858 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Heart pounding—!! It was, of course, natural for a heart to beat, but this felt different. How to describe it? It was as if I knew right away that I was screwed. It certainly wasn’t a good feeling. 'Damn it.' I hadn’t planned to eat it, so how did I end up swallowing it? At the very least, it wasn’t of my own will. 'This is utter crap.' Anyone could see how dangerous it looked, and I hadn't intended to eat it. I quickly tried to calm my breathing and checked my body. Wooong—!! The energy that began at my heart slowly started to rebound. It was dangerous. No matter how much I tried to settle it down, the energy wouldn't listen. Rumbl—!! It was coming. Thud—!! "Ugh." A shock burst inside my body. Large explosions erupted one after another. I clutched my chest and collapsed to the ground. Every vein in my body surged as if a giant had grabbed me with a single hand. The immense pressure made it feel like my body was compressing. "...Ugh..." Just as I tried to swallow the painful screams. "...damn it." I had to force my aching body to move immediately. Using what strength I had left, I leapt a short distance. Clang! A sword slammed into where I had been standing. I frowned and glared ahead. It was an act of Gae Cheonmunju. Though he was gasping for breath, he still maintained his strength. 'That cunning old man.' I'd thought it before, but he was quick to understand the situation. As soon as he sensed something was off with me, he launched his attack. His judgment was lightning fast. [I didn't think you'd swallow the dragon pearl.] His eyes brimmed with fury. [It seems the energy in you is spiraling out of control. Does it feel that way?] Out of control? That was a curious phrase. What was supposed to be blooming? It was an intriguing statement but wasn’t the priority right now. 'Damn.' This wasn't the time to worry over such things. I forced my increasingly rigid body to move. Barely dodging the slicing sword, I eased into a footwork technique. My feet felt heavy. My knees hardened, making my muscles scream for relief. I moved several times slower than I normally would. Even applying strength was difficult. This was truly terrible. Whoosh—!! The sword's tip hurtled toward me. Simultaneously, Gae Cheonmunju lunged, unleashing his boundless energy. I was screwed. There was no way to dodge this. 'Looks like I'm going to end up with a few holes in me.' Ready to accept the inevitable wounds for defense, I moved. Clang! [Argh!] Something wedged itself between me and Gae Cheonmunju. Two swords attacked him simultaneously. Sizz—!!! A storm of lightning and a golden flash blocked the path. It was Namgung Bia and Wi Seol-ah. [You darned women…!] Gae Cheonmunju snarled at them. I was similarly displeased. "You two... I told you to stay out of it...." "I'll take the left side." "Okay." They exchanged a brief acknowledgment, nodding in unison as if ignoring my protest. Then— Swoooooosh—!!! Energy surged from both of them. Wi Seol-ah's aura began to change. Watching this, my veins bulged as I shouted. "You...! I told you not to do that!" "Young master." Wi Seol-ah cut me off, casting her gaze my way. Uncharacteristically, her eyes were filled with a grin. "I'm saving the scolding for later. Sorry." As she finished speaking, her hair turned white. Simultaneously. Buzz—!!! An electric aura burst from Namgung Bia. Her hands clasped a lightning sword, electricity coursing through her hair and disturbing the air. [Tsk.] Gae Cheonmunju grimaced, gritting his lips. [What a bother…] His disdainful expression seemed uninterested, stealing a glance at Wi Seol-ah. I couldn't help but do the same. From the first encounter, both Wi Seol-ah and Gae Cheonmunju struck a similar impression. Not only in appearance but also in demeanor. There was a distinct sense of unease about it. 'Get up.' At that moment, more pressing than such thoughts was the need to rise. Forcing my posture firm, I steeled myself. Even if my body resisted, I couldn’t remain idle. Even if it felt like my body would explode, I looked to keep moving. Gripping tightly to such thoughts. Suddenly— Pressure—! Something gripped my back. I turned around in shock. No one was there. No form that could have grabbed my back. Yet, it felt distinct as if someone was truly clutching me from behind. What was this sensation? Bewilderment crept in. [Move.] With a familiar voice. Swoosh—! The sensation lifted and suddenly the world went black. **************** Not much time passed before I opened my eyes. As soon as they did, I recognized the place. "This damn bastard." I cursed, my face twisting. It was a place I had become too familiar with. With the black, dense floor and the familiar iron door. It was the place where not long ago that bastard had messed with me. The difference being, strangely enough, the surroundings were much brighter than the all-consuming dark I remembered. Puzzled, I looked up. "What the hell is that?" Something was suspended in the sky. A vast, white object. It almost resembled the sun, though surely it wasn’t. It hung too close for that assumption. Perhaps it illuminated the area, but why had it appeared out of nowhere? These questions lingered. Just then— Creak. I spun around at the sound from behind. What I witnessed made my expression harden. As expected, that damned guy was there. I spoke as I saw it. "You son of a bitch." The words dripped with menace. "Aren't you tired of seeing my face twice a day?" The bastard sat on a chair, silently observing me. No response came forth. That jerk sat there, watching me with a self-righteous look. Despite the audacity, what was with that expression? "Sigh…" A sigh escaped me, laden with malicious intent. I already knew what it wanted from me. “…I don't have time for this right now.” I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists tightly. "Let me out now. Before I really kill you." The murderous intent I'd been holding back erupted and was unleashed. With energy surging from my toes, the bastard finally reacted. His eyes, whites turned black and irises violet, met mine directly. And then... He felt my killing intent and smiled. [Now that’s more like it.] I broke through the ground and charged towards him. ****************** Screeeech—!!! A sharp sound resounded. It was the sound of swords clashing. Different-colored blades collided violently. In a split second, dozens of flashes erupted in midair. The sky was filled with flying swords, while the ground was a riot of chaotic colors. Clang! Clang-clang—!! Nothing was visible. Brief bursts of light sporadically illuminated the scene, and the air was continuously torn apart. Crackling—!!! Lightning flashed like a sudden storm. Gae Cheonmunju saw this and swung his sword with force. Whump! The air pressure from the swing carved through the lightning. A tidal wave made of energy had been unleashed. In the overflowing turbulence, Wi Seol-ah swiftly thrust her sword. Moon Shard Reflection. A thin crescent sliced through the tidal wave, providing an opening for Namgung Bia to streak through. Thunder descended from the sword tip. Boom! Light momentarily blinded the view. It was a chain of bombardments. Despite the spatial expanse, the area was thickly filled with energy. [Grrrrraaaa—!!] A monstrous cry burst forth. The energy-formed mist dissipated instantly, revealing the enraged Gae Cheonmunju repeatedly roaring. [Those damned women—!!!] Both Namgung Bia and Wi Seol-ah steadied their swords in response. Gae Cheonmunju's body was riddled with wounds. The aftermath of battle was evident. Yet... Swsssh. His regenerative ability was so extreme that the wounds visibly closed. Conversely, the two women were beginning to exhibit signs of exhaustion. "...Phew..." Wi Seol-ah exhaled heavily, sweat tracing down her cheeks and pooling at her chin. The fatigue was overwhelming. She hadn’t maintained such power for this long before, which only made it more taxing. Gu Yangcheon once mentioned this to her. He told her never to use it, even if circumstances demanded it. He’d rather come to her rescue than have her push herself. She'd been told so, but Wi Seol-ah disregarded it. From the start, she was aware. That using this would deplete her innate qi. And yet, she had to use it now. Wiping the sweat from her jaw, Wi Seol-ah glanced sideways. "...Unni." At her calling, Namgung Bia looked over. “How long can you hold on?” Namgung Bia appeared as fatigued as Wi Seol-ah. Her body was already injured, and she was fighting while using energy to staunch her wounds, which was far from ideal. Namgung Bia contemplated deeply before replying to Wi Seol-ah’s question. “Not long. But I’ll try to hold on.” “Okay.” Neither spoke of running away to save themselves. There was something they needed to protect. Life meant nothing in the face of that necessity. Swoosh. The six golden swords that had been hovering around returned to Wi Seol-ah. Namgung Bia tightened her grip on her lightning sword. Crackling—!!! Lightning surged more brightly. Their bodies may have been exhausted, but their resolve was intact. This was to prove that. [Tsk...] Gae Cheonmunju, witnessing this, bit his lip. [So persistent.] Suppressing his irritation, Gae Cheonmunju examined his arm. To the eye, his wounds seemed to be healing swiftly, but in reality, they weren't. [It’s slowing...] Something had slowed down. His body felt a bit heavier. Though fighting the Star King had been more excruciating, this felt stranger. What was the issue? As he pondered, Gae Cheonmunju glanced at one person. Wi Seol-ah. [...] It was her. That strange aura. Since contact with that, something went awry. What on earth was that? The energy was baffling, and ultimately, what exactly was 'that'? Gae Cheonmunju fixated on Wi Seol-ah with sharpened eyes. He held doubts, but deep down, he knew what it was. [For a vessel, you're quite insolent.] "...What did you say?" Clearly understanding his words were meant for her, Wi Seol-ah frowned. Gae Cheonmunju didn’t elaborate further. Maintaining silence, he gradually reinforced his strength. He needed to conclude this quickly. [No other reinforcements are coming... something must have happened.] Support should’ve arrived already. That they hadn’t meant something significant had occurred. He needed to check it out swiftly. [Hooo—!] Gae Cheonmunju mustered all his strength into his feet. The two women noticed this and tensed up. Anticipating a fierce assault, they fortified themselves, resolved to withstand it by any means. [Hup!!] Gae Cheonmunju shot forth like an arrow. Fast. Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bia mobilized their bodies. They aimed to intercept him. Two beams of light streaked toward him with that intent. Thunk-thunk—!! “…!” “Ah!” The sight made both women widen their eyes. Their attack struck. However, that wasn’t what shocked them. Gae Cheonmunju anticipated it, narrowly avoiding vital points and sprinting past them both. Only then did they realize Gae Cheonmunju's true objective. Hastily, Namgung Bia wrapped herself in lightning and pursued Gae Cheonmunju, but... [Stay.] Gae Cheonmunju had already reached his target. He was holding something in his grasp. It was the unconscious Gu Yangcheon. [Move, and this one's life is forfeit.] The words froze the two in place. Confirming their reaction, a grin crept across Gae Cheonmunju's lips. As expected. Those women were unable to fight properly because they were protecting this one. Which meant, capturing this one was all he needed to do. [Despite your skills, you're regrettably dull.] The Star King was no different. He fought to protect those women too, but all routes were blocked to prevent this method. These two lacked that experience and skill, and thus fell short on positioning. [Put down your swords and kneel.] Silence met him, so Gae Cheonmunju tightened his grip. They responded finally, seeing that. Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bia released their strength. Seeing this, a smirk crept onto Gae Cheonmunju’s lips. It seemed his plan was succeeding. However, [Now, kneel.] "..." "..." For some reason, the two only ceased their attacks but did not kneel as Gae Cheonmunju commanded. They merely stared at the unconscious Gu Yangcheon in his grasp with a peculiar expression. This made Gae Cheonmunju furrow his brow. [Is my voice not reaching you? I suppose I’ll have to break this one’s neck before you’ll listen—] "Take your filthy hands off, worm." Flinch. As he was speaking, Gae Cheonmunju abruptly halted. He glanced at his hand. A voice had clearly spoken, and startlingly, it came from Gu Yangcheon. Upon closer inspection, the young man was still unconscious, his eyes closed. Was it misheard? Just as Gae Cheonmunju considered this— Gu Yangcheon spoke, opening his eyes. Their gazes locked. In that instant, Gu Yangcheon raised his hand to Gae Cheonmunju’s face. "Disgusting." Boom—!!! Black flames erupted against Gae Cheonmunju's face.