You did the work of an Apostle. Since you were an Apostle.”

“…!”

At those words, Namgung Jin’s expression crumbled slightly.

“Ah. This is why I didn’t want to say anything right away.”

“…Young Master Namgung. Calm down. It wasn’t something you did intentionally…”

“That kind of thing won’t be comforting right now, will it?”

I cut in between the two. Tae Ho-an and Mi Hyoran flinched.

“Unless you’re truly insane, such trivial words won’t sound comforting. Just leave him be.”

“…Young Master Baek.”

Tae Ho-an looked at me with uncomfortable eyes. I chuckled at his gaze.

‘What could someone who hasn’t experienced it possibly know?’

Killing without one’s own intent. In a situation where one remembers nothing, the things they did come crashing down like a disaster. No words could comfort this. Because I had been through that.

‘So, wasn’t it not my fault because I was out of my mind? It would have been nice if I could have maintained that attitude.’

Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite that much of trash.

At the same time.

‘That guy seems better than me in that regard.’

Namgung Jin seemed like a better person than me in this aspect.

“That… that kind of thing…”

It was perhaps natural for him to break down like that.

“Young Master Namgung…!”

Namgung Jin trembled. Whether it was the shock of having been an Apostle, or the events that occurred during that process, he was trembling more violently.

“Calm down, first…!”

Mi Hyoran tried to soothe him urgently. Seeing that, I stepped in.

Wham!

“…Cough!”

“…”

I smacked him on the head and knocked him out. Seeing that, everyone around was startled.

“Young Master Baek…! Why!”

Mi Hyoran glared at me, her expression furious. Seeing this, I shrugged.

“Are we just going to leave him like that? Talking won’t work if we leave him like that. It’s better to knock him out once and wake him up.”

“You…!”

“Be rational. You’re usually fine, so why are you getting so worked up? Is my action wrong? It was just excessive.”

“…Tsk.”

It was the efficient approach. Rather than coaxing and placating Namgung Jin, who was on the verge of madness, knocking him out again was faster.

“You guys can’t do anything for him.”

I said calmly.

“Just wait until he wakes up and seems okay, then talk. That would be better.”

After speaking, I turned my back. As I walked back towards the entrance, no one really stopped me. Only a few sharp gazes could be felt. Of course, I didn’t look back. Because I had some things to think about.

‘After all.’

Seeing Namgung Jin’s reaction, I changed my mind.

‘He must have some memory after all.’

It seemed like he was recalling something.

---

Leaving Namgung Jin and the others, I quietly walked inside the cave. As I did, I took out an item from my pocket. It was an item said to be a treasure from Seoan Bigah. A black, armband-shaped item. I examined it back and forth.

“…Hmm.”

The aura of Tuapa Cheongong contained within the item. This was definitely the aura of Paejon. Even the Demon King confirmed it was an item used by Paejon.

‘Why was this lying there?’

The place where a battle was presumed to have occurred. Why specifically this item was there. That was the question for me.

‘Did Paejon lose it?’

That seemed like the most likely possibility.

‘…No.’

That was also strange. It didn’t make sense that only this was left behind.

‘Besides.’

The aura felt from the treasure itself also had a strange sense of foreignness. Rather than the aura flickering within the treasure itself… it was more like.

‘It feels like it’s being intentionally released.’

It felt like the aura inside was being artificially scattered. So, I first wrapped it with Gimak to block the aura from escaping.

‘What is this?’

Why did this situation occur?

‘Hmm.’

I looked at the treasure again and again. Then, I asked the Demon King who was beside me.

“Do you know what effect this has?”

When I asked about the treasure’s effects.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen Bijju use it either.”

“Ah, yes.”

The Demon King showed an indifferent reaction. Did he also not know much about this?

“Hmm.”

I fiddled with the vambrace back and forth. Then, I slipped my hand inside. A cool sensation wrapped around my forearm. At that moment.

Zzzzzzzzzzt—!!

“Hmm?”

Thorns grew from the vambrace I wore and dug into my skin. A stinging pain was felt instantly. Moreover.

Slurp.

‘It’s sucking my blood.’

It started drawing my blood. What the hell is this thing? I immediately ripped the vambrace off. It had dug in so deep that my skin tore along with it as I ripped it off. This much would regenerate anyway.

“What the hell is this thing?”

Why is it sucking blood all of a sudden? As I frowned in confusion.

Fshhhhhh-!!

Smoke billowed from the armor. It immediately started changing color. The jet-black vambrace slowly turned blue. It was the same color as my unique aura. This was the same as when Gui-jeong changed.

“…”

Seeing that, I grabbed the vambrace again.

Clatter-!!

“…”

This time too, it quickly covered my arm. The difference was that thorns didn’t appear this time. Another thing was.

Clatter.

The vambrace covered my entire body, not just my arm.

“…What the.”

The vambrace covered my entire body. In a form like wearing full armor.