Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 976

Chapter 976

A cold dread permeated the air.

“Well?”

The man stared at Black and uttered a single word.

“Choose.”

There was no response.

How could anyone be expected to make a decision under such circumstances?

Countless questions swirled in his mind, but Black almost immediately understood the truth.

Woooooooong—!!!

What is this…?

Something was invading him.

From the hand clamped around his throat, a sinister force began creeping into his body.

“If you choose to follow me, then do not fight it. Let it in.”

Woooooong—!!!

“Kh…!?”

What kind of energy was this? It was impossible to identify.

Slowly, it wormed its way from the surface deep into his core.

It felt like insects chewing relentlessly at his flesh, consuming him piece by piece—
Like a wound festering, its rot spreading without end.

The pain was absolute.

He wanted to vomit, but even that was a physical impossibility.

“If you refuse, then speak. I will grant you that mercy.”

“Kgggghh—!!”

He was told to speak, yet his lips were incapable of forming words.

All he could produce were choked, agonized gasps against the torment.

How could anyone possibly form a rejection in this state?

As he writhed, unable to utter a single syllable—

“No answer? Then that means you accept.”

The man smiled, as if this was the outcome he had anticipated all along.

It was only then that Black understood—

This bastard… from the very beginning…

He had never been offered a real choice.

This was never a negotiation.

The path had already been chosen—
all he was meant to do was walk down it.

With that bitter understanding, Black clenched his teeth.

Kwoooooooosh—!!!!!

“AGHHHH—!!”

As the energy erupted within him, his consciousness finally broke.

***

CRAAACK—!!!

A tree snapped and fell with an earsplitting crash.

It had stood like an ancient giant, yet it gave way with shocking ease.

THUD-! THUD-THUD!!

But it wasn’t just the trees.

The very landscape was being torn apart—rocks, the flat ground itself—

Everything in the vicinity was fracturing and collapsing into rubble.

And in the heart of this violent storm—

KRRRROOOOOOOH—!!!

A bestial roar somehow echoed through the devastation.

The wind whipped furiously, throwing clouds of sand into the air.

Debris flew in all directions, hanging suspended for a single moment—

BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG—!!

Then, as if pulled down by immense weight, it all crashed back to the earth.

THUD—!!
THUD-THUD-THUD—!!!

A deluge of shattered wreckage transformed the ground into a barren wasteland.

“Haa… haa…”

At the epicenter of the destruction, the one who had caused it all gasped for air.

It was not from exhaustion.

A mere young man would not be tired from such an outburst.

It was purely an expression of his fury.

His ragged breathing, his contorted features, the muscles bulging across his frame—

None of it was fatigue.

It was merely a way to vent.

Damn it.

He ground his teeth, memories of the banquet flooding back to him.

Damn it…!

Seething with rage, the young man turned his head sharply.

Baring his fangs, he let out a low growl.

“Stop staring. If you have something to say, come out and say it—!”

He shouted the challenge and snatched up a fallen tree, hurling it forward.

As he threw it, his shoulders expanded and his entire frame seemed to grow larger.

WHOOOOOSH—!!!!

The massive trunk cut through the air like a projectile.

And then—

Slash.

A clean, sharp sound rang out.

The tree was severed perfectly in two, exploding into splinters.

THUD—!!

The two halves smashed into the ground.

Through the gap they left, a figure stepped forward, approaching the young man—Yusa.

“Tsk. Still as ill-tempered as ever. Did throwing a tantrum help clear your head?”

“…Kggghhh—!!”

Yusa’s face twisted into a demonic mask.

His rage fractured his very pupils.

Seeing this, the old man merely chuckled and adjusted his stance almost imperceptibly.

And in that instant—

Somehow, the old man was already standing directly in front of Yusa.

“Look at those eyes.”

The old man—Shin Noya—peered at Yusa with sharp, unblinking eyes.

“What? You want to take a swing at me?”

“You damn…!!”

“Heh.”

Yusa immediately moved to strike.

And yet—

Shin Noya did not flinch.

He only watched.

His vivid crimson eyes remained fixed on Yusa, utterly unwavering.

Yusa hesitated.

“Well?”

Shin Noya taunted him.

“Why stop? Keep going. Why are you hesitating?”

“…Tch.”

The mockery made Yusa grind his teeth.

And yet—

Against his own will, he did not complete the blow.

Not for any grand reason.

Only because—

If I swing my arm now—

If he extended it just a bit further—

It’ll be cut off.

His arm would be severed cleanly.

Yusa trusted his instincts above all else.

He was certain that, of everyone in Mangye, his instincts were the sharpest.

They had won him countless battles.

They had kept him alive.

This wasn’t just a hunch.

It was a concrete certainty.

That damned old bastard…!

Yusa narrowed his eyes at Shin Noya.

The old man’s hands were held behind his back.

There was no sword at his waist.

So where…?

Where was this overwhelming aura of a blade coming from?

Not a single weapon was in sight.

And yet, from Shin Noya himself—

The presence of a blade.

So sharp it promised to slice flesh at the slightest touch.

So honed it carried the weight of countless deaths.

And that—

That was what Shin Noya carried within him.

“Hmm.”

After a moment of silently watching Yusa, Shin Noya clicked his tongue.

“Tsk! How boring. Still as much of a coward as ever.”

“…Shut up.”

Kwooooosh—!!

Yusa flicked his outstretched hand into the air.

The compressed energy he had gathered erupted, dissipating harmlessly into the empty space.

The sheer destructive force was immense, yet Shin Noya seemed utterly unimpressed. He simply continued to look at Yusa.

“Well? I think I’ve given you more than enough time to think it over.”

“……”

“You’re free to keep pondering, but don’t you think it’s about time for a proper answer?”

“…An answer to what, exactly?”

“What else?”

Shin Noya smiled.

Yusa, without realizing it, flinched.

Visually, there was nothing unusual about the man, and yet—that smile felt deeply threatening.

“Stop fooling around and just take our hand already.”

“…Ha.”

Hearing that, Yusa let out a hollow, derisive laugh.

“Take your hand…? Me? With you?”

“No, Yusa. That’s not it.”

“What?”

“Not just me—us.”

“……”

For a moment, Yusa wore a blank expression.

Not me—us?

As he turned the words over in his mind, the meaning became clear.

“…You’re telling me to align myself with that so-called Hwasan Sect of yours?”

The sheer absurdity of it made him want to laugh.

“As if joining forces with something like that would change—”

“Don’t you want to be the master?”

“…!”

At Shin Noya’s words, Yusa fell completely silent.

His already widened pupils split open further.

“You’ve lost your damn mind…! Do you even realize where we are?”

His voice was rough as he cast a frantic glance around him.

There was only one reason for Yusa’s extreme reaction.

Right now, the Master was somewhere in Yahwol.

If she were to hear even a fragment of what had just been said—

“That would be the day Yahwol meets its end.”

If she so wished, she could reduce this place to nothing with just a few flicks of her hand.

Simply as an amusement.

She had that kind of power.

She was that kind of being.

“Damn it.”

As that thought gripped him, Yusa clenched his jaw in frustration.

Yet, Shin Noya remained utterly composed.

“At any rate, she’s too occupied keeping the underground sealed. Her true body can’t move right now. Are you really afraid of nothing more than an empty husk?”

Her true body was trapped.

If she moved even slightly, it would trigger an unprecedented disaster.

That was why she had no choice but to remain completely still.

In a situation like this—

“Isn’t this your chance?”

By all accounts, this was an opportunity for Yusa.

“Think about it. Not only would it solidify your place as a General, but…”

Shin Noya paused for a moment before adding—

“It might even allow you to achieve what you originally wanted.”

“Ha… And what do you think that is?”

“You wanted to be the Master.”

“…!”

At those words, Yusa’s lips snapped shut.

“Among the current Generals, you’re the only one who has lived a life comparable to hers. The only pureblooded Moonlit Night Tribe.”

Crunch.

Shin Noya took a step forward.

Somewhere, a single plum blossom drifted through the air.

“I heard that you once dreamed of becoming the Master, but failed. Do you truly have no regrets?”

“…I am satisfied with the position she has given me. Stop with the nonsense.”

“Oh? That’s quite strange.”

A grin stretched across Shin Noya’s face.

“Because from where I’m standing, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all.”

“…What are you implying?”

“What else? You went through the trouble of hosting a banquet, only to waste time exchanging meaningless pleasantries with those so-called leaders.”

As he spoke, Shin Noya continued walking forward—until he was standing right in front of Yusa.

Their gazes locked.

“And yet, despite knowing what’s happening in Yahwol, despite knowing how it all ties to Hwasan… you didn’t say a single word about it, did you?”

“…!!”

Yusa’s eyes widened in shock.

How did he know?

There had been no trace of him at the banquet.

Had he been watching?

Yusa hesitated, unsure how to react, and—

“I was right, then.”

Shin Noya spoke as if it were already confirmed.

Only then did Yusa realize—he had walked right into a trap.

“You bastard…!”

“Why did you keep quiet? You know what’s happening in Yahwol. You know it’s connected to Hwasan. And yet, you said nothing. Why?”

“……”

“Because despite claiming to be satisfied, you’re still hoping. Hoping that things can change.”

Hoping for a chance to change things.

Those words struck a deep chord.

Yusa stood silent for a long moment before finally grinding out—

“…What exactly… do you want from me?”

That was when Shin Noya’s gaze narrowed slightly.

Because those were the words he had been waiting for.

Now was the moment.

“Do you truly believe this Mangye is as it should be?”

With that, Shin Noya spoke the words he had prepared.

Yusa did not answer.

As it should be?

Of course not.

At least, not for him.

“It isn’t. Which is why—”

Shin Noya’s voice remained steady.

“Together, we will correct this twisted Mangye—with her.”

“Her…?”

“Yes.”

Shin Noya swallowed the irritation clawing at his throat.

Then, with a flick of his robe—

Whoosh—!

The white martial uniform he wore fluttered as he turned.

“The rightful blood of Mangye. The one who should truly stand in Yahwol.”

“Yarang.”

“Yarang. She, not the current ruler, is the true heir of Mangye.”

“…What?”

Yusa’s eyes widened in shock.