Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 952

Chapter 952

Kuguguguung.

An immense, suffocating pressure forced him down.

His legs gave way, his knees striking the floor, his head shoved so low his vision was filled with nothing but stone.

Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!

The frantic rhythm of his own heart hammered against his eardrums, shaking him to his core.

This was Yusa’s reality.

“Huff… Huff…”

Each ragged breath was a struggle.

Sweat beaded on his skin with every exhale, falling in heavy drops to the ground below.

‘What is this….’

What was happening?

Why was he in this degrading position?

Even now, Yusa could not grasp the situation.

Why was he on his knees?

Why was he utterly unable to speak?

It defied all reason.

And even more than that—

Grkkk…!

This nauseating, foreign feeling churning inside him—what was it?

The perpetual hunger that defined his existence had dulled.
Never before had his endless starvation felt so muted.

Was he… not hungry?

No. That wasn’t it.

‘This is…’

Something else had descended, overwhelming his hunger completely.

Something profound.

Something oppressive.

Something that erased everything else.

Struggling to think, Yusa finally understood.

‘…Fear?’

The tremors in his own fingers confirmed it.

But—

‘That can’t be.’

The moment the idea formed, he violently rejected it.

Him? Experiencing fear?

Unthinkable.

And—

‘Move. Move, damn it!’

The fact that he was kneeling like this was itself an impossibility.

He was a General.

And yet, he had been brought to his knees by a single word?

By a mere bastard from the Moonlit Night Tribe?

‘Move!’

Get up.

Tear him to pieces.

Devour him until nothing remains.

Gritting his teeth, Yusa commanded his body to obey—

Kggggkkk—!!!

Nothing responded.

The only result was the trembling in his hands growing more severe.

«Kh…!»

The blood vessels in his eyes bulged from the strain.

And then—

[«How pitiful.»]

The masked one addressed him.

[«The frantic struggles of the weak are always so pathetic to witness.»]

His chin was lifted.

A single finger from the figure tilted his head up.

[«It makes me want to break you.»]

Yusa’s heartbeat grew louder, until his whole frame seemed to shudder with its force.

[«Don’t you agree? Because I certainly do.»]

His pupils shook.

Even behind the mask, Yusa could see it—

The bastard was smiling.

Humiliation.

Unbearable humiliation.

A General of Mangye, forced to bow to this creature?

And—

‘What is he?’

This was not his master.

And yet, the command had worked.

None of it made sense.

Even more than his own raging emotions, the bastard’s very nature was a mystery.

Commands were absolute laws, etched into the soul.

They could not be issued by anyone of lower standing.

‘…Then why….’

Why could this one command him?

Yusa’s mind raced.

Was it possible—

‘…Did my master name another General?’

Could a new General have been appointed without his knowledge?

He considered it.

But he dismissed the idea just as fast.

‘No… the Sacred Tree bears no more fruit.’

One could only become a General by receiving a blessing from the Sacred Tree.

Only with that blessing could one be recognized by their master and granted power.

Yarang had been the sole exception—given authority without the Tree.

But that was a singular event.

Even his master had called it a once-in-an-era occurrence.

Then—

‘What is he?’

Even among Generals, commands could not be exchanged.

The only possibility was that this bastard’s soul existed on a higher plane.

‘…Who in the hell is he?’

No matter how he reasoned, Yusa found no answer.

His brow furrowed.

And then—

Thunk—!

«…!»

Abruptly, the pressure disappeared.

The invisible force pinning him in place vanished.

He could move again.

Why?

Why had it stopped?

It was strange, but he had no time to question it.

Yusa turned his focus back to the masked figure.

He was still watching.

That was all the incentive he needed.

Yusa ground his teeth and gathered his strength.

Crack.

The fear evaporated.

The hunger came roaring back.

He was starving.

He needed to consume him.

The moment the thought crystallized—

‘I’ll eat him. I’ll devour it all.’

A twisted smile spread across Yusa’s lips as he swung his massive arm.

The bestial limb shot toward the figure.

«Feast.»

As he spoke, fissures split across his enormous palm—

And then—

Shrrrkkk—!

Like a grotesque mouth yawning open, his hand unfolded.

He lunged, intent on swallowing the figure whole.

‘I don’t care what you are. Once I eat you—it won’t matter.’

Whatever mystery he represented would be erased upon consumption.

The instant his restraints broke, the outcome was decided.

His power allowed him to devour anything.

This one would be no different.

Or so he believed—

Until—

Crunch—!

«…Huh?»

A stunned gasp escaped Yusa.

Because instead of being devoured—

His own arm had been bitten.

«What…?»

The shape was black.

Something had erupted from the figure’s shadow and clamped down on Yusa’s beastly arm.

Crack—!

«Kh…!»

Pain.

Excruciating pain lanced through him, and he yanked his arm back on instinct.

He managed to pull free—

But—

Drip, drip, drip.

Blood pattered onto the floor.

«…Kh….»

A chunk of flesh was missing from his arm.

Yusa’s wide, disbelieving eyes shot toward the figure.

And then—

[«Feast, you call it? Not bad.»]

«…You….»

The bastard had spoken the name of his authority.

He showed no surprise.

No alarm.

He merely observed.

And from his shadow—

That thing slithered up his body.

Like a serpent, it coiled around his arm, climbing upward.

‘What… in the hell… is that…?’

A shudder ran through Yusa.

The mere sight of it made his skin crawl.

«You…! What did you do?!»

[«What did I do? We merely did what we do best.»]

«Best…?»

[«Yes. Just as you take pleasure in devouring others—»]

Slither…

The black form twisted around his arm.

[«I happen to be quite proficient at it myself.»]

«…»

Yusa’s face contorted.

Could it be—?

‘An Authority?’

Was that creature an Authority as well?

Yusa glanced at his mangled arm. The searing pain gnawed at him without relent.

Why did it hurt so much? That, too, was a mystery.

‘…It’s not healing?’

His injury was not regenerating.

Any other wound would have vanished by now.

But this one only continued to ache.

There was not the slightest hint of recovery.

Yusa looked up.

Through the window, the moon hung in the sky.

It was unmistakably night.

His body should be regenerating.

And yet, it wasn’t.

Even worse—

«…Why won’t it work?»

His Feast—the power to devour anything—was not activating correctly.

No matter how he focused, his palm would not open into its monstrous maw again.

Realization dawned. Yusa turned back to the figure and roared.

«What the hell did you do to me?!»

It was him.

That bastard had done something.

That was the only explanation for his Authority’s disobedience.

[«Hm.»]

The masked figure merely tilted his head.

[«I truly don’t know how much lower my expectations can fall.»]

His voice was a blade to Yusa’s pride.

Grit.

Yusa clenched his jaw until it ached.

Then, abruptly, the figure turned his back.

[«I sought you out of curiosity about the famed Generals of Mangye… but like this, you are a waste of my time.»]

«What…?»

What did he just say?

Could it be—

«Are you running?»

Yusa snarled at his retreating back.

[«Running?»]

The figure glanced over his shoulder.

[«That is not a word a weakling like you has the right to use.»]

There was no need to run from him.

That was the implication.

[«If anything….»]

The figure paused, as if in thought.

[«It would be more accurate to call it… a matter of taste. I simply refuse to eat food that disgusts me.»]

«You bastard…!!»

Yusa’s blood boiled.

His rage surged, and he tried to unleash the full extent of his power—

But—

Throb—!

«Kh…!!»

A violent pain flared in his arm, severing the flow of his energy.

His Authority remained dormant, and even his Qi refused to circulate properly.

And on top of it all—

«Huff… Huff…»

His breathing grew labored.

Something was deeply wrong with his body.

He could feel it.

Yusa clutched his knee, struggling to stay upright, but the masked figure only looked on with disinterest.

[«The next time we meet, I hope you’ll be more entertaining.»]

He took the door handle and stepped out.

And just before the door closed—

[«There will be no second mercy.»]

Thud.

The door shut.

«Kh…!»

Yusa immediately forced himself upright.

The strange affliction that had gripped his body had faded—just enough.

Without a second thought, he kicked the door open and exploded into the hallway.

«Where—?! Where did he go?!»

The corridor was empty.

Not a single trace remained.

Yusa scowled, searching for any sign of his presence—

But—

«Goddamn it…!!»

He could sense nothing.

Something was wrong with his Authority, and the disruption had crippled even his perception.

«That bastard—!»

Veins throbbed on his forehead as his eyes burned with fury.

Where had he gone?

He had to find him.

Now.

As his eyes darted around in rage—

«…!»

A thought struck him.

His gaze snapped toward a specific place.

The prison within the Blue Clan’s territory.

There was no hesitation.

In an instant, Yusa was sprinting toward the prison.

He moved faster than the wind.

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

Bang—!

Yusa burst into the prison, throwing the door open.

There was no one to intercept him.

The earlier commotion had already driven the guards away.

Even if they were here, Yusa had personally ordered them to keep their distance.

Urgently, he rushed inside and stared through the bars.

But—

«…Hah….»

What he saw was nothing like what he expected.

«Why…?»

His eyes widened as they scanned the cell.

Inside—

«Hm?»

A black-haired woman, the prisoner he had captured, sat calmly.

And beside her—

«…Ugh… What? Is it morning already?»

A young man, the one who called himself Cheol Ji-seon, sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.

«…»

«Oh, you’re here?»

Cheol Ji-seon greeted him with casual disinterest.

Yusa’s face twisted in irritation.

The cell was undisturbed.

The shackles on their wrists were unchanged.

There was no indication that either had left.

Which meant—

«…It wasn’t you?»

«Pardon?»

«I asked if you were the one I just fought. Answer me.»

«What? What are you—»

«Answer me!!»

Boom!

Yusa’s thunderous voice shook the very foundations of the prison.

Startled by the outburst, Cheol Ji-seon hurriedly replied.

«I… I don’t know what you mean, but no, it wasn’t me. I’ve been here the entire time.»

«…»

He denied it again.

Could he be telling the truth?

But—

‘That one resisted my command as well.’

The masked figure had ignored his authority.

If this one could do the same…

Could it truly be him?

Yusa’s instincts kept pointing toward him.

Then—

«I need to check something.»

He would confirm it for himself.

Yusa began to gather his strength—

«General—!»

A voice shouted from outside.

«Look to the sky—!»

«…!»

The urgency in the cry made Yusa immediately spin around and rush out.

When he looked up—

«That bastard…!»

Against the backdrop of the dark sky and the crimson moon—

Someone stood in midair, looking down at him.

Him.

The one who had humiliated him.

The one who had toyed with him.

The one who had commanded him.

«You bastard!!»

Boom—!

Yusa launched himself into the sky.

His razor-sharp claws slashed toward the figure, aiming to shred him—

Swish—!

But—

Nothing.

His attack cut through empty air.

There was no impact.

No flesh.

It was like slashing at a ghost.

«What…?»

Why?

Why did it feel like this?

Yusa froze, his expression blank with confusion.

[«General, let me say this again.»]

The figure ignored Yusa’s attack completely, speaking as if nothing had happened.

[«There will be no second mercy. Next time we meet—do not disappoint me.»]

And then—

Like mist dissolving into the night, he vanished.

«Where— Where did he go?»

Yusa bared his fangs and roared.

«Where the hell did you go—?!»

Kwooooooooosh—!

A violent shockwave erupted from his fury.

A force so powerful it tore through the mansion—

And even reached the prison.

«Mm.»

Feeling the howling wind, Cheol Ji-seon—

No, Gu Yangcheon—

Casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

And in that moment, he was certain.

‘I can kill him.’

A General—

He could have killed him without any difficulty.

That much, he knew.