953 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"…Damn it..." When Yusa returned to the prison, the individual he had initially seen was nowhere in sight. His expression was damaged, deeply reflecting anger. His breath was disrupted by emotion. Gone was the pretense of innocence. What stood before me was a monster. 'That presence is something else.' He wasn't even trying to conceal it now, and fierce energy was emanating from his entire body. I had sensed it when we first met, but now it was even clearer. In the midst of the full moon hanging in the night sky, it felt different somehow. Something seemed ready to explode from that small body at any moment. "Fuuu—." The guy was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, so I cautiously asked a question. "Why... what happened?" At my question, he shot a fierce look my way. "You. Were you here the whole time?" "...Yes? Oh, yes... Being locked up, where could I go?" "Really?" Then he turned his gaze to the Heavenly Demon, who sat beside me. "Hey." "...?" The Heavenly Demon lifted his head in response to Yusa's words. With their gazes locked, Yusa asked him, "Has that guy really been here the whole time?" "..." I looked at the Heavenly Demon in response to Yusa's question, holding my breath nervously. 'I had forgotten about this.' For some reason, his words seemed meaningless to me. I wasn't sure if they would reach the Heavenly Demon as well. And if the Heavenly Demon answered truthfully, what would happen then? "..." Surprisingly, the Heavenly Demon shook his head, denying it. Yusa's expression could not have been more displeased. "...He's really not saying anything?" That confirmed it for me. He was definitely suspicious of me. 'Damn, his suspicion runs deep.' I was almost driven to laughter by his persistent doubt. 'Even after using my power to alter his perception, he still doubts?' He still doubted even after using my power to divert his attention once more. He was indeed a persistent one. However... 'Fortunately, it seems my power is effective.' Watching him, I realized my powers were working on him. Though Yusa was clearly dissatisfied, he called someone from outside. "Pala, come in." The name seemed straightforward. When summoned, a handsome middle-aged man appeared. His rabbit ears didn't seem to match his face, but that detail wasn't important. "...You called for me?" The middle-aged man entered with a weary expression, dressed in a blue robe. He was the owner of this residence and the father of the madman who was enamored with the Heavenly Demon. "This guy wants to have a word with you." At that, the master looked at me. His gaze clearly questioned, Who is this madman? Locking eyes with that stare, Yusa added an instruction. "Release them and let them go once you're done talking." "...Pardon? What do you mean by that...?" The master's eyes widened at Yusa's words. Let them go? His expression suggested he couldn't understand Yusa. It was understandable. Letting go the people who beat his son in public was unthinkable. Though he slightly frowned at the ludicrous command... "I said let them go. Didn't you hear me?" Yusa's cold gaze made the master hastily close his mouth. "I will obey the general's orders…." He immediately bowed his head, showing he was attentive. It seemed there was nothing he could do even though he disagreed. "...Fuuu...." Yusa was still struggling with his emotions, busy trying to contain his anger. His insides seemed deeply agitated. Then, he looked at me again and said, "...I have to go due to some matters. Let's meet again next time, alright?" His forced smile was notably strange. Twisted somehow, it was a face I instinctively wanted to avoid. Hearing his words, I desperately wanted to say no, but that wasn't an option. "...Understood." I forced a smile and gave my consent. Instantly, Yusa wiped away his smile, turned his back, and left. At that moment, BOOM--!!! A loud noise came from outside as Yusa's presence faded. Whether it was the night or his emotional outburst, Yusa's presence was unusually pronounced. With Yusa gone, "..." Remaining with the unsure blue-robed master. He seemed unable to comprehend the storm that had just passed, unable to control his expression or breath. "What on earth is this...?" He hadn't collected himself yet. This was my chance. "Uh, Master?" "..." He turned to look at me when I called. Meeting his gaze, I pulled something from my sleeve. It was the emblem I received from the black-robed master. "That is...!?" As soon as he saw the emblem, the eyes of the blue-robed master widened considerably. Honestly, I just wanted to demonstrate that I was connected with the black-robed master, but his reaction exceeded my expectations. Why? Just as I wondered, he spoke. "Why are you holding a 'Do-Ryeong' emblem?" "...Pardon?" Do-Ryeong emblem? What is that? I had a sense. I knew they referred to the master's children as 'Do-Ryeong.' Which meant, perhaps... 'Could that emblem be something bestowed to their children?' Could it have been a mark given to his children? I originally thought it was something handed to guests as a token of identification. It appeared to be something more significant. "...Are you the son of the black-robed one?" "Uh... No, I'm not." "Then why are you holding it?" The master looked at me suspiciously, so I urgently explained. "Ah, um. The black-robed Master said he had a message to convey to the blue-robed Master.... He gave me this emblem to relay his words on his behalf." "...The black-robed one?" The master's face was furrowed with distrust. He showed no sign of belief. Nonetheless... "...What message did he wish to convey?" Putting his suspicions aside, he asked anyway. It seemed the power of the emblem, combined with Yusa’s influence, left him with little choice. "It's nothing significant... He asked that you visit him before time runs out." "What?" The master chuckled incredulously. "Now you're telling me the black-robed sent you just to relay a message like that? Even giving you the emblem?" "That's correct." "And I'm supposed to believe that?" Indeed, it was a ridiculous statement even to me. However... "Yes. If you find it hard to believe, why not visit him and inquire yourself?" "...Ha..." And if you don't believe, then what? No matter how much he doubted my words, there was little he could do. If in doubt, pay him a visit and confirm. I was just relaying what I was told. I made it very clear, and in response, the master ground his teeth. Crunch. I could see energy slowly leaking from him. He definitely wasn’t weak. ‘In terms of presence alone, he's akin to Baek Seok.’ Considering it was night, Baek Seok might even be stronger. "If you're lying to me, you better understand the immense trouble you’re inviting." "Lying? I don’t even know how to do that." "..." I felt a gaze from the Heavenly Demon. I chose to ignore it. "Though there was an incident with your child during my errand, my message is true. Verify it yourself. As it stands, General knows I entered and left the black-robed residence today." "Even the General?" "Yes." That was indeed true. Having been guided by the General to the black-robed place was a fact. The only problematic issue was my, or rather the Heavenly Demon's, confrontation with his son. "..." But even the master couldn’t make an issue of it now. Because... ‘The General commanded him to let me go.’ Even if doubts lingered. Or any remaining punishment awaited me. As long as the General instructed them to release me upon the conversation's conclusion, he had no choice. ‘The General's influence here seemed unusually strong.’ And affirming my conviction... "Open the gate." The blue-robed master, though biting down on his teeth, ordered the soldiers. Immediately, the soldiers approached and unlocked our cell and removed our shackles. "Ah, finally, I feel alive again." Feeling free, I couldn’t help but laugh. "Are we free to leave now?" With a smile, the master's expression became further contorted. "Though the General granted you mercy, I won’t forget this incident." "...Oh, scary. I'll be more careful next time. Come on, apologize quickly." "Sorry." "He apologizes too. Kindly understand, won't you?" "..." The master had no intention of forgiving us. I glanced at him with feigned regret and began walking out. Even then, neither the master nor the soldiers could hold us back. As we stepped outside the bars. "Hmm..." I looked at a large hole in the ground. It seemed like the impact was caused by Yusa jumping in. ‘...He just leapt up, yet the shockwave created a hole this size.’ Having noted that, I took hold of the Heavenly Demon and exited. ****************** After walking for quite some time beyond the walls of Yawol. We finally reached a point where the fortress was no longer visible. As we entered the dense forest, standing at the path leading back to Hwasan. "Cough—!" I vomited the blood I had been holding back. Splat—! The blood that ran from my mouth soaked into the dirt. On the verge of collapse, I managed to brace myself on my knees, grounding my hands. "Hah..." With great discomfort, I slumped, sensing the touch of a hand on my back. It belonged to the Heavenly Demon. "Let go... I'm fine..." "..." The hand withdrew upon my words. Sensing that, I channeled energy within. "Huff... Huff...." Having spat out a mouthful of blood, I used my energy to calm my insides. Even resorting to this, the pain persisted, unchanged. ‘...Damn it.’ Any longer in there and I couldn’t have held back the blood. Thankfully, enduring this long brought me here. Wiping the blood from my lips, I reflected. '...I had no idea enduring could be this difficult.' Facing Yusa in the Heavenly Demon’s form. Utilizing a power akin to his Word was my mistake. ‘I couldn’t hold it even for a brief moment.’ Attempting to suppress him twisted my insides, nearly causing me to faint. The abrupt release even left me vulnerable to his attack. 'I was genuinely terrified at that moment.' When the pressure suddenly lifted and Yusa swung his arm. The aftermath of the force left me unable to properly move. I thought I was done for, sure to be struck. ‘Yet, just at the edge...’ My power emerged from the shadows and devoured his arm. That wasn’t my direct intent. I never meant to summon Tam to devour. ‘But this power emerged on its own.’ Tam suddenly surfaced, swallowing his arm. This meant... ‘Tam reacts to them, and I can wield it.’ I thought it only activated against dragons. Could it be that Tam... ‘Reacts to powers?’ Was Tam, perhaps, responding not just to dragons, but to any form of power? That was the thought that crossed my mind. No... It was beyond a thought; it was certainty. Because... ‘The moment Tam consumed his arm, I knew his power.’ In the instant Tam bit into Yusa, I understood the nature of his ability. ‘Devour.’ Devour. That was the name of his power. The power to consume anything. Moreover... ‘To sense the scent and presence of prey acutely to feed.’ When hungry, not just his senses but his entire physical abilities soared dramatically. This was possible until he had consumed something. And it wasn’t just that; his power held other facets too, but... ‘Even considering all of that.’ Tam remained undeterred, rendering his power impotent by devouring it. In other words, no matter what kind of power he possesses, it's meaningless to me. "...Huuu...." I wiped away the remaining blood and stood up. Though the pain lingered, I felt refreshed. "This way, I have a clear course of action." Previously, my goals were only vaguely outlined, but now they had taken solid shape. First, 'Let's pull Yusa down.' I needed to bring down at least one of the generals first. To do this, '...I have to meet the Turtle.' I would need a bit of the magic's power. '...Hmm.' Realizing this, I felt a certain uneasiness. I recalled what the Turtle had said. What was it again? 'He said that when I came back to find him, I'd know on my own.' The Turtle had said something along those lines.... 'Could he have foreseen this?' A situation where I would need to seek him out again. Could this have been what he was referring to? Thinking that, I tilted my head. '...It's too perfect to be a coincidence.' There was an unnerving sense about how neatly everything fit together. It made me feel a bit uneasy. --- In the comments section: - **Yeonwoo 2024.10.29 08:00:** Do you also have foresight? - **Himmel 6 days ago:** Does devouring powers upgrade it somehow? 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