Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 881

Chapter 881

There were several matters I needed to clarify.

The first was the true function of the Dragon Pearl. Was it only meant to be used for shedding one’s mortal form? Or did it possess additional properties?

‘My body did undergo certain changes, after all.’

To begin with, my capabilities had risen dramatically.

Both my inner energy and physical power had expanded by a significant degree.

If I were to measure it…

‘Roughly one or two stages.’

It was astounding that something as small as a single internal pill could produce such a massive surge. My current level of inner energy was such that even high-grade pills like Dahwandan or Dokcheon-dan would offer minimal gains, yet this pearl was entirely different.

Its potency was unmatched.

That’s why I attempted to take a second one.

‘The second pearl didn’t produce the same result.’

Although there was some minor improvement, its effectiveness was far below that of Dokcheon Pills.

Did that mean its benefits were only applicable once?

‘But even that isn’t certain.’

There was an additional complication.

I had already completed my shedding when I ingested it. Furthermore, my Nine Flames Firewheel Art had fortuitously reached mastery around the same time.

Therefore, it was difficult to credit my advancement to the Dragon Pearl alone.

With these uncertainties remaining, resolving them became my main focus.

Which led to the present situation.

“Arghhh…!!”

The reason I had gone to such lengths to obtain the pearls…

And the reason I had made Seong Yul consume one first.

‘If it’s usable, it should be utilized.’

If these unique energy pills held special properties, wouldn’t it be best to harness them for my own purposes?

‘What serves my interest is what’s useful, correct?’

To do that, I needed to verify several points.

The first question was:

‘What occurs when an individual who hasn’t undergone shedding consumes a Dragon Pearl?’

What would happen to a body that hadn’t experienced rebirth or shedding when subjected to the pearl’s power?

I needed to know.

“Guhhh… ughhhh…!!”

I was using Seong Yul to conduct that exact experiment.

As he convulsed in pain, I observed him carefully from my perch on the wooden coffin.

‘The energy is running rampant.’

He had clearly swallowed the pearl whole. An explosive wave of energy was now erupting from his dantian.

It looked as though he might rupture at any second.

It was surprising he hadn’t already.

‘Is Seong Yul himself suppressing it, or is the energy naturally stabilizing itself?’

I couldn’t discern whether he was consciously controlling the energy or if it was simply balancing on the brink of chaos.

And yet, this wild, churning energy…

‘It isn’t merging with his body.’

Instead, it cycled violently through his meridians, refusing to assimilate into his physical form.

This only aggravated the situation.

‘The turbulence is growing stronger.’

The energy, accelerating as it raced through his pathways, seemed to gather force like an avalanche.

If this continued unchecked…

‘He will undoubtedly explode.’

It wasn’t just about endurance. His entire body was on the verge of bursting.

The core issue appeared to be the energy’s refusal to integrate with his physique.

Tsk.

‘So, this is the result when someone who hasn’t shed their mortal body consumes the pearl?’

This made its practical use considerably more complicated.

“Guhhh… ugh…”

“What a waste.”

If I continued to just watch, Seong Yul would certainly die. So I rose and moved toward him.

Fwoosh!

Pale flames flickered to life in my hand.

I couldn’t allow him to die, so I decided to sear away the excess energy with my fire.

Was my white flame capable of this? I wasn’t completely sure, but I trusted my intuition.

‘I can burn it away.’

This was something I had verified over and over through experimentation these past few days.

My instincts assured me I could incinerate this chaotic force.

With that confidence, I approached Seong Yul and reached out.

Just then…

“W-Wait… wait…”

Grab!

Seong Yul suddenly clutched the fabric of my pants.

“What?”

“J-Just… wait… please…”

“What?”

I frowned at his plea. Had he lost his mind?

“What are you waiting for? You’ll die like this.”

“I can… still… handle it.”

“Are you insane?”

I was the one who had forced the pearl on him, so I wasn’t in a position to judge, but his stubbornness made me let out a dry laugh.

‘He believes he can withstand this?’

What kind of delusion was that? The energy wasn’t merging with his body at all—what did he think he could possibly achieve?

“Look, I’m sorry for making you take it, but there’s a limit to stubbornness. If this continues, you will die.”

“…I can… do it.”

“This is absurd.”

He wasn’t in any state to listen to logic.

Where was this defiance coming from? Was this his way of retaliating for my forcing the pearl on him?

‘No, that doesn’t fit his character.’

Knowing Seong Yul’s nature, it was unlikely he was acting out of malice. He seemed genuinely resolved to persevere.

I found it ridiculous. What did he think he was fighting for?

‘Should I just ignore him and burn it out?’

I could overlook his obstinance and take control of the situation.

But as I prepared to act again…

“I can…! Do it…!”

Seong Yul gripped my leg even tighter, his veins protruding and eyes bloodshot.

“Ha. You…”

“Just… a little longer… just a little…”

I had no clue what he was trying to accomplish.

I should have intervened right then, but something in his eyes made me pause.

“You’re usually so compliant. Why the sudden determination now?”

Tsk.

Clicking my tongue, I rested my hand on his back.

I held back the flames.

Instead, I carefully fed my own energy into his system.

Whoosh!

My energy poured into him instantly.

And then…

Rumble!

‘Oh, fantastic.’

The chaotic energy inside him immediately reacted, swirling violently and pulling me into its storm.

If I hadn’t been braced for it, I might have been overwhelmed. That would have been a disaster.

“Guh!”

“Keep your mouth shut. Don’t even take a breath.”

At my sharp command, Seong Yul sealed his lips.

One misstep could cause the energy to erupt uncontrollably.

‘I never should have made him take it.’

My intention had been to test the reaction and proceed, but I hadn’t anticipated such stubbornness.

‘Well, now I’m responsible.’

I was the one who had given him the pearl. If he was determined to see it through, I had little choice but to assist.

“I’ve never done this before, so if you die, it’s on you.”

“Mm… mmm.”

That seemed to be an agreement.

Whooosh—!

I plunged into the maelstrom of energy, which was spinning faster by the second.

I needed to slow it down.

‘If I force it to decelerate, what about the recoil?’

The backlash could be severe enough to kill Seong Yul instantly.

What was the solution?

The answer came to me quickly.

Rumble!

I used my own energy to press against the flow, compelling it to slow.

The resulting backlash…

Boom!

‘Ugh.’

…I absorbed myself.

The veins in my arm swelled, but I resisted using my inner energy to shield myself.

Bearing it physically was the better option.

One of my eyes involunt squeezed shut.

‘This… stings quite a bit.’

Thanks to Tua Pacheonmu, I seldom felt pain anymore, but this was intense.

Even so, I held my concentration.

‘I’ve reduced its speed, but what next?’

Enduring the pain was one thing, but I couldn’t sustain this indefinitely.

Although I had slowed the energy, its rampage hadn’t ceased completely.

‘What if I force it to merge with his body?’

If the problem was that the energy wasn’t permeating his form, perhaps I could compel it to do so.

With that idea, I tried to drive the energy into his physical vessel.

Creak…!

“Guh.”

‘That isn’t going to work. Understood.’

It was impossible. Even decelerated, the energy was too fierce and volatile to be directed or absorbed.

Despite Seong Yul’s notable talent, his body wasn’t equipped to handle this type of power.

‘So that’s why they require the shedding of the mortal form.’

The energy of the Dragon Pearl was tremendously potent and coarse.

To contain it, one needed an extraordinary vessel.

I now understood why individuals were left submerged in that pond for five years.

‘Hmm…’

This is the consequence of lacking preparation. For the first time, I genuinely felt remorse for Seong Yul.

‘I could just incinerate it.’

But the process was turning out to be far more demanding than I had expected.

Sweat began beading on my forehead and tracing down my spine.

It wasn’t just the pain; manipulating the energy was draining.

Mingling my energy with another’s and attempting to steer it was not a simple task.

Which meant…

‘Time is limited.’

There was a cap on how long I could maintain this.

‘Hmm…’

What to do? As I deliberated, something shifted.

Creak.

‘What now?’

Something within Seong Yul began to squirm.

I frowned at the unexpected sensation.

BOOM!

‘Oh, damn.’

A frigid, malevolent force erupted, sweeping through and displacing the chaotic energy.

It was a killing intent so sharp it made my spine tingle.

‘What in the world is this?’

Though startled, I kept my focus.

If I lost control now, it would all unravel.

Creeeeak—!

It appeared this new force was assailing the foreign energy inside Seong Yul.

That’s when I understood.

‘It’s the Heavenly Killing Star.’

A latent instinct buried deep within Seong Yul had awoken.

‘You little fool.’

It didn’t seem to understand it was attempting to defend its host.

Gritting my teeth, I channeled more power to suppress the Heavenly Killing Star.

I fed more of my energy into Seong Yul, enveloping the alien force.

Creak—!

The Heavenly Killing Star, apparently startled by my counteraction, began to struggle.

As I pressed it down further, I noticed something peculiar.

‘It’s icy.’

Could energy feel this cold?

And this untainted?

When I had confronted Seong Yul possessed by the Heavenly Killing Star in my previous life, I hadn’t perceived its purity.

Perhaps because it was composed purely of killing intent, it felt utterly pristine.

Regardless, this purity made it more manageable.

‘That just means it’s easier to control.’

I asserted my dominance, pressing the Heavenly Killing Star down even harder.

Growl—!

Creak…!

Under my pressure, the Heavenly Killing Star recoiled.

Despite its resistance, it was surprisingly meek.

Or maybe it was because the Dragon Pearl’s energy was dominant.

It didn’t matter.

The priority was dealing with both the Heavenly Killing Star and the Dragon Pearl’s energy.

‘It won’t merge with his body, and I can’t keep diverting it. In that case…’

Only one alternative remained.

“Hey.”

“…!”

Seong Yul jol slightly at my voice.

“Don’t answer. Just listen.”

“…”

“I’m going to compress all this energy and force it into your dantian.”

“…!”

Seong Yul’s body shook with alarm. He clearly comprehended the implications.

Compressing this overwhelming energy and cramming it into his dantian was like confining a hurricane within a bottle.

“Can you withstand it? If not, signal me now—any movement will do.”

If it went wrong, I would simply absorb the energy and release it myself.

It would place a tremendous strain on my body, and Seong Yul would be hurt, but it was survivable.

Better than death, anyway.

But…

“If you can endure it, you’ll become much stronger. Though surviving this is nearly impossible.”

“…!”

“What’s your decision?”

“…”

Seong Yul didn’t move.

I had told him to signal if he couldn’t handle it.

His stillness meant…

Tsk.

‘He’s going to try, even if it kills him.’

I clicked my tongue and immediately began gathering the energy.

Fwoooosh—!

“Ugh…!!”

The wildly spinning energy started to compress under my guidance.

‘…Damn.’

The energy was so potent that compressing it was arduous, but not beyond my ability.

‘I’ll filter out the destructive aspects. Just enough to make it usable.’

With painstaking care, I compressed the energy and drove it into Seong Yul’s dantian. Then, I withdrew my hand.

In that instant…

Thrum—!

“Guhhh…!!!”

Boom! Boom-boom!

A series of internal detonations echoed from within Seong Yul’s body.

“Hold on. If you fail, you die.”

Boom! Boom-boom-boom!

“…!!”

“Don’t open your mouth. Keep the energy sealed inside. If even a wisp escapes, you’ll explode.”

Drip.

Blood seeped from the corner of Seong Yul’s mouth.

The backlash was brutal.

“Whew.”

Seeing this, I folded my arms. But something felt wet.

Looking at my palms, they were slick with sweat.

Not just my hands—my entire body was soaked.

“…Damn.”

I knew it would be difficult, but not to this extent.

Wiping my hands on my robe, I turned my attention back to Seong Yul.

Boom! Boom-boom!

“Let’s see.”

Would he be able to survive that pressure?

The thought occurred to me but was quickly dismissed.

‘He has to.’

He had to endure it. After displaying such resolve, he had to.

An ordinary person would have already been torn apart.

Whatever his reasons for being so persistent…

‘If you’re going to prove something, prove it now.’

I could sense Seong Yul was trying to demonstrate something to me.

Whether it was pride or determination, he was committed to showing it.

‘So don’t die meaninglessly.’

It would be a shame to waste such potential here.

With that in mind, I continued to observe Seong Yul for a long time.

Boom! Boom… boom-boom…

The tremors gradually diminished until they faded away entirely.

Then…

Thud.

Seong Yul collapsed onto the ground.

Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes.

Had he failed?

A flicker of concern arose as I moved toward him.

But then…

“You gave me a real scare.”

When I checked on him, I couldn’t help but mutter a curse.

“Get up already, will you?”

Despite my rough tone, a smile touched my lips.

“…”

Hearing me, Seong Yul stirred. Pushing himself up, he rose to his feet.

Crack!

Something crumbled and fell away from his body.

It resembled dead skin—like the discarded husk of a shed serpent.

Rebirth.

Seong Yul’s vessel had been expanded, fortified by the tremendous energy.

“Ah…”

Standing upright, Seong Yul released a soft sigh.

With his exhale, energy drifted out, glimmering in the air.

His once pale yellow eyes now held a faint luminescence, and his face was filled with wonder.

The energy surrounding him was dense and brilliant.

Seeing it, I was sure.

“You’ve broken through the barrier.”

Seong Yul had ascended to the Hwagyeong realm.

“Ah… ah…”

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

He was speechless, could only stare at me.

For once, his emotions were transparent.

Gratitude and amazement. His eyes overflowed with those sentiments.

“…Thank you… Thank you so much.”

Breaking through must have held immense significance for him. He repeated his thanks.

“…Yeah, sure.”

Accepting his gratitude felt somewhat awkward.

‘…Technically, I forced it on him.’

He could have died. This wasn’t a benevolent act—it was me rectifying my own mistake.

‘But well, if the outcome is positive, that’s what counts.’

That was sufficient. Besides…

‘If this was successful…’

Now that I knew Seong Yul could withstand the Dragon Pearl,

‘…I can have others consume it too, right?’

A few plans for how to utilize this began to form in my mind.