Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1048

Chapter 1048

Whoosh—!!

A huge tail swept through the air. There were four of them in total. Massive, pale, fur-covered tails thrashed with violent force.

“Grrrr—!!”

The beast’s growl was low and resonant. Though not loud, the deep rumble was powerful enough to make the very ground tremble.

“Ugh—!!”

The man clutched at his throat, straining with all his might.

He had to break free.

He needed to escape this bizarre force, but it was impossible.

“What kind of power is this—!!”

It was overwhelming. Just the pressure of it generated waves of energy that threatened to crush everything in the vicinity. Feeling it, the man grew certain.

The shock from earlier, the moment he’d blacked out, must have been caused by this creature.

“Where… did this thing come from?”

“Grrrr—!!”

Hearing its growl, the man studied his opponent. It certainly appeared to be a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe.

It seemed to have received every blessing of Mangye from the heart of the night.

Its bloodline, in particular, seemed pure, comparable to that of a full-blooded Moonlit Night Tribe member.

It was similar to when Yusa had revealed its true form.

“But the level of power…!”

It was far beneath Yusa.

The pressure, however—

“It’s shattering divinity.”

Effortlessly, the power crushing him was breaking apart his divine energy. How was this possible?

The power of a divine being shouldn’t be capable of reaching such a level.

Earlier, the energy they had used had managed to push it back, but—

“This shouldn’t be happening…!”

This was on a completely different scale.

Even if he was only half a master, having ascended to his master’s level, a mere creature should never be able to touch him, let alone confront him.

Yet, this being before him was dismissing his power with ease.

As if he were no different from anyone else.

Creeeak—!!!

The man’s vision swam. Before he knew it, his body was hurled through the air.

The speed was staggering.

At this rate, he would be thrown straight through the barrier and shattered.

Barely regaining his senses, the man spread his wings.

Whoosh—!

His three pairs of wings snapped open, halting his violent flight.

At the same time, he scanned his surroundings to locate the creature.

“Grrrr—!!”

“…!”

The growl came from behind him. He spun around quickly, but was only met with the pale sky.

Boom—!!

A fist slammed into his face.

The impact sent him crashing into the ground.

Crash—!!!

His small form struck the earth, fracturing it into pieces.

“Ugh!”

The man groaned, fighting through the pain to push himself up.

Whooo—!!

A sound reached his ears. Looking up, he saw the creature preparing to attack.

Flames gathered at its mouth.

This was bad. It felt ominous and wrong. Every instinct screamed at him. He had to stop it, now.

“Stop—!!”

He instantly cast a command.

Thump—!!

A binding energy shot toward the creature, attempting to coil around its body, but—

“Grrrr—!!”

Impact—!

“Huh!?”

The command shattered the moment it made contact. That was the meaning of the creature’s response.

“Is this truly a vessel?”

This creature was also a vessel, one destined to become a master.

It held the potential to ascend to a supreme being.

Where had it come from?

“Ugh…!”

The man groaned, gathering his energy and accelerating.

Divine power manifested within his wings, increasing his speed.

As the man changed position, disaster rained down on the spot where the creature had been.

Creeeak—!!!

A violet flash poured onto the ground. A massive pillar of energy tore through the earth.

The man squinted, sensing the energy radiating from it.

“This is…?”

It was divine power.

The energy carried the weight of divine authority.

“What is this…?”

What was this creature?

He had infused himself with the divine power and vitality granted by Taechun, so what was this being?

Could it be…

“A vessel from another world?”

The thought flickered—perhaps it was a servant sent by a master from another world, like himself. It wasn’t an impossible idea.

After all, others besides Taechun might be targeting Mangye.

“Then…”

It had to be eliminated. No matter where it came from, if it was an obstacle to Taechun’s plan.

Crash—!!!

“It must be removed.”

Dozens of feathers gathered, forming a white trident. It was far stronger and sturdier than the one he’d wielded before.

Vitality coiled around it. Divine power surged, and white lightning crackled across its length.

Boom.

The ashen sky rumbled and shook in response. This was the man’s space, where his will influenced everything around him.

Swish.

The trident was raised high.

In that instant, the currents of lightning gathered in the ashen sky converged into a dark bolt that collected at the trident’s tip.

Rumble—!!!

Crackle.

“Hah.”

Trident in hand, the man moved. He was using a portion of the vitality he had accumulated over countless years.

He had believed it was endless, but sensing the dire threat, he immediately expended a vast amount.

“There’s still so much left to do.”

He had succeeded in becoming a vessel, but only halfway.

There was still much more to gain in Mangye. Once he obtained more and more—

“Only then will I truly reach the master.”

The current master, who hadn’t fully recovered from the unforeseen event, must still be unaware.

He had to consume her as well, and fulfill Taechun’s will.

So—

“You will die here.”

Anyone who defied that will would die here.

Swish—!

The man glanced to his left. The trident he had aimed was gone.

His arm had been torn off. The trident he’d been holding was now spinning through the air. What was happening?

“You…!”

“Grrrrr—!!!”

The creature, having closed the distance, slashed with its sharp claws and severed his arm.

The speed was incredible. And along with it—

“Aaaah—!!”

Boom—!!

It wasn’t just speed.

The impact sent the man’s body reeling once more.

He blocked a fist, but another followed. He blocked again.

Boom—!

The force of the blow pushed him farther back.

He tried to use the rebound to create distance. He stretched out his hand, and energy surged forth, wrapping around his severed arm.

Shweeek—!!

The arm flew straight back to his left shoulder. Reattaching it was faster than regenerating.

He secured it to his shoulder, flexing the restored arm to adjust, but—

Shweeek—!!!

The creature’s tail shot out, wrapping around the man’s body.

He tried to escape quickly, but it was impossible. The tail wasn’t alone; the creature’s multiple tails blocked every possible route of escape.

“Tch—!”

This was a problem.

The man narrowed his eyes.

Thud—!

His heart pounded, and the energy within him surged forth.

The power.

The man tried to use the power granted to him to escape the crisis, but then, something went wrong.

Crack!

“…What?”

Suddenly, something flew out and clamped onto his thigh.

It was a dark shape. As he looked for its source, he saw it had come from the creature ahead.

What was this? Another attack? It didn’t take long for the man to understand.

“What…?”

The power wouldn’t activate. It should have erupted, but it remained dormant.

The man was stunned. This was absurd. His body froze for a moment as he struggled to comprehend.

“Grrrr—!!”

The creature didn’t miss the opportunity, lunging forward to sink its fangs into him.

“Damn—!”

The space was constrained, the distance too close.

He couldn’t dodge.

Just as its fangs were about to pierce his throat, everything stopped.

Thump—!

“…?”

Right before the fangs could break his skin, the creature’s massive form suddenly began to shrink.

The large body deflated, and all its bristling fur smoothed down.

The overwhelming presence and size vanished, and the creature collapsed in front of the man.

“Huh…?”

The man let out a hollow laugh as he watched it fall. The strange being that had just overpowered him was now revealed.

“It’s a dragon.”

It was a dragon. The same one that had entered this space to interfere with him.

Was that creature from a moment ago really the same as this?

“How…”

How had it displayed such power?

A question arose, but—

“It doesn’t matter now.”

Right now, it was irrelevant. What mattered was that he was still alive.

“I will kill you.”

The creature had failed in its role and had lost consciousness.

This was a dangerous thing.

It wasn’t just a dragon; its presence and power had been genuinely threatening.

“It’s a good thing. I can deal with you now.”

The man decided to eliminate the obstacle here and now.

He raised his trident, aiming to pierce the creature’s neck.

Crack—!!

“Tch!?”

A spike erupted from the ground, and the man swiftly rotated his trident.

His body was forced backward. It was a split-second interruption.

The man was about to throw the trident, but—

“This…”

The creature that had been lying on the ground was gone. The man turned his head quickly.

He looked toward where Yarang was lying.

There, he saw—

“You…!!”

It was a figure he knew well.

A woman with long black hair, pale skin, and a small frame.

As their eyes met, a wave of unease washed over him.

“You were here too.”

“….”

It was the same woman who had pushed him to the brink on Mount Marryeong.

She was holding the unconscious dragon in one hand and lifting Yarang with the other.

Her posture made it clear she was preparing to flee.

“You think I’ll let you go!?”

The man had no intention of allowing it. He immediately hurled his trident.

“….”

The woman moved her hand lightly, and a sword appeared in her grip.

Clang—!!!!

The sword deflected the trident. She didn’t block it completely, but simply knocked it off course.

The trident soared away into the air.

Whoooosh—!!!

The trident exploded as it shot into the ashen sky.

A massive burst of energy spread across the heavens.

Ki-iiiii—!!

A tear opened in the space behind the woman who had blocked the attack.

“This is—?”

The man accelerated, charging forward, but before his hand could reach her, the woman vanished into the spatial rift.

Thud—!

He arrived at the now-closed space just as his fingers brushed against nothing.

“…Damn.”

He had missed.

Crack.

The man gritted his teeth. Even though he had risen to the master’s level, he had failed to eliminate his targets.

“The master will be angry if he finds out.”

His fist clenched.

Should he pursue her? It seemed like the right thing to do—find her and finish it.

“…No.”

The man shook his head. Rather than searching for someone whose whereabouts were unknown, there was something more urgent.

“…First, I head to Mount Hua.”

Taechun had given a command.

Once he had reached the vessel, he was to go to the place called Mount Hua.

And so…

“Swallow the hidden treasure of Mangye.”

He had to acquire the will of the master that resided there.