Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Before heading to Zhongyuan, it was late in the evening.

I sought out the Palace Lord in the dead of night to attend to my final matters in the North Sea.

"This place has always been accessible only to bloodline descendants, specifically those destined to take the position of the Palace Lord.

" The location I found under the flickering light of a single lantern was an underground passageway, situated on the outskirts of the royal palace.

Why does everything here have to be underground?

Following the Palace Lord's guidance, I walked deep into the passage.

As we continued, the Palace Lord suddenly broke the silence and spoke to me.

"Young Master Gu.

" "Yes?

" "I have something I wish to ask you.

" "Please, ask away.

I will listen attentively.

" "Why did you choose to save Vioe-gun?

" It was an oddly-timed question, coming amidst the darkness and silence.

I steadied my breathing, glanced at him, and replied, "What exactly do you mean by that?

" "I mean it quite literally.

I made my deductions based on your actions, but I fail to understand your reasoning.

" Hearing his words, I nodded slightly.

As expected.

‘So my assumptions were correct.

’ The tension I felt when I first met the Palace Lord.

It confirmed what I suspected then—that his seemingly confrontational demeanor was deliberate.

It meant he had foreseen that I would need Woo Hyuk and had chosen to act accordingly.

"What if I were to say it’s simply because we’re friends?

Would that be an insufficient reason?

" "How does it sound to you, Young Master Gu?

" "It does sound somewhat lacking....

" Could I add more to my explanation?

Certainly, if I wanted to.

"His condition suggested he’d be useful if I brought him along.

" Woo Hyuk had been forcibly transformed into a human weapon by Mang’s energy.

He had grown significantly stronger, and with demonic energy infused in him, the likelihood of betrayal was slim.

There’s no bond more reliable than one forged through shared purpose.

"There also happened to be a suitable task I could entrust to him.

The circumstances just aligned perfectly.

" What’s more, Woo Hyuk was originally a key figure of Wudang.

Though his current status was ambiguous, he had once been one of its most promising disciples.

Even though Wudang’s top master, the Hermit of Wudang, had an odd temperament and erratic behavior, under normal circumstances, Woo Hyuk would have been seen as a candidate for the next sect leader.

Considering all that, simply having Woo Hyuk by my side was immensely advantageous.

He was not only a disciple of the next potential sect leader but also Wudang’s most talented rising star.

At his young age, he could already rival elders in martial skill, showcasing exceptional talent.

The value of keeping Woo Hyuk close was undeniable.

Even excluding such reasons, my decision wouldn’t have changed.

"Ultimately, aside from the reason I mentioned initially, there isn’t much else to it.

" I saved him because he was a friend.

Any additional justification would only serve as an excuse.

"Even if it discomforts you, Palace Lord, searching for any other reason feels burdensome.

" "...

I see.

" After my response, the Palace Lord fell silent.

Under normal circumstances, taking Woo Hyuk like this would have been impossible.

It was likely only feasible because the Palace Lord had chosen to turn a blind eye.

‘Otherwise, as they say, I would’ve had to force my way through.

’ The fact that such measures weren’t necessary proved the Palace Lord’s intentional leniency.

‘Should I be thankful?

’ I briefly considered it, but I knew expressing gratitude or apology was meaningless right now.

His daughter had succumbed to the Ice Essence, led a rebellion, and ultimately met her end.

Amid the palace’s unrest in the aftermath of war, the fact that someone involved in those events was being spared from execution couldn’t possibly sit well with him.

‘The mere fact he’s calmly guiding me now is astonishing in itself.

’ I couldn’t comprehend what was going through his mind as he walked alongside me.

What would I have done in his position?

I didn’t want to imagine it.

"One last question.

" "Please, ask.

" "Do you have a set goal, Young Master?

" "Excuse me?

" Out of nowhere?

A goal?

Caught off guard by the question, I paused briefly, but soon found an answer.

"It’s not something grandiose.

" It hadn’t been originally, but perhaps through my regression, it became something I felt I had to do.

"There’s something I must accomplish.

And while I’m at it, I thought I might as well save the world too.

" To stop the Blood Demon and Cheonma.

To prevent the impending bloodshed.

That was the goal I currently held.

As I mentioned this, the Palace Lord, walking ahead of me, let out a faint laugh.

"Haha...

You say it’s not grandiose, but those are lofty words indeed.

" "It’s just a goal, so I decided to frame it ambitiously.

" I deliberately phrased it as a jest.

The Palace Lord didn’t seem entirely convinced.

Just as we resumed walking, he spoke again.

"Then, what will you do once that goal is achieved?

" "...

" His words, flowing naturally, made me stop in my tracks.

‘Afterwards?

’ What would I do next?

A sense of unease filled me as I pondered the question.

When it’s all over.

‘When everything ends....

’ I tried to imagine what I’d do after completing my task, but nothing came to mind.

‘I don’t know.

’ Maybe I’d finally get some peaceful rest.

It was something I couldn’t quite figure out yet.

As I stood there, absentmindedly running my fingers over my lips, the Palace Lord glanced at me and added, "It would be good to think deeply about it, at least once.

It’s not my place to meddle, but...

you, Young Master, seem....

" Through the darkness, I could feel his cyan gaze.

"...

as if you’re trapped in something.

" "...

" With those words, the Palace Lord and I walked the rest of the way in silence until we reached our destination.

****************** The place we arrived at was a large underground chamber filled with shelves of mysterious books.

The cold air mixed with the scent of aged paper, creating a unique fragrance.

For someone like me, who had never been fond of studying, it was a smell I didn’t particularly enjoy.

I pulled a book from one of the shelves and inspected it.

There was no title written on it.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it slightly.

Srrrk.

“Ah, that book is enchanted.

If someone outside the bloodline opens it, there will be conseq—oh, it seems you already opened it.

” “...

You could have mentioned that a little earlier.

” “I didn’t expect you to open it immediately.

” “My apologies.

It just happened before I could stop myself.

” What should I do now?

Should I just close it again?

As I stood there with an awkward expression, the Palace Lord spoke.

“Well, since you’ve already opened it, what do you think?

” “...

About what, exactly?

” “Can you read the text?

” At the Palace Lord’s prompting, I looked down at the book again.

The pages were densely filled with writing, impossibly small and meticulous.

How could anyone write something so tiny?

“Yes, I can see it perfectly.

Enough to make my head ache, actually.

” Perhaps it was because I had always disliked reading, but just looking at it was irritating.

“I see.

So, you can read it.

” “Why?

Is that a problem?

” “Yes.

” “...

Pardon?

” “That book was designed so only bloodline descendants could read it.

” Wait...

Then why can I see it so clearly?

Just as I was beginning to think something might be wrong, the Palace Lord continued.

“But it seems it doesn’t matter much for you, Young Master.

” “What do you mean by that?

” The Palace Lord approached me and took the book from my hands.

Rustle.

The sound of pages turning tickled my ears.

“You mentioned you were seeking knowledge about sorcery.

” “That’s correct.

” “Before that, do you even know what sorcery is?

” “...

Not in great detail.

” Recalling what I’d heard before, I replied, “I heard it was something brought by dragons.

” The Palace Lord nodded.

“That is correct.

Sorcery is indeed a power brought by dragons.

” He placed the book he was holding onto the table with a thud and clapped his hands lightly.

Clap!

At that moment— Fwoosh!

The lamps affixed to the walls lit up.

It was obviously not my doing.

Was it some kind of energy manipulation?

No, it felt different.

It wasn’t a trace of Samadhi True Flame, nor did it carry any heat like conventional fire arts.

It was something else entirely.

“...

Just now.

” “That was sorcery.

Judging by your expression, it seems you’ve already noticed the difference.

” I had noticed.

Something about it felt fundamentally different.

But— ‘What exactly is different?

’ I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

The Palace Lord laughed lightly at my perplexed expression.

“Strange, isn’t it?

” “Yes, very strange.

” “That is sorcery.

” “...

I beg your pardon?

” “An ability that defies logic—that is what sorcery is.

” “That’s an extremely vague explanation.

” It was vague to the point of being almost useless.

Power that defies logic?

That sounded more like poetic nonsense than a proper definition.

“Before we go further, may I ask why you wish to learn about sorcery?

” “Hmm.

” I paused briefly, not because it was a difficult question, but because I wanted to come up with a more convincing reason.

Yet, no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with anything grandiose.

“I thought it might be useful.

” “...

Useful?

” “It’s information I didn’t know before, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to learn about it.

” The difference between knowing and not knowing could be significant.

Since it was something I had neither seen nor heard of in my previous life, I thought it might be beneficial to at least have some understanding.

The Palace Lord didn’t show any noticeable reaction to my words.

Instead, he raised his hand lightly.

Swoosh.

I sensed movement from the bookshelf.

Thud.

A single book detached itself from the tightly packed shelves and flew into the Palace Lord’s hand.

Holding the book, the Palace Lord turned to me again and asked, “What about this time?

What do you see?

” “What do you mean?

” “Did it seem like sorcery to you?

Or...

” “You used Spatial Manipulation.

” This time, it wasn’t sorcery—it was the art of drawing objects from the air.

“Oh.

” The Palace Lord reacted with a look of approval at my resolute response.

Seeing that expression, I couldn’t help but feel curious.

Why that reaction?

“You’re perceptive.

Or was it just a lucky guess?

” “A guess?

It’s clearly visible.

” “Hmm?

” Though they looked similar, it was undoubtedly the flow of energy.

The enchantment shown earlier had an entirely different flow.

Hearing my answer, the Palace Lord tilted their head slightly as if intrigued.

“Fascinating.

” “What is?

” “When I experienced the same thing back then, I responded by saying it felt somehow different.

My father, the previous Palace Lord, declared that I had a talent for enchantments.

” Somehow different?

It felt more than just different to me.

“If that’s the case, then I would say you possess an exceptional talent for enchantments, Young Master.

Though I’m not certain.

” “...

Is that so?

” Talent, huh.

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but stifle a wry smile.

‘Could I actually have something after all?

’ In my previous life, I had endured being called incompetent, a fool, and worse.

To suddenly discover a ★ ????????? ★ talent now felt absurd.

And of all things— ‘It’s not even martial arts but some obscure force like enchantments.

’ It wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.

As these idle thoughts crossed my mind, the Palace Lord handed me the book they had brought.

“Read it.

” I accepted the book and opened it immediately.

It wasn’t much different from the earlier one.

The dense text made me instinctively frown again.

Still, since I had been told to read it, I decided to give it a try.

“Hm?

” I suddenly noticed something strange.

Not in the book itself, but in how I was reading it.

This...

‘Why can I read this?

’ From what I knew, the scripts of the Northern Sea and Zhongyuan were completely different.

So why was I reading it without any difficulty?

Realizing this, I looked back at the Palace Lord.

“As I mentioned earlier, enchantments are the dragons’ creations, and this book is also imbued with enchantments.

It’s designed so that only those of the bloodline can read it.

” “...

So the fact that I can read it means?

” “It means that the barriers created through enchantments don’t apply to you.

Because you are a dragon.

” So even being able to read this is due to the power of enchantments?

If it were blocked by enchantments, shouldn’t I be unable to read it at all?

‘A power brought by dragons...

’ It seemed to imply that Mang or the Blood Demon had brought this power.

What purpose did they have in bringing it here?

‘And come to think of it, the Divine Doctor mentioned something as well.

’ Not just in the Northern Sea, but even in Zhongyuan, the Divine Doctor had spoken of enchantments.

‘It was during the time he healed Jegal Hyuk’s throat.

’ Back when the Divine Doctor used the White Demon Stone to treat Jegal Hyuk, I had watched the process as part of an agreement.

He had placed the White Demon Stone on the ground, drawn countless mysterious patterns around it, seated Jegal Hyuk in the center, and spent hours with his eyes closed.

Was that enchantment as well?

Considering that Jegal Hyuk’s throat was healed, it’s safe to assume he accomplished something.

An illogical, unreasonable power.

It was undeniably different from martial arts.

“The information about enchantments that I promised to provide you, Young Master, is right there in your hands.

” I looked at the book again.

“...

Just this one book?

” With so many books surrounding us, it felt stingy to only receive one.

I glanced at the Palace Lord with suspicion.

“Don’t look at it that way.

Breaking the rules of the Ice Palace to give you this is already an exception.

” So I’m supposed to be grateful for even this?

Tch.

“Moreover...

” As the Palace Lord continued speaking, I began reading the text in the book once more.

“The book in your hands contains the method to form a ring around the heart, which is essential for using enchantments.

” Their explanation reached my ears, but my eyes remained on the text.

‘A ring around the heart.

It doesn’t seem all that different from the guidelines for practicing internal techniques.

’ Most internal techniques involve gathering energy from the surroundings into the dantian and converting it into inner energy.

Techniques like Nine Flames Firewheel utilized that inner energy to unleash heat.

Even the martial arts of other clans and sects, despite their differing styles, followed the same principle.

But— ‘This “ring” is...

’ Starting by forming a base in the middle dantian was odd enough.

Focusing on the middle and upper dantians while ignoring the lower dantian entirely was even stranger.

‘So, if I do this, I can use enchantments?

’ Should I give it a try?

“Although I cannot show you the other books due to the rules, I believed it was only right to at least reveal the introductory part to you.

” ‘Let’s see...

this guideline says to....

’ “I’m afraid I can’t let you take it with you.

Even as the Palace Lord, this is the best I can offer.

” The Palace Lord kept talking, but I ignored them, focusing instead on guiding the faint energy to encircle my heart.

Then— Click.

I felt something settle into place.

Simultaneously, I sensed a faint ring forming around my heart, just as described.

“Even I, who was praised for my talent, took three months to master it, so there’s no need to rush—” “Done.

” “Take your time to carefully— Wait, what did you say?

” Wearing a refreshed expression, I spoke to the Palace Lord.

“I’ve completed the ring.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult.

Oh, can I read the next book?

It feels like there’s still plenty of time left.

” “...

” For some reason, the Palace Lord’s expression twisted.

I felt like I’d been seeing that expression a lot today.

Why?