Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"Kuheuk...!

"Gubong collapsed to the ground, shivering as if the punch had really hit its mark.

"Hmm.

"I looked at my fist and then at him on the ground.

The punch had definitely landed, but"The feeling is subtle.

"Was it like tough leather?

Or perhaps more like dense muscle?

In any case, it felt different from the usual.

I had intended to completely shatter his ribs, but it seemed only pain had been inflicted without any real damage.

"Kruuk...

krrr...

"Even in this state, Gubong did not lose his spirit; he bared his fangs at me and stirred up his fighting spirit.

"...

Dare to ambush...

keuk!

"I kicked his chin.

His head shot up towards the sky.

"Ambush my ass.

Stop whining.

"It was a straightforward attack from the front, how could it be an ambush?

"You should be embarrassed for not reacting in time, not blaming it on an ambush.

" I clicked my tongue as I tried to grab his hair.

Squeak-!

"Ah.

"He caught my wrist.

During my moment of astonishment, I narrowed my eyes looking at his hand.

It wasn't just the grip strength; the non-human-like nails and the hair on the back of his hand caught my eye.

Kuuuk.

The pressure felt wasn't bad.

It was comparable to a martial artist who had reached the Hwagyeong level through external training.

"Hmm.

"Should I say it's about Tang Deok's level?

Though it seems his grip is stronger...

'His body alone is celestial, so that makes sense.

'But what about this guy?

The more I observed, the more intriguing he became, spiking my interest.

So.

'Let's beat him up a bit more.

'I grinned and pulled on his hand.

When I exerted force and ripped, the arm he was holding came loose powerlessly.

"Kuk!

"I had planned to rip the arm off thinking only of causing pain, but it turned out his bones were quite strong.

'So.

'How about this?

CRACK--!!

"Aaaaah!

"'This one breaks.

'I twisted his arm in the opposite direction.

A bit more force and it snapped.

I then kicked him away.

Gubong rolled on the ground a few times before finally stopping.

"Kuuuuh...

"He held his broken arm and expressed pain.

Creak.

"Hmm?

"There was a change in his arm.

Accompanied by a rough sound of bones, his arm started to regenerate.

"Huh.

"That's interesting.

He has remarkable regenerative abilities.

"That brat too.

Are all you guys like this here?

" Or is it just a special few who are like this?

And.

"Just curious, but does it regenerate if I pull it off?

""...

"Gubong flinched at my question laced with curiosity.

"Ah, just kidding.

"Seeing his definitive reaction, I waved my hand, laughing.

'Maybe not that.

'Tempting as it was to just check, I decided to refrain.

It wasn't important right now.

'His body is tough and regenerates quickly.

'Perfect.

'Just right for a good thrashing.

'Truly ideal for venting frustration.

With that thought, I took a step toward him.

My perspective shifted.

My body was already in front of him.

He moved as he saw me coming.

His reaction speed was quite fast.

Clank.

Gubong got up and drew a sword from his waist.

Should I stop him from drawing it?

I pondered briefly but let it be.

What kind of sword technique will he display?

That suddenly piqued my curiosity.

Swoosh--!!

The sword was drawn from its sheath and sliced through the air.

I turned my head to dodge the first strike.

At the same time, he twisted his waist, adding momentum to his movements.

Swoosh-!

Swoosh--!!

His swordsmanship was sharp and fast.

Despite receiving several hits, the fact that I wasn't fazed meant my foundation was solid.

'Not bad.

'I dodged the sword, evaluating him from all angles.

The balance of strength he possessed was good.

Among the martial artists of Hwagyeong level, he was notably solid.

That unique physical ability and flexibility, combined with an especially good reaction speed, made him quite threatening.

But.

Thud-!

"…!

"That didn't mean there were no gaps.

In the fluid movement of his sword, there were thin, sparse gaps.

Even in those tight spaces, my Inner Sight found a path.

During one of his continued strikes, I tripped him by hooking his ankle, disrupting his balance.

Yet, even then, he managed to continue his sword attack.

'Wow.

Such flexibility.

'An unbelievable level of control.

While I was impressed, I caught sight of his sword.

I had tried to grab the blade but instead kept my distance.

Swoosh---!!

"Hmm…"Another swing of the sword that cut through the air.

Watching it, something felt off.

'If I had grabbed it just now, I might have been in trouble.

'His strength was impressive, and so was the power he wielded.

The level was high, but it wasn't difficult to handle him.

The issue was the chill I felt just now.

'The sword?

'That sword.

Something was off about the sword Gubong was wielding.

Had I grabbed it, I might have been seriously injured.

'What is it?

'Is there something about the sword?

While I pondered this, Gubong charged at me.

Sssaaaah!

He bent his posture and half-rotated the sword.

Along with that, a crimson sword aura overlaid the blade.

A sharp and swift sword path followed, bursting with light.

I smelled a fragrance at the tip of my nose.

"…So it's Mount Hua after all.

Not just by name?

"From the moment I saw his sword technique, I knew it was definitely the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

The unfolding aura of qi was evident.

Certainly.

Was Mount Hua not just a name, but had Master Noya also taught the actual sword technique?

'So if there's a slight difference, it makes sense.

'Calling it the same as the Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the central plains had its clear differences.

The biggest difference was its brutality.

Recalling how Yeong Pung used it, his was uniquely smooth and delicate—a prime example of swordsmanship.

This time it was different.

The basic framework of the swordsmanship was there, but the unfolding result was completely different.

'Brutal and rough.

'If the central plains' Plum Blossom Sword Technique was truly a swordsmanship.

This was...

'It seems designed for slaughter.

'A sword technique created to slice and cruelly divide.

The fact that the fragrance of flowers and blood emanated from the sword technique was absurd.

'What exactly did that old man create?

'No matter how I looked at it, that sword wasn't normal.

As I continued to dodge, Gubong gritted his teeth and shouted.

"Running around like a rat...!

"Was that a provocation?

If so, it only made me fart.

"Of course I run when someone's trying to kill me.

""Kuk!

"Gubong gritted his teeth and increased his speed.

The scattered plum blossoms in the sky swirled.

The leaves and qi formed by the Divine Tree mingled and rushed at me.

It was like a tidal wave.

I clenched my fist and thrust it forward.

Thump-!

With a short sound, a hole was punched through the wave.

It was my Inner Strike.

Ready to strike again, I prepared my fist, but Gubong, emerging through the gap I had created, charged towards me.

His movement resembled a beast hunting its prey, closing the distance in an instant.

His sword then thrust directly towards my neck.

Snap!

"Choke!

"Just before the sword could touch me, my fist slammed into Gubong's face.

The impact sent him crashing to the ground.

Crunch-!!

The impact left cracks spreading across the ground.

"Too slow.

Far too slow.

"No matter how fast he might seem to others, it only mattered within the same realm of skill.

The gap in strength was so vast that there was no point in even debating it.

“Urgh…”Gubong groaned, his cheekbones shattered, letting out a strained noise.

Staring at him with disdain, I muttered.

"You didn’t pick a fight just to show me this nonsense, did you?

Is this all you've got?

"Crack.

“Grrraaahh!

”I pressed my foot into his chest.

As I applied more pressure, his body was forced deeper into the ground.

"Hey, I asked if this was all you had.

""Urgh… cough…!

""Unbelievable.

"I sneered at him as I stared.

If this was all he had to offer, it was disappointingly underwhelming.

At this rate, I couldn’t even vent my frustration.

‘This is boring.

Should I just pluck his eyes out, like I thought earlier?

’The thought lingered for a moment, spurred by his irritating gaze.

I considered acting on it immediately but held back.

‘No, not yet.

’That would be going too far.

Perhaps I could provoke him a bit more.

"So, what’s this?

You’re his disciple, aren’t you?

The way you kept defending that old man, I thought you might’ve learned something.

But there’s nothing here, is there?

"“…!

”The moment the words left my mouth, his body flinched.

Even with my foot pinning him down, causing him obvious pain, not a single scream escaped his lips.

He even stopped groaning.

As expected, the words seemed to have hit a nerve.

"If you learned from that man, you should be much stronger than this… Oh, wait, maybe the old man isn’t that great of a teacher.

Then again, if he were, his disciple wouldn’t be such a disappointment.

""Watch… your… mouth!

"Whoosh!

A surge of air exploded outward.

His roar carried a substantial force, dense with energy.

Gubong’s hand gripped my ankle, his body trembling violently.

BOOM!

He hurled me into the air.

Before I could hit the ground, I ignited flames to steady myself and landed smoothly.

Hiss!

The ground scorched beneath my feet.

Straightening my posture, I looked at him.

"So you still had some fight in you, huh?

If you had it, why didn’t you use it sooner?

"I stretched my neck slightly as I spoke.

Gubong was already rising to his feet.

"How… dare… you insult the Master…""Angry, are you?

"I chuckled, locking eyes with him.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it?

""…"His face twisted with rage, his expression one of pure agitation.

“Grrr…”The hair on his head and ears bristled.

I tilted my head slightly, observing the shift in his demeanor.

‘His presence is becoming stronger.

’The aura he emitted, the killing intent that surrounded him—it was all intensifying.

"I will not forgive this.

""And what are you gonna—""You’ll regret this.

"Crunch.

“…Hmm?

”A rough noise accompanied a change in his body.

His frame began to expand.

His fur lengthened, his pupils narrowing into sharp vertical slits.

His once neatly combed hair loosened into a wild mane.

His crouched stance and the now double-sized tail were particularly striking.

He had become a beast.

“…Grrr…”The energy in his exhaled breaths mingled with the air, resembling puffs of smoke.

Watching this grotesque transformation, I remarked with curiosity.

“…Night has fallen.

You should’ve ended this fight before now.

”‘Night?

’I glanced up at the sky.

Come to think of it, it was already night.

The same crimson aurora and starry spectacle as before illuminated the heavens.

And the twin moons as well.

It was that night again.

"Night, huh?

"I looked at the moons briefly before returning my gaze to him.

And then, recalling the horned calf I had seen before, a thought crossed my mind.

"So that calf from before… Does something happen at night?

Is that it?

""…""What’s this?

You can’t talk like this?

Then bark at least.

"“Grrrr… You bastard…!

”"Oh?

So you can talk after all.

"BOOM!

Claws swept before my eyes.

I leaned back to avoid the attack.

CRASH!

The swipe of his claws tore through the air, wrecking the ground behind me.

That wasn’t all.

In mid-air, Gubong spun and swung the sword he had picked up straight at me.

CLANG!

Thud!

Blocking the strike with Eternal Bind, the ground beneath me sank under the force.

The sheer strength of the blow narrowed my gaze.

‘He’s at least twice as strong as before.

’His speed and power had doubled.

Was it because of that transformation?

‘If it weren’t for his ears and tail, I might still call him human.

But now, he’s just a beast.

’Even the aura he emitted was feral.

It was as though a wolf and a man had been fused into one.

Was this transformation purely because it was night?

‘It’s clear something happens at night.

’Whether it was just him or something else remained uncertain.

I’d have to ask Noya about this.

‘No, wait.

’I changed my mind immediately.

‘I don’t need to ask that old man.

’Why ask someone whose whereabouts I didn’t even know when the answer was right here in front of me?

Glaring at him as he snarled, I muttered.

"You’ll regret this—"Thunk!

“Urgh?

”I reached out, grabbing his throat, and slammed him into the ground.

BOOM!

“Gah…!

Urgh!

”As he tried to cough up blood from the impact, I didn’t give him the chance.

My fist drove into his face.

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

Punch after punch rained down as Gubong writhed.

Holding him down by the neck, I made sure he couldn’t escape while continuing to beat him.

"You bastard.

"Bam!

Bam!

"What’s so special about the night, huh?

"BOOM!

"Getting a bit stronger—so what?

"My fists started to carry more emotion.

"Dammit, weaklings like you always have delusions.

"Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

"You got stronger?

So what?

"Bam!

"That doesn’t make me any weaker, does it?

"CRUNCH!

"Damn idiots never understand that.

"Clenching my fist tightly, I prepared for the final blow.

"They just don’t get it.

"My last punch cracked the ground beneath him, leaving a spiderweb of fractures.

Spit.

I spat and stood, brushing off the dust.

Hitting him too hard had left grime clinging to me.

I straightened my stance and dusted myself off.

"Acting all tough for nothing.

"Rotating my wrist, I looked at him.

His battered body lay there, motionless, his once-struggling legs now eerily still.

"…"I nudged his leg lightly.

"Hey.

Get up.

""…""I said get up.

"Still no response.

"Uh…"Scratching my cheek, I muttered.

"Did I kill him…?

"…Maybe I went too far?