Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1114

Chapter 1114

We made our way up the mountainside.

It was the same peak as last time.

The very spot where we had first found the Grand Magyeong Gate—the exact place we had visited previously.

“……”
“……”

Without a word, my father and I continued our ascent.

On our first trip, we had required a guide, but now, with the clan leader’s approval, we were free to climb unimpeded.

When we finally reached the summit, the Magyeong Gate came into view once more.

But—

‘It’s larger than I remembered.’

Both the scale and the intensity of the gate’s glow had clearly grown since our last encounter.

And—

‘One of the rings has vanished.’

Where there had been four rings before, only three now remained.

Only a single day had passed, yet it had already changed.

This supported what my father had told me earlier.

‘If all those rings disappear…’

The gate would then fully materialize.

As if confirming this, my father moved closer to inspect the gate.

I followed his lead and did the same.

‘Why is it so immense?’

I frowned.

Its size went far beyond what I had anticipated.

This wasn’t my first time seeing a Grand Magyeong Gate, nor was it my first encounter with a Red Magyeong Gate.

But—

‘I’ve never seen one this enormous.’

This was more than a gate—it was like a second mountain resting on the peak.

‘If this fully manifests, what will become of us?’

A gate of this scale meant the beings within were far from ordinary.

What worried me more was—

‘The core issue with Magyeong Gates themselves.’

Magyeong Gates.

I hadn’t grasped their nature before, but now I understood.

These gates were linked to the Abyssal Pit of the Myriad Worlds.

When the world fell apart, those who failed to reach the Myriad Worlds were consumed by that abyss.

The ruptures that formed from the Abyssal Pit—those were the Magyeong Gates.

‘Which means…’

Whatever emerged from this gate was something that had been trapped within the Abyssal Pit.

‘Hmm…’

What exactly was trying to break through?

And more importantly—

‘…This is a problem.’

The thought that this gate might be my fault made it all the more frustrating.

As I stood there, lost in thought and studying the gate—

“Do you notice anything unusual?”

My father broke the silence, speaking for the first time since we began the climb.

Unusual?

I looked at the Magyeong Gate and answered truthfully.

“It’s large.”

“……”

“Exceptionally large.”

At my straightforward reply, my father’s brow furrowed slightly.

Was it because I had stated the obvious? Probably not.

‘Because no answer could be more accurate than that.’

There was no point in dressing it up.

The sheer, overwhelming size of the Magyeong Gate was the abnormality.

“It’s at least twice as big as any other Grand Magyeong Gate. If it fully materializes, handling it will be a nightmare. It has every troublesome feature imaginable.”

Yes, and the location made it even worse.

Since the gate had formed at the mountain’s summit, whatever lay inside would inevitably pour down the slopes.

That would make containment even more difficult.

No matter how skilled martial artists were, this was going to be a serious challenge.

After my assessment, my father asked—

“Then.”

He turned toward me.

“What do you believe is the best approach?”

That gave me pause.

Not because I didn’t know how to answer—

But because I wasn’t sure whether he was asking for my opinion or testing me.

‘Is he looking for insight, or is this an evaluation?’

Was he asking for a tactical perspective?

Or was he trying to gauge my understanding?

Either way—

“There is no true ‘best approach’… aside from fighting effectively.”

My answer remained unchanged.

“The terrain is unfavorable. And based on what you—no, the Deputy Clan Leader—has determined, the gate will open in a matter of days. But requesting reinforcements from the Alliance won’t be easy.”

If we tried, we would have to ask the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance for help.

But what real strength could they offer?

Not much.

And—

‘Namgung’s forces will undoubtedly be present, but…’

The real concern was the Red Magyeong Gate.

‘They don’t know how to handle it correctly.’

If their understanding was only at the level I had heard, then they weren’t prepared.

The warriors of this era didn’t yet know the proper way to hunt Red Magyeong creatures.

And a Red Grand Magyeong Gate appearing?

‘As far as I know, that would mean at least…’

Six.

At least six Red Magyeong Beasts would emerge at once.

‘How will they manage that?’

That was the real issue.

To hunt six Red Magyeong Beasts simultaneously, you would need at least a hundred top-tier martial artists.

And at least five Hwagyeong-level experts to deliver overwhelming force.

Of course—

‘If I intervene, I can kill them.’

If I took action myself, eliminating the Red Beasts wouldn’t be difficult.

But—

“…Tsk.”

That was precisely why I was hesitating.

If there was one ray of hope—

‘It’s that this is Namgung’s territory.’

This was the stronghold of the Namgung Clan, the dominant power in Anhui.

I was relying on that.

Because—

‘If this is Namgung’s main estate… he should be here.’

The ruler of thunder.

The true master of Namgung.

The father of Namgung Jeohwi and grandfather of Namgung Jin.

‘The Heavenly Lord.’

One of the Three Masters—the Heavenly Lord.

There was a strong chance he was somewhere within the Namgung estate.

‘If he is here, even a Red Grand Magyeong Gate shouldn’t be a major concern.’

I didn’t know his exact condition at this time, but if he was still in his prime—

He was the most powerful of the Three Masters in terms of pure destructive force.

If he stepped in, the Magyeong Gate wouldn’t even be an issue.

‘…That is, if he decides to act.’

I didn’t even know for certain whether he was present, let alone what state he was in.

“Well, regardless… we should return and discuss it. But given the extreme danger, it would be best to evacuate anyone who wouldn’t be of use.”

“Those who wouldn’t be of use?”

“Anyone below first-class martial artists. And non-combatants should be moved to safety.”

Trying to relocate them too far would be even riskier.

The best option would be a secure location nearby—such as the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance.

“You’ve fought Red Magyeong Beasts before, so you already know. First-class warriors aren’t much help against them.”

“……”

My father didn’t argue.

Because it was true.

Even a first-class warrior was little more than cannon fodder against a Red Magyeong Beast.

They would be throwing their lives away for no gain.

“We should evacuate civilians and lower-level martial artists to the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance. Then we’ll ask Namgung for support and prepare for battle. It would also be wise to share some intelligence about Red Magyeong Beasts. And—”

Tap. Tap tap tap.

I tapped my fingers against my waist.

“The important question is—will we be offering further assistance?”

Since the Magyeong Gate had appeared in Anhui, it was reasonable for Namgung to take responsibility.

But the Azure Dragon Division was already here, and with the gate expected to erupt in just a few days, it was unclear whether our involvement should stop here.

That was why I asked my father.

“We will provide support.”

His response was firm.

“An unforeseen crisis has occurred. We cannot stand by and let others perish.”

“……”

“The Martial Alliance is built on righteousness and unity. We will aid Namgung and join the fight.”

…Wow.

I was momentarily speechless.

I hadn’t expected my father to say something like that.

Righteousness and unity?

I nearly laughed.

Those were the two words I despised most in this world.

And yet, they had just come from my father’s mouth.

‘…Is it because this is still the early Martial Alliance?’

The people I knew in the future—those who still claimed to be part of the righteous faction—mostly held deep distrust toward the Martial Alliance.

But those in this era seemed to take great pride in it.

What happened in those few years?

“Let’s head back.”

With that, my father turned to leave.

“……”

I followed him down the mountain without a word.

—Ssssshhhhhh—

Once we had completely left the mountainside, leaving only the Grand Magyeong Gate standing silently—

Chiiik!

A faint disturbance passed through the gate.

Not in its size or the number of rings.

But in its color.

Amid the deep, blood-red hue that covered its surface—

A subtle, nearly invisible trace of white light flickered.

It was the start of another anomaly.

**********

After coming down from the mountain, we went directly to the Namgung Clan’s main estate.

Since our arrival had been announced ahead of time, we were able to meet the clan head without delay.

“You’ve arrived.”

“I greet the Namgung Clan Head.”

“I greet the Clan Head.”

Namgung Jeohwi looked noticeably more worn than when I had last seen him.

He strongly resembled Namgung Jin.

‘But he doesn’t look much like Namgung Hyung.’

Namgung Hyung, who was said to be the image of Thunder Heaven’s Sword, bore little resemblance to his father.

Moreover—

‘His blood aura is still strong.’

The distinct, powerful energy flowing through his body was still very much present.

“How was it?”

Namgung Jeohwi accepted the reports my father handed him.

Rustle.

He took the documents and looked through them.

“…Evacuation requests and battle preparations, I see.”

He stroked his chin, as if he had anticipated this.

“The sooner we act, the better.”

With only a few days remaining, swift evacuation was essential.

However—

“Relocating an entire household is not something that can be done so quickly.”

Namgung Jeohwi frowned, clearly troubled.

That was when I spoke up.

“Even with your authority as Clan Head?”

If the order came directly from him, it should be possible.

So why was he hesitating?

I voiced my doubt, and—

“……”

Instead of answering, Namgung Jeohwi pressed his fingers to his temples.

What was this reaction?

My father and I watched him in silence.

Then—

“…Would you be willing to come with me?”

He addressed my father.

“There is someone we must see.”

“Someone we must see?”

“The former Clan Head. We need to speak with him.”

“…!”

Both my father and I widened our eyes at the same time.

The former Namgung Clan Head—

‘The Heavenly Lord (Cheonjon).’

The very person I had been thinking about at the Magyeong Gate.

Well, well.

A faint smile touched my lips.

This situation was developing favorably.

‘It seems things might actually work out for a change.’

The troublesome matter of the Magyeong Gate suddenly seemed much more manageable.

For a moment, I even felt a sense of relief.

But—

“What are you?”
“Ah, for fuck’s sake.”

I didn’t realize then—

That this was only the start of an even greater headache.