Childhood Friend of the Zenith

With a crunching sound, Gu Yangcheon stomped on the creature's head and frowned.

He had beaten it into the ground, but something felt off.

"What the hell is this now?

"Something about it felt strange.

His insides churned with discomfort—a vague sense of unease.

So he pressed down harder.

CRACK!

The sound of bones breaking echoed through the room.

[AAARRGHH—!!!

]A scream pierced the air, ringing in Gu Yangcheon’s ears.

He tilted his head slightly as he watched.

"Durable, aren’t you?

"He had intended to crush its skull entirely, but it held up surprisingly well.

So he applied more force.

BOOM!

The air around him shook.

Demonic energy surged and coiled around his body, amplifying the pressure on the creature's head—far stronger than before.

[GRRAAHHHH—!!!

]The creature writhed in pain.

That, too, was fascinating—it had endured far longer than he expected.

But then—Swish!

A clawed arm shot toward Gu Yangcheon.

He leapt back, widening the gap between them while narrowing his eyes.

‘Did it just move its arm at that angle?

’He had avoided the attack, but the way it struck was unnatural.

The arm twisted at an angle that should have been impossible.

The proof was clear.

[You… bastard…]The creature rose, but its left arm was grotesquely bent, twisted into an unnatural shape.

[As I thought… it’s you.

]"Hmm?

"At its words, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes widened slightly.

Now that he could see its face, recognition dawned.

"Celestial Stream Sect Master?

"The creature was none other than the Master of the Celestial Stream Sect.

Even with his hair turned stark white and his body grotesquely transformed, there was no mistaking it.

However—"What the hell are you?

"Something about the Sect Master’s altered form grated on Gu Yangcheon’s instincts.

"You…"The emotion stirring within him as he looked at the Sect Master was unmistakable.

Gu Yangcheon’s gaze narrowed sharply, his body tensing with hostility.

There was only one thing this kind of animosity could mean.

‘A dragon.

’The Sect Master was now a dragon.

The sensation he felt was eerily similar to what he had experienced when facing a White-Rank beast.

This kind of hostility was something he only felt toward his own kind.

Which meant—‘The Sect Master is a dragon?

’Could it be that the Sect Master had always been a dragon, like him?

The thought crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.

‘No, he wasn’t a dragon.

’If he had been, Gu Yangcheon would have sensed it long ago.

But he had never felt anything like this from the Sect Master before.

That left only one possibility.

‘Did he have the ability to hide it all this time?

’ No, that didn’t seem right either.

The sensation was different.

‘And… he doesn’t feel entirely like a dragon.

’It was subtle.

Not quite like a pure White-Rank beast.

If anything, it was closer to—‘The Princess of the North Sea… or the Shadow King.

’The feeling was reminiscent of what he had sensed from the Apostle of Oblivion, or the Shadow King—figures who existed on the boundary.

Which meant—‘A half-dragon.

’The Sect Master wasn’t a full-fledged dragon.

Nor was he entirely something else.

He was likely what the Shadow King had once called a "half-dragon.

"[Haaa…]The Sect Master glared at Gu Yangcheon.

His scaled skin, vertically slit golden pupils, and the distinct aura he exuded—all of it aligned with the image of a dragon.

[Why… why are you…?

]The Sect Master, too, seemed to sense something different about Gu Yangcheon.

From that reaction, Gu Yangcheon reached a conclusion.

‘I didn’t know before.

’The Sect Master had not been aware of this until now.

Only after becoming a dragon had he realized.

Which meant that until this transformation, he had been human.

That only raised more questions.

‘How?

’How had he become a dragon?

The mystery gnawed at him, but Gu Yangcheon quickly dismissed the thought.

‘No, it doesn’t matter.

’It was pointless.

There was no use pondering it now.

Turning his head, Gu Yangcheon glanced at Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah.

His narrowed eyes carefully observed them both.

‘They’re injured.

’Namgung Bi-ah’s condition looked grim.

Her face was pale from blood loss, and her energy was clearly depleted.

Wi Seol-ah seemed less hurt, but she wasn’t unscathed either.

Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon spoke.

"What the hell is going on here?

""…!

""…!

"His cold tone made both women flinch.

It was the first time they had heard him speak in such a chilling voice.

"Why do you keep ignoring what I say?

Do my words mean nothing to you?

""T-that’s not…""Shut your mouth.

"At Gu Yangcheon’s sharp command, Namgung Bi-ah bit her lip and fell silent.

"…""Go to the corner.

""But…""Shut up and get in the corner.

Stop her bleeding.

I’ll deal with you both later.

"Wi Seol-ah, who had been about to protest, fell silent as well.

Irritation boiled within Gu Yangcheon, but he suppressed it as he took a step forward.

The scene shifted in an instant.

[Guh…!

]Gu Yangcheon was suddenly right in front of the Sect Master.

Crack!

He kicked the Sect Master’s knee with a resounding crack, forcing him to collapse on one leg.

[Ack!

]The Sect Master’s eyes widened in pain.

He hadn’t even been able to react to the attack.

His body wavered as he struggled to maintain his stance, but—"Your head is too high.

"With those words, another blow struck his other knee, driving it into the ground.

"You worthless bastard.

"Crack!

His jaw wrenched sideways.

"Who the hell do you think you’re messing with?

"Crunch!

His head twisted, the bones in his face shattering audibly.

The assault didn’t stop.

Gu Yangcheon struck repeatedly, each blow targeting areas already broken.

The pain doubled with every hit.

It was deliberate, calculated to inflict maximum agony.

[Guh… guh…]The Sect Master couldn’t even think straight amidst the relentless beating.

No matter how he tried to resist, his body wouldn’t respond.

And so, the one-sided violence continued.

Crack!

Something snapped.

Rip!

Something tore.

Pain engulfed his entire body, making it impossible to discern what was happening.

All he could do was endure.

[AAARRGHH!

]After thrashing helplessly for what felt like an eternity, the Sect Master finally roared:[YOU… BASTARD—!!!

]With a roar of pain, the Sect Master unleashed a surge of energy.

Whirrr---!!

Swords rose into the air, hurtling toward Gu Yangcheon.

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been catching her breath, widened her eyes in surprise.

The speed was entirely different from when he had fought her.

The power imbued in the swords had also doubled.

The swords, moving at a speed almost impossible to track with the naked eye, closed in on Gu Yangcheon.

Gu Yangcheon glanced at the swords and, twisting his torso, used the force of his waist to swing his fist.

BOOOOM---!!!

The air tore apart as an invisible force exploded outward.

It was the Heart Fist .

KA-BOOOOM---!!!

The swords, caught in the shockwave, veered off course.

With a clear ting, ting, they struck the walls and clattered to the floor.

The Sect Master, witnessing this, let out a low growl.

At that moment, one sword, swept high into the air, hovered near the ceiling, untouched by the blast.

Though it had been sent soaring by the shockwave, it had yet to fall.

Had Gu Yangcheon not noticed it?

As soon as he saw it, the Sect Master concentrated his energy on the blade.

Swiiiish---!!!

The sword shot toward Gu Yangcheon with incredible speed.

He remained seemingly unaware, looking in a different direction.

If nothing changed, the sword would pierce straight through the top of his head.

The sword, carrying immense force, closed in on Gu Yangcheon’s crown.

But just as it was about to land—"I’ve thought this for a while now.

"Gu Yangcheon’s voice broke the silence.

"You all really are far too predictable.

"As he spoke, he moved.

Reaching into the air, he extended his hand.

Swish!

[What!?

]The descending sword trembled mid-air before suddenly twisting.

The blade’s tip reversed its trajectory, and instead of the blade, the hilt fell into Gu Yangcheon’s outstretched hand.

[That’s impossible—!!

]The Sect Master’s voice cracked in disbelief.

This wasn’t just a simple manipulation of the sword using telekinetic techniques.

Gu Yangcheon had seized control of the sword entirely, wresting it from the Sect Master’s unique technique.

The sword was now fully under Gu Yangcheon’s command.

Thunk.

The blade settled into Gu Yangcheon’s hand.

Shwiiik---!!!

In a single, fluid motion, Gu Yangcheon swung the sword, slicing through the Sect Master.

[Guhh…]A deep wound carved into the Sect Master’s body, forcing him backward.

His body buckled, ready to collapse, but before he could hit the ground, Gu Yangcheon stepped forward.

BAM!

A powerful kick sent the Sect Master flying into a wall, where he crumpled and slid to the floor.

[Urgh…]He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled not only with pain but with confusion.

[How… how is this possible?

]His expression was one of utter disbelief.

The pain he felt was secondary; what truly plagued him was how his sword had been taken.

"Hmm?

"Hearing the unspoken question, Gu Yangcheon smirked and spoke in a low voice.

"Just do it.

Why are you acting like it’s something extraordinary?

"[Just… do it?

]The Sect Master’s body trembled, as if struck by some great revelation.

His eyes still carried the same disbelief, but Gu Yangcheon paid no mind, merely observing him with mild interest.

"Your regeneration seems fast.

"The Sect Master’s body, battered and nearly broken, was already beginning to heal.

Judging by the speed, his regenerative ability surpassed Gu Yangcheon’s own physical recovery.

But compared to the Monstrous King, it was still lacking.

"Was your strength always at this level?

Hmm, I’ve never fought you before, so I wouldn’t know.

What do you think?

"[What… are you saying?

]"You don’t know?

That’s fine.

"He could find out directly.

With those words, Gu Yangcheon moved again.

***Gu Yangcheon approached with a fiery intensity in his eyes.

The Sect Master, alarmed, scrambled to his feet.

Reaching out, he summoned a sword to his hand.

The blade flew to him, and he gripped it tightly.

His enhanced strength allowed him to wield the sword with greater force than ever before.

[Tch!

]He executed Heaven’s Whisper Blade, the signature technique of the Celestial Stream Sect, creating a complex sword trajectory.

It was far more formidable than when he had fought barehanded.

Crack!

The blade grazed the floor, scattering sparks.

The ground bore no marks, resistant even to his strengthened attacks.

Gu Yangcheon stepped forward, the sheer force of his movement cracking the supposedly unbreakable ground beneath him.

The Sect Master grimaced.

He still couldn’t understand.

How was this man destroying an indestructible space with such ease?

Moreover—Clang!

The Sect Master’s blade collided with Gu Yangcheon’s fist and was deflected.

The impact was direct, striking the flat of the blade.

The resulting recoil was far stronger than he had anticipated.

[How can this whelp…]Gu Yangcheon was barely past twenty.

The Sect Master had already encountered his strength several times, but fighting him now exceeded all his expectations.

[Even after accepting the will of the Revered One, I’m being overpowered…?

]He had inherited the will of that being, transcending human limitations.

[You bastard…!!

]And yet, he was losing to this boy.

It was unbelievable.

No—it wasn’t.

As despair crept in, the Sect Master shifted his thoughts.

[This boy…]His new body had made many things clear.

He could tell now that this boy was similar to him.

He wasn’t human.

He was something greater.

Something supreme.

But—[Why…]Even if they were alike, they weren’t the same.

The Sect Master’s instincts whispered one undeniable truth.

Bow your head.

This being is not someone you can face.

A fear and reverence he couldn’t fully understand took root in his soul.

He had felt a faint trace of it when looking at Namgung Bi-ah, the descendant of the Sword Sovereign.

But compared to Gu Yangcheon, that was nothing.

[What… are you—?!

]Smash!

A knee struck his face, snapping his head back.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Gu Yangcheon, weary of hearing the same question repeatedly, spoke with an air of disdain.

"Why does it matter to you?

"You’re just a bastard who’s about to die anyway.