631 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 631: The Ninth and the Third** It was Woo-hyuk. Just moments ago, Woo-hyuk, who had been lying frozen, was now holding my hand with his eyes wide open. But there was something different. Woo-hyuk's long hair had turned into white strands. And his eyes were now filled with a blue hue. The instant I saw this, I grasped the situation. "You bastard..." The one who held me wasn't Woo-hyuk. It was clear it was the third pureblood, Mang. Seeing my startled expression, Mang smirked. "The look on your face is delightful." Though the face was Woo-hyuk's, the smile was noticeably different. "Just a little more." His voice dripped with regret. "...If only a little more, I could have perfected it." The edge in his voice sharpened with each word. "...To think you'd interfere at that precise moment." I felt pressure tightening around the hand that held me. "Enough. This should suffice. Although I did wish to show mercy to a fellow kin after so long." His lips curled upwards. "Given the circumstances, it wouldn't hurt to straighten things out preemptively. Now, with a friend's body, face-" Bang! "Gah!" Mang's head jerked from the punch. I didn't give him a moment to recover and threw punch after punch. Bam! Thud! Pow-pow! Bang! I continued to rain down blows as if to shatter his very face. Being this close made it easier to land my punches. As vibrations shook the space we occupied, threatening its very stability... "You... Damn bastard...!" Mang, who had been enduring the hits, finally released my hand, his aura exploding forth. Swoosh—! The burst of cold air forced me to retreat and shake off the frost clinging to my body. Spit. Mang spat on the ground, blood pooling in his mouth. He looked at me with an incredulous expression. And then he spoke. "Truly, you must be out of your mind. Do you not recognize what stands before you?" "You think I'm blind? I see just fine." It was Woo-hyuk's body, unmistakably. How could I not recognize it? Even if he was covered in white hair and had blue eyes. 'It's just that Mang's wearing Woo-hyuk as a disguise.' When I answered him bluntly, Mang's expression grew more distorted. "Surely, you came here to rescue this body of mine." "That's right." That was the truth. I had indeed come for that. Though I had momentarily forgotten. "And yet, you attack without hesitation? Do you not care what happens to this body?" I tilted my head in response to his question. "Why would that be a problem?" "What?" I couldn't understand him. I meant, I couldn't exactly grasp the intention behind his question. "Why should I hesitate to hit you?" Even if Mang wore Woo-hyuk like a mask— Why would I have any reason to hesitate in taking him down? "You, you're going to fight me." "..." He couldn't deny it. "So what, was I supposed to just stand there and get hit? Wow, you're more selfish than I thought." "No, that's not—" "Or did you think, as a friend, I would hesitate before hitting you? Are you my friend?" "...Ha." "You're not." Though it was Woo-hyuk's body, Mang was certainly not my friend. Moreover, "I already wanted to hit you. That bastard put a knife in my stomach." Even if it wasn't Mang, once I got Woo-hyuk back, I would've punched him anyway. It was quite convenient, actually. This time, "I can even vent my frustrations in the process." With those words, I charged towards Mang with accelerated speed. Boom! The ground crumbled as I leapt forward. Whoosh. Engulfed in flames, I lunged directly at him. Thrusting a foot forward. **Guwon Taiya Rang (俱炎態牙狼).** Whoosh—! Boom!! The fire bursting from my foot transformed, enveloping Mang. While the technique was originally meant to be executed with a fist, it didn't matter once you were familiar with it. Whoosh...! The swiftly expanding flames gradually morphed into a shape. It resembled a dragon. Mang furrowed his brow upon seeing this and raised his hand. Sizzle—! Cold air erupted from his fingertips, erecting a wall of ice. Thud! The flames clashed with the barricade and scattered. And in that same moment, I was already behind him. The flames were merely a distraction. As Mang focused on building that ice wall, I circled behind him. Then, **Heart Fist (心拳).** I imbued my fist with intent and shot it forward. Crrrrrack—! Invisible energy shot out, threatening to upturn the ground. If it had been the real Woo-hyuk's body, he'd have been pulverized. "...You're quite hasty." "...!" As soon as I unleashed the Heart Fist, an instinctual step backwards saved me. In that instant. Swoosh—! A splash of blood followed. A shallow cut appeared across my chest. Seeing this, I thought, 'That was a close call.' Had I not stepped back, I would've been sliced open. Though hurt, it wasn't a fatal wound. I discreetly adjusted my position, keeping an eye on Mang. By now, he had drawn a sword. I had to admit, I was a bit surprised. "Is that your power?" A sharp sword fashioned from ice. Though he didn't wear any armor, this was the martial technique Yuseon used. Surely, 'I didn't think it was a power, though?' Why could Mang wield it so effortlessly? Mang smirked slightly in response to my silent question. "What's so strange about it? After all, the abilities used by the Northern Sea lineage originated from me." "...What?" The ice arts of the Northern Sea originated from Mang? With that, he continued, watching my reaction. "Did it not strike you as odd?" With Woo-hyuk's face, Mang questioned me. "Why did that foolish apostle insist on wielding a sword when it didn't suit him?" I recalled the fight with Yuseon, pondering that very oddity. Despite being a martial artist, Yuseon had awkwardly wielded a sword in our battle. "It's simple. The power was tailored to me." "...Because you used a sword, it manifests as one. Is that what you mean?" "You, the ninth, were once a lowly creature. Have you never found it strange, even once?" "Hmm?" Whoosh—! With a few movements of his sword, Mang continued his talk. “To conjure flames, unleash ice, or summon thunder... Do you truly believe such feats are within a human's sole capability?” “What?” Mang's words momentarily threw off my focus. And then— Whoosh—! “!” Seeing Mang’s movements, I quickly ducked my head. A sharp force whizzed just above me, and a loud noise echoed from behind. It was the sound of something being sliced through. I lunged forward. With flames enveloping my body, I dashed towards him again. **Guwon Taiya Rang (俱炎態牙狼).** Mang narrowed his eyes and moved his hand. Flames rapidly gathered in his palm. He formed a fiery orb and hurled it at Mang with all his might. Whoosh—! The fiery orb shot towards him. Just before it exploded upon contact with Mang— Swish—! Mang swung his sword, slicing the fiery orb in two. The bisected orb diverted towards the wall. Boom—!! It exploded upon impact, sending shocks through the room. Whisk. After displaying his skill, Mang casually swung his sword a few more times before resting it on his shoulder. For some reason, his expression was full of dissatisfaction. “…It seems I still lack that decisive instant of control. My body doesn't move as I wish.” There was a clear discomfort in his demeanor. Watching him, I asked. “What did you mean just now?” “Hmm?” “The bit about it not being a human's capability.” At my question, Mang smiled. “Isn’t it a pretty straightforward statement?” “I find it extremely intriguing, actually.” “Hmm, yes. It might be so for you. However.” While speaking, Mang pointed the sword draped over his shoulder at me. “Why should I bother explaining that to you?” “…Haha.” His words, laced with a mocking tone, made me chuckle in disbelief. “You sure know how to piss someone off.” “It pleases me that you're responding just as I wanted.” “So why drag a perfectly good person into this mess? Did you even get the owner’s permission?” “You mean this body? Hmm, it's quite the appealing vessel. Above all, the fact that it holds a fragment of the Dragon Sovereign was most intriguing.” “…A fragment?” This was something I had heard before. A fragment of the Dragon Sovereign. What could he mean by that? “Don't worry. Once I reclaim my original body, I plan to let this one go.” “It's been hundreds of years. Where do you expect to find your body?” “There's nowhere it cannot be found.” As he spoke, Mang tapped the debris on the ground with his foot. They were the shattered pieces of the ice crystal. “Inside them, you see, I've stored my essence.” “…!” “Thanks to my depleted energy after the battle with the Dragon Sovereign, it took quite a while to restore it, but at last…” Could it be that the Northern Sea lineage poured their life force into battling the harsh cold? And all of that accumulated power went entirely to him? ‘Wait a minute… If that’s the case…’ A realization dawned on me, compelling me to speak immediately. “…If your essence is here, then your body must be…” “Oh. As perceptive as ever.” Mang looked at me approvingly, seemingly pleased with my realization. “Indeed, other ice crystals contain my body.” “But there was nothing visible…?” “The form is irrelevant. What's crucial is the fact that it's there.” Whether his words were true or false wouldn’t remain a mystery for long. I had already witnessed it myself. ‘Egg and heart.’ I had recognized the immense energy residing within the ice crystals. Could it truly be that his body lay within? “Even so, it's unsatisfactory. It's still far from the energy I originally possessed. But that's fine.” Mang addressed me as he spoke. “Once I retrieve my body, I’ll be able to replenish this lacking power. Then.” A murderous aura emanated from the tip of his sword. “I might even devour the weakened Dragon Sovereign.” It seemed the hatred this being held towards the Dragon Sovereign, or perhaps the Blood Demon, was indeed genuine.