Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 894

Chapter 894

The air was warm.

A tender feeling of arms encircling me from behind. It was snug and reassuring. A forgotten sensation from long ago, from the days of my childhood.

Could it be…?

I attempted to speak, my eyes wide with disbelief.

“Uh…”

“Shh.”

A soft voice whispered near my ear, and a gentle pressure touched my lips, causing me to fall silent.

“Only for a little while. Please, remain just as you are.”

A soothing voice, followed by a hand softly combing through my hair.

My entire body went rigid.

“Good.”

“…”

A warm, tender feeling began to swell within my chest. I was powerless to respond.

Within that quiet—

“Mangye.”

The Blood Demon’s expression was severe as he spoke.

“You must have been desperate. To come yourself, rather than sending a servant from the Abyss.”

The voice answered the Blood Demon.

“He is occupied. I have burdened him with many duties.”

“Ha. You claim there is something more crucial than guarding your own trace?”

Trace. That word immediately captured my attention.

“Guard, you say?”

The voice let out a light laugh.

“My son is not so frail that he requires my protection.”

Hearing this, my hands clenched into fists.
So it was true. The owner of this voice…

‘Mother…’

I had suspected it during the last event at the Sinryong Pavilion, but now it was confirmed. My mother was alive.

“How contradictory.”

The Blood Demon scowled at her statement.

“You say he needs no safeguarding, yet your current actions contradict your words.”

“That is simply how parents are. Besides…”

A gentle wind began to swirl around me.
Simultaneously, a crimson energy started to wrap around my body. A clean, floral scent reached my nostrils.

“If you intervene, it ceases to be a squabble between children and becomes a conflict between adults.”

“…”

“Dragon Emperor… Or should I address you as the master who lost his name ages ago.”

The voice seemed to press down upon the very sky.

“Do not continue to overstep. If you do, I will be forced to reprimand you.”

It was a tranquil yet piercing warning.
The Blood Demon’s eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing it.

“How preposterous.”

A grating sound filled the air as power coalesced in his hands.
It was the same as before, yet now it felt far more concentrated and intense.

“A line? Since when did such a thing exist between us?”

His gaze, laden with profound contempt, fixed on the voice as he spoke.

“We are all merely pieces upon a board, moved by command. You are no exception.”

The heavens started to darken, a scarlet aura gathering and swelling.

“You fail to properly execute the duties given to you, and yet you speak so boldly.”

Punishment? My eyes widened at his words.

“No matter how supreme you believe yourself to be, what can you truly protect without devotion?”

A red ocean thundered in the sky.

“Let us see your capabilities.”

The Blood Demon smirked as a colossal wave of power crashed downward.

“Oh my.”

The approaching force was utterly overwhelming, and I trembled merely from witnessing it.
How could anyone possibly stop this?
Could Mother truly handle something of this magnitude?
Doubt surfaced in my mind.

“This doesn’t work?”

“…What?”

Startled by the voice, the words escaped me before I could think.

“I believed it would have some impact… But you are more perceptive than I anticipated.”

“What does that mean…?”

What was she talking about?
I looked around, bewildered.

“Hmm…”

She seemed to be deep in thought, her tone contemplative.

But there was no time for this.
The energy in the sky was already descending.

I gritted my teeth and drew power into my body.

Whoosh—!!

Remembering how I had blocked the Blood Demon’s power earlier with the White Flame, I prepared to do it again.

“No.”

My ignited hand was stopped.

“You must not use that.”

“…But…”

“Do not worry.”

Once more, I felt her hand upon my hair.

“Mom will take care of everything.”

“…”

Her words caused me to unconsciously let the flames die out.
It was just like in the past.

Long ago—

Whenever anything happened in my childhood, my mother would always say,

“Do not worry, my son. Mom will take care of everything.”

The memory of her voice and those words, spoken with a bright smile, resurged in my mind. Something welled up inside me.
I barely managed to steady my uneven breathing.

At that moment—

Whoosh—!!

The crimson aura surrounding my body suddenly shot up into the sky.

Boom—!!!

The winds howled as the falling energy was entirely consumed by the crimson light and vanished without a trace.

“Ha!”

The Blood Demon let out a sharp exclamation.

“Madness.”

A smile returned to his face.

“You have truly lost your mind. Would you truly shatter the rules for something like this?”

“Hmm? Why?”

Mother’s voice replied, as if puzzled.

“You broke them as well. Why should I not?”

“No.”

The Blood Demon shook his head, watching his dissipated energy with a strangely content expression.

“It is laughable that you would use a trump card you were hoarding just for this. Now you have no means to stop me.”

“You still perceive only a fraction of the whole.”

Her voice was filled with amusement.
At least, that is how it sounded to me.

“I never intended to stop you. I only wished to see my children. And…”

Whoosh—!!!

The crimson aura that had devoured the red light now surged toward the Blood Demon.
He did not retreat from the approaching energy.

“My son is far more remarkable than you can imagine. So you would do well to prepare.”

“Haha.”

The Blood Demon responded with a dark laugh.

“As you wish.”

His gaze then shifted to Cheonma, who was breathing heavily beside me.

“Though I regret the interruption today, the next time we meet, I will most certainly claim you.”

“…Get lost.”

Cheonma growled through clenched teeth.
The Blood Demon added with a smirk,

“After today, there will be no next time.”

Ssshhhh—!!!

The energy shifted its form.

It took the shape of a beast.
I felt I recognized what kind of beast it was, but I could not be certain.

The beast opened its jaws wide and swallowed the Blood Demon whole.

Boom—!!

It erupted into a massive explosion of energy. An overwhelming pressure radiated outward.
The energy dispersed into the air like flower petals adrift in the sky.

It was as if spring had arrived in the heart of autumn.

I stared blankly at the sight before me.
How could energy be so breathtakingly beautiful?

In some aspects, it was reminiscent of the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique. No, it was far more ancient and primal than that.

It was not merely energy; it truly felt as if flowers were spiraling through the air.

“…”

I could not look away from its mesmerizing beauty.
It was captivating, almost hypnotic.

As I stood transfixed by the drifting petals—

Swish—

The energy began to coalesce directly in front of me.

It condensed further and further, gradually forming a human-like shape.

It was not complete. It resembled a figure woven entirely from flower petals, loosely shaped into a human form.
It stood a head shorter than me, its outline blurred, but I was rendered speechless as I stared.

The figure raised a hand and waved. It felt like a greeting.

“Hello, my son.”

The voice reached me, and my heart sank with a heavy thud.

The figure extended a hand composed of petals.
It gently cupped my cheek.

“You have grown so well. You are so handsome.”

“…Mother.”

“Oh my?”

At my words, the petals trembled slightly.

“That sounds so formal. You used to call me ‘Mom’ in the past. Have you grown up too much for that now?”

“…”

Her voice sounded peculiarly delighted.
Even as I listened, I found myself unable to speak.

I did not know how to react.
Noticing my hesitation, Mother spoke again.

“Grown up, indeed… I suppose you are.”

Her voice softened.

“You have endured so much, haven’t you?”

My breath caught.
Was it my emotions, or was it my entire being trembling? I could not tell, but something deep within me shook.

“You have worked so very hard.”

“…Ah…”

“I am sorry, my son. I was not there to shield you as you grew.”

My vision blurred. I tried to hold it back, but it was a struggle.
No, I should not allow this.

I was far too old to weep like this.
I should not, and yet…

“I am sorry for being an inadequate mother. I should have been at your side, but I could not.”

The petals brushed against my cheek and my hair.

“You have done so well.”

Her warm voice enveloped me.
In the end, I could hold it back no longer.
I shut my eyes tightly.

“…It is alright.”

Even then, the gentle strokes on my head did not cease.

“I am sorry.”

Her apology made me bite my lip.
This was not what I wished to say.

When I realized she was alive, I had so many questions to ask if I ever saw her again. But now, I could not voice a single one.
My mouth would not open.

“My son.”

“Yes…”

I forced myself to answer, stifling my sobs.
Thankfully, my voice held steady.

“I would love to stay with you longer, but my time now is short.”

Her words made my eyes widen.

“What do you mean…?”

“I apologize in advance. Oh, I keep apologizing. That was not my intention.”

She laughed, a little awkwardly.
Then, the petals began to stir.

Watching them, I frowned and asked,

“Are you leaving again?”

Would she vanish like this once more? I asked hesitantly.

“Hmm… In a manner of speaking…”

She gave an ambiguous answer.

“What does that mean…?”

“There is insufficient time to explain.”

She added hurriedly,

“This is something even I did not foresee. The promise I made with that tree did not account for this… Just consider it a result of you becoming so extraordinary.”

“What are you talking about…? I do not understand.”

“My son.”

“Yes.”

“There is one thing you must remember, no matter what occurs.”

“…”

The petals began to scatter once more.
They slowly clouded my vision, and through them, she spoke.

“You must never seek me out.”

“What?”

The petals blossomed all at once, scattering in every direction.
The problem was—

‘Huh…?’

Instead of drifting away, the petals enveloped me completely.
What is happening?

Caught in the sudden turn of events, I could only question it when—

Snap!

Abruptly, my consciousness faded away.

 

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

A woman lay reclined upon a grand throne.

Her hair, so long it spilled onto the floor, was pure white. The space around her was filled with an abundance of mysterious white fur.

In that peculiar setting—

“Mm…”

The woman, who had been resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them. Her jewel-like pupils shimmered with a radiant light.
She appeared somewhat uncomfortable as she shifted to sit up. At that moment, a figure revealed itself before her.

“My liege.”

The woman, noticing the figure, wore a languid expression.

“Are you well?”

“…”

She did not answer.
Instead, her brow furrowed slightly.

In response, the large tufts of fur surrounding her began to writhe.
Wearing a look of clear displeasure, the woman addressed the figure.

“It feels as though I had a dream…”

She tried to recall it, but the memory was hazy.

“I cannot remember it…”

It must not have been important.
Deciding this, the woman finally rose to her feet.

Seeing this, the figure spoke.

“My liege. We have located the Abyss.”

At these words, the woman’s sharp, animal-like ears twitched.

Her drowsiness vanished instantly. The thoughts she had just been pondering faded like a mirage.

The once languid look in her eyes turned keen.
Her previously calm pupils narrowed into thin slits.

“Where is he?”

“Mount Chilryeong in the west.”

“Let us go.”

Her sleek legs moved, and her toes touched the ground.
In that instant, the fur behind her began to stir violently, shrinking in size as it coiled inward.

Rumble—! The fur surged through the space, swirling as though being absorbed into her.

The final form it took was nothing short of astonishing—a tail.

Seven immaculate white tails unfurled behind her, each one shimmering with an ethereal glow.

The woman, her tails brushing lightly against the ground, began to walk forward with grace.