Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The sunset faded, and night arrived.

As always, the sky was bathed in a deep crimson afterglow.

Multiple moons filled the night sky—not just one.

I passed by the stars, brushed past the moons, and continued toward my destination.

Time in Mangye flowed at an unusually slow pace, but there was one strange phenomenon—The transition from sunset to night happened far too quickly.

It was almost instantaneous.

One moment, the sun was setting; the next, the night had already fallen.

Noticing this peculiarity, I kept my guard up— but I didn’t stop flying.

Before long, I reached my destination.

Concealing my presence wasn’t difficult.

Whether it was due to my own skills or the lingering effects of the spell, getting inside wasn’t much of a challenge.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the defenses of Yahwol felt surprisingly weak.

Even though there had already been multiple intrusions here, it was still this easy to break in?

‘There must be a reason why they’re not reinforcing security.

’It wasn’t just about how they arranged their forces.

The personnel were definitely present, but they weren’t extending their senses to create a defensive perimeter.

In other words, it was easy to infiltrate.

Convenient for me—but strange nonetheless.

‘Something feels off.

’A place that had suffered multiple attacks should have increased its security— Either by deploying more people or expanding their sensory fields to fortify their perimeter.

Yet Yahwol had done neither.

Why?

I didn’t have an answer.

But I put that thought aside for now, because my descent had already begun.

I had reached my target.

Tap.

My feet landed softly on the ground.

A large mansion sprawled before me.

Since I had been here before, getting in wasn’t difficult.

After landing, I scanned my surroundings.

There—on the mansion’s rooftop—I sensed a presence.

Without hesitation, I moved toward it.

Fwoosh—!

A small flicker of flame sparked as my body vanished in an instant.

I followed the presence downward— and soon enough, I saw someone.

That person noticed me at the same time.

"Wh—!

"He opened his mouth in alarm.

"Intrud—!

"But—Clench—!

"Mmff…!

"I lunged forward and clamped my hand over his mouth.

Then—Crash—!

"Guh!

"I slammed his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

His body slumped to the floor without resistance.

Tch.

I quickly scanned my surroundings.

Several more presences flickered within my sensory field.

I didn’t feel like dealing with all of them, so I only took care of the ones in my way.

Thud!

Crack!

"Guh!

"One by one, they dropped without making a sound.

Though their numbers weren’t massive, there were still over a dozen of them.

After taking down more than ten men—Tsk.

I clicked my tongue and sighed.

"This is getting annoying.

"Stealth was a pain.

Honestly, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have bothered with all this.

But—‘If I act recklessly—’I knew Yahwol wasn’t just Yusa’s territory.

There were other troublesome figures here.

For now, it was best to hold back.

That being said—‘Still…’Holding back too much felt suffocating.

‘Maybe just a little?

’Fwoooosh—!!!

Black flames coiled around my hand.

As always, seeing them left me feeling unsettled.

These flames— they were proof that my past and present were still connected.

That no matter what, I wasn’t truly different from back then.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth— but for now, I had no choice but to use it.

‘The location should be…’Straight up.

He was upstairs—most likely in the same place as last time.

With that in mind, I raised my hand.

FWOOSH—!!!

CRAAACK—!!!

Black flames erupted, piercing through the ceiling above.

At the same time, I compressed the air around me to prevent the noise from escaping.

BOOM—!!!

A perfect breach.

The moment I saw the opening—Thump—!

I leapt up, propelling myself through the hole.

And just like that, I reached my target.

"…What the hell…?!

"The moment I landed, someone stared at me in shock.

His age seemed to be past thirty— but considering his appearance, he was probably much older.

I had no way of knowing his exact age.

The Moonlit Night Tribe seemed to have longer lifespans than humans, making it impossible to estimate.

‘Either way, he’s definitely older than me.

’Regardless of what I imagined, that much was certain.

His blue hair, his sharp features— And those damn rabbit ears that didn’t suit him at all.

No matter how many times I saw it, I couldn’t get used to it.

I had seen plenty of beasts with ears and tails— but rabbits were somehow the worst.

"Y-You…!

"The leader of the Blue Clan, who had been with Yusa, stared at me in stunned disbelief.

Perfect.

‘He’s here.

’Seeing him standing there, alive and well, confirmed that I had come to the right place.

I landed lightly, adjusting my posture.

With my hands behind my back, I silently stared at him.

His face twisted with irritation.

"Do you realize where you are?!

How dare you return here…!

"[Hmmm?

]I tilted my head, making sure to display the utmost disdain.

[What are you talking about?

]"Wha—?

"[There is no place in this land where I am not welcome.

]Arrogance.

Absolute confidence.

I carefully controlled my tone, deliberately shaping my words to exude supremacy.

My face was hidden behind the mask— so I didn’t have to worry about expressions.

All that mattered was my posture.

The way I stood— The way I walked forward—Every step was deliberate.

Every movement exuded an overwhelming presence—The kind that made it seem like I would never lose.

Like I would never retreat.

This wasn’t just me acting on my own.

I was mimicking someone.

I was copying the gestures, the mannerisms— Everything about a certain individual.

Who?

There was no need to even say it.

The very person who had once worn this face.

[I came to offer the greetings I missed last time.

Are you ready now?

]"You bastard…!

"[Pity.

It seems the general isn’t here this time…]I clicked my tongue in mock disappointment.

Then, with a chuckle, I added—[But I suppose you’ll do for entertainment.

]Crack—!!!

At my words, the Blue Clan’s leader scowled deeply.

Though his face was flawless, his anger twisted his features slightly.

Which was satisfying.

"Your arrogance knows no bounds!

Do you even know where you stand?!

"Rumble—!!

His body began to react.

Unlike Baeksa or Gubong, his transformation wasn’t instantaneous.

Instead— his fur began to spread across his body.

And more importantly—‘His muscle mass is increasing.

’His physique was strengthening.

Particularly in his legs— that’s where the most drastic change was occurring.

[Hmmm.

]I watched with mild interest.

At the same time, I glanced toward the window behind him.

The night had fully settled in.

The moons were high in the sky.

A blackened sky— a sign of the Moonlit Night Tribe’s domain.

‘This is a gamble.

’I clenched my fist.

Partially to raise my tension.

Partially to activate my own body.

[Are you going to put on a little show for me?

]Crack—!

My step, infused with energy, shattered the ground beneath me.

[Let’s see what you’ve got.

]The Moonlit Night Tribe at night.

And a chieftain-level warrior among them.

Could I truly win?

I swallowed my doubts and gathered my energy.

And then—CRASH—!!

A blue beast lunged at me.

*******************Rumble—!

Chunks of the ceiling collapsed, sending debris raining down.

The structure could no longer maintain its shape.

Not just the pillars that once supported it— Even the once pristine, lavishly decorated floor had long since been reduced to rubble.

At this point, it was a mystery how the space was still holding together.

And within that wreckage—Thud!

Something fell heavily to the ground.

"Grrrrhhkk…!!

"Kneeling, the beast coughed up blood.

A massive creature, covered in blue fur.

It had exhausted its strength.

Collapsing entirely, it curled up on itself.

And soon—Its gigantic form began to shrink.

Sizzle—!

Energy seeped out like smoke, dissipating into the air.

The once-beastly body rapidly reverted into a more human-like form.

And before long—It was the Blue Clan’s chieftain once again.

"Ugh… kuhh…"He was in excruciating pain.

As he should be.

There was a gaping hole in his chest.

"Y-You… What… are you…?

"[…Haaah…]I let out a long sigh, staring into his despair-ridden eyes.

[Not bad for a little performance.

]I said it with ease.

But honestly—‘Damn it, I almost died.

’I pretended to be fine, but my body was completely worn out.

Two fractured ribs.

A cracked left arm.

The wounds on my palm, temporarily bound with Eternal Bind, were now throbbing with pain.

The battle had pushed my body to its limits.

But at least—‘None of the injuries are obvious.

’They were all internal.

Which meant I could still keep up appearances.

"Wh…What… was your goal…?

"The Blue Chieftain trembled as he spoke.

My goal?

[Hmmm.

Who knows?

]I tilted my head and slowly stepped closer.

[There’s no reason for me to tell you that.

]"Kh…!

"I spoke mockingly, but at the same time, I tapped his chest a few times with my palm.

And instantly—The bleeding stopped.

"Wh—?!

"The sudden healing left him completely stunned.

[Your performance wasn’t terrible, so I’ll spare your life.

]I had considered killing him.

But for what was to come, it was better to let him live.

Besides—I had already confirmed what I needed.

And that was—‘Even under the moon, I can defeat a chieftain.

’The Moonlit Night Tribe was strongest at night.

I had wanted to test if I could still overpower them at my current level.

And now—‘I have my answer.

’I can win.

I wasn’t sure about the other chieftains, but judging from this fight—‘If I’m in peak condition, this wouldn’t even be difficult.

’Right now, in my injured state, I would rate my performance at a seven out of ten.

If I was fully recovered—a nine out of ten, easily.

And—‘If I push my body to its limits and use the Cheonma Divine Art…’Then defeat wouldn’t even be a concern.

‘…This is good.

’The power that Blue Chieftain displayed… It had to be at least on par with the upper tier of the Ten Grand Masters.

‘Comparable to the Sword Emperor?

’I had never fought the Sword Emperor directly, but this chieftain seemed to be around the same level.

Which meant—‘I’ve surpassed the Ten Grand Masters.

’And more than that—‘Now, I should set my sights on the Three Sovereigns.

’The three absolute rulers of Zhongyuan.

The pinnacle of martial power.

And I was just one step away.

‘Though that one step is massive.

’The gap between the Ten Grand Masters and the Three Sovereigns was beyond imagination.

Closing that gap would take time.

But—‘I don’t have time to wait.

’I wasn’t going to sit back and let time solve it.

I would find a way to close that distance.

With that thought, I turned away from the Blue Chieftain.

"Wa…wait…!

"He weakly tried to stop me.

I ignored him.

"I said… wait…!

"[A bit too talkative for a loser.

]"Ghh…!

"His veins bulged as he tried to force himself up.

[Tsk.

]I sighed and casually moved my foot.

Thud—!

"Guh—!

"A precise strike to the chin.

Thud.

His body slumped to the ground.

Finally, he was out cold.

Just as I was about to leave—"Chief!!

"The door slammed open.

Damn it.

‘I let my guard down.

’My senses had dulled after the battle.

I had used too much energy, which meant my awareness had weakened.

That’s why I didn’t detect their approach.

The ones who entered— they must have heard the commotion.

And at the front—‘Ah.

’I recognized a familiar face.

‘That bastard.

’The one who, on the last night, had fallen in love with the Heavenly Demon and tried to claim me.

The Blue Chieftain’s kin.

He was standing there, eyes wide.

I realized it in that instant—"Chief…!

What happened he—"Before he could even finish his sentence—SCHLK!

My hand moved on its own.

It wasn’t planned.

It wasn’t intentional.

I simply acted.

And the next thing I knew—I had ripped out his left eye.

[Oh.

My.

]Only after the fact did I realize what I had done.

A mistake.

"GAAAAAAAAAH—!!

"He screamed in pure agony.