Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1043

Chapter 1043

The turtle had once posed a question.

“How many categories would you say exist within what you refer to as sorcery?”

Of course, my reply was that I had no idea. Listening to him, it became clear that the knowledge I had accumulated, particularly in the Northern Sea of the Central Plains, was disturbingly incomplete.

That ring, shaped like a heart, woven from sorcery.

The inner force, or magic energy—some name it demonic energy—was unlike anything I had sensed before. It was an entirely separate form of power.

What is the purpose of shaping this energy?

The turtle called it a manifestation of paradox and otherworldliness.

Sorcery is the art of achieving the unachievable.

It is the act of touching the untouchable.

It is the ability to see the unseeable. That is the very nature of sorcery.

Considering that, there are two primary types.

As I mentioned before.

Seeing what cannot be seen.

And…

“Touching what cannot be touched.”

*Creeak!*

My hand closed around it. The feeling was of several ropes knotted together. Yet, in truth, my hand grasped nothing.

It was merely the sensation of perceiving and feeling something as if it were real.

Sorcery is a bizarre and elusive force to define.

The methods employed by the Jegal Clan and its members fall within the domain of sorcery, but they lean more toward the art of formations or barriers.

The energy that composes the thread in my perception of sorcery. I twist it, shape it, give it form, and manifest something from it.

Its origin is the wind.

It is the desire for something to be made real through sorcery. From that desire, a ritual is crafted to produce a result.

Initially, I believed this was all ridiculous.

And, to be frank, it was.

Ultimately, it is an explanation that defies logic. The turtle advised that instead of striving to comprehend it, I should simply accept it.

I thought to myself, “What kind of foolishness is this?”

But in the end…

“As long as it functions, that is all that is important.”

Whatever it may be, if it works, that is sufficient. I never grasped the intricate explanations of the rituals.

This was why the turtle was so astonished.

“How is this even possible?”

I do not know what the ritual is, how it is constructed, or why it yields the outcomes it does.

I did not understand, yet the results manifested perfectly.

It operated according to my will.

If that is the essence and origin of sorcery, then perhaps I am the most naturally suited for it.

“…This is illogical.”

I could tell from the turtle’ stunned expression.

It would seem…

“I have a gift.”

I felt I might possess a talent for sorcery.

****

*Creeak—!!!*

I pulled the thread. I watched it squirm. The air around me contorted. The threads encircling him shuddered simultaneously.

“What—!!”

He appeared startled by the sudden tremor and raised his voice.

I laughed at his reaction.

‘It’s working.’

Something is functioning.

I don’t know what, but it is irrelevant.

‘This will suffice.’

I moved my hand, tugging on the thread I had seized.

*Kruuk—!!!* The vibration detonated. The air was ripped apart.

“You’re wearing quite a lot of garments.”

I said to him.

“……!!”

His eyes went wide. Seeing this, I pulled with all my strength.

*Szzzzzz—!!!*

The threads constricted, slackening the bindings on him.

*Thwomp—!!!*

The air was violently agitated. the environment around him shifted.

Watching that, I understood why my attack had missed its mark.

‘So that’s the reason.’

It was a matter of position.

Once the space altered, his location moved. He was now approximately six paces away.

That was his original position.

My perspective must have been distorted, as I had been looking at a point much farther than I realized.

‘So that was it.’

From that distance, it was obvious my strike would not connect.

That is also why my senses were misaligned.

*Whoosh.*

Understanding the reason, I gathered flames into my hand.

“This bastard…”

He seemed dazed that the sorcery binding him had been dismantled, his eyes trembling as he spoke.

“What did you do?”

“Do what?”

I casually brushed off my hands.

“I saw you were wearing something peculiar, so I thought I’d help you remove it.”

“……Heh.”

*Flap.*

His wings extended to their full span. Once unfurled, their size was staggering.

I had anticipated they would be large, but not to that extent.

At that scale, speed became almost irrelevant. They were nearly cumbersome.

*Screech…*

From those immense wings, black feathers descended. He caught one of the falling feathers and…

*Whissh—!*

The feather morphed into the trident he had wielded earlier.

“It seems you have some awareness.”

“I can be somewhat observant.”

“This is no place for an uninvited guest. What is your purpose in coming here?”

*Whoosh.*

The trident spun and aimed directly at me.

“The dragon that should have vanished ages ago… What business does it have? And what is its objective here?”

“……”

As I expected.

He must know my identity. That means…

“You’re the one. The general the Du Ryeong spoke of.”

The final general I had not encountered, the one that Cheonma had missed.

It seemed he was the one.

The instant Du Ryeong’s name left my lips, I saw his eyes twitch.

“That means… you killed Du Ryeong.”

“Well?”

*Whoosh.*

I enveloped my hand with the Cheonma Divine Art and manifested the Flame Spear.

*Boom—!* With a surge of energy, I surged forward.

The spear drove toward him. This time, it was different. I aimed for his physical form directly, and in that moment…

*Thud—!*

The spear and the trident’s tip collided. *Whahhhh—!!!* The energies clashed and exploded. I stared wide-eyed at the sight.

‘Will you look at that?’

The power was stronger than I had anticipated. I thought it would explode on impact with the spear, but it was holding firm better than I expected.

‘Hmm.’

I channeled more energy into the spear. Not to push harder, but to make it detonate.

*Screech—!*

“……!”

His eyes widened as he saw it.

Then…

*Wham—!*

He beat his wings and instantly put distance between us. He must have realized my intention.

‘Too slow.’

*Thud—! Kuaaaaaaaaa—!!!*

The Flame Spear exploded. The wave of heat spread out, clouding the space.

It did not hinder my vision. The flames were mine, and I knew precisely what lay beyond them.

*Shiriiiii—!!*

The Eternal Bind stirred in my grasp.

I shot through the flames and launched it toward where the crow had fled.

“What?!”

The bastard, who was just managing to escape the scorching heat, flinched upon seeing the Eternal Bind.

The Eternal Bind, moving with swiftness, completely ensnared his arms.

It held him fast.

“Kugh!”

The bastard struggled furiously to break free.

Using him as an anchor, the Eternal Bind pulled and propelled me forward.

*Crack—!*

I charged toward the bastard at tremendous speed.

In a blink, the distance vanished, and I stood directly before him.

In that closed space, I clenched my fist.

The martial technique was already complete. It was different from before.

Cheonma Soul Flame.

The gathered scream materialized as a cry of pure despair.

I drove it toward his abdomen.

“Kugh!”

I could feel his desperate struggle to get away.

-Stop.

I commanded, freezing his legs.

In that instant…

“……!”

His body went completely rigid.

‘…Hmm?’

Something was strange. He was stiff, but something felt incorrect.

Unable to halt the motion, I detonated the Soul Flame right in front of him.

*Kuaaah—!!!
Kyaaaaaaaa—!!!*

The released power was far greater than the Flame Spear’s explosion. The energy shrieked violently, scouring the surroundings.

Had it exploded on the ground, it would have carved a massive crater. Instead, a small storm whirled in the air.

*Shiiiiii—!*

After the blast, something plummeted to the earth.

*Thud—!!*

It hit the ground and tumbled. I immediately flew down toward it.

The crow was rolling across the ground in a devastated state.

To be precise, it was scarcely a body anymore.

It was a form that could barely be called a body, with only the upper half vaguely remaining.

It was already far beyond being alive, so it should have been dead, but…

“……”

I frowned as I looked at him.

The sensation from before, it still felt wrong no matter how I considered it.

I watched him silently for a moment longer, then spoke with narrowed eyes.

“Get up.”

“……”

There was still no movement. I could not even feel a spark of life from him.

He should have been long dead, and yet…

“Stop playing games, get up.”

Even as I watched, I insisted.

“I know you can hear me.”

“……”

At that moment…

“Oh my.”

Surprisingly, a sound emerged from his body. Despite the absence of any life, his mouth moved.

“How did you know? It was a flawless performance.”

“Nonsense, I told you. I’m a bit perceptive.”

That was a lie. It wasn’t something perception alone could have discerned.

The reason I knew was simple.

“You… my command never reached you, did it?”

The command I had issued, it had not connected with him. That was the issue.

Until now, whether it was Yusa or Du Ryeong, or any other being I had met in the Mangye—the power of my commands had worked on them.

When I first learned of commands, it was described as a rule established within the Mangye.

A power that allows one to command those of lower standing.

The reason I can issue commands to generals and others is because…

‘I am the child of the mother.’

I, as the heir of the Mangye and of the Heavenly Mother’s bloodline, can command all beings save for her.

‘But it did not work on this bastard.’

I knew it instinctively. My command had not reached him.

He had stopped when he heard my words, but…

‘That was a deception.’

He had feigned stopping when it had no effect. I could feel the wrongness of it.

But why? Why did my command fail against him?

They say a command works on beings beneath oneself.

The fact that my command did not work on him meant…

‘This bastard is above me.’

In other words, he ranks above even Du Ryeong and above me, the child of the Heavenly Mother.

“What are you? What is your true identity?”

How could a being like him exist below the Heavenly Mother, serving under the title of a general?

I could not comprehend it, so I demanded an answer.

“Kuh kuh kuh.”

He suddenly began to laugh.

Then…

*Wooooom—!!!*

The ground started to quake.

Specifically…

‘The crystals…’

The crystals, which had erupted from the earth, saturated with life energy.

They began to vibrate wildly.

In a deeply ominous manner.