Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1073

Chapter 1073

«What did you say?»

I shot up from my seat at the words spoken by the man sitting behind me.

*Crash—!*

A sharp sound echoed as I stood up abruptly, drawing the attention of every patron in the room.

Ignoring their stares, I walked directly toward the man who had just spoken.

“Huh?”

He looked startled by my sudden approach, but before he could say another word, I seized him by the collar.

“What did you just say?”

“Ugh!? What’s your problem!?”

“I asked you, what did you just say!?”

“H-Hold on! Let me go first…!”

He struggled against my hold, but he was powerless to break free.

I fixed him with an intense, burning glare and demanded again.

“Say it again. Repeat what you just said.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“The words you spoke a moment ago.”

“…The Azure Dragon Division?”

“And what came after that?”

“…Vice Commander?”

“Yes. That.”

“What’s it to you that Divine Dragon became the Vice Commander…!?”

He spoke with a sense of grievance. My expression contorted, and I pressed further.

“The Vice Commander of the Azure Dragon Division. Divine Dragon is from the Shanxi Gu Clan? Is that true?”

“Ghh… Y-Yes… It’s common knowledge…!”

“What in the world…”

Of all things, for that to be widely known…

The sheer absurdity made my grip loosen without me realizing it.

*Thud!*

The man I had been holding collapsed onto the floor in a seated heap.

*Cough! Cough!*

“Jang-hyung…! Are you alright?”

His companions rushed to his side, their faces etched with worry.

“What was that about just now!?”

“Baek-ah, calm down… He’s clearly a martial artist…!”

“Urgh…”

Lifting a full-grown man so effortlessly—it was obvious I was trained in the martial arts.

Though visibly angry, they held their tongues and simply gritted their teeth.

Seeing their reaction, I tossed something toward them.

*Clink.*

A coin skittered across the floor and came to a stop at the man’s feet.

“…My apologies. I was in a rush.”

“Huh…?”

The man picked up the money, and his expression immediately softened.

“Oh, no, no, it’s perfectly fine…!”

A broad grin spread across his face.

“These things happen in life, right? Hahaha.”

“…”

He had completely forgotten the assault from moments before.

It was merely money I had conjured using the power of the wind, but it served its purpose perfectly in defusing the situation.

“Well, it seems you’re here for the Alliance’s entrance exam too.”

“…Exam?”

“You didn’t know? The exam is being held today. Ever since Divine Dragon’s recent appointment, the number of applicants has skyrocketed.”

“…”

My head was spinning.

I was hearing far too many unbelievable things.

“…Haa. Anyway, my apologies.”

Feeling it was best to leave before the situation grew more complicated, I turned to go.

Just then, I noticed a server heading toward my table with my order of dumplings.

“Huh? Sir?”

“The gentleman over there will be covering my bill.”

I pointed toward the man I had just compensated.

Then, without another moment’s delay, I quickly stepped out of the establishment.

I needed to get outside and think. That was the only plan I had.

But just as I was about to move—

*Thud!*

“Ghh!?”

I collided squarely with someone.

The impact sent the other person tumbling to the ground.

Damn it.

I’m completely distracted.

Normally, I would have sensed someone’s approach and moved aside, but my mind was too clouded.

“Damn it…! Who do you think you are—!”

The person on the ground immediately snapped in anger.

Since it was my fault, I moved to apologize—

“My apologies. I was in a hurr— Hm?”

I narrowed my eyes at the person I had knocked over.

…What in the world?

A handsome young man with white hair and sharp blue eyes.

There was something about his arrogant face that seemed strangely familiar.

“A Namgung bastard?”

“…What?”

A damned Namgung.

His face bore an uncanny resemblance to Namgung Cheonjun.

But it wasn’t Namgung Cheonjun.

Even knowing that, his face was so familiar…

Where had I seen it before…?

Ah.

It came to me.

“…Namgung Jin.”

“Ha.”

The handsome young man got to his feet.

Then, with a condescending smirk, he sneered at me.

“You knew who I was, and you still dared to act so rudely?”

“…”

It was Namgung Jin.

Heavenly Sword King, Namgung Jin.

The father of Namgung Bi-ah and Namgung Cheonjun.

The current head of the Namgung Clan.

“You must have lost your mind to behave like this.”

That bastard was glaring at me with a much younger face.

“Are you telling me that even knowing I am Sword Dragon Namgung Jin, you still chose to pick a fight with me?”

Not Sword King, but Sword Dragon.

And furthermore, he looked far younger.

At most, he appeared only a few years older than me.

As I stood there utterly stunned—

“Compose yourself, Sword Dragon.”

Someone beside him spoke up, trying to calm him.

When I turned to look, I had to fight back another wave of disbelief.

“If you cause a scene here, you will only bring trouble upon yourself.”

The one who had stopped Namgung Jin with such a collected demeanor—

He was none other than—

“…Moyong… Moyong Tae?”

“…”

The other young man turned his gaze toward me.

It was Moyong Tae, the father of Moyong Hee-ah.

“That is correct. I am Moyong Tae. It seems you recognize us both. May I ask your name?”

“…”

I instinctively took a step back.

This… this isn’t right.

My mind was in turmoil. My thoughts refused to coalesce.

*Grit.*

I clenched my teeth and immediately spun on my heel, leaping away.

“Hey!! You—!!”

Namgung Jin reached out to grab me, but my body was already airborne.

“Hah!! Is that bastard actually running!?”

As I vanished from sight, Namgung Jin gritted his teeth in fury.

But just as he was about to unleash his anger—

“…Wait, what?”

A sudden realization struck him, and he tilted his head in confusion.

“What is it?”

Moyong Tae asked curiously.

With an irritated expression, Namgung Jin replied—

“…He looked like someone.”

“Who?”

“…Just someone.”

Namgung Jin clicked his tongue and turned away.

Those fierce eyes and that distinct gaze.

His face was far more handsome than the person he was thinking of, but—

There was no mistaking it.

Namgung Jin scowled as an image formed in his mind.

The face of the person he loathed above all others.

**********

I left the town behind and returned to the forest. My thoughts were chaos. My breath came in short, sharp gasps as I tried to steady myself.

«Haa… Huff… Huff…»

What in hell just happened?

Gripping a tree for support, I scanned my surroundings wildly.

Namgung Jin. Moyong Tae.

And even that talk about the Shanxi Gu Clan—what was that all about?

There was no denying it. Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

“…Don’t tell me this isn’t just another worldline?”

This wasn’t merely a different world. This was…

“…This is bad.”

No matter how many times I turned it over in my head, the situation felt profoundly abnormal.

A wave of vertigo washed over me.

Back then, it had been the world of my past life. But if that was the case—then what was this place…?

“…If my guess is correct…”

Then this was a place I should never have ended up in.

What do I do?

Why in hell did I suddenly drop into a place like this?

Even if it had been just Zhongyuan, it would have been problematic—but this wasn’t the ordinary Zhongyuan I knew.

«Ha.»

Predestination.

I furrowed my brows as I recalled my ancestor’s words.

«Is this what you call Predestination?»

How in hell was this Predestination supposed to work?

What was I supposed to do here?

«Damn it.»

I had no idea what my purpose was, and now I was buried under all this madness on top of it.

*Smack!*

I slapped my own cheek.

It stung.

I’d held onto a faint hope that maybe, just maybe, this was all a dream—but of course, it wasn’t.

And that meant the pain was real, too.

«Damn it…»

What in hell was I supposed to do if this wasn’t a dream?

Namgung Jin. Moyong Tae.

Why here?

Why now?

What does Predestination want?

What had my mother intended by dumping me in a place like this?

No matter how many times I turned it over, it made no sense.

«……»

And given the circumstances, what was I supposed to do next?

It felt like there had to be some purpose, some task I was meant to achieve, but I had no idea what that was.

«Damn it.»

I dragged a hand down my face.

I didn’t have time for this.

Predestination, fate, whatever—it didn’t matter right now.

I rubbed my face repeatedly, as if trying to scrub my mind clear.

I need to get out of here—fast.

That was the only conclusion.

Whatever else happened, I had to escape this place first.

But how?

I had been through a similar ordeal before. I knew that if I failed to achieve my purpose, it would all be for nothing.

Which meant that, in the end, I had to accomplish whatever that was.

But how?

I had no idea what was expected of me here.

What in hell was I supposed to do?

I shook off my frustration and forced my mind to work.

The Shanxi Gu Clan…
«It seems you’ve also come for the Alliance’s entrance exam.»
«Divine Dragon…»

«……»

I slowly lowered my hands and lifted my head.

«…It can’t be.»

I tried to tell myself it was impossible.

I ran through every possibility again and again.

«……»

But no matter how much I thought about it, only one answer remained.

If not for this, there was no reason for me to have been sent here.

«……»

Besides, this wasn’t the time to debate whether it was true or not.

I had to act.

If a path had revealed itself, there was no time for hesitation.

«Remember this.»

My ancestor’s words echoed in my mind.

«Nothing changes.»

Back then, I hadn’t understood why he had said that.

«Damn it.»

There was only one answer.

No matter how hard I tried to find another possibility, there was none.

Honestly, even without running into Namgung Jin or Moyong Tae, I had already known the moment I heard that man’s words.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to accomplish here—

But I knew exactly who I had to meet.

Forcing a decision, I turned my head.

The town I had just left—

And beyond it, the massive structure looming in the distance.

The Main Alliance Headquarters.

I bit my lip.

No matter how I looked at it—

That was where I needed to go.

At the same time, an image flashed through my mind.

There was one person I absolutely had to meet in this world.

My father.

He would be there.