972 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 972: The World's Greatest Person's Childhood Friend "Aaaahk!" A cry echoed through the space as a young man fell. Blood streamed from his eyes, soaking his body. "Young master!" As the people around him rushed toward him, I gently tapped my foot against the ground. Thunk-! Whoooooosh---!!! The pressure spread, immobilizing their movements. "Urgh!" "Gah…!!" Those who were approaching recoiled and collapsed. Ignoring them as they slowly knelt, I fixed my gaze on the fallen man. "Ugh…aaahh!!!" He trembled, covering his plucked left eye. I knelt before him. Meeting my gaze, he watched me with his trembling remaining eye. "…Aaahh…why…." I unwittingly hesitated at his appearance. Ah, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have plucked it out, but my hand moved on its own. An eyeball rolled in my palm. I must have plucked it cleanly because its sticky texture was palpable. Hmm. Disgusting. Recalling that, I clenched my hand. Crunch-! The eyeball burst, and I brushed off my hand. As he saw his own eye crushed, his expression crumbled. Watching him, I spoke. "[I didn't like your eyes.]" "…Aaaahh…!!" It was a mistake, but ultimately, it didn't matter much. I wanted to break him anyway. Fear pervaded within him. He seemed to want to explode with rage but couldn't. It was inevitable. His father, the leader here, was behind me, dying but not quite dead, so he couldn't dare to attack me. Watching him, I spoke to those behind him. "[Are you just going to stand there watching? Your leader is dying over there.]" "…!" The ones who listened hesitated. Only then did they notice the fallen figure of their blue leader behind them. His condition looked bad at a glance, but none dared to approach. Once again, I suppose that's because of me. "[Tch tch.]" Turning my back on them, I walked away. Toward the side opposite the entrance. I had already made a hole. I created it while dealing with the leader. Walking toward it, I glanced at the fallen leader and casually remarked. "[Your tricks weren't bad, but just tricks. Disappointing.]" Screeeech. The leader's body, gasping for breath, trembled violently. His pride was surely wounded. Continuing to speak while watching him, I added. "[I hope the next person I meet is a bit more impressive.]" "…!" Before he could react to my words, I leapt away. ----!!!! As the distance widened, a cacophony of voices erupted from the mansion like they had been waiting for it. ****************** Time passed after the incident occurred during the night. By the time dawn approached, the moon set in the gradually softening twilight, and the sun began to rise. Walking toward the back of the building, I checked for any signs of life. None could be felt. Even focusing my senses revealed nothing. Pondering this, I, "Ugh!" Finally coughed out the suppressed phlegm. A little blood flowed. Wiping it away roughly with the back of my hand, I clutched my chest. Damn it. ‘It's excruciatingly painful.’ The aftermath of the battle seemed more significant than anticipated. Pains throbbed throughout my body. Though the internal injuries weren't deep, the other pain was undeniable. I had overexerted myself in the wager too. ‘To finish it quickly, I had to go too far.’ I threw everything into it. Wanting to conclude quickly, considering the internal injuries I had. ‘He was stronger than I expected.’ His level had exceeded my expectations. Particularly. ‘His body was too solid.’ The blows didn't penetrate as deeply as expected. I thought only his lower body was fortified seeing his enhanced muscles. It was true his lower body became the most robust, but, It seemed the rest of his body was equally fortified. ‘With strong muscles came increased durability and grip strength.’ He was a martial artist who heavily relied on using his legs in combat. The power behind his kicks was particularly potent. Not knowing any better, blocking it with my arm had sent a sharp crack through my left arm. This should heal decently in a while, but, ‘If I had applied any less force, it would've broken.’ Had I not swiftly enveloped it with energy, it could have been an embarrassing display. I shook off my left arm. It hurt with every shake but was bearable. ‘What's important isn't the body…but….’ I clenched my fist to inspect. ‘The amount of Qi.’ The Qi held in my heart had completely vanished. Though this was due to expending it all in the recent fight, the smile on my lips didn't wane. If asked why I'd smile after spending it all, ‘It's great.’ Unexpectedly, the amount of Qi spent changed. Ordinarily, I'd have exhausted it all and been panting heavily by now. In the fight against him, I felt the difference. Despite excessively using the Qi, my body endured it better. ‘This doesn't seem like an increase in Qi.’ Could it be the usage method? I didn't know precisely, but there was undoubtedly a change. I couldn't pinpoint it. ‘Thinking of changes, the only difference is the technique.’ What I learned from meeting the turtle. And truly succeeding once in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, that was all. Had that changed something? Though it couldn't be confirmed, it wasn't a bad thing for me. ‘Thanks to that, I could finish the fight quicker.’ Even using the same Qi produced a different level of power. Without any increase in level or amount, the power increased like this meant, ‘Is the technique aiding my martial arts?’ The idea that enhancing the technique could also enhance my martial arts came to mind. That was the only plausible reason upon contemplation. I've become stronger. When the technique strengthens, so does my level. This gave me more reason to delve deeper into the technique. ‘…I might need to cozy up to the turtle more?’ Though the old fellow seems to dislike me for some reason, I now have a reason to cling to that old man. No matter how much he dislikes me, I have to extract what I can. As I resolved myself and steadied my breathing, "Click." I opened my eyes wide at the sound of a clicking tongue. I instantly turned my head. Thunk-! Something pierced my neck. It wasn't a sword. Was it a finger? A dry finger had jabbed into my neck. I looked up at the owner of the hand. From the shadows, reddish eyes watched me. "What is it...?" "Foolish brat." It was Shin Noya. He looked at me, seemingly displeased. I hadn't noticed him approach. Realizing this, I bit my lip. "Just because you expand your senses doesn't mean you can afford to let your guard down. Having finished a fight doesn't mean you should leave your mind exposed." Noya prodded the sore spot as if he knew it ghostly well. "…" "If what I was holding had been a sword, you'd be dead." "…It's because it was you, Noya. If it were anyone else, it would’ve been fine." "Hmph." At my terse response, Noya chuckled as if he found it unbelievable. "You know that's an excuse, right?" "…" I didn't answer. My silence was his affirmation. "Be careful." "…Yes." It wasn't a reprimand but a quiet warning. That frightened me more. I awkwardly laughed and nodded, and Noya withdrew his hand from my neck. "Did you settle things well?" "Yes. I... managed to—!" As I was speaking, Noya jabbed my chest. He clamped his hand over my mouth. I nearly screamed. "…Argh… you crazy…." "It’s astonishing you can speak so nonchalantly with your condition." Noya’s expression was half-disgusted as he remarked how astonishing it was. "You crazy fool. If it hurts, show it." "...Who's crazy...? You could just ask instead of pressing." "Would you have honestly answered if I had asked?" "…" Probably not. So I had nothing to say. "Click click. It's your prerogative how you handle yourself... but take it easy." "…I think this is okay, relatively speaking." Suppressing a groan, I stood up again. As he said, it's fine at this level. I can recover, and at least none of my limbs are broken. Crack. I adjusted my bones as I moved my limbs. Seeing this, Noya clicked his tongue again. "…Remarkable lad." "Why'd you come? You should just head back." "Head back? Not until daybreak." "True enough." I nodded in agreement. After all, didn't he say he couldn't leave at night? "Do you have any unfinished business here?" "No. I've done all I needed to... but..." I turned my head to glance at a particular spot. It was where the Blue House was. "I wanted to see how they handle things." Come morning, an incident was bound to occur. I needed to watch that to plan my next steps.... It seemed a waste to move right away. Especially, "Do you know the location of the Sacred Tree? I don't think it's over there." Another crucial matter I had come to think about. The location of the Sacred Tree likely hidden somewhere in Yawol. I wanted to find it. According to Noya, it's supposed to be somewhere in Yawol, yet I hadn't sensed anything near the Blue House. Or maybe, can it even be sensed? ‘I need to know the location to decide my next course of action.’ Whether I want to destroy it. Or do something else. Knowing the location is essential for any of that. Hence, I was trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the Sacred Tree. "Oh that. I know." "Excuse me?" Noya casually answered.