Fwoooosh--!!
The flames surging upward filled the air.
The sizzling, boiling energy was hot enough just to look at.
The night under the moon had already turned into day.
Fwoosh.
Watching the roiling flames, I waved my hand.
Rumbleeeeeee--!!!
The sound that followed resembled the cry of some demonic beast.
The thickly spread flames responded to a single gesture. Before long—
Kwaaahhhhhh--!!
With an enormous shockwave, they began to return to me.
The azure flame returned to my body.
It poured into me like a waterfall, accumulating energy in my heart. The energy that gathered amounted to roughly half of the internal energy I had possessed.
“…Hoo….”
As soon as I had recovered all the flames, I let out a low sigh.
I generated a gust of wind, as though sweeping away the heat filling the surroundings.
Whooosh--!!
After clearing away the heat a few more times, I turned my gaze around as if surveying the area.
Then I had no choice but to let out a hollow laugh.
‘What a fucking mess.’
The aftermath of the flames had turned everything into chaos.
Not only had the trees been burned away, but blackened scorch marks covered the area here and there.
It was only natural for things to end up like this after I had been firing flames everywhere, but still—
‘…I don’t know how long it’s been since I lost this much control.’
It was bewildering to me.
Once one became sufficiently proficient in fire arts, it became possible to damage only the desired areas.
In my previous life, I had gone around killing everyone without caring about such things. But in this life, I had been unable to do that, and I had thought I had mastered controlling flames.
‘It’s become a damn sight harder.’
Last night. Perhaps because I had undergone that transformation, I couldn’t control the flames.
Every shot burst out far more powerfully than expected.
Not only were they powerful, but I couldn’t control them either. If I had made one mistake, I might have burned down the entire mountain.
If I hadn’t hurriedly recalled them, I probably really would have burned down a mountain.
After that, I tried to control them by firing them into the air rather than straight ahead, but…
‘I still couldn’t solve everything.’
I had stayed up all night experimenting with this and that. The conclusion was simple.
‘A day or two won’t be enough.’
It would take more time to resolve this issue.
‘The firepower has increased too much.’
What had I said last night?
I had said that the firepower seemed to have increased, and that I hoped it would be about thirty percent stronger.
‘Thirty percent, my ass.’
It wasn’t just thirty percent.
At this level, it had doubled.
‘It’s twice as powerful as the flames I used before.’
And it wasn’t only the firepower. The power I could reinforce by using internal energy had increased as well.
Because of that, controlling my strength remained difficult.
An increase in firepower meant an increase in the limit of what I could contain and detonate at once.
If the maximum I could gather and explode before had been ten—
Now, it was more than twenty.
In one sense, that meant my destructive power had increased, so one could say I had become stronger.
‘The problem is….’
I couldn’t control this suddenly increased power.
And although the firepower had risen tremendously, my energy itself remained unchanged.
I had possessed a large amount of internal energy to begin with, which was why my firepower had already been high.
If my firepower had doubled on top of that while my energy remained the same, this wasn’t something I could simply celebrate.
‘It means I need even more energy now.’
Even before, I had possessed enough energy that I couldn’t lose to anyone in that regard.
As far as I knew, I could count on one hand the number of people with more internal energy than me.
That should certainly have been the case, but…
‘It’s still insufficient to bear this firepower.’
I frowned as I recalled the flames I had fired throughout the night.
My strength had truly increased.
It was power enough to astonish even me.
But I lacked the energy to withstand it.
‘Should I consider this a good thing?’
In any case, the ceiling of my power had risen, so if this was not a fortuitous opportunity, what was?
But to make proper use of it, I would have to increase the amount of my training until I became accustomed to it.
‘And I need to find a way to obtain more energy.’
I needed to broaden the vessel of my energy in order to make full use of this power.
Regardless, it was a good thing. I had to think of it positively.
‘I did become stronger.’
It was unquestionably a fortuitous opportunity.
Considering how pressed I was for time every day, it was at least better than anything else.
‘It means that simply obtaining more energy will be a considerable advantage.’
If I could acquire enough energy to withstand this firepower…
‘Would I be able to contend with the Three Venerables?’
Leaving aside application and proficiency, my firepower alone might surpass theirs.
No, it had to.
The place I sought to reach was higher than theirs, so I had to find a way somehow.
‘At the very least, I have to surpass the Heavenly Venerable.’
Among the Three Venerables, he was likely the strongest when it came to firepower.
I had realized that clearly during the battle against the demon beast last time.
‘I lose to him in firepower.’
The dark clouds that had filled the sky.
The lightning that had poured from within them.
It had been fierce and terrifying enough to be called a natural disaster.
Personally, I had thought the Heavenly Venerable was the weakest among the Three Venerables, but—
‘The Three Venerables are still the Three Venerables.’
After seeing the Heavenly Venerable’s true abilities, I had no choice but to change my mind.
Human calamities.
Those who had reached the heavens with human bodies.
I had to reach them.
‘How far have I come with this opportunity?’
I should originally have been around the middle of the Ten Great Masters.
But now…
‘Even so, I should be among the upper ranks.’
It was difficult to compare myself with the Plum Blossom Immortal or the Sword Emperor, but I wouldn’t lose to those beneath them.
If the circumstances were right, I might even be able to deal with those two.
If I pushed forward with my firepower and seized the advantage early on, it was possible.
Of course—
‘A drawn-out battle would be difficult.’
If my energy ran out first, my throat would be cut.
That was the objective assessment.
However—
‘That’s when fighting as a martial artist.’
If I judged myself not as a martial artist but as something beyond humanity, the story changed.
I possessed far more than just martial arts.
‘If I used everything, I probably wouldn’t lose.’
Whether I could win was uncertain, but I was confident I wouldn’t lose.
“…Hmm.”
I calmly gathered my energy and stared toward one spot.
Everything I possessed.
That meant not only the martial arts I had accumulated thus far, but also the things I had obtained after becoming a dragon.
The sorcery I was still repeatedly researching, for instance.
And more precisely—
‘Authority.’
The authorities I had obtained upon becoming a dragon.
Until now, there had been the Dragon Speech and 탐.
Along with the wind I had obtained by grasping 망.
While none of them were particularly outstanding in battle—
I had been able to obtain yet another authority during my last battle against the white-grade demon beast.
The authority I had obtained was—
‘A decent power.’
Even I could proudly say it was quite a good ability.
At last, I felt as though I had gained something useful in combat.
‘I need to try using this properly, too.’
Under normal circumstances, I should have tested it long ago.
But I had spent the entire night figuring out the changes in my body.
“Hmm….”
Should I try it now?
As I thought that, I crooked a finger.
Honestly, I wanted to use it.
However—
“Tsk….”
Unfortunately, I had to hold back.
‘It’s dangerous here.’
No matter how deserted this place was, using the authority I had obtained would be difficult.
I wasn’t even sure whether it would work properly.
‘It’s about time I moved.’
I had a schedule to attend to soon, so I couldn’t spend any more time here.
I should have left long ago, but I had dragged things out while checking my firepower.
“I’ll try this next time.”
It was a shame, but I had to endure it.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I turned my head.
It was time to go down.
‘Come to think of it, did that idiot make it back safely?’
I thought of Ddolddol-i, who had been nearby until just before.
Since I had been doing this all night, he had gone down, saying he would leave on his own. But did that guy even know the way?
A momentary worry crossed my mind.
‘He’ll manage.’
He wasn’t actually a child, and he had been fluttering around perfectly well on his own. He would figure it out somehow.
Honestly, I was a little uneasy. But I had too much to do to worry about that.
‘Let’s go for now.’
If I stayed any longer, I would be late.
With that in mind, I hurriedly started walking.
My destination was the Martial Alliance.
******************
After flying for roughly half a shichen, I arrived at the Martial Alliance.
Normally, I should have arrived half that time earlier, but… I had ended up being later than expected.
‘Good grief… the moment I put even a little force into it, I shoot forward. It’s impossible to control.’
Even a slight application of force to my feet accelerated my body.
I had to carefully regulate myself on the way here, worried that I might crash into a building if I made a mistake.
That was how I arrived at the Martial Alliance.
The moment I reached the entrance, someone appeared to find me.
“…Greetings, Saint King.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Perhaps he had been waiting for me. A member of the Alliance bowed politely.
I looked at him with an awkward expression.
‘I still haven’t gotten used to that damn title.’
The words “Saint King” grated on me terribly.
“…He is waiting for you. If it is acceptable, I will escort you inside.”
“And if it isn’t acceptable, can I choose not to go?”
“Pardon…?”
“I’m joking. Let’s go.”
“…”
The atmosphere was unpleasant, so I had tried making a joke. But when I saw the martial artist’s expression immediately sour, I withdrew it at once.
After that, I entered the Alliance under his guidance.
Having come here so often lately, the scenery had grown familiar.
I was looking around at it when the man walking ahead of me suddenly spoke.
“Our commander has been waiting for you since earlier.”
I turned my gaze toward him upon hearing that.
“Really?”
“Yes. He anticipated that the Saint King would arrive a little early and made preparations in advance.”
“He must be busy. Did he really have to go that far?”
“Would that not be basic courtesy?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly at his words.
There was something irritating about his tone.
I examined the man with narrowed eyes.
Since he was walking straight ahead, I couldn’t see his expression.
Was I imagining it?
That was what I thought at first, and I let it pass.
“…Well, yes.”
But then—
“Since our commander is in the senior’s position, it seems that waiting for you is not entirely comfortable for him.”
“…”
“So, even if he happens to show some discomfort, I hope the junior, the Saint King, will be understanding.”
After hearing him continue, I was certain it wasn’t my imagination.
‘He’s already being a pain in the ass.’
I raised a finger and scratched my cheek.
‘Are we starting with a pissing contest?’
Not only was he making an issue of my arrival time, he was also slipping words like senior and junior into the conversation.
It was ridiculous.
I had arrived later than expected, but I wasn’t exactly late.
Strictly speaking, I wasn’t tardy.
‘And yet this bastard keeps taking digs at me for being late.’
I tilted my head and examined the martial artist.
Looking at the insignia on his back and the armband around his forearm, I could immediately tell which faction he belonged to.
I committed each detail to memory before speaking to him.
“But?”
“Pardon?”
The man faltered at my words and turned around. His expression clearly said he thought he had misheard.
Naturally, he hadn’t misheard anything. He had heard me perfectly.
“Who told him to wait?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“If someone heard you, they’d think I’d begged him to wait for me.”
The martial artist stared at me as though I were being absurd. Perhaps because my reaction was unusual, his emotions became disordered, and I caught a vague glimpse of his true thoughts.
“If I really had been late, I’d shut my mouth. But I’m not late—I arrived right on time. Why do you keep taking shots at me?”
“Taking shots at you? How could I ever say such a thing to the Saint King—”
“This is taking shots at me, so what else would you call it? Is this some incredibly polite way of speaking? It doesn’t sound that way to me.”
I told him with a snort, and cracks appeared in the martial artist’s expression.
“Did you forget that you said today would be convenient, so I accommodated you out of consideration? Why are you bringing up seniors and juniors and making a pointless fuss?”
While arranging our schedules, they had said today would be the most convenient. Since I saw no issue with it, I had agreed.
Did this man not know that? No, he must have known.
He was acting like this despite knowing.
And on top of that—
“Mister.”
“M-Mister?”
“You don’t know who I am?”
“…You are the Saint King.”
“No. I’m not just the Saint King.”
I smiled brightly and patted the man’s shoulders.
“I came here to become a commander. That makes me your superior, doesn’t it?”
“…”
“I’m pretty sure it does. No matter how I look at it…”
I openly looked him up and down.
“You don’t seem to be above me, do you?”
“…”
I spoke with a tone that made my contempt clear.
“…Grrk.”
The moment he heard that, I could hear the man grinding his teeth.
His pride seemed to have been thoroughly wounded, but I continued speaking as though I didn’t care in the slightest.
“I’m saying this for your own sake. I don’t care who told you to do it, but don’t pick a pointless fight with me.”
As I spoke, I neither released energy nor exerted force.
Normally, I would have. But if I did so now, I might lose control and kill him.
“My temper isn’t exactly pleasant. If you make a mistake, you might end up with a part of your body that no longer works. You should live while you still have a healthy body.”
It was sincere advice. Of the people who had gotten entangled with me this way, how many were still breathing?
I had killed them all, so I could barely remember.
So I was telling him not to indulge in pointless bravado. That was all.
“This…!”
The man who had received my advice finally seemed to lose his temper completely and released his fighting spirit.
This was bad.
The schedule hadn’t even properly begun, and it looked like I would have to dispose of a corpse.
Of course—
‘It’s not as though I’m particularly reluctant.’
It was hardly a meaningful matter to me.
The man slowly raised his hand and reached for his sword.
I watched him calmly.
‘Grab it.’
Grab the sword.
‘And draw it.’
Draw it.
If I was going to make a proper mess from the very first day, that would be enough justification.
Just as I was waiting expectantly for him to do so—
Clack.
The man finally gripped his sword.
And just as I was about to curl up the corners of my mouth—
“Deputy Commander.”
“…!”
‘Tsk.’
Unfortunately, the scene I had hoped for did not come to pass.
An interrupter had arrived.
‘No, did he arrive? It would be more accurate to say he came running in a hurry.’
He had probably been watching the whole time. It was more likely that he had intervened before an incident could occur.
The newcomer looked at both the man and me with a deeply hardened expression.
“C-Commander.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“That, well…”
“You were watching the whole time anyway. Why bother asking?”
Taking advantage of the flustered man, I joined the conversation.
Hearing that, the newcomer shifted his gaze to me.
“Ah, sorry. I was talking to myself. My thoughts slipped out without me realizing it.”
I tried to explain sheepishly, but naturally, the newcomer’s expression did not soften.
“Saint King.”
At the voice calling my name, I smiled brightly and greeted him.
“It has been a long time, Senior Ilcheonggeom.”
The man was none other than Ilcheonggeom, the commander of the Azure Dragon Unit—
the very person I had arranged to meet for today’s schedule.
At the same time—
“You trained your subordinates like absolute shit, didn’t you?”
He was also one of the ‘four men’ I had come to the Martial Alliance to kill.