After the attending physician informed the family of the 17th King of Power's condition, Baek Sa-on turned toward the corner, unable to suppress a smile at the news, while the others were left devastated. Observing the family members as they cried and mourned for the former titleholder, he quietly withdrew upstairs, where he laughed uncontrollably by the window.
An hour passed, during which the family members took turns speaking with Baek Joo-won, who was in a vulnerable condition. After each family member had finished, it was finally Baek Sa-on's turn to see and speak with his uncle. He stared at him in silence for an entire minute before finally saying;
"When I was young, you were everything I wanted to be: strong, fast, unstoppable. I admired you more than my own father. Every time I looked at you, I saw a radiant star reflected in your face," Baek Sa-on whispered, emotion thick in his voice, an unsettling grin forming as he faced Baek Joo-won.
After a brief pause, he continued, his expression darkening as he spoke,
"But now.. look at you."
"Now you're nothing! Just a weak old man waiting for his time to die," he said, his face twisted into a cruel smile.
After those words, he continued, his voice heavy with emotion,
"Do you remember the time you accused me of something I never did?" he said, his voice shaking as he struggled to restrain himself.
"I've carried that moment with me ever since. It was the most painful time of my life!" He shouted at Baek Joo-won with full anger.
Unable to look at his uncle any longer without losing control, Baek Sa-on averted his eyes. Drawing a steady breath, he continued his speech,
"You know what's funny?" Baek Sa-on said, his voice low and tight with rage.
"I truly believed you were going to call my name as the 18th King of Power. I even thought I might forgive you for what you did. But you didn't!"
"You never did!"
After unleashing his pent-up frustration and hurling those harsh words at his uncle, he turned and began to walk away from the room. Just then, Baek Joo-won spoke, his voice slow and barely audible,
"I… didn't regret… giving that title… to… Alaric," Baek Joo-won said, his voice slow, strained, and filled with anguish.
Hearing those words, Baek Sa-on's anger erupted. He began casting his high-level magic enchantment and said:
"You spiteful old man! I'm done holding back. I've had enough of you!"
"You're going to die in my hand, not in the hand of time!"
"BY THE HEART OF THE OCEAN AND THE FLOOD IN THE MOUNTAIN, I CALL UPON THE GOD OF WATER TO LEAN ME POWER, SERPENT WRATH!"
Baek Sa-on's grin widened as the magic sparked at his fingertips. It was his ultimate spell, one of the rarest and most difficult to master, possessed by only a handful of people.
Suddenly, a cage of flames appeared around Baek Joo-won, neutralising Baek Sa-on's spell as if it were nothing. At the sound of the loud noise, the entire family sprinted toward Baek Joo-won's room to see what was happening.
Baek Sa-on froze, shocked and confused, unsure what he was seeing.
"What's happening? Where is this thing coming from?!"
He glanced over his shoulder and froze. Standing there was someone he despised, second only to his uncle.
"You son of b--! What are you doing here, Alaric?"
"This is a family matter! You have no right to step in!" Sa-on yelled at Alaric, his expression burning with fury and desperation.
Hearing Baek Sa-on's outburst, Alaric started moving toward the former titleholder, deliberately turning a blind eye to Baek Sa-on.
"My King, are you alright?" Said Alaric to Baek Joo-won, asking about his condition.
Infuriated that Alaric was ignoring him, Baek Sa-on lost himself in rage and unleashed his magic once more, targeting them both.
"I'm going to kill both of you now!!"
"BY THE HEART OF THE OCEAN AND THE FLOOD IN THE MOUNTAIN, I CALL UPON THE GOD OF WATER TO LEAN ME POWER, SERPE—",
In an instant, he found himself imprisoned in a wall of flame. His limbs were tied to the corners, preventing him from moving even an inch, and his mouth was gagged.
After trapping him in the wall of flames, Alaric began walking toward Baek Sa-on and said:
"I have always respected you. You were my greatest rival, Sa-on. It's a pity it must end this way."
"I, Alaric 'The God-Like' Balthazar, the 18th King of Power, will arrest you for your crime of attacking the former titleholder!" Alaric declared to Baek Sa-on in front of the entire family.
One day later, Baek Sa-on was securely imprisoned after being apprehended personally by Alaric for his crimes. He was confined to a special facility reserved for the most dangerous magic users. For his crimes, Baek Sa-on received a sentence of ten years in prison and an additional two years of forced labour.
Confined in prison, Baek Sa-on's rage continued to flare. Day after day, he muttered curses at Alaric and his uncle, unable to let go of his hatred for what had been done to him.
"Baek Joo-won and Alaric, this is your fault!"
"Just wait for me! I will come back and get my revenge on both of you!"