1039 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

“Is it truly the Heavenly Demon?” In an instant, the scenery shifted before his eyes, returning him to where he originally stood. As he sat by the lakeside, staring blankly, he couldn’t dismiss the notion. No matter how much he considered it, the figure he saw was indeed the Heavenly Demon. Yet, the faint smile she bore was unlike the Heavenly Demon he knew in this life. It was the very same smile he had witnessed in his previous life. ‘Is it merely an illusion?’ It might be an illusion, but— ‘No, it isn't.’ He immediately negated the thought. Even if others could be mistaken, he couldn’t possibly make such an error. That was undoubtedly the Heavenly Demon. The gaze that met his, the subtle smirk. And then— ‘The presence from that time.’ The sensation that wafted over him in a fleeting moment. Could one mistake that? It was unfathomable. She was unmistakably the Heavenly Demon he had always known. Then why? ‘...Why?’ Why had she suddenly appeared? And moreover— ‘Why did she clutch my throat?’ What was the reason behind choking his throat as if to say no? And— ‘Had she been there all along?’ Had she always been there, pretending to ignore it? Or— ‘...Was there some reason?’ If the Heavenly Demon had been within Wi Seol-ah or someone else, then perhaps— ‘That’s possible.’ Every conceivable possibility surfaced in his mind. The problem was— ‘If that’s the case.’ The part of his life where he had considered the Heavenly Demon in this life different from the one in his previous life began to twist unfathomably. He clutched his heart with both hands. Thump-! Thump-! Thump-! His heart pounded as if it would burst. He was engulfed in a maelstrom of emotions, with unease as its foundation, fear, and dread following suit. Everything came rushing in. Simultaneously— “Haa… Haa…” Breathing was a struggle. That one encounter with the Heavenly Demon from his previous life was enough to reduce him to this state. The eyes that watched him, the mocking smile— All of those moments ensnared him, drawing him in as if he had been bewitched. In his mind, only thoughts of the Heavenly Demon persisted. “Haa…” With great effort, he regulated his breathing. Had this been in the past, he would have felt an overwhelming nausea. His cultivation had improved enough to quickly suppress these feelings. Using energy was necessary to stabilize his mind, but it seemed to be working nonetheless. “Guin…?” The spirit approached him upon reappearing, observing him carefully. “Don't come closer,” he signaled with his raised hand as he watched her approach. At that moment, it was imperative to keep everyone at a distance. Rumbling— The energy within him thrashed wildly, resisting control. Nothing, not even suppressing its force, came easily. ‘Calm down.’ He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to regain control, but his determination wavered with each fleeting moment. As he closed his eyes, attempting to channel his focus, something began to stir within him. It was the energy he had acquired from the Divine Tree, moving of its own accord, seamlessly integrating with the rampant force. And then— Vwooong-! Before long, the once turbulent energy settled entirely. Astounded, he intently observed what had occurred. ‘What is this?’ Not only had the storm within him calmed, but his mind was also unshackled, the lingering clouds of anxiety dissipating, leaving clarity in their wake. “Haa.” A soft exhalation carried the remnant emotions, scattering them in the air. He opened his eyes and slowly stood up. “Guin…” “That was close.” Despite the rush of events, it seemed he narrowly avoided falling into inner demons. Of course, he wouldn't truly succumb to them, but he had been precariously close. With the back of his hand, he wiped away the cold sweat collected on his forehead. He glanced around at his surroundings, confirming his location beneath the same tree by the lakeside. In doing so, he searched with his eyes, in vain, for the Heavenly Demon. ‘She’s gone.’ The Heavenly Demon was nowhere in sight. Hadn’t she arrived yet? Although uncertain of when she might come, he had to wait for her. ‘I'll have to ask.’ Directly, he would confront her with his questions. Who exactly are you? And what was the meaning of that space? Moreover— ‘What am I to you?’ To uncover those secrets, he had to wait for her. But the Heavenly Demon did not appear that day. Not just that day, but several days passed without her return. * * * Three whole days elapsed. Despite the passage of time, the Heavenly Demon did not make her appearance. The reason for her disappearance remained as elusive as the event itself. If there was a root cause, it would likely be the incident from last time. Perhaps she couldn’t appear because of how that encounter had unfolded. Or, she chose not to. ‘What is going on?’ He couldn’t understand it. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, yet she didn’t show up. Several days passed, nothing but waiting. ‘Tsk.’ Suppressing his irritation, he moved his body. Creak—! Bam! He slammed the axe down onto the ground with force, shaking his surroundings. He twisted his body, dodging the debris. “Hah!” His breath heavy, he focused his sensory mind on tracking the path. He accurately identified all the incoming trajectories and reached out his hand. Amidst the fierce storm of energy, his hand penetrated inward. He fiercely shook his grip. “Gah!?” The massive figure was thrown to the ground. Thud—!!! The impact generated even greater tremors. He loaded his weight, pressing his elbow down onto the opponent's head. Before the energy-wrapped elbow could strike its target, the opponent evaded. Rumble! An explosion sounded. The shattered rock fragments suspended in the air, kicked towards the opponent with rapid precision. “Hmph!” With a shout, the opponent swung his axe. A roaring blaze from the axe parted the air, engulfing the incoming rocks. They crumbled within the fiery storm. The opponent tried to regain his stance, but I had already pierced through the flames, lunging towards him. My palm connected with his abdomen. Thud! Releasing the energy of Heavenly Demon Divine Art through the tips of my fingers, chaotic ripples traveled through his insides. “Argh!!!” With a groan, he fell to his knees. “Ugh…” His massive body collapsed to the ground. Struggling to support himself with his arm, he was clearly in dire straits. “Hmm.” I nodded towards the fallen opponent. “Much weaker than I imagined.” “Urgh.” The creature's shoulders shook lightly at the dismissive evaluation. “Damn it…” His voice was filled with resentment. Of course, given his situation. ‘He knows it himself too.’ No one understands his weakened state better than he does. Originally, he wouldn't have succumbed to such attacks, let alone be affected by them. However— ‘He can’t control his body properly.’ Far weaker than the power he used to wield, the leader couldn’t maintain proper control over his movements. It was as if he was drowning in memories of a stronger body from the past. ‘This is almost like…’ He thought, drawing a parallel to his own experience after he had regressed and found himself in a weaker form. The leader was unable to adapt to his changed body and couldn’t utilize his original abilities, being trapped by memories of his former strength. Of course, personally, he had started with an entirely useless body, so the comparison seemed a bit off. Nonetheless— “Now then…” He pondered how to best utilize this person. He had been mulling over this conundrum for a few days. While the disappearance of the Heavenly Demon was mystifying, searching for her wouldn't yield easy results. ‘If she’s somewhere beyond dimensions, there’s no entry.’ If she had hidden somewhere within the myriad worlds, he could search and find her eventually. But if she was indeed beyond, that changed things. ‘…How does one even get there?’ Without her manifestation, finding her remained impossible. Thus, prioritizing present matters was logical. During this time, he contemplated how to make use of the leader, but— ‘It's gotten tricky.’ It was challenging to find a place for him. ‘He’s not exactly weak—’ Yet, not particularly strong either. Capable, but only amidst the mid to high ranks of elite warriors. ‘This isn’t exactly weak, but—’ Compared to himself now, it seemed vague. ‘Hmm.’ Having instructed the leader to come at him with full force, he hadn’t even managed to graze him. Of course, his absurd rise in strength since arriving at the myriad worlds was partially to blame. ‘Should I discard him?’ Relying on the leader’s strength was a vague choice. ‘Hmm.’ This unfortunate development, turning a human into a demon only for the power to be underwhelming, seemed rather comedic. ‘But perhaps there’s still a way to make use of him.’ He mulled it over for a moment. “Argh…” The fallen leader began to rise, prompting him to speak. “Stay seated.” “Guh!” At his command, the leader sat back down. His demonic aura was effective. “Damn it…!!” Though he lacked loyalty and was restrained only through force, he still obeyed. ‘Whether he remains weakened indefinitely is unknown, but—’ At least for now, that held true. Compared to the creatures I summon— ‘Comparable, perhaps.’ Not identical, but potentially similar. Surely, using him as primary support was uncertain. ‘Tsk.’ He clicked his tongue, deep in thought. And then, he asked the leader. “Enough of this. Hey.” “…Grr.” “Answer me.” “…What is it?” “Tell me everything you know about that person who was around you.” “Around…?” “You know who I mean. That ‘crow’ you used to call them.” “…” When he had shouted in frustration during a past interference, the leader had referred to the unseen figure as a crow. ‘Under normal circumstances, I’d have questioned the Heavenly Demon.’ But with her disappearance, he had to extract that information from the leader standing before him. “Speak. You heard me.” Vroom—! “Gah!” As the leader attempted to seal his lips, he unleashed his demonic aura. The black energy rushed forth, encasing the leader. “Argh…” Realizing resistance was futile, the leader finally opened his mouth.