Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 921

Chapter 921

“What was that you said?”

Silence.

The shock on Baek Wol’s face twisted swiftly into lethal fury.
*Crunch!*
His muscles bulged, straining against his garments, and his wild hair lifted like flickering flames toward the sky.

*Ssssssaaahhh—!!!*

A wave of malice poured from Baek Wol, saturating the narrow alley.

*Crack!*
The stone walls splintered. The force of his energy flared, pressing back the encroaching shadows—but then…

[Not an unimpressive little show.]

The man remained completely unshaken. Even as the suffocating hostility made Baek Wol’s own attendants froth at the mouth and fall, the man stood perfectly calm.

Hands resting behind his back, he simply watched. It made Baek Wol’s blood boil.

‘What is this?’

How could anyone be so composed before him?

It was profoundly unnerving. Baek Wol gripped his chest.

It wasn’t just the pressure in the air. Something else was eating at him.

*Thump… thump…*

A unique throbbing in his heart made Baek Wol’s face contort further.

‘A noble?’

This was a sensation he had only ever felt in the presence of others of noble blood.
Yet the man in front of him showed no outer mark of such heritage.

Could he be a pureblood of a higher rank?
No. That was impossible, Baek Wol was sure.

If this man were truly noble…

“How dare you disrespect my master…?”

No noble would ever speak so carelessly about such a revered figure.

In a world where even uttering the General’s name gave men pause, to refer to someone even greater in such a tone…
It was inconceivable.

[Disrespect?]

The man tilted his head slightly at Baek Wol’s accusation.

[What disrespect do you mean?]
“Quiet.”

*Crash—!!!*

Baek Wol’s foot slammed into the ground, whipping up a sudden vortex of wind.

“You die here.”

*Boom!*
He launched forward with explosive speed.

Despite his size, he moved through the confined space as though it were nothing.

*Crunch–!!*

His hand swelled, claws springing forth sheathed in a sharp, blue energy.

*Grrrrrrr—!!!*

With a bestial roar, Baek Wol swung. The air itself seemed to shred as his attack tore toward the man’s head.

Just before impact—

[Stop.]

—!!!

“Guh!?”

At that single word, Baek Wol’s body locked up.
It lasted only a fraction of a second.

But in that instant, a dark sphere materialized before his eyes.

*Woom—!*

A soft hum echoed, and then—

*BOOOOOOM—!!!*

The sphere detonated, swallowing the alley in black fire.

Strangely, the flames left no soot or scorch marks behind. They flared and vanished, leaving everything untouched.

But Baek Wol was not unharmed.

He had evaded the worst of it, but his clothing was charred and his skin blistered. Thankfully, such wounds would soon heal.

Shaking off the momentary paralysis, Baek Wol gathered himself to attack again when—

*Fwoosh–!*

The flames coalesced. From the darkness, a hand shot out, seized him by the collar, and yanked him forward.

Then—

A knee smashed into his face.

*Crack–!*

“Gah!”

The impact snapped his head back. The power behind it should have hurled his large body backward, but—

*Tight—!*

“…!?”

Baek Wol didn’t fly away. He glanced down—something was wrapped around his waist.

A dark cloth held him firmly in place, preventing any retreat.

“Urgh!”

He strained to rip it apart.

*Tight—!*

But despite his strength, the slender fabric refused to tear.

“This is impossible—!”

*BOOM—!!*

“Guh!”

Before he could finish, a barrage of blows hammered into him.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!–!!*

Strikes landed relentlessly on his face, his torso, his legs—each hit precise and brutal.

Whenever his body tried to recoil, the cloth yanked him back into range, multiplying the force of the assault.

“Guhahhh…!!”

Baek Wol could only endure. He wasn’t passive; he tried to break free when possible, but—

‘This bastard…!’

Every attempt was met with a counter—a joint lock, a preemptive strike—anything to keep him vulnerable.

And so the beating continued.
When the punches finally stopped—

*Thud…*

Baek Wol’s legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees.

“Urgh…”

Blood dripped from his mouth as he swayed, but he didn’t fully collapse. The man held him up by the hair.

[Pathetic.]
“Ghh… hrgh…”
[I expected more from a noble of Yahwol Palace. What a disappointment.]

The man’s scorn was palpable. Humiliation burned in Baek Wol’s chest.

He lifted his eyes toward the sky.

The sun was still setting.
True night was not yet here.

‘…Damn it.’

He needed the night.
Only then could he reveal his true power. As it was, he couldn’t fight properly.

Gritting his teeth, Baek Wol glared in pain. The man only smiled.

[Oh, beast of Yahwol Palace. Waiting for darkness, are you?]
“…!”

Baek Wol stiffened. His secret hope had been exposed.

[How amusing.]
Mockery laced the man’s tone.
[Do you truly believe night will make a difference?]
“You… bastard…”

Blood seeped from Baek Wol’s lips as he spat the words.

[You are mistaken.]

*BOOM—!!*

“Gahhh!”

The man drove another fist into him, still clutching his hair. Baek Wol heard something crack.

[Nothing will change, even after dark. Look closely.]

The man leaned in, violet eyes glinting behind his broken mask.

[It is already night right here.]

*Ssssssaaahhh—!*
A shadowy aura radiated from the man, enveloping Baek Wol.
It felt like night had fallen—but different.

‘…Darker than night.’

The night of the Myriad Realms was beautiful. This was not.
This was absolute, smothering, and cold.

“What… are you…?”

Baek Wol’s voice shook as he asked.
The man released his grip.

*Thud–!*

Freed at last, Baek Wol crumpled to the ground.
The man looked down at him and spoke.

[…Who can say.]

His voice held no interest.

[You aren’t worth an explanation.]
“You bastard… do you know who I—”
[I had hopes for my first prey, but…]

*Crunch–!*

“Urgh.”

«Couldn’t even finish, could you?»

Before Baek Wol could finish, the man stomped his head into the pavement.

[Next time, bow your head properly.]

*Crunch! Crunch-crunch-crunch!!*

He ground Baek Wol’s skull into the stone without mercy.
Baek Wol’s face sank deeper into the rubble.

[A wretch like you doesn’t deserve to look up in my presence.]

*CRUNCH—!!!*

With one final, brutal stomp, the man pulled his foot free.
He shook off the dust and spoke to the air.

[Get rid of this rubbish. I can’t bear the sight of him.]

As he spoke, the overwhelming pressure blanketing the area faded.
Only then did people rush forward in alarm.

“L-Lord Baek Wol!!”

But as they ran toward him, they halted abruptly, eyes fixed on the man.
Stunned terror was written across their faces.

Noticing their stares, the man began to levitate slowly upward.
They could only watch, paralyzed.

[When that insect wakes up, give him a message.]

The man’s voice cut clearly through the silence.

[He is too pitiful to be called a noble.]

With that—

*Fwoosh–!!*

He dissolved into black flames and vanished into the sky.

“Lord Baek Wol…!!”
“What happened?!”

Chaos broke out as rescuers clashed with onlookers drawn by the noise.

—

“Get the Lord out now!”
“Notify the family—immediately!”
“What was that?”
“Aren’t those the White family retainers?”
“Who was that… wait, is his head stuck in the ground?”
“That uniform… it can’t be…!”

Whispers and exclamations spread in all directions.
The disturbance was only growing.

From a distance, I observed, chin resting on my hand.

“Hm…”

I let out a tired sigh.
It was unavoidable.

‘That was too close.’

The fight had been risky.
Fortunately, it ended fast, but—

‘He was quicker and stronger than I thought.’

Baek Wol had surpassed my expectations.

‘Good thing Dragon Speech worked.’

I’d tried it on a gamble, and it paid off.
Those few seconds of hesitation were all I needed.

Once his posture broke, I never let him recover—pummeling him while using Eternal Bind to hold him in place.

Those tactics secured a swift victory.

Still…

‘What if Dragon Speech had failed?’

Without that momentary freeze, it wouldn’t have been so easy.

Of course…

‘I would have won regardless.’

After trading blows, I knew I held the upper hand.
No matter his speed or strength, it wasn’t enough.

The real question was…

‘What if it had been night?’

In darkness, he could have used his clan’s innate abilities.

Would I still have won?
I wasn’t sure.
The Wolya tribe under nightfall was an entirely different threat.

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and replayed the fight in my mind.

‘When I mentioned the Myriad Realms, he reacted violently.’

He’d lunged with uncontrollable rage, as if the words themselves were blasphemy.
I hadn’t meant to provoke him—it was just a comment.

I wondered what he’d heard in it.
I’d said it to test his reaction, and—

‘It worked better than I expected.’

He lost all composure and attacked, which worked to my advantage.

‘And then…’

I glanced down at the ongoing commotion. Still chaotic.

‘Thanks to that, Mount Hua is no longer their focus.’

By now, Mount Hua was the last thing on their minds.
Tending to their wounded leader and responding to the attack would consume all their attention.

It seemed my plan to misdirect and confuse had worked.

‘But did it really?’

I couldn’t be sure.

‘Will Eternal Bind function here as it does in Zhongyuan?’

It worked during the fight, but I didn’t know if the mask’s concealment had held.
This might bring trouble later.

‘For now, it seems alright.’

“Hm.”

I turned away from the scene below.

‘What a nuisance.’

Absentmindedly, I touched my ears.
They still felt soft and flexible.

“…”

I found myself rubbing them out of habit.
They’d become oddly soothing.

‘They say they come loose with vigorous movement, but they held.’

Even after using Transfiguration of Apparent Form, they stayed put. Impressive.

This wasn’t just about crafting ears and a tail…

‘It alters one’s entire presence.’

There was deeper artistry here.
Fascinating.

‘I wonder if I could learn it.’

It seemed possible.
If I could grasp the underlying principle, I might replicate it.

As I mused, idly stroking my ears…

*Squish. Squish-squish. Squish…*

I suddenly felt an unfamiliar touch.
Someone else was fondling my ears.

In one swift motion, I seized the wrist and turned.
Sure enough, someone stood behind me.

“When did you arrive?”
“You caught me.”

Naturally, it was Cheonma.

“…Didn’t I tell you to behave? Why can’t you follow instructions?”
“I was behaving.”

Cheonma sounded falsely offended.
To be fair, she had stayed hidden and hadn’t interfered.

Realizing that, I felt slightly awkward.

“You touched my ears.”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Be quiet.”
“…”

It was a weak retort, but I wasn’t conceding.
Cheonma wrinkled her nose and went silent.

Snorting, I turned and began walking back toward the building.

“I am the darkness born of the heavens.”
“…”

I stopped mid-step and turned slowly.

“…You.”

Cheonma was watching me, a faint smirk on her lips.

It was clearly mockery.

“What did you just say…?”
“Not an unimpressive little display.”
“…”
“I, the great—”
“Quiet. Just be quiet!”

I cut her off sharply before she could continue.
Her smirk only widened.

Damn it.

‘She heard everything.’

A wave of embarrassment washed over me.