635 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 635: Northern Rabbit Chapter 635: White. It's quiet. Within the blackened world, Woo-hyuk mused to himself. Truly, it was quiet. A world that had once been full of noise was somehow now peaceful. Just moments ago, it had certainly been deafening, or so he thought. -Kill -Accept. -Praise. The sounds were quite unlike the usual noise he was accustomed to hearing. Whereas normally, various sounds would blend together and become indistinct, this time the voices entered his ears with striking clarity. How much time had passed since he first heard them? It felt as though countless moments had slipped by. Thud-! Thud thud-! Suddenly, even as the sound of the ceiling seemed to collapse echoed around. -Praise…! -Revere! It was as if something was trying to brainwash him, talking to him incessantly. In the midst of this, the clamor that had persistently drummed in his ears finally— -Praise... Silence fell all at once. 'Hmm?' Sensing this, Woo-hyuk slowly opened his eyes. He felt a tinge of regret. 'It wasn't bad, actually.' Though the repetitive chant was somewhat tiresome, compared to the usual noise, it was no different from a lullaby. He thought he could rest a little longer. 'The sounds have stopped.' Was something about to happen? With that thought, Woo-hyuk opened his eyes and lifted his upper body. "Hmm?" He tilted his head at the scene before him. The world had been enveloped by night. Everything was pitch-black, so much so that nothing was visible. Not just the ground, but even the sky above was shrouded in darkness. "Huh?" Woo-hyuk muttered, looking up. He certainly saw it. The little remaining white background being engulfed by black, disappearing completely. With that last sight, his world was entirely blackened. "Heh." Seeing this, Woo-hyuk chuckled. "This is the perfect environment for sleeping." Rather than feeling worried, that was his first thought. A world without a glimmer of light. It seemed like he could sleep deeply if he closed his eyes here. He contemplated this idea as he considered lying back down. "Come to think of it…." He recalled something strange. "Why am I here?" Why was he in a place like this? The question only now seemed to occur to him. How on earth did he end up in such a place? 'I was with… near the end….' He had followed someone and seen something, or so he thought. He wasn't sure. "Does it matter?" He didn't feel it was particularly important. Using his arm as a pillow, Woo-hyuk turned onto his side. What did it matter after all. 'It's so quiet now.' The stillness now seemed more significant to him. He tried to seize the tranquility to sleep. Resisting the temptation to doze off, Woo-hyuk was on the verge of closing his eyes when— Tap. "Hmm?" He sensed a presence. Wondering what it could be, he turned to look. Someone was sitting next to him. Moreover. -Krrr…uhhh…. Something white and unidentifiable was being crushed beneath the figure. It looked like a snake, perhaps? He couldn't tell. It seemed too peculiar to be a snake. And the figure sitting atop it was— '...Who is that?' The appearance was unfamiliar. The black martial clothes were tattered and worn, and the figure didn't seem particularly large. But when Woo-hyuk looked up at the figure's face— "...!" A chill ran through him. He couldn't help but rise to his feet. Goosebumps erupted all over his body. The moment their eyes met, an inexplicable fear gripped him. '...What a murderous aura...' The killing intent emanating from the man made Woo-hyuk instinctively wary. He had done nothing, hadn't even cast a glance his way. Yet merely by looking, Woo-hyuk felt the presence of death. A man who seemed to embody killing intent itself. That was the kind of person he faced. "Who are you...?" He asked, his voice laden with caution. Swoosh. The man's head turned toward Woo-hyuk. Seeing his face, Woo-hyuk shivered. '...What is this?' He resembled someone. The man's face bore a striking resemblance to someone Woo-hyuk knew. Despite the purple irises and blackened whites of the eyes, and the sense of death radiating from him. The distinct, narrow eyes and features reminded him of someone familiar. If that friend aged, he'd likely look just like this. Gulp. The uncomfortable silence made Woo-hyuk swallow dryly. At that moment— "I'm sorry." The unexpected apology left Woo-hyuk with a stunned expression. He hadn't anticipated an apology coming so suddenly. "...For what?" Not hiding his surprise, Woo-hyuk asked. "In retrospect, it’s something I've never said to you." "Hmm?" Does he know me? Woo-hyuk made a curious expression. "How do I appear?" This time, the man directed a question at Woo-hyuk. "The one you saved—how do I look now?" "...?" What does he mean? Woo-hyuk couldn't understand. Saved? What did he mean by that? When had he ever saved this man? "When did I save you?" he asked. "Even as I tried to understand, I never managed to comprehend you." Although Woo-hyuk asked, the man seemed uninterested in answering. "You threw away your precious life to save me without a hint of hesitation. I couldn't comprehend it." Why was it that as he listened to these words, Woo-hyuk felt weighed down? "Who are you? Who are you to say such things?" "Do you regret it?" Once again, the man did not answer. He merely continued speaking. "I hope you regret it." With a heavy, singed tone. "So you can resent me. You certainly have the right." "..." "Not just then." The man turned his head away from Woo-hyuk once more. "And in time to come." "..." No matter how much Woo-hyuk looked, he couldn't identify him. What was the man talking about now, who was he in the first place—there was nothing he could discern. However, "...I don’t know what you’re saying." For some reason, Woo-hyuk found himself speaking to him. And if asked why, "If you truly say I saved you…" It just felt like he should. "I must have thought it worthwhile," Woo-hyuk remarked. The man, though still not looking at Woo-hyuk, visibly flinched at his words. "Do you mean to ask if I regret it?" Woo-hyuk continued, his expression now marked with irritation. "I suppose I never would have regretted it. Saved someone worth saving. That would have been enough for me," he concluded, speaking with sincerity. "And another thing." "The beginning was wrong." "The beginning?" "Yes." He had started with an apology. The man had said he was sorry. For some reason, Woo-hyuk found that bothersome. "You should have said, 'Thank you.'" “…!” "That would have sounded a bit better." The man let out a soft chuckle at Woo-hyuk's words. "You're still as foolish as ever." "What...?" Woo-hyuk looked at him, bewildered by the sudden insult. Yet, it also felt strangely familiar. "You damned fool." "Quite the vocabulary for a first meeting. Do all who look like you talk this way...?" The man slowly rose to his feet at Woo-hyuk's words. Seeing this, Woo-hyuk frantically waved his hands, looking perturbed. "It was a joke. Just a joke...! A little jest, that's all...!" He realized he'd be in trouble. Instinctively sensing his predicament, Woo-hyuk started to back away, but the man showed no intention of hitting him. With a calm approach, the man looked down at Woo-hyuk and spoke. "Now, wake up." "Excuse me?" "It's about time my hand starts to ache." "...What?" Just as Woo-hyuk was puzzled over the comment— *Slap!* "Ouch!?" Woo-hyuk's head jerked to the side involuntarily. Clutching his cheek, he grasped at the stinging pain. He'd been hit. Yet. 'He wasn't the one who hit me.' The man stood still. What on earth was happening? *Slap!* "Ouch!" Another strike landed. And it wasn't over yet. *Slap! Slap! Slap!* Sharp, resonant sounds accompanied the motion of Woo-hyuk's head swinging side to side. "Ugh-! Stop!" He shouted, not knowing to whom his words were directed. Throughout this, the man merely watched Woo-hyuk and continued speaking. "Wake up." *Slap!* "No—! Please...!" *Slap! Slap!* "I said wake up." *Slap!!* "Damn it--!!" Woo-hyuk finally screamed in pain, unable to bear it any longer. "I'll wake up! I'll wake up, so just stop hitting me!" He sprang to his feet as he yelled. "Haaa... Huff...." "Oh. You're awake." It wasn't the deep voice he had been conversing with, but a slightly younger one, drawing Woo-hyuk's attention. There stood Koo Yang-chun, holding his hand poised in the air. "...You... Ugh!?" Woo-hyuk winced at the ensuing pain. His cheek hurt excruciatingly. It was also searingly hot. "I tried waking you up gently, but nothing worked. This was the only solution." Could it be that the pain and sounds he'd experienced were... "...You really hit me?" "You wouldn't wake up." With his cheek swollen, Woo-hyuk responded to Koo Yang-chun's words. "Couldn’t you have just roused me with energy?" If he had intended to wake him, he could've simply used energy to do so. Though considered a slightly complex method, it would’ve been a simple task for someone of Koo Yang-chun's caliber. In response, Koo Yang-chun scratched his head with an awkward smile. "It doesn't work on you so easily anymore." "What do you mean...?" Woo-hyuk began to ask, his eyes widening with realization. Something felt off. He inspected his body. "What?" He realized something had changed about his physical state. 'What is this?' While his martial attire was in tatters, outwardly, he appeared fine. However, internally, things were entirely different. '...Such overwhelming energy.' A tremendous amount of energy was swirling within Woo-hyuk's body. Originally, Woo-hyuk was already a prodigious talent, known as one of the Six Dragons and a leading figure of the Wudang sect. His energy reserves had never been considered small. But now, the level was on a completely different scale. '...It's overflowing.' The energy flowed ceaselessly, exceeding what he could even comprehend. Even more startling— “…!” Examining the energy, Woo-hyuk noticed the most peculiar detail. 'Why is the energy...?' The energy that should have resided in the lower dantian was circulating around his heart.... In other words, in the middle dantian area. What in the world was going on? "Tsk." Koo Yang-chun clicked his tongue at the reaction. "You were already said to get by on talent alone, and now you've even secured a fortuitous encounter." "Fortuitous encounter?" "Damn... What a waste..." Sighs echoed, laden with regret. "...Such a waste..." "...What are you talking about? What's such a waste?" "There are things like that, fool! If I had just seized that..." Cursing, he scrutinized Woo-hyuk's body carefully. "Still, it seems to have worked out properly." "...?" "Judging by your state, it appears you don't know what you gained... Is this a consequence of passing it on?" "What are you rambling about?" "It's fine. As long as it’s settled." Offering no answers, Koo Yang-chun rose to his feet. Seeing this, Woo-hyuk inquired with surprise. "Are you hurt...?" "Huh? Oh." It was due to the sorry state of Koo Yang-chun's body. His upper body bore deep, dark cuts from which blood was flowing. His body was covered in scratches and abrasions. Moreover, 'His breathing is erratic.' Koo Yang-chun's breathing was shaky. It was a testament to his exhaustion. That a monster like him could be this tired—what exactly had occurred? "It's just a few scratches." He answered nonchalantly, though his injuries looked far from trivial. At the same time, as Woo-hyuk scanned their surroundings, he recognized something else. "This place is…" Though collapsed and pulverized, it was a familiar location. Surely… it was where they'd come with Yuseon…. Ah. "Yuseon…! What about Princess Il?" "…" Koo Yang-chun's face turned grim at Woo-hyuk's question. And then he spoke to Woo-hyuk. "I originally had a lot of questions I wanted to ask you, you know?" "…" With those words, Woo-hyuk's lips sealed shut tightly. There were things he had to say. Indeed, there were things that needed addressing. There were questions Koo Yang-chun had for Woo-hyuk, and in turn, Woo-hyuk had questions for Koo Yang-chun. "So, be prepared." "...Prepared?" "Yeah, prepared." Koo Yang-chun lazily scratched his ear with his pinky finger. "It looks like it’s going to be a long story, so let's summarize it in three sentences. For each other." "…" "You hate long conversations as much as I do, don't you?" Though the situation was grave, Koo Yang-chun's demeanor was, as always, nonchalant. Reducing such a situation to a three-sentence summary—he's truly a madman. 'This guy is truly...' Even after all this time, Woo-hyuk couldn't comprehend him. Just as Woo-hyuk was coming to this judgment— "Well, I'll head out first, so take your time." "What?" Koo Yang-chun casually turned his back as he spoke. Woo-hyuk was caught off guard. "Leave? What do you mean?" He intended just to leave him here? Seeing the confusion on Woo-hyuk's face, Koo Yang-chun explained. "I was planning to take you with me once you woke up." That’s right. Although the original intent had shifted slightly, the main reason he'd come here was to take Woo-hyuk with him. However, "The situation's gotten a bit urgent." Koo Yang-chun wiped away the cold sweat as he glanced somewhere. "Damn it, that thing's still acting up till the end. Nothing comes easy, does it?" "...Yang-chun...?" "At this point, you should be fine. Find your own way." Koo Yang-chun seemed pressed for time as he took his stance. He bent his knees as if preparing for a high leap. Whoosh-! Suddenly, flames engulfed Koo Yang-chun’s body. He was ready to spring away. Just as he was about to leap— "Oh." As if realizing he'd forgotten something, Koo Yang-chun looked back at Woo-hyuk. "Hey." "Huh?" "Thanks... hm." He hesitated for a moment. Biting his lip briefly, Koo Yang-chun then said, "Thanks for staying alive." "...?" Just as Woo-hyuk was about to ask what he meant, Flare—!!! Boom-! Koo Yang-chun wrapped himself in flames and smashed through the ceiling. "..." Left alone, Woo-hyuk felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy. As if it was his own feeling. And yet, perhaps it wasn't. Such a confusing emotion.