1273 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The Thunder Fang. Once wielded by the Storm Swordmaster and one of the ancient arcane artifacts. In the present day, it was in Namgung Bi-ah's possession. Ah, if we're speaking of current terms. ‘It's with Namgung Hyeong.’ The Thunder Fang was something Namgung Hyeong should have been carrying. He had left for Wudang with it, so it should certainly be that way. ‘Why does this man have it?’ Why was Namgung Jin in possession of the Thunder Fang? It was beyond comprehension. Hence, the question had to be asked. “Why do you have it?” “……” Namgung Jin's eyes quivered. He clearly understood. “I saw you talking earlier.” “……” “Are you pretending you can't now?” Crack. “Urgh!” I moved my hand and crushed his shoulder. I could feel the bones shattering. Simultaneously, she sensed the bones regenerating instantly. ‘High regenerative ability.’ Perhaps because it was the body of an Apostle, or maybe the body itself held such power. ‘Could it be due to a lowered limit on exploration?’ Should she increase it a bit? No, this wasn't the time to check such things. “Let me ask again. Why are you in possession of the Thunder Fang?” “The Thunder Fang... how do you know about that?” Namgung Jin finally spoke. How did she know? “I know because I should know. And I also know you shouldn't have it.” It didn’t make sense in context. The form, the shape—it was an appearance that couldn’t manifest without the Thunder Fang. ‘The Descent of Thunder God requires the Thunder Fang.’ A union of the Thunder Fang and Divine Sword, from her understanding, was the condition, which implied: ‘He possesses the Thunder Fang.’ Yet, it couldn't be seen. She couldn’t even sense its presence. Was it hidden? ‘For such a thing.’ She recalled the sensation he pulled out resembling a sword. It was undoubtedly the Thunder Fang, though it lacked a handle. “What on earth? How is that possible…?” “Urgh…” I pressured him further with exploration. Namgung Jin groaned in pain. “It'd be good if you told me. It seems like valuable information. Or,” A sudden thought compelled me to ask. “Is it your power?” “……” Namgung Jin clammed up. His expression was unreadable. All that existed in him was pain. ‘Hmm.’ Observing this, I reduced the pressure coming from exploration. It seemed dubious to gain anything further through provocation. ‘Still, it feels wrong to just let it go.’ What to do? After a brief hesitation, she decided. “Then the next one.” For now, she asked something else. The Thunder Fang wasn't the most crucial piece of information. This was: “Do you know about Hyun Soyeon’s whereabouts?” “……” Upon mentioning Hyun Soyeon, his expression slightly shifted. Got him. Grip-! “Urgh!” I grabbed his throat. “You know something, don't you?” “Haah…” “Right? You know.” Listening to his reaction upon hearing the name Hyun Soyeon, he must know something. “Ugh…” “It's said she disappeared when you became an Apostle. Was it truly a coincidence? I doubt it was just by chance. You know something, don't you? Where is she?” “Ugh… let, let go…” “Speak-!” Boom-!! Using the Dragon Word, I exerted pressure upon him. I aimed to force him to answer. “Cough!” “What?” He coughed up blood, resisting. The Dragon Word didn’t work. ‘What is this?’ Why wasn’t it working? It was possible to freeze his body, yet making him speak was out of reach? “Hmm…” So what now? Continuing to torture was impractical. ‘Time is running short.’ There’s no time for protracted interrogation. Others would arrive soon—stalling any longer wasn’t possible. But if the Dragon Word didn’t work, then... ‘What should I do?’ There was no time to ponder at length. She needed a method. Any means to get him to speak—. ‘Oh.’ An idea came. ‘Will it work?’ Whether or not it would, there was one thing she could try. Something only she could do. “This might hurt a bit if it works, or maybe not.” “…What?” Rumble-! “…!!” Namgung Jin's eyes widened. The energy within my heart surged. Demonic energy. That which had nestled in a corner of my heart now moved to dominate his body. ‘If words don’t work, then make him compliant with words.’ There was a most straightforward way. Corrupt him into a demon. Then he’d likely listen to me. With that thought, I infused demonic energy. Would it work on an Apostle? Uncertain. I had to try. Crackling. The energy swiftly enveloped Namgung Jin’s body. Its blackened form seeped directly into him. “Urgh… aargh!!!” Namgung Jin, seemingly unable to bear the pain, screamed aloud. Watching him, I narrowed her eyes. ‘...What is this?’ Despite pouring in copious amounts of demonic energy, it wouldn’t fully penetrate his body. Though it seemed to infiltrate the loci of his flesh, it strangely couldn’t delve deeply. ‘What’s the problem?’ Was it an issue with the body? Could it be that the power as an Apostle itself pervades his flesh, hindering it? ‘No, the flesh isn’t the problem.’ Even if the flesh were reinforced, it couldn’t block the flow of energy. I could certainly see the energy coursing through his body. ‘It doesn’t penetrate to the core.’ Ultimately, it couldn’t reach the target near his core, rendering corruption into a demon unfeasible. “Urgh!!!” Namgung Jin only experienced pain. No matter how much demonic energy she forced in, without the ability to corrupt, only pain remained. ‘Hmm.’ Would it not work after all? It was an effort driven by a hope, yet. It felt pointless now. ‘...It’s reaching the limit.’ With time running out, she had to decide whether to abandon this. Sssssss…. ‘Hmm?’ Suddenly, I felt a change inside. As she continued to infuse demonic energy, an alien sensation emerged near my heart. ‘What is it…?’ Despite being the same demonic energy, something seemed different. Rising within her own demonic energy, it was unmistakable. ‘...The energy of the Celestial Demon?’ In the past, in the archives of the Shanxi Sword House. She recalled the Celestial Demon she had encountered there. Had she absorbed that energy back then? If so... ‘Why now of all times?’ Why did it react precisely at the moment she was attempting to corrupt him? As if responding to her own demonic energy, the Celestial Demon's energy began to seep in, infiltrating Namgung Jin's body. Rumble!! “Argh--!!!” Namgung Jin let out a piercing scream. She twitched her fingers, the volume too loud, necessitating reinforcement over her ear passages to block the noise. She continued to channel more and more demonic energy into him. ‘It's working.’ Astonishingly now, the demonic energy was gradually penetrating Namgung Jin properly. However... ‘It's not just permeating the focal points.’ Rather than just concentrating at his lower and middle energy centers. ‘It's everywhere.’ The demonic energy flooded his entire body. This meant using an immense amount of energy. ‘…Are you kidding me?’ After having consumed so many other Apostles and filled with energy, did it really take this much to corrupt one? ‘This is not worth it.’ It felt like a loss. But it was too late to turn back. Namgung Jin's body had already consumed most of it. ‘Damn it—’ Backing off now would cause issues for both Namgung Jin and myself. Retrieving the energy was impossible. As I felt something was amiss, suddenly— Crack!! A transformation occurred within Namgung Jin. The demonic energy she infused began to stimulate Namgung Jin’s body rapidly. Sizzle. Something was breaking. Although it appeared as though his skin was being crushed, it wasn't that. ‘…It's breaking his energy?’ The energy that initially filled Namgung Jin was being destroyed. Watching this, my eyes widened in disbelief. How was this possible? Then, my demonic energy began to overpower and replace his. Sizzle… Eventually, everything within was purged. Everything that had covered him disappeared as if it had been a lie. “Cough… Huff!” Namgung Jin coughed reflexively. Concurrently, his outward appearance changed too. The strangely pale skin regained its vitality, and his previously brittle hair appeared healthy. And then— ‘His eyes.’ His eyes, which had been a dull gray, returned to their original vibrant blue, and the horns and peculiar forms vanished entirely. In other words— ‘…The power of the Apostle has been broken.’ Meaning he was no longer an Apostle. As proof, the distinct aura and intensity that always emanated from him had completely dissipated. “Gasp… Huff… Cough… What, what is this…?” Namgung Jin looked at her with a bewildered expression. He, too, seemed unaware of what had just transpired. “Hmm…” She felt similar bewilderment, scratching her cheek in hesitance. “Gah…!” Suddenly, Namgung Jin rolled his eyes upward and collapsed. “…” Observing the now prone Namgung Jin, I stroked my chin. This seemed... “...Like I've found a method?” A way to revert an Apostle back to a human being. ‘Could demonic energy be the key?’ By channeling her demonic energy into him, I shattered the Apostle's energy. It seemed like this was the method.