Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 943

Chapter 943

“What’s his deal?”

I looked down at the pallid arm slung across my shoulder. It was cold—unnaturally so for a living person.

The figure it belonged to was slight, too short to comfortably rest an arm on me like that. It felt awkward, almost forced.

He stood at least half a head shorter than I did.

I studied him without a word.

His eyes were a pale green, the same soft shade as his hair.

The color reminded me of Tang So-yeol’s, though even lighter.

Given the strangeness of this world, an otherworldly aura shouldn’t have fazed me.

And yet—

“This is absurd.”

Even by the standards of this place, he put me on edge.

“What is he hiding?”

Outwardly, he seemed frail, but my instincts screamed otherwise.

My chest tightened just looking at him; my heart hammered against my ribs.

My spiritual vision flickered open without conscious effort. The ring of my spell spun wildly, pulling threads of energy toward my eyes.

A new layer of reality unfolded before me.

It was like a new sense had been grafted onto my perception.

Beyond my expanded sight, the threads of my spell etched patterns in the air.

They merged with my spiritual vision.

Things once invisible now came into focus.
I saw his soul.

What I saw defied reason—within that small body dwelled something monstrous.

His presence was immense, overwhelmingly so.
The oppressive energy made every instinct I had recoil in alarm.

“This…”

It felt familiar.

I sifted through my memories until it clicked.

“That ox they called the chief.”

That massive black ox.
The feeling he gave off—this was the same.

Which meant—

“Is he on that same level?”

The realization chilled me to the bone.

I kept my gaze narrowed on him.

The young man’s green eyes crinkled into crescents as he smiled.

“Why aren’t you answering? Cat got your tongue?”

I snapped back to the moment.

Suppressing my emotions, I held my energy in check.
At this range, if I used it, he would notice instantly.

“You startled me. Who wouldn’t be, with someone popping up like that?”

I brushed his arm off. The pale limb slid away limply.

Feeling its texture, I wondered:

“Why didn’t I sense him before?”

Looking at his small frame now, it made sense.

Maintaining that form must have required immense energy.

I’d missed his presence because he wasn’t emitting a noticeable aura.

“And because I let my guard down.”

My own carelessness had played a part.

“Who are you?”
“Me? I’m…”

He tilted his head, as if considering how to answer.

“Just a passerby?”
“Then why don’t you keep passing by?”

I stepped aside, clearing a path.

“Come on, we’ve crossed paths. How could I just leave?”

He showed no intention of moving, smiling brightly as he planted his feet.

“Shit.”

It was clear I’d stumbled into something troublesome.

No—that wasn’t quite right.

“He sought me out on purpose.”

This wasn’t chance. There had to be a reason.

What was it?

“Did he notice something?”

Had I left a trace when I handled Baek Wol? I didn’t think so.
As far as I knew, I’d covered my tracks.

“But I can’t be sure.”

This was another world. There could be methods I knew nothing about.

I couldn’t afford to be careless.

I observed him closely, heightening my senses without releasing energy.
I wouldn’t miss even the slightest shift.

Then—

“So, where are you headed? Just tell me.”

He asked again about my destination.

What should I do?

I couldn’t hesitate too long.
Staying silent wasn’t an option either.

“What will you do if I tell you?”

I decided to buy time, to think.

“Well, I’ll guide you, of course.”
“Why?”
“Like I said, it’s fate. You look lost. Just trust me this once.”

The more he spoke, the clearer it became.
This guy—

“He has no intention of letting me go.”

No matter what, he planned to keep me close.

What if I tried to run?

The thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it immediately.

“It’s too risky right now.”

I didn’t know his capabilities, but he was far from weak.

Fighting here was not an option.

Having decided, I answered calmly.

“I have business with the Black Clan.”

My original destination lay elsewhere, but I changed plans on the spot.

“Oh, the Black Clan?”

He perked up with interest.

“Yes, I’m a guest there.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Can you guide me?”
“Of course! I know every corner of Yahwol Fortress.”

He spoke confidently and immediately began walking.

As he moved, I caught a glimpse of a green tail swaying behind him.

“Let’s go!”
“…”

Watching him, I followed slowly behind.

—

I trailed him for what felt like half an hour.
He walked slower than expected, stretching the journey.

Especially since he avoided main roads, leading me through twisting alleys that only added to the delay.

“So, he really does know the area,” I thought.

He was clearly familiar with the terrain.

Which meant—

“He’s taking the long way on purpose.”

He was deliberately prolonging the route, leading me in circles.

I narrowed my eyes, watching his back.

Strangely, despite the detours, we were still moving toward our stated destination.

I glanced over my shoulder.

Behind me, Cheonma followed in silence.
Her cloak hid her tail, and her ears remained steady.

“She’s still holding up.”

Unlike the Turtle’s spell, mine didn’t last as long, so I had to monitor it constantly.

That alone was draining, and yet—

“What is this guy?”

Who was this green-haired man leading me?
Why had he approached me so suddenly?

“Is he a leader from one of the other clans?”

Someone from a clan other than the Black or White?
It seemed possible, but—

“No, that doesn’t feel right.”

Something about him didn’t fit.

Especially—

“His strength doesn’t make sense.”

Compared to the leaders I’d met, he was on another level entirely.
I could only hope he wasn’t one of them.

“So then.”

What was he, really?
What was this green-clad enigma planning by cornering me?

I remained on high alert as I followed.

Then, suddenly—

“Oh, by the way.”

He spoke without turning.

“Since fate seems to have brought us together…”

There it was again—that talk of fate. What fate was he referring to?

“Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves?”
“That’s a strange suggestion.”
“We’ve walked this far. Isn’t it about time?”
“Given we haven’t spoken much, I’d say no.”
“Well, that’s because you seemed quiet. I was matching your pace.”
“Ah… I see.”
“So, what’s your name?”

He asked, amusement coloring his voice.

My name, huh?

Before answering, I turned the question back.

“Why don’t you go first?”
“Me? Oh, well…”

Yes, you.

He thought for a moment before answering.

“Mongmong. Call me Mongmong.”
“…”

Not ‘I’m Mongmong,’ but ‘Call me Mongmong’?
What kind of nonsense was that?

This madman didn’t even bother to hide the fact he was lying.

Ridiculous.

And then he expected me to give my name?

I let out a dry laugh. “I’m Cheol Ji-seon.”

I threw Ji-seon’s name out without a second thought. Selling him out was the least of my concerns.

“Oh, Cheol Ji-seon. That’s a nice name.”
“It’s nothing special.”
“Ahaha, I see.”

He clearly didn’t believe it anyway.

The air between us grew tense.

We both knew I was lying, so there was little else to say.

“Then, what about the lady?”

Mongmong turned to Cheonma.

Hearing the question, Cheonma tilted her head and looked at me.

“What’s my name?”
“…”

Why are you asking me, you lunatic?

Both of them were driving me insane.

Mongmong burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! You don’t even know your own name?”
“…”

Cheonma scowled, visibly annoyed.

“Oh, come on, really.”

He laughed until tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

But then—

“Interesting.”

Mongmong’s laughter cut off abruptly.

“Very interesting.”

Voom.

The air seemed to ripple.

I lifted my head and saw the Black Clan mansion in the distance—a place I’d visited before.

But it was still some way off, and the area around us was deserted.

“Hmm.”

Was this a trap? The realization came a second too late.

Ssshhh—!

Mongmong’s green tail twitched.

“It’ll take a bit longer. Why don’t we chat while we walk?”
“Chat about what?”
“Oh, just… whatever comes to mind.”

Mongmong kept walking, and I focused on his steps.

Crunch!

I sensed something shatter—not physically, but a shift within him.

“So, I heard something happened in the fortress recently. You know about it?”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
“Oh, it was terrifying. A noble family head was taken down, you know?”
“That’s insane.”
“My thoughts exactly.”

I lowered my gaze.
Mongmong’s pace had slowed slightly.

“You probably know this, but in this world, the ranks set by the Master are absolute law, right?”
“…That’s true.”

What the hell is that?
I had no idea what he meant. Playing along, I listened intently.

“There’s no way some nobody would dare touch a noble. If it happened, it had to be another pure-blooded noble who broke the law.”

He spoke with certainty.

“So, only nobles can touch other nobles?”

If true, it was a ridiculous rule.
But the real question was—

“Then what about me?”

I remembered how I’d beaten both the father and son of the White Clan senseless.

Was there an exception for me? Or was the rule just for show, without real power?

“It feels like an outsider is meddling.”

As I processed this, I kept listening.

“That would mean… someone broke the law.”

As he said this, Mongmong’s tone turned casual.

“And who could that be? Aren’t you curious?”

Before I could answer—

Crack!

“…!”

He reached out, seized my throat, and slammed me into a wall.

The stone crumbled under the impact, pinning me.
I stared wide-eyed at his arm.

The slender limb had thickened, now covered in fur.
It was the arm of a beast.

“What… is this…?”

I strained to speak through the pressure as Mongmong, still smiling, asked:

“What are you? I don’t know kids like you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This is so strange. I’ve been away, and everything’s gone to shit. The Divine Tree is slow to respond, and it’s all so fucking annoying.”

His childish voice and casual words clashed with the raw emotion beneath.

Was it bloodlust? No, it wasn’t that.

This was—

“Hunger?”

A deep, gnawing hunger.
It saturated his smile and tone.

Crack.

The pressure on my body intensified.

I glanced sideways.
Cheonma watched silently, hesitation in her expression.

She seemed unsure whether to intervene or hold back.
Noticing her indecision, I blinked slightly.

A signal to stand down.

Cheonma’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“So, let me ask you something,” Mongmong said.

[Answer truthfully.]

Suddenly, his voice and tone shifted completely.

Rumble.

His words vibrated through my body, sharp and invasive.

This…

“Dragon Speech?”

No, not quite, but something similar.

[Are you the one who caused all this noise in my fortress?]

With a twisted, manic grin, Mongmong continued.

Squeeze.

The pressure on my chest grew stronger.

Feeling it, my mouth began to open. Was this… could it be—

“Can I not lie?”

Was his power forcing me to be truthful?
Should I prepare to fight?

But then—

“No, it wasn’t me.”
“Huh?”
“Hm?”

Contrary to my expectations, the lie left my lips effortlessly.

Both Mongmong and I froze, stunned by what had just happened.