1016 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The presence here was sparse. Normally, this expression refers to places where there are few signs of people or barely any footsteps tread. It can be used for locations people avoid for specific reasons or for those too dangerous to enter. 'But this doesn’t feel like that.' Where I had arrived felt beyond what 'sparse' could convey. 'It's not just that there's a lack of presence...' There was simply nothing. Not just a shortage of human presence, but an absence of any life signs altogether. 'What could this mean?' How could all this be possible? A profound sense of disparity climbed up my spine. It's not just a reduction of presence. 'There's none.' Absolutely none. At a range where I should be able to detect any life signs, there was nothing to be sensed. This was an unheard-of situation. Having transcended, my sensorial range had widened and deepened astoundingly, yet here I detected nothing? Frowning, I surveyed my surroundings. As I had noticed upon first arrival, trees and foliage were scant, with the rest being a land of rock. This might explain the lack of life signs, yet... 'It can't be completely absent.' Shivering at the unsettling feeling, I drew upon my energy. Hwaaa! A ring formed behind me. Rapidly spinning it, I poured most of my energy into sensorial range. Consequently, the radius of my awareness expanded swiftly, bringing an enormous flood of information crashing down on me. The information was enough to induce a headache, and yet. 'No signs of life.' Despite the details about the region’s characteristics and appearance, there was still nothing regarding any living being. I increased and kept increasing until– Tszzt! "...!" At the sudden sensation at the edge of my awareness, I instantly extinguished my energy. 'Damn.' A mistake. 'I spread it too broadly.' Even though I was aware of what resided within the Ma Ryeong Mountain, I allowed myself to forget. 'I pulled back immediately, but could it have noticed?' Through expanding my awareness, I caught something. It was a sign of life, albeit — '...far too immense.' Too rough, too enormous to be called a life form. It resembled the feeling when encountering Yusa. Meaning... 'There’s only one entity that emits such a presence.' Knowing what existed on Ma Ryeong Mountain, I quickly surmised its identity. Surely, it was the entity. ‘Didn’t they call it the 'Dureong'?’ The master of the Ma Ryeong region, defending the second Divine Tree I sought. The Dureong General. That was its presence. By extending my awareness, I determined the location of this Dureong on Ma Ryeong Mountain. While this wasn’t entirely disadvantageous, the real issue lay in— 'The possibility is...' Just as I discerned its presence — 'It, too, could’ve detected mine.' As I verified its existence through expanding my awareness, it might, in turn, have sensed the effect of my energy. Should that happen… 'And it might just uncover my location—' Rumble! "Dammit." Before I could consider further, a tremor vibrated the ground like the entire mountain quaking fiercely. Even as I restricted my awareness, the presence exploded. I knew it was distant, yet suddenly, hostility surged from all directions. 'It's aware, after all.' A smirk played on my lips. As expected, it was aware of my existence. 'Now what?' There wasn’t much time to contemplate. Given the distance, if it decided to approach, it would be in an instant. I glanced sideways. The Heavenly Demon seemed to have also sensed it, as she stared piercingly in the direction from where its presence emanated. 'Hmm.' If I utilized her in combat, it wouldn’t be much of an issue... 'Would she listen, though?' Whether the Heavenly Demon would cooperate according to my wishes was uncertain. ‘...and frankly, I don't really want to fight alongside her.’ I didn't exactly desire to engage in combat with the Heavenly Demon involved. In that case, what should I do? 'Actually, this might be advantageous.' I lifted my head. Indeed, it may well be to my advantage. 'Since I intended to inspect things anyway.' If it were coming toward me, so be it. There was no need to seek it out unnecessarily; this was preferable. Resolving that, I swiftly grabbed the Heavenly Demon's arm. "Huh?" "Come with me." I moved, practically dragging her along. * * * Whooosh---!!! The wind howled fiercely. Atop the mountain, the wind always howled, but it was particularly intense now. Was the mountain angry? No, if anything, the wind felt more like it was frightened. Perhaps the entity approaching was so formidable, even the wind shivered with fear. I gazed up at the sky with cautious anticipation. In that moment, Something appeared against the night sky, a mere dot at first — The dot enlarged rapidly, and soon, I discerned its form. A colossal figure with the head of an ox and the body of a human. A glaring figure wreathed in flames descended from the heavens to the earth. CRASH! The ground shattered, resonating violently. Shards of rock scattered, the earth now indented. As though a meteor had struck. Though dust rose up, obscuring the view momentarily, my evolution-enhanced sight pierced through clearly with the moon's light. I see. 'It's that creature.' The General I first faced upon arriving in the Man Gye. Commonly known as Dureong. A being with the black hide of an ox's head, yet a human body. Colossal compared to any average human, clutching a massive axe equivalent to its size, rising to its full height. Ssswww--- ‘Wow.’ A chuckle slipped from me unintentionally. Its staggering frame alone, not to mention the fury and presence emanating intensely, left me tingling with anticipation. 'I faced something like that first?' Things once unseen were now crystal clear. Upon reaching transcendence, it was akin to the sensation when facing Yusa. The difference: this creature had an even deadlier persona. 'Not merely malice.' It was its sheer presence. The creature exuded an oppressive aura that overshadowed its intent. 'What kind of entity is this?’ It seemed like this entity was itching for a fight, almost fervently desiring a brawl. The level of aura it exuded was astonishing, making me almost admire it despite myself. Additionally, 'If I'm caught, a fight is inevitable.' Given its state, it seemed increasingly prudent not to engage directly. Currently, I was nestled between the rocks, concealing myself. I kept a careful distance, keeping a vigilant eye on the creature. 'Hmm.' Narrowing my eyes, I glanced up at the sky, noticing a small orb amidst the moonlight. The Wheel of Fire. Using the Wheel of Fire, I cloaked my presence. To avoid detection by the entity, I enclosed myself in flames, further dampening my presence. The Heavenly Demon was also beside me, intuitively diminishing her presence as well. With this level of concealment, even the Dark King would be unaware of us here. Utilizing this, I kept a watchful and cautious gaze on the creature. 'Tch...' I frowned while observing. 'I can't make out much.' The Dureong's interior was strangely opaque. Was it masking its insides with energy? 'That's possible.' The creature was aware of my presence. Though perhaps not aware of who I was exactly, it knew some outsider had probed it with sensory energy. Circumstances being what they were, I needed to be especially cautious in my examination. The creature might also sense my surveillance. "Hmm..." Exhaling quietly, I circulated energy through my body, amassing heat. 'Should I engage in battle?' I pondered. What were the odds of victory if I fought it now? Could I avoid any losses? What benefits might there be? I weighed these considerations carefully. In the meantime, I donned my mask and prepared myself. 'The circumstances are favorable.' The situation itself was advantageous. With no other life forms around, there were no allies to support this creature. ‘Its immortality won’t affect me.’ Even if it possessed the power of immortality, my ability, Tarn, could negate that. This was a significant advantage. More than just the fact that its power wouldn't work — 'As long as it doesn't know this, there'll be a twist in its battle tactics when we face off.' If the Dureong fights, confident in its immortality, its combat approach is predictable. ‘It would proceed headlong, believing in its inability to die.’ This was the common strategy among those with strong regeneration and defense. For example, '...there's also me.' I was like that. Even more so after becoming a dragon with heightened regenerative capabilities, I became more reckless. I believed the Dureong wouldn't be much different. Thus, 'That's the weakness to exploit.' Use its confidence in its own immortality against it, exploiting that presumption. If I seized the confusion when its power failed it, the fight might not be difficult, but... ‘Not yet.’ I decided to retreat a step and continue observing the situation. Jumping into action right upon arrival seemed too risky. Gaining more information and proceeding cautiously seemed the right course of action. With that decision, I took a step forward with the Heavenly Demon. Just as I was about to remove my mask, "Such a pity." FWOOOSH. The Dureong exhaled sharply and spoke. "I thought you might be a brave one to step foot on my land so fearlessly." "...!" "It seems you are not." At those words, I turned my head to look at the creature. At that moment. "Well." A dry laugh escaped me. Standing solitary on the rocky ground, surveying the surroundings, the creature was surprisingly looking in our direction. This meant — '...this creature.' It had been aware of our presence all along. For someone who can’t help but envision a goblin whenever "Dureong" is mentioned.