Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Fwoooosh—!!

The roaring flames filled the night sky.

The searing heat rippled through the air, so intense it felt like midday despite the moon still hanging overhead.

Fwoosh.

I waved my hand at the flames dancing wildly in the air.

Craaaaack—!!!

The sound echoed like the wail of a beast.

Thick streams of fire twisted and turned at my command, and in moments— Boom!!

A massive shockwave surged outward, and the flames began to retreat.

The blue fire poured back into my body, surging toward my heart, condensing into energy.

But even as it settled, I could feel that I’d only reclaimed about half of what I had poured out.

“...

Haa...

” I let out a deep breath, dispersing the lingering heat in the air.

Whooosh—!!

I cleared away the last of the heat and finally took a look around.

And then I laughed.

‘This is a damn mess.

’ The aftermath of the flames had left the place in ruins.

Scorched trees, charred marks scattered across the ground— It made sense, considering the fire I’d unleashed.

But still— ‘It’s been a while since I lost this much control.

’ It was a jarring realization.

I’d long since mastered fire techniques to the point where I could precisely target my attacks.

Back in my past life, I hadn’t cared about collateral damage—I just burned everything down.

But this life was different.

I’d grown accustomed to controlling my flames, but now?

‘It’s harder than ever.

’ After the transformation I went through last night, it was like my flames had become wild and untamed.

Every blast burned hotter and exploded far stronger than I intended.

I had nearly set the entire mountain ablaze before I hastily pulled it back.

If I hadn’t, I really might have burned down the whole area.

Even after shifting to firing into the air instead of directly ahead, it hadn’t been enough.

‘I still couldn’t fully rein it in.

’ I spent the whole night experimenting, and the conclusion was clear.

‘This isn’t something I can fix in a day or two.

’ It was going to take more time.

‘The firepower’s way too strong.

’ What had I said last night?

I’d hoped for about a 30% increase in firepower.

‘Yeah, 30%, my ass.

’ It wasn’t 30%.

It was double.

‘The firepower’s doubled.

’ Not only that, but the strength of my reinforced energy had also increased.

And that was the problem—I still couldn’t control it.

The flames now held more explosive force than ever before.

If my limit before was a 10, it felt like I could now push past 20.

That meant my destructive capability had skyrocketed.

But— ‘The problem is...

’ I couldn’t control this sudden surge of power.

And even worse, my Qi reserves hadn’t grown at all.

I already had an unusually high Qi capacity, which was why my flames had always been strong.

But now, with twice the firepower and the same amount of Qi— ‘I need way more Qi to handle this.

’ Even with my reserves, I’d run dry far too quickly.

I frowned, recalling the bursts of fire I’d unleashed last night.

The power was overwhelming, even to me.

But I didn’t have enough Qi to sustain it.

‘Should I be happy about this or not?

’ It was definitely a gain, a blessing in disguise— But if I wanted to fully utilize this power, I’d have to increase both my training and my Qi reserves.

‘I need to expand my capacity.

’ I had to find a way to strengthen my foundation to keep up with this newfound strength.

Still— ‘I got stronger.

That’s what matters.

’ I needed to focus on the positives.

Time was against me, and any boost in power was better than none.

‘As long as I can boost my Qi, I’ll be unstoppable.

’ If I could keep up with the firepower, then— ‘I might even match the Three Supremes.

’ Raw firepower alone might put me on par with them, at least in a clash of strength.

No— ‘I have to surpass them.

’ The heights I was aiming for were far beyond theirs.

I needed to find a way to make it work.

‘At the very least, I have to surpass the Heavenly Lord.

’ Among the Three Supremes, the Heavenly Lord was the strongest in terms of destructive force.

I’d witnessed it firsthand during the last battle.

‘I lost in firepower.

’ The thunderclouds that filled the sky— The lightning that rained down from above— It was like facing a natural disaster, terrifying and overwhelming.

I used to think the Heavenly Lord was the weakest of the three, but— ‘They’re a Supreme for a reason.

’ Seeing their true power forced me to reevaluate.

Human disasters.

Humans who had reached heights that seemed beyond mortal limits.

I had to reach that level.

‘With this boost, how far have I climbed?

’ I’d been somewhere in the mid-tier of the Ten Great Masters before.

But now— ‘I’m at the upper ranks.

’ I still couldn’t match figures like the Plum Blossom Immortal or the Sword Saint, but I wouldn’t lose to the level just below them.

In the right circumstances, I might even hold my own against them.

If I could overwhelm them early with raw firepower— Though, if it turned into a prolonged battle— ‘I’ll be the one to fall first.

’ I didn’t have the Qi reserves to sustain it.

But— ‘That’s just in a martial arts match.

’ If I factored in my other abilities— The techniques and powers I had gained— ‘I won’t lose.

’ Victory wasn’t guaranteed, but I wouldn’t lose either.

I felt confident in that.

“Hmm.

” I steadied my energy and looked out into the distance.

Everything I had— My martial arts, my dragon-given powers, and the rituals I was still perfecting— They were all part of my arsenal.

And more than that— ‘Authority.

’ The powers I gained when I became a dragon.

Dragon Speech, Greed, and the Wind I’d taken from Mang— None of them were particularly suited for combat, but— ‘The new one I gained is different.

’ It was the first ability that actually seemed practical in a fight.

‘I need to test it.

’ I flexed my fingers, tempted to activate it right away.

I really wanted to try it out.

But— “Tsk...

” I clicked my tongue and held back.

‘Not here.

’ Even in this secluded area, it was too risky.

I wasn’t even sure if I could control it yet.

‘Time to move.

’ I had other matters to attend to soon and couldn’t afford to waste more time.

Honestly, I should’ve left earlier, but I’d spent too long testing my firepower.

“I’ll test it next time.

” As much as I wanted to experiment further, I forced myself to hold back.

Clicking my tongue in frustration, I turned around.

It was time to head down the mountain.

‘Speaking of which...

did that brat make it there safely?

’ I briefly thought of the brat who had been hanging around earlier.

He’d decided to head down on his own while I’d stayed behind, saying he could find his way.

But did he actually know where he was going?

For a moment, I felt a flicker of worry.

‘He’ll figure it out.

’ He wasn’t a real kid, after all.

That brat had been zipping around just fine earlier, so he should be able to manage.

To be honest, I still felt uneasy about it.

But I had too much to do to let it distract me.

‘I need to focus.

’ Lingering any longer would only make me late.

With that thought, I quickened my pace.

My destination— The Martial Alliance.

****************** After flying for about half an hour, I finally arrived at the Martial Alliance.

Normally, I should’ve gotten here in half that time...

but I ended up arriving later than expected.

‘Damn it...

Even the slightest push of strength makes me shoot forward.

I can’t control this properly.

’ A light press of my foot was enough to send me speeding ahead.

I had to focus on controlling my pace the whole way here, worried I’d accidentally crash into a building.

And so, I arrived at the Martial Alliance.

The moment I reached the entrance, someone appeared and approached me.

“...

I greet the Star King.

” “Nice to meet you.

” The Martial Alliance member greeted me with proper etiquette, as if they had been waiting for me.

Seeing this made me scowl slightly.

‘Damn that title.

Still can’t get used to it.

’ The word “Star King” grated on my nerves.

“...

The Lord has been waiting.

If you’re ready, I’ll escort you inside.

” “What if I’m not ready?

Does that mean I don’t have to go in?

” “...

Pardon?

” “I’m joking.

Let’s go.

” “...

” I’d tried lightening the mood with a joke, but seeing the martial artist’s face stiffen immediately, I dropped it.

Following his lead, I entered the alliance.

I’d been visiting often enough lately that the surroundings were starting to feel familiar.

As I walked, taking in the sights, the guide suddenly spoke up.

“The Lord has been waiting for you for some time.

” I turned my head toward him.

“Oh, really?

” “Yes.

The Lord expected you to arrive a bit earlier and prepared in advance.

” “He must be busy.

Did he really need to go that far?

” “Well, I suppose it’s a matter of basic courtesy.

” I narrowed my eyes ★ ????????? ★ slightly at his words.

Something about his tone rubbed me the wrong way.

I glanced at the man with narrowed eyes.

Since he kept facing forward, I couldn’t see his expression.

Maybe I was imagining things.

I brushed it off for now.

“...

Sure, whatever.

” But then— “Since the Lord is technically your senior, I imagine waiting for you hasn’t been particularly comfortable for him.

” “...

” “If he seems displeased, I hope the Star King, as his junior, will be understanding.

” His continued remarks made it clear this wasn’t just in my head.

‘Already trying to pick a fight, huh?

’ I scratched my cheek with a finger.

‘So this is how it starts—with a power play.

’ Not only was he making a fuss about me being late, but now he was slipping in comments about seniors and juniors.

The truth was, while I’d arrived later than expected, it wasn’t actually late.

Technically speaking, I was on time.

‘But this bastard’s acting like I’m late on purpose.

’ I tilted my head slightly, studying the martial artist.

His uniform’s emblem and the armband on his arm made it easy to figure out which faction he belonged to.

Taking note of those details, I spoke up.

“And so?

” “...

Excuse me?

” The man flinched and turned back toward me, clearly startled.

He looked like he was wondering if he’d misheard me.

Of course, he hadn’t misheard anything.

“Who told him to wait?

” “What do you mean...?

” “I mean, who asked him to sit there and wait for me?

It’s almost like you’re implying I begged him to stay put.

” The martial artist looked at me in disbelief.

Maybe my reaction caught him off guard because his composure wavered, letting me catch a glimpse of his true feelings.

“If I had actually been late, I’d have kept my mouth shut.

But I’m on time, so what’s with all the fuss?

” “What fuss?

I would never—” “This is fussing.

What else would you call it?

Don’t try to act like this was some highly respectful observation.

It didn’t sound that way to me.

” I smirked, and his expression cracked.

“I was told today worked for everyone, so I agreed out of consideration.

Now you’re throwing this senior-junior nonsense at me—what the hell is that about?

” Today’s schedule had been arranged to accommodate everyone, and since it worked for me, I went along with it.

He probably knew.

No—he definitely knew.

And yet, he was still acting like this.

To make it worse— “Hey, old man.

” “W-what?

Old man?

” “Do you even know who the fuck I am?

” “...

You are the Star King.

” “No, no.

Not just the Star King.

” I smiled wide and patted his shoulder a couple of times.

“I’m here to take over as the Lord.

That makes me your superior, doesn’t it?

” “...

” “I’m pretty damn sure it does.

No matter how I look at it...

” I gave him a slow, deliberate once-over from head to toe.

“You don’t look like you outrank me, do you?

” “...

” I made sure to lace my voice with as much disdain as I could manage.

“...

Tch.

” I heard his teeth grinding.

I must’ve hit his pride hard.

Not that I cared—I just kept talking.

“Look, I’m saying this for your sake.

I don’t give a shit who told you to do this, but don’t start useless pissing contests with me.

” I didn’t let out any Qi or killing intent while speaking.

Normally, I would’ve, but if I did now, I might’ve killed the bastard on the spot.

“I’m not exactly known for my good temper.

Fuck around too much, and you might lose something important.

Try to keep your body in one piece.

” That was genuine advice.

How many bastards who picked fights with me were still breathing?

I’d killed so many I couldn’t even remember their faces.

So I was trying to do him a favor—don’t start shit you can’t finish.

And yet— “You—!

” The bastard snapped and let his killing intent surge.

Not good.

The damn meeting hadn’t even started yet, and I was already about to deal with a corpse.

Then again— ‘Not like I’d give a shit.

’ It wouldn’t matter to me at all.

I watched him as he started raising his hand toward his sword.

‘Grab it.

’ Go ahead.

Grab it.

‘And draw it.

’ Draw it already.

If he wanted to start a goddamn mess from the get-go, I’d make sure he got what he asked for.

I was just waiting for him to make his move— Clang.

He grabbed the sword.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch up.

But then— “Vice Lord.

” “...!

” ‘Tsk.

’ Too bad.

I didn’t get the show I wanted.

A fucking interruption.

Or rather— ‘Not an interruption.

More like they came running.

’ They’d clearly been watching and jumped in before things exploded.

The newcomer stood there, face hard, staring at both of us.

“L-Lord.

” “What the hell are you doing?

” “Well, that’s...

” “What’s the point of asking?

You saw everything.

” I cut in, not letting the bastard talk his way out.

The newcomer turned his gaze to me.

“Oh, sorry.

Just talking to myself.

My thoughts slipped out.

” I smiled, pretending to be sheepish, but of course, the guy’s expression didn’t change.

“Star King.

” I greeted him with a bright smile.

“Long time no see, Senior Ilcheonggeom.

” The man was none other than Ilcheong Sword, the Azure Dragon Division’s Lord.

The one I was scheduled to meet today.

And— “The way you train your subordinates is fucking pathetic, isn’t it?

” He was also one of the four bastards I came to this Martial Alliance to kill.