Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1014

Chapter 1014

As dusk settled more deeply, fire continued to rise without end in a secluded training ground on Mount Hua.

*Whoooooosh—!!!*

Brilliant and vivid, the sapphire flames glowed more intensely than ever, washing over the area with vibrant energy.

*Hwaaaaaa—!!!*

In the wake of the blaze, glowing cinders drifted like dancing fireflies.

With a simple gesture, a great arc of blue fire cut through the air, tracing graceful lines and radiating immense power.

For a long time, the flames twisted and swayed.

After observing the shimmering light for a while, I slowly closed my open hand.

Immediately, the fire hovering in the dim evening light shuddered violently.

*Kwaaaaaa—!!!*

A surge of flame rushed toward me with a raw, explosive breath.

Had it struck directly, it would have incinerated me instantly. But as it drew near, it gathered into a single point and spiraled tightly around my closed fist.

Wrapping around my entire right arm, the fire began spinning rapidly.

It shrank in size as its color grew more concentrated.

*Fwoooosh—!!!*

The flames diminished further. The faster they spun, the more tightly they compressed.

With increasing speed and decreasing volume, the pressure mounted.

Heat intensified through friction.

Finally, when the motion ceased—

*Chiiiiiik—!!*

A searing sound erupted from my arm as the flames solidified into a clear, distinct shape.

«…….»

I gazed at what had taken form.

It was as though a new layer of skin now covered my arm—a hide made of fire, perhaps? The burning texture, the occasional ember lifting from it—

Even from sight alone, I could sense the scorching power swelling within.

This strength was unlike any I had previously wielded.

«Hmm…»

I murmured softly, my face showing a hint of dissatisfaction. It appeared potent—because it was—

«…The intensity isn’t lacking.»

It had drawn deeply from my energy reserves.

In terms of my total internal power, the cost was substantial. Since attaining transcendence, my capacity had grown, and so had my reserves.

‘Compared to before I arrived at Mangyeong… thirty percent. Maybe even forty.’

That was roughly how much energy had been consumed.

The resulting power should be immense.

«But this isn’t right.»

My forehead creased.

This wasn’t my goal. The output was high, the execution polished, but it still wasn’t the form I sought.

*Clench.*

I tightened my grip further.

The flames encircling my arm shuddered violently before bursting apart.

*Fwoooosh—!!!*

Fire exploded outward, accompanied by a wave of force. No damage was done to the surroundings—only a harsh gust swept through.

«…Tsk.»

I checked my condition with disappointment. My energy was still ample, and I felt no fatigue.

Even after maintaining such fierce flames for so long, nearly thirty percent of my power remained.

‘With this much…’

I wouldn’t need to fear depletion in most battles.

Since reaching transcendence, my control over the flames had also become incredibly fluid, moving as naturally as my own limbs.

In all respects, I had grown much stronger.

That part was satisfying.

‘But I still haven’t succeeded.’

No matter how many times I repeated the process, I couldn’t achieve what I was after.

Attempt after attempt, and I hadn’t even come close.

‘How did Father manage it?’

What I was striving to recreate was precisely—

The power Father had used back in Sichuan.

I had been trying to replicate that very technique.

‘…The perfected form he wielded against Cheonma in my past life.’

The Gu Clan’s ultimate technique. I had grasped it upon reaching transcendence, yet I still couldn’t manifest it in its complete form, as Father had.

It was the same power that had nearly killed Cheonma.

The same force that shattered an unknown restriction placed on Cheon Jin.

‘How did he channel it?’

I had no idea.

Unlike the Five Mountains Forms, which I understood instinctively upon transcending—

‘This is different.’

This wasn’t knowledge that came automatically with a higher realm.

I had wondered if it might be an extension of the ultimate technique, but that wasn’t so.

This required a completely separate method to master.

‘How is it done?’

I remembered clearly how the heat had concentrated solely in Father’s palm, glowing with blinding intensity.

I had tried every approach I could imagine.

‘Yet the most I can achieve is covering my whole arm.’

No matter how I compressed and pressurized the heat, I couldn’t focus it into my palm alone.

I still recalled the magnitude of energy Father had used.

It was colossal. When I tried to replicate the amount I had faintly sensed—

‘I keep failing.’

There was just too much power to control. Reaching transcendence had at least let me contain it within my arm.

Otherwise, it would have scattered uncontrollably into the air.

«Tsk.»

Clicking my tongue, I lifted my gaze to the sky.

What began in the morning had now stretched into evening.

Right after my talk with the Abyssal Pit, I’d thrown myself into training, and time had slipped away.

I had meant to clear my head, but instead, I’d lost myself in the effort.

*Pat. Pat.*

I brushed off my clothes lightly. At the same time, I recalled that conversation once more.

‘Cheonma was the one who implanted the Abyssal Pit within me…’

Along with the words from my mother.

And the exchange with the Abyssal Pit itself.

Remembering it all made my head feel heavy again.

I’d tried to push the thoughts away by training, but the moment I paused, they returned like ghosts.

«Huuh…»

A deep sigh escaped me.

‘What in the world is this?’

The Abyssal Pit, which had manifested as a double, hadn’t said much.

Only a few phrases.

‘That Cheonma placed it inside me.’

And in answer to my question—whether it knew I was destined to become a calamity—it replied:

‘Be careful.’

Be careful of what? What was it warning me about?

When I pressed for details, it added:

‘Remember the seed.’

‘…Remember the seed?’

It was baffling. What seed?

But before I could ask more, a memory surfaced.

‘Could it be—’

Back then.

About three or four years after my regression.

During a battle on the front lines.

I had found a huge, egg-like object at a site managed by the Gu Clan.

Just as I reached out to touch it, Kurung—no, that damned Abyssal Pit—stopped me.

I recalled what it said at the time.

‘Seed.’

It called that egg-like thing a seed. Thinking back, it made no sense.

‘Something that massive… a seed?’

It was far too enormous to be a seed.

And why had the Gu Clan been guarding something the Abyssal Pit identified as a seed?

‘From what I know… that place has been under the Gu Clan’s control for generations.’

Not just briefly, but for an extremely long time.

And yet, it was a seed?

And beyond that—

‘It told me to remember it.’

The thing I, a man fated to bring calamity, was supposed to remember.

My expression twisted as I recalled the Abyssal Pit’s words.

With that final statement, it vanished, as if it had said all it needed to.

This is ridiculous.

‘Why didn’t they tell me about Cheonma?’

How could it not be my mother, but Cheonma, who placed the Abyssal Pit inside me?

And when?

‘If it’s true, was it when she granted me her authority?’

When she turned me into a demon and bestowed her power upon me.

I received the Demonic Heaven Absorption Art then—was that when it happened?

‘And it persisted even after my regression?’

By now, I knew Cheonma had a hand in my regression.

‘What did she want from me?’

Why did Cheonma leave all of this within me?

Setting aside how she caused my regression—

‘Why me?’

Why was I the one?

Was it also part of fate that Cheonma had done this to me?

I had no way of knowing.

The more I tried to understand, the more everything I’d experienced connected, piece by piece.

As much as I wanted to dismiss it as a web of absurd coincidences, it was all real.

What lay at the end of these tangled threads?

What was so crucial that everything had to be woven together so tightly and so uncomfortably?

Just as I was straining to find an answer—

*Crunch.*

Sensing a presence, I turned.

Seeing who it was, I let out a dry laugh.

«Speak of the devil.»

«Hm?»

It was Cheonma.

With her usual blank expression, she approached and asked,

«Are you finished?»

«…Yeah. For now.»

I’d known she was watching from a distance.

While I trained, she kept her distance, simply observing.

But the moment she saw I was done, she came straight over.

«What will you do now?»

«…….»

Her casual question made me frown slightly.

Instead of answering, I asked one in return.

«Hey.»

«Hm?»

«What exactly are you?»

«…Huh?»

Cheonma tilted her head, confused.

«You—what are you really, to do all this to me? Do you actually know something? Or are you just acting ignorant?»

«…Hmm?»

«Agh, that blank look again.»

She resembled Wi Seol-ah, and like her, wore a completely clueless expression.

At a glance, it seemed innocent, but after all I’d heard, I couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not.

«What’s your true identity?»

«I am me.»

«…What does that mean?»

«I am me.»

«Trying to start something?»

«No?»

Cheonma shook her head firmly. A clear denial.

After a moment, she stopped and looked at me again.

«I am me. And…»

She pointed her index finger directly at me.

«You already know.»

«…What are you talking about?»

I was a fool for asking.

How had she changed so much after my regression?

That proud, arrogant woman—what had made her like this?

‘Or was this her true nature all along?’

Or was she hiding her real self?

But from what I could see, it didn’t seem like an act.

Then—

‘What events turned her into that Cheonma?’

What happened to make her become the person I remembered from my past life?

I was curious about that—

«…Forget it. Get ready.»

Clicking my tongue, I told her,

«Ready?»

«We’re leaving, so prepare.»

«Where are we going?»

Cheonma asked curiously, and I sighed before answering.

«Mount Marryeong.»

The location of the next Divine Tree.

I intended to go there, and this time, I was taking Cheonma with me.

‘Since she’s connected to all of this.’

If I was embarking on a long journey, it was better to keep her close and watch her than leave her behind.

Hearing this, Cheonma’s eyes widened.

«Oh? I’m coming too?»

«Stay if you don’t want to.»

«I’ll go. Let’s go.»

She took light steps toward me.

Her expression didn’t change, but she seemed slightly excited.

Did she even know where we were going?

Did she understand what we were going to do?

This is absurd.

«…We’re leaving right away. If you have anything to bring, get it now.»

It was just a remark. Cheonma didn’t have anything to bring.

Sure enough, she replied,

«I have nothing.»

I was about to start moving when—

«But you need to bring something.»

I paused.

I needed to bring something?

«What do I need?»

Puzzled, I asked, and Cheonma answered,

«It’s a mountain, right?»

«And?»

«You dislike climbing mountains. You should bring a staff.»

«What nonsense? Why would I bring a staff?»

«Don’t you hate climbing mountains?»

«That’s—»

Mid-sentence, my expression stiffened.

Something was wrong.

«…How do you know that?»

No one knew I disliked climbing mountains.

Of course not—I’d never told anyone.

I’d hated it since childhood, but since it never came up, I kept it to myself.

So how could Cheonma state it so certainly?

When I asked,

«Aah—»

Cheonma simply gave a slight nod and said,

«I just had a feeling.»

«…….»

As she spoke, twilight faded completely into night.

The lingering embers in the air glowed especially bright.

And in that moment, I realized—

Night had fallen.

And as Cheonma spoke, her violet eyes—perhaps because of the darkness—shone more brightly than usual.