921 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 921: Childhood Friend of the World's Greatest “…What did you just say?” The expression that held a trace of confusion was quickly replaced by one brimming with fury. Crack-! Muscles bulged as if threatening to rip through the clothes, and the disheveled hair slowly rose towards the sky. Ssssshhhhh---!!! The menacing aura emanating from Baek Wol’s body filled the entire alley. Crack-! The wall threatened to shatter and the darkness seemed to be pushed away. [Quite the spectacle you’ve put on.] The man, however, appeared unperturbed. The enormous malice spread with such intensity that those behind him foamed at the mouth and collapsed, yet he remained composed. He stood with his hands casually clasped behind him, simply gazing at Baek Wol. It was infuriating. ‘What is this?’ What was this composure? What audacity to display such ease while facing him. It was unsettling. Baek Wol clutched his chest. There was more than just the atmosphere that bothered him. Thump… Thump…. He felt an unusual vibration in his heart, and as a result, his expression creased further. ‘A noble, perhaps?’ This sensation was something only felt in the presence of another noble. To sense such vibrations from the man and yet see nothing, what could it imply? That he was of pure high lineage? No, it couldn’t be. Baek Wol was certain. If that man were truly a noble. “Do you dare insult your master?” Such a revered existence wouldn't be casually mentioned like that. In a world where even uttering a general’s name required caution, to address someone more esteemed in such a manner was unimaginable. [An insult?] At Baek Wol’s words, the man tilted his head slightly. [What insult are you speaking of?] “Silence.” Crack---!! Baek Wol’s foot dug into the ground. A sudden gust whipped through the air. “You will die here.” Boom-! Baek Wol lunged forward at an incredible speed. Despite his massive figure, his movement barely disturbed the alley, as if he paid no mind to such trifles, he charged in. Crack--!! His large hands grew claws, from which a fierce blue energy emanated. Groar---!!! With a beast-like growl, Baek Wol slashed the air with his claws. It felt as if the air itself would be torn apart. Savage and fierce, the assault roared towards the man. Just as the claws were about to slice into the man’s head. [Stop.] ---!!! “Huh!?” Baek Wol’s body froze at the man’s command. The pause lasted only a moment. It was but a fleeting instant, yet. In that brief moment, a black orb appeared before Baek Wol. Buzz-! With a faint vibration, the orb erupted. Bwooosh---!!! The black flames erupted, enveloping the surroundings. Oddly enough, despite the entire alley being engulfed, no lingering flames or damage remained. The flares rose briefly and then disappeared. “Ouch!” For Baek Wol, however, there was definitely damage. Barely escaping, his clothes were singed and his skin burned. Fortunately, these wounds were something he could heal quickly. For a moment, his body froze, but he was about to launch into his next move when. Fwoosh-! The rising flames began taking shape. A hand extended from the black flames, grabbing Baek Wol by the collar, disrupting his balance. And then. His face was met with a knee. Thud-! “Ugh!” The knee strike caused his chin to soar back. The force was tremendous. It was so strong that his body was on the verge of being flung back, but. Grip-! “…!?” For some reason, his body didn’t fly backward. Baek Wol looked down. A mysterious pressure held him at the waist. Looking closer, a black cloth was wrapped around his waist. As if preventing escape. “Ugh!” No matter how hard Baek Wol tried to tear the cloth and escape. Rip-! Surprisingly, despite its thinness, the cloth was impervious to his strength. “…Impossible-!” Bang-!! “Ugh!” A brief shock overcame him before an overwhelming barrage of strikes battered Baek Wol’s body. Bam Bam Bam Bam--!! The man targeted every part from his face to his upper and lower body. Relentlessly. Even as the impact sent him reeling, the cloth pulled him back instantly towards the assailant. This repeated cycle doubled the assault’s intensity. “Argh…!!” Baek Wol could only weather the blows, unable to retaliate. It wasn’t that he didn’t try to fight back. He made every effort to break free. ‘…You…!’ Every time he attempted to escape, the man’s fists interrupted, thwarting him. Strong attacks targeted his joints, immobilizing him, or deliberately obstructing his movements. As a result, Baek Wol continued to suffer a beating. By the time a fist wasn’t flying his way any longer…. Thud…! His knees gave way and hit the ground. “Nngh….” As Baek Wol attempted to collapse, the man’s grasp on his hair held him upright. [Pathetic.] “Heh… Heh….” [Being from the noble house of Yaweol, I thought you’d provide a bit of entertainment. I had such high hopes….] Disappointment seeped through the man’s voice, making Baek Wol’s eyes tremble. Humiliation surged to his throat. Concurrently, his eyes glanced upward at the sky. The sun was setting. It was far from nighttime. ‘…Dammit.’ Night needed to come soon. Then he could showcase his true strength to this mysterious opponent, but in this condition, he couldn’t fight properly. Baek Wol grimaced from the pain, and the man smirked upon seeing it. [Beast of Yaweol. Were you eagerly awaiting nightfall?] “…!” Having his true intentions exposed, Baek Wol swallowed hard. [How laughable.] Amusement was evident in the man’s voice. [Do you think that even if night falls, you’ll be able to reach me?] “You….” Drip-! As words left his mouth, blood trickled from Baek Wol’s lips. [You’re mistaken.] Bang-!! “Ugh!” His hair still clenched in a firm grip, he was struck by a fist. Was it just an illusion? A sound similar to something breaking echoed in his ears. [Even if night falls, nothing will change for you. Look.] As Baek Wol staggered, the man leaned his face forward. Behind the white mask, those enigmatic grey eyes drew closer to Baek Wol. [Is this not already night?] Ssssshhhhh--!! The man's black aura enveloped Baek Wol’s surroundings. The environment was as dark as night, but Baek Wol had a different thought. ‘…It’s darker than night.’ The nights of Mangye were beautiful, but this darkness was different. It was profoundly oppressive and chilling. “Who… are you… exactly…?” In a shaky voice, Baek Wol questioned. The man loosened his grip. Thud-! Only then did Baek Wol’s body collapse to the ground as if finally finding freedom. Gazing down at the prone Baek Wol, the man spoke. […Hmph.] There was not a hint of interest left in his voice. [I suppose you’re not worthy of knowing that.] “You bastard… do you know who I…!” [I had some expectations since you were my first prey ...] Crunch-! “Ugh.” Before he could finish speaking, Baek Wol's head was slammed into the ground. The man stomped down on his head with his foot. [I hope the next one’s head fits differently.] Crunch-! Crunch-!! He continued to stomp mercilessly. Baek Wol’s head was driven further into the ground with each impact. [Scum like you have no right to gaze upon the heavens before me.] Crack---!!! With a final forceful stomp, he pulled his foot back from the ground. He dusted off his shoes slightly and looked straight ahead. [Clean up this trash. I don’t want to see it anymore.] At his command, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated. That was when people rushed over in a panic. “Leader!!” However, they momentarily paused upon seeing the man. Their faces bore expressions of disbelief, and terror was vivid in their eyes. The man, quietly observing, began to rise slowly from the ground into the air. The people could only watch in silence as the spectacle unfolded. [When that vermin wakes, give him a message.] The man instructed. [Tell him he was far too feeble to truly be called a noble.] With those words concluded. Whoosh--!! The man transformed into black flames and vanished into the air. “Leader…!!” “What happened here!” Chaos briefly spread through the streets as those rushing to aid Baek Wol called for others, their voices echoing out. ******** -Help the leader…!! -Send for aid immediately! Contact the family quickly! -What happened here…? -Aren’t those the people from the White House? -Who’s that lying with their head in the ground? –That attire is…. Oh god… is it…! Countless voices clamored. Murming spread in all directions. It was clear that the situation would only grow more tumultuous. I observed from a distance, resting my chin on my hand. “Hmmm…” I exhaled a sigh, tainted with exhaustion. There was no helping it. ‘It was close.’ The battle had been exceedingly dangerous. Fortunately, things resolved swiftly to my favor, but it was risky. ‘Faster and stronger than expected.’ Baek Wol was much stronger than I had initially perceived. ‘Lucky that the command technique worked.’ Fortunately, the command technique proved effective. The brief moment it bought changed the tide of the fight. Before he could regain his shaken stance, I launched a relentless series of attacks, using my abilities to constrain his movement. Through those methods, I was able to seize victory swiftly. However. ‘If the command hadn’t worked.’ Had it failed, had he not been caught off guard, the battle wouldn’t have ended so easily. Of course…. ‘In the end, I would still have won.’ From what I experienced, it seemed I would have emerged victorious towards the end. No matter how fast or strong, it wasn't a match for me. However, the concern was…. ‘Suppose it had been night?’ If it had been nighttime, when their characteristics and powers are at their full potential. Would I have still prevailed then? I wasn’t entirely sure. The night-empowered Wolya clan possessed something distinctly different. “Tsk.” I gathered all the information gleaned from the battle up to this point. ‘For starters… mentioning Mangye seemed to provoke a strong reaction.’ That sharp charge hinted at intolerance. It wasn’t meant as a provocation. Merely a mention. Curious about how he perceived it. ‘It was surprisingly effective.’ His outrage was palpable, which made it useful for my advantage. ‘And.’ I glanced down. It seemed they were still in the process of recovering everything…. ‘It also served to divert attention from the force at Huashan.’ The Huashan was erased from their minds long ago. They had their hands full retrieving the fallen beast-man. The unexpected assault left them scrambling. Thus, creating confusion and diverting attention seemed temporarily successful. ‘But is it really?’ That also remained uncertain. ‘Not sure if the treasures work here the same way as in Zhongyuan.’ While the abilities appeared to work, it was unclear if it had extended to the mask. It would be wise to anticipate any potential issues arising from this later. ‘…For now, it appears fine.’ Hmm. I averted my gaze from observing below. ‘How annoying.’ Simultaneously, I reached for my ear. The soft sensation was unchanged. “...” It became somewhat of a habit, touching my ears constantly. ‘Said it would unravel with intense movement. But since it hasn't, this extent must be fine?’ It was fascinating that its retention persisted through transformative magic. Instead of simply manifesting ears and tails…. ‘It seems to alter the perception of existence itself.’ Something deeper was at play here. Fascinating. ‘Could I use this if I learned it?’ Maybe it was possible. I felt I just needed to grasp the principle. As that thought lingered, I continued to touch my ear. Soft. Smooth. Continued. “...” Noticing an unfamiliar sensation mixed in the touch, I became aware of something odd. Snap-! I grabbed my wrist, which had been touching my ear, and turned around. As expected, someone was there. “When did you arrive?” “Caught.” Naturally, it was the Heavenly Demon who had been slyly touching my ear. “…I told you to behave and stay put. Why can't you follow simple words?” “I was behaving.” The Heavenly Demon protested as if feeling wronged. Indeed, she hadn’t appeared and had stayed put quietly. Realizing this, I felt a bit embarrassed belatedly. “You still touched my ear.” “That has nothing to do with anything.” “Shut up.” “...” Though it was somewhat unseemly, I didn’t want to concede, so I picked a petty fight. The Heavenly Demon scrunched her nose and fell silent. Seeing that, I snorted and walked past her. I was headed back to the building when. “I am the darkness borne from the heavens.” “...” Freeze. At the Heavenly Demon’s statement, I stopped and turned around. There she was. “…You.” She was looking right at me. And ever so slightly, the corners of her mouth were lifted. Anyone with half a brain could see it was a smirk. “…What did you just say….” “A good show you’ve put on.” “...” “I…” “Stop… stop talking…!” I shouted to cut off the Heavenly Demon before she could continue. Her smile deepened at my reaction. Damn it…. ‘She heard everything, that wretched woman.’ Embarrassment crashed over me like a tidal wave.