Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 990

Chapter 990

I took a deliberate step forward.

There was no use in leaving—I wouldn’t be permitted to pass beyond Mount Hua in any case.

Even if I did cross that boundary, I was powerless to change anything.

So rather than surrendering to despair, I chose to act.

“You’ve arrived.”

My destination was clear.

The one waiting for me greeted me with a solemn expression.

“I had some concerns about you, but it appears you did not wander off alone.”

Shin Noya looked at me briefly before his eyes shifted to the figure beside me—Cheonma.

“Have you reached a decision?”

“……”

Reached a decision.

I drew a slow breath.

If he was asking whether I had found clarity, the answer was unquestionably no.

I remained lost in endless uncertainty, choked by my own racing thoughts and buried beneath waves of doubt.

“Noya.”

“Yes.”

“Do you recall what you once told me?”

No matter how many circles I ran in,

I knew the necessary path hadn’t changed.

All this time, I had only been struggling to accept that.

I was destined to become a disaster?

The fate I had escaped due to my warped soul—

was now reclaiming me, dragging me back into its grasp?

It was ridiculous.

But no matter how infuriating, the reality remained unaltered.

The only thing that had changed was how thoroughly wretched it made me feel.

And yet—

‘…No matter how much this makes me feel like shit…’

It didn’t change what I had to do.

So what if I was a disaster?

I clenched my fists and bit down on my tongue.

Then, I spoke to Noya.

“No matter who I am… you once said that if I refuse to accept something as truth, then it isn’t true.”

That was something Noya had told me long ago.

Back then, too—when Yeon Ilcheon had named me a disaster and I nearly broke—

Noya had steadied me with those very words.

“…Yes.”

Noya gave a calm nod, as if he remembered it well.

“Do those words still hold true now?”

The words that once pulled me back to my feet—

Did they still mean something?

I asked, and Noya’s eyes met mine.

His expression was unreadable.

But then—

“Yangcheon.”

“Yes, Noya.”

“You are asking me this, but let me pose a question in return.”

“Yes.”

“Do you truly believe my opinion is what matters here?”

“……”

“At this moment, does it matter what I think?”

I fell silent.

“I don’t believe you came to me seeking an answer. Nor do I think you came for validation.”

His steady, crimson gaze held me.

His sharp eyes were intense—yet held something strangely calming, something that grounded me.

“What do you think?”

Beyond the words of others—

Beyond anyone else’s judgment—

What did I think?

I tightened my fists.

Crack.

A sharp sound came from my knuckles.

I hadn’t broken anything—only pressed until I felt the ache.

Letting that pain settle deep, I finally spoke.

“…I might be a disaster.”

“……”

“Judging by how things appear, from what people say… it really does seem that way.”

I forced a smirk.

Pulling up the corners of my mouth even when they resisted.

“…But what if I just refuse?”

If I had a mask, I would have worn it.

If there was anything to hide my face, I would have taken it.

But I had nothing.

So I just spoke.

“If I refuse to become a disaster, then I won’t be one.”

Even if what Noya said was true—

Even if every sign pointed toward me being a disaster—

‘Fuck that. I won’t do it.’

If I refused, that was that.

I wouldn’t let it happen.

Didn’t Noya say himself that if I refuse to believe something, it isn’t true?

Then I would make it so.

‘No matter what it takes.’

Just as I always had.

‘I will make it happen.’

Nothing was impossible.

This would be no different.

I would never be the one to harm those I cared about.

“…Hmm.”

Noya rested his chin on his hand.

Then—

“For the first time in a long while,”

A faint smirk touched his lips.

“You’ve given an answer I actually like.”

“……”

“If that is your decision, then follow it.”

With that, Noya rose to his feet.

“As I said before, there is a way.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“You already know, don’t you? That what your mother did is… unusual.”

“……”

Could this really be called a plan?

I truly didn’t understand.

If my mother was the one who had twisted my soul,

why would she go to the trouble of restoring it?

‘What does she want from me?’

She had vanished without a trace—

so what could she possibly want now?

Did she truly intend for me to become a disaster?

If she had come to Zhongyuan as an agent of fate,

that was certainly possible.

But—

‘If that were true, she wouldn’t have altered my soul to begin with.’

There was purpose behind her actions.

And just as Noya said,

it could have been an arrangement.

Or it could have been something else entirely.

I couldn’t afford to trust her blindly.

No matter how much I longed for her—

‘There’s too much I don’t know.’

Regardless of my feelings, I had to admit my ignorance.

Which meant I had to prepare for every possibility.

Even if I was fated to be a disaster,

if I wanted to escape that destiny, I had to understand the situation and form a strategy.

‘Of course, when it comes to planning…’

In the end, nothing would truly change.

I had only learned something new.

The actions I needed to take remained the same.

‘Whether Yarang’s actions align with my mother’s intentions or not…’

There was only one thing I needed to do now.

“Noya.”

“Yes.”

“…I’m going to find the Divine Tree of Yahwol.”

I had to find the Divine Tree.

And in doing so, I would have to confront my mother.

Even if, in the end, she wasn’t my mother, but only my master.

‘Even if I am meant to become a disaster…’

I had to return.

No matter what, I had things I must do.

“…Are you truly planning to leave again so soon?”

Noya’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised.

Was I really preparing to depart without even pausing to absorb all I had just learned?

His gaze held clear doubt, but—

“I won’t be leaving right away.”

I had no intention of rushing off immediately.

Because…

“I have to wait for nightfall.”

Now that I had gained something, it was time to use it.

******

The moon hung in the sky.

Not one, but two.

It was the same view I saw when I first arrived in Yahwol.

And just like then, a brilliant aurora swept beautifully across the heavens.

Taking it in, I descended lightly.

I landed smoothly atop the surrounding fortress walls.

Guards were posted along the perimeter—

but not one noticed me.

The instant my feet touched the stone, I pushed forward again.

The wind roared as my surroundings blurred.

Despite my tremendous speed, my landing was soft as falling down.

There was almost no impact.

No—

It wasn’t that there was no impact.

It was that my body had grown strong enough to absorb it completely.

‘Ha.’

I marveled at my own form.

So this is possible too?

Merging with the shadows, I began to loosen my body.

I had to be cautious.

The moment the moon rose, my entire being had begun stirring on its own.

Flick.

My tail swayed.

The new ears atop my head twitched, sharpening my senses.

I had to adapt.

With each step, I focused on adjusting to this body again.

The moment night came, my form had shifted once more.

The Moonlit Night Body.

Not a simple transformation—

I had become something between beast and human.

My grip, my energy—

even my senses were heightened to an extreme.

At first, I could hardly control it.

My power surged beyond expectation, nearly destroying everything around me.

But after repeated effort, I had managed to gain some control.

A rapid ascent in realm.

It felt similar to that.

‘No… It’s even more.’

It wasn’t just a change in realm.

My whole body had strengthened—a completely different state.

The more I moved, the more energy swelled within me.

Just moments ago, I had been reeling from the revelation of my destined disaster—

and yet now, as night fell, my body burned with resolve.

‘Is this another effect of the transformation?’

These were abilities I should have possessed from the start.

Now that my soul had been restored by consuming the Divine Fruit,

this transformation must have been the result.

‘Then why do I revert to a dragon by day?’

Why did this form only emerge at night?

‘No… Revert isn’t the right word.’

If I had always been Moonlit Night, as my mother said,

then I wasn’t reverting to a dragon by day—

I was simply returning to my true form at night.

Either way…

“This is…”

“They’re over there…”

My heightened senses gathered countless details from all directions.

I could detect scents I couldn’t before.

I could hear distant sounds with perfect clarity.

Processing the flood of information, I moved ahead.

I checked my mask.

My clothes.

My Qi Concealment Technique.

I had to ensure everything was prepared.

Especially now that my body had changed—

I was concerned my Qi Concealment might not function properly.

‘But instead… it’s even easier to control.’

This body—the Moonlit Night Body—allowed me to use Qi Concealment more effectively.

Perhaps because my muscles were more supple.

Or because my body had simply grown stronger.

Either way—

I could now perform far more precise and subtle transformations.

Which meant that as long as it was night,

I could fight while remaining concealed.

‘Not that I’d need to rely on it much now.’

At this level…

‘I don’t think I’d lose to the Three Masters.’

I had never actually battled them,

but judging by my current state, I felt sure I could match them.

Which meant—

‘Even generals wouldn’t be beyond me.’

If I was on par with the Three Masters,

then facing generals—who ranked just below—was well within my ability.

‘Good.’

I would likely need to fight soon anyway.

And if I could use the night to my advantage,

I could easily sway the battle.

Thinking that, I reached for the door before me.

There were no guards.

I had been here before,

so I already knew no security was posted in this area.

I wasn’t sure why—

but it certainly made things easier for me.

Creeeeak…

The door slowly opened under my push.

I was just about to step through—

“If you don’t mind, may I go in first?”

“……”

I froze.

My hand held the door handle, but I didn’t move.

A voice.

From directly behind me.

If someone had simply approached from behind,

it wouldn’t have been a problem.

But—

“I have something urgent to take care of.”

The voice addressing me with a soft, knowing smile—

Was unmistakably—

My mother’s.