Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1041

Chapter 1041

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter:

‘Why are there so many?’

The sheer number of presences I detected was unimaginable. Naturally, this included the life forces of insects and other wild creatures.

But…

‘Even setting those aside… something isn’t right.’

When I evaluated the density of these auras and the power they contained, the number was far greater than I had anticipated.

To put it in perspective:

‘It’s more than Yahwol.’

It was beyond any comparison to the Yahwol Palace, the domain once overseen by the late Yusa.

In a way, it made sense, as Mount Marryeong had felt so devoid of presence that this seemed almost logical from a common-sense viewpoint.

‘And yet…’

The issue was what I had witnessed on my journey here.

‘The fact that I can feel so many presences now…’

Means they cannot be far away.

When I flew over this area, all I saw was an unbroken expanse of forest.

There was no visible clearing or structure that could possibly contain such a concentration of life.

‘Where is it?’

Where could all of these auras be originating from?

I focused my senses to an even greater degree. The presences became sharper. However…

‘…It’s overwhelming.’

It truly was a massive number. They were dispersed in every direction.

Something felt incorrect.

‘This feels… unnatural.’

An absence of presence was one kind of problem, but an overabundance was another. If they were this scattered with no physical source, the situation was just bizarre.

I withdrew the spread of my awareness.

And then I knew for certain.

‘This is the place.’

This had to be it. If this was indeed the Black Phoenix Palace, then the location made perfect sense. Without that being true, none of this would be logical.

Then.

‘Time to find it.’

All that remained was to locate the Black Phoenix Palace itself. I immediately gathered my energy.

I did not extend my senses again. Since the presence was felt everywhere, that method was useless.

So, what was the solution?

The answer was simple.

‘I will go to all of them.’

I would travel to each point where I felt a presence and investigate. However.

‘There are too many to check personally.’

I could not possibly visit every single location with just one body. Therefore.

‘I will stretch my body.’

I would extend my form to be in multiple places simultaneously.

Whoooosh—!!!

I unleashed my power.

The dimension behind me fractured open, and the Magyeong Gate materialized. The dark void yawned wide with a sound like shattering glass.

Hissss—!!!

Sleek, agile demonic beasts poured forth in a great wave.

“Find it.”

Krgh—!

The instant I issued the command, the beasts surged into the forest, scattering in every direction. I shut my eyes immediately.

In that moment.

A multitude of viewpoints flooded my mind. It was the vision of the demonic beasts. They were seeing everything at once, a dizzying array of perspectives that was enough to induce nausea, but I had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

«Perhaps it’s because I constantly use my Heart’s Eye. I can manage this.»

Since I was always calculating paths by watching herbivores through my divine vision, I could tolerate the shared sight of the beasts.

I had utilized this method in battle before. I could synchronize with their vision and use it to my benefit.

The demonic beasts swiftly combed through the forest. They were searching for the anomaly on my orders.

After a short while.

Hissss—!!!

One of the beasts halted near the forest’s edge. It was a place that appeared to be completely empty.

‘Found it.’

It looked vacant at first glance, but I understood.

‘It’s there.’

I snapped my fingers. The energy I had channeled into the demonic beasts dissipated.

Now that the location was identified, maintaining the connection was unnecessary. I leaped toward the spot.

It was the barren plain the beast had seen. Upon arriving, I was certain.

‘This is it.’

I could feel the pervasive presence all around. Even with nothing visibly here, this aura was undeniable.

‘There aren’t any insects or animals here, either.’

A faint smile touched my lips. Realizing that made the situation feel even stranger.

‘There are no insects or wild creatures in this spot.’

In other parts of the forest, I had sensed the minor life forces of small creatures, but here, there was absolutely nothing.

This could mean only one thing.

Whoooosh.

I concentrated my divine vision, and the area around me grew brighter. Since it still wasn’t fully visible, I pushed more energy into my eyes.

Whooosh.

The power from my core surged into my vision, illuminating the very fabric of the background.

Then.

‘I see it.’

I saw a distortion. A shimmering ripple appeared in the empty field. I did not miss it.

‘It’s a spell.’

It was a magical barrier, similar to the one on Mount Marryeong. The difference was that…

‘This one doesn’t seem designed to suppress presence.’

The magic at Mount Marryeong had concealed the auras within, but this one seemed only to deceive the eye and distort space.

‘Hmm.’

I reached out my hand, simultaneously gathering energy in my core. A magic circle materialized and began to spin.

Energy coiled around my fingers as I reached toward the empty air.

Sssshhh—!!!

My finger made contact with the spell. Instantly, a stream of information flowed into me.

It was a complex and tightly woven enchantment. The level of intricacy was significant, but…

‘It’s not difficult.’

This was simple compared to the lessons the turtle had taught me.

I stirred the energy with my finger. Precisely four times.

With each movement, the air wavered.

Whoooosh—!!!

The magic swelled like a powerful tide, shaking the surrounding area. The reaction was violent, but I observed it calmly and moved my hand once more.

I reached directly into the wave. Normally, you cannot grasp water, but…

Magic was different.

Within it were countless formulas and techniques. If I could seize the central flow, controlling it would not be hard.

Crack—!

It was not difficult to get a hold of it. Amid the chaotic currents, there was a single thread. I gathered it and took hold—

The moment I pulled,

Whooosh—!!!

The air itself seemed to shatter, and a subtle transformation occurred.

I glanced down at my arm.

I could see my hand trembling.

It was strenuous work. I had not fully dismantled the spell, only opened an entry point. That was the more challenging part. I narrowed my eyes at the quivering space.

If my concentration wavered for even a second, the entire spell would collapse completely. That could not be allowed to happen.

‘I would be discovered.’

Truthfully, even at this stage, I might have already been noticed. But I chose to assume I had not.

The entryway that appeared was subtle.

‘What is this?’

The atmosphere was utterly transformed. Outside, the air had been fresh, and the dense forest felt vibrant with life.

‘…What is this?’

The scene before me was completely different.

And yet, I could still feel all those presences emanating from within. It was bizarre.

‘Hmm.’

I stared in silence for a moment before releasing my hold on the spell.

There were not many choices left. I could not simply turn back now.

‘I have to go in.’

With my tension mounting, I stepped forward through the entrance.

**********

I passed through the gateway.

The first sensation was suffocation. The thick, polluted air made my face contort instinctively.

Where had the clear atmosphere from moments ago gone, replaced by this foul and oppressive miasma?

‘And what is that?’

It wasn’t just the air—the scenery was also a problem.

‘Is this… a forest?’

A forest, yes. Trees stood in rows, seemingly continuing from the world outside. But something was terribly wrong.

‘They are all… dead trees.’

The trees, burned to a charblack, had long since lost any vitality. Not a single whisper of life could be sensed.

The entire world was the same. The sky was not black, but a dull, lifeless gray. The earth was barren and dead.

And yet—

‘Life.’

In stark, shocking contrast, I felt a powerful concentration of life forces ahead.

‘What… is happening?’

Though this entire space seemed utterly bereft of life, a potent vitality pulsed from somewhere further in. I began to move.

Suppressing my own presence as much as possible, I glided silently toward the source of the life force.

I arrived at a cliff. The path ended abruptly, and a great precipice stretched out before me. The life I sensed was coming from below.

I took a step forward and looked down.

“Huh?”

My eyes narrowed in sheer disbelief at the sight below.

“What… is this?”

A colossal fortress came into view.

It was even larger than the one in Yahwol.

The immense, jet-black fortress, towering high into the gloomy sky, radiated an oppressive and sinister aura.

And below it—

‘A village.’

A village lay sprawled beneath the fortress. It, too, was shrouded in black. And yet, the life force was radiating from there.

cautiously, I descended. I surveyed the surroundings as I approached the village—yet there were no guards, no sentries.

‘No one is standing watch, despite such strong life signs?’

Not even a single gatekeeper. Finding it deeply strange, I stepped into the village. And still—there were no people.

There was no sign of anyone. And yet, the life force remained as potent as ever. What was going on?

“……”

I relaxed the energy cloaking me, allowing a sliver of my presence to become detectable, and glanced to the side.

A house stood nearby. I felt life coming from within.

I walked toward it.

I placed my hand on the door handle—

Crack!

The handle disintegrated into dust under my touch. It had likely been weakened by years of neglect.

With the handle gone, I pressed my palm against the door itself—

Craaaack—!!

It too crumbled into powder.

“Mm…”

I flexed my hand awkwardly and stepped inside.

The interior was not clean—far from it. Dust and debris, clear signs of the passage of a long time, were littered everywhere.

Crunch.

I stepped over the scattered wreckage, the floor groaning under my weight as I moved deeper inside, following the source of the life force.

Finally—I found it.

And—

“…What the hell.”

My face twisted in revulsion at the grotesque sight.

No wonder I had felt life in this place that seemed so utterly lifeless—

Something was embedded into the wall.

It had likely once been a living person. Even now, a life force emanated from it—

But—

“This… isn’t alive.”

The form of a person, petrified into a stone-like substance, was fused into the wall.

No matter how I looked at it, it did not seem alive.

And yet—

Thump— Thump—

A sound reached my ears. My eyes narrowed.

A heartbeat.

The sound of a heartbeat was coming from that petrified form.

‘Alive?’

Even in that state… was it still alive?

How… How was that even possible?

As I stood there, frozen and shocked by the horrifying sight—

«Fascinating, isn’t it?»

A voice rang out from behind me. My body moved on pure instinct.

Fwoooosh—!!!

My arm, sheathed in raging flames, lashed out in an instant attack—

Clang—!!

But it was blocked—

A black spear had intercepted my strike completely.

The spear’s wielder stood before me, and behind him—

Flap—!

Black wings fluttered.

“Greetings.”

The man’s lips curled into a smirk as he spoke.

“So it’s you. The one trying to disrupt my plans. I am—”

“What the hell is this moron rambling about?”

I cut him off and detonated the flames.

Kwuuug—!!!!

A storm of fire erupted, roaring and tearing the space between us apart.