Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Fwoosh.

Above the remnants of the massive hole in the glacier, heat shimmered in the air.

Blue flames swayed and flickered in the wind, their heat and smoke mingling with the swirling snowstorm, asserting their overwhelming presence.

The scene was breathtaking.

While it wasn’t a towering mountain, the sight of a glacier’s summit blown off with a single strike was indescribable.

And there I stood, staring at the glacier in sheer bewilderment.

“What the hell…”I muttered, looking at the aftermath of my actions with a dumbfounded expression.

“What is that?

”With just a casual swing of my fist, the glacier had ended up in that state.

Frantically, I examined my hand.

There was nothing unusual about it.

Despite the energy I’d unleashed, no signs remained on my hand.

‘What the hell is this…?

’I couldn’t understand.

What was that strike just now?

Was it really something I did?

I hadn’t had the energy, nor the stance to launch a proper attack.

It was a desperate, flailing swing meant simply to survive—nothing more.

‘…Yet it created that?

’It wasn’t impossible to achieve such destruction.

If I pooled every bit of my inner energy into a single point and released it, I could produce similar results.

‘But I didn’t even use my inner energy.

’That last attack was powered by nothing more than a sliver of energy—a pitiful remnant.

How could such devastation come from that?

Suddenly—“…!

”My legs gave out, and I stumbled.

I barely managed to steady myself, avoiding a complete collapse.

Eeeeeee—!

A sharp ringing filled my ears.

Whummm—At the same time, an indescribable vibration coursed through my body.

“Hah… Hah… Ugh…”My breathing turned erratic, and a wave of nausea surged up.

How could I describe this?

It wasn’t just the strength leaving my body; it felt as if the very vessel within me had been shaken to its core.

I was overcome with a dizzying disorientation.

Drip.

Blood trickled from my nose.

I had already been bleeding from the earlier blows, but now it was flowing freely.

Tap.

Unable to hold myself upright, I planted one hand on the ground.

Blood dripped onto the snow beneath me, staining it red.

My body felt utterly broken, as though something vital had been irreparably damaged.

I struggled to stabilize my breathing, when—“…Hah.

”I heard Paejon’s voice from nearby.

It was a laugh—a faint, exasperated chuckle.

“This is ridiculous.

”I wasn’t in a state to respond, but anxiety crept in.

Was he going to beat me further in this condition?

That possibility deeply unsettled me.

If he’d taken that blast head-on, even someone like Paejon might not have come out unscathed.

The moment the energy erupted, I had my heightened senses active.

I saw everything.

The threads of energy extending from Paejon had been consumed entirely by the force I unleashed, obliterated in an instant.

It meant that, aside from evasion, Paejon had no way to counter the attack.

He had narrowly escaped death.

And now I couldn’t help but worry—what if he retaliated out of anger?

“It’s hard to decide whether to praise or scold you for this,” Paejon said, breaking the tension.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like he intended to continue the beating.

He approached me slowly.

“In all my years, I’ve never seen someone attempt to beat their master and accidentally gain enlightenment.

”Enlightenment?

What was he talking about?

I tried to lift my head to ask, but—“Don’t move.

If you make the wrong move, you’ll die.

”His warning froze me in place.

“Focus on your breathing.

Your soul has been shaken to its core.

If you act recklessly, your vessel will shatter.

”As he explained, Paejon placed a hand on my back.

Fwoosh—Starting from his palm, the chaotic energy inside me began to stabilize.

“I always thought you were remarkable, but this… I didn’t expect you to be this exceptional.

”Even as he worked to correct my internal energy flow, Paejon kept talking.

Normally, this kind of work demanded utmost focus—no talking, barely even breathing.

Any slip-up could result in both of us falling into internal deviation.

But Paejon didn’t seem to care about such risks.

Instead, he asked, “How does it feel?

”He sounded amused, almost playful—despite having just pummeled me.

‘How does it feel?

’What was he asking about?

“I mean, how does it feel to step into the realm of Simsaeng?

”“…!

”My eyes widened in shock.

The revelation made my energy waver, but Paejon immediately stabilized it without issue.

Simsaeng?

I’d heard the term before.

The realm of the heart and soul.

It was a level beyond physical martial arts—a domain where one’s spirit forged and expressed itself through their body.

Swordmasters referred to it as the state of Body and Sword as One, where they could wield the power of the Heart Sword.

And it was also the realm required to fully wield the power of the Fire Wheel Star.

Not the incomplete version I’d been using, but the true, fully realized ability.

Did that mean—‘…I’ve touched that realm?

’It was hard to believe.

How could I have reached it so suddenly?

As if sensing my thoughts, Paejon added, “As I said before, you’ve only touched it—you haven’t fully crossed into it.

”While his tone carried a hint of regret, he continued, “Even so, to graze it is an incredible achievement.

”For someone as stingy with praise as Paejon to call it remarkable—it had to be extraordinary.

‘Then… that power I used just now…’The strike that obliterated the glacier’s peak—was that the power of Simsaeng?

Since I hadn’t used a sword, it wasn’t the Heart Sword.

Perhaps it could be called the Heart Fist.

‘That makes sense…’Thinking back, I understood why Paejon had asked how it felt.

It was an indescribable sensation.

The energy didn’t flow from my dantian but from somewhere deeper—somewhere I couldn’t precisely pinpoint.

When I threw that punch, I felt something being drawn out from within me, as if my very essence was being extracted.

Then came an overwhelming emptiness, followed by my body collapsing.

It was a disorienting yet awe-inspiring experience.

“Using your soul is exactly like that,” Paejon said.

“Haa…”My shaky breathing finally steadied.

“When the vessel of ‘self’ is perfected and your convictions are firmly established, only then can the soul take form and construct its domain.

”"Difficult.

" The words and their meaning.

Just hearing them made no sense to me.

“Simsaeng is like expressing the path you’ve walked so far, manifested through power.

”My breathing, along with the chaotic energy within me, began to stabilize.

“It’s impossible to reach or even glimpse it through shallow understanding or a half-hearted path.

”Paejon’s hand left my back, and only then could I lift my head from where it had been lowered.

“You’ve managed to touch it, though, so you’ve achieved half of it,” he said.

“…Ah…”I tried speaking slowly, testing my voice.

Fortunately, I didn’t seem to have any problems forming words.

“Then, are you saying what I just used is akin to the Heart Sword?

”“Who knows.

”“Pardon?

”“Who knows?

”His unexpected response left me momentarily stunned.

Paejon chuckled before continuing.

“What does it feel like to you?

”“I’m not sure.

That’s why I’m asking you.

”“Then keep seeking answers until you’re certain.

”“That’s…”“Disciple, do you know why it’s called the Heart Sword?

”His question made me frown.

How would I know?

I’d only just learned about Simsaeng.

“Swordsmen live their lives with their swords.

When they enter the realm of Simsaeng, the first shape their soul constructs is naturally a sword.

”The soul takes the form of a sword.

Hence, the Heart Sword.

“The shape of their lives aligns with the form of a sword.

They see their soul as a sword and manifest it accordingly.

That’s why it’s the Heart Sword.

”“In that case…”“The shape and meaning of the power you displayed must be discovered by you alone, not by asking others.

”“…”The form of one’s soul.

The shape of one’s life, forged and confirmed in Simsaeng.

What exactly had emerged from my fist earlier?

I couldn’t be sure.

There was nothing I could say with certainty.

‘I…’What form did my soul take?

What was its true nature?

Could I simply call what I unleashed the Heart Fist just because it came from my punch?

That thought briefly crossed my mind before I decided—‘…This is too complicated.

I’ll just call it the Heart Fist for now.

’For now, that seemed like the easiest answer.

As I reached this conclusion—“There’s one thing I find curious…” Paejon said.

His words caught my attention.

Curious?

“That you’re still unprepared.

”“What?

Unprepared?

”“Your vessel seems mostly complete, but I judged you weren’t yet ready to touch Simsaeng.

Yet, here you are, having reached it on your own.

It’s perplexing.

”“…”Physically, I was ready.

But he seemed to believe my understanding and clarity of purpose were lacking to enter Simsaeng.

‘…He was planning to teach me this?

’I couldn’t imagine how he intended to teach something so abstract, but knowing how monstrous Paejon was, I decided to let it go.

Regardless, from his perspective, I wasn’t ready to even approach Simsaeng.

And yet, here I was, having brushed against it, even if incompletely.

That seemed to puzzle him.

‘I’m curious too.

’I was glad to have grown stronger, but it was strange.

In my previous life, I hadn’t reached this realm, yet somehow, in my current, weaker state, I had touched it.

Simsaeng required a firmly established conviction.

‘Conviction, huh…’I was still wandering, uncertain of my direction.

I didn’t have a conviction strong enough to form the foundation for Simsaeng.

Which meant…‘Could it be…’I recalled the conversation I’d had with Bloodlust just before this.

The thing that had appeared out of nowhere and spoken to me.

It had said one thing very clearly.

“I will help you.

”Help me, because I’d gotten entangled in an irritating situation.

Was that it?

Was that why I could suddenly use the Heart Fist?

‘If not for that…’I couldn’t think of any other explanation.

I vividly remembered the searing heat I’d felt and Bloodlust’s smirking face.

Everything about it unnerved me.

And then there were its final words:[We are dragons.

]Those maddening words stuck in my mind.

“…Damn it.

”The idea that I’d gained this power thanks to Bloodlust left me feeling uncomfortable and agitated.

As I brooded over these thoughts, Paejon observed me silently before speaking.

“It seems something is bothering you.

”Judging by my sour expression, he’d guessed correctly.

At times like this, I regretted not wearing a mask.

“It’s nothing,” I said, trying to brush it off.

Paejon chuckled, as if saying, “Sure, if you say so.

”Still, I should just be thankful I’d touched Simsaeng.

‘Not like I’m in a position to be picky.

’I had resolved to use whatever means necessary to grow stronger.

Even so, the unease didn’t fully dissipate.

‘Think of it positively.

’I’d grown stronger.

Whatever the means, I’d broken through to another realm and gained a power comparable to my previous life.

That alone should be enough for now.

Slowly, I got to my feet.

‘First, I need to figure out exactly what this is.

’How to use it, its limitations, and its true potential.

Thunk—!

“Ugh.

”But just as I was standing, my knees gave out again.

Cough—Blood gushed from my mouth.

This wasn’t like the blood trickling from my nose earlier—it was far worse.

“What the hell is this?

”Hadn’t Paejon stabilized my energy?

I tried covering my mouth, but blood still poured through my fingers.

“Oh,” Paejon murmured, observing me.

“Looks like I couldn’t contain the recoil.

Hah.

”“What… do you mean…”I couldn’t finish my question.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Waves of intense pain and vibration surged through my body.

Clutching my chest, I trembled violently as agony consumed me.

“Though I stabilized your energy to keep your body from bursting, I couldn’t prevent the backlash from using power beyond your means,” Paejon said.

His words sounded grim, but I couldn’t focus on them.

Boom—!

The pain reached my head, overwhelming me.

It felt as if an earthquake were tearing through my insides.

And then—[Young Master—!!

]Through my fading consciousness, I heard Tang So-yeol’s voice approaching.

I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.

As I struggled, Paejon said, “Sleep for a bit.

”Before I could comprehend his words—Smack!

A sharp impact to the back of my neck plunged me into unconsciousness.

When I finally regained my senses and opened my eyes, I was greeted by:“Oh my.

”A familiar woman’s voice.

A ceiling I didn’t recognize.

And—“You’re awake?

”The face of the White Lotus Sword, pinching both my cheeks.