Childhood Friend of the Zenith

“Damn it…”The moment I returned and took in the sight before me, I cursed under my breath.

I was back in the underground chamber where I’d first encountered Tang Jemoon.

"Did I just get thrown out?

"A frustrated sigh escaped me.

Talking halfway through, only to be tossed out with no room for discussion.

“Why are so-called ‘heroes’ always like this?

”We hadn’t even properly talked.

She’d acted like she knew something, then threw me back here without a second thought.

Crack.

I grit my teeth at the ridiculous situation.

Where’s Noya?

Even amidst the chaos, I instinctively searched for any trace of Noya, but I heard or sensed nothing.

He’s probably not asleep again.

Now that the issue with the vessel had been mostly resolved, I doubted he’d fallen back into slumber.

In that case…Could this be something Tang Jemoon did?

That was the most likely explanation for now.

Sigh…I calmed my nerves, letting the heat of my emotions cool.

Then, I began recalling the conversation I’d had with Tang Jemoon.

She’d said I had surely forgotten something, something I was supposed to realize through the trial she’d shown me.

What could it be?

I had no clue.

If it was something I had forgotten, it wasn’t likely the Sword Demon, nor was it the Divine Sword.

And it certainly wasn’t the people who’d died back then.

Am I supposed to examine the unusual events I encountered?

When I considered it that way, only one person came to mind.

Someone flickered through my thoughts briefly, but I didn’t let it sink too deeply.

That can’t be right.

There’s no way.

…Absolutely no way.

It was something that couldn’t be.

If I had to name some of the anomalies I’d encountered in that world, it would be the strange behavior of the Murim Alliance and the movements of the Heavenly Lord.

But ultimately, the most significant event would be the appearance of Cheonma.

But what connection could there be between Cheonma and me?

That’s precisely why I dismissed the notion.

There was no logical reason for there to be any connection between me and Cheonma.

But, if I had to point out a problem here……The biggest issue was that I couldn’t completely dismiss the idea.

What is this?

This inexplicable sense of unease—what is it?

I couldn’t figure it out.

Was it something I felt after meeting the Cheonma from the other world?

Or was it something that came up after my recent encounter with Tang Jemoon?

Or perhaps it had started even earlier.

Maybe it had been lingering since I’d shattered my vessel and absorbed the Blood Energy.

Whatever the case, from a certain point onward, I’d been feeling this unsettling sensation.

And it was especially prominent whenever I thought about Cheonma.

What is this feeling?

Why does this sensation surface like this?

This damned feeling, combined with Tang Jemoon’s words, stirred up a multitude of thoughts.

Was there something I had truly forgotten?

…Something about Cheonma?

When I thought about it, several oddities came to mind.

For one, Cheonma was likely the figure who had brought me back in time.

Why?

If that were indeed the case, why would Cheonma go through the trouble to send me back?

And what purpose would she have?

There’s too much that doesn’t add up for that to be true.

Thinking back to my first encounter with Cheonma, I knew her objective had never been me.

It had happened when the Murim Alliance had assembled a team to hunt demons.

While our squad was out on a mission, I had encountered Cheonma.

She had mercilessly slaughtered the martial artists of the Alliance around us as if they were insects.

In that chaotic moment, I had only been able to escape with Wi Seol-ah.

Cheonma had attacked, targeting the Divine Sword—Wi Seol-ah herself.

In the process, I’d fallen into demonic corruption.

But if you look at it that way…I wasn’t her objective.

Back then, I’d been sure of it.

But… now?

Over time, that certainty had started to crack.

Was it because of Tang Jemoon’s words?

Or was it something else?

There was definitely something there.

As I forced myself to cool down and think things through, an idea began to take shape.

The fog had started to thin.

It felt as though a layer of haze I hadn’t even been aware of was lifting.

…I don’t know yet.

I don’t know enough.

Perhaps this wasn’t even about Cheonma.

It might be something else entirely.

But for now, I couldn’t be sure.

It’s ridiculous that I’m even thinking about this right now.

It was absurd that I was suddenly reflecting on things I hadn’t considered before, all because of Tang Jemoon’s words....

Lost in thought, a realization struck me.

This.

Something strange came to mind.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

My suspicions about Cheonma… I hadn’t given them much thought before.

Isn’t that odd?

It had seemed like such a significant issue.

And despite knowing it was dangerous, I hadn’t been able to focus on it until now.

Why was I suddenly able to consider it now?

As I became more aware of these thoughts, I swallowed dryly.

Only now did I understand that I had been unconsciously avoiding thoughts about Cheonma all along.

Whenever I tried to think about it, I’d find myself brushing it aside, telling myself it was a matter for the future, or that I had more urgent things to handle.

It was only now that I realized there had been an issue all along.

It felt as if something—or someone—had been forcing me to keep it out of mind.

What was going on?

And why was I only now able to consider this?

…Could it be?

I remembered drinking the tea during my conversation with Tang Jemoon.

She had called it the “Fragment of Oblivion.

”Could that be it?

Is that why this was happening?

Just as that certainty started to solidify in my mind…Growl…A low sound made me turn my head.

My body instinctively gathered energy.

Was there something else here?

Fwoosh—I conjured a flame.

Damn.

Seeing the bright blue flame flickering before me, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

The violet flame would have been more discreet, but this color was too conspicuous.

Setting the flame aside, I heightened my senses, ready to charge toward the source of the sound.

Growl.

“…Hm?

”A figure emerged from behind a pillar, and when I saw it, my eyes widened.

“Blood Energy?

”The creature bore a striking resemblance to something I’d seen recently—the “dragon” that had nearly taken over my body in a fit of rage.

Growl…It wasn’t nearly as large as that thing had been.

This one was smaller than me, but its form was unmistakably similar.

Its blue scales gleamed with a certain pattern, fine fur ran down its spine, and it had limbs and claws.

Then there was its slit maw, filled with sharp fangs.

Why is a creature like this here?

Before I could process my thoughts, my body was already moving.

Whoosh!

I twisted my body and swung my fist toward the creature.

Just before my flame-wreathed fist struck its form…Growl.

“…!

”I caught sight of its eyes and quickly twisted my body to the side.

Thunk!

My fist crashed into the nearby pillar, flames spreading around the impact.

Crash!

The pillar shattered and collapsed to the ground with a loud crash.

Although I could recall the flames, I looked back at the creature with eyes filled with surprise.

Even though I had come so close, the creature only tilted its head, showing no signs of aggression.

“You…”I spoke, bewildered.

“…Are you the Red Serpent?

”At my words, the creature’s eyes glinted.

Then, it gave a slight nod.

“...

”I was at a loss for words.

The creature I held captive, the Red Serpent that had once been a minor spirit beast… had this evolved into the creature before me?

“But how… did it end up like this?

”I was at a complete loss.

Its appearance was entirely different from before.

Once, it had been a thin snake that barely wrapped around my arm.

But now, it was as long as my body and far bulkier.

In fact, apart from its elongated, flexible body, its color and appearance had become completely unrecognizable.

Why did I recognize it as the Red Serpent, then?

Hum.

I felt a resonance in my body, its energy attuning itself with mine.

Was that why?

Perhaps that was what allowed me to recognize it.

Growl.

The creature pressed its snout against me, rubbing its face on mine.

Its massive tongue grazed my cheek.

“Your slobber’s all over me, you little….

”The bigger it had grown, the more slobber there was.

What happened?

As I absently patted it, I tried to piece things together.

“Is this… because of me?

”Given its scales and the way it resonated with my energy, the reason for its transformation was obvious.

“…Did you change because I changed?

”Growl?

It tilted its head as if it didn’t understand me.

Despite its fearsome new look, it behaved just as it always had.

Thankfully, it seems like only its appearance has changed.

That was a relief.

But it was also a problem.

What am I supposed to do with something this size?

With everything happening so fast, I hadn’t had the chance to consider it, but hiding it was clearly impossible now.

Its eyes gleamed, and its whiskers dangled as it watched me, and my headache worsened.

And what is this thing exactly?

It was a beast born from a spirit stone and changed by my energy.

But now, it could even alter its form.

It won’t get any bigger, will it?

That thought was genuinely unsettling.

If it grew any larger, I had no idea what I’d do.

If it does…Images of the gigantic Blood Energy creature flashed through my mind.

That thing had been colossal.

By size alone, it had rivaled the Red Serpent I encountered by the river, which was troubling.

And how would I even feed it?

Now, I was wondering what to give it for sustenance, let alone if it grew larger.

Sigh.

I chuckled at my own thoughts.

Here I was, figuring out how to feed it rather than abandoning it.

As I stroked its head, it leaned in, nudging me affectionately.

After a few pats, I turned my head.

“Hm.

”As I glanced around, something familiar caught my eye.

I headed in that direction.

At the edge of the chamber lay a heap of Dokcheon Dan and Baekma Stones.

They were exactly as I had first found them.

“…”Back then, I had practically drooled at the sight.

But now, they didn’t stir the same excitement.

I carefully picked up one of the Dokcheon Dan.

“Hm…”Could I still consume this in my altered form?

Not fully understanding my body’s changes left me hesitant.

And what about martial arts?

Was the Demonic Celestial Absorption Technique still functional?

Setting down the Dokcheon Dan, I lightly picked up a Baekma Stone.

Hum.

The moment I activated the technique, I felt the energy flowing into me.

Apparently, my altered body hadn’t affected the technique.

So it’s safe to absorb energy, then?

I continued checking my condition, testing different aspects.

Sss…“…!

”Suddenly, I caught a faint floral scent, accompanied by a subtle warmth in my body.

That scent…An all-too-familiar sensation made me turn my head.

[Ugh…]Sure enough, a familiar voice echoed in my mind.

Noya?

[…]Sensing Shin Noya’s presence, I tried reaching out to him, but strangely, he didn’t respond.

Noya?

[…]What’s going on?

Could he have…Was he gone again?

Just as an uneasy feeling began to creep over me…[…Don’t talk to me right now.

]Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t vanished.

“What happened?

”I asked, puzzled.

[I’m… in an embarrassing state.

Just… don’t talk to me for a while.

]“…Ah, understood.

”Something must have happened to him.

His voice had an unmistakable note of timidity.

Noya, just checking… but…He had told me not to talk to him, but I had to ask.

Did someone hit you?

[…]No answer.

I had only asked half-jokingly, but his silence spoke volumes.

Noya… could it really be…[Who said I got hit!?

][…]He snapped, but his reaction confirmed my suspicion.

While I couldn’t see him, the tremor in his voice suggested he’d taken quite a scolding.

And the only person capable of putting Noya in that state was—“…”At that moment, I sensed a presence directly behind me.

“How did this happen?

”The mix of confusion and irritation was unmistakable.

I turned around and quickly saw the reason for her tone.

“Oh.

”It was obvious why Tang Jemoon was irritated.

A pillar in the chamber had collapsed.

She stood there, frowning at the wreckage with a piercing gaze.

And then…“Disciple…”Her gaze fell on me, her eyes radiating a deadly look.

Sigh.

I sighed and immediately pointed toward the culprit.

“Growl?

”The Red Serpent tilted its head, looking innocent.

Without hesitation, I scolded it like a misbehaving child.

“I told you to be careful!

Look at the mess you made!

”Of course…“Disciple?

”It didn’t work.

Not that it could…Fwoosh……when the flames still flickered on the shattered pillar.