1036 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Squinting his eyes, he stared intently at the leader. The term "Blood Demon" was echoed, as he had been sealed by the Master of Myriad Worlds. Those words resonated deeply in his mind. What on earth does this mean? ‘Did such a thing really happen?’ If it did, when precisely did it occur? Was it before or after the Blood Demon came to the Central Plains? The timing was crucial. If Blood Demon was indeed sealed. ‘Does that imply he invaded the Central Plains while being in a sealed state?’ The nature of the seal was unclear, but one thing was certain — it had a negative impact on the Blood Demon. Even under such constraints, he supposedly invaded the Central Plains. ‘...What kind of monster is he?’ This meant it was impossible to gauge the original strength of the Blood Demon. That’s quite troubling. ‘I’m still not ready.’ Though he had reached transcendence, surpassing his past life's level, he still felt weak. He didn’t sense any possibility of defeating Shin Noya in battle. Yet, even with such a person, several others gathered to confront the Blood Demon. And he was in a sealed state then? “That’s ridiculous.” It was genuinely absurd. The words escaped him unconsciously. He glared at the leader and demanded, “Sealed, you say. Explain what you mean in detail.” He harnessed his energy once more. The aura gripped around the leader’s neck. “Cough!” The leader let out a strained sound. “Grrr…” The effort to resist the aura was evident in him. Witnessing this, he applied pressure to his heart. Clench--!!! As he willed it, the aura's grip tightened around the leader. To withstand even this much was remarkable. As he poured on more pressure, “…The Dragon King violated the law.” The leader started to speak again. “Law?” “He meddled in the realm without the world’s permission. That’s why the Master intervened.” He must not interfere with the realm without permission. His head tilted slightly at those words. So from whom does one need permission? He had an idea regarding that. ‘The world?’ The world. Or perhaps, the universe. An incomprehensible will that inscribed laws into the world and acted whimsically. That was the will that etched the destiny of becoming the master through his mother. And also the will that led the Blood Demon to invade the Central Plains. But then. ‘Such a being doesn’t permit others to invade different realms at their discretion?’ It was his mother who took action to prevent it, right? Was the Dragon King defeated and sealed after clashing with her? And so. ‘Is that why they spoke of the demise of the Dragon Realm?’ The liberation of the lesser fae, who were under the control of dragons, into the myriad worlds. The fact that the Dragon Realm, led by the Dragon King, met its end and dragons no longer existed. The intense disdain many harbor towards dragons made sense now. ‘Because the Dragon King repeatedly invaded other realms.’ So many worlds were destroyed by that, resulting in such hatred. Then another question arose. ‘Then.’ Why was a law-breaking Dragon King sent to the Central Plains? It was incomprehensible. Furthermore. "Is the reason you despise dragons because they caused some catastrophe in your world too?" As he queried whether the leader’s dislike for dragons was due to similar reasons, his body expanded all at once. Boom-!!! Hateful killing intent materialized and was emitted. “Grrr…” “…” It seemed he was right. ‘I see.’ This guy wasn't originally from the Moonyah clan. He wasn’t a native of the myriad worlds but was brought from another realm by the compassion of the myriad worlds. For the myriad worlds to offer such leniency, ‘A world must have perished.’ A world perishing as the master died. Some perished souls would descend into the abyss. Among them, a few were chosen to ascend to the surface of the myriad worlds. The leader was likely among them. There was no concern for what he did in his world or what his world was. What mattered was, ‘His world was destroyed by dragons.’ That’s why he harbors a deep-seated hatred towards dragons. “...Dragons must be eradicated.” Crackle---!!! “Grr-! Dragons…!” The aura's force seeped into the very skin, inflicting agony. Yet, in the throes of such trial, he spewed intense hatred towards him without restraint. “Hmph.” He could feel it gradually ground down. The leader resisted fiercely, intending to sacrifice his own body. Crunch-! Bone cracks echoed and skin tore. Despite being weakened, his immortality allowed for continued regeneration. He managed to withstand it, but only just. ‘Dawn is approaching.’ Once daylight breaks, the leader will no longer be able to wield his power. ‘If things continue like this.’ It's clear the leader won’t stop. If left unchecked, who knows what he might attempt? “Tsk.” He clicked his tongue and exerted more force with his hand. He struck the leader's jaw. Thud-!! The impact reverberated, causing the rocky terrain to quake. Given how tenacious the leader was, the blow had to pack significant power to inflict real harm. “Glurk!” The leader let out a groan, the large figure collapsing to the ground. He seemed to have lost consciousness. Observing this, he placed a palm over the leader's chest. Hum-!! Aura penetrated him. It was a refined, filtered energy. He infused it into the leader's body. ‘Seek.’ He probed for the source of the leader’s energy. ‘It’s not the dantian.’ Even in human form, it seemed his true nature wasn't entirely concealed. The center of his energy wasn't the dantian as it would be for a human. That implies. ‘The heart, perhaps?’ Redirecting the energy flow, he sent it towards the heart. ‘Bingo.’ The leader’s energy wasn't anchored in the dantian but the heart. He infused aura into that spot. With the power of immortality, the leader would eventually regain consciousness. Before that, he aimed to buy some time using the aura. ‘Using proceeding preparations might yield unpredictable results. For now, just aura should suffice.’ I wasn't sure what would happen if I completely blocked the power. The effectiveness diminished as I moved further away. Thus, I infused the energy more strongly to ensure the leader couldn't regain consciousness. Additionally, Shhh-!! I harnessed my heart to emit threads of spells, scattering them meticulously around. This was an adaptation inspired by the spell deployed in the Spirit Cave. I wasn't sure if it would work as I was attempting it for the first time, but... ‘I can do it.’ I felt assured that I could indeed succeed. Guided by this confidence, I weaved the spell. Snap! With a connecting sound, the world transformed. It was as if a massive rock draped over the surroundings, enshrouding them. From the outside, nothing within was visible. ‘It worked.’ Success. Though the area wasn't vast — just enough to conceal the leader's body — it sufficed. I released my grip from him and stood up. Shhh. I exited the conjured space, stepping outside. The timing was favorable as the dawn lightened the sky. ‘Hmm.’ Depending on the aura's quantity, it might last for about two hours. Within that time, the leader won't awaken. Including the prevention of his immortality's activation might stretch this further, but it wasn't factored in. ‘Two hours, then.’ A decent window of time indeed. Considering this, I moved forward. * * * Upon returning to the Spirit Cave, it was considerably easier to locate places as my body had absorbed the jewel. By now, night had retreated entirely, giving way to the full embrace of daylight. As I approached, the figures in the Spirit Cave came into view. Those who were unseen during my initial visit now appeared occasionally. ‘No, to be precise, I can sense them now.’ Although the presence within the Spirit Cave was always perceptible, unlike the night, ‘There were some that couldn't be detected.’ In contrast to those unseen within buildings or obscured from view. ‘Now, I can sense them all.’ Unlike before, I could feel the presence of everyone within the Spirit Cave. This probably indicated that the surrounding spell had fully dissipated. Feeling this, I took a step and soared straight to the lake’s vicinity. “Oh!?” “Ah!” Surprised onlookers gasped as I materialized suddenly, but I paid them no heed and pressed onward. At the heart of the lake stood the Divine Tree. Having shed its blackened shell, the tree now stood as a plain tree. And beneath it sat a woman, hunched over. It was the spirit. “Oh…” She reacted to my presence. Though she wore a veil, I could sense the fatigue in her eyes. “Savior…” “You look a mess, don't you?” “…” “Why are you like this when everything turned out as you desired?” What she desired was liberation from the leader and the dissolution of all ties binding her to the Spirit Cave. Despite having longed for that. “Now that it’s resolved, does something feel off?” “…” The surrounding spells had dissipated. The jewel she had was now within my possession. Even if the leader wasn't dead, it was uncertain whether he could continue functioning as the formidable general. With things as they were, “Isn't this freedom?” Wasn't freedom finally reaching the Spirit Cave? I voiced the thought aloud. “…” But the spirit offered no response. Seeing this, I chuckled softly. I had an inkling why she was like this. “You kept saying you wanted to escape. But now that you really have, you don't know what to do with yourself?” “…” Perhaps the severance of her bond to her master had become the problem. I knew all too well what that feeling was like. Having been released from shackles to embrace freedom. Yet, bound for a lifetime, she was lost on what path to take moving forward. I had felt that way too. Just as I was about to offer some words of guidance, Sizzle--!! “Huh?” From beside me, a sound was heard. What was that? Turning my head, Whooom-! “What the…?” Thin air was tearing apart. Suddenly, a rupture was forming. What was going on? ‘A dimensional rift…?’ Or was it the same kind of rift that dispatched soldiers to the leader? It didn’t quite have the same ominous feeling, though. Even so, I started to brace myself just in case. “Ah.” “...What?” Emerging from the rift was none other than the Heavenly Demon. “You…” “Hello.” “Where did you… No, what’s going on? You…” I said in a startled voice, “…You could open a rift?” “Hm?” The Heavenly Demon tilted her head but then soon nodded, “Yes.” She could do such a thing? I asked with trembling eyes, “Then why didn’t you mention it before?” At my words, the Heavenly Demon furrowed her brow slightly and replied, “You didn’t ask.” Ah… I ran a hand over my face at her words. As irksome as it was, she was right. For those following the series "The Best in the World’s Childhood Friend," this chapter marks a significant development in the ongoing storyline. The protagonist grapples with new information regarding the Blood Demon, who appears to have been sealed by the Master of Myriad Worlds. This revelation raises questions about the Blood Demon's power and past actions. As the protagonist attempts to understand the implications of this sealing, he engages with the leader, exerting power to prevent him from regaining consciousness. Meanwhile, he improvises a spell to cloak their surroundings, inspired by the Spirit Cave's techniques, ensuring they aren't interrupted by external forces. Returning to the Spirit Cave, the protagonist finds clarity — the disappearance of spells reveals the presence of everyone within, highlighting a newfound freedom. Despite achieving what was desired, a sense of uncertainty remains, particularly for the spirit who had long wished for liberation. Amidst this introspection, a rift opens, and the Heavenly Demon emerges, showcasing her ability to manipulate dimensions. This surprising revelation adds another layer of intrigue to the story, emphasizing the importance of asking the right questions to uncover hidden truths. For fans eagerly awaiting the subsequent chapters, this episode serves as a foundation for further exploration of these mystic elements and character dynamics as the series approaches its concluding chapters.