1179 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Narrow, sharp eyes. A modest build. The imposing aura radiating from his crimson martial attire. All of this was identical to the appearance of that ancestor I had once seen. There was no doubt. That was the very image of the ancestor. 'Yet.' He is not the ancestor. His intense gaze fixated on the other. And the words he spoke earlier. 'He called him his son.' Upon hearing him refer to Gu Seong-Yeol as his son, I could faintly comprehend his identity. That person is... 'The Great-Grandfather.' The individual who is Gu Seong-Yeol's father and my great-grandfather. He was the previous head of the family. To be called the previous head here means... 'The current proxy owner of Jungwon.' It meant he was the proxy of the ruling family of Jungwon presently accompanying the Gu family. 'But why?' Why did such an individual suddenly appear? This is quite bewildering. 'Everyone's gathering.' It felt like I was encountering every infuriating member of the Gu family. "……Father." Gu Seong-Yeol addresses the previous head. At his words, the Great-Grandfather smiles. It's unsettling. That's the first impression I got from him. An eeriness accompanied by an inexplicable coldness, amid what seemed like a blazing heat. And then. 'Gu Seong-Yeol's flame just...' I saw it vanish in an instant. This was something I experienced as well. 'When I met my grandfather.' When I unexpectedly encountered my grandfather in Jungwon. He did the very same thing to me. He took away the flame I used as if he was reclaiming it. I recall that during that moment, the flame I possessed seemed to be sealed and wouldn't ignite. 'This time, it appears the same.' It seemed that what the Great-Grandfather did was exactly akin to that. "My son." Great-Grandfather called out to Gu Seong-Yeol once more. "I wonder how you've forgotten your duties." "......" Gu Seong-Yeol glared at Great-Grandfather with a deeply contorted face. His gaze was exceedingly fierce. "To leave the scorch marks as they are, I find it hard to understand." "......Why have you come all the way here?" "Kkeul kkkeul." Whoosh. Flames flared up. "The duties given have been twisted. How could I remain still in such a place?" With those words, Great-Grandfather reached out toward Grandfather. At that moment, my hand extended and caught his arm. Crunch-! "......" Great-Grandfather looked at me as I held his arm. "Ho." Whoooosh-!!! Flames ignited. It was scorching. Instinctively, I moved to channel my core energy. Whoosh-!!! Sky-blue flames surged from my body. The Great-Grandfather’s eyes narrowed at the sight. "You scoundrel...!" Were those eyes shocked, or were they filled with wrath? His hostile glare made it impossible to grasp his emotions. However. "How dare you, ignite a flame?" Unpleased by my flame, he made a move. Just as he did to Gu Seong-Yeol, he waved his hand. I tensed up, as it would be problematic if the flame were extinguished. "......Hm?" Whoosh. My flames continued to burn, and the Great-Grandfather’s response was rather curious. "Huh?" Perhaps taken aback that the flame wasn't subdued, his eyes wavered. Simultaneously. Crunch-! He shook off the arm I was holding and rushed at me. Crash-!! The residence shattered as we burst outside. While his hand gripped my collar and his intense gaze bore down on me, I, too, clutched his shoulder in defiance. Whoosh-!!! The flames collided. They roiled as if to devour one another. The sky-blue flames resisted the crimson blaze. "So that's it." Perhaps facing the flames made him speak with a stern expression. "It is you, who bears the mark of this land... No, that's not it." The Great-Grandfather’s eyes scanned me from top to bottom. "......What is it?" Whoosh-!!! Flames engulfed me. Whoosh-! Then they wrapped around me in azure to shield. I shrugged off the grip on my collar and created some distance. "Huaah." Terrifyingly intimidating. The heat was no joke. The flames before me were spinning violently. The intensity made me break out in a cold sweat. I understood. 'That's it.' The air of authority surrounding Gu Seong-Yeol. I now understood its source. It was in front of me. Those flames. Each ember carried the essence of the master's spirit. "You." A pair of eyes gleaming a fierce red met mine. "You swallowed the seed. You have already blossomed, haven’t you?" The fervent words made me swallow hard. What was with such intense emotions? “You bear the Gu bloodline. Yet it’s a face I’ve never seen before. For you not to possess a flame, I see, you’ve already freed yourself from your duties.” Repeating words that are hard to comprehend. “You have become the duty itself. Are you striving to claim your place? Who are you, truly?" "What's that supposed to mean?" Tearing. I ripped off the scorched top garment, no longer wearable. “Speak in a way that makes sense. Are you going senile in your old age?” “How did you become the scorched one, progeny of the Gu clan?” “It wasn't of my choosing, but everyone keeps referring to me that way.” “Who are you?” “Who am I?” I laughed at the Great-Grandfather's words. Unbelievably, laughter escaped me. In this situation, of all times, laughter emerged. “If you're curious, why not find out for yourself?” “......” The Great-Grandfather, who had been silent at my words, then raised the corners of his lips. “Impertinent, just like someone of my bloodline.” This detestable blood recognized each other with such ease. Whoosh-!!! The swirling flames intensified. The masterful aura made my hair stand on end. Why did this person appear like this out of the blue? 'Is this my doing?' With talk of scorches and duties resonating so loudly. ‘It seems the problem lies with me meddling with the seed.’ A proxy master. One responsible for the fissures occurring in Jungwon. If the previous head of the Gu family served that role. ‘Right.’ I am responsible for the fissures in this world. His appearance is not entirely unreasonable. ‘But should I fight?’ Looking at his state, it seemed unlikely things would resolve peacefully. Should we fight? Hesitation arose. ‘……Does it make sense to fight like this?’ Winning or losing wasn't the issue at hand. My current state. The diminished energy and the condition of my core. It was uncertain if I could engage in battle in such a state. “Whatever you do.” “It will lead you to the right conclusion.” The words of the ancestor. The arrangements that Mother had put in place for me. I recalled them all. 'If that's the case, then even this...' Could this not also be something that steers me toward the conclusion I desire? If it is predetermined, could it not also benefit me? With that thought, I nearly decided not to avoid a confrontation with the Great-Grandfather. “Please, stop!” Gu Seong-Yeol shouted. “If punishment is to be delivered, let it fall upon me. Why are you doing this?” “Punishment?” At those words, Great-Grandfather turned to Gu Seong-Yeol. A smile remained plastered on his face. “What punishment are you referring to, son? Do not misunderstand.” Whoosh. A distortion formed around Great-Grandfather’s body. Oh my. I wondered just how intense that heat must be to cause such a thing. “If you see him as something that you must protect, dismiss any foolish notions. You ought to be aware.” Great-Grandfather turned his gaze back to me. “He's already becoming a master. Unlike those other arrogant outsiders. You were created to thoroughly uphold your duties... Who exactly are you?” “He is of our bloodline.” “Yes, a member of the Gu clan. It seems the world wishes for us to wrap up our duties. Fine then. That too is part of our karmic burden. However—” Whoosh-!!!! The flames intensified. Embers sprang forth. “That is not the will of the world. Something else has intervened. Naturally so. Otherwise—” “……!” Great-Grandfather appeared before me. I saw his hand. I tried to resist with azure flames, but he was fast. He had already seized my throat. “You wouldn't have blossomed in such a half-baked state.” The crimson flames clouded my vision, twisting the scene. Thunk-!! An overwhelming force brushed by. When I reopened my eyes— ‘What is this?’ I was in a place I had never seen before. It wasn’t the Gu family grounds. Was it still the same mountain range? Where was I? As the question crossed my mind— “Well then.” Great-Grandfather spoke to me. “Who stands behind you, my precious descendant?” His words left me speechless. “Precious? Give me a break.” Since when has he ever considered me precious? Crunch-! I clasped his wrist, which was holding my neck. I hadn't been fast enough to counter before, but— Whoooooo--!!! Energy surged into my core. It was a symphony of energies I'd not sensed at the Gu family grounds. This wasn’t the Gu family. Was that why? “Nice.” The power of nature again lent its aid. That same sensation as before—the feeling of the world assisting and embracing me. “Huh?” The energy surged. The purity maintained. Reverence of the world, beginning at my core, washed over my body. Whoosh-!!! Flames that mirrored the sky wrapped around my form. “I'm not yet accustomed to this, you see.” I clenched my fist. Rumble-!!! Something gathered at the end of my fist. Was it an inner force? No, I realized as I concentrated. “Is this how it’s done?” This was the aura of a master. What I had drawn from the seed. It had coalesced in my core and seeped into my flesh. With it. Thrust-!! Boom-!! ……!! I extended it toward Great-Grandfather. A punch imbued with aura struck Great-Grandfather’s chest. Great-Grandfather was knocked back by the blow. Crash---!!! He shattered the ground, being sent far away. Watching him, I thought— “Wow.” The trembling end of my fist told me— “I’ve become quite strong, haven’t I?” My level had shifted dramatically. Enormously so.