963 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Heading to Yaweol with Noya felt oddly surreal. The reason being, I had always thought, '...Could this old man really leave?' believing that Shin Noya never ventured beyond the confines of the Hwasan Sect. Despite the poor treatment of the Hwasan Sect at Yaweol, Noya didn't intervene. It could be that the disciples didn't bother telling him about it. ‘You sort of expected it, didn’t you?’ Noya had a vague understanding of the situation, which is why he had asked me to handle it. However, the fact that he only asked and didn’t leave himself... 'I thought it was because he couldn't leave.' Now, as he declares his intent to go, I find it a bit perplexing. If he could go now, why hadn't he left before? Pondering this question, I stepped out of the abode. As Shin Noya and I exited together, Gu Bong looked at Noya with a peculiar expression. Then Noya spoke to Gu Bong, “I'm going to stop by Yaweol for a bit.” “Huh...? Grandmaster! What do you mean...!” Gu Bong’s eyes widened with shock. From his reaction, it was obvious that Noya personally going to Yaweol was indeed unusual. “Why would you do that...! Please, let me handle it instead!” “No need. I'm just going for a little walk like an old timer; don’t worry about it.” “But...!” “Enough.” Upon Noya frowning, Gu Bong finally closed his mouth. “Then I will accompany you. Please at least permit that.” Hearing his earnest request, Shin Noya chuckled and nodded. “Alright, let’s have a little outing.” With Noya's consent, Gu Bong let out a deep sigh. I squinted as I watched him. ‘What is this?’ I couldn't quite grasp what was so concerning. Although I wanted to know, I refrained from asking for now. Noya's expression gave it away; he wouldn’t answer this question even if I asked. ‘Tsk.’ Clicking my tongue, I resumed heading towards Yaweol. ******************** Leaving Hwasan behind, we began the journey to Yaweol. Having traveled this path several times, I had long since committed it to memory. However, there was a place I wished to stop by before reaching our destination. A wide-open space lay before us, now in a somewhat disarrayed state. It was the very site where Yalang and the Heavenly Demon had clashed. “Hmm.” Seeing it, Noya let out a murmur. “They fought with quite reckless abandon.” “...” Though I said nothing, internally, I agreed. “How much chaos must they have wrought for their aura to linger even now?” Noya laughed wryly as he gazed at the sky. The reason for both our reactions was undeniable. Even though time had passed since the battle ended, traces of aura still lingered in the air. Usually, such energies would have dissipated by now. For so much to remain was perplexing; how intense must the clash have been? ‘...Seriously.’ I was speechless. Though I fought with firepower myself, the residual aura left by the Heavenly Demon was on another level. ‘It's as if the concept of control was alien to them.’ There was no sense of pressure, compression, or anything of the sort. The power in martial arts is measured by how much and how fast one rotates the aura residing within the body. Once I understood the concept of rotation and the pressure it yields, my firepower grew exponentially and the increase in the mass of my aura strengthened me further. Rotation. Compression. Friction. These three methods determine how efficiently a martial artist uses their martial arts. Yet... ‘...This doesn't make sense.’ The remnants left by the Heavenly Demon showed no signs of these principles. This meant... ‘He wielded such power without using any of those methods.’ The Heavenly Demon harnessed the raw quantity and sheer force of his aura without employing those techniques. It's incredulous. ‘Does that even make sense?’ It's like preparing an arrow to hit a target without utilizing a bow, merely flinging it with brute force. Such inefficiency is baffling, yet the Heavenly Demon was doing exactly that. One must wonder. ‘...Was the Heavenly Demon from my past life like this?’ Did she also fight this way in my past life? I pondered. In truth, I hadn’t witnessed many of her battles directly. Most of what I heard were tales of victory. She was said to have killed the Trinity Immortals, defeated other esteemed masters, and roamed relentless battlefields securing victory. These were the stories. ‘...Come to think of it, I hardly saw her fight.’ Not that I never saw her battle. There was a glimpse when she killed Mae Hwa-seon at the Hwasan Sect. And there were other fights I faintly recalled. That’s why... ‘She didn’t fight like this then.’ Her aura was constant, vast, and hence continuously used with knowledge of how best to wield it strongly. She knew all of this more than anyone. That’s natural. To be less than expert in such aspects... ‘She wouldn't have been able to kill the Trinity Immortals.’ No matter how formidable the Heavenly Demon was, this was separate. She was adept. The woman I knew, she wasn’t just proficient; she excelled more than anyone else. She was so overwhelmingly strong, one couldn't fathom her losing. However, the Heavenly Demon now seemed different. ‘She's inexperienced in everything.’ Moving her body. She held vast aura, yet didn’t know how to utilize it. Was she truly the Heavenly Demon? I was increasingly losing belief in this idea. ‘Even though the Heavenly Demon’s manifestation in my known realm was expected in a few years.’ Could she truly become the Heavenly Demon I knew in this short time? By conventional reasoning, it was impossible. Though many impossibilities had unfolded already in this situation... this was getting hard to comprehend. ‘What is it, really?’ What could it be, this Heavenly Demon... exactly what is she? I couldn't make sense of it. That's when it happened. “So, you’re not bringing that child along?” Shin Noya inquired about the Heavenly Demon. Hearing that, I bit my lip slightly. “…Yes. Bringing her would be pointless….” Moreover, ‘Right now, it's a bit uncomfortable.’ For some reason, facing the Heavenly Demon felt unusually difficult. “Anyway, that’s the situation….” I glossed over my explanation, avoiding giving any proper reasons. Shin Noya glanced at me with a peculiar expression, but I lightly ignored it. “…Shall we move on?” I had seen all I wanted. The purpose wasn’t to see the Heavenly Demon’s traces. I came to feel the lingering aura of Yalang. ‘Yet, I can't feel it.’ What I had hoped to sense wasn’t there. Unlike the Heavenly Demon, Yalang had superb control over her energy. ‘Tch.’ It was disappointing, but inconsequential. After all, ‘I already have certainty.’ I was convinced that Yalang was the Divine Sword, and this was only to reinforce that certainty. Even without this confirmation, my conviction wouldn’t change. “…Let’s head out.” I spoke once more, prompting Noya to start moving. I followed suit, with Gu Bong watching us with a worried look. ****************** After some time, we reached Yaweol. As we approached the gate, the scenery remained the same, albeit with heightened vigilance compared to before. As we were about to proceed, it hit me. “Oh right.” I turned to Noya, recalling the thing I had forgotten. “Noya.” “Hmm?” “What about your ears and tail?” “Hmm? Oh.” Noya realized belatedly. Thinking back, Noya lacked both ears and a tail. “Ah, I forgot. I should have stopped by that turtle.” Noya scratched his head, a bit troubled at the realization. I offered, “Want me to do it?” “Huh? What do you mean?” “I learned that trick.” “…What?” Noya narrowed his eyes, dubious about my claim. Chuckling, I reached out and placed my hand on his chest. And then— Saaaah—! In no time, long ears and a tail appeared on Noya’s head. “Huh?” Noya gasped in surprise at the transformation. “Child… When did you learn this?” “I glanced at it last time and simply copied it. It wasn’t hard.” “…Copied it from just seeing it?” “Yes. You should try it later, Noya. It’s quite simple.” “…Oh. Okay.” Noya reluctantly nodded, a bit disconcerted. Lately, I've been getting that expression from him a lot. Was it just my imagination? No, I didn't think so. This was a minor concern, though. ‘Putting that aside, it’s surprisingly easy to cast it on Noya.’ Compared to the enormous effort it took to use spells on the Heavenly Demon, doing it on Noya was simple. What was the difference? It piqued my curiosity, but— “…Proceed.” The pressing matter was entering the fort, so I pushed the thought away. Though the guard’s suspicion was evident, the token I carried easily dispelled it. An almost invincible token. “…That…” I noticed Gu Bong pause slightly upon seeing my token. Of course. ‘Right… He’s from that family.’ I had momentarily forgotten. Pretending not to notice, I stowed the token away and walked. Inside, Noya glanced around the familiar space. “This place hasn’t changed much.” “…You’ve been here before?” “Of course. What do you take me for?” Noya frowned at me. “I think it’s been ten years.” “...” Ten years? That’s enough time for mountains to change. Shaking my head, I retraced the path. ‘First thing’s first.’ Naturally, we headed to the Black Family initially. I needed to gather some information and wait until night. Also, ‘Where could Yusa be?’ I had business with Yusa, but whether he’d show up was uncertain. I expected he might, but again, it was just an assumption. ‘...Let’s go.’ While thinking over my plans, I made my way to the Black Family. My steps quickened, eager to get closer to Yalang and my mother. With that determination, I moved quickly. Then suddenly— Swish. Someone brushed past me. Wrapped in fabric, their face was obscured. Yet— “…!” As they passed, my head turned instinctively. A reaction born from pure instinct. “…What?” With eyes wide as lamp lights, I stared after them. In addition, I reached out to grab one of them. Squeeze—! “Don’t.” A dry hand clasped my wrist. “Calm down.” It was Noya. He had stopped me. “But…!” “If you don’t want to die here, stay still. Not now.” “...” Shin Noya warned me sternly, a neutral expression on his face. The pressure in his voice and the energy I felt from his hand made me pause. Yet, my breath was still erratic. ‘It couldn’t be….’ The two people who just passed. Their faces were hidden, but the fleeting glimpse made my heart pound. ‘Mother…?’ Just now. It felt like my mother had passed by. Translation and Summary: In the recent chapter of "Childhood Friend of the World’s Strongest," the protagonist, who was accompanied by Shin Noya, refrained from bringing the Heavenly Demon along on their journey to Yaweol. Despite the temptation, the protagonist expressed hesitation due to the awkwardness of confronting her. As they arrive at Yaweol, Shin Noya notices the protagonist is troubled by the presence of someone who might have been their mother. This sense of unease stems from the concealed identities of the individuals passing by, wrapped in fabric. The protagonist's strong emotional response is enough to catch Shin Noya's attention, leading him to intervene and stop any potential confrontation. This highlights the gravity of the protagonist's inner conflict and the complex identity disguises employed—capable of casting doubt even on their recognition of their own mother. Discussion on the Comments and Sidebar: In the comments, a user named Yeon Woo wonders about the level of a disguise or spell that could prevent the protagonist from recognizing their own mother. This question highlights the power and efficacy of such techniques within the story. The sidebar and popular stories section showcase a range of other fantasy narratives, illustrating the reader's broad interest in magical and mystical tales such as those involving concealed identities and powerful spells. These stories reflect an ongoing fascination with fantasy settings and character-driven mysteries, similar to the themes explored in "Childhood Friend of the World’s Strongest."