Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 907

Chapter 907

*Slap! Slap!*

“Hey. Wake up.”

*Thud.*

I held onto Gubong’s limp form and slapped his cheeks. I must have struck him a dozen times by now, but he still hadn’t stirred.

*Slap!*

“Tch. This is irritating.”

*Slap.*

Maybe I was too rough? His condition was far from good.

Fortunately, his breathing, though faint, was even, and his heart was still beating. At the very least, he was alive.

What’s more, his body was healing itself.

Even with his face battered, it wouldn’t be long before he recovered fully.

The actual issue was…

“Hey, come on. Get up.”

He just wouldn’t wake up.

“You were so full of yourself earlier. Why won’t you open your eyes now?”

*Slap!*

I hit his cheek once more, but he remained completely unresponsive.

“Damn it… Usually, this would do the trick.”

What to do? Maybe channeling some energy into him would jolt him awake?

‘That’s too dangerous.’

Normally, that would be the easiest solution, but not in his current state. With his body so broken, it could disrupt his energy channels and make things worse.

Which meant I had no option but to wait for him to regain consciousness on his own.

“If anyone sees me like this, it’s going to be difficult to explain…”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“…”

I turned my head, still gripping Gubong’s collar. Shin Noya was standing next to me, looking down with an icy stare.

“…Sigh.”

The weighty sigh he let out made me swallow nervously.

*******

We relocated to a room.

Sitting quietly at the desk, I detected a faint, sweet scent in the air—the same aroma as the plum tea I had tasted earlier.

Sure enough, a cup of tea was set before me. Shin Noya had brought it.

As I looked at the tea, Shin Noya, seated opposite me, got straight to the point.

“What kind of mess did you make in the brief time I was gone?”

Hearing that, I frowned slightly.

“He was the one who started it.”

“Naturally. As foul as your temperament can be, you don’t throw the first punch without cause. Gubong must have done something to set you off.”

“That’s correct…”

“But why did you have to take it that far?”

“…”

Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I couldn’t really argue with him.

“You weren’t aiming to kill him, so what was your intention?”

“Well… Initially, I intended to show some restraint.”

That’s probably where things began to unravel.

“But then, as I was hitting him…”

“As you were hitting him…”

“I realized he was more durable than I expected. He was regenerating fast, too.”

“And then?”

“And then…”

Clearing my throat, I averted my eyes as I went on.

“…I was already in a bad mood, so I figured I might as well use him to vent.”

“So you took your frustration out on him?”

“Let’s just say I applied a bit more enthusiasm to the fight.”

“You used him to vent, didn’t you?”

“…”

“Have you lost your mind?”

Shin Noya’s voice was thick with disbelief. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but glare back.

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t vanished without a word, none of this would’ve happened. If you’d been here, it wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

“Listen to this kid. How is any of that my fault? You’re the one who acted like a madman.”

“All I’m saying is we share some of the blame.”

“…You’re insane, and utterly shameless on top of it.”

Shin Noya looked at me with pure revulsion. His face was practically oozing contempt. Of course, I wasn’t exactly fond of him either.

“…Anyway.”

I composed myself and asked, “Is he going to be alright?”

At my question about Gubong, Noya clicked his tongue softly.

“Why? Feeling a pang of conscience after pounding him into paste?”

“Not particularly. But he is one of your people, after all.”

“Don’t worry. You felt it yourself—he’s absurdly tough. He’ll probably be awake by tomorrow. Thanks to your odd sense of control, you avoided his vitals, so he should recover fine.”

“Good.”

Noya studied me quietly. His crimson gaze was unsettling, and I knew precisely what it meant.

“Kid, as I’ve told you before.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. Now that I’ve beaten him up once, I don’t carry a grudge anymore.”

“…”

Don’t hold too much hatred for Gubong. That was undoubtedly what Shin Noya wanted to say.

His deep care for Gubong was unmistakably clear.

“Also, please tell him I’m sorry later.”

There was no need to ask why.

It was obvious.

‘A hundred and fifty years.’

That’s how long Noya had lived in this distorted time.

Compared to the mere five years or so he’d spent with me, his bonds with the people here were naturally far stronger.

The fact that this place carried the name of the Mount Hua Sect…

‘It represents Noya’s attachment.’

The profound meaning and value he placed on it was something I understood.

Jealousy? That was ridiculous. I felt nothing of the sort.

Now wasn’t the time for trivial emotions. It was time to concentrate on what needed to be done.

“So, what exactly is he?”

I asked about Gubong—not about his physical state, but about his nature.

“That young man we encountered before also seemed connected to something that happens at night. Is that true?”

I remembered how Gubong had transformed the moment night fell. His human form, which had only shown slight beast-like features, had shifted into something else entirely.

‘Almost completely bestial.’

His strength and speed had also increased dramatically.

I was so taken aback that I ended up finishing him before I could get a proper look.

“Hmm.”

Noya drew a long breath before answering.

“Do you remember what I told you earlier today?”

“Yes.”

His words had been too memorable to forget.

“Then, do you also recall what I said about the Moonlit Night?”

“I do.”

One of the requirements for entering this realm was to be part of the Moonlit Night, the original inhabitants and rulers of this place.

“Gubong is one of the Moonlit Night.”

I showed no particular reaction to Noya’s words.

It made sense. If one had to be Moonlit Night to be here, it wasn’t surprising.

“And not just any Moonlit Night. He is a pureblood.”

The word «pureblood» naturally grabbed my attention.

“What’s the difference?”

There must be a distinction between those who became Moonlit Night after arriving and those born into it.

“Not a major one, but there is a key divergence.”

“And that is?”

“Purebloods gain incredible regenerative power and strength at night. Their base abilities are already high, but under the night sky, they become unmatched.”

“I see.”

That explained it.

‘His regeneration was indeed remarkable.’

Even after I broke his arm, it healed quickly. If his powers were amplified at night, it made sense.

I would have liked to see it for myself, but unfortunately, I ended the fight too soon.

“Ah, so that young man…?”

I wondered if the leader from before had survived for the same reason.

“No.”

Noya shook his head firmly.

“He wasn’t a pureblood, so he didn’t possess those traits. His endurance probably came from the authority bestowed by this realm.”

“Authority?”

“Yes. That’s the main difference between purebloods and the others. Those who aren’t purebloods don’t gain such attributes at night. However…”

*Pour.*

Noya refilled his empty teacup with plum tea, the rich fragrance filling the room once more.

“They are granted an authority. A power they can wield until sunrise.”

“So that man’s power was…?”

“Immortality, I suppose. That’s what kept him alive.”

“…”

Immortality—a simple yet stark explanation.

Moonlit Night…

Those who grow powerful under the moonlit night—the name was as literal as it gets.

I took a sip of my tea, recalling Gubong’s ears and tail. His appearance bore a similarity to the form my mother once took.

«…»

My mother.

As soon as the thought surfaced, my mind became a storm of tangled feelings.

‘Amnesia, they said…’

Could she truly have remembered nothing? If so, how were traces of her still etched within me?

The questions continued to eat at me.

And as for what came next, I had no idea where to even start.

“Kid.”

Noya’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“…Yes?”

“Enough of that. Let’s talk properly now.”

“Talk?”

What kind of talk?

Was it about what I should do next? Or perhaps the explanations I still hadn’t received fully?

Well, it was true there was much I still hadn’t heard.

As I listened intently, Noya’s words took a surprising turn.

“How have you been?”

“…What?”

How have I been?

Out of nowhere?

Thrown off, I stared at him, but Noya continued as if it were the most natural question.

“Even in that state, you left Gubong in pieces. That means you’ve grown stronger. I could tell just by looking.”

His words made my expression turn awkward.

He wasn’t wrong—the difference between me now and the me from before Noya disappeared was vast.

“It’s not that much. I just…”

“You’ve worked hard. You’ve been through a lot.”

“…”

Worked hard.

Been through a lot.

Those words made me unconsciously clench my hands under the table. A peculiar unease washed over me.

“It’s a pity I couldn’t be there to see you. Ha! I always enjoyed teasing you.”

“…Is that really what’s important right now? That you missed out on teasing me?”

“Of course it is. So, to make up for lost time, tell me how you’ve been.”

«…»

The situation was already complex and unpleasant enough.

I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the moment for casual chatter.

And yet…

“…It’s nothing much. After you disappeared…”

Strangely, the words began to flow out effortlessly.

It would be a long tale if I told everything, yet I spoke without holding back.

It felt comfortable—a sensation I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Little by little, I unraveled the story, my words pouring out unfiltered.

For hours, I spoke of things I had never shared with anyone before.

All the while, Noya listened in silence, periodically refilling my cup with plum tea as it emptied.

The conversation lasted through the night, until the sun began to rise.

***********

Outside the building.

A woman with hair black as night stood in the open field, her eyes fixed on the sky.

The twin moons hanging above were a curious sight, no matter how many times she saw them.

Were they beautiful? Perhaps. Were they simply fascinating? That also seemed true.

“Mmm…”

But those weren’t her only feelings as she gazed upward.

There was an inexplicable familiarity—a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen this sky before.

It was a strange sensation, especially since she had never been here before.

“I’ve never been here.”

She murmured to herself, puzzled by the feeling.

It was odd, but not particularly alarming.

After all, such experiences were common for her.

She’d often felt things she shouldn’t have been able to feel.

Seen things she shouldn’t have been able to recognize.

This was no different, just another instance among many.

“Hmm…”

Still, today, the feeling was unusually intense.

That was why she had come out alone to survey her surroundings.

Even though the place was unfamiliar, she felt compelled to do so.

As she continued looking around, her expression grew increasingly sour.

“This is annoying.”

The whole situation was bothersome—wandering around all day, being away from him.

It all irritated her.

“Should I go back?”

That seemed sufficient.

She nodded to herself, as if making a compromise, and prepared to return.

Then—

*Whoosh!*

A gust of wind swept through, and she turned her head.

The dense trees blocked the view, but something about the forest caught her attention.

Her amethyst eyes, which glowed faintly, brightened as she peered into the shadows.

“Who’s there?”

The moment she spoke to the empty forest—

*Rustle.*

—a figure emerged from between the trees.

«…»

Her brows furrowed.

What appeared first were drooping, dog-like ears and a bushy tail, followed by a figure with long brown hair and a strange black mask.

«…»

A few seconds passed as they stared at each other.

Just as the woman took a step forward—

*Flash!*

—the masked figure vanished in an instant.

She didn’t bother to chase.

Could she have caught up if she tried?

That, too, was uncertain.

“Annoying.”

Her mood, already foul, reached its peak, and she had no desire to pursue.

Even if she could…

‘I don’t want to.’

She felt an inexplicable certainty that she shouldn’t.

Turning her back, she began walking again, her destination clear: where he was.

“…Hmm.”

Even as she walked, she couldn’t help glancing back occasionally.

The figure she had encountered lingered in her mind.

It bothered her—more than she cared to admit.