928 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 928: The Rival's Realm Boom---!!! The night spread across the ground, consuming the entire field like an enormous lake. The darkness stretched infinitely, swallowing the trees and bushes all around. A vast territory formed, entirely engulfed in pitch black. Crackle. Crackle. Unknown ashes rose like heat waves over the blackened land. It was ominous. And unpleasant. "..." The masked woman gazed silently from behind her mask at this realm. She shifted her eyes, searching for the creator of this darkness. Then. Squish-! “--!” Her foot sank into the ground, making her lose balance. And then, swish---!!! Sharp thorns shot up from the earth, aimed at the woman's neck. She moved her hand. A sword formed from energy sliced through the thorns. Using her strength, she freed her foot and leaped backward to create distance. However. Slash--!! Countless hands emerged from the ground, lunging at her. Seeing it, the woman moved to swing her sword again, but— Grab-! Suddenly, her back was seized. "Where do you think you're going?" The true master of the realm had already moved behind her. Her neck was grasped, her vision overturned. Before she could break free, she was hurled to the ground. Bam---!! Her body was buried into the earth. The sticky sensation wrapped around her like being submerged in mud. Naturally, her opponent wouldn't simply stand idle. Roarrrrr---!!! Dark energy swirled violently, converging in one place. The pressure was incredible, even just witnessing it. The realm gradually shrank, but rather than merely diminishing, it compressed. The vortex tightened, and though the size decreased, the mass did not lessen. As a result, the pressure increased, gathering immense energy. She controlled it with her hand, then… With a light clap of her hands, the woman with black hair set it free. Clap-! And then. Boom---!!! The amassed energy exploded in an instant. The detonation exceeded all imagination. The ground that had harbored darkness erupted across a wide area. What remained was a giant crater, deeply scarred. Hiss…. The remaining dark energy scattered like ashes. Cheonma's violet eyes observed it indifferently. Was it dealt with? No. It wasn't resolved. At the center of the pit. Cheonma slowly descended from where she floated in mid-air. There, a small sphere of shimmering crimson light was forming. Creak. Cheonma gripped her sword. With a simple slash, she aimed at the sphere. The motion was straightforward, yet the outcome was far from trivial. A black crescent soared towards the sphere, potent and heavy. Boom---!! Energy collided with the sphere and exploded. The impact ruptured the air, but the sphere remained unaffected. "Hmm," Cheonma frowned, dissatisfied. There wasn’t even a scratch. That fact seemed strange. "What is this?" Was she too weak? Cheonma tightened her grip on the sword. Its blade, slightly thinned, thickened once more. Determined to strike harder than before. Preparing to release her full strength, Cheonma assumed a proper stance when suddenly— Whip-! The sphere disappeared, and something emerged. A woman lunged at Cheonma, dragging her sword across the ground. With an upward swing, she struck. Clang-! The attack didn't succeed. Before the sword could gain speed, Cheonma intercepted it. Cheonma reached out a hand, aiming to grasp her face— Snap-! "Uh?" Something broke. Cheonma's gaze shifted down. A fracture appeared in the sword, crumbling before her eyes. This implied... Swish---!!! The woman's sword sped towards Cheonma's face. She quickly tilted her head, dodging the attack. As she evaded, Cheonma cocked her head. "What?" Why did it suddenly break? Cheonma was puzzled. But she didn't dwell too long. There was no time to ponder amidst the relentless attacks. Quick. The sound of the sword cutting through the air was heard after the attack struck. This meant the woman's sword was incredibly fast; nonetheless, Cheonma evaded the strikes with an unchanging expression. There was a familiarity about it. Why it felt familiar, she couldn't comprehend. It seemed strangely recognizable. Had she seen it before? She wasn't sure. Cheonma didn’t dwell on such matters deeply. Even when things seemed familiar, the world was still full of firsts. This time was no different. And more importantly. Slam-! Cheonma was curious about what lay beyond the woman's mask. Pushing her back with energy, Cheonma advanced towards her. Closing the gap. Simultaneously, energy surged from Cheonma's body. It was an immense, innate darkness within her. That darkness struck towards the woman. Cheonma made no effort to regulate it. She didn’t even know how to manage it, to begin with. The woman froze momentarily upon seeing the energy. And then. Slightly, she took a step back. Just a single step. Then, gripping her sword, she twisted her waist. In an instant, the sword swung down. At that moment, Cheonma clearly saw it. ‘White?’ Wrapped around the sword with a crimson aura, there was something white. Cheonma stared intently. Her gaze was captivated. Crack---!! Slash-! As a result, energy tore and slashed across her body even as she continued to stare at it. "Ah." It hurt. Cheonma clutched her chest, retreating. "Ugh…" She bit her lip. It hurt. It hurt immensely. Sizzle…. An unidentifiable sizzling sound emanated from her wound, causing Cheonma's face to contort. "It hurts…." She removed her hand from her chest. Her hand was soaked in blood. Moreover, her clothes were stained. Gazing at her bloodstained attire, Cheonma's face crumpled in distress. ‘I’ll get scolded.’ She’d been told to stay put and avoid unnecessary actions. She couldn't stand the thought of him telling her to get lost and not to cause any trouble. “Hmmm….” What will he say this time? The more he disliked, the more she disliked it. Recalling the image of him telling her to go away, Cheonma bit her lip. Her chest hurt. Was it from the wound? It was bearable before, but now it hurt too much. “…Ah.” So, she was distracted. Cheonma raised her head to look forward. “This is bad.” The woman who had been in front of her just moments ago was no longer there. Caught up in idle thoughts, she had missed it. “…Hmm….” Cheonma scratched her head and then nodded. Having missed her twice, she seemed to understand. "Next time." The third time they meet, she resolved to kill her without hesitation. * * * * * 'What is it?' He lifted his head and looked to the left. He sensed something from over there. Was it just a trick of his mind? He felt a foreboding sensation from somewhere. When he focused slightly, nothing else could be sensed. “Am I just tired?” That could very well be it. He hadn’t slept for days now. Usually, he didn't sleep much, but since arriving here, he hadn't rested at all. There was too much to figure out and assess, leaving no time for sleep. “Should I sleep now...?” Without anything else to do, he considered sleeping right then and there. “No, this place isn’t it, though.” Looking around, he had to let out a deep sigh. The damp, cold floor. The air was humid and unpleasant. And even the iron bars before him. Somehow, it was an oddly familiar place. Yes, he was currently imprisoned. With even handcuffs binding him. “Ha-ha-ha.” A dry laughter escaped him. How long had it been since he’d been in a prison cell? He couldn't recall experiencing this since his last life before death. Should he feel nostalgic…? Ting. He clicked his tongue internally as he looked at the cuffs restraining him. How had it come to this? "Ah, I really didn’t see this coming." He hadn’t imagined he’d end up in a cell. He observed the chains quietly, then spoke a bit louder. “Excuse me.” A slight rise in his voice drew attention from outside the bars. “Be quiet.” A figure dressed in black appeared, offering a warning. He looked at him and asked with a smile. “How long do I have to stay here? I mean, even for a guest, this is a bit much.” “Guest?” The man in front of him retorted. “Of course, a guest. I went through so much trouble to bring Gu Bong here. Considering the effort, I deserve some hospitality….” “Silence!” The man reacted harshly to his words. Whoa, startled. “Why the shouting?” “Do you even understand who you're talking about?” Mentioning Gu Bong seemed to be the issue. He responded indifferently. “Who else would it be? From what I've gathered, he’s probably the heir of this house.” “...” “Is he the firstborn? The second? Or an only child?” “…You….” His voice had a growl, like a real beast’s. He chuckled and said. “It’s not very important. Let’s skip that…. So, really, how long am I going to be stuck here?” He tapped the ground and added. “I'm pretty high-maintenance. I don’t sleep well in places like this.” Truth be told, he could sleep even in a mud pit, but that wasn’t the point. Creak. The man clenched his fists, his hand trembling momentarily, then a smile crept onto his face. “Who knows.” “Hmm?” “I haven’t been told when to release you. Perhaps, you won't ever be let out.” “Oh, that’s a bit problematic.” Sitting back, resting his chin on his hand, he frowned. “I’ve got things to do, so perpetuity isn't an option. How about letting me out a bit sooner?” “Ha.” As if it were absurd, the man let out a dry laugh. “If our leader decrees it, that becomes law here. Do you think your opinion matters? A mere speck on the mountain has much to wish for, it seems.” “…Hmm.” He scratched his cheek. Maybe he’d teased a bit much, brewing real resentment in the man. “So, you really won’t let me out?” “Yes. So shut up and sit quietly.” “No, seriously?” “Do you not understand plain speech?” “Ah…this.” He lowered his head, appearing downtrodden. Only then did the man nod with satisfaction. “You’ve finally understood your place….” “I thought at least I'd be treated like a guest. How annoying. Now I have to exert myself.” Before the man could finish, he stood up. Then. Crack-! He tore off the cuffs restraining his hands. “What the—!” The man moved in surprise, but he had already grasped the iron bars with his now free hand. What followed was the same as before. Snap-! He ripped the bars apart. The man’s eyes widened at the sudden turn of events. Watching this, he just lightly rotated his freed wrist and said. “If you treat me like a criminal rather than a guest…. I have no choice but to respond in kind.” “You—!!” The man lunged at him. No, he tried to. Smack-! “Guh!” He reached out and grabbed the man’s face, stopping him in his tracks. His mouth was forced open. His teeth were in clear view. So he plucked out a fang. Pop-! “…!!!” The man’s body shuddered violently as the fang was extracted. He felt him struggle, but there was no way he'd escape his grip. Though perhaps stubborn, he didn’t scream out. “Listen well.” Crunch! He crushed the fang right before the man’s eyes and spoke. “I have a few questions.” “Guh... guh…” “If I don’t like your answers, I’ll pull out another tooth, then a nail, and next your eyes. Finally, the bones. If you want to hurt, keep your mouth shut. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you did.” He relaxed his grip just enough for the man to speak. “Now, first question.” He addressed the terrified man. “What kind of person is Gu Bong?” As I asked him, my face was tinged with a rare excitement. It had been a while since I last indulged in a little torture. --- Martial Arts, 1 Comment 3.1 / 80 Yeon Woo 2024.10.29 05:44 Report A scene reminiscent of something seen somewhere before 0 Only logged-in users can post comments. 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