Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1009

Chapter 1009

Kuuuuung—!!!

The instant my fist connected with the floor, it shattered and gave way beneath me.

My strength was a factor, but the moment I felt the ground crumbling under my touch, I knew—

‘The foundation is weak.’

It wasn’t sturdy. It felt as though there was nothing supporting it from below.

Boom! Boom-boom—!!!

I struck again and again, each blow demolishing everything it touched.

Certainly, my power had grown, but more than that—this place was unnaturally brittle.

I kept breaking through.

As a precaution, I contained my energy to keep the vibrations and sound from spreading.

After pounding away for some time—

Crack—!

“Oh.”

The ground finally broke open, exposing a space below. When I landed, I found a staircase leading downward.

I conjured a small flame and sent it dancing down the stairway.

The path was coiled and convoluted, making it impossible to discern where it began.

After noting that, I glanced up at the hole I’d made.

‘I’ve come down quite a distance.’

It seemed I had descended deeper than I’d realized.

Dusting the stone fragments from my hands, I studied both directions of the staircase.

Going back up didn’t seem feasible. Naturally, I chose to continue downward.

*********

I kept moving down the stairs.

The descent felt endless, and a claustrophobic feeling began to press in on me.

For a moment, I considered simply breaking through and dropping down. But since I’d found a path, I persuaded myself to be patient and kept walking.

At least I had something to occupy my thoughts.

And that was my fight with Yusa.

‘Why didn’t it activate?’

I had attempted to use the Nine Flames Ultimate Peak Technique. After releasing the Nine Flames Firewheel, the technique failed to fully materialize.

‘What went wrong?’

Why? It wasn’t as though my martial arts were sealed. My flames had emerged without any issue, and I could still use Cheonma Divine Art, so it wasn’t a problem with my energy.

‘Hmph.’

Had I executed it incorrectly? If so, what exactly was the error?

I turned it over in my mind, but no answer came.

If I had to guess—

‘Does it require a recovery period before it can be used again?’

Whenever I used the Ultimate Peak Technique, a ring appeared behind me. It would spin, harnessing its power to amplify my martial arts.

But—

‘After using the technique once, the ring refused to turn again.’

Judging by that, it might need time to recharge. That was the only logical explanation.

If that was true, how long did I have to wait?

‘I need to determine the exact duration.’

If I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake in actual combat, I had to verify this.

‘I’ll have to dedicate time to testing it later.’

I hadn’t had the opportunity before, and now I felt the urgency even more.

Reaching transcendence was one achievement, but if I didn’t fully comprehend my own power, I would only face difficulties when trying to wield it.

Hadn’t I already learned that in my battle with Yusa?

‘It didn’t appear especially dangerous at first.’

That was only on the surface.

In truth, it was far from safe.

‘A single graze would have been fatal.’

If I had been struck, I would have needed to focus all my Qi in one place just to defend.

If I had been less evasive and taken a solid hit even once—

‘Would I have emerged victorious?’

I wasn’t sure.

In the end, I had to depend on Dragon Speech to claim the win.

«Tsk.»

It was irritating. A bitter disappointment.

Using Dragon Speech as a last resort was one thing.

But more importantly—

‘I didn’t obtain everything I needed from him.’

The one who was supposed to disclose the location had died abruptly. Because of that, I lost most of what I should have gained.

And above all—

‘Devour.’

That was the ability that intrigued me the most. The power to grow stronger by consuming.

It was another ability similar to Demonic Heaven Absorption Art and Tam’s power.

I had learned something from Yusa back when I was with Blue Leader.

And that was—

‘Even a General’s Authority can be devoured by Tam.’

The moment that bastard tried to use his Authority on me, Tam activated and ripped it away.

As a result, Tam absorbed the knowledge of Devour.

Which meant—

‘Not only Dragons, but even the Authorities of these bastards won’t work on me.’

And also—

‘I can devour their Authorities as well.’

The instant I force them to admit defeat, Tam can seize their Authority.

The thought made it even more frustrating that I had missed the chance to take Yusa’s Authority.

It would have been ideal for me.

‘And yet, he just died.’

Since Yusa died right in front of me, I lost my opportunity to claim it.

«Tsk.»

What a complete waste.

The entire fight with him had been aggravating.

‘Think positively.’

I hadn’t left entirely empty-handed. I made myself look on the bright side.

‘Right? I confirmed that magic is ineffective against me. I learned that Generals can be transformed into demons…’

And most importantly—

‘I discovered the location of the Divine Tree.’

Considering that, this wasn’t such a poor outcome.

Reassuring myself, I continued walking for a long while—

“…Finally.”

At last, the seemingly infinite staircase reached its end.

After stepping off the steep final steps, I stood before a massive wall with a heavy iron door set into it.

Clearly, I was meant to go through.

Naturally, I reached out my hand—

Uuuuuuung.

“Hmm.”

The air warped, and a ripple passed over my hand. It felt like dipping my fingers into water.

Yet, I didn’t get the impression the door was blocked or damaged.

I simply felt the rippling sensation as I gripped the handle.

Creeeeak—!!!

I pulled it open.

Fortunately, the door wasn’t hard to move.

As soon as it opened, the strange rippling sensation disappeared.

I pushed the iron door fully open, and light immediately flooded in. I squinted.

It was so bright I had to narrow my eyes.

Shielding my eyes with one hand, I waited for them to adjust. And when they did—

«…Hah.»

I let out a breath of awe at the space that opened before me.

«What in the world…?»

It was unbelievable. Considering the iron door, I had expected something like an underground cavern or grove.

But the interior…

It didn’t feel underground at all.

A paradise. Expansive fields stretched out, a stunning lake glimmering under the light. Beyond it, an ocean of flowers covered the land.

How could such a breathtaking garden exist here?

I could hardly contain my astonishment.

Never in my life had I seen a garden so magnificent.

Even the lavish parks of Shaolin, constructed with absurd wealth, couldn’t compare.

I stood there, mesmerized, captivated by the enchanting view—

«…Ah.»

I barely managed to gather my wits. I couldn’t forget why I had come here.

«The Divine Tree…»

That was what I was here to find.

Reminding myself, I scanned the area, searching for the tree.

‘What…?’

Something was off.

The garden, though beautiful, wasn’t especially large. The ceiling—if there was one—was so high and bright it felt like true sunlight was streaming down.

But there was no colossal tree like the one on Mount Hua.

What was going on? Why couldn’t I see the Divine Tree?

There were trees here and there across the field, but they were just ordinary trees.

Nothing that resembled a Divine Tree.

What the hell?

‘Could it be… the Divine Tree isn’t here?’

Was this the wrong place?

Everything about this space suggested secrecy. It was exactly the kind of hidden sanctuary where something as rare as the Divine Tree should be.

And yet—

It wasn’t here?

That didn’t make sense.

«It has to be here.»

There was no way it wasn’t. It had to be somewhere.

Believing that, I channeled my energy.

Just as before, I focused on sensing the presence of the Divine Tree.

Fwoooosh—!

To my surprise, I didn’t even need to concentrate.

The energy came to me instantly.

Refreshing and pure—

And at the same time, sacred.

Back in the assembly hall, I could barely detect it. But here, it was unmistakable.

A presence so dense it was impossible to overlook.

Feeling that overwhelming energy, I turned my head.

«There.»

A grove of trees.

The Divine Tree’s presence was emanating from there. Without hesitation, I moved toward it.

Walking through the trees, I noticed the wind growing stronger the deeper I went.

«Wind? In an enclosed space?»

If this place was truly underground, there was no reason for wind to be blowing.

Which meant—

«This place isn’t normal.»

That was proof enough.

Proof that this space wasn’t what it appeared.

And proof that I was in the right place.

Feeling certain, I pressed further into the trees—

Until I finally halted before one specific tree.

«…Hm?»

I tilted my head, my brows furrowing on their own.

«This… is the Divine Tree?»

What stood before me was a completely ordinary tree.

Just a simple tree with green leaves—nothing remarkable about it.

It wasn’t particularly large, and its leaves had no unusual features.

It looked no different from the other trees around it.

«…What the hell.»

And yet, the energy I felt was undoubtedly radiating from this tree.

Was this truly the Divine Tree?

«This is nothing like the ones I’ve seen before.»

The tree at Mount Hua was enormous, towering high enough to blot out the sky.

And the Divine Tree I suspected belonged to the Lord…

It was small for a Divine Tree, but its presence and appearance left no doubt.

But this?

«What is this supposed to be?»

A tree so plain I would have walked right past it if not for the energy.

Tilting my head repeatedly, I decided to confirm it for myself.

I reached out and placed my hand against its trunk.

The bark felt rough under my fingertips—

Just like any other tree.

And then—

Saaaah—!!

«…?»

A gust of wind burst forth from the tree.

Not from the surroundings—directly from the tree itself.

What… is this?

The tree’s leaves rustled as it released a crisp, invigorating breeze.

Why was it doing that?

Frowning in confusion—

«What do you think?»

«…!»

A voice spoke from behind me.

I spun around immediately.

I hadn’t sensed any presence.

Assuming an enemy, I tensed and prepared to attack—

But then, I froze.

I had to stop everything.

Because the person standing behind me—

«It may look ordinary, but it is strong and kind.»

A woman.

Her long white hair framed an elegant face, and she wore simple yet refined clothing.

She smiled warmly as she looked at me.

That smile made everything else seem to blur around me.

I stood motionless, unable to speak, my body rigid.

«It has been a long time, hasn’t it?»

She spoke to me, her voice gentle.

And she was—

«My son.»

—My mother.