Childhood Friend of the Zenith

There were a few things I wanted to confirm.

The first was the efficacy of the Dragon Pearl.

Was it consumed purely for the purpose of shedding one’s mortal body?

Or did it have other effects as well?

‘There were some changes in my body, after all.

’For starters, my abilities had increased significantly.

Both my internal energy and physical strength had grown by a considerable margin.

If I were to quantify it…‘About one to two stages.

’For something as small as a single internal pill to produce such an overwhelming increase, it was astonishing.

My current internal energy was at a level where even consuming top-grade pills like Dahwandan or Dokcheon-dan wouldn’t yield much improvement, but this pearl was different.

Its efficiency was unparalleled.

That’s why I tried consuming another one.

‘The second one didn’t have the same effect.

’While there was some increase, its efficiency was far below that of Dokcheon Pills.

So, did that mean its benefits were only effective the first time?

‘But even that’s not definitive.

’There was a complicating factor.

I had already undergone shedding when I consumed it.

Additionally, there was the anomaly of my Nine Flames Firewheel Art reaching mastery around the same time.

Thus, it was difficult to attribute my growth solely to the Dragon Pearl.

Given the lingering questions, my priority was to address these uncertainties.

Which brought me to this moment.

“Arghhh…!!

”The reason I went out of my way to secure the pearls… And the reason I had Seong Yul consume one first.

‘If it’s usable, why not make use of it?

’If these special energy pills had unique powers, wouldn’t it be better to use them for my benefit?

‘What’s good for me is what’s beneficial, isn’t it?

’To achieve that, I needed to verify a few things.

The first question was:‘What happens when someone who hasn’t undergone shedding consumes a Dragon Pearl?

’A body that hadn’t undergone rebirth or shedding—what would occur when it was exposed to the pearl’s energy?

I needed to find out.

“Guhhh… ughhhh…!!

”I was using Seong Yul to conduct that very test.

As he writhed in agony, I sat atop the wooden coffin, watching him closely.

‘The energy is going wild.

’It was clear he had fully swallowed the pearl.

His dantian became the focal point of an explosive surge of energy.

It looked as if he could burst at any moment.

It was impressive that he hadn’t already.

‘Is it Seong Yul himself keeping it in check, or is the energy naturally stabilizing?

’I couldn’t tell if he was consciously managing the energy or if it was simply teetering on the edge of control.

And yet, this rampaging energy…‘It isn’t permeating his body.

’Instead, it swirled around his meridians, refusing to integrate with his physical form.

This only made the situation worse.

‘The turbulence is intensifying.

’The energy, accelerating as it coursed through his body, seemed to gain momentum like a snowball rolling downhill.

If left unchecked…‘He’ll explode for sure.

’It wasn’t just a matter of enduring.

His entire body would burst soon enough.

It seemed the energy’s inability to integrate into his physical form was the root cause.

Tsk.

‘So, this is what happens when someone who hasn’t undergone shedding consumes the pearl?

’This made its usability a bit more cumbersome.

“Guhhh… ugh…”“What a shame.

”If I kept observing, Seong Yul would undoubtedly die.

So I stood and approached him.

Fwoosh!

White flames danced in my palm.

I couldn’t let him die, so I resolved to burn away the excess energy with my flames.

Could white flames handle this?

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I trusted my instincts.

‘I can burn it.

’It was something I had confirmed repeatedly over the past few days, experimenting with my abilities.

My instincts told me I could incinerate this chaotic energy.

With that assurance, I approached Seong Yul and extended my hand.

At that moment…“W-Wait… wait…”Grab!

Seong Yul suddenly grabbed the hem of my pants.

“What?

”“J-Just… wait… please…”“What?

”I frowned at his words.

Was this idiot insane?

“What are you waiting for?

You’ll die like this.

”“I can… still… do it.

”“Are you crazy?

”I had forced the pearl on him, so I didn’t have much room to complain, but his response made me chuckle dryly.

‘He thinks he can endure this?

’What kind of nonsense was that?

The energy wasn’t integrating into his body at all—what did he think he could accomplish?

“Listen, I’m sorry for forcing this on you, but stubbornness has its limits.

You’ll die if you keep this up.

”“…I can… do it.

”“This is ridiculous.

”He wasn’t in a state to listen to reason.

Where did this stubbornness come from?

Was this his way of getting back at me for forcing the pearl on him?

‘No, that’s not like him.

’Given Seong Yul’s personality, it was unlikely he was acting out of spite.

He genuinely seemed determined to endure.

I found it absurd.

What did he think he was enduring for?

‘Should I just ignore him and burn it away?

’I could disregard his stubbornness and handle the situation myself.

But just as I reached out again…“I can…!

Do it…!

”Seong Yul gripped my leg even tighter, veins bulging and his eyes bloodshot.

“Ha.

You…”“Just… a little longer… just a little…”I had no idea what he was trying to achieve.

I should have stopped him right then, but when I looked into his eyes, I found myself hesitating.

“You’re usually so weak.

Why are you being so persistent about this?

”Tsk.

Clicking my tongue, I placed my hand on his back.

I refrained from igniting the flames.

Instead, I carefully channeled my energy into his body.

Whoosh!

My energy flowed into him instantly.

And then…Rumble!

‘Oh, damn it.

’The chaotic energy inside him immediately began to swirl violently, pulling me into its turbulence.

If I hadn’t been prepared, I might have lost control entirely.

That would’ve been catastrophic.

“Guh!

”“Keep your mouth shut.

Don’t even breathe.

”At my warning, Seong Yul clamped his mouth shut.

Any mistake could cause the energy to burst out uncontrollably.

‘I should’ve never made him eat it.

’I had intended to test the situation and move on, but I hadn’t expected him to be this stubborn.

‘Well, now I have to take responsibility.

’I was the one who had forced the pearl on him.

If he was determined to endure, I had no choice but to see it through.

“I haven’t tried this before, so if you die, I can’t help you.

”“Mm… mmm.

”That seemed to be an affirmative.

Whooosh—!

I delved into the storm of energy, which was spinning faster and faster.

I had to slow it down somehow.

‘If I forcibly decelerate it, what about the backlash?

’The rebound could be so severe that Seong Yul might die instantly.

What should I do?

The answer came quickly.

Rumble!

I applied pressure to the energy flow using my own, forcing it to slow down.

The resulting backlash…Boom!

‘Ugh.

’…I took it myself.

The veins in my arm bulged, but I didn’t use my internal energy to brace myself.

Enduring it with my body was the best option.

One of my eyes involuntarily twitched shut.

‘This… hurts a bit.

’Thanks to Tua Pacheonmu, I rarely felt pain anymore, but this was intense.

Still, I managed to maintain focus.

‘I’ve slowed the energy down, but what now?

’Enduring the pain was one thing, but I couldn’t keep this up forever.

Although I had slowed the energy, its rampage hadn’t stopped entirely.

‘What if I force it to integrate with his body?

’If the issue was that the energy wasn’t permeating, then perhaps I could make it do so.

With that thought, I tried to force the energy into his physical form.

Creak…!

“Guh.

”‘Doesn’t look like that’s going to work.

Noted.

’It was impossible.

Even after slowing it down, the energy was too fast and violent to be controlled or absorbed.

Despite Seong Yul's considerable talent, his body wasn’t well-suited to handling this kind of energy.

‘So that’s why they force the shedding of the mortal body.

’The energy of the Dragon Pearl was immensely strong and rough.

To contain it, one needed an exceptional vessel.

I now understood why they left people submerged in that pond for five years.

‘Hmm…’This is what happens when someone isn’t prepared.

For the first time, I genuinely felt sorry for Seong Yul.

‘I mean, I could just burn it away.

’But the process was proving to be much more arduous than I had anticipated.

Sweat began to trickle down my forehead and back.

It wasn’t just the pain; controlling the energy was exhausting.

Mixing my energy with someone else’s and trying to manipulate it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Which meant…‘I don’t have much time.

’There was a limit to how long I could endure this.

‘Hmm…’What should I do?

As I pondered, something stirred.

Creak.

‘What now?

’Something inside Seong Yul began to writhe.

I frowned at the sudden sensation.

BOOM!

‘Oh, hell.

’A chilling, sinister force surged through, sweeping away the chaotic energy.

It was a killing intent so sharp it sent a shiver down my spine.

‘What the hell is this now?

’Though startled, I maintained my focus.

If I faltered now, everything would fall apart.

Creeeeak—!

As I watched, it seemed like this new force was attacking the invading energy in Seong Yul’s body.

That’s when I realized it.

‘It’s the Heavenly Killing Star.

’A dormant instinct buried within Seong Yul had awakened.

‘You little bastard.

’It didn’t seem to realize it was trying to protect its master.

Grinding my teeth, I poured more power into suppressing the Heavenly Killing Star.

I pushed more of my energy into Seong Yul, wrapping it around the foreign force.

Creak—!

The Heavenly Killing Star, apparently startled by my retaliation, started thrashing.

As I subdued it further, I couldn’t help but notice something strange.

‘It’s cold.

’Could energy feel this cold?

And this pure?

When I had faced Seong Yul consumed by the Heavenly Killing Star in my past life, I hadn’t realized how pure it was.

Maybe it was because it consisted purely of killing intent that it felt so untainted.

Regardless, this purity made it easier to handle.

‘That just means it’s easier to control.

’I asserted my presence, pressing the Heavenly Killing Star down even harder.

Growl—!

Creak…!

Under my pressure, the Heavenly Killing Star shrank back.

Despite its defiance, it was surprisingly timid.

Or perhaps it was because the Dragon Pearl’s energy held dominance.

It didn’t matter.

The important thing was dealing with both the Heavenly Killing Star and the Dragon Pearl’s energy.

‘It won’t integrate into his body, and I can’t keep redirecting it.

In that case…’There was only one option left.

“Hey.

”“…!

”Seong Yul flinched slightly at my call.

“Don’t respond.

Just listen.

”“…”“I’m going to compress all this energy and shove it into your dantian.

”“…!

”Seong Yul’s body trembled in shock.

He clearly understood what that meant.

Compressing this overwhelming energy and forcing it into his dantian was akin to trapping a storm in a jar.

“Can you endure it?

If not, move now—even a little.

”If things went south, I’d just absorb all the energy and release it myself.

It would put a massive strain on my body, and Seong Yul would be injured, but it would be manageable.

It was better than dying, after all.

But…“If you can endure it, you’ll get a lot stronger.

Though enduring this is almost impossible.

”“…!

”“What’s it going to be?

”“…”Seong Yul didn’t move.

I told him to do something if he couldn’t handle it.

But his stillness meant…Tsk.

‘Even if it kills him, he’s going to try.

’I clicked my tongue and immediately gathered the energy.

Fwoooosh—!

“Ugh…!!

”The energy that had been spinning wildly began to compress as I manipulated it.

‘…Damn.

’The energy was so potent that even compressing it was difficult, but it wasn’t impossible.

‘I’ll filter out the destructive force.

Just enough to be usable.

’Carefully, I compressed the energy and forced it into Seong Yul’s dantian.

Then, I withdrew my hand.

At that moment…Thrum—!

“Guhhh…!!!

”Boom!

Boom-boom!

A series of explosions echoed from within Seong Yul’s body.

“Hold on.

If you can’t, you’ll die.

”Boom!

Boom-boom-boom!

“…!!

”“Don’t open your mouth.

Keep the energy sealed inside.

If even a little escapes, you’ll explode.

”Drip.

Blood trickled from Seong Yul’s mouth.

The backlash was intense.

“Whew.

”Seeing this, I crossed my arms.

But something felt damp.

When I looked at my palms, they were soaked with sweat.

Not just my palms—my whole body was drenched.

“…Damn.

”I thought this was tough, but not this tough.

Wiping my hands on my robe, I turned my attention back to Seong Yul.

Boom!

Boom-boom!

“Let’s see.

”Would he be able to endure that pressure?

The question crossed my mind but was soon dismissed.

‘He has to.

’He had to endure it.

After showing such stubbornness, he had to.

For an ordinary person, they would’ve already burst apart.

Whatever his reasons for being this tenacious…‘If you’re going to show me something, show me now.

’I could tell Seong Yul was trying to prove something to me.

Whether it was his pride or determination, he was intent on demonstrating it.

‘So don’t die so pointlessly.

’It would be a waste to lose such potential here.

With that thought, I continued watching Seong Yul for a long while.

Boom!

Boom… boom-boom…The tremors gradually subsided until they disappeared altogether.

Then…Thud.

Seong Yul collapsed onto the ground.

Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes.

Did he fail?

Feeling a hint of unease, I approached him.

But then…“You scared the hell out of me.

”When I checked him, I couldn’t help but curse.

“Get up already, will you?

”Despite my gruff words, a smile spread across my face.

“…”Hearing me, Seong Yul stirred.

Propping himself up, he rose to his feet.

Crack!

Something crumbled and fell from his body.

It looked like dead skin—like the remnants of a snake’s shed skin.

Rebirth.

Seong Yul’s vessel had grown, empowered by the overwhelming energy.

“Ah…”Standing upright, Seong Yul exhaled a soft sigh.

With his breath, energy flowed out, shimmering in the air.

His once-dull yellow eyes now glowed faintly, and his expression was filled with awe.

The energy was dense and radiant.

Seeing it, I was certain.

“You’ve crossed the barrier.

”Seong Yul had reached the Hwagyeong realm.

“Ah… ah…”“Feels good, doesn’t it?

”He couldn’t even respond, only staring at me.

For once, his emotions were clear.

Gratitude and wonder.

His eyes brimmed with those feelings.

“...

Thank you… Thank you so much.

”Breaking the barrier must have meant that much to him.

He expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

“…Uh, yeah.

”Receiving his thanks felt a little awkward.

‘…Technically, I forced him to eat it.

’He could’ve died.

This wasn’t some grand act of kindness—it was just me cleaning up my mess.

‘But hey, if the results are good, that’s all that matters.

’That was enough.

Besides…‘If this worked…’Now that I knew Seong Yul could handle the Dragon Pearl,‘…I can make others eat it too, can’t I?

’A few ideas about how to use this were starting to take shape.