Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter Summary
A Few Moments Before the IncidentI was yawning in the prison cell where I had been confined. In contrast, Gu Ryeonghwa seemed overwhelmed, her expression tense as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation. ”He didn’t seem like it, but if he said so, I wouldn’t question it.
A Few Moments Before the IncidentI was yawning in the prison cell where I had been confined.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t been able to sleep properly, but I was feeling a bit drowsy.
Seeing me like that, Gu Ryeonghwa, who was sitting nearby, began to speak in a tone that suggested she was annoyed.
“Seriously, you’re yawning in a situation like this?
” “It’s a natural bodily function; it’s not like I can stop it.
”There wasn’t anyone to take offense here, so what’s the big deal?
Honestly, I’d love to take a nap right now, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.
In contrast, Gu Ryeonghwa seemed overwhelmed, her expression tense as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation.
I decided to ask her instead.
“Why do you look so gloomy?
Relax a little.
” “Relax?
How can I relax in a situation like this?
” “Well, it doesn’t seem like the end of the world.
”We were just thrown into a prison cell—nothing too drastic, really.
Or so I thought.
But then again— ‘Yeah, I guess it could feel like a big deal.
’From Gu Ryeonghwa’s perspective, this was probably shocking.
I had a history of treating jail like my second home, coming and going as if it were nothing.
On the other hand, Gu Ryeonghwa, who was part of the prestigious Mount Hua Sect and lived a life of honor, wouldn’t be used to a situation like this.
‘Maybe the weird one here is me.
’As the thought amused me, I chuckled quietly.
Gu Ryeonghwa’s expression twisted into something even more bizarre.
“Oppa… You’ve been like this before, but I’m pretty sure something’s wrong with you.
” “I’ve always been strange.
” “That’s true, but still…” “What’s that supposed to mean?
”I joked, and Gu Ryeonghwa nodded as if I had hit the mark.
Her reaction left me exasperated.
“As if you’re normal.
” “What?!
I am normal!
” “Oh, please.
Little sister, do you know this?
” “…What is it?
” “There’s not a single sane person in the Gu family.
” “…”Gu Ryeonghwa couldn’t even refute it, pursing her lips as if she wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.
I added one more line.
“Except me, of course.
” “You’re the worst!
”Her outburst made me laugh.
“Ha!
”The sound of someone laughing nearby interrupted us.
It was Yeongpung, who had also been dragged in with us.
When our eyes turned to him, he seemed flustered and hurriedly explained.
“Ah… Sorry about that.
You two just seem so close that I couldn’t help myself.
” “This looks like we’re close to you?
How bad are your eyes?
” “Yeongpung, are your eyes really that terrible?
”Despite the sarcastic remarks, Yeongpung just smiled, unfazed.
It was a bit of a relief that, unlike Gu Ryeonghwa, he seemed to be taking this situation in stride.
“You seem to be handling this a bit better than our little idiot over here.
”Gu Ryeonghwa immediately exploded at the "little idiot" comment, but I ignored her outburst.
Yeongpung blinked his large eyes and replied calmly.
“On the surface, perhaps.
But I am worried as well.
”He didn’t seem like it, but if he said so, I wouldn’t question it.
Nodding slightly, I shifted the topic.
“Is your jaw okay?
” “Ah.
”I was referring to the blow I’d landed on him earlier.
Yeongpung smiled sheepishly at my question.
“It’s fine.
You held back, didn’t you?
”I had made sure to strike just hard enough to knock him out.
Any harder, and I might’ve fractured his jaw.
“Besides…”Yeongpung looked directly at me.
“It’s me who should apologize to you, isn’t it?
”He was likely referring to the time he’d cornered me and demanded I return the artifact to him.
“Well, it’s fine.
Don’t worry about it.
”I hadn’t given it much thought.
Or rather, I didn’t really blame Yeongpung for what happened.
‘It felt strange, though.
’The jealousy and fiery passion I’d seen in Yeongpung’s eyes back then—those emotions didn’t seem to belong to him alone.
“Do-jang, if you don’t mind me asking…” “Yeah?
” “Do you… ever hear an old man’s voice in your head or something?
” “…What?
”Yeongpung’s expression grew perplexed, as if he were wondering what kind of nonsense I was spouting.
“Never mind.
”I quickly dropped the question.
It seemed like Yeongpung wasn’t hearing anything unusual.
If I pressed further, I’d only come off as crazy.
The metallic sound of chains caught my attention as I moved my hand.
I glanced down at my wrists.
Heavy restraints of steel bound my arms.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I examined them more closely.
‘They really spared no expense.
’These weren’t ordinary iron shackles.
They were designed to suppress martial artists of the Absolute Peak level and above.
Judging by their weight and feel, they were likely mixed with Thousand-Year Cold Iron.
‘They even sealed my pressure points and threw in these shackles for good measure.
’“Amazing how thorough they are.
”While an excellent way to handle criminals, this treatment felt excessive.
‘Do they really have to treat me like this?
’Though I hadn’t been officially charged with anything yet, their treatment left no room for doubt.
Of course—‘I did do it, though.
’What happened earlier had indeed been my doing.
It just hadn’t been discovered yet.
And—‘I have no intention of letting it be discovered.
’Leaning carefully against the wall, I mulled over my next steps.
How far should I push things?
What would be the right balance?
As I pondered, Gu Ryeonghwa’s voice broke my train of thought.
“Do you think Master is okay…?
”She seemed worried about the Sword Demon Queen.
There was a reason the Sword Demon Queen wasn’t here with us.
‘Elder Yu Baek probably called her for a private discussion.
’Elder Yu Baek was likely negotiating with her, trying to handle the situation in a way that wouldn’t escalate tensions further.
‘They probably think someone set me up.
’They might suspect that someone framed me, orchestrating events to make me look guilty.
But even if they knew that—‘They’ll still try to share the blame with us.
’Elder Yu Baek would do everything to argue that we were at fault, too.
‘How annoying.
’It was all so predictable and infuriating.
Reflecting on my observations over the past two days since arriving here, one thing had become clear.
This wasn’t the Wudang Sect I remembered from my past life.
No, it was far worse.
This Should Do ItWith that thought, I slowly stood up.
Swish—As I moved, Yeongpung and Gu Ryeonghwa looked at me with puzzled expressions.
I met their gazes and spoke.
“The Sword Demon Queen will be fine.
”There wouldn’t be any problems.
“Nothing’s going to happen to her.
”Because I would make sure of it.
“Oppa…?
” “Gu Sohyeop, what are you suddenly talking about…?
”Leaving the two bewildered individuals behind, I approached the iron bars.
The Wudang martial artist guarding the cell glanced at me with sharp, suspicious eyes.
“What is it…?
” “Did you bring the clothes I asked for?
” “What?
”My sudden, bizarre question made the martial artist frown in confusion.
“What nonsense is this about clothes?
” “Tell Tang Deok to be ready too.
It’s about to begin.
” “Wait, what are you—!
”Thunk.
“Guh…!?
”The martial artist collapsed abruptly, as if struck by an invisible force.
He wasn’t the only one.
One by one, the other guards fell to the ground.
Before long, all the martial artists guarding the prison were unconscious.
Even behind me, Gu Ryeonghwa and Yeongpung had fainted at some point.
Observing the scene, I extended my hand.
“You’ve gotten faster, haven’t you?
”As if intrigued, I mused aloud.
Suddenly, a pale hand emerged from the void in front of me.
It hadn’t really “emerged.
”It had always been there, its presence faint and unnoticed until now.
The woman who appeared used a key she held to unlock the restraints binding my wrists.
Clang—!
The shackles hit the floor with a loud noise, but no one came to investigate.
They’d already been dealt with beforehand.
“Did you kill them all?
”Recalling this, I asked her.
“As you ordered, not a single one was killed.
”The woman answered, her voice steady.
That was a relief.
Only one person needed to die here; any more than that would be unnecessary slaughter.
She knelt before me and presented something from within her robes.
Black martial attire and a white mask.
Taking them, I immediately began changing into the garments.
Once dressed, the clothes felt slightly oversized for my frame, but that wasn’t an issue.
Crack—!
My bones twisted, and my body grew larger.
It took only seconds for my physique to match the size of the outfit.
As I adjusted my attire, the woman spoke again.
“Master, there’s a message from the Hwangbo family.
” “What is it?
” “They mentioned receiving contact from Shaolin.
They’re asking for your decision on how to proceed.
” “Ha, already?
”Faster than I expected.
Those bald monks were always quick to act.
“Send Ji-seon.
He’ll handle it.
” “I’ll relay the message.
”With her response, I donned the mask.
Then, I turned around.
“...
”There, clinging to the wall with wide, frightened eyes, was Seong Yul.
He seemed utterly shocked.
“You once asked what I intended to do with you.
”“...
”He had questioned why I kept dragging him around, demanding to know my purpose.
“Wait and see.
This will be my answer.
”Creak—!
The iron cell door opened, and I stepped out, clasping my hands behind my back.
Straightening my posture, I walked with calm precision.
The woman behind me asked cautiously, “Shall I release the pressure points binding you?
”“There’s no need.
They weren’t binding me in the first place.
” “Understood.
”With each step, I diminished my presence.
By the third step, no one nearby could perceive me anymore.
At that point, I leapt into the air.
Leaping incredibly high, I reached an altitude where the woman below could still hear me.
“Now, release it.
” “Yes.
”Snap—!
With a light snap of her fingers, the concealed barrier dissipated, revealing a massive form in the sky.
A colossal entity floated above, its full size now visible.
Standing atop it was a giant wielding a spear—Tang Deok.
Upon spotting me, Tang Deok immediately launched himself downward.
It was all part of the plan.
Before long—Boom—!!!
A tremendous noise erupted from below.
I glanced briefly at the chaos beneath me, then began drawing upon the demonic energy within.
Fwoosh—!
Starting from my heart, demonic energy surged through my bloodstream, spreading throughout my body.
The energy even seeped into my eyes, altering their appearance.
As heat surged within me, I murmured to myself.
“Black Heaven.
”With those words—Fwoooosh—!!!
A massive burst of demonic energy erupted from my body.
But instead of spreading outward, it shot directly into the sky.
The demonic energy consumed the heavens above, leaving the night sky utterly void of stars and moonlight.
Within this space, there was no light—only an oppressive darkness.
A domain where day turned to night, shrouded in nothing but an empty void.
After Confirming the Created SpaceI began to descend slowly.
Releasing a subtle heat, I controlled my speed, avoiding the abrupt fall that Tang Deok had made earlier.
I could feel their gazes.
Everyone’s eyes were on me.
The fear of witnessing an unknown presence was palpable in the air.
It didn’t matter.
In fact, I welcomed it.
This was precisely the kind of reaction I intended to evoke, so it was only right to savor it.
I raised my hand.
Hwoooosh.
My inner energy condensed into a single point, gathering at my fingertips.
The energy was as fierce and unruly as its master.
But I liked its sharpness—it suited this moment perfectly.
When energy is compressed and compressed further, it inevitably becomes more potent.
I twisted its flow, shaping it into a single orb.
The orb’s rotation was so fast that it seemed as though it might explode if I lost control for even a moment.
But I held firm.
I had to.
This was the most critical moment.
Fwoosh—!
The spinning orb radiated an eerie glow.
A strange mixture of blue and violet light enveloped it.
It wasn’t the Flame Orb (Yeomok) I had used before.
If I had settled for something like that, I wouldn’t have drawn upon this kind of energy.
‘Flame Wheel Star (Hwaryunseong).
’A mysterious technique, impossible to achieve with mere fire.
A forbidden art I had barely managed to grasp and use.
With the orb complete, I gently lifted it and hurled it into the sky.
At that moment—Paaaaaa—!!
The orb erupted into brilliant light, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
I had cloaked the heavens in shadow to create a void, and now, I had placed a sun within it.
More than half of my energy had been consumed in the process, but it didn’t matter.
Tap.
My foot touched the ground.
Amid the countless gazes fixed on me, I looked straight ahead.
Standing there, Elder Yu Baek of the Wudang Sect stared back at me, his expression twisted with unease.
How gratifying.
That look of discomfort was proof that everything was going according to plan.
It was fortunate I wore a mask—at least this grin of mine wouldn’t be seen.
Facing Yu Baek, I spoke the words I had prepared.
“How delightful.
”A phrase he likely loathed to hear or even think of.
“I…”Yet now, it was my turn to utter it.
That’s right.
“…am Cheonma.
”The curtain rose on this wretched play.