Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Inside the estate within the Yahwol Palace, a white flag fluttered magnificently, marking the location.

The estate belonged to one of the four families personally granted honor by the General.

Possessing significant military power and several commercial districts, it wielded considerable influence.

This was also the residence of Baek Wol, the head of the Baek Family.

The Baek Family was a noble lineage established with the General’s blessing.

Among the families, the Baek Family held purity of bloodline as paramount.

In other words, hierarchy within their domain was strictly enforced.

Purity was law.

This was a principle the Baek Family upheld, and within this estate, anyone not of pure blood dared not raise their head.

In such a place—Step.

Step.

Someone was walking through the corridor.

A man in neat clothing with long hair tied back was moving at a leisurely pace.

Despite being tied, his hair was so long that it dragged along the floor, sweeping it as he walked.

However, his physique was unimposing.

He had a slim build, and his frame seemed almost too delicate for a man.

There was no aura of intimidation.

He looked like someone who could be knocked over with a mere nudge.

“…Haaah…” “Haaah…hh…”Inside the estate, everyone lowered their heads as he passed.

None dared to meet his gaze.

And yet—“Hmm-hmm-hm~.

”He paid no attention to their deference, instead humming a tune as he strolled slowly.

At every step he took, those around him lowered their heads even further toward the ground.

They all knew.

This was the only way to avoid incurring his wrath.

After walking slowly for some time, the man suddenly stopped.

“Hey.

”He spoke in a soft, low voice.

“Aren’t you going to open the door?

”“…!

”The person sitting nearby immediately sprang to their feet.

They quickly grabbed the handle of the large door in front of them and began to open it.

Creeeeak!

The tightly shut door creaked open, and the man patted the shoulder of the one who had opened it.

Tap, tap.

“Thanks.

”“N-not at all… It’s nothing.

”The person stammered, and the man gave a faint smile before stepping inside.

Inside was a large bed, so vast that even the feet of the man lying on it extended beyond its edges.

It was Baek Wol, the head of the Baek Family.

Baek Wol lay motionless, unconscious, his massive body stretched out as if lifeless.

Beside him sat a young man with hair the same color as Baek Wol’s.

Hearing the door open so suddenly, the young man frowned and turned around.

“What’s going on—!

Who dares…!!!

”He raised his voice, only to widen his eyes in shock upon seeing the visitor.

“It’s been a while.

”The man waved cheerfully, smiling at the young man.

The young man immediately shot to his feet and prostrated himself on the floor.

“G-General… General, it’s an honor to see you.

”“Have you been well?

”Ignoring the prostrated young man, Baek Sang, the man pulled a nearby chair and plopped down into it.

Baek Sang remained frozen in his position, just like those outside, not daring to move a muscle.

Even his breathing was restrained.

Trickle, trickle.

The sound of water being poured echoed.

“I came by to check on things, but it seems the situation has gotten interesting.

”“Well, that is…” “Oh, no need to explain.

” “…” “Child, could you look up at me?

”At the man’s words, Baek Sang hesitantly raised his gaze.

Their eyes met.

As soon as Baek Sang saw the man’s vertically slit pupils and glowing amethyst eyes, he froze completely.

The man was a being capable of obliterating this entire area with a mere gesture.

Baek Sang swallowed nervously, continuously reminding himself of this fact.

“I have my Master’s tasks to attend to, so I don’t have much time to concern myself with you.

Does that upset you?

”“N-not at all.

How could I possibly…”“I’m glad to hear that.

”The man let out a sigh of relief, as though genuinely reassured.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on things, but to think this would happen in my absence… It’s truly upsetting.

”“M-my deepest apologies.

”“Oh, I’m not asking for an apology.

You know I’m not that petty, don’t you?

”“Yes, absolutely.

”Baek Sang dared not disagree.

If he did, there was no telling what might happen to the estate they were in.

“Well, that aside…”The man stood up and carefully examined Baek Wol’s condition.

“Hmm?

”Tilting his head, he scrutinized Baek Wol closely.

“You said he’s been like this for how many days?

”“It’s been no more than four days.

”“Four days?

”The man’s eyes widened slightly at the response.

Four days.

It might seem like a short time, but for the Moonlit Night Clan, it carried significant implications.

“Four days, and he’s still in this state?

”Baek Wol’s condition was far from good.

As a pureblood of the Clan, his regenerative abilities should have been exceptional.

And yet, external wounds remained, and his internal state wasn’t much better.

“…Hmm.

”Perhaps the severity of the injuries delayed his recovery, the man thought.

But as he continued to observe, his expression grew curious.

‘It feels… slowed.

’The regeneration process itself seemed unnaturally sluggish.

Even injuries that should have long since healed remained.

“…I see.

”After inspecting Baek Wol closely, the man nodded as if coming to a conclusion.

“There must be a rat among us.

”Perhaps someone held a grudge against Baek Wol.

Or maybe they had another motive entirely.

But one thing was certain.

Someone was muddying the waters.

And—“…How dare they.

”—doing so in a place blessed by him, in the City of Lunar Night.

Crack.

Razor-sharp claws extended from the man’s fingertips.

Seeing this, Baek Sang began to tremble uncontrollably.

The man, uninterested in Baek Sang’s reaction, muttered to himself.

“Who could it be?

”Who was bold enough to do this?

As he pondered, a thought struck him.

‘Could it be another General?

’Was it one of the others vying for his position?

He began listing possible culprits in his mind.

‘Duryeong, that brute?

’Unlikely.

Although they didn’t get along, that brute never left his territory without direct orders from their Master.

Besides, he didn’t even care enough about governance to bother with such schemes.

‘Then… Yarang?

’That infuriating woman.

He ground his teeth as he pictured the brown-haired woman.

She had no divine tree to her name, no rightful claim to her position, and yet she was a General thanks to their Master’s favor.

He could hardly tolerate her presence.

But still—‘No, it’s not her.

’It wouldn’t be Yarang.

That left just one possibility.

‘That bastard with the detestable wings.

’The one with those disgusting wings.

Could he be the mastermind behind this?

‘It’s possible.

’He was a creature whose thoughts were impossible to read.

If it was him, such a scheme seemed plausible.

“…Hmm.

”The man couldn’t come to a firm conclusion.

That guy was supposedly working on something for their Master recently.

If it wasn’t one of the three Generals, could it be someone acting independently?

“Child, was the one responsible from the Moonlit Night Clan?

”“Y-yes.

He had both the ears and tail.

”“And?

”What else do you know?

The man’s question prompted Baek Sang to respond hesitantly.

“He called himself Cheonma.

”“Cheonma?

”“Yes.

He claimed to be Cheonma.

”“…Hmm.

”Cheonma?

The man stroked his chin, pondering the name.

“…Cheonma…”It was a name he had never heard before.

“We haven’t been able to gather any more information yet.

”Baek Sang added cautiously, gauging the man’s mood.

“I see.

Got it.

”The man, showing no further interest, turned toward the door.

The state of the one blessed by his power was troubling, but this wasn’t the time to focus on such matters.

‘The white one is done.

’What’s done is done.

‘Let’s check on the blue one next.

’He decided to visit the others who hadn’t been hit yet.

‘Who could it be?

’As he walked out, the man licked his lips slowly.

Anticipation?

Curiosity?

Or perhaps anger?

A storm of emotions churned within him.

But above all—‘I was running low on prey anyway.

This is perfect.

’—he was hungry.

*************As the sun began to set, I was walking away from Shin Noya’s place, my steps unhurried.

Cherry blossoms lined the streets, their petals glowing faintly in the golden light of the setting sun.

The soft breeze stirred the falling petals, creating an atmosphere that could only be described as enchanting.

But—“What’s the deal?

”None of it registered in my mind.

What mattered to me right now was something else entirely.

“…Is it really that strange?

”The name I had painstakingly crafted for my new power…It had been met with disdain.

“No way…”I just couldn’t understand it.

“Isn’t it cool?

”Cheonma Divine Art — doesn’t that sound impressive?

It was, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable names I’d ever come up with.

Compared to names like Flaming Wheel Martial Art or Rending Twin Blades, this was leagues ahead.

Cheonma Divine Art.

A straightforward, powerful name.

It means a divine technique wielded by Cheonma.

“And they called it… what?

”Did they say it was tacky?

Or crude?

The exact word didn’t matter—both conveyed the same condescension.

“They don’t know anything.

”What would an old man like him know about style?

That reaction was the result of his complete lack of taste.

I’d shared the name at his insistence, and he’d responded with scorn.

The sheer audacity left me speechless.

“Let’s see if I ever tell them anything again.

”From now on, I’d only share this with those who appreciated it.

The world just wasn’t ready for me yet.

That’s all.

Turning my gaze to the path ahead, I continued walking.

‘…Hmm.

’Suddenly, I frowned.

A sharp pain radiated from within—centered in my heart.

‘Still lingering, huh.

’As I’d felt earlier in the day, the backlash was still wreaking havoc within me.

My energy refused to flow smoothly.

Swollen meridians hindered circulation, and the qi emanating from my heart was sluggish.

Shin Noya had bluntly stated:"Rest for at least seven days.

If you keep pushing yourself, you’ll cripple yourself.

"His words were harsh, but they weren’t wrong.

Though I’d given it a name, it was a power I couldn’t even use yet.

‘I still have a long way to go.

’Binding one technique to another, creating friction between them— It unleashed explosive power, yes, but…My body couldn’t withstand the recoil.

Knowing how resilient my body was made this all the more significant.

If even this frame couldn’t endure it—‘It’s not usable yet.

’A power that could only be wielded through sheer force of will was meaningless.

I knew that better than anyone.

For now, all I could do was take solace in the fact that it worked.

‘To truly use it… I’ll need a much more refined approach.

’I needed to find a better way.

And right now, I was on my way to do just that.

After walking for a while, I arrived at my destination—a place I had visited the day before.

“…Back already?

”As I approached the entrance, the owner of the house appeared to greet me.

It was the Tortoise.

Smiling, I responded warmly.

“How have you been?

”“You saw me just yesterday.

”“Even so, a lot can happen in a day.

”“…Hah.

”The Tortoise seemed to stifle a sigh, his expression one of mild exasperation.

“Come now, no need to be so dismissive.

We already discussed everything, didn’t we?

”“…Tch.

”At my words, he clicked his tongue and turned away.

The Tortoise entered the house through the open door.

And suddenly—Whoosh!

“…Oh.

”My view shifted abruptly.

Though I hadn’t moved a step, I found myself seated inside the tea house.

Not only that—I was already sitting in a chair, and the Tortoise was pouring tea for me.

Trickle.

The tea slowly filled the cup before me.

“So.

”The Tortoise spoke, his gaze fixed on me.

“What’s so urgent that you came back the very next day?

”His tone carried curiosity.

“Oh, well…”Urgency wasn’t quite the word, but there was something I wanted to know.

There were countless things I could have asked him about.

When it came to magic, my knowledge was almost nonexistent.

If I started asking, I could easily come up with hundreds of questions.

But right now—“There’s something I’d like to ask you first.

”More than anything else, I needed to know this.

“Do you happen to know a way to turn back time?

To travel to the past… or the future?

”“…”The Tortoise’s expression twisted, his face wrinkling with displeasure.

At the same time, the entire tea house seemed to tremble violently.