Childhood Friend of the Zenith

A memory from an unknown time.

A deep red hue lingered in the air.

The atmosphere was thick with dampness, and it was so cold that frost seemed to settle on my body.

My whole body trembled, and each breath came out rigid, like shards piercing through my chest.

Amidst that discomfort, a voice echoed.

"Not bad.

"It was a chilling voice, mixed with a strange, faint laughter.

There was a sharp, metallic scent of blood in the air.

I wanted to lift my head and confirm what was happening, but I couldn’t bring myself to raise it.

It felt as if I wasn’t even allowed to look upon the figure before me.

Frozen in that position, staring at the ground, I heard the voice again.

"Yes, you will do just fine.

The child of Thunder Heaven.

"A hand brushed against my neck.

"From now on, you are my servant.

Be grateful.

"With a cold laugh accompanying those words, the last shreds of my consciousness faded.

And then—My eyes snapped open.

"…!

"I jolted up.

An old man, thin and weathered, regained his senses and abruptly rose, looking around.

"…Where is this…?

"Just as he was about to be startled by the unfamiliar surroundings, a surge of pain overtook him, causing him to clutch his head.

What’s going on?

Why does my head hurt so much?

He tried to hold back a groan, but even that was difficult.

"Ugh…"As the old man gritted his teeth through the pain, those around him reacted.

"The Celestial Master has awakened…!

" "Inform the clan head immediately!

" "Fetch the physician!

Quickly!

"How noisy.

The old man, drenched in cold sweat, looked around at the murmuring crowd.

Normally, such sounds wouldn’t have seemed so loud, but today, everything felt unbearably loud.

"Hu… huu…"He took a deep breath.

The pain persisted, pounding in his head like it was about to shatter.

The Celestial Master found himself overwhelmed with questions.

Where am I?

Why am I here?

He couldn’t make sense of anything.

With his head in his hands, he closed his eyes.

It felt like there were gaps in his memory, like holes had been punched through it.

What on earth had happened?

Just as the Celestial Master was being consumed by pain and confusion—"You’re awake.

"An all-too-familiar voice sounded.

The Celestial Master strained to lift his head, trying to look up.

"Tsk tsk.

After making such a scene… What a pitiful sight.

""…You.

"Looking down at the struggling Celestial Master with a mix of pity and disdain was none other than the Divine Doctor.

**************Right after I had made it clear to Nahi that she had no choice, I left her, still trembling, and resumed my walk.

As much as I’d wanted to feed her the gemstone right then and there—"The timing isn’t right for that.

"I had merely informed her of the situation, making sure she fully understood.

She had a purpose, and it was best she was aware of it.

"After all, it would be a waste to just discard her.

"Tang Deok’s role was set.

For now, I kept him close, focusing on taming him, though he too would have his own tasks eventually.

Nahi, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly useful.

As a source of information, perhaps, but given the state of the Tang Clan, even that was unnecessary.

So, where could I put her to use?

"No need to overthink it.

"She wasn’t particularly needed.

Her skill level?

She was at Peak level, and with some effort, she might reach Master Peak.

But fighters of that level were common enough across Zhongyuan.

"Common might be an overstatement, but there are plenty.

"Her skill as an assassin could be advantageous, but I already had someone else in mind for that role.

If it hadn’t been for this situation…"I would’ve used her temporarily and discarded her.

"I’d never intended to keep her alive for long.

Once my business with the Tang Clan was done, she was to be eliminated.

Whether by my hand or another’s, she wouldn’t be given any significant role.

But given the circumstances…"Now she has some use.

"The gemstone clinked in my hand.

If this experimental use worked, so much the better.

If it failed, there was no loss.

That was Nahi’s current position.

"Even if it succeeds, I’ll need to see the result.

"If her rank advances, how far will it go?

If her body transforms, to what extent?

I needed to observe.

"Thinking about it, it’s quite a hassle.

"The thought of having to watch over these details was irksome.

Should I just consume it myself and be done with it?

If my energy increases, it would mean more work for me, but that could be managed by shortening my rest time.

Honestly, I’d prefer to do just that.

"Ah, this is really irritating.

"It annoyed me that I couldn’t.

There was a reason I was doing this.

"Why did I have to come across something like this?

"Besides the gemstone, there was another item weighing down in my pocket—something else I’d extracted from Elder Il using demonic energy during his interrogation.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper.

It was an old, thin document, neither large nor thick.

But the contents were the problem.

"…Hmm.

"A plan for creating the Celestial Body.

It detailed the decades of research, the precise materials, and ratios they’d identified for this purpose.

It even outlined the method for refining the essence.

The entire process was laid out—a secret technique now in my hands.

[Are you really considering using that?

]Noya’s voice sounded sharp, as though laced with anger.

I understood the reason behind it.

"Are you out of your mind?

I would never use this.

"Noya was afraid I might actually attempt to use it.

Just reading through it, this document was horrifying, filled with inhumane details.

Gathering the ingredients alone would be an ordeal.

Not to mention…"It requires gathering over a hundred humans.

"Only those under twenty could be used.

The technique required extracting their life force and essence, mixing it with the venomous flesh of beasts.

An insane method, to put it mildly.

I looked at the gemstone in my hand, frowning.

"And to think, righteous sects created this monstrosity.

"Despite calling it a monstrosity, I couldn’t help but recognize its value.

Just consuming it would supposedly transform someone into the Celestial Body—an elixir with immense historical significance.

But the method of creating it was so far removed from any human ethics.

"…If I spread this technique, it would throw the world into chaos.

"In a world like this, there are many who care nothing for ethics.

Knowing that, I knew I could never let this technique see the light of day.

[Is that really your only reason?

] "…Of course not.

"I shook my head at Noya’s scoffing tone.

It wasn’t purely out of moral concerns.

Since when had I been so altruistic?

There was only one reason I cared about this.

If I could use this technique to turn even a common body into the Celestial Body, the value was immense.

So—"If it’s possible to use, I’d like to try.

"Rather than giving it to someone else or burning it, I wanted to find a way to use it myself.

[You fool.

]"I know.

"I couldn’t help but chuckle at Noya’s dark voice.

"Don’t worry.

I won’t do anything you’re afraid of.

"Noya feared that I might resort to using the methods detailed in the document.

While it was a bit offensive that he thought so little of me, I understood his concern and decided to let it slide.

In truth…"I haven’t ruled it out completely.

"If I could create several of these elixirs and give them to trusted people, it could be of great help in future battles.

"But that would cross a line.

"I wasn’t willing to go that far.

That would be stepping over the boundary I’d set for myself to remain human.

"Even if my body no longer qualifies as human.

"My body and circumstances might have changed, but this line was what allowed me to still consider myself human.

"So, I’ll need to find an alternative.

"Using the exact method written here was out of the question.

The inclusion of venomous elements was primarily to accommodate the bloodline of the Tang Clan, so removing that part.

Assuming I could substitute something for the human blood and life force…"…I might be able to use this differently.

"Though the power of the original elixir might decrease, I might still create something with a similar effect.

It was with that thought in mind that I hesitated.

If I could pull it off, it would be a valuable asset for the coming bloodshed.

[That’s a dangerous thought.

] "I know that too.

"I nodded at Noya’s warning.

I knew well enough how risky this line of thinking was.

Still.

"Isn’t it worth attempting?

"[…]"Better to try and fail than to never try at all, don’t you think?

"[Yes… That determination is both your flaw and your strength.

]Try until it doesn’t work.

That was the belief I hadn’t been able to live by in my past life but had resolved to uphold in this one.

"I’m not saying I’ll do this right now.

"Even excluding the gathering of humans and beasts, there were still numerous ingredients.

Expensive herbs alone would take time to procure.

"Even if I gather the herbs, refining them is another story….

"I’d need materials to substitute for human blood and life force.

I’d first have to see if any such substitutes existed.

"Who knows if they do.

"If they did, it would provide a significant advantage for my plans.

"It would surpass even the elixirs of the Shaolin and Huashan.

"If I could make it, it would exceed the value of elixirs like Dae Hwandan, Ja So Dan, or even the Dokcheon Pill.

A substance that could transform one’s very body and expand their vessel—it would be a remarkable creation.

Moreover—"…It’s just a thought, but…"I had an idea for something that might replace human life force.

Whether it would work or not remained uncertain.

"First, I’ll deal with Nahi.

"Once I confirmed whether this elixir worked on her and assessed the outcome, I’d proceed based on its potential.

"…I need to establish a path before I turn twenty.

"Time was short.

I had three years left before reaching twenty.

Within that time, I needed to lay down the framework for my future and finalize my plans.

This was part of that.

"Huu…"Lost in thought, I found myself back at my quarters.

My father was probably handling the Poison King’s request by now, and the Tang Clan would be in turmoil.

So my quarters were likely to be relatively quiet.

"Then, what I need to do inside…"Today’s task.

"…Is figuring out what to do about Thunder Fang.

"The sword I’d shoved into my drawer because of the racket it kept making.

The man presumed to be Namgung Myung within it.

I hadn’t finished my conversation with him yet.

I should take care of that before my father arrives.

Thinking that, I entered my quarters, but—"…Hmm?

"The quiet of my quarters was disrupted by a strong presence.

-You insane fool!

And loud shouting, echoing without restraint.

That sharp voice…"Isn’t that the White Lotus Sword?

"It was the voice of that woman, White Lotus Sword.

…Why on earth was she shouting in my quarters?

"What is she up to now?

"I was already feeling a bit nervous.

Every time she visited, strange words came out of her mouth, leaving me uneasy.

"Sigh…"After a deep sigh, I entered the room.

And as expected, the moment I walked in, I was greeted with an unexpected outburst that nearly made me lose my composure.

"…What did you just say?

"The strange part was, the one making this outburst wasn’t White Lotus Sword.

"Where are you going…?

"I asked, my eyes widening as I looked at the woman standing before me.

"…The North Sea.

"A woman with long, snowy white hair and flawless, pale skin.

My fiancée, the one who had died for my sake in a past life.

Namgung Bi-ah looked at me and repeated.

"I’m going to the North Sea…"