938 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Inside the confines of the Night Moon Castle, there stood a mansion. A massive white flag fluttered majestically, staking its claim over the territory. The area brimming with substantial military power and several commercial complexes wielded considerable influence. This mansion belonged to one of the four noble families directly bestowed the honor by the General. It also served as the residence of the head of the White Family. Granted nobility with the General's permission, this family held pure blood in the highest regard, signifying their strict adherence to hierarchy and order. To them, purity was law. It was an essential tenet for the White Family and a space where anyone without pure blood dared not lift their head. In this space... Tap, tap. Someone walked down the corridor. A man, dressed neatly, with long hair tied back. Even tied up, his hair cascaded to the floor, trailing behind him. Despite the long hair, his physique wasn’t imposing. Comparatively, he had a more slender frame for a man, lacking any intimidating presence. The type of person who seemed like he would be blown away with a push. “…Hoo….” “Hoo…oo….” Everyone within the mansion had their heads bowed low. They dared not meet his gaze. Meanwhile. "Hmm hmm~." The man, seemingly oblivious to their deference, hummed a tune as he continued walking at a leisurely pace. With each step he took, the onlookers lowered their gazes further to the ground. They understood well. This was the only way to avoid arousing the man's displeasure. After walking slowly for some time, the man suddenly halted. "There." Stopping suddenly, he spoke, his voice gentle yet firm. "The door. Are you not going to open it?" "…!" The words prompted someone sitting beside him to jump up quickly. This person reached for the door handle and began to open the great door. Creak-!! The tough door swung open, and the man patted the shoulder of the person who had opened it. Tap, tap. "Thank you." "No, it's… it's nothing." The man chuckled softly at the response and stepped inside. Inside was a large bed, big enough that the feet of a large man lying on it jutted out. This man was Baekwol, the head of the White Family. He was unconscious, lying still, while a young man with hair of the same color sat beside him. The young man's face scrunched in irritation at the sudden opening of the door and turned around. "What the-! Who dares…!!!" His voice rose, but upon seeing the man, his eyes widened. "It's been a while." The man waved cheerfully at the young man, who instantly leapt up and prostrated himself on the floor. "General… General, it's an honor to see you." "Yes, have you been well?" The prostrate young man, Baeksang of the White Clan, dared not budge even a little while the man, the General, dragged a vacant chair and sat down with a thud. Like the others outside, the young man dared not even breathe audibly. Trickle, trickle-. The sound of water pouring could be heard. "I came by to see how things were while I had time. Seems things are unfolding quite interestingly here." "…That is…." "Ah, no need for an explanation." "..." "My child. Could you look up?" At his words, Baeksang slowly lifted his gaze. Their eyes met directly. Staring into the man's vertical pupils and gleaming purple irises, Baeksang froze in place, goosebumps spreading all over him. This man, with a mere gesture, could level everything in this vicinity. Baeksang swallowed dryly, keeping his awareness on that fact. "The Master has entrusted me with a task, so I can't afford to spend much time on you. Would that trouble you?" "N-no, not at all. How dare I…!" "I'm glad to hear that." The man sighed with relief, patting his chest. "I was concerned about it, but to think this would happen while I was away…. It's altogether disheartening." "I'm, I'm sorry." "Oh, I didn't mean it that way. I'm not so peculiar as to blame you, am I?" "N-no, you're not." He dared not agree aloud. Agreeing might result in an unknown calamity upon the mansion he was in now. "Well, anyhow." He stood up, examining Baekwol’s condition. "Hmm?" The man tilted his head curiously while examining Baekwol. "You said it’s been a few days since he ended up like this?" "…Four days haven’t yet passed." "Four days?" The man's eyes widened at the mention. Four days. While short, it was a time with multiple meanings for the Wolya Clan. "Four days have passed, yet, he remains in this state." Baekwol’s condition was still poor. Being a pureblood among the Moonlit Clan, his regenerative abilities should have been exceptional. Yet, there were still signs of external wounds. His internal condition was not much better. "Mm." The severity of the injuries possibly delayed complete healing. Still, the more he observed, the more the man suspected something peculiar. ‘It seems to simply be delayed?’ Regeneration itself appeared sluggish. Considering factors that should have healed by now remained unchanged, something out of the ordinary seemed amiss. "Mm." The man finally nodded as he realized something and stood up. "Looks like we have an intruder." Whether holding a grudge against Baekwol or driven by another purpose. What was clear, however, was the presence of a disruptive element. Additionally. "…How dare they." Daring to act in the Night Sun, where I bestow my blessings. Crack. Sharp claws extended from his fingertips as he pondered. Watching this, Baeksang couldn't help but shiver violently. But seemingly unaware—or perhaps simply unconcerned—about Baeksang’s reaction, the man murmured. "Who could it be?" Pondering who the mysterious figure could be, the man suddenly had a thought. 'Is it another general?' Might it be one of the other generals coveting his position? Such a thought passed through his mind. The man mentally listed some potential suspects. 'The leader… could it be that brutish one?' Probably not. Though they didn’t get along, that one never left his domain without a direct command from the Master. In fact, he showed barely any interest in his own country, governing it half-heartedly at best. Which leaves— 'Yarang?' Just thinking about her was enough to irritate him. Grinding his teeth, he pictured the brown-haired woman. Someone with no proper standing and no divine tree, yet using the Master's favor to hold the position of a general. The man couldn't stand it. Still. 'It's not her either.' He quickly dismissed the idea that it could be Yarang. Leaving just one other. 'That pesky fellow?' The insufferable one with the disgusting wings. Could he be the mastermind behind this? ‘That’s possible.’ A character whose thoughts and actions were often unpredictable. If he orchestrated this, it was entirely plausible. "Hmm..." The man, however, couldn't arrive at a definitive answer. Recently, he knew that the irritating one was busy carrying out tasks assigned by the Master. If none of the three generals, was it someone acting independently? "Child. Did you say the culprit is of the Wolya Clan?" "Y-Yes. He had both ears and a tail." "And?" Probing for more information, the man listened as Baeksang continued. "He called himself the Heavenly Demon." "Heavenly Demon?" "Yes, he claimed to be the Heavenly Demon." "Hmm." Heavenly Demon, he thought? The man rubbed his chin, pondering. “…Heavenly Demon…." It was a name he had never heard before. "No other information has been gathered yet," Baeksang admitted, watching the man cautiously. "Is that so? Understood." The man turned towards the door, seemingly indifferent. The fact that someone blessed by him was in such a state was unsettling. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. ‘The white one’s dealt with.’ The one who was already down was irrelevant. ‘Perhaps I should visit the blue one next?’ Time to observe the ones who weren't yet affected. With that thought, the man set out. ‘Who indeed could it be?’ As he walked away, his lips curled slightly. Was it anticipation, interest? Or perhaps anger? A swirl of conflicting emotions. But above all, the most dominant feeling was: ‘With all the prey scarce, this works out perfectly.’ Hunger. ************* As twilight began to descend, I found myself leaving Shin Noya’s place, moving at a leisurely pace. I wandered through the streets where plum blossoms were in bloom. The fading sunset cast its glow on the falling leaves, adding a touch of beauty. The gently swaying breeze deepened that serene atmosphere, yet, "What is this?" None of it mattered to me. What was critical at that moment was none other than, "…Is it really that strange?" The name I had bestowed on my newfound power. The part that was criticized as odd. "It’s not, right?" No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. "Isn't it cool?" Heavenly Demon Divine Art seemed like a pretty impressive name. Among the names I had given so far, it ranked high up there. Unlike obscure names like Nine Flames Wheel Art or Heaven Shattering Art, this one was much more straightforward. Heavenly Demon Divine Art. How intuitive it was. It simply meant the divine art used by the Heavenly Demon. "And calling it what, exactly?" Was it described as tacky? Or perhaps crass? Whatever the case, the meaning was similar. "They don't understand a thing." What do the old ones know? Clearly, they lacked an appreciation for sophistication. I stated the name as requested, and that was the reaction I got? Scorn and derision. It was truly incredulous. "I won't speak of it again." It’d only be revealed to those who could appreciate it. The world just wasn’t ready for me yet. That was the conclusion I reached. As if shifting my focus, I rolled my eyes while walking, ‘…Hmm.’ Suddenly, a sharp pain made me furrow my brows. From within, precisely at the heart, there was a stinging sensation. ‘Is it still lingering?’ I had felt it since morning; a lingering recoil enveloped my body. The energy still wasn’t flowing smoothly. Some of my acupoints were swollen, preventing the energy from moving freely, and the force emanating from my heart couldn’t spread properly. Noya had offhandedly commented, -You should rest for at least seven days. At this rate, you might render yourself crippled. He had stated this stark warning as if it were nothing. And though his remarks were crudely made, they rang true in terms of danger. Although I had merely named it, the power was ultimately unusable. ‘Far from ready to be used.’ Linking mind and heart to create friction. While it presented the possibility of explosive power, It was far from sufficient to manage the backlash. Knowing well the resilience of my own body, The fact that even it couldn’t withstand it meant, ‘I’m not ready to wield it yet.’ A power forced into use meant nothing in the present. Realizing that better than anyone, I placed significance only on having succeeded for now. ‘For usage… I need significant tempering.’ There needed to be a better approach. Moreover, I was on my way to address just that. After walking briefly, I reached my destination. The place I had visited just yesterday. "…You’re here again?" Approaching the gate, the homeowner appeared, greeting me as if out of nowhere. It was the Turtle. Seeing him, I smiled warmly. "How have you been?" "How do you think? Didn’t we just see each other yesterday?" "That's quite a while in my book." "…" The Turtle contorted his face into a peculiar expression, seemingly stifling a sigh. "Oh, come now, given we’ve discussed it thoroughly, don’t be too gruff." "…Tsk." Mentioning our conversation from the previous day, the Turtle clicked his tongue and turned around. The moment the Turtle, who had been outside, stepped back inside through the open door, Whoosh-! “…Oh.” Suddenly, my perspective shifted entirely. Without having moved myself, I found I was already inside the teahouse. Not only was I seated comfortably in a chair, but the Turtle was also pouring me some tea from across the table. Trickle, trickle. As the teacup slowly filled, the Turtle posed a question. "So, what was so pressing that you had to come see me again so soon, not even a day passing?" The Turtle asked, curiosity evident in his voice. "Ah." Pressing matters, indeed. If one were to tally them, they would appear endless. I knew almost nothing about sorcery, and if I wanted to inquire about it, the questions would easily surpass hundreds. "But since you've brought it up, I'll ask you this." First and foremost, though, there was one thing I had to know above all. "Do you, by any chance, know a way to turn back time or travel to the future?" "…" Upon hearing my question, the Turtle's expression twisted. Simultaneously, the teahouse trembled significantly.