Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 928

Chapter 928

The shadow that flowed over the earth devoured the entire field like a beast consuming its kill. The territory of the domain stretched as wide as a great lake, immense and suffocating.

Bit by bit, the all-consuming darkness ate away at the trees and shrubs in its path until it had forged a realm of absolute black.

Crack.
Snap.

From the blackened soil, a ghostly, ash-like mist drifted upward, shimmering like heat haze.

It felt ominous.
And it was vile.

“…”

The masked woman stood in silence, watching the baleful domain through her mask.

Her eyes shifted rapidly, searching the area for the source of this oppressive space.

Then, without warning—

Squelch—!
“—!”

The ground gave way beneath her feet, disrupting her balance.

And in the next instant—

Shiiing—!!!
A razor-sharp spike erupted from the earth, driving straight for her throat.

She moved without hesitation, cleaving the spike in two with her blade of concentrated energy. Planting her feet, she wrenched herself free and leaped backward to gain space.

But—

Swoosh—!!

Innumerable hands clawed their way out of the ground, reaching for her.

As she prepared to swing her sword again, she felt a sudden grasp on her back.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The master of the domain was already behind her.

Before she could react, a hand closed around her neck, and her world spun violently as she was slammed into the ground.

Thud—!!

Her body sank into the earth, the thick, muddy sensation swallowing her as if she were being buried alive.

Her opponent, of course, did not stand idle.

Rumble—!!!

A vortex of dark energy spiraled inward, condensing into a single, densely concentrated point.

The pressure radiating from it was immense.

The domain began to shrink, but it wasn’t merely receding—it was compressing. The vortex tightened the space, its mass undiminished, causing the pressure to multiply exponentially.

Adjusting the gathered energy in her palm, the black-haired woman brought her hands together in a soft clap.

Clap—!

And then—

BOOOM—!!!

The accumulated energy detonated instantly. The scale of the blast was beyond belief.

The entire expanse of ground blackened by the domain erupted, leaving behind only a massive, deeply scarred crater.

Ssshh…

Faint traces of dark energy dissipated like ash.

The Cheonma’s violet eyes stared indifferently at the aftermath.

Was it over? No. It wasn’t.

At the center of the crater, something glimmered—a small sphere emitting a faint magenta light.

Creak.

Cheonma tightened her grip on her sword. With a simple swing, she launched a heavy crescent of black energy toward the sphere.

BOOM—!!

The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, scattering dust and debris, but the sphere remained completely undamaged.

“Hm.”

Cheonma frowned, displeased. Not even a scratch—that was unusual.

“What’s going on?”

Had her strike been too weak?

She strengthened her grip, channeling more energy into her blade. The sword, slightly dulled from the previous attack, now swelled with renewed power.

This time, she would attack in earnest. As she settled into her stance, ready to unleash her full strength—

Flick—!

Something burst forth from the sphere.

The woman surged forward, her sword scraping against the ground as she closed the distance to Cheonma. In one fluid motion, she swung her blade upward.

Clang—!

The attack was blocked before it could build momentum.

Cheonma calmly reached a hand toward the woman’s face—

Crack—!

“Huh?”

Something shattered. Cheonma looked down. Her sword was fracturing, splintering into fragments.

Which meant—

Shiiing—!!!

The woman’s blade arced toward Cheonma’s face.

Cheonma twisted her head at the last possible instant, narrowly avoiding the strike. As she evaded, she tilted her head slightly.

“What the hell?”

Why had her weapon broken so abruptly? It made no sense.

But she didn’t have time to ponder it.

Another attack followed immediately.

The sound of splitting air trailed the blade, a testament to its terrifying speed.

Despite the relentless assault, Cheonma evaded each strike with an unchanging expression.

Something about these movements felt oddly familiar. Though she couldn’t place it, the sensation was unmistakable.

Have I seen this before?

Cheonma wasn’t one to linger on such thoughts. After all, the world was full of strange things that could feel deceptively known.

But none of that mattered now.

Bang—!

Cheonma was curious about what lay behind the woman’s mask.

Deflecting the incoming blade with a surge of energy, she closed the distance. Her own dark energy erupted outward, vast and primal, as it had been since the day she was born.

She made no effort to restrain it—she had never learned how.

The oppressive force caused the woman to falter for a split second.

Then—

Whoosh—!

She took a single step back. Just one.

Gripping her sword firmly, she pivoted her body.

Her blade sliced through the air, and Cheonma saw it clearly.

“White?”

Amid the magenta energy coiling around the sword, there was a distinct streak of white.

Cheonma’s eyes locked onto it, completely captivated.

Screeech—!!!
Slash—!

Her fixation cost her. The energy ripped into her, scoring her body, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

“Ah.”

It hurt. Cheonma clutched her chest, stumbling backward.

“Urgh…”

She bit her lip, overwhelmed by the sharp, sudden pain.

Sizzle…

Her wound hissed, emitting a strange, burning sound. Her face contorted in discomfort.

“It hurts…”

Lifting her hand from her chest, she found it smeared with blood.

To make things worse, her clothes were stained.

Cheonma’s expression fell as she looked at her soiled garments.

‘I’m going to get scolded.’

She had been told not to cause trouble. To remain unseen. To avoid making a mess.

“Mm…”

What would they say now? The thought of further rejection made her bite her lip again.

Her chest throbbed with pain.

Was it from the wound? It hadn’t felt this severe before, but now it was almost unbearable.

“…Ah.”

And then she understood.

Cheonma lifted her head, looking straight ahead.

“She’s gone.”

The woman had vanished.

Lost in her thoughts, she had allowed her to escape.

“…Hmm.”

Scratching her head, Cheonma nodded to herself. This was the second time.

Next time—

“I won’t hesitate to kill her.”

She resolved herself firmly.

—

‘What’s this?’

I turned my head to the left.

Something was stirring over there. A peculiar energy. Was I imagining it? An ominous feeling lingered, but as I concentrated, it faded into nothingness.

“Am I just tired?”

It was possible. I hadn’t slept in days.

I usually don’t need much sleep, but since arriving here, I hadn’t rested at all. There was too much to investigate, too much to understand. Sleep felt like an indulgence I couldn’t afford.

“Should I sleep now…?”

I considered it—there wasn’t much else to do anyway.

But then again—

“Yeah, this definitely isn’t the place for that.”

I sighed as I looked around.

The damp, cold floor. The humid, stifling air. And the iron bars staring back at me from just ahead.

This place felt strangely familiar. Oh, right—I was in a cell. In handcuffs, no less.

“Hah.”

I let out a dry chuckle. How long had it been since I’d been locked up? Probably not since the life before my last, back when I met my end.

Should I feel nostalgic about this?

Clang.

I clicked my tongue as I stared at the cuffs on my wrists.

How did things come to this?

“Man, I really didn’t see this coming.”

Of all outcomes, I hadn’t expected to end up in a cell. I studied the chains for a moment before raising my voice slightly.

“Hey.”

The sound prompted movement beyond the bars.

“Quiet down.”

A figure dressed in black appeared, issuing a warning. I smiled at him and asked,

“How long am I supposed to stay here? Come on, I’m a guest, after all. This isn’t how you treat visitors, is it?”
“Guest?”

The man snorted.

“How the hell are you a guest?”
“Well, I went through all the trouble of bringing Gubong here, didn’t I? Considering the effort I put in, I think I’ve earned at least a little hospitality—”
“Shut up!”

The man’s reaction was fierce.

“Damn, no need to shout.”
“Do you even know who you’re talking about when you say that name?”

Ah, so it was mentioning Gubong that provoked him. I replied casually.

“Who else would he be? Looks to me like he’s the family’s prized son or something.”
“…”
“Is he the eldest? The second son? Or maybe an only child?”
“You little—”

His voice took on a low, almost bestial growl.

I smirked as I replied,

“Eh, doesn’t matter. That’s not important. Anyway, seriously, how long are you planning to keep me here?”

I tapped the floor lightly with my fingers as I spoke.

“You see, I’m kind of used to a higher standard of living. These conditions don’t really suit me.”

Truthfully, I could sleep in a mud pit if necessary, but that wasn’t the point.

The man clenched his fist, trembling for a moment before letting out a strained laugh.

“Who knows.”
“Huh?”
“There’s been no word on when to let you go. Hell, we might never let you go.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be a problem.”

I leaned back lazily, propping my chin on my hand with a frown.

“I’ve got a lot going on, so forever isn’t going to work for me. Think you could speed things up?”
“Hah.”

He scoffed in disbelief.

“If the leader sets the rules, then they’re absolute here. Do you really think your opinion matters? You’re nothing but a pest from Mount Hua, yet you have so many demands.”
“…Hmm.”

I scratched my cheek, realizing I’d pushed him a bit too far. He seemed to genuinely despise me now.

“So, you’re really not letting me go?”
“Exactly. Now shut up and sit quietly.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Are you deaf?”
“Ah… damn.”

I hung my head in mock defeat, and the man nodded with satisfaction.

“Finally, you’ve realized your place—”
“I thought you’d at least treat me like a guest. What a hassle. Now I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

Before he could finish, I stood up.

Crack—!

I tore the cuffs from my wrists.

“What the—?!”

The man moved, startled, but I was already gripping the iron bars.

Creak—!

With a firm pull, I bent the bars apart.

The man’s eyes widened as he processed the situation. I flexed my wrists casually and spoke.

“If you’re not going to treat me like a guest and instead like a prisoner… then I’ll just act accordingly.”
“You bastard—!!”

The man charged at me—or at least, he tried to.

Grab—!

“Gah!”

I caught him by the face, my grip forcing his jaw open and holding him in place. His teeth were clearly visible, so I plucked out one of his fangs.

Flick—!

“…!!!”

He trembled violently, struggling in my grasp, but he couldn’t break free.

For all his pride, he didn’t even scream.

“Listen carefully.”

Crunch!

I crushed the fang before his eyes and continued.

“I’ve got a few questions for you.”
“Guh… guh…”
“If I don’t like your answers, I’ll pull out another tooth. Then your nails. Then your eyes. And finally, your bones. If you’d rather stay quiet, that’s fine too—it’ll just hurt more.”

I loosened my grip slightly, just enough for him to speak.

“Now, first question.”

I looked at the terrified man with a rare thrill.

“What’s Gubong’s deal?”

It’s been a long time since I last had the chance to enjoy torture.