Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter Summary
The energy that couldn’t mix was now entangling, and it felt like my body was about to explode. Hearing it, Paejong looked like he was about to get angry, but something made him pause, and with narrowed eyes, he said to me. Your impatience and thinking that you can gain more power by mixing techniques...
I feel something wrapping around my heart, like a bandage on an injured arm.
Energy that had never mixed before is now forcibly entangling.
The heat of the Nine Flames Firewheel.
And the pain of Tua Pacheonmu gradually began to mix.
No, it's not mixing.
It isn’t mixing, it's just entangling like oil and water.
“Ssshh...!
”My breathing grew heavier.
The energy in my lower abdomen began to stir violently.
A tsunami was crashing.
It felt like thunder was flashing in the sky.
Earthquakes seemed to happen all around me.
Everything that had been barely held together was now breaking apart.
Should I call it a disaster?
It felt like terrifying things were happening inside me, just by looking at it.
"Ugh...
"After a while, pain accompanied it.
The energy that couldn’t mix was now entangling, and it felt like my body was about to explode.
It was a perfect repulsion.
I couldn’t even describe it as mere friction.
This was pure repulsion.
An extreme repulsion that would never mix.
"...
"My fingers were trembling as I clenched them.
I was holding so tightly that I thought my bones might break.
"Ugh...
hhh...
"The energy wasn’t just flowing through my meridians, it was being violently forced out in bursts.
It felt like my meridians were going to burst.
If I hadn’t awakened my body and shed my outer shell, I felt like it would have exploded already.
The grip was that strong.
The more I felt it, the more I thought these were truly crazy bastards.
How is it possible for such rough people to exist?
When I put them together, it felt like they were fighting each other, determined to kill each other.
The problem was that I was bearing the full recoil.
‘Now that I think about it...
’I must be a bit of a crazy bastard too.
I’m the one who did what I was told not to do, and now this is what I’m dealing with.
When I first tried this, no.
To be precise, when I said I was going to try it, they looked at me like I was insane.
I already looked like a crazy person, but this time, it felt even worse, didn’t it?
"Are you out of your mind?
"Paejon asked me, his face completely serious.
"Do you even know what you’re trying to do right now?
""I have a rough idea.
""And you’re going to do it knowing that?
"Paejon spoke as though he couldn’t believe it, looking at me in disbelief.
Indeed, even I thought it was a bit ridiculous.
"You’re trying to mix two already completed techniques to create something new?
That’s not something you do if you want to stay alive.
"I had told Paejong I was going to try combining the energies in my body into one.
When Paejong heard it, he said, half angry, to me.
"I told you before, if you want to die, just say so.
I’ll grant that wish for you.
""Master, your words are too harsh.
""What can I do when my disciple suddenly says he wants to kill himself?
""Who said anything about dying?
""It’s the same thing as saying you want to die.
"Paejon spoke in an unusually serious tone.
"I know you have a strange body.
""Strange?
What do you mean by that...
""I know that you can carry multiple techniques within your body without falling apart.
"At that point, I saw Paejong for the first time truly frown in anger.
"Mixing them together is a whole different thing.
You fool.
You seem to think it’s like mixing water and oil.
""That’s not it.
""If that’s not it, then you shouldn’t even be thinking about it.
"Paejon clenched his fist and showed it to me.
Within that fist, the energy of Tua Pacheonmu swirled.
"Show me your flames.
"I followed his words and conjured the flames on my palm.
Fwoosh—!!
Paejon spoke while looking at the flames.
"The flow of energy is inherently different in each technique.
""Even right now, you can clearly see the difference between the flow of your Tua Pacheonmu and your flames.
""The direction and speed of the flow are completely different.
How can you possibly make them work together?
""That’s not the same as putting different energies in your body.
"Paejon said many things that didn’t succeed and were things that shouldn’t have been said.
But I knew that the reason he was doing that was to try and persuade me.
I knew very well he didn’t want me to make a mistake.
So I quietly listened.
The reason he was saying all of this was that he wanted me to avoid making a mistake.
After listening for a while, I suddenly interrupted him.
"So...?
"I cut off Paejong’s words and asked him bluntly.
"What?
""The words you always said to me.
""What words?
"When training or in battle, I always remembered Paejong’s words.
Now, those words had become important to me.
"If it doesn’t work, make it work.
""....
""You always told me that.
""You don’t mean to apply that here, do you?
Even though you might be slow, I’m sure you understand that much.
"Paejon’s tone had shifted from annoyance to something close to anger.
"Whether it works or not is something you don’t know until you try.
""Yes, it might work.
You’re right.
But.
"Paejon’s kind eyes suddenly turned sharp.
"What arrogance is it to reach for something when neither of the two techniques has even been mastered yet?
""....
"At those words, I had to briefly shut my mouth.
"Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know everything, disciple.
"Paejon strode toward me.
He was now only about a finger’s width shorter than me.
The effects of his battle with the Half-Reversed Pole were likely still lingering.
Despite that, right in front of me, Paejong felt much larger than he actually was.
"The reason I’m angry is not just because you’re doing something useless, but because of your arrogance in trying to take another path without completing anything.
""....
"I had nothing to say in response.
His words were right.
How can someone who hasn’t completed anything try to do something else?
I couldn’t make excuses because his words were too accurate.
But...
"So, you mean, if I manage to succeed at even one of them, I should try it?
""You little...
"Paejon’s tone grew heavier, and I could feel him getting mad.
I was definitely intimidated.
"I’m serious.
You never know until you try.
Just like you said, if you complete one, shouldn’t you at least give it a try?
"It was a stubborn response.
Hearing it, Paejong looked like he was about to get angry, but something made him pause, and with narrowed eyes, he said to me.
"Why are you so obsessed with this?
You must have gained quite a lot already.
What exactly are you trying to achieve?
"The Nine Flames Firewheel and Tua Pacheonmu.
A life full of countless serendipities.
In reality, what I had already gained was more than enough.
Compared to my past life, it was even more so.
"What is making you so desperate?
If you keep going like this, even the Three Celestials won’t be that hard to surpass.
""....
"It was a bit absurd to hear this from the Three Celestials themselves.
But it was also the first time Paejong had said such words, so I was a little taken aback.
If things continue as they are, even the Three Celestials will be surpassable.
There was a conviction in Paejong’s voice.
And so, I too couldn’t help but think...
If things continue like this.
Someday, maybe someday, I could surpass even the Three Celestials, known as the Heaven’s Beyond.
Though I had only thought about it quietly.
"Someday will be too late.
"I knew when that would be.
How long would it take?
Maybe ten years, maybe even decades.
I didn’t have that kind of time.
"You still don’t get it.
Your impatience and thinking that you can gain more power by mixing techniques...
How do you think that’s going to work?
"Paejon still couldn’t understand.
He wondered what kind of certainty I had in trying something so insane.
I felt the same confusion.
When I first thought of it, it seemed like a passing fantasy.
What kind of insane person would think of doing this?
I could have just let it slide as a fleeting thought.
But strangely, that thought didn’t leave me.
It felt almost like someone was forcing me to think this way.
"Try it.
""You can do it.
""If you just do it, a new world will unfold.
"At that moment, as those feelings accumulated, I added a remark to Paejong.
"If I do it, do you think it’s impossible, Elder?
""Of course...
""I’m not asking whether it’s impossible.
I’m saying, if I can do it, then something interesting will happen.
""....
"At my words, Paejong fell silent.
If I succeed in mixing the two techniques, what will happen?
Doesn't that interest you?
At that question, Paejong’s expression changed slightly.
"...
That...
"Paejong mumbled to himself.
The direction of the energy.
The number of vibrations within the energy.
The meanings carried by the two different techniques were all mixed together.
If it succeeds, what will happen?
If I could control the friction between the techniques.
And if I could convert the pressure generated from that into power...
"...
Something extraordinary would come out.
"Not as Paejong, the teacher, but as Paejong, the martial artist, I had to acknowledge it.
If I really succeed, something extraordinary would come out.
The problem is, it was something no one else could do.
Just the act of putting two different techniques into one body would be an issue.
But I could do it.
Only I could even attempt it.
I didn’t know why my body was capable of this.
But if I could use it, I would try.
That’s how it began.
After hearing Paejong’s words, I made a promise.
It wasn’t a promise with anyone else, but with myself.
If I were to try, I would at least succeed in mastering one technique first.
With that resolve, the Nine Flames Firewheel finally reached their pinnacle.
“Hah—.
”After that, I attempted several times over the past few days.
I bound the energies together.
Kkkiii—!!!
The recoil exploded noisily.
Binding was possible.
This was the domain of sorcery.
Small threads were creeping in.
These weren’t the threads of energy, but threads created through sorcery.
With these, I bound the energy.
I realized one thing about sorcery.
Sorcery wasn’t a simple field to break through with just energy.
To break through it easily, you had to fulfill certain conditions or break the subtle rules within it.
What this means is...
‘Completely opposite to energy.
’In other words...
‘There’s nothing easier than using sorcery to bind energy without letting it unravel.
’I wasn’t completely sure, but I was certain that sorcery was necessary to accomplish what I wanted.
I wasn’t sure how to bind it with sorcery, though.
For now, I was just going by instinct.
I was only trying to bind them, and with that, the speed and recoil from the other energies were being woven together.
Kkkiiiii—!!
The forcibly gathered energy groaned as it wrapped around my arm.
The energy around my arm made it tremble uncontrollably.
It was an immense pressure.
Though I had gathered the energy as best I could, I felt like my arm might be crushed from just this alone.
I must be crazy.
“Hah...
”Feeling the pressure, I slowly loosened my clenched fingers.
My arms were trembling violently.
On my left arm, something like flames, but not quite, was wrapped around it.
The color was a chaotic mess.
Should I call it a damaged flame?
It wasn’t the black flame made from demonic energy.
But it wasn’t pure blue flame either.
It was too dull.
Could this be the influence of Tua Pacheonmu?
Maybe.
But there wasn’t time to analyze it.
“Gk.
”I spat a breath and moved my left arm.
My posture was a mess, and the speed was slow as I endured the pressure.
But I reached out.
My fist slowly cut through the air.
And before long, it stopped.
At that moment...
Thud.
With a vibration.
Kiiiiaaaaaa—!!!!!
The energy screamed.
Aaaaaa—!!!
My breath stopped.
It felt like my ears were ringing.
Not just my ears, but my sight, smell, touch—everything was cut off in an instant.
My vision darkened, as if floating in the night sky.
Is this what it feels like when all five senses vanish?
It felt alien.
What kind of sensation is this?
As I was about to be swept away by this strange feeling...
Whoosh—!
In an instant, my senses returned.
Shaa—!
I heard the sound of wind.
A smell brushed past my nose.
It was the pungent scent of burning.
My blurry vision also returned.
What I couldn’t see before was now visible again.
"...!
"As soon as I saw, I widened my eyes.
"...
Hah...
"The area in front of me had become a complete mess.
A huge circular hole was drilled, and the flames I had unleashed were burning inside it.
And...
"...
Hahaha.
"Standing at the center of it all was Shin Noya.
His clothes were somewhat ruined.
"...
You idiot, you crazy bastard.
"He was holding a sword.
"What the hell did you create?
"He stared at me with a face full of disbelief.