1059 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

# Chapter 1059 of "Heaven's Greatest Friend" - Northern Hare Fshhhhh. The arm holding the Guijeong collapsed. Noya's body was crumbling. Watching this, I immediately lunged forward. Whoosh-!! With a burst of flames, I rushed over and embraced Noya. Pulling back from the situation, I quickly inspected his body. “Noya...? Noya!” ZGVPdDc2cnQxMFU0bVlrbnZITXlVc21yMU5RVmpqYjNaQUcyVGZBWVF0S05tdlJuaDEyV1JHc0pLS3Qya094VQ “Oh...” Noya reacted as he saw his deteriorated body. “This is... quite troublesome, isn't it? Haha.” His laughter twisted my expression into a grimace. Has this old man gone mad? “How can you laugh right now...?” “Haha. It just slipped out.” “Damn it... Why is this happening.” Ignoring Noya's reaction, I continued to examine his broken body. The arm that had wielded the Guijeong was missing. Looking behind, I saw only the Guijeong rolling on the ground, while the arm that once held it had turned to dust and scattered into the air. “This is... This is...” Words wouldn’t come easily. What should I do? I hurriedly tried to infuse energy into Noya’s body, but I realized something the moment my hand touched him. “Ha...” This wasn't going to work. This wasn’t about the bet. 'The body.' I realized this wasn't a real physical body. The difference was obvious when I tried to infuse energy. A shell. It was just an empty shell. A shell containing only the soul and energy. That was what Noya’s body was now. “This is...” As I felt this, my eyes trembled. Something clasped my hand. It was Noya's remaining hand. “Your expression is worth seeing. Surprised?” “...” “Well, did you expect a dead man walking around to have a perfectly fine body?” “Even so... this is...” “Be grateful that you have this much. It’s too petty to wish for perfection in a fleeting dream.” Noya stood up. I tried to hold onto him, but. “Let go. What are you doing clinging like that? It's unsightly for a man." “Noya.” Ignoring my call, Noya moved. He stretched out his remaining left arm. Then, the Guijeong, rolling on the ground, responded and flew towards Noya. Tremble. The Guijeong paused repeatedly as it flew through the air. I understood. It seemed that it, too, shared my sentiments. Stop. It seemed to be hesitating with that intent. “You, too. Hurry up, will you?” Noya shouted irritably, and so the Guijeong finally flew into his arm. “Our opponent is waiting, what are we doing wasting time. Tsk tsk.” Opponent. With those words, I directed my gaze forward. In front stood Taechun. His face hardened, he was watching the new Noya. “Ah, I'm sorry. These guys are a bit clueless.” Upon hearing the words, Taechun nodded briefly. Different from before. “It's a pity.” Within his voice, regret mixed with sharp emotions lay hidden. “Though you broke through the barrier, your wretched body fails to contain it, ultimately unable to endure.” Hearing this, I understood what Taechun meant to say. Noya had transcended. He had surpassed something with the recent event. ‘The body cannot withstand it.’ As a result, his physical form collapsed. His soul had been deteriorating just by remaining with me. This situation accelerated things rapidly, it seems. Yet. Even so. ‘He wants to fight more?’ What does he intend to do with a body like that? That... ‘It’s as if he wants to die.’ It’s akin to giving up on himself. That cannot be allowed. I attempted to summon Baekyeom for intervention, but— “Stop—!!” “……!” Noya shouted at me. The intensity of his voice made me release Baekyeom without thinking. "What are you doing right now." “Noya...?” “Don't do anything pointless.” “But... what do you mean... What are you trying to do. You know if you continue like this...” You'll die, I thought. It might just end here. What more does he intend to achieve? Surely, Noya knew this better than anyone. “Do not interfere.” With chilling eyes, Noya warned me. “But.” “I said do not interfere.” His words carried a murderous intent, implying that he would not be lenient. He grasped the Guijeong firmly. Shwww. Energy once again gathered in the sword. It was plum blossoms. “Stop it. This matter is already over, are you keen on doing this unnecessarily?” Taechun’s voice had become gentle, contrasting with before. The moment he realized Noya’s body had collapsed, any interest vanished from his eyes. “In respect of your effort, I’ll offer you a proposition.” “A proposition?” Noya responded with intrigue. “What is it?” “Come to me.” "Oh, I believe I already refused that before?" “Indeed. I rarely propose twice, but I’ve taken a liking to you.” Taechun’s body had already regenerated, or, it was doubtful any damage was taken in the first place. In his unaffected manner, he continued to speak to Noya. “The state unfitting of your crumbling body. If you give me your physical form, you could ascend further. Use your brilliance for me. In doing so, I shall provide you with a body.” “Hahahaha.” Noya laughed at the offer of a new body. “Thank you for your kind words, but unfortunately, I’m not inclined to be under anyone’s command.” Ssssshh. The Guijeong rotated. “I refuse.” “Hmm, indeed.” At Noya’s refusal, Taechun nodded, seemingly expecting it. And then. Whirrrrr. As Taechun raised his hand, the sky changed. The gray sky, still marked by plum blossoms, began to move. It swirled and soon started to gather into Taechun’s hand. The barrier surrounding us formed into a sphere, coalescing in Taechun’s grasp. Before long, the ashen sky transformed into a brilliant blue. “Then, there is no choice. It's regrettable, but I will respect your wish.” “Thank you.” “Yet, as a token of appreciation for showing me something splendid, I shall offer you a gift as well.” The gathered energy began to shape into a spear. A trident. It was similar to what the creature had wielded before, but this time, it was different. ‘That is.’ As I watched, my body trembled. No, it wasn’t my physical body that was shaking, but my soul inside it. “If circumstances were different, you might have reached this point. How does it feel?” “Hmm.” What was contained within that small sphere? A world, perhaps? From it, a sense of a world emerged. The gray sky vanished, revealing the original sky. It was already nighttime. A place where two moons greeted us. Beneath them, Taechun grasped the world. “How terrifying. To think I might have held something like that. It’s daunting enough handling a single tree.” “No, you wouldn’t have feared it. You would’ve endured it. That’s why it’s a mystery.” The spear shimmered subtly, causing my soul to tremble along with it. “Are you familiar with Yongje?” The name of Yongje emerged from Taechun’s lips. At those words, a tremor ran through Noya’s eyebrows. “Yes, I know of him.” He would know well. He is the one who fought Yongje alongside the Blood Demon. “From your reaction, it seems you’re the one. Are you, perhaps, from the world that cast Yongje down?” “I’m not the sole culprit, but one among the few.” “... Hmm.” One of the five who resisted the Blood Demon. Taechun tilted his head slightly at this. “Not just one, huh... Yet Yongje still exists, meaning you failed to stop him.” “Yes, we couldn’t stop him. That bastard is ridiculously strong.” Despite Noya’s chuckle, Taechun’s expression remained somber. “With your current self, stopping Yongje wouldn’t have been out of reach. Why is that?” “...?” Noya narrowed his eyes at the remark. “How peculiar. Yongje is strong, yet not insurmountably so.” “...What do you mean by that?” “No, it's irrelevant now.” Taechun shook his head, gripping his spear. Boom—!! The ground trembled. “We won’t have time for much more conversation. Since the barrier was lifted, she may soon find her way here.” “...” At this, Noya tightened his grip on the Guijeong with his one remaining arm. “Treasure this moment. You’re the first to witness this since the descent.” With those words, Taechun lightly tossed the spear. The motion was light, but the outcome was anything but. The spear flew towards the new Noya, who hurriedly raised the Guijeong to block it. Rumble——!!!!! The ground shook violently. “...!” Noya, using his one remaining arm to fend off the spear, began to be pushed back, unable to withstand it. “Grit!” Clenching his teeth, he struggled to hold it off. Despite his efforts, the spear continued its relentless assault. Creak—! The spear rotated slightly. Boom—!!! Crash—!!! With explosive force, something shattered—the Guijeong. Never to be broken. Such was its nature, yet the Guijeong was destroyed. And then, as if exploding, it pierced through Noya. Qua—!!! The spear flew through Noya and soared into the air. Boom—!!! The spear, skyrocketing, immediately exploded and dispersed across the sky. A tremendous pressure of wind surged forth. Trees were ripped from their roots, hills collapsed. A shaft of light spread widely across the sky. “Ah...” Even amid this chaos, my gaze remained fixed on Noya. “Chuckles...” Noya let out a low laugh. “This is... quite the shame.” Noya’s upper body, pierced completely, let out a bittersweet chuckle.