Chapter 1287: Scorched World

Kwagagag-!!

Kyaaaaaa–!!

The monster’s incessant cries could be heard. Ignoring the ear-splitting cries, I moved my hands.

Kwaduk.

I dug into the flesh and pulled out the bone inside. And then.

Hwareureureuk-!!

Kyaaaaaa-!!

I wrapped the monster in flames. The creature let out continuous screams.

Kung-!

The large monster collapsed. Watching it, I took a step forward.

“Don’t come……! I told you not to come!”

Beyond them, I saw a terrified creature looking at me. Its ears, whether they belonged to a bear or some other animal, stuck out.

It’s an Apostle.

An unknown Apostle yelled at me, seeing me.

“I told you not to come……! You monster……!”

“Monster?”

At those words, I let out a hollow laugh.

“Look at your own face. Who are you calling a monster?”

With a tail and ears unlike a human’s, calling me a monster? It’s absurd. Just as I was about to approach the creature, speaking with displeasure.

“……You’re the one who looks like a monster……!”

Udeuduk-!

Since it was talking nonsense, I didn’t hold back and snapped its neck.

“Kkeok……!”

It didn’t die even though I twisted and broke its neck. Because the Apostle’s vitality far exceeded my expectations.

“Why do you hurt people’s feelings like that?”

I looked at the creature and used my power.

Seueueue-!!

“Kkeueueue……!”

The Demonic Absorption Technique was cast, sucking away all of its energy. As its body slowly withered away.

Tuk.

I released my hand from its neck.

Pasasasas.

Its body turned into dust and vanished.

Keureureung.

Tam made a sound. It was a sign that it was full.

“Of course, you’re full after eating like this.”

I had been roaming around for days, searching for Apostles. Though I only found four. It was quite a harvest for someone searching alone.

‘Hmm.’

I moved my body slightly, lifting the corners of my mouth.

‘Not bad.’

Not only was my energy filled, but as I filled it, I felt something.

“So this is the energy of an Apostle.”

Something started to be detected by my senses. Something that wasn’t felt before.

“I think I know where the Apostles are.”

I could roughly grasp where Apostles were moving in this vast land. Surprisingly.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve stuffed myself so much.”

Perhaps thanks to finding Apostles and absorbing them indiscriminately. Or maybe I’m only just now sensing what was always there, I don’t know.

“Either way.”

It was beneficial to me. Because I no longer needed to find Apostles through the Dark King.

“……Hmm.”

I dusted off my hands. Just as I felt satisfied with the amount of power I had gained.

‘Now then…….’

It was time to think further.

‘I need to figure out the strange parts.’

There was something else I noticed while hunting Apostles.

These guys.

‘Why do they move around individually?’

They only tame monsters in their respective locations and move. They hardly ever acted as a group. Is there a reason?

‘Did they think lone martial artists could still catch them?’

I wondered if there was another reason. I tried catching one to interrogate it once, but.

‘It wouldn’t talk.’

Even after torturing it repeatedly, it wouldn’t speak, so I ended up absorbing and disposing of it.

“This is difficult.”

What should I do? Gaining information bit by bit like this is too slow.

The Apostles wouldn’t give me what I wanted even under torture.

In that case.

‘Should I try to get it out of them even if I have to turn them human?’

I was considering asking them after making them human. However, I judged it wasn’t easy because it required too much mana in the process.

‘Hmm.’

I stood up. I looked around. I saw the corpses of the monsters I had killed gradually disappearing.

‘So there are differences among monsters too.’

Normally, the corpses should remain unless the magic stones were removed, but monsters active in an Apostle’s territory usually disappear entirely, leaving no remains, once the Apostle dies.

‘Are they somehow connected to the Apostles?’

As I tilted my head in wonder.

“Ah.”

Thinking about monsters, something suddenly occurred to me.

“Rather than gaining things bit by bit like this.”

Wouldn’t it be better to gain things on a larger scale?

“……I’ve gained enough energy now. Shall I try using it?”

I happened to have a good power to obtain information.

Seueueue-!!

I focused power into my heart. At that moment.

Kuwuwuwung–!!

A Demonic Gate opened behind my back. A Demonic Gate, seemingly black yet blue. Several of them opened.

Kyaaaaaa-!!

Keureureureu—!!

Monsters slowly crawled out of the Demonic Gates. These were monsters manifested by my authority.

Looking at them, I said.

“Scatter and search.”

Kuwuwung–!!

In response to my command, the monsters darted out instantly, spreading out in all directions as if forming a large circle.

Watching them, I sat down cross-legged and closed my eyes.

Seueueue-!!

As soon as I closed my eyes, the vision of the monsters that had rushed out was shared with me. There were so many that my head ached, but it was bearable.

Shwoooosh-!!

Especially the bird-type monsters flew quickly, gathering information from all directions. There were monsters nearby, so friction with other monsters occurred, but I ordered them to prioritize information gathering and avoid fighting whenever possible.

How much time passed like that?

Around two hours later.

“……Hoo.”

I opened my eyes, which had been closed. Clutching my throbbing head, I released my authority. A significant amount of energy was gone, but the harvest was clear.

“As expected……”

Was pushing through with numbers the best approach? Thanks to that.

“I found it.”

---

Night fell, and I moved. As the strange moon rose, I cloaked myself in energy and headed somewhere. It was to go to the location discovered by the scouted monster.

I traveled for about an hour. Since I was faster than the monster’s movement, I arrived relatively quickly.

“……Here?”

Looking at the place I arrived, I had to frown. Because it was an area I knew to some extent. It couldn’t be helped.

‘This place.’

My previous life. It was the location of a hideout created by survivors, centered around Moyong Hi-ah during the Demonic Gate Incident.

‘The heart of Mount Tai.’

A location monsters couldn’t easily access. It was a hideout that could be secured by martial artists who were smaller and faster than monsters.

‘Here.’

Is there something strange? According to the monster’s reconnaissance, it certainly seemed so. Recalling that, I immediately reactivated my authority.

Shiiiik.

A Demonic Gate opened, and a bird-type monster darted out from within.

“Go.”

Flapping its wings, it immediately headed towards Mount Tai. I also shared vision with the monster. It entered the mountain’s interior at high speed.

Hwoooosh-!!

Since I used a small monster, penetrating was not difficult. It pierced through countless trees as it headed towards Mount Tai.

‘There are no monsters.’

For some reason, no monsters were visible around Mount Tai. Normally, it should be teeming with them. The monster, flying without rest, finally reached Mount Tai. Just then.

‘A cave?’

A cave was visible near Mount Tai. I know that too. Because it was the cave used as the entrance to the hideout. As soon as I saw it, I injected my consciousness into the monster’s body. I intended to enter the interior using the monster’s body.

At that moment.

Seogeok-!

“……!”

The monster’s body was severed, and I opened my eyes. Something attacked and killed the monster.

“Well, well?”

It seems I’ve really found something. Sensing that, I focused on the air. Closing my eyes, I shot my senses towards the mountain. Then.

‘Ha.’

An immense energy was felt. It was the method I recently discovered for sensing the energy of Apostles.

‘What is this number?’

Unlike the Apostles who moved separately as if surviving on their own. Inside, I sensed the presence of countless Apostles. So many that it was hard to count.

---

Keureureung.

The monster lying down reacted quietly. The woman sitting there, hearing the sound. Sword Empress slowly opened her eyes.

“What is it?”

Perhaps she didn’t like the silence being broken. Sword Empress spoke with a slightly displeased expression. At her words, a person who had arrived unnoticed. An Apostle with rabbit ears hurriedly knelt down.

“……The outside reconnaissance team reported finding something strange.”

“Something strange?”

“Yes……. They said a monster they’d never seen before approached this location.”

A monster they’d never seen before. At that news, Sword Empress’s gaze turned to the Apostle.

“A monster…?”

It wasn’t strange for monsters to exist in this world, but one coming this way was something to pay attention to. Because this was a place monsters couldn’t reach.

“I set up a barrier with my authority, yet a monster came……”

Something impossible had happened. At that fact, Sword Empress smiled faintly. It seemed something had indeed occurred.

“Investigate it.”

“Yes.”

The person disappeared after answering. Sword Empress crossed her legs with a gentle expression.

“……Is it happening just as you said?”

She asked a question that wouldn’t receive an answer. Someday, when a great change occurred. That would be the time she could obtain what she desired. She recalled someone who had said that.

“I truly hope those words are true.”

Her expression and demeanor were more relaxed than anyone else’s, but her voice, conversely… felt incredibly desperate.