Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 895

Chapter 895

Of my mother, I must confess, my memories are few and faded.
I was merely a child, and so many years have gone by since then. What remains are only shards of recollection.

One fragment is that she adored the winter.

Whenever it snowed, she would take my sister’s hand and mine, and lead us along the paths blanketed in white.

I believe she once told me she loved things that were purely white. Or something very close to that.

And perhaps because of that, she was also fond of white blossoms.
In truth, it seemed she cherished anything of that color.

But there was a single thing that did not fit.

«She loved our hair.»

Despite her passion for all things white, my mother had a peculiar affection for our jet-black hair.

Her own hair was the color of fresh snow, yet she often said it was a blessing that ours was dark.
It made little sense, but she always said it with such sincerity.

Those were joyful days.

Every one of them feels that way in my remembrance.

There were no burdens, only simple days spent in contentment.

“My son, do you enjoy this?”

“Yes.”

On days when snow fell, I would often doze on the wooden porch, my head cradled in my mother’s lap.

Her hold was always warm.
Yet, for all her warmth, my mother felt the cold deeply—a trait of the Gu family, who radiate heat but are vulnerable to winter’s chill, even as she loved it.

Why was that? I recall the reason being unusual.

Ah, yes.

“It is because I have no fur.”

That is what she said.
To this day, those words are difficult to decipher. Perhaps it was just her way of saying she was susceptible to the cold.

Regardless—

I loved my mother.
No, I am certain that I did.

Even if the memories are not sharp, I held that belief.

Which is precisely why…

I must be dreaming of her now.
A dream of a time I can never reclaim, something I can only yearn for.

“My son.”

“…”

I felt a touch upon my hair.
Perhaps because it has been so long since I dreamt of her, the sensation was strikingly clear.

The gentle motion of her hand was soft.
As if she were truly there, caressing my hair…

“…”

Something felt incorrect.

«This feels far too real for a dream.»

That thought hovered as I slowly opened my eyes.

“Ah.”

“…”

The first thing I saw was a pair of violet eyes gazing into mine, and a face I knew well, beautiful and composed.

“Hello.”

Her flat, toneless greeting made me jolt upright immediately.
I shifted away and stared at her, my expression hard.

“Ah…”

Cheonma looked back at me with a hint of disappointment, which only made me scowl more deeply.

“…What do you think you are doing?”

So that was why the dream had felt so tangible. It turned out I had been resting my head on Cheonma’s lap all along.
I ran a hand through my hair with an irritated grimace.

Damn it.

How did this occur?

«Did I lose consciousness?»

That seemed the most likely explanation. I struggled to recall my final memory before blacking out.

“…!”

It returned to me.

«The Blood Demon.»

I had gone to find Cheonma when the Blood Demon emerged.
They clashed, and I had summoned the White Flame to intervene…

«The moment he saw it, the Blood Demon tried to strike me down.»

His eerie smile vanished the instant he saw the White Flame. His face turned severe, and he moved to kill me immediately.

And then—

«Mother appeared.»

She manifested, enveloping me in her energy.
Though it was only her presence, I knew it was her.
She even restrained the Blood Demon.

«That monster…»

The moment I sensed his power, I understood.
The Blood Demon was far more formidable than I had ever conceived.

But if my mother could subdue him, then her power was greater still.
No, more importantly…

«They seemed acquainted.»

That fact troubled me.
I had long held suspicions that my mother was no ordinary woman.

I had even heard tales of her before.

«A calamity.»

If the Blood Demon was the first calamity, then my mother was the second.
And yet, the world had endured them both, leading to the present era.

But why would my mother and the Blood Demon know one another?

«The Blood Demon called her Mangye.»

Mangye—the Sovereign of Myriad Realms.

Muah had described her in the same way.
It meant my mother ruled over some dominion.

«But putting that aside…»

How had she manifested at the Sinryong Pavilion?
And what was the meaning of her final words?

«She told me never to seek her.»

Why?

I did not know.
As I frowned, lost in thought, a voice cut through my reverie.

“Are you unharmed?”

“…Tch.”

I clicked my tongue at the sound of her voice.

«Right, she is still here.»

It was not only my mother or the Blood Demon I needed to contemplate.
There was something I needed to verify with Cheonma as well.

The Blood Demon had claimed she was his daughter.

“You—”

I turned to question her, but then I stopped.
I winced and took a proper look at our surroundings.

Something was amiss.

“What is this…?”

It was only then that I noticed.

“Where are we?”

This was not the open field where we had been.
The vast expanse was gone, replaced by a forest of enormous, ancient trees.

And the trees themselves—

«What are these?»

They were unnaturally thick and reached staggering heights.
They were like nothing I had ever seen before.
Trees of such size should have been rare relics, yet they stood in great numbers here.
While perhaps possible in some uncharted territory, I was certain no such forest existed in Hanam.

Moreover—

«Why does the air feel so peculiar?»

Even breathing felt strange.
The air was dense and seemed to saturate my lungs completely.

«…The concentration of qi is this intense?»

Each breath drew in a far greater amount of qi than normal.

It was all deeply unnatural.
This was not a place I recognized. Which meant—

“Where in the world have you taken me?”

Assuming Cheonma was responsible, I spoke with conviction.

“…?”

Cheonma tilted her head, her expression one of confusion, as if to deny any involvement.

“Do not act ignorant. If not you, then who—”

I began to press her when she suddenly lifted a finger.
I braced myself, expecting a strike, but she simply pointed toward the sky.

She was indicating the heavens.
I followed her gesture and looked up.

“What are you trying to show me?”

All I could see was the night sky, filled with stars.

«What is this? Is she asking me to deduce how long I was unconscious?»

I had fainted at dusk, and now it was night. I must have been out for several hours.
As I pondered this, I looked more closely at the sky.

“…Huh?”

I noticed something peculiar.

Whoosh—!

I ignited a flame and propelled myself upward.
In a flash, I reached the canopy of the colossal trees, and the full breadth of the sky was revealed.

“Damn it…”

The sight made me curse aloud.

“What in hell is this?”

A brilliant galaxy sprawled across the night.
The Milky Way, flowing with an unnatural crimson light, was breathtaking. The auroras shimmering above it were stunning enough to steal one’s breath.

It was a vista so vast and magnificent it felt overwhelming.

Yet, I could not appreciate it.

“…Ha…”

At the heart of that stellar display hung an impossibility.
No, not one moon—there were two.

“Shit.”

A blue moon and a crimson moon hung together in the sky.

 

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

In my life, I have witnessed countless things.

I have forsaken my humanity, slain my own father, and even reversed the flow of time. I believed nothing could shock me any longer.

Ah, though I was fairly taken aback when that brat Dol-dol transformed into a child who looked like me. But let us put that aside.

In any case, I had convinced myself I had seen everything and that nothing remained that could astonish me.

“Life.”

I had to lament my own arrogance as I became acutely aware of it.
It seemed the world still held endless mysteries I knew nothing about.

Damn it all.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped me unbidden.

How could it not?
After wandering for what I estimated to be about two hours, I found myself right back where I had begun.

I had no choice but to accept it now.

“Shit, where in the blazes is this place…?”

At first, I thought it might be some unknown part of the northern territories, like the Outer Lands of Murim.

“…But they don’t have two moons, do they?”

Even though I had never been, I knew they had only one moon.

If it was not that—

«Could this be the Blood Demon’s doing?»

I wondered if he had used some power on me.
It was not impossible. There were precedents, like when Tang Sunbae sent me back to a past life. Perhaps the Blood Demon had employed a similar trick.

But—

«No, that does not fit.»

The last energy that enveloped me was not his—it was my mother’s.

So, was it her doing then?

“…But why would she?”

If it was my mother’s power, she would have no reason to send me to a place like this.

“Ugh.”

No matter how I turned it over in my mind, it made no sense. The only thing I could be sure of was—

«This is not Zhongyuan.»

This was definitely not the world I knew.
It might sound insane, but no other explanation sufficed.

The gigantic primeval trees that surrounded us, the strange texture of the air—

And above all else—

«The moment I saw two moons, all logic ceased.»

The breathtaking night sky, illuminated by two moons.
Taking everything into account, this was not Zhongyuan.

Ugh, my head is pounding.

“Phew…”

I pressed a hand to my forehead, overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity.
So now I have somehow ended up in another world?
How am I supposed to get back?

«Tomorrow is Father’s trial.»

I could not afford to lose time in a place like this.
The entire Murim Alliance was in turmoil, and I needed to be there.

And on top of everything else—

I glanced over my shoulder.

«With her trailing after me?»

Cheonma was following me.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

At my call, she turned her gaze to me.

“Why in the world are you still following me?”

“I am not following you.”

Not following me? We have been walking side by side for nearly two hours.

“Then what? Are you claiming I am following you?”

“It is not following. We are merely walking together.”

“…Fuck.”

I instantly regretted engaging with her. My headache only intensified.

“Get lost. I have no desire to travel with you.”

“Okay.”

“…What?”

That was far more agreeable than I had anticipated.
What was this about?

I looked back at Cheonma, puzzled, but despite her words, she made no move to leave.

“Why are you still here? You said you understood.”

“You said you do not wish to walk together. So now, I will follow you instead.”

“…Unbelievable.”

I was rendered speechless. Was she even listening to herself?

“Whether you call it following or walking together, it is equally irritating, so just leave me be.”

“No.”

“You insane woman…”

Gritting my teeth, I turned away. I was already seething, and she was only provoking me further.
I began to gather my energy, prepared to force her away.

“I do not know the way.”

Cheonma’s matter-of-fact declaration made me halt.

You have got to be joking.

“And you think I do? Do I look like I know where we are?”

I did not even know what this place was. Did she expect me to have the answers?
Hearing my retort, Cheonma nodded.

“Then we should remain together.”

“I told you I do not want to! Why can you not understand that?”

“We should remain together.”

“Agh, whatever.”

I was on the verge of snapping. Perhaps I should just fight her and be done with it.
With that thought, I took a step forward.

But—

“So I can protect you.”

“…”

Her words made me freeze in place.

«I will protect you.»

I remembered Cheonma positioning herself before me during the Blood Demon’s assault, her small back acting as my shield.
I remembered clenching my jaw as I watched her.

The memory left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Damn it.”

I cursed under my breath, my frown deepening.

“Protect me? Do I look like I require protection?”

“Yes.”

Her reply was so assured it turned my stomach.

“I do not need it. Get lost. How many times must I say it? You disgust me. If you remain near me, I will kill you.”

“That is acceptable.”

She responded without a moment’s hesitation.

“You are fine with me killing you?”

“Yes.”

Her expression did not change.

“If that is your wish, I am content with it.”

“…Unbelievable.”

I was at my absolute limit.
Why in hell was she behaving this way?

«Did something go awry during my regression?»

The Cheonma I knew was not like this.
She could be impulsive, certainly, but she was not a fool.

“Let me stay with you.”

This Cheonma was nothing like the one I remembered.

“…Ah.”

My headache grew worse.

Should I simply abandon her? But would she even allow it?

«Probably not.»

She did not seem the type to leave voluntarily.

«So… Should I just kill her?»

Would it not be simpler to eliminate her here?
My thoughts spiraled, each one more maddening than the last.

After a long internal struggle, I sighed and spoke through clenched teeth.

“…If you anger me, I will kill you. So keep quiet and follow without a word.”

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
Then she nodded, a faint trace of something like pleasure in her expression.

«Unbelievable.»

Is she truly Cheonma?

Or am I mistaken? I could not help but doubt.

«Is this the right choice…?»

Why did I even permit this? I could not comprehend my own reasoning.
I should have just killed her here. Instead, I let her follow.

«Perhaps I am losing my mind as well.»

I must have gone mad. Honestly, I hoped I had.
If this entire situation were merely a hallucination, that would be preferable.

I wished for it with all my being. I would have prayed for it.

But—

Rumble—!!!

“…!”

As if to demolish that hope, the ground shook with tremendous force.
The tremor was colossal.

Cheonma and I exchanged a look.
Then we both leapt into the air, landing atop the giant trees to survey the area.

The sky and moons were unchanged.
Still as magnificently beautiful as before, but…

“…Ha…”

Beneath that sky—

“Guuuuaaaaargh—!!!”

An enormous black mass of energy had materialized on the ground.
I narrowed my eyes at the sight.

Even from this distance, I could see it clearly.

«A demonic beast?»

No, it was far too massive to be a mere demonic beast.
It was the largest living thing I had ever laid eyes on.

Its head alone scraped the clouds.

“Guuuuaaaaargh—!!!”

Was that its roar? My hands trembled slightly.
The sheer pressure emanating from it was overwhelming.

What in hell was that thing?
What manner of being could radiate such power? My mind raced, struggling to process it.

«Should I withdraw for now?»

It seemed unwise to approach. Just as I resolved to retreat—

“Roooooooar—!!!”

“…Huh?”

I turned to look at the monstrous creature again.
This could not be, and yet…

“Kurung…?”

It felt strangely familiar.