614 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 614: The Curtain Sway-! A wave of dizziness hits me, causing my body to stagger. I barely manage to keep my balance to avoid collapsing. “Haa…” My breathing is uneven. I have to muster all my strength to regain control. But that’s not all. Thump-! A sensation stirs from my heart. I tense up. I must brace myself for the impending rebound. Rumble-! “Ugh…!” As expected, I groan under the pressure of the vibrations. I feel as though I might collapse any moment, but I somehow endure. Falling here is not an option. “Huu… Huu…!” My body, already fatigued, feels heavily burdened in response to the torment. It feels as if something vital is drained from me, leaving behind a sense of void and powerlessness. I remember this feeling from last time—it’s utterly wretched. Taking a mental note of my condition, I assess myself. How intense is the pain? Can I move after using it? Despite my exhaustion, I try to memorize every detail. Clenching my fist, I ponder. ‘The recoil is excessive.’ It was the same before. The recoil after using it is no joke. Pain is something I can endure, but— ‘It’s a burden on my body.’ Whether it's, as Patheon said, a strain on my soul, or simply my body being unable to bear it, I'm not sure. But using it consecutively is clearly difficult. Regardless. ‘Ultimately, being able to use it is what matters.’ While calming my breath, I raise my head to look ahead. Where an unknown barrier had previously stood, now lies a large entrance, shattered and broken. Flames flicker around the edges with a blue hue. This was the aftermath of the Heart Technique. Although it was far less destructive than when breaking the iceberg last time, the power was still remarkable. I struggle to stand upright and assess my situation. ‘Three times at most.’ If my body and mind were in peak condition, I might be able to use it thrice at the same level as just now. At the level when I first used it…I’d probably collapse after just once. ‘The method itself isn’t very difficult.’ Perhaps because I've done it once before. Or maybe there’s some other reason, but thankfully, using the Heart Technique isn't too challenging. It’s simply a matter of handling the aftermath. “What… what just…” Yuri seems unable to grasp the situation that just unfolded. From her perspective, it must be baffling that there really was a barrier as I mentioned and that the force I unleashed broke it. “Let’s go.” Naturally, there are no words I can offer upon witnessing this reaction. I merely conceal the recoil and advance. “Ah… wait…!” As I approach the breached entrance, Yuri finally follows behind. Inside isn’t drastically different from outside. The snowfields continue uninterrupted. And the snowstorm persisted through the night. Still, there was one notable difference. ‘A garden?’ Despite being outdoors, this place resembles a man-made garden. However, it appears utterly neglected after such a long time. Uuuung—!! Sensing an aura, I turn my head. It’s close. Much closer than when I was beyond the barrier. That barrier encasing this area didn’t entirely block the resonance, but it did seem to diminish it. So, it’s there. You are there. I reminded myself, preparing to move forward. “…Ah…?” Hearing a voice from behind, I briefly glanced back. Yuri, who had followed me inside, was gazing around in astonishment. “This place…” “Why? Do you recognize it?” “How… How is this possible…” Yuri continued looking around, disbelief evident in her expression. Her reaction indicated she recognized the place. “It can’t be…” “What can’t be?” “This place wasn’t supposed to exist… I heard it disappeared a long time ago.” I looked at Yuri, trying to make sense of her words. “This was where the Great Army resided.” “What?” Upon hearing that, I surveyed the surroundings. A location buried under snow, failing to fulfill its role as a garden. Calling it a garden was indeed a stretch. But this place was where Woo-hyuk once stayed? “It happened over a decade ago… I heard the Blue Wolves had eliminated it already. How could this…” “Maybe they just left it abandoned.” “No, that’s impossible. I’ve been here several times before…” “Hmm.” ‘So you’ve been here multiple times,’ she said. In other words, she hadn’t discovered it until now. Why then can we see it all of a sudden? Moreover— ‘Uncomfortable yet familiar.’ The barrier we just broke through… Something about it felt uneasy, yet familiar. In the meantime, Yuri continued looking around, confirming what she saw. “Does this mean it’s the Blue Wolves’ main residence? But the location doesn’t match…” The Blue Wolves, who rebelled against the Ice Palace and started a war. If this was Woo-hyuk's dwelling, then this area should be where the Blue Wolves’ household resides. Yet Yuri seemed to dismiss that idea. ‘I moved guided only by the resonance without properly assessing the geography, but that’s not the only reason.’ I believed there was more to it than that. ‘Whatever the case, the important thing now is that this place is connected to Woo-hyuk.’ Regardless of how a place said to have vanished remained here. It ultimately meant this place was related to Woo-hyuk. And since the resonance of the Thunder Child was here... ‘Namgoong Bia’s disappearance is connected to Woo-hyuk.’ That’s a reasonable conjecture. Whoosh-! I release my energy. It was to expand my sensory perception. As energy grazed my blood points, pain struck, causing my face to involuntarily contort. It was the rebound. ‘Honestly, my body never catches a break.’ Accidents occur just as I’m about to recover. Whenever I’m about to be okay, something happens, which is truly irksome. Uuuung—!! Energy spreads out to envelop the surroundings. Although my sensory perception extended shallower than usual, it proved sufficient. It was adequate for examining the vicinity. But then. ‘What is this?’ As my sensory perception expands, a question arises. ‘There’s nothing.’ I sense absolutely nothing. ‘Is it even possible for there to be so little?’ I hadn’t exactly been delicate in my approach. I had smashed through and entered quite brazenly. If there were people inside, something or someone should have emerged. But there’s absolutely no trace of anyone. Is there truly no one else here? All I can see is what used to be a garden, now buried under snow. There’s not even a trace of human presence. Could Namgoong Bia's traces really be here in such a place? While pondering this question, a soft thud draws my attention. “…!” At the edge of my expanding perception. Scrunch. I sense something far away. “…Oh.” The presence is unmistakably familiar, one that I’ve felt before. ‘I was hoping it wouldn’t be this.’ It’s the last presence I wish to encounter. Scrunch. I stand still, listening to the gradually approaching footsteps, my gaze fixed straight ahead. Coming from beyond. How long have I waited? Though it couldn't have been that long, the passage of time felt incredibly slow. And then— Scrunch. The footsteps climbing up the snow move softly, but at last— Pause. They stop a few paces away. I stare at the figure that appears, my expression neutral. “Well.” The man looks at me with an amused expression. “This is quite troublesome.” Woo Hyuk, the young man, releases his clasped hands from behind his back and scratches the back of his head sheepishly. It’s been years since I last saw him, but he still has that annoyingly handsome face. “It was strange how quiet it got.” While his appearance hasn’t changed— “Why are you here…?” His demeanor is different from back then. The casual and relaxed aura he once had is gone. Instead, there’s a chill around him, akin to the weather. “Am I dreaming?” Woo Hyuk says with a grin. “Bi-yeok Gun…!” Yuri, upon seeing Woo Hyuk suddenly appear, jumps and trembles with shock. She takes a step forward to speak but— “It's been a while.” “…!” Woo Hyuk doesn’t even glance at Yuri. He seems entirely uninterested. “That’s unexpected.” His reaction struck me as odd. “I heard something was amiss. Turns out it was about you.” Scrunch. His feet sink into the snow, only to emerge on top as he walks closer. “When did you arrive?” “Roughly two days ago. Or is it three? Around that time.” I answered his question. Upon hearing my answer, Woo Hyuk chuckles. “Not that long, then.” “I came in a hurry.” “Right.” “….” “….” Silence ensues. We simply stare at each other without exchanging words. ‘Hmm.’ What should I say? I had so many things I wanted to ask when I met him. Yet now that we’re face to face, nothing seems worth saying. So, I decided to cut to the chase. “Why did you do it?” “…Haha?” Woo Hyuk laughs at my question. He knows what I’m asking. “How could a person without even a speck of greed cause such a ruckus?” If it were about appetite, sure, but Woo Hyuk is far removed from greed. He’s a guy who lives simply because he was born. That’s what Woo Hyuk seemed like to me. “What’s going on? Did you eat something bad?” “...” This monk couldn’t stop devouring meat every day. That was the thought I had. To my question, Woo Hyuk responds— “Maybe I’ve developed a craving for power. People change, after all.” “What nonsense are you spouting? I’m not kidding around, so answer properly.” It’s what I told the palace lord. That I’d listen to Woo Hyuk’s side and then decide. That was my priority and so I asked. “...” But Woo Hyuk didn’t offer an answer. I sighed as I watched him. “Sigh.” Is he refusing to answer? He’s allowed to do that. If there are reasons, he might not want to say them. ‘Then I guess I’ll have to beat it out of him.’ If he keeps his mouth shut, I’ll gladly help loosen it up until he talks. Except— “Fine, I get it.” Not right now. I had more pressing concerns than dealing with Woo Hyuk at the moment. “There’s something else—tell me where they are.” “What?” “She’s here, isn’t she? Tell me where she is.” Namgoong Bia is somewhere in this place. By now, it’s a certainty. “Let me take her.” Woo Hyuk must have taken her. Which is why all this happened in the first place. Now it was time to retrieve her. That’s what I intended to do, yet— Woo Hyuk didn’t provide the answer I hoped for. “I’m sorry.” He refused outright. “That won’t be possible.” “What?” Shing. As he speaks, Woo Hyuk unsheathes a sword from his waist. “I can’t return her to you. She still has things she needs to do.” “...” “So just go back. This isn’t a place for you.” Ssssss. Energy begins to seep out of Woo Hyuk's body, slowly unfurling. I can even feel the killing intent emanating from the sword he has drawn. This means he’s serious. The pressure is considerable. It seems he hasn’t been neglecting his training over the past years. ‘Has that guy reached the Flowering Realm?’ Whether he’s surpassed the wall or not, I sense an energy that might be comparable. But I can’t be certain, given my internal injuries. “Haa.” With another sigh, I brushed my hand across my forehead. What on earth is happening for things to have escalated to this point? I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure, but— As I look at the tip of Woo Hyuk’s drawn sword, various thoughts run through my mind. “I thought I could hold off up to three. But it seems like I can’t.” I stopped counting internally and spoke directly to Woo Hyuk. “First off.” Apparently— “We need to have a little chat first.” It seems a conversation between friends is in order before anything else.