943 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"What the hell is this guy?" I glanced at the pale arm draped over my shoulder. The icy touch was too cold to belong to a human. He was small in stature, just barely managing to reach high enough for an arm-over-shoulder embrace. It's as though he was forcing it. He was half a head shorter than me. I stared at him quietly. His eyes were a gentle green, matching the color of his hair. The hues reminded me of Tang Sohyeol. However, his colors were significantly more muted. Although he exuded an obviously foreign aura, in this world, such things are not uncommon. One thing was clear. "This is ridiculous." I had to regard him suspiciously despite considering all these facts. "What on earth is he hiding?" He appeared weak at a glance, but he looked different to me. My heart drummed fiercely just watching him. My inner eye, without consent, opened wide. The loop of spells spun wildly, drawing strings that gathered before my eyes. A new world unfolded before me. It felt like a new sense was blooming within me, one that I'd never had before. The strings of spells stretched across my widened perspective, weaving into my inner vision. Things that shouldn't be seen were revealed. His spirit. Gazing upon him, I discovered that this small body held something incomprehensible. Despite his small stature, his presence was immense. It was an overwhelming feeling, enough to make my instincts react violently. "This feeling..." Where had I sensed this before? It felt eerily familiar. Rummaging through my memories, it clicked. "The ox calf they called the leader." The black ox with an overwhelming presence. I remember feeling this exact way when facing him. Which means... "Is he of the same caliber as that creature?" A chilling thought. I kept my eyes narrowed as I met his gaze. His green eyes curved into a crescent. "Why aren't you answering? Are you unable to speak?" I snapped back to reality. Suppressing my presence, I controlled my emotions. Revealing my energy, even slightly, at this distance would surely be noticed. "I was startled. Doesn't anyone get surprised when someone suddenly approaches like that?" With a flick, I removed his arm. The arm fell limply to his side. I pondered as I felt the sensation. "Why didn't I sense him?" His small stature required considerable strength to sustain. I failed to detect his presence, both because he wasn't strong enough to capture and because... "I let my guard down." A result of my own relaxed vigilance. "Who are you?" "Me? I'm just..." He hesitated as if unsure how to introduce himself. "Just a passerby?" "Then, you should just pass by." I stepped aside courteously. "No way. This is fate. How can I just walk away?" With a broad grin, he rooted his feet where he stood, showing no intention of leaving. "Damn it." I seemed to have drawn the attention of a strange one. No, it's more likely… "He realized something and approached." He wouldn't just grab me for no reason. There must be a purpose behind this approach. What could it be? "Did he find my trace?" Could I have left traces when I fought against Baek Wol or whatever it was called? Maybe not. As far as I know, I shouldn't have left any traces. "But I'm not certain." This is an alternate realm, and there may be detection methods I'm unaware of. I couldn't afford to lower my guard. Focusing on him, I heightened my senses. Raising my energy was risky, so I merely enhanced my five senses. I wouldn't let a single movement escape my notice. Then he asked again, "So, where are you heading? Just tell me." How should I handle this? I couldn't take too long to deliberate. Nor could I afford a prolonged silence. "If I tell you, what will you do?" I spoke to buy some thinking time. "Obviously, guide you." "Why?" "As I mentioned earlier, this is fate. You seem lost. Trust me this once." With every word, it became clearer. This guy... "He has no intention of letting me go." No matter what, he intended to keep hold of me. What if I just left him and ran? Should I try? I immediately shook my head. "It's too dangerous now." He's unpredictable; not a weakling either. Engaging here is perilous. I decided silently, taking a breath as I spoke. "I had business with the Black Clan." That wasn’t my original destination, but I altered it urgently. "Oh, Black?" He showed interest. "Yes. I am expected there as a guest." "Ah, I see." "Can you guide me?" "Of course, I know every corner of this Yahwa Castle." With a confident tone, he began to walk. As he moved forward, I could see his green tail wagging. "Let's go!" "..." Watching him, I slowly followed. ************ We walked for half a candle’s time. He walked slowly, so it took a while to reach our destination. Particularly since I wasn’t familiar with the area, navigating the alleyways took even longer. "He certainly knows his way around." He was definitely acquainted with the roads. Meaning... "He's dragging this out intentionally." Stretching the distance to our destination, indicating he's going around in circles. I narrowed my eyes and stared at his back. What's strange is that despite taking such routes, we were still progressing toward the destination. As I looked at him, I glanced back. Trailing us was the Heavenly Demon, silently following. The clothes they wore luckily concealed their features, including their ears. "For now, it’s manageable." Unlike what the turtle had done, the spell I cast was less enduring and required continuous attention. This, among other reasons, made things complicated. "Who exactly is this guy?" What is this guy in front of me? Why did he suddenly approach me? "Is he the leader of another group?" The leader of a faction neither white nor black. Is that possible? But... "That seems unlikely." The feeling just isn't right. Especially... "With that level of strength, it's inconceivable." He was on a different level compared to the leaders I had encountered. Hence, I deeply hoped he wasn't. "So what is he really?" What intention did this green mass have in approaching me? I heightened my alertness as I followed him. And then suddenly, "Oh, by the way." Still not turning back, he spoke to me. "Since we're bound by fate." Fate, huh. What exactly about this is fate? "Shall we introduce ourselves?" "What a random thing to say." "We've walked this far together, don't you think it's appropriate?" "But we haven't even exchanged a single conversation." "Well... You didn't seem particularly keen on talking, so I thought I’d let you set the pace." "I see... Is that so?" "By the way, what's your name?" With a smile lingering in his voice, he asked for my name. My name, huh? Before I answered, I asked him, “Why don't you go first?” "Me?" Yes, you. "I’m... hmm." After a moment of deep thought, he seemed to decide on something and said to me, "Let’s go with Mongmong. Just call me Mongmong." "…" He didn't even say, "My name is Mongmong." Just "let's go with Mongmong." What the hell is this insanity, not even bothering to hide anything? Absurd. And now he wanted to know my name? I chuckled wryly for a moment and answered. "I'm Cheol Jiseon." I shamelessly used Jiseon’s name. I mean, I've already sold him out in other matters; using his name should be fine. "Oh, Cheol Jiseon. That's a nice name, isn’t it?" "It's not that great of a name." "Is that so, haha." He didn’t really seem convinced either. An uncomfortable tension lingered in the air. Since we both knew it was a lie, further conversation was unnecessary. "And the lady over there?" Mongmong turned to ask the Heavenly Demon for her name. At this, the Heavenly Demon tilted her head and looked at me. "What's my name?" "…" Why ask me that, you lunatic... It was sheer madness in tandem. Hearing this, Mongmong burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You don't even know your own name?" "…" The Heavenly Demon frowned at Mongmong's laughter. She seemed slightly annoyed. "Wow... really." He laughed so hard that I could see tears at the corner of his eyes. However, "Interesting." Mongmong’s laughter vanished in an instant. "Very interesting." Whoom. Suddenly, I felt a ripple in the air. Realizing this, I looked up. In the distance, I could glimpse the black family's mansion I had visited before. Only, the distance was quite far and there were few people around. "Hmm." Is this a trap? I realized the problem belatedly. Sssss-! Mongmong's green tail writhed. "It looks like it's going to take a bit longer to arrive. Shall we chat along the way?" "What kind of chat?" "Oh, you know, just small talk about life?" Mongmong continued walking. I focused on his footsteps. Crunch! Something seemed to break. Not externally, but there was a change happening inside him. "You see, there was an incident in the castle recently. Have you heard?" "I did hear about it." "Man, when I heard about it, it terrified me. Nothing less than the head of a noble family, right?" "Indeed, it's unbelievable." "My thoughts exactly." I lowered my gaze. His pace seemed to slow slightly. "You know, the ranks decreed by the Lord in this world—they're an unchangeable, immutable law." "…Right." What the hell is that? I knew nothing about this. Catching his words with a nod, I pricked up my ears. "A mere nobody wouldn't dare touch a noble without that same blessing, a pureblood noble, you know?" They wouldn't dare, apparently. His tone was filled with certainty. "Does that mean no one but another noble can interfere with a noble?" If that's true, it’s a rather obnoxious rule. The problem is... "Then what am I?" I recalled my encounters with the white one's progenitor. Is there some distinction? Or is it merely a verbal rule, not a compulsion or restriction? "It's odd that there doesn’t seem to be one among them...?" Simultaneously encapsulating several possibilities, I focused on Mongmong’s words. "So, ultimately, whoever broke the law..." As he continued, "Who could it be? Aren’t you curious?" He suddenly dropped the polite tone, Crash-! "!…" Extending his arm, he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall. The wall shattered, compressing my body against it. I remained pinned against the wall, now staring at his altered arm with wide eyes. The once-fair arm had grown thick, hair sprouting wildly. It was the arm of a beast. "What in the world…." Struggling with the pressure, I managed to ask, still his smile didn’t fade as he inquired, "What are you? I don’t recognize any like you." "What do you mean?" "It's really strange. So many things have changed since I’ve been away. The Sacred Tree is sluggish to react. It's driving me insane." The voice of a child speaking like a child. Yet thick with underlying emotions. Anger or hostility? No, it was neither. This was... "Hunger?" Hunger. I could hear that underlying emotion in his smile and words. Creak. The pressure on my body intensified. I glanced to the side. The Heavenly Demon just watched me, her expression revealing hesitation. Should she intervene or not. It was a hesitation of that nature. Seeing it, I blinked slightly. It was a silent signal to stay put. Upon seeing that, her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Now, I’ll ask." Mongmong spoke as he aimed his words at me. [Answer without deceit.] Suddenly, both his voice and tone transformed entirely. Rumble-! His voice penetrated my body, sending a tingle everywhere. This is… "Dragon Intent?" Not quite Dragon Intent, but something akin to it. [Are you the one responsible for stirring up my fortress?] He continued speaking with a maniacal smile. Squeeeeze-! The pressure on my heart intensified. Feeling it, my mouth slowly opened. Could it be? "Am I really unable to speak lies?" Is his power forcing me to answer honestly? Should I engage in battle immediately? As I worried about the possibilities... "I didn't." "Huh?" "Hmm?" Contrary to my expectations, a lie slipped out effortlessly. Both Mongmong and I stared at each other with identical expressions of bafflement.