1299 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I led the group out from their hiding place. I exchanged nods with Tae Hoan and Mi Hyoran, and also passed a message to the Dark King. The Dark King wasn’t departing with us. He needed to take Mi Hyoran back to the hideout. 'But we still need the Dark King.' Given the situation, the Dark King's assistance was crucial. They agreed that he would join us later, although it was uncertain how he would find our location. 'He’ll figure it out.' The Dark King's confident assurance inspired trust. Considering his reputation, it was hard to believe that this supreme shadow warrior wouldn’t be able to pinpoint their location. With that assurance, we prepared to set off. "Where are we going?" Young Lady Hyun asked. Their luggage was light. Not just her, but Tang Cheongi, Namgung Jin, and my own belongings were likewise minimal. Carrying unnecessary things was pointless. "For now..." I turned my head, scanning the surroundings as I pinpointed a direction and focused on one spot in particular. "North." I looked northward. I didn’t know the exact location, but still. "Let’s head that way." Though the plains ahead seemed empty under the blood-red sky, his choice carried an unspoken reason. 'From over there...' I detected a faint scent of smoke. * * * The characteristics of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique aren’t just about fire. As my father advised, the true essence of the Gu family’s martial art lies in rotation and compression. The manifestation of fire results from friction igniting internal energy, not the heat or power of the flames themselves. One must recall why the flames appear, not merely focus on their heat. That was— 'The only thing my father ever taught me.' The foundation and entirety of the Gu family’s martial art. A notable point here was— ‘Perhaps due to the generated heat and depth of the technique…’ The resonance from encountering the same form of energy was exceptionally pronounced. While other martial arts also resonated upon meeting similar energies, the inferno from the Gu family was particularly potent. Such resonance— ‘No matter how much it changes, one can always perceive it.’ Even if the form and color of the energy changed, the essence remained unaltered, roaring with recognition. 'I sense the scent of burning.' The charred aroma left by the flames. From afar. From a very distant place, even from the beginning, this scent always reached me. Even when my energy approached a spiritual state, this much could still be felt. In that distant place— 'Father is there.' Indicating the presence of Gu Cheolun, the Apostle. "...Just heading north?" As we diligently marched north, Namgung Jin frowned and questioned me. "We’ve been walking for two days straight. Are you saying there’s your base camp over there?" We continued walking without sleep. With no rest to speak of, Namgung Jin questioned out of frustration. "…We should at least be on some kind of path." "Where do you even see a path here? Look around. Is there any semblance of a road?" "..." "What are you even mumbling? Did your brain fry when you became an Apostle?" "...Kuh." I silenced the chatter with harsh words. Namgung Jin was spouting nonsense about paths. 'Paths mean nothing here.' This space was prowled by monsters; the existence of a path was a fallacy. Clear traces of monsters lingered all over the terrain. The idea of a path existing here was a fantasy. We merely walked, drawn by the scent. As I prepared to move forward again— "At least tell us the destination. We need to know how many days we'll be traveling." Young Lady Hyun wiped sweat from her brow and voiced her thoughts. Considering she was the lowest-ranked martial artist among them, fatigue seemed to weigh heavier on her. Namgung Bi-ah had shown a different level of dedication, but as it stood, she seemed to be on the verge of the peak realm. At her words, Tang Cheongi, who was walking in silence, looked understandably hopeful, nodding slightly. He sighed and responded. "I can’t say how many days it'll take. The destination isn’t that clear either." "What?" Namgung Jin widened his eyes at the answer. His gaze was unsettling... definitely tempting to— "…!" As I glared back, Namgung Jin flinched. Ignoring him, I continued speaking. "We’re tracking down Gu Cheolun. I have a method to determine his location." "…You have a method…?" This time, it was Tang Cheongi who reacted. "Have you used Heavenly Fragrance for a Thousand Li or something? If it weren’t for that…" "I have something similar." "…Something like that exists here?" Tang Cheongi eyed him with skepticism, but there was no need for an explanation. "Just follow me. If you want to save your sister, we need to find Gu Cheolun." My father, who had taken the Poison Phoenix along with the Sword Sovereign— Finding him was of utmost importance. "..." Tang Cheongi fell silent at that statement. Knowing that following me was the best course of action, he had no real alternative. Turning away from Tang Cheongi, I added, "We’ll go a day longer and then rest." I spoke nonchalantly, but I wasn’t in the best shape either. My reserves were nearly depleted, limiting any increase in speed. In other words— ‘I need to eat soon.’ Indicating I had reached the point where sustenance was necessary. * * * One more day passed, and it was nightfall. In the shadow so faintly tinged by the remnants of a blood-red hue, we gathered without a single flame lit. "Whew..." Young Lady Hyun was the first to lie down, exhaling deeply. "Finally resting...!" Even though she appeared elegantly poised, her rough reaction betrayed her relief. Seemingly satisfied with finally getting a break, she lay down on the dry ground, constantly yawning. "We’re not starting a fire, right?" "Unless you want to dance with monsters, there won’t be any fires." "Ah, I’d rather not." Though the weather was chilly, we couldn’t afford to start a fire. Monsters react to light, particularly in the dark. While there were no threatening presences nearby, it was safer to be cautious than to deal with unnecessary trouble. "Are we leaving immediately tomorrow?" "Yes, we depart at dawn." "Mm... this feels tight. Okay. I’ll sleep first then." Young Lady Hyun casually tossed the words before closing her eyes. Shortly after— The sound of her gentle snoring followed. She was already drifted off to sleep. ‘...She’s quite the extraordinary person.’ I found myself marveling. ‘What kind of nerves does she have?’ How can she sleep in this situation? Although they had set a watch with Namgung Jin and Tang Cheongi standing guard first... Her ability to doze off so quickly was impressive. ‘...This is where they share similarities.’ Thinking back to Namgung Bi-ah, who fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, he nodded to himself. Were they carefree, or simply indifferent? Or perhaps a bit of both. He couldn't help but feel slightly envious of their ability to sleep soundly even in such circumstances. '...Alright then.' I shifted my gaze to check on Namgung Jin and Tang Cheongi. The two were on the watch, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Upon confirming this, I quietly stood up. ‘Time to go.’ I needed to replenish his energy quickly. --- I sought sustenance by tracking down Apostles. The straightforward fact was that one must replenish energy when it's depleted. However, finding food took some effort. I couldn’t sense the presence of Apostles around me like the Dark King could, nor could I extend my senses to locate them. Moreover— 'By now, they'd have already...' Once they realized I could devour Apostles, they'd surely have taken extra precautions. The main question was whether they had distanced the Apostles from me. ‘Have they kept the Apostles away from me?’ It was possible that they had hidden the dispersed Apostles to keep them from my reach. For the sake of safety, this was not a bad strategy. Of course— ‘That’s assuming the Sword Queen regards me as a threat.’ If the Sword Queen saw me as a significant threat, this would be a possibility. ‘Then again, is that really the case?’ The situation seemed to be fifty-fifty. Perhaps she was wary of me after witnessing his use of True Flame. Otherwise— ‘...It seemed like they had ulterior motives.’ There was an indication that they regarded his existence with some sort of interest. ‘What is she aiming for?’ What was the Sword Queen's true goal after somehow taking the power of Demon’s Source and Mother of Ten Thousand Realms? And then— ‘The Blood Demon.’ What was the Blood Demon's ultimate purpose in bringing them into this world—or rather, bringing me into this world? This was something he needed to uncover. ‘...Then.’ Now for the second possibility. ‘Did the Apostles in the world, those near me, get recalled to their base?’ Considering the opposite situation would mean imagining the alternative. If I was released without being observed due to being safeguarded— The opposite would be: "Stop lurking in the shadows and come out." I could sense movement dropping in from somewhere. His shallow sensitivity hadn’t registered it before. "…This is quite unexpected..." "Who would’ve thought you'd notice." Two figures, sporting horns and tails, smirked at me. "How did you know?" "We couldn't sense any energy." "...How could I not?" He laughed, regarding them. "Maybe wash up a bit. You reek." "Hah!" "So conceited. The Sword Queen had us waiting for the right moment. I didn't expect you to wander off on your own." They picked up their slender nails and swords. "To think they’d send us to hunt just one martial artist." "Let’s finish this quickly and return to the master's side." As I watched their reactions, I realized one thing. 'They don’t know who I really am.' Whether it was due to the Sword Queen withholding information, or them not receiving it, or perhaps— ‘Maybe it wasn’t shared at all.’ They seemed unaware of the chaos I had caused at the main camp. '...Is that so?' I narrowed my eyes, considering the Sword Queen’s moves. This seemed like— ‘She’s feeding me.’ As if she was offering nutrition to replenish his energy. Crack. I clenched my fists. ‘A bait?’ I wasn’t sure why she was offering 'food,’ but— ‘I might as well take the bait.’ If it was bait, I decided I’d bite. With that thought, I addressed the figures. "Enough talk. Stop yapping and get over here." "You...!" "No, let it be." Crack. I stomped the ground fiercely. "I’m coming over." Boom—!! Without any energy, his body surged toward them.