Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 986

Chapter 986

“What are you doing?”

“……”

I frowned when Cheonma abruptly leaned in and began sniffing me.

*Sniff. Sniff.*

What in the world was she doing now? She had materialized out of nowhere and was now invading my personal space.

I attempted to push her forehead away, but she was immovable.

“Agh! What is your problem?!”

“……”

Even as I protested in irritation, she refused to retreat.

Why was she so unnaturally strong?

After a futile struggle, I finally surrendered and went limp.

Fine. Do whatever you want. Sniff away.

I stopped resisting and let her continue, which she did—inhaling relentlessly without pause.

Some time passed.

“Hmm.”

At last, as if content, Cheonma withdrew.

I shot her a weary look and spoke.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

“Tell me the truth. You already discovered whatever you were checking for a while ago, didn’t you?”

“……”

There was no need for her to keep sniffing me for so long.

It was just a hunch, but when I asked, Cheonma’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

It was subtle, but on her typically blank face, it was glaringly obvious.

That was the look of someone who’d been found out.

“You…”

“Ah… I’m tired. I’m going.”

“You insane…”

Without any warning, she suddenly declared she was sleepy and turned to leave.

What was I supposed to do with this madwoman?

I didn’t even get a chance to speak before she began walking away.

Then—

She halted abruptly.

She glanced back over her shoulder at me.

What now?

Was she starting something else?

I grew slightly tense as I watched her, cautious.

Then, her violet eyes emitting a soft glow, she spoke.

“…Or I don’t like it.”

“What?”

She tossed out those puzzling words and then leaped away, vanishing into the distance.

I released a heavy sigh as I watched her disappear.

“What was that all about?”

She’d been absent all day, then showed up out of the blue to act like that?

As I stood there gazing in the direction she’d gone—

*Click, click…*

Shin Noya, who had been observing the entire time, clicked his tongue.

“No matter how I look at it… this is just odd.”

His tone was utterly perplexed.

Hearing that, I turned to him.

“What is?”

“No matter how many times I see it—”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t exactly have a face that would attract women… so why do they all keep flocking to you?”

“……”

Hearing that, my mood immediately darkened.

I’d heard my share of jokes and could usually let them slide, but…

‘…That damn old man is completely serious.’

His face showed genuine bewilderment.

That made it even more irritating.

‘And besides, who is he to criticize someone’s appearance…’

I tried to dismiss the thought, but it only fueled my annoyance.

I didn’t want to admit it, but Shin Noya was a handsome man.

Even in his seventies, his features were sharp and distinguished.

Which meant he must have been extraordinarily good-looking in his prime.

And that just made it more aggravating.

“Why are we even having this conversation?”

I let my frustration seep into my voice, but Noya appeared completely unbothered.

“Well, I suppose the rarer something is, the more valuable it becomes… that must be the explanation.”

“…What?”

“Never mind. Let’s just settle on that.”

“Why are you drawing your own conclusions?”

“Yeah, we’ll go with that.”

“What does that mean? Have your ears stopped working because you’re so—”

*CRASH—!!!*

“Holy hell.”

I contorted my body to evade the sword strike.

It was just as blindingly fast as always.

If I’d been even a fraction slower, my head would have been severed.

“…Hmm. So you can dodge that now. How regrettable.”

“Noya… Have you gone completely insane?”

“It’s a compliment. A compliment.”

“Like hell it is.”

Just as Noya said, before now, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid that.

A part of me felt a thrill of satisfaction at my progress.

But another part was horrified—because the speed of his swing was so effortless for him.

“Haah…”

I let out a deep sigh and dusted off my clothes.

Noticing this, Noya spoke.

“Rest for now. We have time until sunrise.”

Saying that, he began casually cutting down the weeds around us.

He used to carry a sickle, but now he didn’t need one.

Or perhaps he never truly did—it was all just an act.

‘A man who can cut stone with his bare hand…’

If he just enveloped his hand in sword energy, weeds were nothing.

‘…Is it really acceptable to use Sword and Body as One for gardening?’

The ultimate aspiration of every swordsman—the state of Sword and Body as One.

And here was Noya, casually employing it for weeding in the dead of night.

Watching the sword energy shimmer along his fingers, I swallowed dryly.

‘That’s terrifying.’

The stronger I grew, the more I could perceive true mastery.

I now understood the lethal sharpness contained in that faint aura around Noya’s fingertips.

“What are you staring at? What? You want to help?”

“…Help with what? Gardening?”

“Forget it. If you try, you’ll just set the whole field on fire.”

“…I wasn’t going to help anyway.”

I shook my head and took a seat on a nearby rock.

*Swish. Swish.*

The sound of Noya slicing grass continued in the background.

Listening to it, I tilted my head back and gazed up at the sky.

In Mount Hua, there had ever only been a single moon.

But I knew that beyond this place, that wouldn’t be the case.

“……”

I replayed the events of the day.

So much had happened, like a sudden tempest.

Even now, I couldn’t make sense of my current circumstances.

I pondered it for a moment before shutting my eyes.

‘Ah. My head is spinning.’

It was all too convoluted.

So I just closed my eyes.

In the darkness, my thoughts settled slightly.

And over them, a face surfaced.

The one I always envisioned when things were hard.

As I exhaled, I pictured her.

I wanted to see her.

More than anything else—the confusion, the anxieties, the questions needing answers—

In that moment, that was my only desire.

********

Morning had come.

As the sky gradually lightened and the air subtly changed—

I opened my eyes.

*Ssshhh—!*

The moment I did, the energy flowing through me stirred, raising a faint breeze.

I had spent the whole night circulating my energy, testing my condition.

‘Hmm.’

Just as I was about to click my tongue, feeling my power return—

*Saaaah.*

“Huh?”

I abruptly sensed a shift within my body.

The weightless feeling I’d had all day was gone.

My ears and tail began to twitch on their own.

Just as I wondered what was happening—

“What the—?”

My eyes flew wide.

The ears and tail that had been there moments ago had vanished.

My body felt heavier.

No—not heavier—

‘It’s back to normal.’

My body had returned to its original state, from before I became one of the Moonlit Night Tribe.

The sensation of being a dragon was back.

Before I could even process my bewilderment, I looked up at the sky.

The sun had risen.

The moon was entirely gone.

Could it be—

“…Do I only become one of the Moonlit Night Tribe when the moon is visible?”

It was a logical assumption.

There was no other explanation for this.

‘…This is absurd.’

A dragon by day, and something else by night?

Could a body really be this strange?

I let out a soft, disbelieving laugh.

“…What in the world.”

Noya, who had walked over, wore the same expression I did.

“So you’re back to your usual self?”

“Yeah. Apparently. It must be because the sun is up.”

“Huh…”

“I don’t get it either.”

I spoke as I rose from the rock I’d been sitting on.

At the same time, I twisted my body, testing my muscles.

‘Fully healed.’

My body had reverted to its state before any injuries, internal or external.

My regenerative ability was overwhelming.

“After seeing that chaos, we really must visit the old turtle.”

“Can we go now?”

Now that the sun was up, was it time to go?

I asked, and Noya answered.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

At my words, Noya began to walk.

Seeing this, I asked—

“Huh? You’re coming too, Noya?”

Wasn’t I supposed to go by myself?

Without pausing, Noya replied.

“Yeah, I have some business to attend to anyway.”

He turned his head slightly and shot me a look.

“And I have something to tell you as well.”

“……”

Hearing that, my face grew tense.

There was something unreadable in Noya’s eyes as he said it.

*******

I shook my head and sat down on a nearby rock.

*Swish. Swish.*

The sound of Noya cutting grass continued in the background.

As I listened, I lifted my head and stared into the sky.

In Mount Hua, there had only ever been one moon.

But I knew that if I left this place, it wouldn’t be like that.

“……”

I recalled everything that had happened today.

So much had passed like a storm.

Even now, I had no idea what to make of my current situation.

I thought about it for a moment before closing my eyes.

‘Ah. My head is spinning.’

Everything was too complicated.

So I just shut my eyes.

With them closed, my thoughts quieted slightly.

And over them, a face appeared.

The one I always thought of when I was struggling.

As I exhaled, I thought of her.

I wanted to see her.

More than anything else—the thoughts, the worries, the things I needed to figure out—

At that moment, that was all I wanted.

The morning had arrived.

As the sky slowly regained its color and the air subtly shifted—

I opened my eyes.

*Ssshhh—!*

As soon as I did, the energy circulating in my body stirred slightly, causing a faint wind to rise.

I had spent the entire night testing my body’s condition, using my energy.

‘Hmm.’

Just as I was about to smack my lips, sensing my energy return—

*Saaaah.*

“Huh?”

I suddenly felt something change in my body.

The lightness I had felt all day vanished.

My ears and tail began moving on their own.

Just as I wondered what the hell was happening—

“What the—?”

My eyes widened.

The ears and tail that had been attached to me just a moment ago were gone.

My body had become heavier.

No—rather than becoming heavier—

‘It returned to normal.’

My body had returned to its previous state before I became a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe.

The sensation of being a dragon had returned.

Before I could even process my confusion, I looked up at the sky.

The sun had risen.

The moon had completely disappeared.

Could it be—

“…Do I turn into a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe only when the moon is out?”

It was a reasonable suspicion.

There was no other explanation for what was happening.

‘…This is ridiculous.’

A dragon during the day and something else at night?

Could a body be this bizarre?

I let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“…What the hell.”

Noya, who had approached me, had the same expression as I did.

“So you’ve gone back to normal?”

“Yeah. Seems like it. It must be because the sun came up.”

“Huh…”

“I don’t understand it either.”

I spoke as I got up from the rock I had been sitting on.

At the same time, I twisted my body, testing my muscles.

‘Completely healed.’

My body had reverted to how it was before any internal or external injuries.

My regeneration was overwhelming.

“Seeing that mess, we really do need to see the old turtle.”

“Can we go now?”

Now that the sun was up, could we go?

I asked, and Noya responded.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

At my words, Noya started walking.

Seeing this, I asked—

“Huh? You’re coming too, Noya?”

Wasn’t I supposed to go alone?

Without stopping, Noya replied.

“Yeah, I have something to take care of anyway.”

He turned his head slightly and shot me a glance.

“And I have something to say to you too.”

“…”

Hearing that, my expression stiffened.

There was something uncertain in Noya’s eyes as he said that.

The instant we reached the tea house, the old turtle opened the door.

He wore the expression of someone who had been expecting us.

“…Nothing like seeing irritating faces first thing in the morning.”

“Good morning.”

“I hope you’ve been well?”

“It’s not a good morning, and I haven’t been well.”

“Noya, let’s head inside. He’s welcoming us so warmly.”

“See? I told you. No one greets us like he does.”

“…You damned bastards.”

Disregarding the turtle’s reaction, we stepped inside.

The amusing part was—

“What’s this? You already prepared tea for us?”

Three cups of tea were already waiting on a table inside.

Seeing this, Noya chuckled.

“Heh. As miserly as always.”

“…Just be quiet and sit down.”

At his words, we promptly took our seats at the table.

From the aroma, it was plum tea.

Just as I carefully lifted my cup to take a drink—

“The incident last night. That was you, correct?”

The turtle addressed me.

What incident?

I considered it for a second, but before I could answer, Noya replied for me.

“Yeah, it was him. Was the barrier alright?”

“Alright? I had to repair it first thing this morning. It was a nuisance.”

“I thought so. Heh.”

Hearing the word ‘barrier,’ I understood.

‘Last night, when I arrived…’

Recalling how Shin Noya had ambushed me—

It seemed my mere entry into Mount Hua had caused an issue.

“What exactly occurred?”

The turtle asked.

Noya provided a concise explanation.

Though brief, he covered all the essential points.

“A tree and a fruit, huh…”

After listening, the turtle—

“…You.”

His gaze sharpened as he looked at me.

“You consumed a Divine Fruit from the Ruler’s Divine Tree, didn’t you?”

Divine Fruit.

At those words, my attention sharpened.