986 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 986: Heaven's Lovable Friend "What now?" I frowned as the Heavenly Demon approached, sniffing around. Why is she acting like this? Suddenly appearing and clinging so much, I tried to shove her forehead to no avail. She's persistent. Despite my attempts, she keeps sticking. "Hey! What's going on?" "......." I mixed in annoyance, but the Heavenly Demon stood her ground without budging. Why is her strength like this? After a long back-and-forth, I eventually resigned to it, letting her sniff away as if allowing her to indulge without resistance. Time passed. "Mmm." Seeming satisfied, the Heavenly Demon stepped back. I couldn't help but wear an incredulous expression and exclaimed. "Hey." "Hmm?" "Be honest. You finished whatever you were confirming a while ago, didn't you?" "......." There's no reason to sniff for that long. As I asked, I noticed subtle changes in the Heavenly Demon's expression. For someone so stoic, it was noticeable. She was clearly caught. "You..." "Ah... sleepy. I'm leaving." "You crazy..." Suddenly claiming drowsiness, she turned around and left. What am I supposed to do with that lunatic? Even as I tried to say something, I could only watch the small back of the Heavenly Demon retreating. Suddenly, she halted. Still wary, I watched the Heavenly Demon as she glanced back. What's this? Planning something else now? Under my watchful gaze, her purple eyes brightened as she spoke. "...Or I don’t like it." "What?" She blurted out something nonsensical and leaped away, disappearing. Watching her retreating figure, I let out a frustrated sigh. "What was that about?" After being alone all day, why the sudden erratic behavior? As I was blankly staring in the direction the Heavenly Demon vanished, a voice chimed in. "Tsk tsk..." Shin Noya, having witnessed the scene, clicked his tongue briefly. "No matter how you look at it, something’s strange..." His voice dripped with puzzlement. I turned to Noya and asked. "What is?" "Even after seeing it a hundred, a thousand times..." "Yes." "You don't have the face that would attract women... So, where are they always drawn to?" "......." His words suddenly soured my mood. I’ve been teased before, and I could usually let it slide. ‘...But this damn old man is serious?’ His genuinely puzzled expression was infuriating. ‘Moreover, who is he to comment on looks?’ As I pondered, irritation surged. Though I hate to admit it, Shin Noya had an unusually appealing appearance for someone past seventy. Implying he must have been quite handsome in his youth. That's why it was extra aggravating. "Why is this coming up now?" I retorted with some emotion, but Noya was unfazed. "Well, rare things often have a demand... Perhaps it's best understood that way." "…What?" "Never mind. Let’s leave it at that." "Why is he content with his own explanation?" "Let’s leave it at that." "What are you leaving it at? You're getting hard of hearing, old man!" Smack-smack-smack-!!! "Wow, seriously." I twisted my waist to dodge the sword's assault. It was as fast as before. Had I been any slower, I would've been decapitated. "…Hmm. It seems like you can dodge this much now. How unfortunate." "Noya... have you really gone mad?" "It's a compliment. A compliment." "Compliment, my foot." As he said, I probably wouldn’t have been able to dodge earlier. Feeling both proud that I can now avoid this speed and terrified of Noya’s ability to unleash such swift attacks at will. “Phew...” I exhaled while dusting off my clothes. Observing me, Noya remarked. “Rest for now. There's plenty of time before dawn.” He casually mentioned while slicing through the weeds with his hand. He used to carry a sickle, but it seemed unnecessary now. Or maybe it always was. Just for show, perhaps. ‘If he can slice rocks with his hand at will...’ With sword energy enveloping his hand, there's nothing he can't cut. ‘...Should someone use sword fusion technique like this?’ The pinnacle that all swordsmen aspire to reach, the mastery of sword fusion. Noya had reached that place, enjoying it by farming in the middle of the night. Unconsciously, I gulped at the visible sword aura on his hand. ‘It’s fierce.’ The higher one's level, the sharper one's perception grows. I could grasp how formidable that tiny sword aura at Noya's fingertips truly was. "What are you staring at? Want to help?" "....With what, farming?" "Stop. You'd probably burn down the field." "…I wasn't planning to help anyway." Shaking my head, I perched on a nearby rock. Srrrt. Srrrt. The sound of Noya's relentless weed cutting continued. Listening to it, I gazed up at the void. In the Hwasan Sect, one moon hung in the sky. Possibly different outside this place, I knew. “….” Recalling today’s events. So much transpired like a storm. Even now. It’s absurd—what is this situation? Thinking of this, I closed my eyes. ‘Ah. This is dizzying.’ It's overwhelmingly complex. So I simply shut my eyes. Closing my eyes erased thoughts partially. And gradually, a face emerged atop those erased thoughts. A face I thought of whenever I was weary. Breathing out, envisioning her, I sighed. I want to see her. Rather than pondering various concerns I have to address. An unexpected longing overtook me. * * * Morning came. In the sky recovering its hue and the subtly changing air. I opened my closed eyes. Ssss-!! As I opened my eyes, energy whirled in my body, stirring the air. I spent the night evaluating my physical condition with energy. ‘Hmm.’ As I felt the circulating energy within, I was about to click my tongue in frustration when suddenly, Saaaah. "Huh?" I sensed a change in my body. My light feeling all day turned heavy, and my ears and tail began to move autonomously. What is happening this time? "Huh?" I widened my eyes. The ears and tail that were just there had vanished. My body felt heavier. No, not heavier, but... 'It's back to the original feeling.' I had reverted to my body before becoming part of the Moonlight Clan, returning to the dragon’s senses I had before. Before succumbing to confusion, I looked up at the sky. The sun had risen as the night turned into day. And the moon had completely set. Could it be? "...Do I become a Moonlight Clan member only when the moon is out?" This was a logical suspicion. There was no other explanation for the current situation. ‘This is absurd.’ A dragon by day and something else at night? Could a body be this bizarrely fickle? Not finding any words, I merely chuckled to myself. "...What is it?" Noya approached me with a similar expression and spoke. "Have you returned to your original state?" "Yes. It seems so. It's because of the day." "Haha...?" "I don't understand it either." I said, standing up from the rock I was seated on. I twisted my body, checking my muscles here and there. 'Completely healed.' My body had healed, returning to its state before the internal and external injuries. The regeneration was overwhelming. "Looks like I'll have to meet that turtle guy after seeing your state." "Can we go now?" Since the sun has risen, can we go now? I asked, and Noya responded. "Yes, let's go." With my words, Noya began to move. Watching him, I questioned. "Are you coming too, Noya?" Wasn't I supposed to go alone? Without stopping, Noya replied to me. "Yeah, I've got something to attend to." Turning his head slightly, he glanced at me. "I also have things to say to you." "..." Hearing that, my expression hardened. There was an undefined concern reflected in Noya's eyes as he spoke. * * * As soon as we reached the tea house, the turtle emerged, opening the door. He wore a look suggesting he already anticipated our arrival. "...What annoying faces so early in the morning." "Good morning." "How have you been?" "It hasn't been a good morning, and I haven’t been well." "Noya, let's go in, given the warm welcome." "Indeed, only the turtle does it like this." "...You damned fools?" Ignoring the turtle's reaction, we walked in. Amusingly enough— "What’s this? You’ve already prepared tea?" Three cups of tea were already set on a table inside the tea house. Seeing it, Noya chuckled. "Keke. Always the fussbudget." "...Just shut up and sit." At the turtle’s words, we sat straight at the table. Judging by the aroma from the tea, it seemed to be plum tea. I carefully lifted a cup to take a sip when— "Last night’s incident. It was you, wasn’t it?" The turtle suddenly addressed me. Last night's incident? I pondered, and Noya answered in my stead. "It was indeed him. Was the barrier alright?" "Alright? I've been annoyed since the morning dealing with it." "I imagined it might be so. Haha." Mention of the barrier made it clear. 'Even when I came in yesterday.' Recalling when Shin Noya suddenly attacked, it seemed my entry into the Hwasan Sect itself was problematic. "What exactly happened?" the turtle asked. Noya began to explain lightly, covering all the necessary points succinctly. "Trees and fruits, huh..." The turtle, upon hearing it, "...You." Seemingly realizing something, he spoke to me. "You, did you eat the divine fruit from the Master’s Sacred Tree?" Divine fruit. At those words, my ears perked up.