900 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The wind still refused to blow in this world. The sun was gradually rising, and the beautiful auroras and crimson waves in the sky had hidden themselves while retaining their light. As I gazed at the increasingly bright sky, I pondered. "Can I truly say they have vanished?" The night had certainly cleared, and the stars that lingered had moved on. Yet, this world remained peculiarly strange, even during the day. The auroras and stars hadn't disappeared; rather, they had blended into the sky. It was around the time when morning should lead to noon, but the sky here, unlike the Central Plains, resembled night. "Who would have thought the sky would be crimson..." At a glance, it might have seemed like dusk, but the hue was fundamentally different. A sky unlike any I had ever seen before. After staring at it for a while, I lowered my gaze. I knew this place was odd from the moment I arrived, and no matter how bizarre the sky, I had no energy to concern myself with it. After all, there was something even stranger right in front of me. Fixating on the broad back ahead, I spoke. "No-ya." "Hmm?" The figure walking ahead turned around at my call. An older man with slightly crimson-hued eyes and sharp features, lined with numerous wrinkles. The most revered hero of the Mount Hua Sect. Divine Sword of Mount Hua, Shin Cheol. After returning from the regression, he had persistently nagged and bullied me, entering my body without permission. Back then, I could only hear his voice as he existed in spirit form. Now, he stood as a solid human figure. "…Where are we going now?" We had wandered aimlessly for half an hour already. Frustrated from only following his back, I asked, and Shin No-ya, looking as if he'd bitten into something foul, responded. "Haven’t I told you repeatedly to curb that impatience? We haven’t walked long enough for you to whine about it. Your temper, as always, is atrocious." "Isn't it because you haven't told me the destination? If you were in my shoes, you'd have cursed a storm by now, so why are you-." Bang-! "Ouch!" I clutched my head, feeling the impact on my crown. "What was that?" "A temper! A teeeemper?" "Argh…!" I thought my skull might fracture-. Crash-!! "Gah!" Another strike landed. I wobbled and sat down, the intense pain twisting my breath. Trembling eyes glared at Shin No-ya. "Why twice…!" "Who said I'd hit you only once? What? Want another if you don't like it?" Damn it. Not only had he taken physical form, but he could even touch me. "Violence is wrong…." "A temper." The word was out, and No-ya chuckled heartily. "Oh, refreshing." His voice brimmed with satisfaction, infuriatingly. "I've always wanted to smack you one. I'm so glad things turned out this way." "…Who are you calling ill-tempered…. Just kidding." Seeing him raise his hand again, I quickly added, unsure why the old man went straight to striking first. 'Shouldn't he have aged more gracefully?' I could only imagine how terrible his temper was in his youth. I resolved not to age like that. "Your eyes look strange." "They've always been like this." "I suppose that's so." "…What?" "What did you just say?" Shit. I slumped under his glaring eyes. Ridiculous. Yet, I couldn't help but be impressed as well. ‘I failed to dodge.' I hadn't managed to avoid the slap. I'd seen him raise his arm, but by the time I realized, my head was already ducked from pain. '…Such a monstrous old man.' He could match a calf effortlessly, not to mention the quality of the sword technique in the sky. I began to wonder if he was truly human. ‘This is vastly different from before.' The mental image of Yeong Pung. Another world within it where Shin No-ya existed. Back then, there was hope, which is why I could strategize and win. ‘I see no way out here.' Despite being twice as strong now compared to then, looking at Shin No-ya was like staring into an endless abyss. Could I ever reach that level? It wasn't a mere question. I can't. Such thoughts naturally crossed my mind. Then. "Click-click." Shin No-ya clicked his tongue while looking at me. "Seems like it's not just your face that got uglier while I was away." "…!" It seemed he realized what I was thinking. Shame welled up inside. I gritted my teeth tightly and rose to my feet. "What do you mean by that?" "Hmm." No-ya snorted and resumed walking. I followed, changing the subject to ask again. "So. Are you really not going to tell me?" "Ah. You stubborn one. Haven't I told you? Just quietly follow along." "If you won't tell me the destination, could you at least talk about something else?" As we walked on endlessly, it wasn't as if I hadn't asked anything. Where is this place? How come you were here in such a state? What about the calf we just fought, and how did it know No-ya? And so forth. I asked what I wanted, but each time, No-ya's answer was the same. "I'll tell you when we get there." Promising to explain everything upon arrival. Sighing as always, I replied. "This feels like you're just messing with me…." "I have no choice." Speaking as if exhausted, No-ya offered an explanation. "If not careful, they might hear. This place has eyes and ears everywhere." "What does that mean?" "If it's too suffocating, feel free to leave. I won't stop you." "What?" He wouldn't stop me even if I left? I widened my eyes at No-ya's words. "If I go now, where would I go?" "How would I know? You're not a toddler; I don’t need to concern myself with that." In other words, if you don’t like it, just shut up and follow. "What will you do?" No-ya slightly turned his head to ask. "…" To my chagrin, I had but one answer I could give. ************************ We walked for quite some time after that. Neither of us spoke beyond that point. There wasn't much to say, as asking questions wouldn't yield answers, and neither of us were the type to exchange pleasantries like 'How have you been?' How long had we walked like this? "We're nearly there," Shin No-ya finally remarked. I widened my eyes and looked ahead, but... "...What do you mean by that?" There was nothing visible ahead. Just the same open field as before. What could possibly be here? Just as such thoughts were brewing, "Was it around here?" No-ya began looking around the vicinity. What’s going on...? 'Is there something here?' His actions insinuated the presence of something, so I focused my eyes. Still, there was nothing visible. Yet, he continued searching this way and that. 'Hm?' I barely noticed the slightest hint of something. I wasn't sure what it was, but something was definitely there. 'Could it be?' Thinking that perhaps this was what he was searching for, I took a step forward and reached out my hand. Wuuuuung—! Sure enough, I felt a sensation at my fingertips. "No-ya, is it this?" "Hmm?" No-ya looked at my fingertips. Then he furrowed his brow. It seemed I was right. "Hmm...? How could you...? " "It just appeared to me." "...It appeared, you say? It shouldn’t be visible, though. How can a novice like you possibly see it?" "Hmm." He asked with great curiosity. His eyes were quite serious. From his reaction, it seemed this was not something I should be able to see. So, I said, "I'll tell you when we arrive." "...Ha." Taking a page from his book, I echoed his earlier words, and Shin No-ya breathed out a hollow laugh. Was I going to get hit? It didn't matter, a hit or two would’ve been worth it. Preparing myself for the impact, "You cheeky brat." Shin No-ya simply snickered instead of striking. Then he raised his thin, withered hand and reached out into space. As his hand moved, plum blossoms began flowing from his fingertips. Rustle. In the void, the leaves danced gently, and as they touched the strange sensation I was feeling— Drip. Accompanied by the sound of a water droplet falling from somewhere, a change occurred in the space. Whaaaaam. "...What the hell?" I cursed at the spectacle that unfolded. The space around us rippled then tore open, creating an entrance. An entrance conveniently sized for Shin No-ya to cross through. I stared dumbfoundedly at the suddenly opened hole. "Let's go in," Shin No-ya said nonchalantly and strode inside. I paused for a moment, hesitating. Then, the Heavenly Demon, who had been silently following beside me, entered the space before I did. It was only after seeing that that I followed through the entrance. Whoosh—! As soon as I stepped inside, the entrance disappeared. "This is…" Upon checking the interior, "What is this place?" I was bewildered by the scene that unfolded. It was yet another world. A short while ago, the place had been a barren field with sparse weeds, but here, it was a forest. Though the place we initially arrived at was also a forest, it was different from this one. This place was much more familiar. The blue sky and even the air felt familiar. The problem was, 'It's heavy.' As soon as I entered, my body felt weighed down. To be more precise, it felt like returning to normal. 'The outside was too light.' The energy floating in the air made my body feel incredibly light and good, but here it was similar to the Central Plains. Chirp—! Chirp chirp! Buzz buzz! The previously unheard sounds of birds and insects tickled my ears. While the previous place was so alien, this place felt exceedingly natural. "No-ya… This place." "It seems we were fortunate." "Pardon?" "Hmm." With a sigh of relief, No-ya took a breath and then looked at me intently. "Follow me," he said, beginning to walk down the path again. Seeing no alternative, I followed alongside him. "What did I say I'd tell you first... Ah, yes. It was about that guy earlier, wasn't it?" "...!" Ending a long silence, No-ya suddenly started explaining things he had promised to upon our arrival. Was he really planning to tell me everything right away? While it was unexpected, I focused since I could finally hear what I needed to. "The guy is a Doryeong. Judging by what you saw, you'd have noticed he's a brute and quite violent." "…Yes." That was indeed my first impression upon encountering him. Brutal and rough. That vibe he emanated was just that. 'A peculiar character.' I was pondering this strange character, who even spoke, when suddenly, "Kid," Shin No-ya called me. "Yes, No-ya?" "I'd like to know. What did you think of him?" "What did I think? He was obviously…" A monster. Just as I was about to utter those words, I found myself hesitating. A monster. Was it right to call him that? Various doubts began sprouting. As No-ya observed me deep in thought, he turned his head and continued speaking. All the while, our steps didn't falter. "You're not wrong. Not for you. And honestly, it wouldn't matter if I called them monsters too." "You mean to say they might not be monsters?" "Oh." No-ya gave a small nod of approval to my question. "It seems you're using your head a bit more since I last saw you." "..." I'd rather be cursed at, honestly. I couldn't utter it, but I ground my teeth inwardly. "If you think they aren't, you can take it that way. But it's not the whole answer." "…I don't quite understand." If it fits, it fits. Saying it could be perceived differently seemed like a vague answer. "Hmm, ah, right. I should explain it like this." I furrowed my brows as he continued his explanation, spotting something further ahead. "They were beings that almost became monsters. That's how one should call them." "Almost became?" "Yes, they were almost monsters. Among them, the one called Doryeong happens to be an especially strong entity. So strong, indeed, that it caught her eye and she granted him power." I flinched. I stopped at No-ya's words. The term 'power' struck a chord in my ear. "Power, you say…?" "Yes, he possesses something called power. He calls it immortality, but… I don’t see it as that level. It’s just mildly annoying, at best." "…" "Anyway, what's more important isn’t this. Judging by the look in your eyes, it seems you wish to know something else, huh? Am I right?" "…Yes." I wanted to know where exactly the Heavenly Demon and I found ourselves now. What exactly is this place we've suddenly found ourselves in? Of all the curious matters, this was undoubtedly the most pressing, as No-ya himself had mentioned. I hoped we'd finally receive some answers, but... "This is something essential for the explanation, so listen carefully." Unfortunately, it wasn't quite yet time for those answers. "I just mentioned that Doryeong might have been something akin to a monster." "…Yes." "Kid, what do monsters appear as to you?" "Huh?" Caught off guard by the question, I glanced at No-ya. He was looking my way, and his eyes were serious. It didn't seem to be a joke, so I answered promptly. "Monsters that come through the Demon Realm Gate. That's how I see them." "Correct." "..." Shouldn't I be pleased that I got it right? Instead, it feels irritating. 'Why is he asking the obvious...?’ I frowned and looked at No-ya as he continued. "Then, where do these monsters come from?" "...That's obviously from beyond the Demon Realm Gate, isn't it?" "That's correct too. But if you delve deeper, doesn't the story change?" "It does?" "What does the Demon Realm Gate truly signify? What’s within it that births these creatures? This is what it’s about." "..." My eyes narrowed. The Demon Realm Gate and monsters. It's a connection I never deeply considered before. From the moment I was born, the Demon Realm Gate existed, and hunting the creatures that emerged from it was common knowledge. But if asked how they're connected... ‘I'm not sure.' As I pondered without an answer, my narrowed eyes focused on No-ya. "Monsters," he spoke. "They are beings from worlds that have already been annihilated." "...!" "Entities eradicated after losing their rulers, destroyed by the reigning ruler. That is what monsters are." "So that means." "When a world loses its master, it erases all living beings, welcoming a new ruler. Then, where do these erased beings go?" I looked into his eyes. "The answer is, naturally, here." The words No-ya uttered were laden with sorrow and coldness. --- The readers' comments also reflected on the idea, with one noting that, in a way, even monsters could be seen as victims. Those logged in could only comment on this unique insight. Exploring more about the top-reviewed stories and the week's best installments added broader perspectives.