Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 971

Chapter 971

The last light of dusk vanished as darkness took hold.
As was customary, the heavens were washed in a profound, bloody twilight.

There were many moons that crowded the night sky—far more than a single one.

I moved beyond the stars, grazed the moons, and flew ever onward to my goal.

Time itself moved at a curiously sluggish rate within Mangye,
yet one anomaly stood out—

The shift from day to night occurred with startling speed.

It was nearly immediate.
One instant the sun was vanishing, and the next, full darkness had descended.

Aware of this oddity, I remained vigilant—
yet I did not cease my flight.

Soon, I had arrived.

Concealing my aura was no great task. Whether because of my own ability or the remaining influence of the enchantment,
gaining entry was not particularly challenging.

Perhaps it was only in my mind,
but the security around Yahwol seemed unexpectedly lax.

Even after suffering several breaches,
was it still so simple to invade?

‘They must have a purpose for not strengthening their defenses.’

It was more than just the placement of their forces.

The guards were certainly present,
but they were not expanding their awareness to form a true defensive network.

In short, it was simple to slip through.
Convenient for my purposes—yet peculiar all the same.

‘Something isn’t right.’

A location targeted repeatedly should have heightened its protections—
whether by adding more personnel or widening their sensory fields to reinforce their boundaries.

But Yahwol had done neither.

Why?

I had no solution.
I set the question aside for the moment,
as my descent was already underway.

I had found my objective.

Tap.

My feet made a soft landing.
An expansive manor lay ahead.

Having visited previously, entry was straightforward.
Once on the ground, I surveyed the area.

There—upon the mansion’s roof—I detected a life force.

I moved toward it without pause.

Fwoosh—!

A brief flare of light accompanied my instantaneous movement.

I tracked the presence downward—
and soon, I saw a person.

That person became aware of me at the same moment.

«Wh—!»

His mouth opened in shock.

«Intrud—!»

But—

Clench—!

«Mmff…!»

I surged forward and sealed his mouth with my hand.
Then—

Crash—!

«Guh!»

I drove his skull into the wall, rendering him unconscious.
His form went limp and slid to the floor.

Tch.

I swiftly assessed my surroundings.
Several other presences flickered at the edge of my perception.

I had no desire to engage them all,
so I only neutralized those directly in my path.

Thud!
Crack!
«Guh!»

One after another, they fell silently.

Their numbers were not overwhelming,
but there were still more than ten.

After dispatching over a dozen men—

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue and let out a breath.

«This is becoming tiresome.»

Stealth was a nuisance.
Ordinarily, I would not have bothered with such methods.

But—

‘If I act without restraint—’

I was aware that Yahwol was not solely Yusa’s domain.

Other troublesome individuals were present here.

For now, it was wiser to show some restraint.

Even so—

‘Still…’

Holding back too much was stifling.

‘Perhaps just a little?’

Fwoooosh—!!!

Dark fire spiraled around my hand.

As ever, the sight of it left me uneasy.

These flames—
were evidence that my past and present remained linked.

That no matter what I did,
I was not truly separate from the person I had been.

The notion left a sour taste—
but for the moment, I had no alternative but to use them.

‘The location should be…’

Directly above.

He was on an upper floor—likely in the same place as before.

With that in mind, I lifted my hand.

FWOOSH—!!!
CRAAACK—!!!

Black fire exploded upward, tearing through the ceiling.
Simultaneously, I compressed the air around me to contain the sound.

BOOM—!!!

A clean opening.

The moment I saw the breach—

Thump—!

I leaped, propelling myself through the gap.
Just like that, I reached my target.

«…What in the world…?!»

The instant I landed, someone was staring at me, utterly stunned.

He appeared to be past thirty—
but given his looks, he was likely far older.

I could not know his true age.
The Moonlit Night Tribe seemed to live much longer than humans,
making any guess impossible.

‘Regardless, he is certainly older than I am.’

No matter what I assumed, that much was clear.

His blue hair, his sharp features—
and those utterly ridiculous rabbit ears.

No matter how many times I saw them,
I could not grow accustomed.

I had encountered many beasts with ears and tails—
but rabbit ears were, without question, the most absurd.

«Y-You…!»

The leader of the Blue Clan,
who had been alongside Yusa,
gaped at me in stunned silence.

Perfect.

‘He is here.’

Seeing him standing there, alive and well,
confirmed I had come to the correct place.

I landed gracefully, adjusting my stance.

With my hands held behind my back,
I fixed him with a silent stare.

His face contorted with anger.

«Do you have any idea where you are?! How dare you come back here…!»

[Hmmm?]

I tilted my head,
ensuring I projected utter contempt.

[What are you going on about?]

«Wha—?»

[There is no land under heaven where I am not permitted to go.]

Arrogance.
Absolute certainty.

I carefully modulated my tone,
deliberately crafting my words to radiate supremacy.

My face was concealed behind the mask—
so I did not need to manage my expression.

Only my posture mattered.

The way I stood—
The way I advanced—

Every step was calculated.
Every motion exuded an overwhelming aura—

The kind that suggested I could never be defeated.
That I would never retreat.

This was not merely my own performance.

I was imitating another.

I was replicating the gestures, the mannerisms—
everything about a specific individual.

Who?

It hardly needed stating.

The very one who had once worn this face.

[I have come to deliver the greetings I omitted last time.
Are you prepared now?]

«You arrogant…!»

[A shame. It seems the general is absent on this occasion…]

I clicked my tongue in feigned disappointment.

Then, with a low laugh, I added—

[But I suppose you will suffice for a diversion.]

Crack—!!!

At my words, the Blue Clan’s leader scowled deeply.

Though his face was finely crafted,
his fury twisted his features slightly.

It was satisfying.

«Your insolence has no limit! Do you know where you stand?!»

Rumble—!!

His body began to respond.

Unlike Baeksa or Gubong, his transformation was not immediate.

Instead—
his fur began to spread across his skin.

And more importantly—

‘His muscle mass is increasing.’

His physique was strengthening.

Especially in his legs—
that was where the most drastic change was happening.

[Hmmm.]

I observed with mild interest.

At the same time, I glanced toward the window behind him.

The night was now absolute.
The moons hung high in the sky.

A sky turned black—
a mark of the Moonlit Night Tribe’s territory.

‘This is a gamble.’

I clenched my fist.

Partly to heighten my focus.
Partly to awaken my own body.

[Will you perform a small spectacle for me?]

Crack—!

My step, charged with power, fractured the ground beneath me.

[Let us see what you can do.]

The Moonlit Night Tribe under the night sky.
And a chieftain-level warrior among them.

Could I truly prevail?
I swallowed my uncertainty and gathered my strength.

And then—

CRASH—!!
A blue beast hurled itself toward me.

 

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

Rumble—!

Sections of the ceiling gave way,
sending rubble pouring down.

The structure could no longer hold its form.

Not only the pillars that had once supported it—
Even the once immaculate, opulently decorated floor was now little more than wreckage.

It was a wonder the space remained intact at all.

And within that devastation—

Thud!

Something heavy crashed to the ground.

«Grrrrhhkk…!!»

Kneeling, the beast vomited blood.
A massive creature, shrouded in blue fur.

It had spent all its strength.
Fully collapsing, it curled in on itself.

And soon—

Its enormous form began to shrink.

Sizzle—!

Energy leaked out like smoke, dissolving into the air.

The bestial body swiftly returned to a more human shape.

And before long—

It was the Blue Clan’s chieftain once more.

«Ugh… kuhh…»

He was gripped by agony.

As he should be.

There was a gaping wound in his chest.

«Y-You… What… are you…?»

[…Haaah…]

I released a long sigh, meeting his despairing gaze.

[Not a bad performance, for a brief amusement.]

I said it lightly.

But in truth—

‘Damn it, that was far too close.’

I pretended to be unharmed,
but my body was thoroughly exhausted.

Two broken ribs.
A fracture in my left arm.
The wounds on my palm, temporarily sealed with Eternal Bind,
were now pulsing with pain.

The fight had pushed my body to its limit.

But at least—

‘None of the injuries are visible.’

They were all internal.

Which meant I could maintain the facade.

«Wh…What… was your purpose…?»

The Blue Chieftain trembled as he spoke.

My purpose?

[Hmmm. Who can say?]

I tilted my head and took a slow step closer.

[I have no reason to tell you.]

«Kh…!»

I spoke mockingly,
but at the same time,
I tapped his chest several times with my palm.

And instantly—

The bleeding ceased.

«Wh—?!»

The abrupt healing left him completely bewildered.

[Your performance was not entirely worthless, so I will let you live.]

I had contemplated killing him.
But for what was to come, it was better he survive.

Besides—

I had already verified what I needed.

And that was—

‘Even beneath the moon, I can overcome a chieftain.’

The Moonlit Night Tribe was most powerful at night.

I had wanted to test if I could overpower them at my current strength.

And now—

‘I have my answer.’

I can win.

I was uncertain about the other chieftains,
but based on this engagement—

‘If I were at my peak, this would not have been difficult.’

Currently, in my injured state, I would rate my performance a seven out of ten.
If I were fully recovered—easily a nine.

And—

‘If I push my limits and employ the Cheonma Divine Art…’

Then defeat would not even be a consideration.

‘…This is acceptable.’

The power the Blue Chieftain displayed…
It had to be at least on par with the highest ranks of the Ten Grand Masters.

‘Comparable to the Sword Emperor?’

I had never crossed blades with the Sword Emperor directly,
but this chieftain seemed to be of a similar caliber.

Which meant—

‘I have surpassed the Ten Grand Masters.’

And more than that—

‘Now, I must set my sights on the Three Sovereigns.’

The three absolute rulers of Zhongyuan.
The pinnacle of martial might.

And I was now only a single step away.

‘Though that one step is vast.’

The chasm between the Ten Grand Masters and the Three Sovereigns was beyond imagining.

Bridging it would require time.

But—

‘I do not have the luxury of time.’

I would not stand idle and wait for time to solve it.

I would find a way to close that gap.

With that thought, I turned from the Blue Chieftain.

«Wa…wait…!»

He weakly tried to halt me.

I ignored him.

«I said… wait…!»

[A bit too talkative for one who has lost.]

«Ghh…!»

His veins bulged as he tried to force himself upright.

[Tsk.]

I sighed and idly moved my foot.

Thud—!

«Guh—!»

A precise impact to the chin.

Thud.

His body slumped to the floor.
Finally, he was unconscious.

Just as I prepared to leave—

«Chief!!»

The door burst open.

Damn.

‘I dropped my vigilance.’

My senses had dulled after the combat.

I had expended too much energy,
which meant my awareness had weakened.

That is why I failed to sense their approach.

Those who entered—
they must have heard the disturbance.

And at the front—

‘Ah.’

I recognized a familiar face.

‘That fool.’

The one who, on that final night,
had become infatuated with the Heavenly Demon and tried to take me.

A kinsman of the Blue Chieftain.

He stood there, eyes wide.

I realized in that instant—

«Chief…! What happened he—»

Before he could complete his sentence—

SCHLK!

My hand moved on its own.

It was not planned.
It was not intentional.

I simply acted.

And the next thing I knew—

I had torn out his left eye.

[Oh. My.]

Only after the fact did I comprehend what I had done.

A mistake.

«GAAAAAHHH—!!»

He shrieked in pure agony.