Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 954

Chapter 954

I made my way toward Mount Hua.

I did not return immediately; I had to wait as long as I could, until the sun began to rise, before going back.

I was acting on the memory of those words: if one can avoid it, moving under the cover of night is best.

Gaining entry was not a difficult task.

Remembering what Gubong had done previously, I had come prepared by acquiring some ground turtle shell powder ahead of time.

The true challenge was pinpointing the correct spot to cross.

‘Here.’

That, however, also proved simple.

It was plainly visible.

I narrowed my eyes, studying the distortion in the air.

‘I was unable to perceive it before, but now…’

Initially, I had to focus with my mind’s eye wide open to even catch a faint hint of it. Yet now, for some unknown reason, it was unnaturally clear.

Had there been a specific moment that prompted this shift? Or possibly…

‘Has the barrier been damaged?’

Suspicions mounted, but I did not linger on them. This was not the time to be concerned with such matters.

Tap. Tap.

I shook a small amount of the powder onto my body.

As I had experienced last time, it was a deeply unpleasant sensation every single time.

‘…Ground turtle shell powder, honestly….’

It felt like I was rubbing pulverized, dead skin all over myself.

It was infuriating, but with no other option available, I bore it and continued applying it.

After dusting myself a few times, I turned to do the same to Cheonma.

“…I will not do that.”

Cheonma, uncharacteristically, recoiled with clear revulsion.

“What do you mean you won’t?”

Bewildered, I seized her by the arm.

“I do not wish to.”

Smack!

She violently pulled her hand free.

What in the world was this supposed to mean?

“Then what? You plan to just remain here?”
“No.”
“Then you must use the powder. You cannot get in without—”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Cheonma began walking forward.

“Hey, wait—!”

I called out to her urgently.

She approached the barrier without a moment’s hesitation and—

Whoosh—!

“Huh?”

She disappeared right before my eyes.

What in the world?

I stared blankly in confusion, my eyes wide.

It couldn’t be…

A sense of unease washed over me as I approached the barrier myself.

Flash!

Just as before, a light shimmered, and the scenery in front of me changed. In the next instant, I was already inside Mount Hua.

And Cheonma was standing right there.

“You…?”

I looked at her, utterly shocked.

She gazed back at me with her typical, expressionless face.

“How did you do that?”

“…”

I asked out of sheer curiosity, but she offered no reply.

She simply stared at me in silence.

Then, without any warning—

Stomp!

“Guh!?”

She suddenly brought her foot down hard on top of mine.

A burning pain shot through me, and I jerked my leg back instantly. She must have stomped with significant force—for a moment, I thought my foot had been shattered.

“You insane woman…! What is wrong with you?!”

Clutching my throbbing foot, I swore at her.

Cheonma, however, merely let out a dismissive “Hmph!”, snorted at me, and then—

Whoosh!

—leapt high into the air and vanished.

“…Huh?”

I could only let out a hollow sigh as I watched her figure disappear into the far distance.

“What the hell is her problem now? Damn it….”

Scowling, I could do nothing but glare at where she had gone.

Seriously…

I would never understand that woman.

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

After returning to Mount Hua, the first place I went was, naturally, to where Noya was.

As usual, Noya was diligently working the field behind his dwelling.

“Oh, you’ve come—”

He began to greet me but immediately narrowed his eyes.

“…What in the world did you do this time to end up in such a state?”

“Ah.”

I let out an awkward laugh at Noya’s words.

Damn, I had hoped he wouldn’t notice, but he had spotted it immediately.

‘It’s still too soon to conceal it from him, it seems.’

Even though I had been meticulously controlling my energy, it appeared deceiving Noya’s eyes was an impossibility.

“Your body was already a wreck, and now you’ve made it even worse.”
“…It’s not that serious. Only my internals are damaged—on the outside, I look fine, right?”
“Hah. And you believe that is something to be proud of?”

Noya clicked his tongue repeatedly as he stared at me.

Was I truly in such poor condition?

‘It’s a little rough, certainly, but it’s manageable.’

Truthfully, I hadn’t even been in a real fight.

I hadn’t clashed with anyone directly.

All I did was attempt to use the Cheonma Divine Art and ended up injuring myself, so my exterior was largely untouched.

The actual issue was—

‘Restraining the General.’

In that process, my insides had been wrenched and twisted.

It felt as if my very soul had been wounded.

This persistent, prickling discomfort refused to fade.

Naturally, my internal organs had suffered as well, but…

‘Well, it doesn’t matter….’

It wasn’t as if my body had ever been in prime condition to begin with.

This was just another injury I could heal by toughing it out.

Anyway—

“I had some business to attend to.”
“Business?”
“Yes.”

I looked at Noya and continued.

“I went to see the General myself.”

“…!”

Noya’s eyes widened at my words.

Seeing his reaction, I slowly started to explain.

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

Noya set down the sickle he had been holding and rested his chin on his hand.

His expression grew solemn.

I had not explained everything in great detail.

I only told him that I had gone to Yahwol and met Yusa.

And that after meeting Yusa, I had a confrontation with the Cheong Seon family.

That was all.

“…So Yusa appeared.”
“Do you know much about him?”
“I would not claim to know him well, but I am not entirely ignorant either.”
“What kind of person is he?”
“Hmm.”

When I asked about Yusa, Noya considered for a moment before answering.

“As a pureblood of the Moonlit Night Tribe, he has attained the very apex.”
“The apex?”

That was quite a bold declaration.

The Moonlit Night Tribe encompassed all beastmen, after all.

And he had reached the top among them?

‘Well…’

I could not really dispute it.

The Yusa I had faced was undoubtedly overwhelming.

‘He was even more fearsome at night.’

When he unleashed his full presence, the sheer pressure of it surpassed my expectations.

If I had to make a comparison… yes.

‘Not merely one of the Ten Grand Masters…’

He might be on the level of the Three Supremes.

In terms of pure aura, he was not far from the Heavenly Lord I had encountered in my past life.

‘…Does that mean the General is of the Supreme tier?’

I had not seen any other Generals, so I could not be certain.

But from what I witnessed, Yusa unquestionably possessed that caliber of power.

At the very least, in raw combat strength.

As I was internally gauging Yusa’s power, Noya added more.

“He favors a crude, direct approach. But his strength is overwhelming. His instincts are razor-sharp, so he is not easily deceived. He acts simple, but in truth, he is more like a cunning serpent.”
“So, a powerful yet irritating bastard?”
“I took my time explaining, and you condensed it into a single sentence….”
“Am I incorrect?”
“…No, you are right.”

Noya sighed in resignation.

‘As I thought.’

Hearing that, things began to make more sense.

No wonder he had grated on my nerves.

“So… you met him, and that is how you ended up in this state?”
“Yes.”
“But you claimed you did not actually fight him.”
“Ah… Right, we did not exchange blows. But he pulled some strange trick.”
“A strange trick?”

I briefly summarized what had occurred.

That bastard had attempted to suppress me using his words alone.

And in the process, I had grasped how to utilize a similar power.

I also mentioned that I had managed to restrain him for a brief moment using that very method.

Noya gave me a peculiar look.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Was there an issue?

Feeling slightly apprehensive, I asked, and Noya shook his head before responding.

“No, it is just… are you telling me you actually used that against Yusa?”
“Yes. Do you know what it is?”
“I do not know the full intricacies, but I have a general understanding. What you employed is called Myeong.”
“…Myeong, as in ‘command’?”
“Correct.”
“Wow, what an absurdly straightforward name.”

So they simply called it Myeong because it meant ‘command’?

They might as well have just called it ‘command.’ Why abbreviate it to a single character?

But that was irrelevant.

“Myeong is a power that enforces absolute obedience.”

For the moment, I focused on listening to Noya’s explanation.

Absolute obedience.

That sounded impossible.

“Absolute? That seems like nonsense.”

There was no such power in the world.

A force that could control someone unconditionally? I had never heard of anything like it.

‘If it were a divine authority, perhaps I could comprehend it. But even divine abilities are not this outrageous.’

Take my Greed, for instance.

It was exceptionally effective against beings with divine power, yet simultaneously useless against those without any.

But this Myeong?

It supposedly compelled anyone to obey, regardless of who they were?

“…Does it function irrespective of the target’s strength?”
“That is one way to phrase it.”
“There is no chance that is true.”

No matter how I considered it, it defied logic.

Could such a broken ability truly exist?

Of course, I had used it to suppress Yusa, but… ah.

“But he also tried using it on me. And it failed.”
“Precisely. That is the crux of the matter.”
“What do you mean?”
“Brat, even when I said it was absolute, a condition still exists.”
“Then it is not absolute at all—”
“Be quiet and listen.”
“…Yes, sir.”

The moment I tried to argue, he cut me off immediately.

Damn.

He was the one who used the word absolute, and now he was angry at me for pointing out the contradiction?

I grumbled internally.

“It only functions when the user’s level of existence is superior to the target’s.”
“…Huh?”
“In Manwol (the Full Moon Realm), Myeong only affects those of a lower existence than the user. And only Generals can wield it.”
“…What?”

Only Generals could use it?

Then…

“…What about me?”

How in the world was I able to use it?

Not only that, I had used it against a General.

Sure, my insides had been torn apart in the process, but the fact remained—I had utilized it.

Confused, I pressed Noya.

“That is simple. You must have been of a higher existence than the General you used it on.”
“Me? A higher existence than a General?”
“Why not?”

Noya gave me a weary look and pointed at me.

“Think about whose child you are.”
“…!”

At his words, only one person came to mind.

It was not my father.

That left just one individual.

No way.

“…Are you saying I could use it because of my mother?”
“I cannot state it with certainty, but if you were able to use it on a General, that is the most plausible explanation.”

I was the son of the ruler of Mangye.

Because of that, my existence was higher than a General’s.

That was Noya’s reasoning.

But—

“Of course, this is not a definitive answer. It is merely a strong possibility. If that is not the reason—”
“Then what?”
“You mentioned that your mother was the reason you could enter this place. Perhaps she left something within you.”

Hearing that, I furrowed my brows.

That could be true.

‘…Back when I faced the Blood Demon, my mother sent me here.’

I still remembered what she had said.

No matter what occurs. Under no circumstances.

‘Never come searching for her.’

Her warning that day had been filled with urgency.

And from what I had learned, she was no longer the same person I once knew.

If I met her now, there was a possibility she might kill me with her own hands.

But still…

“…I must go see her.”

Now more than ever, I was certain of it.

“…Brat, I told you before.”
“I know. She may not recognize me.”

Noya frowned.

Before, I might not have noticed, but now I understood.

That expression meant he was worried.

“But what choice do I have? If I wish to return, I must see her. And even if that were not the case, I need to see her to fulfill your request.”

“…”

“Besides—”

I stretched my neck.

A habit.

Whenever I felt exhausted, physically or mentally, I always did this.

“Even if it is unjust, I need to see her.”

“…Unjust? What do you mean?”

“She left me for decades. I want to see her and give her a piece of my mind.”

“…Hah.”

“Anyway, I am done talking. I will be leaving now.”
“Where?”
“I am going to see the old turtle.”

I had already made my decision.

I had decided a few days prior.

But now, I was entirely resolved.

My weary body felt manageable again.

My exhausted mind grew sharp.

“Before I meet my mother… I need to put myself in order first.”

Noya looked at me as if I were deranged.

I ignored it.