Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 873

Chapter 873

Catastrophes rained down from the heavens.
«Graaaahhh—!!!»
Dozens of beasts, their colors muddled and indistinct, crashed from the sky above the branch base down to the earth.
The martial artists who saw this could only stare in stunned disbelief, their faces masks of shock.
In that same moment—
“Cough! Ptuh!”
Tang So-yeol, who had been spitting out dirt after tumbling across the ground, pushed herself to her feet.
As she rose, her eyes swept the area, scanning her surroundings.
Her gaze held the specific intensity of someone looking for another person.
«Where did they go?» Tang So-yeol murmured to herself, one hand rubbing her stomach as she turned in a circle.
But they had already vanished. The area was completely empty.
The overwhelming, suffocating pressure that had filled the air was gone, too.
A deep frown settled on Tang So-yeol’s face as she took in the scene.
Was she upset that the enemy had escaped? No, that wasn’t the reason.
‘The feeling.’
The sensation she’d felt at the moment of impact had been peculiar.
She tried to concentrate on that strange feeling for a second, but—
«Grrrrr!! Graaaaah–!!»
There was no time to ponder it, not with these creatures falling from the sky.
Tang So-yeol forced her body to steady itself and shouted,
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
At her voice, which was small yet carried undeniable authority, the martial artists swiftly fell into combat stances.

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

«Graaaaah—!!!»
The distant, agonized cries echoed through the air. Following the sound, he touched down deep within the forest.
The instant his feet met the earth, his legs buckled and he dropped to his knees.
«[Urgh…]»
He clutched at his chest, collapsing fully to the ground as he fought for breath.
Thud! The mask he wore fell away.
Crack—!
His bones shifted with a series of cracks, as if they had only been waiting for this moment, and his body began to shrink back down.
“Hah… haah…”
A cold sweat drenched his face.
Staying in that form any longer would have put him in grave peril.
“Damn it…”
If he had persisted, the Qi Transformation Technique would have shattered completely.
He had barely managed to keep his energy under control, but it had almost ruptured all at once.
What was the state of his Qi now?
‘It’s greatly diminished.’
The vast reserves of Qi he’d possessed earlier had been almost entirely expended.
To think a single use of that authority would drain him so completely—it was far more demanding than he had predicted.
Even so—
‘…Given what it achieved, it can’t be called a waste.’
The outcome he had produced with that one action was undeniably effective.
The evidence was plain to see.
«Graaaaahhh–!!»
Boom, boom!
He could feel it even through the tremors that shook the ground.
Numerous Magyeong Gates had unfurled across the night sky. From within them, a brilliant, terrifying cascade of blue and red monsters continued to pour forth.
Watching the beings his authority had manifested, he let out a low, humorless chuckle.
‘…It really does work.’
The authority he had gained after killing the warden was the Wind of the Abyss.
A power that could give form to the visions he conceived and desired.
Its constraints were obvious—it wasn’t omnipotent, and the more complex and detailed the creations, the more fleeting their existence.
But in this instance—
‘This one is acceptable.’
The power he had taken from the white-class monster in Hanam granted him the ability to open Magyeong Gates.
‘Though it feels somewhat different from Cheol Ji-seon’s.’
Cheol Ji-seon could open Magyeong Gates with his hands, but their natures were clearly not the same.
The entities emerging from these gates were not genuine monsters.
While the white-class monster had been able to summon actual creatures,
his own creations were more like manifestations of the Wind of the Abyss.
‘It uses my demonic energy to form them.’
They only gave the appearance of coming from Magyeong Gates. They were not living beings.
The proof of this was in—
‘Their colors are wrong.’
Though the monsters had distinct shades that resembled real creatures, their hues were excessively dark.
They were practically black, making their true colors nearly impossible to discern.
And furthermore—
«Graaaahhh–!!»
Boom! Crash!
With every one that fell, he could feel it within his own body.
Because they were constructs of his energy, he was aware of their every movement.
He closed his eyes, concentrating, and his perspective suddenly shifted.
«Graaaaah–!!»
One of them was charging forward mindlessly.
Ahead stood a composed young man who didn’t flinch. It was Seong Yul.
‘…’
Seong Yul’s dull golden eyes turned toward the creature. In that instant—
Slash.
His vision was severed in two, and he was abruptly back in his own body.
Seong Yul had cut it down.
‘Hm.’
It worked even at such a distance. He gave a nod of approval.
This wasn’t his initial test of the ability.
He could hijack the sight of the monsters he created.
How long it lasted depended on their size and activity—
‘The smaller they are, the longer they last. The larger they are, the shorter their duration.’
Additionally—
‘Stronger monsters… also vanish more quickly.’
The further away they were, the weaker their power and the briefer their existence.
It was a power fraught with restrictions, but that was acceptable.
‘If there is one drawback….’
The monsters he could create were limited to those he had previously defeated.
No, to be more accurate—
‘The ones I’ve absorbed.’
It appeared he could only manifest monsters whose demonic stones he had consumed.
«Graaaah–!!»
Hearing another roar, he gave a slight wave of his hand, issuing a command.
He could either see through their eyes or direct them.
But as anticipated, the effectiveness diminished with distance.
‘It’s sufficient.’
He imprinted orders into the monsters. From his testing, this was the maximum range he could manage.
The command was to keep fighting but to avoid killing.
Given their extremely primitive intelligence, it was doubtful they would obey perfectly.
‘This should be adequate.’
It was enough to create confusion and hesitation.
The people confronting these monsters wouldn’t die so easily, after all.
It served perfectly as both a demonstration and a diversion.
“…I wanted to test its full capabilities anyway.”
He had poured most of his demonic energy into probing its limits, and the return had surpassed his expectations.
‘…Perhaps this authority is a good match for me.’
Regeneration and the wind had never synced well with his nature, making them inefficient.
But this authority, so deeply connected to life force itself, seemed to resonate with him.
As he was contemplating this—
“…Are you okay?”
A voice came from within the forest as someone approached.
It was Cheol Ji-seon.
“Yangcheon.”
“…Huff. I’m fine.”
“…You…”
Cheol Ji-seon started to ask a question but instead turned his head toward the distant noise.
«Graaaaahhh—!!!»
“…What is that?”
It seemed the monstrous screams were getting to him.
Not that that was surprising.
«…Don’t concern yourself with it.»
«But…»
«There’s no need for concern. Just concentrate on the job I gave you.»
«…»
He wiped the cold sweat from his face.
Cheol Ji-seon’s expression tightened slightly as he noticed the tremble in his hand, but he chose to ignore it and asked,
«How is the task I assigned you progressing?»
«…The majority of it is complete.»
«Good. You’re ahead of schedule.»
He had told him to finish by tomorrow. Completing it now meant he had exerted himself.
«I’ve relayed the message to the Open Faction and notified the trading group…»
Cheol Ji-seon threw an anxious look in the direction of the distant branch base.
«…To think it would actually happen.»
Boom! Boom, boom!
The vibrations from the branch base continued without pause as the fierce combat raged on.
The roars of the monsters and the explosive clashes of the martial artists’ inner energy merged into a chaotic symphony.
«…Monsters… Magyeong Gate…»
Muttering those words, Cheol Ji-seon turned his gaze back toward him.
Understanding the question in that look, he answered immediately.
«This is beyond your ability to handle. It operates on a completely different scale.»
«…»
«I will explain everything once this is over, so stop looking at me like that.»
He didn’t have time for details now. It was almost time.
Just as he was trying to manage the fatigue wracking his body—
«It’s been handled.»
A message he had been anticipating arrived from the Shadow King.
His tone held an unusual heat, a rarity for him.
‘…He must be enraged.’
The anger wasn’t aimed at him, of course. It likely stemmed from affairs involving the Celestial Stream Sect and the Ilcheon Cult.
And—
‘That is a matter I also have a stake in.’
He needed to conclude this business quickly and turn his attention there.
There was so much he needed to verify personally.

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

«Graaaaah—!!!»
«Maintain your formations! We’re nearly finished!»
«Conserve your energy! Don’t push too hard!»
Swoosh—!
A monster’s head was cleaved from its shoulders and its body crumpled.
The moment it hit the ground, it dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind no remains.
«Damn it,» a martial artist swore through clenched teeth.
The entire situation was deeply unsettling.
«Where are these monsters even coming from?»
«Is it truly possible that Cheonma summoned them?»
«How could a human… summon monsters?»
«Focus!»
«…!!»
An angry shout cut through the speculative talk in the middle of the battle.
Tang So-yeol was glaring at them with a fearsome expression.
«What are you all doing? Conversing in combat? Do you have a death wish?»
«We apologize…!»
«Pull yourselves together if you want to survive this.»
The ice in her voice sent a chill down their spines.
Tang So-yeol was correct—the fight was not yet over.
Fortunately—
‘There have been no deaths.’
While several were injured, no one had been killed.
Perhaps it was due to their high skill level, but still…
‘Something is off about these monsters…’
They seemed less vicious, almost weaker than their terrifying appearance suggested.
Despite the oppressive energy they radiated, their actual attacks lacked real force.
Why? The question hovered, but in the end, it was a blessing.
Because of it, there were no fatalities.
«Only a few remain…! Stay sharp!»
Growl—!!
Fewer than ten monsters were left.
The branch base was devastated, but the crisis seemed to be nearing its end.
The martial artists were weary but not critically exhausted.
As they gathered their strength for one last effort—
Boom—!!!
A blazing light exploded from the sky.
«Graaaaah—!!! Kyahaaa—!!!»
A wave of scorching heat washed over the ground, a magnificent display of fire.
«This is…!»
«The Young Master!»
The martial artists looked upward, their eyes filled with hope.
There was only one person they knew who commanded azure flames of this magnitude.
«…The Young Master…»
Tang So-yeol whispered the words as she stared upward with the rest.
Silhouetted against the moonlight stood a young man.
It was Gu Yangcheon, his face showing traces of fatigue.
His azure eyes glinted as he frowned slightly, then casually waved his hand.
Fwoooosh—!!!
The flames roared to life, engulfing every last monster.
The blistering inferno consumed them all in an instant.
As the now-empty battlefield began to cool, Gu Yangcheon descended.
«Haa…»
«Young Master…! Are you unharmed!?»
Despite their worried cries, Gu Yangcheon did not immediately answer.
His eyes scanned the area, assessing the state of everyone present, before he asked,
«Any casualties?»
«There are some minor injuries, but no one has been killed.»
«I see… That is good to hear.»
He released a soft sigh.
Tang So-yeol immediately moved toward Gu Yangcheon, though her steps were cautious.
The memory of the killing intent Gu Yangcheon had directed toward Ilcheon Sword was still vivid in her mind.
«Young… Young Master.»
«Report.»
«…»
His curt tone made Tang So-yeol press her lips together briefly before she spoke.
«As you ordered, we detained the criminal. Miss Pi captured Ilcheon Sword, and he confessed.»
«Did he?»
Gu Yangcheon’s reply was flat, as if he had anticipated it.
«Perhaps due to agitation, he attempted something reckless. He became a potential threat, so I moved to eliminate him, but… Cheonma intervened.»
«Cheonma?»
Gu Yangcheon’s brow furrowed.
«And yet, everyone is alive?»
His tone grew strangely stiff, though the tension of the moment made it easy to miss.
«Yes… He said it was a gift for ruining his scheme.»
«…Hmm…»
Gu Yangcheon brought a hand to his mouth, as if deep in thought.
No one noticed that he was actually masking his reaction.
«…This makes things more complicated.»
«We cannot assume he is truly gone. It would be wise to stay vigilant. We still don’t know his objective.»
«…You’re right. That is a fair point.»
As Gu Yangcheon began to speak, Tang So-yeol watched him silently.
«…What is it?»
«Nothing, Young Master. Are your hands hurt?»
«My hands? No, they’re fine…”
«Let me see.»
Before Gu Yangcheon could finish, Tang So-yeol took his hand to examine it.
«…I told you, I’m unharmed.»
«…»
There truly were no injuries. Even if there had been, his body would have already healed them.
Pulling his hand back, Gu Yangcheon continued,
«First, oversee the cleanup here. After that…”
«Young Master.»
A voice echoed directly in his mind. Gu Yangcheon turned toward its source.
In that moment—
«Is the Young Master… Cheonma?»
«…»
Gu Yangcheon went completely still, his words dying in his throat.
He had been discovered.