634 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Friend - Chapter 634: The Northern Rabbit **Chapter 634: White.** Crack-! Debris crumbled, the air thick with the smell of burning. The walls, distorted by intense heat, were melting, leaving the previously icy atmosphere replaced by an incomprehensible swelter. “Cough.” Amidst the chaos and ruin, I managed to push myself up, fighting through the debris. “Spit.” With a hack of blood, I forced my upper body upright. Crack-! “Tsk….” A grimace crossed my face as pain surged through my torso. My ribs were undoubtedly broken, and the discomfort in my abdomen warned of further damage. The wounds where the sword had pierced through and across my chest didn't help either. “Damn it.” Worse yet, there was a chill lodged deep within my body, as if it had seeped into my very core. I immediately circulated my energy. Hissss. As warmth spread through me, it provided some relief. I kicked away the debris and began walking. Earlier, an explosion had slammed me against the wall, causing me to black out—though, thankfully, only for a few seconds. “Phew.” I steadied my breathing as I moved. ‘I barely made it.’ Had I not shielded myself with my qi, my insides would have been thoroughly scrambled. By now, I've learned some self-preservation, though I wouldn’t call it restraint—more like a method to minimize injury. Brushing off my clothes, I continued forward. “Why is there so much smoke?” I swirled my fingers, channeling my internal energy to clear the air. Whoosh-! The smoke dispersed, granting me clearer sight, and I pressed on toward my destination. Beyond the gaping hole in the wall, the debris within appeared to boil and seethe, resembling molten lava. And beneath it all... “…Ugh…cough….” Mang lay sprawled on the ground, a gaping hole in his abdomen. I looked him over and approached with caution. Seeing his torn arm and perforated torso, I nodded to myself. ‘Healing is slow.’ His arm hadn’t regenerated, nor had his abdomen shown signs of mending. For someone who could heal swiftly from such wounds, this was unexpected. ‘So, his regeneration isn't unlimited.’ Perhaps there are limits, or maybe only a set number of times it can happen. “Grr….” He groaned, spitting more blood, still wearing Wu Hyuk's face—a truly uncanny sight. “You alright?” I asked, knowing full well the answer. He turned to me with a look of dark humor. “Hah…ha…what a mess….” Blood dribbled with each word, further confirming his regeneration issues. Cautiously, I kept my senses heightened, just in case he was feigning weakness. “For such a recent hatchling, who would’ve thought you'd be such a nuisance.” I clicked my tongue and retorted. “For the record, I didn’t set out to mess with you.” Had I not been inadvertently drawn into this mess, I wouldn’t even be here in the Northern Sea. And so a mystery stirs. ‘What happened to him in my previous life?’ He claimed he was on the brink of revival, so something must have gone down back then. ‘But I've heard nothing about it.’ Given the Northern Sea's isolation, perhaps it didn’t reach the wider world. That implies... ‘He either revived and lied low until the time was right, or...’ Failed to revive, or perhaps... ‘Someone else thwarted his revival, like this time around.’ One of the three possibilities. Which is the truth? For now, I had no way of knowing. “What was it you said? The third... what's that about?” “…Yes, I…” “Honestly, I'm not that interested in those details….” “...” Clearly, we didn't have time for a long exchange. For both of us. I'd start with the first question that came to mind. “What’s with the Dragon Emperor? Who is he really?” Straight to the point, my question landed squarely. Mang turned his gaze on me, a historical villain known for inciting carnage, the first calamity to strike this world, and even now, something lingering with insidious intent. I wanted to know from Mang-- “…Heh heh….” At my question, laughter seeped from Mang. “Such cold logic.” “Hm?” “Knowing your friend's body lies here dying, yet you ask such questions?” His remark made me frown fiercely. “Cut the nonsense. Will you answer or not?” “…If I do, will you let me live?” “We’ll see. Maybe if you beg as you answer.” “Ha!” Laughter that sends blood streaming from his chest, while covertly, I observed him closely. ‘It should be nearing his limit. If he's not regenerating by now…’ I could safely assume he wasn't refusing to regenerate, but simply couldn’t. As those thoughts passed, I watched Mang intently. “Do you really want the answer?” “Oh? Are you about to—” “Spit-!” I dodged swiftly as he spat bloodied saliva, instinctively swinging my fist in retaliation. Boom-! “Ugh!” “Oops.” Watching Mang's head snap back, I realized I'd slipped. I hadn't meant to hit him anymore. Instantly retracting my hand, I spoke with frustration. “If you’re not gonna answer, just don’t. No need to spit at me.” A reflexive beat down was inexcusable. “…Hoo…hehe.” Despite the punch, Mang laughed. Maybe I hit too hard—he seemed dazed. “…Do you think you’ve won, whelp?” “Hmm?” “Ninth one…. You don’t recognize the colossal mistake you’ve made.” “What have I done?” “…And with this choice… you will eventually fall to the Dragon Emperor and be consumed by him…. You’ll never defeat him.” Hearing this, I smirked and responded. “Like you did?” “...” The casual jab rendered Mang temporarily speechless in a briefly lingering silence. “Yes, like me….” His reluctant admission came with a hint of desolation. “Do you think, alone, you can defeat him?” "Is it because you're not there?" "The other purebloods were helplessly devoured by him. What could a lone, newly reborn like you possibly accomplish? It's impossible." I paused, thoughtfully stroking my chin as I listened to him. "You will, in the end..." "And the point of this is?" I cut him off; the conversation seemed to be veering in a strange direction. It seemed necessary to reign it back in. "So you're saying because you couldn't do it, I can't either?" "That's an oversimplification of—" "Oh, cut the crap. That's exactly what you're saying, isn’t it?" Typical arrogance. Whenever I tried having a discussion, it was like talking to a wall. "I get that you're pissed about getting your ass handed to you ages ago, but if you're weak, just stay quiet. Why act so pathetic?" "...Huh?" "And take your 'huh' and shove it." Ugh. A sigh escaped me. Holding back the conversation until now wasn’t exactly what I aimed for. If he wasn’t going to give useful answers, it’d be faster just to end it. "Besides, if I leave Wu Hyuk’s body as is, it'll truly die." I couldn’t let that happen. It was time to wrap things up. I looked at him and asked, "Who are you to decide if I’ll lose or win against the Dragon Emperor? After all, you lost to me." "…!" A light provocation, and Mang’s expression twisted. "Do you honestly believe you’ve beaten me? In this pitiful form?" "Pitiful or not, you’ve lost, haven’t you?" "Ha…!" Mang’s face was one of disbelief at my words as he began to speak. "Even though I may have lost this battle…" Hearing his defense, a smile crept onto my face. ‘Got him.’ That was the crux. A sensation tingled at my toes. This signaled that the conditions had been met. I inwardly recited to myself, ‘Devour.’ "What made you think you could defeat the Dragon Emperor—!?" Mang stopped short. Shroooom--! Black energy burst from my feet, engulfing him. "Urgh!?" His battered body struggled, but fortunately, the energy seemed far more robust than I had anticipated. "You—! What are you trying to—!!" Crunch. "…Gah!!" I heard something crunch, the sound echoing within the energy surrounding him. Then, just like that initial crunch, Crunch-!! Crunch-! Munch-! The continuous sound of chewing and swallowing accompanied by— "Argaaaah!!" Mang began screaming from within the energy. "Raaargh…aaaah!!" The sheer volume of his cries indicated excruciating pain as he wailed, making me scrunch my face. It wasn’t out of empathy or pity for his suffering. It was the peculiar sensation I felt coursing within me with each of his cries. Sssssssss---! From my feet, a black energy. Something was seeping into me, traveling through the channels of avarice to my heart, merging with the soul anchored there. ‘Repulsive.’ It felt like I was stealing something that shouldn’t be taken. Guilt? No, that wasn’t it. It was an indescribable discomfort. However, thanks to it— ‘So this is a power.’ I could distinctly feel that this was how Greed's power absorbed others. Yes, I was taking a power. I was consuming Mang's power. Crunch. Grind-! "Gaaah…aaah…!!" This act was impossible during battle. One might wonder why now of all times. ‘He acknowledged defeat.’ A condition for Greed to seize a power. Acknowledgment of defeat and speaking it aloud. These satisfied the requirements. ‘Such a ridiculous condition.’ Winning the fight is one thing, but making them admit it and say it aloud adds another layer of absurdity. Could it be a childish, naive whim to be recognized as victorious? Such possibilities seemed plausible, given how closely the power reflected my emotions. "Ahhh…n-no…!! Don’t take…what's mine…" Despite being engulfed by avarice, Mang pleaded desperately, but Greed showed no intention of stopping its feast. Finally, after a lengthy interval of relentless devouring— Smack smack-! Gulp. Belch… As Greed concluded its meal satisfyingly, a draconic belch echoed. Swish. Then Greed receded into the shadows. "Phew." Only after it had returned did I exhale a sigh of relief. Interestingly, I felt full, although it hadn't been me doing the eating. With this sensation, I looked directly ahead. "Ugh…huh…" Mang, his face ashen, gasped for breath. Seeing this brought a smirk to my lips. "So that’s what it was. I was wondering." "You…took…my…." His trembling hand reached out to me. "Give it back…return…my power…." With a voice full of desperation, I swatted his stretching hand away. Thwack-! Even a casual brush made the hand swing down limply. "Give what back? It’s mine now." "No…it’s not…mine…" "Was, maybe. But isn’t anymore, right?" Now it was mine. "How dare you…!" Mang's face contorted with fury at my words. Not that it posed any threat. With nothing left to say, I addressed him tersely. "Got what was coming to me. Now, disappear." "Rrr…rrghh…!!" Mang struggled defiantly, but his body was long broken. He posed no danger, and I could sense his remaining time was minimal after absorbing his power. As proof— "I'm…undone…." The life was draining from his eyes. What lingered afterward was likely a grudge toward me. "I shall curse you... curse you..." With that, his words stopped abruptly, and his body stiffened like stone. A pureblood dragon met a pitiful end, yet I felt no sense of triumph. "..." I extended my hand toward his chest. ‘He’s not dead yet.’ Although his breath was shallow, and his heart barely beat, it was enough to tell me he was still clinging to life. The spear had narrowly missed vital areas. In essence, Mang had vanished from Wu Hyuk’s body, leaving only Wu Hyuk behind. But even this wasn’t a particularly optimistic scenario. ‘If things continue like this, he’ll die.’ Perhaps it was the aftermath of absorbing Mang’s energy within the Ice Crystal. Wu Hyuk’s body, much like mine, had undergone a transformation. Still, seeing him there brought a slight smirk to my face. Mang, now gone, had left Wu Hyuk’s face as pale as a ghost, breath short and labored. "So it was this," I murmured. "Why didn’t I think of it?" The wounds left were grave and plenty. ‘…Tsk.’ A short click of my tongue revealed my discontent inwardly. I had anticipated this to an extent. Originally, part of the plan was to use Mang’s stolen powers to heal Wu Hyuk. But an unforeseen problem had arisen. "This is turning out worse than I thought." I wrenched away two powers from Mang and instantly understood their nature. Yet, to my dismay— ‘This won’t save him.’ The power wasn’t as I expected regarding regeneration. While Yu Sun was able to heal my internal injuries, the same could not be done now. Instead, this ability could only enhance my body’s natural regenerative abilities. With it, I’d be able to regrow lost limbs in an instant, just like Yu Sun, but— ‘I can’t heal others.’ The conditions of the second power, that of ‘Regeneration,’ were specific to the owner. ‘Was it always like this?’ Given how Yu Sun had healed others, it seemed unlikely. Why was this happening now? …Could it be— ‘Is the ability weakened when transferred?’ The thought crossed my mind. Perhaps the absorption process diluted the power's effectiveness. It seemed plausible. But the issue remained. ‘No matter what, realizing this now is…’ Utterly pointless. ‘What should I do?’ Should I just let Wu Hyuk die? Even if I managed to carry him to safety, he’d breathe his last before we arrived. And even if fortune smiled upon our journey, would I be able to heal him there? In his current state, not even a divine healer could save him. “...” What was the solution here? What should I do? As I pondered, I found myself gritting my teeth hard enough to creak. ‘Damn it, it seems like it should have been possible to save him. But now things have diminished to this?’ The power to greatly enhance one’s own regenerative abilities was exactly what I desired, yet now... “Hm?” I halted abruptly as a thought came to mind. ‘It enhances the owner’s regeneration, does it?’ Pondering the condition, I recalled a particular situation. Not so long ago. A memory from my past life concerning the Heavenly Demon. In particular, more so than during their time, the memory of when she created what would become the Demonites. ‘Why did this pop up now?’ There were distinct traits among those she had transformed into Demonites. In exchange for their corruption, they gained formidable bodies and a powerful ability granted to them— ‘The Demonic Arts.’ Not only did it strengthen any martial arts they possessed, but some received extraordinary abilities beyond what could be called martial arts. This process was known as the baptism among Demonites. Recalling how I had received the Demonic Absorption Art from the Heavenly Demon, parallels emerged with my current situation. ‘...There’s a resemblance.’ The enhancement of the body upon becoming a Demonite was akin to the empowerment of a dragon. The abilities gained through their baptism bore a resemblance to these powers, despite a difference in magnitude. Was it truly a coincidence? I couldn’t say for sure. Whether it was coincidental or not was irrelevant. ‘Perhaps.’ Perhaps it was possible. That thought crossed my mind. Ssssss-! My once blue eyes slowly shifted to a violet hue. With it, the long-unused demonic energy surged through me, heavy and oppressive. I gathered this energy upon my hand, positioned over Wu Hyuk's chest. Before spreading it— “...” I paused, looking at Wu Hyuk, unconscious and unaware. Not for fear of failure, but for what would happen should I succeed. If you wake, ‘Will you resent me?’ The thought made me hesitate momentarily, but a glance at his fading life tipped the scale. The answer came swiftly and clearly. ‘I will save you.’ For me, that was the only answer. Wham-! The demonic energy plunged into Wu Hyuk's body.