Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I left the streets of Hahnam and made my way back to the lodging.

By then, the sun was beginning to set.

Finding the way back wasn’t difficult, as I remembered the route clearly.

The only reason it took a bit longer was because I ended up buying snacks and other things along the way.

‘She said she didn’t want to eat, but as soon as I bought it, she ate like crazy.

’ It made me wonder why she had refused in the first place.

Still, it was better than her not eating at all, so I considered it fortunate.

The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in hues of twilight as night approached.

Both of my hands were full.

I had bought so many things that it had come to this.

To be honest, I considered using Spatial Manipulation to carry it all, but doing so would draw too much attention, so I refrained.

What was worse— ‘She’s carrying more than I am....

’ Walking beside me, Wi Seol-ah was holding far more than I was.

Her face beamed with delight, as if she couldn’t be happier.

Looking at her like that, I felt as though none of it mattered anymore.

‘But more importantly....

’ As I continued walking, I reflected on what had happened earlier.

The incident involving Biyeonhwa.

‘I forgot about it in the moment.

’ Wi Seol-ah’s sudden appearance had made me forget to plant demonic energy into Biyeonhwa.

‘What a shame.

’ While it wasn’t necessary for the plan, given that I had already planted the seed in Bumdong, it still felt like a missed opportunity.

And to make matters worse— ‘That wretched woman ran off without paying.

’ She must have been in such a hurry that she didn’t leave any money, forcing me to cover her tab.

‘If I see her again, just wait.

’ I swore I’d squeeze at least ten times the cost out of her.

Even now, the thought annoyed me to no end.

‘Damn it, why is tea so expensive?

’ It wasn’t even alcohol, just tea, yet it cost an outrageous amount.

And the people who drank it so enthusiastically—what were they thinking?

This must have been exactly what Moyong Hee-ah had anticipated when she designed the place.

I never imagined people would willingly pay such exorbitant prices for tea and snacks, but they did.

To be fair, it tasted excellent.

So much so that, despite knowing it was overpriced, I ended up buying a whole bunch to take with me.

‘I wonder if they’ll like it.

’ Wi Seol-ah had eaten happily, but that was just how she was.

Would the others enjoy it as much?

Of course— ‘If they don’t eat, Wi Seol-ah will finish it all.

’ There was no chance of food going to waste.

Should I consider that a relief...?

As I walked leisurely: Rustle.

Passing through a lantern-lit forest path, I sensed someone nearby.

Turning toward the presence, I saw— "Ah!

" Tang So-yeol suddenly burst out from the bushes.

Her hair was covered in leaves, suggesting she hadn’t taken the main path.

Her sudden appearance didn’t startle me, as I had already sensed her presence.

"Young Master!

" Tang So-yeol smiled brightly the moment she spotted me.

Since my hands were full, I used energy to remove the leaves from her hair before addressing her.

"Where were you?

" I had sensed her presence near the inn earlier, but it had vanished at some point.

I figured she must have had something to do and hadn’t paid much attention.

It seemed she hadn’t gone straight back to the lodging and had been wandering instead.

"Oh, I just had some errands to run," she replied cheerfully.

Hearing her answer, I nodded, but internally— ‘Errands, huh?

’ I couldn’t help but feel skeptical.

‘I smell blood.

’ There was a faint scent of blood on Tang So-yeol.

She had likely tried to mask it, but my heightened senses caught the lingering trace.

I didn’t know what she had been up to, but it clearly hadn’t been anything peaceful.

Still, I decided not to let it show.

‘There must be a reason she isn’t saying anything.

’ Thinking this, I asked her: "Have you eaten?

" "Not yet.

" "Why not?

It’s late.

What have you been doing?

" "I was waiting to eat with you, of course.

" "What kind of nonsense is that?

Meals are three times a day.

Are you saying you’d skip all three if I wasn’t around?

" "That could happen—ouch!

" I flicked her on the forehead for her ridiculous response.

Since my hands were full, I used energy to deliver the light smack.

"Stop saying such foolish things.

" "Ouch....

" Tang So-yeol pretended to sulk and rubbed her forehead, but I ignored her.

Seeing that I wasn’t paying her any attention, she pouted briefly before walking over to Wi Seol-ah.

Without hesitation, she took a share of the load Wi Seol-ah was carrying.

The naturalness of the gesture made me raise an eyebrow.

"When did you two introduce yourselves?

" "Huh?

" "What?

" Both Tang So-yeol and Wi Seol-ah widened their eyes in surprise at my question.

There hadn’t been any greetings or pleasantries exchanged.

Yet, the way Tang So-yeol casually helped with the luggage felt oddly familiar.

I was certain they hadn’t had the chance to meet properly before.

Curious, I looked at them, waiting for an explanation.

"Uh...

well...

" Tang So-yeol looked strangely flustered, which only made me more suspicious.

On the other hand, Wi Seol-ah calmly responded in her usual tone.

"We met earlier.

" "When?

" "Before heading to the inn where you were staying.

" "...

What?

" The inn?

She must have been referring to the place where I had encountered Biyeonhwa.

When had they met?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of it.

"We met then," Wi Seol-ah said with a bright smile.

Her expression seemed to suggest I shouldn’t press further.

"Oh...

okay.

That makes sense.

" My instincts told me not to dig any deeper.

So, I decided to let it go.

Whatever had happened, it probably wasn’t a big deal...

I hoped.

****************** After returning to the lodging, I quickly changed out of my clothes and ate a simple meal.

Initially, I was on edge, keeping an eye out for any sign of Paejon, ready to make a quick escape if needed.

But amusingly enough, Paejon wasn’t even at the lodging.

Apparently, he had mentioned he had business to attend to and would return later.

It felt like I had just extended my lifespan.

When Wi Seol-ah unexpectedly joined us, a few people showed surprised expressions.

Still, they recognized her face, so they didn’t make much of a fuss.

Additionally, it seemed the trading company had already been informed of Wi Seol-ah’s arrival.

They had prepared an extra room for her.

This was partly because of the need to rearrange accommodations for those who had come from the Northern Sea.

Namgung Bi-ah and Goeseon, who were still recovering, had to be placed in the same quarters as the Divine Doctor for proper care.

"You disappear for a month and come back just to work this old man to the bone?

Have you lost your mind?

" The Divine Doctor’s irritated expression spoke volumes about how he felt being thrust into work right away.

"You’ve been feeling a bit bored lately, haven’t you?

A little work is good for you.

" "Bored?

I was peacefully enjoying my retirement, you brat!

" "Isn’t it better to stay busy in your old age?

I’ve heard you’ve been spending your time playing Go all day.

" "You wretched little—!

" Even as he grumbled, I knew the Divine Doctor had thrown himself wholeheartedly into treating them, true to his nature.

"So, how are they?

" "What do you think?!

" Smack, smack.

As he ground herbs with vigor, the Divine Doctor replied: "They’re both martial artists, so their regenerative abilities are high.

There’s no major issue.

They might end up with scars, but I’ve treated them well enough that I don’t need to worry.

" "I see.

" Thanks to the preparation I had made before we departed and the measures taken en route, it seemed there wouldn’t be any complications.

"It’ll probably take three months for them to fully recover.

But in a month, they should be able to move without much trouble.

" "Thank you.

" Three months, huh?

It felt both short and long at the same time.

The fact that it would take that long for martial artists to heal was a testament to the severity of their injuries.

‘...

Should I have hit them harder?

’ It seemed I should have.

As I clenched my fists, thinking of Woo Hyuk, the Divine Doctor called out to me.

"Hey, boy.

" "Yes?

" "What’s going on with you?

" "What do you mean?

" "Your body.

" "Ah.

" Right.

I recalled how poor my condition had been before our departure.

At the time, I had thought it would be a close call to recover fully before the Biwu Tournament.

But now, not only had I healed, I was in even better shape than before.

It was natural for the Divine Doctor to be curious.

"I just had a little stroke of fortune.

" "A stroke of fortune?

You keep coming back healed after every incident...

Do you realize how many doctors are losing business because of you?

" Even if the world were ending, I doubted doctors would go out of business...

Coming from someone who barely worked and only occasionally healed people, his complaint felt absurd.

‘It’s not like fortuitous encounters happen all the time.

’ Such things were rare, a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people.

The fact that I experienced them so frequently was what made me unusual.

"Ahem.

Anyway...

nothing out of the ordinary happened, right?

" "That’s a funny thing to ask, considering you’re speaking to someone who disappeared to the Northern Sea out of the blue.

" "...

" I awkwardly scratched my cheek.

I had left abruptly for the Northern Sea due to an unexpected situation, despite the Divine Doctor having entrusted me with something before.

It wasn’t surprising that he was expressing his dissatisfaction now.

"Still, I made sure to contain things before I left, didn’t I?

" "...

" At my comment, the Divine Doctor didn’t say much in response.

"Which is why I’m curious about how you managed it.

" "I just handled it in my own way.

" "Ha.

" He had asked me to thwart the rebellion planned by the descendants of the Jegal family.

And I had done exactly that—at least on the surface.

"Don’t worry.

The situation won’t escalate into what you fear.

" I stood up as I spoke.

"I’ll leave the rest to you, Doctor.

" I dusted myself off and casually mentioned Namgung Bi-ah, prompting the Divine Doctor to ask: "Are you leaving?

" "Yes.

I need to get to work now.

" "Work?

" It was about time.

‘Honestly, I’d like to rest a little longer.

’ It had been a while since I’d had a moment of leisure.

Barely a day since I’d returned.

I wanted to shake off my fatigue and indulge in some laziness.

But— ‘I need to move.

’ I couldn’t afford it.

I knew my limits.

If I wanted to protect what I held dear, I had to act.

That thought alone was enough to propel me forward.

"I’ll take my leave now.

" I bowed respectfully to the Divine Doctor and turned to leave.

With less than a month remaining until the Biwu Tournament— ‘By then.

’ I needed to have everything prepared.

****************** The setting sun receded, giving way to a blackened sky adorned with a crescent moon.

Its soft light reflected on the lake, creating a mirrored moon on the water’s surface.

Rustle.

I walked along the path.

It was a path I had traveled before.

A place a little removed from Hahnam.

An underdeveloped area that had yet to be fully explored.

Chirrrp—!!

The sound of insects filled the air, tickling my ears.

Quiet, serene, and tranquil—it exuded a sense of peace.

The forest always carried this kind of atmosphere.

Yet— ‘It’s all fabricated.

’ I knew that everything here was an artificially constructed illusion.

Step.

Adjusting my trajectory ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) slightly, I continued walking forward.

Behind me, Seong Yul followed, his presence lingering just out of sight.

I had brought him along, just in case.

Although— ‘Next time, I won’t need him.

’ I realized that there was no longer any need to bring Seong Yul.

I now knew the way.

No, to be precise, I could finally see the path.

Within this distorted space, where the environment had been intentionally twisted, the true path became visible.

I followed it.

What I couldn’t see before was now clear, and what I couldn’t sense before was now tangible.

Was this simply the result of advancing my cultivation?

No, it wasn’t.

I could tell instinctively.

‘This isn’t a formation.

’ Extending my hand, I swept it through the air.

Wuuung.

I felt something.

‘A spell?

’ It was an unusual power I had come to recognize during my time in the Northern Sea.

This space and its distortions felt like sorcery.

I wasn’t entirely certain yet, but that was my assumption.

As I slowly navigated through the maze-like path: Rustle.

I sensed movement ahead, and soon someone appeared, kneeling before me.

"...

I greet my master.

" The woman had light-green hair and violet eyes, much like Tang So-yeol.

It was Nahi, who had now become a ma-in (demonic being).

Seeing her, I let out a faint smile.

"It’s been a while.

How have you been?

" She probably hadn’t been well.

I had left her with too many tasks, after all.

Without waiting for her response, I brushed past her, continuing forward.

Nahi, accustomed to this, quickly stood and followed me.

"It seems you’ve done well.

Not bad.

" "...

Thank you.

" "As for the situation, summarize it and bring me a full report later.

" As I walked, I pulled a cracked mask from my robes.

Simultaneously— Crrrack.

I activated Body Modification Technique, slowly enlarging my frame.

Within seconds, my body expanded to nearly eight feet tall.

I had worn slightly oversized martial robes, so the transformation fit seamlessly within my attire.

Clack.

Placing the mask over my now altered face, I felt the gravity of my role settle back upon me.

It was time to get to work again.

[Nahi.

] My voice, now deeper, addressed her.

"Yes, Cult Leader.

" [Deliver a message to Cheonradaeju.

] The head of the Heavenly Silken Pavilion, who resided within this hidden base.

The demon I had once commanded.

[Inform him that I have arrived.

He is to prepare to receive me.

] "As you command.

" With those words, Nahi dissolved into a wisp of smoke, vanishing.

[...

] I halted my steps, lifting my gaze to the crescent moon above.

And, without realizing it, I thought to myself: ‘...

That was kind of impressive.

’ I couldn’t help but feel I’d struck a cool pose.

A small sense of satisfaction crept in, and I gave a slight nod, acknowledging the moment.