Childhood Friend of the Zenith

A heavy silence falls as I lock eyes with the Black Flame Demon (Maje).

His unusually bright violet eyes and the demonic energy swirling in the air felt weighty.

The Black Flame Demon's gaze drifts from me to the Demon Sword Queen (Mageomhu).

"Deputy Leader.

""…Yes….

""Explain.

"What an obnoxious tone this madman has.

I almost scowled but managed to restrain myself through immense patience.

His face is already annoying to look at, and that tone just adds to it.

It seemed I was the only one irritated, as the others remained silent.

Though few, his words carried weight.

The Demon Sword Queen cast me a quick glance and muttered one word.

"…Recruit.

""Recruit?

""Yes… our recruit….

"The Black Flame Demon’s gaze once again turns to me.

A glint of interest flickers in his violet eyes.

Creeeak.

The figure seated on the throne slowly rises.

The demonic energy in the air ripples once more.

‘…Oh, this is trouble.

’Instinctively, I sensed what was about to happen.

In this situation, there’s only one thing this fool would do.

"A recruit….

"His body, looking down at me—Flash—disappears from sight.

I tensed in preparation.

Even though he vanished, I knew exactly where he’d appear.

Right in front of me.

The Black Flame Demon reappears directly in front of me, and—"Urgh…!

"—he seizes my throat, lifting me into the air.

Considering his nasty temper, I should’ve expected this.

"Who sent you?

""Urgh….

"The murderous intent in his voice pierces my entire body.

The Demon Sword Queen seems unconcerned, merely observing.

‘Ah… this damn bastard….

’Is this what it feels like to spit in your own face?

The more I look at him, the more I want to curse him out.

"Clearly, you’re a demon… but your level is unusual.

"Crack.

"Urgh…!

"His grip on my throat tightens.

I can feel the pressure, realizing something crucial.

This idiot.

The moment he sensed my talent, his inferiority complex kicked in.

"I’ll ask again.

Who sent you?

"Heat flares around my neck as he grips me.

If I delay even a second, he’ll burn me alive.

I gritted my teeth and forced out a response.

"The Cult Leader… sent me….

""The Cult Leader?

"At my answer, his grip loosens slightly.

The mention of Cheonma eases the suspicion in his eyes, giving way to curiosity.

Moments later, the Black Flame Demon flings me toward the wall.

Boom!

Crash!

"Gah…!

"I flew through the air, smashing through a pillar before slamming into the wall.

The impact leaves my body trembling.

Even though I activated my energy defenses, I couldn’t fully block it.

Struggling to clear my mind, I open my eyes just enough to see the Black Flame Demon standing over me.

"So the Cult Leader… sent you to me….

"Thud.

With a kick, he lifts my chin.

"To me?

"The feeling is downright unpleasant.

"…Yes… the Cult Leader instructed me… to join the Black Flame Unit and follow your orders….

""State your name.

""…"His sudden question caught me off guard.

Oh, damn.

I hadn’t decided on a name.

Sweat trickled down my forehead.

What do I say?

I didn’t have time to think.

Hesitating would be a death sentence.

This lunatic, even if sent by the Cult Leader, would kill me if he found a reason to doubt.

What kind of madman treats lives like this?

His humanity is truly warped.

"Your answer is delayed….

""Pa… Pajeol-yeop.

"I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.

I had to say something, anything.

Ah… damn.

What kind of name is Pajeol-yeop?

’I was going to say Gui Jeol-yeop, but "Gui" didn’t seem right, so I changed it at the last second.

And out came Pajeol-yeop.

Then—‘…Damn.

’This was clearly a mistake.

Was it the name itself?

No, that wasn’t the mistake.

It was the slight gaps I showed in that fleeting moment.

The hesitation, the expressions I let slip before this man.

After so much peace, my reactions had dulled, leaving me vulnerable.

In front of this man, every detail would plant seeds of suspicion.

He knows me too well because he is me.

Crrrack.

His fingers twitch slightly.

This situation could easily end with my death if I don’t handle it carefully.

Before he could unleash his flames—I continued speaking to the Black Flame Demon.

"The Cult Leader… told me to convey a message if you found me untrustworthy.

"Thud.

The Black Flame Demon freezes momentarily.

Perhaps because I invoked Cheonma, he doesn’t respond, but I can read his expression clearly.

Those eyes say, "Speak.

"Swallowing, I spoke.

"He said, ‘Only two promises remain…’ That should be enough.

""…"Rumble.

‘Damn it.

’At my words, murderous intent erupts from the Black Flame Demon's back.

Living with such intense killing intent in every move—It’s no wonder he won’t live to old age, that idiot.

With a temper like that… makes you wonder about his upbringing.

But that’s all.

He wouldn’t attack me.

Mentioning the promises hinted to him that Cheonma values me.

Only Cheonma and the Black Flame Demon know about the promises.

Bringing it up would raise his suspicion, but for now, he’d have no choice but to hold back.

After delivering his waiting command, Cheonma hadn’t contacted the Black Flame Demon until the Demon Sword Queen’s death.

Likewise, there’s no way the Black Flame Demon would’ve approached Cheonma on his own.

It was a reasonable enough excuse.

Even though he was furious, the Black Flame Demon wouldn’t kill me.

As I held the Black Flame Demon’s gaze, a moment of silence passed.

Swish.

He turns his back to me first.

‘Phew.

’Just as expected.

His killing intent hadn’t lessened, but at least I’d gotten through for now.

Cough.

A short cough escaped, tinted with blood.

It seemed the recent assault had shaken my insides.

‘That damn bastard….

’What kind of person treats others like this?

Hacking and spitting out the remaining blood, I saw the Black Flame Demon glance at the Demon Sword Queen before speaking.

"Deputy Leader, report to my quarters afterward.

""…Understood….

"With her response, the Black Flame Demon leaves the main hall.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, watching him go.

That guy.

He probably left to avoid killing everyone in a fit of temper.

‘What a damn fool.

’Everything about his actions irks me.

Spitting blood onto the floor, I forced my aching body upright.

My joints screamed in protest.

Crack.

I circulated my energy to calm the turmoil within, just as someone approached me.

A man with brown hair and striking black eyes—a figure I knew well.

‘Silent Fist (Mugwon).

’Mugwon Hwang Bo-seon.

A member of the Hwang Bo family and one of my former subordinates.

Strangely enough, it was a bit nostalgic to see him.

Mugwon, who had suddenly appeared, looked me up and down.

"Follow me.

"He tossed out the words and walked off.

‘…’It’s a strange feeling, being ordered around by him.

The moment the Black Flame Demon left, those in the hall exhaled, some slowly rising to their feet.

I thought about what to do, but with no other option, I followed Mugwon.

At that time, I didn’t know.

Until I moved past the shattered remnants and exited the hall—that the Demon Sword Queen had been watching me intently all along.

******************Following Mugwon, I arrived at a cluster of quarters.

This was a place I knew well.

It was none other than the residence of the Black Flame Unit.

‘…’The Black Flame Unit.

What a terrible name.

The words slipped out without thinking, and for a moment, I almost felt familiar with it.

But of course, it made me feel sick to my stomach.

Once inside, I shook the dust from my clothes and changed into a new set.

It seemed this would be my quarters.

Apparently, I’d be sharing it with a few others.

‘…It doesn’t matter.

Most of them are likely to be out wandering anyway.

’Ssshhh…As I changed, the Red Water Snake slipped out from my chest pocket and greeted me.

I smirked, amused by its sudden appearance after everyone had left.

‘You must’ve been restless.

’The Red Water Snake had been with me since I fell into this world.

I noticed it while the Demon Sword Queen had briefly left, hiding quietly in my chest pocket until then.

Was it a relief to have the Red Water Snake with me?

It was slightly bothersome, but I didn’t mind it.

After all, I owed my life to this creature a few times.

‘Come to think of it….

’At this time in this world, red-ranked beasts should be showing up regularly.

‘Would finding a Demon Stone here even mean anything?

’If this is indeed a false world, finding one won’t mean anything.

‘But just in case, I’ll see if I can find one later.

’I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough time for it, though.

‘I can’t imagine it’ll be more than a few months at best.

’I had no idea what time this world was set in, but I couldn’t expect much more time here.

‘They’re probably already searching.

’If I remember right, the Black Flame Demon would’ve been highly suspicious by now, especially with me suddenly appearing and using the Cult Leader’s name.

Damn it, can’t he just let it go?

‘Of course not….

’I knew that.

He wouldn’t just let it slide.

‘Hah….

’What little relief I could take was this:‘He hasn’t caught on to who I am.

’More precisely, he hasn’t noticed the Gui Flame Wheel Technique inside me.

That’s what mattered.

If he ever found out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"I am actually you.

""That’s why I came here, and I need your help.

"How would he react if I said that?

‘How would he react?

I’d be dead, obviously.

’He’d break my neck on the spot.

Even if I laid out every piece of evidence, he wouldn’t believe me.

Instead, he might treat it as some illusion or trick and burn it all to the ground.

‘I can’t even guess how he’d react.

’The Black Flame Demon is me, but I know he’s twisted beyond belief.

I couldn’t trust him.

So, for now, I had to keep it hidden.

‘…I should avoid using my flames if I can.

’Even trying to hide this power, it stands out too much.

That’s how noticeable it is, as if my nickname wasn’t proof enough.

Just thinking about it pisses me off.

I barely reined in my emotions as I thought about what lay ahead.

‘I’ll hide my power… but now, what do I do?

’Thinking about my next steps left me feeling overwhelmed.

What does this world want from me?

How can I end this trial?

No matter how hard I searched for an answer—‘Tsk.

’It was frustrating beyond words.

Of all places, I had to fall into this hellish world…‘Who else can I blame but myself, getting obsessed with that Dokcheon Pill.

’If only I’d known the rewards would be this absurd, I’d never have touched that damn Dokcheon Pill.

Sigh…I let out a deep, forlorn sigh as I brooded.

‘Hm?

’From a distance, I sensed something strange.

I turned to look in the direction of the disturbance.

Boom!

Suddenly, the door flew open violently.

What in the world…?

Someone barged into the building.

"Hey, rookie!

"‘What?

’I looked up, noticing it wasn’t just one person.

The one in front was the gatekeeper from before, and behind him were several other demons.

Their faces all bore wide, mocking grins.

That laughter—something about it just pissed me off.

The gatekeeper, seeing I’d changed, chuckled as he approached me.

"Rookie, you’re new, so you wouldn’t know, but there’s a big ritual we hold on the first day, you know?

""Ah.

"At his words, I remembered.

Every recruit in the unit goes through this initiation ritual.

An unspoken ceremony to establish rank and authority.

It seemed that’s what these guys had in mind for me.

"Hah.

"The absurdity made me laugh.

My laughter must have gotten under his skin because the gatekeeper’s face twisted.

"This punk’s laughing?

Doesn’t he know what’s coming?

""You’re damn right I’m laughing.

Isn’t this ridiculous?

""What?

You little—""What’s your name?

"I cut him off, demanding his name.

The gatekeeper and the other demons glared at me, faces darkened.

"My name is Seok Do-ah.

You’d better remember it.

"Seok Do-ah?

Hearing it, I couldn’t help but frown.

"Never heard of it.

Remember it?

I doubt it.

""What the hell did you just—""The world’s a mess if I’m getting disrespected by the likes of you.

"I sighed, annoyed by my miserable position.

Getting this kind of treatment from a nobody whose name I didn’t even know…Glaring at him, I spoke with contempt.

"An initiation?

Sure, let’s do this initiation.

"I stepped forward, letting out a surge of energy.

The demonic energy pulsed through me, wrapping around my heart, and my eyes began to burn with intensity.

The demons flinched at the display of power.

Grinning widely, I taunted them.

"Come on.

Let’s see what you’ve got.

"This was perfect.

I needed somewhere to vent my anger.