Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1044

Chapter 1044

Buzz—!!!

A deep, resonant hum came from everywhere at once. Crystals pushed up through the earth, each one pulsing with a vivid life force, and I realized they were the origin of the strange sensation I had been tracking.

And those very crystals were now shaking with an intense, frantic energy.

It wasn’t just a few—dozens were visible all around me. And based on what I had sensed earlier, their true number had to be far greater.

I didn’t understand what these crystals meant. But one thing was undeniable—they carried the stench of looming catastrophe.

With them vibrating so wildly—

‘What in the world is coming?’

A deep frown carved into my features as I stared at the shuddering formations.

The trembling grew stronger. The slight shuddering had escalated into a violent quake that made the very ground beneath my feet shudder.

‘Tch.’

There was no time to think. Only one option remained.

Fwoosh—!

I set my body ablaze.

The ring inside me rotated violently, releasing a scorching, intense heat.

Boom—!!

I launched myself directly at the creature. Whatever it was planning—

‘I have to kill it first.’

Strike before the situation gets worse. That was my only goal.

Crunch—!

Covering the distance in a flash, I pivoted at the waist.

Flames swirled around my clenched fist, and my heart hammered against my ribs.

Infernal Flame Grand Mountain Form.

Fire condensed at the apex of my fist, refined to its most lethal state. I channeled all my will into this extreme technique and unleashed it point-blank at the monster.

Kwaduduk—!!!

A cataclysmic inferno erupted—

Kwooooosh—!!

But—

“…!”

The flames never connected.

A pair of wings, sprouting from the creature’s shredded upper body, spread out to shield it from the blaze.

‘What…?’

My breath caught. My eyes scanned frantically. As the wings blocked my attack, the creature’s ravaged form was quickly knitting itself back together—

The speed of that regeneration—

It was just like Du Ryeong’s immortal body when he used his Authority.

Was this also an Authority?

Squinting, I tried to activate Tam—

‘No.’

Tam didn’t respond. This wasn’t Authority.

Then—was it just pure, natural healing? At that speed—?

‘Damn. This is very bad.’

Every instinct I had screamed that things had just gone terribly wrong.

Kwooooosh—!!!

I fed more power into the flames, unleashing even greater energy—and yet, the wings held strong.

It was ridiculous.

‘What is this thing?’

Haaa—

I let out a controlled breath and released more of my energy. If fire wasn’t enough—

Zzzzeeeeeeeng—!!!

Without letting up the torrent of flame, I gathered power into my other hand.

Sparks of friction flew—chaotic energy compressed.

I forged the Cheonma Soul Flame and hurled it forward.

BOOOOOM—!!!

A deafening blast shook the area. Using both techniques at once drained nearly a third of my energy in an instant. Efficiency didn’t matter anymore—there was no other option.

I attacked with a single purpose—shatter that damned defense.

Kakakakak—

It didn’t break.

‘You have got to be kidding me.’

What was this hardness? My energy continued to pour out, but the thing didn’t even show a crack.

‘Are those wings made of some kind of steel?’

No, if it were just steel, my flames would have melted it.

‘But this…’

It was worse—much worse. It wasn’t just toughness; some kind of unfamiliar energy shrouded those wings, neutralizing my assault.

I strained, pushing everything I had into breaking through—

But time was running out—

And by then, the creature’s body had completely healed.

Thwack—!

“Damn it!”

The wings slashed outward, forcing me to retreat. I jumped back, creating space between us.

A whirlwind kicked up—

Whoooosh—!!!

Dust spiraled into the air, forming a massive vortex before finally scattering—

And from within it—

“Kukukuk.”

A low, menacing laugh.

The creature emerged—its body not just restored, but transformed.

‘…What is that?’

It wasn’t just healed—it was different now.

The first thing I noticed—

Its wings.

Where there had been a single set of black wings—

Now there were two.

And—

‘Its aura—’

I could feel—nothing.

The creature emitted no energy at all.

What was happening? What was it doing? Cautiously, I kept my eyes fixed on it.

Then—

“How unfortunate.”

It spoke, its gaze locked on me.

“With just five—no, even ten more years, I would have been complete. Who could have predicted an interruption?”

“What are you talking about?”

“My master’s instructions were explicit.”

Shraak—

A trident materialized in its grasp.

“No matter the anomaly—if someone obstructs you—eliminate them.”

Zzzzzzzzeeeeeeng—!!!

The ground shook, the vibrations climbing to a fever pitch—so intense I thought the entire cavern might collapse.

But that wasn’t the real problem—

‘It’s not the shaking.’

The source of the tremors—that was the real issue.

The moment that realization hit—

KWAAAAAAAAA—!!!!

A blinding wave of energy exploded from the crystals.

The crystals, once glowing a soft blue, now erupted, flooding the sky with a sinister azure light—

‘So that’s what was inside them.’

I had expected something—but not this.

Thud—!

I stomped my foot down—

Whatever was happening—

I couldn’t allow it.

I shot forward, using every bit of my strength to stop the disaster from unfolding.

Calling upon my martial arts—

Azure Sky.

A domain of azure flame unfolded above me, claiming the sky.

Then—

Nine Flames Firewheel.

Another ultimate art. The moment the blazing wheel formed in the air, my entire body answered.

Even though it was day—

My body transformed—

The power of Moonlit Night surged through me—

My strength multiplied.

At the same time—

Sky-Tearing

Kuuuuuuuk—!!!

I invoked Tua Pacheonmu, pushing my body past its limits.

My flesh—fortified beyond its normal capacity.

Every technique, every power I had mastered—all stacked together—

The Moonlit Night physique absorbed the shock—easing the overload.

At this level—

I could last for half a quarter-hour.

Half a quarter—

That was all I needed.

Fwoooooosh—!!!

With my power burning at its peak, I hurled myself directly at him—flames searing the air, adding brutal velocity to my charge.

Like a meteor falling from the sky, I slammed my body into his.

Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!

The impact erupted in a thunderous detonation.

I was using everything I had, driving down on him with overwhelming force—

But—

‘What?’

My eyes widened in disbelief at what I saw.

Fwoosh—!!

I had crashed into him with my entire being, every ounce of my energy behind the strike—

And he stood there—completely unmoved—

Power clashed against power—

The barrier formed by his aura was actively repelling mine—

Chijijijik—!!!

Sparks flew from the friction. The earth itself quaked, rippling like water. The sheer force of our collision warped the very air.

Even I was stunned by the amount of power I had just released—

But he had stopped it—just like that?

‘Impossible.’

My face contorted in a scowl.

Without a second thought, I pulled the flames back into my body—

And—

‘Tua Pacheonmu’

I gathered the flames I had summoned and converted them into the energy of the Demonic Heaven Absorption Art.

The ash-gray energy, swirling in a circle, was hurled back at him.

Screee—!

He spread his wings wide.

Kwaaaag—!!!

«……!»

A storm of countless feathers shot toward me.

Seeing this, I didn’t extend the Tua Pacheonmu further; I detonated it.

Kuuuuu—!!

The explosion consumed the feathers.

I threw myself into the blast, blocking the attack. I couldn’t afford to lose this chance. Thinking that, I plunged through the heat and reached out.

My target was his neck, but—

«How interesting.»

What I heard was his voice, laced with amusement.

«Stop.»

«……!!»

Then came the resonant command.

At that sound, my body locked up, freezing as if turned to stone.

It wasn’t precisely my body that had frozen.

This was—

‘A command.’

This was a command of the soul.

The law and regulation rooted in the Abyssal Pit.

Only those of a general rank or higher could wield such a power over the soul.

The power to force those with a weaker soul to obey.

That force washed over me.

Which meant—

‘This guy…’

Is he truly a higher rank than me?

How?

I couldn’t make sense of it, my thoughts spinning.

Kuuu—!!!

The crystalline energy saturating the sky suddenly shifted.

The clear sky darkened, replaced by an ash-gray expanse swirling with power.

A massive vortex churned overhead.

It was ominous.

The energy, so full of life, felt deeply sinister.

As I struggled to respond to the sudden turn—

«In this situation, your gaze is elsewhere.»

Whoooosh—!!

«—!!»

Blood sprayed from my body. He had slashed me with his trident.

Tuduk,

The blood soaked into the ground.

«Kugh….»

I gritted my teeth and clutched my chest.

«Heh.»

Watching this, he let out a sigh that sounded almost disappointed.

«To break a command in this state? You are quite impressive.»

If I had remained frozen, I would be dead. I had fought the restraint with everything I had, just barely managing to create some distance.

Ssshhhhh.

Steam rose from my body. Thanks to the Moonlit Night Tribe’s physical regeneration, the wound began to heal immediately.

«This…»

He sighed, his tone full of regret as he watched me.

«I guess you’re still not accustomed to your vessel…»

Guuuuuuu.

At his words, the energy saturating the sky began to move.

«One cannot so easily discard the mercy bestowed by the master.»

His voice, heard from a distance, closed the gap instantly.

The man who had been far away was now directly in front of me.

‘Insane.’

I gritted my teeth. My recovery wasn’t complete.

I knew I needed to evade, but my movements were sluggish.

Just as the tip of his trident descended to pierce my skull—

Kiiiiing—!!

Something ripped through the air from behind me.

Kuuuu—!!!

A blast of white energy struck him.

«Ku…?»

Caught by surprise, he was thrown backward, his attack failing.

Thud.

The trident in his hand instantly crumbled to dust.

His face twisted in fury, his expression turning demonic as he glared behind me.

«How did you get here…?»

At those words, I turned around.

«…You?»

A woman stood behind me, a sword in her hand.

A faint white energy shimmered at the tip of the blade. She wore a black mask.

Behind it, golden eyes glinted.

As I stared at her, my eyes widened.

«…Yarang.»

The man uttered the name—not of the woman I had expected, but of another.