Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1092

Chapter 1092

VROOOOOOM—!!

A Magyeong Gate materialized.

A colossal red Magyeong Gate.

No one in this age had ever laid eyes on a gate of such immense and foreboding size.

“What in the heavens is that—?!”
“It’s red? Did you say it’s red?!”

Terror spread in an instant. The reaction was to be expected. A red Magyeong Gate was an utterly unprecedented sight for anyone alive now.

“If it’s red… it can’t be. Is it a Red-Grade beast?”

One of the fighters whispered the thought aloud.

At those words, the others recoiled.

A Red-Grade beast?

“That’s absurd. A Red-Grade appearing just like this?”
“Hasn’t it been hundreds of years since one was last seen?”
“They say not a single one has emerged since the time of the Blood Demon Massacre…”

How could a calamity of that magnitude simply manifest now?

It was an event completely outside of anyone’s expectations.

And then—

GRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOHHH—!!!

A deep, terrifying roar erupted from within the Magyeong Gate, a sound that made the very spines of everyone present turn to ice.

It was a noise unlike any they had ever heard.

THUD—!!
CRACK—!!

An enormous hand clawed its way out of the gate.

Gradually, the rest of its form began to emerge.

I frowned in recognition.

‘A Redstone Bear.’

A demonic beast of the Red-Grade, resembling a bear.

It had earned its name from a hide as tough and unyielding as stone.

It was the same type as the one I had slain not long before.

ROOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!

The beast fully entered the world and released a deafening roar that made the entire forest tremble.

“Ghhh…!”
“Aaaahhh!!!”

The sheer, oppressive aura of the creature crushed the spirits of those surrounding it.

This was not good.

‘Most of them are only at the Peak Realm.’

The bulk of the warriors here had just attained that level.

Only two had achieved the Perfected Peak Realm.

No—three.

Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi), Sword Peak Soi… and one other.

My eyes flickered toward a certain individual before returning to the beast.

‘This is far beyond their capabilities.’

Even though they had reached the Perfected Peak Realm and were undoubtedly powerful for their age—

‘Without real experience, that power means nothing.’

If they had never before faced a Red-Grade demonic beast, their current strength was irrelevant.

There were only two known methods to hunt a Red-Grade beast.

Overwhelm it with absolute, crushing force.
Locate and strike its weakness.

The Qi Barrier surrounding a Red-Grade beast was in a constant state of rotation.

Its protection was not uniform across its body; weak points shifted and moved across its form.

Striking those precise points would cause the entire Qi Barrier to collapse.

In my previous life, Woo Hyuk was the one who uncovered this technique.

It was this discovery that finally enabled sword units, even those at the Perfected Peak Realm, to successfully hunt Red-Grade beasts.

‘But at this moment…’

It was an impossibility.

‘Tch.’

What should I do?

The simplest way to conclude this would be to kill the beast myself.

At my level, even a horde of Red-Grade beasts would be of little consequence.

However, the issue was—

‘I cannot intervene directly.’

I had objectives to meet, and revealing the full extent of my power would attract the wrong kind of attention.

If they discovered I had already surpassed the Transcendence Realm, the questions wouldn’t stop at how someone so young achieved it—

The true monsters within the Martial Alliance would take notice.

‘That would be problematic.’

Not only would they deduce I had stolen an identity, but in the worst possible outcome—

‘Instead of gathering intelligence on my father, I could find myself facing the Three Sovereigns.’

A direct clash with the Three Sovereigns would become inevitable.

No, concealing my strength was the only prudent path.

Besides—

‘I only need to buy a little more time.’

This was Hanam.

A beast of that size had just announced its presence with a roar that echoed for miles, its aura radiating across the whole region.

Reinforcements would inevitably arrive soon.

My only task was to endure until they got here.

With that decided, I assessed the situation.

«Everyone, form up!»

A senior member of the Red Dragon Division yelled out.

Because this was a training exercise, high-ranking officers and elite fighters were not present.

The majority of the combat force was made up of recruits, meaning their collective power was insufficient.

However—

«Do not panic! Maintain your focus—!»

They were still warriors of the Martial Alliance.

They were not amateurs.

As members of a sword unit trained to hunt demonic beasts, they swiftly regained their composure after the initial shock.

But—

ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRR—!!!

«Aaaaahhh!!!»

Even trained warriors have their limits.

Against a Red-Grade demonic beast, their training was not enough.

BOOOOM—!!

The Redstone Bear began its rampage, unleashing the raw, devastating power contained within its massive body.

Despite its incredible bulk, its speed was shockingly fast.

It was as large as a manor house.

Every swing of its claws obliterated the surrounding area.

«Keep your distance—!! Guh!»

The bear’s claws swept toward a warrior, poised to rip him apart.

SHIING—!!
CLANG—!!
ROOOAAARR—!!

A brilliant flash of light intercepted the blow, deflecting the beast’s attack.

A delicate, floral scent perfumed the air as leaves danced on the wind.

‘…Sword Peak Soi.’

She had lunged forward, parrying the beast’s limb.

But she had not acted alone.

«Thank you.»

Soi glanced behind her, offering a quick word of thanks.

That deflection was not her work alone.

I spotted a dagger buried in the beast’s arm.

Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi).

“……”

Wearing a blank expression, Poison Dragon gave only a slight nod.

It had been a coordinated effort.

As the Redstone Bear recoiled momentarily, Soi shook out her wrist.

The strain of blocking such a monstrous creature had clearly injured her.

A brief flicker of pain crossed her face—but it was gone in an instant.

«Everyone, we must hold the line until help arrives!»

Soi’s sword aura flared to life as she shouted.

«Poison Dragon and I will lead the assault. Support us!»

With that declaration, Soi and Poison Dragon charged the Redstone Bear.

They were the youngest among us, yet they understood.

They knew they were the strongest present.

That was why they moved first.

‘…Ha.’

No hesitation.

Rushing headlong into a fight against a beast they did not comprehend.

‘She was exactly the same back then.’

A genuine warrior through and through.

Even in her youth, Sword Peak Soi carried herself with the bearing of the woman who would one day command the reverence of all warriors.

‘And Poison Dragon is no different.’

As Soi raced ahead, her sword swinging, Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi) moved in sync beside her.

ROOOOOAAAARRRR—!!!

The Redstone Bear released a furious roar, acting as if it had never been wounded. It surged forward, and in response, the warriors of the Martial Alliance leaped into the fray.

‘Hah.’

This era truly did feel more noble.

Had these been the warriors from my past life, some would have already fled the moment Soi and Poison Dragon engaged.

The contrast was almost nostalgic.

Observing them, I narrowed my eyes.

I had no plans to join the fight.

As I had already decided, I needed to keep my capabilities hidden.

However—

‘I cannot simply let them die.’

This anomaly had occurred because of me.

Allowing people who were not meant to die to perish due to my presence left a bitter feeling in my mouth.

I would assist—but discreetly.

Just as I prepared to move—

“W-What should I do…?”

Beside me, Do Yun muttered, his voice thick with anxiety.

“A Red-Grade demonic beast…! I’ve never even heard of such a thing existing…!”

His eyes were wide with fear.

I looked at him with indifference.

“Yeah.”
“What are we supposed to do…?”
“What do you think? We fight. We are a sword unit, aren’t we?”

We had come here to hunt demons.

This was no time for hesitation.

I stated the obvious.

“B-But… What can someone of my level possibly do in a battle like this…?”

I let out a sigh.

As I started to walk away, I paused and turned back to him.

“Hey.”

“…Huh?”

My voice was edged with clear annoyance.

My patience for this act was wearing thin.

“Concealing your strength is one matter. But in a situation like this? That is just pitiful.”

Do Yun froze solid.

His trembling, nervous expression vanished, replaced by something… entirely different.

“I do not particularly care what you do. But do not perform that act in front of me. It irritates me.”

I did not wait for his reply and walked past him.

I was unconcerned with his reaction.

My reason for speaking was simple.

‘He is hiding his true power.’

Do Yun.

That guy was pretending to be weak.

He was stronger than both Soi and Poison Dragon.

He had already reached the Transcendent Realm—a stage beyond the Perfected Peak Realm.

I had no idea why he was concealing his power or why he was acting the coward, but—

‘It is not my concern.’

I did not care.

He did not seem like the type to cause serious trouble.

And besides—

‘At the very least, he does not appear to be a bad person.’

For the time being, I would let it be.

It was just that seeing him behave that way under these circumstances was aggravating.

‘Although I am hardly in a position to criticize.’

I lifted a single finger.

BZZT—!

A small quantity of Qi gathered at my fingertip.

Flick—!

BOOM—!

ROOAAARR—!!!

A shockwave shot forward, disrupting the Redstone Bear’s momentum.

The minor opening allowed warriors to land their strikes or escape from perilous positions.

Little by little, I provided aid while making it seem like I was merely participating in the combat.

I could not just stand idle, not after my earlier confrontation with Thunder Dragon.

And so, I fought.

The battle raged on for some time.

«Haaah…»
«Khh…»

It had not even been very long, yet many of the warriors were already on the verge of exhaustion.

Even Soi and Poison Dragon were fighting to steady their breathing.

ROOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!

The Redstone Bear, meanwhile, showed no signs of tiring.

They could not breach its Qi Barrier, meaning they had inflicted no real damage.

I could feel their growing confusion.

‘They must be wondering why their attacks are ineffective.’

No matter how many times they struck, the beast remained unscathed.

But without understanding the reason, they could not hope to change the outcome.

‘If you do not know the cause, you cannot find the solution.’

It was only natural.

They were unaware of the defining traits of Red-Grade beasts.

‘Hmm…’

I frowned.

What should I do?

‘Should I provide a bit more assistance?’

There was little point in holding back now.

At this rate, it would be better to intervene properly.

I was about to release a greater amount of Qi when—

FWOOSH—

“…!”

I sensed flames.

But they were not mine.

I looked up.

And then—

KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!!!!

A colossal inferno descended from the heavens.

ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!

The Redstone Bear howled in agony, completely engulfed in fire.

The display was overwhelming.

A raging ocean of flame, falling like divine retribution.

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the blazing radiance.

And then—

«Vice Commander!!!»

Soi’s face lit up with sheer relief as she shouted toward the sky.

At the sound of her voice, every gaze turned upward.

«Ah…!»
«That’s…!»

A figure hovered above them, looking down upon the battlefield.

A form wreathed in fire, with crimson eyes that glowed like burning coals.

«I-It’s the Divine Dragon…!»
«Divine Dragon!»

«……»

Divine Dragon, Gu Cheolwoon.

He had arrived.