968 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 968: The World's Greatest Companion Upon hearing Yusa's words, a moment of speechlessness took over. 'General, you say?' The claim that Shin Noya was once a general. And the notion that he betrayed his mother and disappeared. Could those words possibly be true? If they are... 'How on earth?' How could Noya have become a general? While pondering Yusa's words, his brow furrowed continuously. Crunch-!! "Aagh!" Noya grabbed Yusa's face with his hand and slammed him into the ground. "You've always been this way." Bang-! Bang-! Even with the barriers set up, the vibrations from the three strikes filled the air. "Your mouth is always unnecessarily loose. That annoying tongue of yours has always been the problem." Bang-!!! After the final blow, he lifted Yusa by his hair. "Kuugh... ook...." Yusa's face contorted with an expression of pain. "Kuh..." Watching Yusa writhe like that, Shin Noya gave a faint smile. His smile was chilling in some way. There was something unsettling about it, as if he might harbor a murderous intent. But there was no killing intent felt. It indicated that he exerted an aura of intimidation purely through atmosphere alone. 'Sigh.' He drew a silent breath inside. He already knew he was strong. Beating him like a rat and toying with Yusa wasn't unexpected. 'That old man. Is he really a Taoist master?' The problem is that this man is a revered figure among the Taoists. Among the great Taoists, known for living in harmony with nature and possessing broad minds and virtuous character, this man was considered one of the most respected, second only to the immortal of the Plum Blossom Mountain. Seeing him now, he seemed no different from a street thug. "You... you..." Yusa spoke in a weary voice. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, evidence of his significant pain. He wouldn't look this injured from just being slammed into the ground. The reason he looked so pained was probably because. 'It's not the ground that's the issue. He infused his grip with energy and smashed him.' I could see the energy embedding into the ground each time he struck down. He didn't just hit normally; he hit with substantial control. 'Crazy old man.' Within those short repetitions, there was an overwhelming abundance of insights. The compression of energy, application, and precision control. Though the usage was violent, the cleanliness and subtleness within it were far from mere brutality. 'I didn't realize before.' Now I could vaguely see. Among Taoists, Noya's energy was neat and orderly. Depending on how one wielded it, it could become a sharp sword, or simply scattered petals. '...Sigh...' Reflecting this far is truly amusing. 'What am I discerning while watching all this?' It was absurd to be gaining insights in a situation where he was being annihilated. At that moment. "Yusa." "Kreugh...." Shin Noya addressed the staggering Yusa. "The key is always just one thing. As it has always been. Will you do it or won't you. That's the only thing that matters to you, so why don't we stop this nonsense and converse?" "What conversation... There's nothing to discuss with a traitor...." "How long do you think your master will keep you by their side?" "..." Yusa, who seemed unyielding, suddenly clammed up at Noya's words. Not long after, he spoke again. "What nonsense...." Yusa's voice was notably peculiar. His tremor suggested that a nerve had been touched. Noya seemed to have sensed it too. Without losing his smile, Noya continued speaking to Yusa. "You know it too, don't you? With your sharp intuition, it can't be something you're unaware of. You're just pretending not to know. Isn't that so?" "Don't spout nonsense-! What do you know, having already left....!" "If that's not it, why would you return to Moonlit Night instead of staying amidst Chaos?" "…!" At Noya's words, Yusa's eyes widened. "...How did you know that...." "Heh heh." Amused by Yusa's reaction, Shin Noya chuckled. "Even as an old man in a secluded room, I still have eyes and ears, you know." With that, Noya released his grip on Yusa’s hand. I expected Yusa to cause havoc immediately, but his reaction was quiet. "With the Abyss gone, and the other generals besides Night Devourer causing quite a storm, why would the one who should be moving most actively be here?" "..." "Think about it, and you'll know yourself." "Shut up." "You're aware your master wants something to change. And that." "Shut up...!" Crrrk-! The rope began to unravel. Isn't this dangerous? I gulped nervously, assessing the situation. "If things were to change. You might be the first one to change. You're fully aware of that-." "Shut your mouth!" Kwaduduk-!!! Yusa exploded with fury. In that moment, the rope snapped, and he was freed. Gu Bong quickly reached for his sword upon witnessing it. I also braced myself, anticipating his next move. However. "Yusa." What I feared didn't come to pass. Even though Yusa rose after freeing himself from the rope, he didn't rush at Noya. "Once the ruler of the most glorious Night's Moon." Although anger and murderous intent were evident in his gaze, all he did was glare. As if anticipating this outcome, Noya continuously spoke to Yusa. "How did you become so wretched? You forgot what you wished for, and even the color of your fur...." "Stop the act and speak plainly. Hwaw Yeon. What do you really want to say?" Interrupting Shin Noya's words, Yusa spoke. His words made me perk up my ears. Hwaw Yeon. The title Yusa used to refer to Noya was peculiar. "Why would you, who should be living quietly in hiding, appear and stir up this nonsense?" As Yusa approached with a furious expression, the tail attached to him began to grow larger and larger. His long green hair started to lengthen as well. Observing this, Noya spoke. “Yusa.” In Noya's eyes, there was not a hint of fear directed at Yusa. “I have a proposition for you.” “You? A proposition for me?” “Let me fulfill the dream you once desired.” At the mention of Yusa’s desired dream, his expression changed. He seemed to recognize what Noya was implying. “…You.” “Yusa, do you not wish to become the master of this land?” “…!” As Shin Noya uttered those words, a palpable stillness seemed to momentarily settle over the surroundings, as if the air itself had quieted. ********************** Some time passed in the same place as before. As dusk began to fall, I found myself sitting on a rooftop, gazing up at the sky. Glancing behind me, I saw the ground, which had been wrecked by the earlier events, and the scattered fragments that lay around. In the stillness of the ruined area, I let out a quiet sigh. Hearing that, someone sat down beside me; it was Noya. “Why the long face?” He held something in his hand. Curious, I looked, and saw it was a skewer. What is this about? Why was he holding a skewer out of nowhere? With curiosity, I turned to look to his side. Gu Bong, too, was holding a skewer for some reason. From his expression, it didn’t look like he got it because he wanted to eat it. It seemed clear that Noya had forced it into his hand. “Eat. It’s good.” “...In such a situation, you find the appetite?” “We live to eat, don’t we? So eat we must.” His boldly stated words left me dumbfounded. The funny thing was that, amid all this, I accepted it. And instinctively, I took a bite. Infuriatingly, it was delicious. While chewing, I glanced toward Noya and asked, “Noya.” “Yes.” “What exactly happened?” Even as the sun set, my gaze remained distant while my words reached out to Noya. “What do you mean?” “About Yusa.” Referring to how he brought up Yusa’s master. As soon as I mentioned it, Noya responded with a curt “Ah.” “That?” Though he spoke as if it were nothing significant. “Well, it’s because originally, Yusa was supposed to become a master.” “...” The weight of his casually spoken words was not light at all. “…What do you mean by that?” “I mentioned before, didn’t I? Yusa was the most exceptional among the Moonlit Night.” His casual tone, as he picked his nose, strangely irked me. “It was only natural for him to aspire to become the master. There were some complications, though.” “What complications?” “I don’t know the details, but I do know it was enough to harbor discontent.” “...” Yusa should have become the master, but he didn’t. As a result, the mother became the master instead? ‘What exactly is a master in the first place?’ Isn’t it something that exists alongside the world? As far as Mooah told me… ‘I heard that when the master changes, all life is wiped clean and new life begins?’ There is an apparent contradiction in Yusa not becoming the master. The fact that there were circumstances involved only adds to that. Furthermore... “…And what about the claim that you, Noya, were a general?” The idea that Shin Noya was initially a general who betrayed the current master seemed peculiar. Honestly, I was more curious about this than the other claims about the master. So, I questioned Noya. “Well.” This time, unlike before, Noya’s eyes turned a bit more serious as he shifted his gaze to me. Then, in a rather sober manner, he said, “It was your mother’s request.” Speaking plainly, but with depth. “Not the Master of Myriad Worlds, but your mother, specifically.” What followed was a statement that seemed rather bizarre.