1272 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"......Sir Baek!" Dok Bong (Poison Phoenix), who had been inside the cave, dashes outside. "Sister...!!!" Dang Cheon Gi hurriedly tries to grab her, but her swift pace makes it impossible. The impact was tremendous. The ground shook, and the entire cave trembled violently. The force was enough to make all the martial artists stagger. 'Is this martial arts as well?' Could what they just witnessed be martial arts? It detonated from afar, but Dang Cheon Gi's back was drenched in cold sweat. '...It sounded like a scream.' The sound of energy bursting was akin to a scream—a wail full of resentment. It was a sound that seemed to rend ears and carve out hearts. Hearing it made the martial artists freeze in place. 'What on earth...' What could have happened? Dang Cheon Gi stared ahead with wide, astonished eyes. The space where the impact occurred was filled with dust. Rumble. As the shock wave subsided, the air pressure was disturbed. As the dust settled, a changed landscape became visible. "Ha..." Dang Cheon Gi let out a gasp. The area that was once filled with foliage was now barren. It had transformed into a desolate place as if it had always been a wasteland. Seeing this made Dang Cheon Gi's hand tremble. Could this really be the aftermath of martial arts? And the person who produced it was... 'Baek Yang Cheon...?' Was he truly a martial artist of the same age? As he stood there, dumbfounded, mouth agape. "Sir Baek...!!" Dok Bong pushed through the dust. Only then did Dang Cheon Gi shake off his stiffness and start running. "Grr...!" He clenched his teeth and sprinted. Fortunately, he reached his destination shortly thereafter. "Sister!" Dok Bong, who arrived first, was inexplicably standing still, not proceeding further. As Dang Cheon Gi approached her side. "Ugh." A muffled sound came from ahead. His head turned instinctively. What he saw then came into view. "Is that...?" It was Nam Goong Jin, the Sword Dragon. He was slumped down, enshrouded in an electric aura. Gripping his neck was Baek Yang Cheon. Looking at him gave Dang Cheon Gi chills. 'This is...' An overwhelming presence. Just standing there, holding Nam Goong Jin's neck, made it impossible to get closer. Baek Yang Cheon was looking at Nam Goong Jin with indifferent eyes, eyes that seemed to be... '...like he was looking at garbage.' A gaze that did not see him as a living thing, as if not seeing a human. That gaze made Dang Cheon Gi's knees feel weak. Then. Swoosh. The strength left Baek Yang Cheon's hand. Nam Goong Jin fell to the ground with a thud. At that moment. "Sir Baek!!" Mi Hyo Ran ran up from behind. She rushed over, checking the states of both Nam Goong Jin and Baek Yang Cheon, eyes widening. It was only after hearing Mi Hyo Ran's voice that Baek Yang Cheon turned his gaze towards his companions. Gasp. As his gaze approached, those nearby flinched in surprise. Baek Yang Cheon's eyes were that intense. "Ah." Then Baek Yang Cheon relaxed his expression. Although his eyes were originally sharp, the slight change magically eased the tension in their bodies. Baek Yang Cheon looked at Mi Hyo Ran and spoke. "I caught him." ......" ......" In response to those few words, none of those present could reply. No one. * * * After the storm had passed. Before they could even fully regroup, they returned to the cave. Ignoring the aftermath of the battle, everyone gathered to look at a single presence. "...He really captured the apostate." "Is such a thing possible?" Bound and unconscious in front of them was none other than the apostate, Sword Dragon Nam Goong Jin. "......" Watching this, Tae Ho An's expression furrowed. He thought capturing him was impossible, yet it happened. 'Subdue an apostate?' Could such a thing be possible? Tae Ho An's level was by no means low. He was a lieutenant of the New Dragon Corps and had long been considered a master-level martial artist. Even for him, subduing an apostate seemed unimaginable, yet it was done without incident. 'Without incident?' Even thinking back, it seemed absurd. Could it really have been nothing? '...That shockwave.' An overwhelming sound tearing through the air. Its fierce energy and the ensuing tremors. It was an intensity that deserved to be called overwhelming. The fact that this was done without incident seemed unthinkable. 'What is his true identity?' The fact that an apostate was subdued was less intriguing than Baek Yang Cheon's identity. Even before entering this place, he seemed unusual. 'Has he changed in this strange world?' Or perhaps he was already an enigma outside? All that could be known now was... 'He's strong.' The martial artist called Baek Yang Cheon was unbelievably strong. He was not someone that could be classified as a mere proficient-level figure. '...How.' How could he be like this? Curiosity lingered, and suspicion began to sprout. 'Is it possible...' Could he also be an apostate? If being an apostate meant undergoing such changes, it seemed plausible. Even the seemingly meek Sword Dragon had become incredibly strong. '...I should be cautious.' Though under other circumstances he might have dismissed it since Mi Hyo Ran brought him, things looked different now. While Tae Ho An observed the Sword Dragon... 'I can sense suspicion.' I could read the hints of doubt in his gaze. 'Was I overzealous?' It had been a while since I used the Celestial Demon Art. Consequently, I ended up exerting a bit too much force. 'Hmm.' My energy reserves were more or less intact. Although my aim had been to subdue Nam Goong Jin... 'I almost killed him.' The failure in controlling my strength nearly sent Nam Goong Jin flying. 'I was lucky to restrain it at the last moment.' Fearing it might truly explode, I lifted some of the power towards the end. It had turned the forest into a mess, though. 'Nam Goong Jin survived.' As long as the objective was achieved, nothing else mattered. I nodded. Then. "......Grr..." There was movement from the bound Nam Goong Jin. "Whew..." He awoke and opened his eyes. His gray pupils reflected us. "......" He widened his eyes, immediately strengthening his grip. Rumble--!! He seemed to attempt an explosive sword form right away, but... "Where do you think you're going?" Bang-! "Kuh!" I swiftly kicked him in the jaw. His body wobbled, and the menacing aura he emitted settled down. "Getting aggressive as soon as you wake up?" Tsk. I clicked my tongue. At the same time. Rumble. I sent a command to Tam through my heart. Thud-!! "......Urgh!!?" Something shot out from the shadows and pierced through Nam Goong Jin's thigh. I made sure others wouldn't notice. Nam Goong Jin's body, pierced by Tam, trembled vehemently. As expected, the bodies of these apostates seemed no match for Tam. "Young Master Nam Goong..." Someone approached Nam Goong Jin. It was Mi Hyo Ran. Creak. As Mi Hyo Ran came close, Nam Goong Jin moved. Clang-! Restrained by the chains, he couldn't move any further. "......I'll kill you..." Nam Goong Jin spoke. "Oh." Admiration slipped from my lips. "He can speak?" I had thought he couldn't since he hadn't uttered a word earlier. It seemed he still had his talkability intact after all. Confirming that was enough for me. Crunch-!! I punched him in the jaw, intertwining a bit of Tam's energy with the strike. "Ugh..." Nam Goong Jin, hit, slumped over, seemingly passing out again. "What on earth...!!" "Why did you knock him out...?" Those who intended to interrogate Nam Goong Jin, especially Mi Hyo Ran, seemed taken aback. I gave them a sheepish smile. "Oh, my mistake." I said, as if it hadn't been on purpose. "Looks like we'll have to wait until he regains consciousness, doesn't it?" I had bought some time. * * * Night fell, and Nam Goong Jin still hadn't woken. Naturally, since I ensured it. In the resting quarters Tae Ho An provided. I emerged and took a stroll. Despite feeling the presence of many around. 'This much is nothing.' Right now, my energy was abundant. Fooling the perception of the martial artists was trivial, bypassing the guards, approaching where Nam Goong Jin was. "Who...!" The one guarding Nam Goong Jin reacted upon seeing me, but. Thud-! I quickly approached and struck the back of his neck, knocking him out. With the guards incapacitated, I moved toward Nam Goong Jin's location. Though still unconscious. "Hey." I grabbed his face, channeling energy into him. "Wake up." Specifically, I cleared the remnants of Tam within him. At that moment. "Gasp." Nam Goong Jin's eyes shot open. Upon recognizing me, he attempted to move immediately, but. Crack. "......Ugh." I gripped his cheeks and pressed my other hand into his chest. "Don't waste your strength, it's noisy." Causing a ruckus at night isn't ideal. After subduing him. "I have some questions for you." I mentioned the reason I'd come looking for him. There was a purpose for sneaking up on him like this. I had a specific reason for making sure we were alone, even putting him unconscious to buy time. Whoosh-!!! As I spoke, I extended a barrier of qi. The thinly spread energy encapsulated the area. Roughly half an hour before the shift change. It was sufficient time. "You." Sigh. I infused Tam into my grasp, gazing at Nam Goong Jin. His gray eyes were steeped in murderous intent. The sight made me chuckle. Though I felt an urge to gouge out those eyes spewing murderous intent, I couldn't do that. This guy wasn't like the other apostates. Above all, I had to ask him an important question. Tempering my insides, I immediately inquired of Nam Goong Jin. "Where did you get the Thunder Child?" ......" Hearing my question, Nam Goong Jin's eyes unmistakably quivered.