852 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

### Chapter 852: The World's Greatest Shadow A trickle of something flowed from the corner of Il Cheonggeom's mouth. With trembling hands, he wiped at his mouth. Blood. Blood dripped from the corner of his lips. The pain was unbearable. His slapped cheek felt like it was about to tear, throbbing with an intense burning sensation. What on earth was happening? Il Cheonggeom couldn't comprehend the situation. He was on the ground. Why had he fallen? And those eyes... what were they? He looked up at the gaze fixed upon him. Blue eyes stared down at him. The shadowy figure's face was expressionless. A shiver ran down his spine, constricting his throat. As his body's strength waned, the oppressive aura enveloping the area exerted its influence. 'Euk…' The pressure from the aura petrified him. It was an overwhelming sensation. Desperately, he gathered his remaining energy. As strength returned to his limbs, his breathing stabilized. Yet, the pain remained. 'Just now...' What had just occurred? He replayed it over and over in his mind, but still, it made no sense. How could this be? In a state of shock, Il Cheonggeom questioned Gu Yangcheon. "...You... Were you hiding your strength?" BANG-! "Urk!" The impact rattled his head. Again, he couldn't even register what had struck him. "That wasn't an answer to my question." Gu Yangcheon gripped Il Cheonggeom's hair, steadying the swaying head. "Do you not know?" "...Wha... What are you talking about...?" What did he mean? Il Cheonggeom was at a loss. Instinctively, he sensed... 'Something is off.' There was something peculiar about Gu Yangcheon. The usual mocking smile he wore was absent. He simply stared with an impassive expression. And yet... 'What... is this?' The terror was consuming. Recognizing the fear welling inside was not difficult. "Haa... Huff..." His gaze kept shifting away. He couldn't keep looking into those eyes, feeling like he'd be devoured any moment. Ultimately, Il Cheonggeom averted his gaze from Gu Yangcheon. "Hmm." Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon nodded. And then... SMASH-! "Ungh." He swung his fist once again, striking down on Il Cheonggeom's head. It was fiercer than before, with pressure enveloping the blow and whipping the air around it. Thud. Il Cheonggeom's body collapsed, fluttering to the ground. Blood seeped from his nose, soaking the ground. The scene silenced those around them. Could it be... 'Did he kill him...?' 'Is he dead?' 'Did our master kill Il Cheonggeom...?' Everyone shared the same thought. With blood oozing out and Il Cheonggeom not even twitching, his death seemed imminent. However, Gu Yangcheon nudged Il Cheonggeom with his foot, speaking softly. "He's not dead, so take him." "What?" Not dead? Looking like that...? "Take him and make sure he survives. He can't die just yet." "...What do you mean?" "Not going to do it?" "…" 'He can't die 'now'.' The words resounded in everyone's minds. Calm yet chilling. Words spoken with such a detached expression, how could they be so unnerving? Gu Yangcheon, who had always seemed unreachable. Today, he seemed something entirely different. 'A different person.' Unlike the person they knew. The way he surrounded himself with such an aura, and the way he looked at everyone around him... Even though he could be harsh, he had always treated people somewhat decently. But now, it was as if... 'He sees us like livestock.' Not even acknowledging them as humans, his eyes were like those glancing at inanimate stones. It sent shivers down their spines. Il Cheonggeom was hoisted up by the members, his limp hand suggesting he truly had lost consciousness. Gu Yangcheon, who silently observed, turned away without a flicker of emotion. He scanned his surroundings. Those who met his gaze flinched or felt their legs give out. While the oppressive aura had lessened, it still emanated around him. "Proceed with the search." His calm voice carried an oddly amplified command. The members hesitated to respond. Gu Yangcheon, however, did not seem to require an answer as he gazed off into nowhere and slightly bent his knees. "Young master...! Wait...!" Tang Sohyeol urgently called after Gu Yangcheon in response to his actions, but... BOOM--!!! Gu Yangcheon leaped away, stirring up a colossal cloud of dust. As he faded into the distance, the aura that had gripped the surroundings dissipated. Only then did everyone exhale harshly. "…Young master…." Feeling Gu Yangcheon's distant presence, Tang Sohyeol bit her lip. ************ Why had he done it? He pondered deeply. He shouldn't have acted that way. Simultaneously, he reproached himself. 'Calling him was a mistake.' He shouldn't have called attention if Il Cheonggeom was watching. Instead, he should have kept quiet. He needed to first discern whether he was drawn by the killer intent or if there was another reason. Even if he had called him over, he shouldn't have revealed his strength. He shouldn't have questioned if he knew something. Nor should he have recklessly dealt with him just because his tone was irritating. There was a plan today, after all. A plan to use Il Cheonggeom. 'Why did I do that?' He had painstakingly set up everything, only to dismantle it himself. Why, indeed? He couldn't quite understand it himself. It was just... Simply, just... 'It was tiresome.' Everything felt tiresome. Thinking about anything. Creating plans and dealing with each aspect. In a moment, he had let go of the rationale he had been holding onto so tightly. What did those eyes look like, watching me then? Likely, they were filled with fear. Yes, just like in my past life. Back then, people looked at me with those same fearful eyes. Even Tang Sohyeol was no exception. He recalled how she hadn't been able to meet his gaze properly. He had quietly disliked that and wanted to live differently. Yet, he let go of that too. Why had he done it? He had sworn not to let this happen, yet here he was, surrendering so easily. The justification had burned away. Everything had been for the sake of justification. Each action was to ensure there were no repercussions afterward. That was entirely what all efforts up to now had been about. 'I'm not sure anymore.' Now, even thinking about it seemed tiring. In this situation, there was one thing I could do. Sparing Il Cheonggeom's life without killing him. That was the bare minimum I could manage. Otherwise, I didn't want to do even that. Why should I keep someone so pitiful alive? The others around him were the same. There was no need to keep them alive. Nor was there any necessity for me to bring them along. I could just kill them all and be on my way. That was the thought I had at that moment. The silly thing is, even now, such a thought didn't seem incorrect. Something was wrong. I recognized that my thoughts differed from usual, yet I doubted if something was truly amiss. 'This is who I always was.' Since when have I been altruistic and rational? Destroying whatever displeased me without regard for the consequences was my nature. I did not hold anyone dear. Captured nothing. Or, if I did, I had to ensure that no one knew I had captured anything. That was how I had always been… - Do you think you've changed? No. You haven't. Recalling these words, my eyes steadily dulled. They were right. From this situation, it's clear I haven't changed. I'm just pretending to have changed. Thud-! As I landed on the ground, the impact rippled through the area. The middle of the forest lay in ruins. This wasn't the western forest. It was the opposite direction. I had intended to search for the others but ended up here for a different reason. "Is this the right place?" - Yes. I squinted at the whispered message. It was the Dark King. - It isn't certain, but this was the last known location. "...I see." Where Namgung Bia and Wi Seol Ah might have been. This was the area. The Dark King and others hadn't been consistently keeping watch over them, so their precise location was uncertain. But knowing that they were here was enough. With Namgung Bia involved, it was unlikely things were proceeding normally. Even if Wi Seol Ah was also involved, she probably followed Namgung Bia's lead. Though the two seemed different, they were similar in some ways. Tension built from my heart as energy spread throughout my body. Though the swollen blood channels were painful, I paid them no mind. I expanded my senses to the limit. A torrent of information poured through my ears and nose. I brushed it all aside. None of it was what I sought. 'Where?' Just a faint trace. A minuscule sign that Wi Seol Ah or Namgung Bia might have left. Or the faint presence of the two. I hoped everything would be fine, but I already knew better. They both had reached a state of enlightenment. Even if just faintly, they had achieved the mind-sword. They weren't the type to be easily overcome. 'Something is happening.' The Gae Cheonmunju was plotting something, and I was aware it wasn't trivial. I had intended to approach cautiously. But under the circumstances... I had abandoned that notion entirely. Whoosh---!! I pushed my senses to their absolute limits. Truly the limit. Since consuming the Baekmaseok some time ago, my energy senses had greatly heightened, and I unleashed them until the very last. My head throbbed as my heart raced. "...Do you sense anything?" I caught my breath and asked the Dark King. [Not yet.] Even he found it difficult to pinpoint. Was there really nothing? 'No.' I was certain there was something. It was purely intuition, but I trusted it. "I'll search around here; can you check elsewhere?" [Understood.] To prepare for any possible situation, I sent the Dark King to the west and maintained my energy perception. The pain intensified, affecting my body more. A thin trickle of blood dripped from my nose. Forcing the use of my senses caused this state while my pathways were still swollen and unfamiliar. 'Was it all in my head?' Could my intuition about this area be wrong? Uncertain. '...Then, focus a bit more.' Even if this wasn't the place, I would exhaust every possibility. Only then could I confidently move elsewhere. Gradually. Bit by bit. I extended my senses even further, beyond what I could maintain. Physical strain? Ignored it. After a prolonged search, Thrumm. "..." A subtle trace was felt from within. I immediately withdrew my senses. While wiping the blood from my nose and mouth, my eyes gleamed. "Found it." This was indeed the place. ****************** A damp, silent area. A faint moisture lingered in the air with each breath. Moreover, the space was vast and dim. What was this space for? It didn't seem like a naturally formed cave. Naturally, since natural caves typically didn’t have such squared-off walls. Thus, surveying the space with her back against the shadowed wall, Wi Seol Ah spoke. "Sister, do you think we'll face a lot of scolding when we return?" "...Yes." Namgung Bia agreed with Wi Seol Ah's words. It was likely they would. This time, they might be severely reprimanded. "...It's a problem." "Yes..." "Couldn't we just go back now...?" "Seol Ah..." "Yes." "...Do you know the way?" "..." Wi Seol Ah fell silent at Namgung Bia's words. She hit the nail on the head. Though Wi Seol Ah wasn't as directionally challenged as Namgung Bia, there was something strange about this place. 'At some point, we got lost.' Where they were or how far down they'd gone, they couldn’t quite tell. "...It seems like something has been overlaid over this entire area." "Yes..." Namgung Bia nodded. Seeing her, Wi Seol Ah sighed quietly. "...Exactly. It was you who suggested going back to avoid the scolding, but you just had to rush right in." "...Sorry..." Namgung Bia opted for an apology rather than an excuse. It was indeed her fault. Upon hearing Gu Yangcheon mentioned, her body instinctively moved, and that was that. "No, I’m sorry too... I wasn’t any better." Wi Seol Ah was similar. If Namgung Bia hadn’t moved, she would have run ahead herself. "The issue is... we’ve no idea how much time has passed." They had likely already missed their return time by a great deal. Since the two of them hadn’t returned, it was only a matter of time before someone took action. "I hope the Young Master doesn’t move... but he probably won’t stay put, will he?" Wi Seol Ah mused. "Yeah," Namgung Bia replied, both of them certain. The Young Master would undoubtedly come searching for them. That was their concern. What if he recklessly searched and caused trouble? What if it was their fault? "We need to hurry and get out of here," Wi Seol Ah said, her eyes gleaming in the darkness as she scanned the room. 'If it's not this way either, then where could it be?' They had navigated many pathways by now. They had descended, and then they had ascended. How could such a massive underground space even exist? It was bewildering. ‘And we lost those we were following.’ Though they had sneakily followed some people, they lost their trail midway. Unable to find an exit, they were left in a state of helplessness. Then, there was a soft grip. "Sister?" Namgung Bia tugged at Wi Seol Ah's sleeve. Confused, Wi Seol Ah looked at her. "Let's... take a look over there." She gestured forward with her fingertip. A massive iron door stood before them. It stood out, looking oversized compared to the walls and ceiling around it. They had stumbled upon the door while searching for a way out. Now, they concealed themselves in its shadow. Should they go in? Wi Seol Ah pondered. "…" No other ideas came to mind. Besides... 'Something…' There was something nagging at her. It hit Wi Seol Ah the moment she saw the door. Something about that door. More precisely, it felt like something was behind it. "Shall we have a look?" "Yeah." Moving cautiously, Wi Seol Ah and Namgung Bia approached. Not long after, they reached the iron door and began inspecting it. At a glance, it seemed to be nothing more than a rusty, old iron door. There was nothing particularly special about it. Especially... "There’s no handle." Without a door handle, how was one supposed to open it? Push and see if it opens? Uncertain, Wi Seol Ah gingerly touched the door. At that moment, WHIRRR--!! The door suddenly emitted a bright light. Wi Seol Ah and Namgung Bia instinctively clutched their swords. Creak. The door began to slowly open with a groan. Through the small opening, they could see the space inside. "Oh?" Wi Seol Ah gasped involuntarily upon seeing it.