Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 853

Chapter 853

He moved through the dense brush.
The nighttime forest was deeply shadowed, yet his vision remained sharp and clear as ever.
A persistent ache throbbed throughout his body, a consequence of his overstrained blood vessels. The recent exertion of his senses had likely aggravated the pain.
«Tsk.»
He clicked his tongue softly and pressed onward. Enduring pain was a familiar practice; it was not his main concern.
[I detect several presences in the vicinity. Four in total.]
He gave a slight nod in response to Shadow King’s mental message. He had already perceived them.
‘They’re spread out, encircling this area like a guard line.’
By concentrating his energy, he could feel it. This peculiar sensation was emanating from right here.
It was a strange feeling. To the ordinary eye, it was merely an empty field—not particularly large, with trees bordering the edges, a few scattered rocks, and weeds. Yet, in this utterly mundane spot, he sensed something.
«Can you sense anything?»
As he posed the question, something heavy dropped to the ground—a human head.
Then three more. Shadow King had eliminated all four presences mere moments after reporting them.
Had he covered that distance in such a brief instant? His speed was truly fearsome.
«I sense nothing,» Shadow King replied.
«Hmm…»
The fact that even Shadow King could detect nothing made this situation all the more unusual. How was that possible? Did it mean the source wasn’t physical?
Or perhaps…
‘Could this be an illusion?’
It might have been a misperception, yet something deep within him was certain.
There *was* something here.
‘But where?’
His eyes scanned the area. He could feel it, but there was nothing tangible to see.
‘Where is it?’
He tried to concentrate further, but a wave of irritation distracted him. Was it impatience? Frustration? Or simply annoyance at being stalled in this place? It could have been any of them.
‘All I see are weeds and rocks. There are a few flowers, but… What could I possibly be sensing—?’
He stopped mid-thought, his eyes narrowing.
The weeds and rocks were ordinary, but the flowers behind them caught his attention.
‘Flowers?’
He looked down, staring intently at the blossoms. Now that he focused, something felt wrong.
‘Why are flowers growing here?’
He was familiar with flowers, but their presence in this specific location was odd.
There were four of them. They resembled common mountain wildflowers. Their positions seemed random, unrelated.
But one detail stood out:
‘Four flowers. Four people.’
The number matched exactly the number of individuals Shadow King had just killed.
It might have seemed coincidental, but he immediately crouched down to inspect them.
He reached out and gently touched one of the buds.
*Woom—*
«…»
A faint vibration pulsed against his fingertips.
This was it.
‘Whether it’s a formation or something else, these flowers are the key.’
As he felt the subtle energy, his lips parted slightly.
«I will retrieve more individuals,» Shadow King stated abruptly, as if anticipating his thoughts.
No explanation was needed. He, too, had evidently connected the flowers to the slain guards.
Bringing more people implied one thing:
As he had noted, the four flowers likely corresponded to a mechanism requiring four people to activate or deactivate.
But before Shadow King could move, he stopped him.
«No. We don’t have time for that.»
They lacked the luxury to wait or seek a perfect solution.
«Since you’ve already killed them, more will arrive soon. It will be difficult to work while also dealing with them.»
Could they still handle it? Probably. If Shadow King wished, he could single-handedly destroy the entire Sichuan branch. But…
«Then what is your intention?»
«If I cannot solve it, there is only one alternative…»
He closed his hand firmly around the flower’s stem.
He didn’t pull it out, but simply held it and focused his energy.
*Woooom.*
The vibration intensified.
The sensation traveled up his arm, coursed through his body, and finally settled deep within his core.
An alien feeling filled him as he slowly opened his eyes.
With his inner sight activated, he examined the flower.
«Wow…»
An involuntary murmur of awe escaped him.
«This is unbelievably complex.»
The tangled web of energy threads forming the structure was astonishing. He had never encountered anything so intricate.
It was far more complicated than the curses the Pildo-ma used to bind sword auras.
How should he dismantle it? The thought flickered through his mind, but his hands were already moving.
There was no need to call for others.
He would unravel it himself. If he could dismantle everything concealing this place, that would be enough.
Wouldn’t unraveling it take longer than fetching help?
Perhaps. But he had faith in his own ability.
He could do this.
He recalled something the Divine Doctor had once told him.
During a late-night lesson on curses:
«You are absurdly talented at this.»
«What do you mean?» he had asked, diligently following the instructions.
The Divine Doctor had stared at him and muttered,
«Where in the world did a monstrous brat like you come from?»
«Pardon? Did I do something incorrectly?»
«No, you did it perfectly. Too perfectly. That’s the problem, you damn brat.»
«Then you should praise me, not insult me!»
«If you were going to appear, why not fifty years earlier? Why now, in this era?»
He had been confused by the lament.
«That’s a hurtful thing to say. I wasn’t even born fifty years ago.»
«Exactly. That is what makes it so regrettable.»
«What is so regrettable about it?»
At the time, he couldn’t comprehend the old man’s words.
«If the Zhuge Clan still held its honor in this era… No, even if it were just as it is now, had your surname been Zhuge…»
The Divine Doctor had spoken with genuine sorrow.
«If the Zhuge Clan had returned to the world, things would not be as difficult as they are now. That is the true misfortune.»
It had been excessive praise—so much that it left him bewildered.
He had never been told he was exceptional at anything, but when it came to curses, it was always like this.
By now, it was undeniable.
‘I do have this one talent.’
He once believed he possessed nothing special, but perhaps he did.
It was unfortunate that it was curses.
He didn’t know how many people in the world understood or utilized such techniques, but judging by their reactions, his skill was clearly remarkable.
So, if that were true…
‘I can do this.’
There was not a shred of doubt in his mind.
He sharpened his focus, channeling his strength into disentangling the cursed threads before him.
He would break through this damned mechanism.

*******************

The massive iron door groaned as it swung open.
Just wide enough for a person to slip through.
Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah moved forward cautiously, stepping into the chamber beyond.
The moment they entered, Namgung Bi-ah’s brow furrowed.
«…This is…»
She glanced around, her voice a quiet murmur.
The room was immense, overwhelmingly vast.
Its sheer scale made the narrow passage they had just exited feel insignificant. How could such a enormous space exist underground?
Or rather—had they even descended deep enough to justify this depth?
The entire place felt… unnatural.
«…»
While Namgung Bi-ah was carefully observing their surroundings, Wi Seol-ah stood motionless, her eyes wide and fixed on a single point.
Straight ahead.
Something that seemed entirely out of place within this huge room stood in the distance.
From the moment they entered, Wi Seol-ah’s attention had been captured by it.
«…That’s…»
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Noticing her reaction, Namgung Bi-ah turned to follow her gaze.
And then she saw it.
A single tree, standing alone in the vast emptiness of the room.
The floor was made of stone, not soil, yet somehow, a small tree was growing there.
It was just a little taller than Namgung Bi-ah herself—little more than a sapling.
Why would such a tree be here in this massive chamber? And, more strangely…
«It’s white…»
The tree’s leaves were a brilliant, luminous white, like polished jade, emitting a soft glow of their own.
The room was relatively bright despite having no lanterns, all thanks to the tree’s light.
Namgung Bi-ah gazed at it with curiosity, but Wi Seol-ah’s reaction was starkly different.
She looked stunned—utterly shocked.
«Seol-ah?»
Namgung Bi-ah called out to her companion, but Wi Seol-ah didn’t respond. Instead, she began walking forward.
Step by deliberate step, she approached the tree.
When she reached it, she gently touched one of its leaves.
*Crumble—*
The leaf disintegrated at her touch, its fragments dissolving into particles of light that drifted away.
«…»
«Seol-ah…»
Namgung Bi-ah’s voice was hesitant as she watched.
But before she could say more—
«…!»
Namgung Bi-ah spun around, her silver hair whipping through the air as light flashed from her waist.
*Clang!*
Her sword deflected an attack in an instant. Sparks briefly illuminated the air, accompanied by a sharp metallic ring.
It was a blade.
Frowning, Namgung Bi-ah glared in the direction the attack had come from.
«Damn it.»
An old man stood there, his hands clasped behind his back, observing them.
«I was aiming for the neck, but you’re quicker than I expected, girl.»
«…»
Namgung Bi-ah raised her sword, her expression turning severe.
«Oh, my.»
The old man chuckled, looking at her with amusement.
«You are a beautiful one. That hair, that face… I see. You must be Anhui’s flower.»
*Whoosh.*
As the man spoke, swords materialized around him, hovering and spinning lazily in the air.
«How peculiar… Did the Star King send you? No, that doesn’t seem right…»
«Who are you?»
Namgung Bi-ah demanded, her eyes fixed on the muttering old man.
«Ah, my apologies. I should have introduced myself first.»
With a smile, the old man finally gave his name.
«I am Dae Hwan, master of the Celestial Stream Sect.»
Hearing his introduction, Namgung Bi-ah swallowed hard.
«…»
The floating swords shifted subtly, their points now aimed directly at Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah.
«I heard we had uninvited guests, so I came to see for myself…»
*Ssshhh—*
The pressure in the room swelled, and Namgung Bi-ah’s body tensed instinctively.
Her muscles coiled, ready for a fight.
She shot a brief glance behind her.
Wi Seol-ah remained standing before the tree, seemingly entranced and oblivious to the danger.
*Kiieeeeng—!*
*Clang!*
«Ugh!»
Namgung Bi-ah blocked another attack, the impact stinging her hands with its increased force.
«Talking while looking away is quite rude.»
«…Hah…»
«Girl, I would appreciate your full attention. This is an important question.»
*Shing—*
Another blade had silently joined the others circling Dae Hwan.
«How did you open that door?»
«…»
Namgung Bi-ah’s brow furrowed slightly at his question.
«Six years. That door hasn’t opened once in six years. No matter what we tried, it remained sealed… Yet you two managed to open it. How?»
The door that wouldn’t open—now standing wide. Namgung Bi-ah replayed the recent events in her mind.
The method had been simple: Wi Seol-ah had touched the door, and it had opened on its own.
As she recalled the scene, she assessed their current predicament.
Wi Seol-ah, captivated by the tree.
The door, opened by her touch.
And Dae Hwan, visibly startled by it all.
«…»
Connecting the dots, Namgung Bi-ah gave a slight nod, as if reaching a conclusion.
‘Complicated…’
No, she decided to stop thinking about it. Complex matters were never her forte.
All that mattered was that something significant was happening.
And that was enough to decide her next move.
Namgung Bi-ah steadied her stance and addressed Dae Hwan.
«Are you curious?»
«Oh? Are you going to tell me?»
*Step.*
«Hm?»
Dae Hwan reacted to her sudden movement.
Namgung Bi-ah had silently raised her sword, its tip pointing directly at the old man.
«If you’re curious…»
The edge of her blade glinted as Dae Hwan’s brow creased.
«…find out for yourself.»
«Haha…»
When in doubt, she fought.
For Namgung Bi-ah, there was no simpler solution.
«…How unfortunate.»
Dae Hwan sighed, as if genuinely saddened by her choice.
*Shing!*
The spinning swords halted in mid-air, all of their tips aimed at Namgung Bi-ah.
«You’ve made a poor choice.»
With those words, four blades shot toward her simultaneously.