Chapter 1277: Scorched World

Clank.

Looking at the vambrace that enveloped my whole body, I moved myself this way and that. The feel of the iron armor registered on my skin, and it felt unnaturally natural.

It was like I was just wearing comfortable clothes.

“Hoho.”

What is this? It’s really strange. It really turned into armor, didn’t it?

I carefully moved my hand. Whoosh-! The wind brushed past my quickly extended arm.

‘Hmm.’

I widened my eyes slightly. Even though I swung my fist with the same strength, it felt like the speed and power had increased.

The problem is.

‘My energy is being consumed.’

Perhaps because strengthening power is the effect of the artifact, using the power consumed energy. Although the amount wasn’t large.

‘It’s not small either.’

It felt a bit burdensome for me to use right now.

“Amwang. Have you ever seen a form like this?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

Amwang looked at me with a nonchalant gaze. It seemed he wasn’t particularly surprised. Does ‘first time seeing it’ mean he had never seen Paejon like this before?

‘But.’

The fact that this was found in the traces of battle.

‘It means Paejon ultimately used this.’

Proof that Paejon fought using this artifact. Does it mean that gentleman, who seemed unlikely to do anything using artifacts, was that desperate?

‘I don’t know.’

This is also ambiguous. Because.

‘Rather than receiving help from something like this…….’

Paejon was the kind of person who would choose death over receiving help from something like this. It is said that a warrior should always end from nothing to nothing. Because I thought he would be a gentleman whose pride would be greatly wounded by using something like this.

“……In the meantime, how do I take this off?”

I needed to remove what was enveloping my body, but how should I do it? Just as I was contemplating for a moment.

Charrrrr-!!!

“Oh.”

The armor was released, reforming into a vambrace that wrapped around my arm. Not to mention it returned as if nothing had happened.

“Fortunately, it came off.”

It didn’t seem like it wouldn’t come off like a mysterious artifact. I removed the vambrace and stowed it.

Then.

Clatter.

‘Huh?’

I took out an item I had momentarily forgotten. Ah, this.

“It’s the item Grandma gave me.”

In my original world, Mi Hyoran gave it to me, and in this life, it was a bead given by the one called my grandmother.

This is probably…….

‘Wasn’t this a bead for summoning the head of the family?’

I don’t know the exact effect, but seeing as how my father popped out when I used the artifact Mi Hyoran gave me.

‘Bringing someone who possesses another bead.’

If not that…….

‘It could also be an item to summon the head of the Gu family.’

Even if the conditions aren’t clear, the effect is certain. It’s definitely a helpful item, but…….

‘Will there be a need to use it?’

If I were to use this, and the current head of the Gu family, meaning my grandfather, were to pop out, I wondered how often there would be a need for it. It was more important to ensure there was no need to use it if possible. If the time came when I had to use this.

‘It would be an incredibly huge problem.’

An event where I couldn’t solve it myself and had to call upon something else. If that happened, it would be something I couldn’t even guess the nature of.

“……Hmm.”

So, preventing such a thing from happening is the priority.

I put the bead back in again and thought about the vambrace.

‘What should I do about the strange part?’

Putting aside the energy. What did the phenomenon of it constantly trying to release mean? I felt suspicious.

‘There’s something.’

It wouldn’t be a phenomenon that just exists. There must be some reason.

Perhaps.

‘Did Paejon do it on purpose?’

The energy of the vambrace. I suspected Paejon had done it intentionally. Isn’t it possible he wanted to convey something?

If so.

“Amwang.”

“What is it?”

“Could you send me back to the farthest place we went last time?”

“……?”

Amwang’s brow furrowed at my words. His face seemed to ask why I had to go to the place we just visited.

“I’m asking a favor.”

For me, it was an action with a reason.

* * *

Swooosh-!! The black vision cleared, and I arrived at the plain we had visited earlier.

It was the location Amwang had mentioned. After arriving there, I looked around.

‘This much should be enough.’

It was a situation where I came all the way here unnecessarily. I thought this place would be sufficient.

‘A location where I can handle it even if a problem arises.’

The farthest place was something I might need later, but using it like this shouldn’t cause much of a problem.

‘Now then.’

After glancing around the surroundings. I held up the vambrace.

The thing that was blocking the energy from being released. I looked at the threads of the spell. Since it couldn’t be blocked by normal energy seals, I had wrapped them around it a bit.

I slowly unwound that. The threads slowly unwound.

Swooosh-!! Paejon’s blocked energy began to scatter in the air.

‘Hmm.’

When I first saw it, I didn’t feel much.

‘Somehow, it feels like it’s getting stronger.’

The momentum of its release is formidable. Was it always this strong? Just as I was wondering.

Swaaaaaa—-!!!

“What?”

Energy began to burst out tremendously. Such energy was hidden in the vambrace? I was flustered.

‘I need to block it again.’

Energy bursting out to this extent is an unusual event. Just as I was about to cast the spell again.

Tchit chit chit chit–!!!

I felt something in the air. Seeing that, Amwang moved. Immediately, black energy swirled around my feet as the starting point. It was Amwang’s power being activated.

Swoosh!

Amwang grabbed my shoulder and pulled me.

“Something’s coming.”

He tried to quickly take me away like that, but.

“It won’t be like that.”

Kwooooooong—!!!

Simultaneously with the resounding voice, something fell from the sky.

Kwoooooooaah—!!! An immense shock erupted, pushing my body back. The plain was being destroyed by the wind pressure. My face contorted from the falling debris. I immediately drew up the energy within my body.

Kwooooaah-!!! I unleashed the energy from my body, blocking the energy that was covering me. Meanwhile, I directed my gaze downward. The energy Amwang had used to envelop me also scattered.

‘What is it?’

My body stiffened slightly from the overwhelming energy. Just then. Amwang’s power tried to envelop me again, but.

“Your learning is slow.”

Kwoooang-!! The wind surged again. The typhoon-like pressure pushed back Amwang’s power once more.

‘Huh.’

It’s not ordinary wind. I knew it the moment I saw it. It suppresses authority like that?

‘Like.’

It felt like a trap. I scowled and looked ahead.

“It’s more disappointing than I thought. I thought the game of tag would last longer, though.”

It wasn’t from the front. The voice I heard was from the air. I raised my head. There.

“……!”

I saw a huge old man floating with his clothes fluttering. It was a familiar face.

Wearing one large ox horn, he seemed to be floating freely as if standing on the wind.

“……Cheolhyeol Busan?”

He was currently the number one under heaven in this false world, and in terms of this current life, he was called the last number one under heaven. Because in a world made of three honored ones, there was no longer a highest.

“Haha. Look who it is.”

The Greatest Under Heaven who became an apostle. He looked at me and lifted the corners of his mouth.

“You’re alive, brat.”

“……”

“I wondered who on earth took off with Bijoo’s bait… I see. It makes sense if it was you.”

“……Bait?”

‘Is he talking about this vambrace?’

The vambrace emitting energy. Could this be the bait the one who made this is talking about?

“What? Didn’t you take it knowing what it was?”

Perhaps because of my reaction, he made a strange expression. A hint of disappointment was also visible.

“I thought you took it knowing everything, especially since you even hid the energy…”

“……”

I was convinced by those words.

‘This strangely emitting energy. It was indeed artificial.’

The problem was that Paejon didn’t intend it, but the important thing was that my guess was half right anyway.

“It’s a welcome face. I like it. It was good that I came forward unnecessarily.”

Tsk tsk. Cheolhyeol Busan chuckled. Meanwhile, I looked at his arm.

‘The left one is missing.’

Seeing it flutter, it looked like his left arm had been torn off somewhere. Sensing my gaze, Cheolhyeol Busan grinned.

“Your master took it. Doesn’t it look good?”

Does that mean he lost it in the fight with Paejon?

“I didn’t know that guy had so many tricks hidden. Yes, that’s precisely why I liked it even more.”

“…What did you do?”

I scowled as I looked at him. Then.

“What did I do? I merely enjoyed myself.”

“Entertainment…? Is becoming an apostle entertainment?”

“This is secondary. I didn’t particularly intend to become an apostle… but this side also has its own circumstances.”

Circumstances.

“That’s bullshit.”

Heat rose to my head.

“Let me ask just one thing.”

Politeness was already gone. Whether he was the Greatest Under Heaven or whatever, this wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

“Who won?”

“What?”

Cheolhyeol Busan’s eyes widened at my question.

“You and Paejon. Who won between the two of them.”

“Hahaha.”

Cheolhyeol Busan burst into loud laughter.

“Is that important in the midst of all this?”

“Is there anything more important than this?”

“Ahahahahaha. Bijoo too, but you’re also not normal. Is it a case of like master, like disciple?”

“Shut up and just answer.”

Screeeech. I slowly put strength into the tips of my toes.

Just as I was doing that.

“Brat. Who do you think I am in front of your eyes?”

Wind slowly began to ripple from Cheolhyeol Busan’s body as well.

“I am the Greatest Under Heaven.”

Whooooosh-!! A vortex slowly began to churn.

“The fact that I can still mention this word. It means I haven’t lost to anyone.”

“……”

Paejon lost.

At those words, I let out a laugh from deep within my dantian.

“Hic… hic…”

“What’s so funny?”

Cheolhyeol Busan looked at me, puzzled, but.

“I understand it clearly now.”

From Cheolhyeol Busan’s reaction, I could understand one thing.

“You.”

That fight.

“Lost, didn’t you?”

It seemed like Paejon had clearly won.