1079 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The First Friend of the World's Strongest 1079th Chapter - Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive "Hua." He let out a sigh as he stepped out of the building. The third test had come to an end. The result, of course, was a pass. Or rather... was that really a given? "Why do they say it was a close call?" Bemused, he looked back. The first test was a duel with the examiner. The second test involved theories about demonic creatures. The third test was akin to an interview, ostensibly to assess one's character. It was the interviewer's comments as he was leaving that were troubling him. "Your performance in the first two tests was overwhelming, so you passed, however... you were somewhat at risk during the third. Please exercise caution." Wasn't that what he said? It was truly baffling. "What did I do to deserve that?" The thought of being on the verge of failing a character test was astonishing. The third test was known to be the one no one ever fails. Was it really that close? 'I didn't even say much.' When asked how he'd respond if a superior gave an unreasonable order, 'I wouldn't do it if it didn't make sense.' And when questioned about what he'd do if he witnessed a superior committing bribery, 'I'd beat them up because they're idiots.' That's all he had responded with. When posed with a scenario where a companion was at risk from a demonic creature, he had asked, 'Is this person useful?' That question had visibly unsettled the interviewers. '...What of it?' He couldn't grasp what the issue was. Despite the confusion, he managed to pass. Nonetheless, the reactions from the interviewers lingered in his mind. Could he have possibly been disqualified? 'No, surely not.' He brushed off the thought, believing there was no significant issue despite their reactions. Anyhow. "Let's see..." He exited the main headquarters and began to walk. As he strolled through the town, he surveyed his surroundings. There were many tasks to attend to, but securing a base was his priority. "...For that, I'll need some money." To do so, he would need money immediately. "Hmm." How should he proceed? Honestly, using his power to create money wouldn't be much of an issue, but that could only be done so many times. There was no telling how long he'd be staying here. From what he could see, 'It won't be over in just a day or two.' It seemed the matter wouldn't be resolved quickly. "...Sigh." He scratched his head. Money... After a moment's thought, an idea struck him. "There's a way..." Even in this era, some things never change. In today's world, a way to earn money naturally came to mind. Having grown up in a household with a lineage of martial artists, it was a straightforward method. "How about a hunt?" It seemed like it was time for a hunt after a long time. * * * He left the town momentarily and headed towards the mountains. It was just about to be nightfall, and he needed to return to the main headquarters the next day. Which meant he had to accomplish something tonight. Tack. Jumping onto a tree branch, he stood atop it. He then took a deep breath and— Hoooooouuu—!!! He unleashed the energy he had been restraining, letting it flow everywhere. As his senses awakened, they enveloped the entire mountain region. Every living creature's presence within the mountain converged upon him. "Hmm..." It wasn't long before— Grrr. He sensed the presence he had been waiting for. Without delay, he launched himself in the direction. In an instant, his view shifted, and he arrived where he wanted to be. Grrrk!? He saw it before him. A demonic creature resembling a monkey, covered in blue fur. He flew toward it and tore its head off. Crunch. He collected the magic stone that emerged. He controlled the Art of Celestial Absorption to prevent it from activating. Absorbing the magic stone would annihilate the demonic creature. He couldn't let that happen. 'One down.' He propelled himself again, commencing a massacre of the nearby demonic creatures. Crack-! Crackle-!!! His body turned into a flame and flew like a streak, killing the creatures. After about half an hour had passed, "Hmm..." He dusted off his hands while observing the pile of demonic corpses. Though Hanam was known as a symbol of peace and a fundamentally safe place, 'Demonic creatures exist everywhere.' While they couldn't be entirely eradicated, they were scattered throughout the mountains. He had captured and killed most of them. The reason was simple. "Let's see... how did one skin a demonic creature again?" The hide and bones of demonic creatures were valuable. These materials were often utilized for crafting weapons or clothing in the central plains. The issue was, "...This is going to be tedious." Separating the hide and bones seemed like a nuisance. What to do? He concluded his contemplation swiftly. Fwoosh-! Without delay, he conjured flames to engulf the creatures. Whoosh-!!!! The stench of burning flesh filled the air. As the hide and flesh burned, only the bones remained after some time. "Nice." Feeling lazy, he decided to sell only the bones. Such a transaction should fetch a reasonable sum. Now then. "How should I carry these?" It was time for a second round of pondering. * * * "Thank you! Please come again!" Still night, he exited the building amidst the owner's bright farewell. The money he had earned from selling the bones was safely tucked away in his chest. 'Managed to sell it all somehow.' The bones fetched a decent price upon selling them all. While transporting them multiple times was cumbersome, the effort was worthwhile. The owner had also been pleased. Given that it wasn't a transaction with the main guild but rather with an individual, he wouldn't have expected someone to bring such an amount of bones. Even blue-furred creature bones were there, so it seemed the owner had thrown in a bit of extra cash. '...It would have been easier if I'd used Air Control.' To avoid drawing attention, he had to carry them one by one. Nonetheless, the result was satisfying. He had earned enough for meals and lodging. "Now, where should I go?" Turning his head to look around, he spotted an inn standing tall in the distance. "Oh." His eyes widened as he recognized the building. It was the very place the Murim Alliance had provided as a lodge when he participated in the Yongbong Meeting. 'To think it also existed in this era.' Perhaps I'll stay there? Without hesitation, he moved his legs toward it. "Welcome!" "Do you have any rooms available?" "Which type of room do you require?" "The cheapest one, please." "Ah, is that so?" Asking for the cheapest room, the innkeeper's expression shifted slightly. It seemed that, no matter the era, this wretched land was the same. Nevertheless, a room was available. After paying for the accommodations and something to eat, he ascended to his assigned room. It was on the second floor. Back when he first stayed here, he had been assigned the highest floor; evidently, the lower the floor, the cheaper it was. Creak. Upon entering, his suspicions were confirmed—the room was incredibly cramped. Why was it so tiny? Fortunately, he had no luggage; otherwise, it would have been problematic to manage in such tight quarters. "...Well, it's fine," he thought. Once he joined the main alliance, they were bound to provide housing or something similar. He contented himself with the room for now, thinking it was sufficient. After roughly organizing his things, he stepped back outside. Feeling a bit hungry, he decided to head back downstairs. As he descended, someone was coming up the stairs. He didn't pay much attention, just moved aside to let them pass. "Hmm?" Strangely, the person stopped right in front of him and didn't pass by. 'What's this?' Why weren't they moving? He looked curiously at the person. It was a woman, her face veiled. He narrowed his eyes. His evolved sight pierced through the veil effortlessly. Unless it was a high-level occult item, a mere veil couldn't obscure his sight. 'What is this?' She had noticeably large eyes. Petite in build, she possessed a somewhat deep green hue. '...She resembles someone?' Her appearance vividly reminded him of Tang Soryeol. The resemblance was so striking, even he was surprised. "Do you need something?" When he asked, the woman flinched with a small tremor. "Oh, no. Sorry." "I see." She quickly moved aside, startled. Even her voice bore a likeness to Tang Soryeol. That was it. Not much else impacted him about the encounter, so he averted his gaze and continued downstairs. "This way, please." Upon reaching the bottom, an attendant guided him. It was a small table. Clearly not a prime spot, but he didn't care. He was eating alone anyway. Sitting in silence, it wasn't long before the food arrived. He had pre-ordered dumplings and noodles. 'Smells nice.' Right as he noticed the aroma, it hit him. The taste was authentic. '...So it's not a dream after all.' Just like reality—this realization hit harder as he savored his meal. While he was quietly eating, "Did you hear? The Warlord attended the main alliance entrance exam." "The Warlord himself?" Nearby, voices reached him, discussing the Warlord. 'Oh, this isn't good.' He instantly realized. The mention of the Warlord meant... "The surprising part is, the Warlord reportedly wanted to take one of the candidates as a disciple." 'Damn.' It likely meant they were going to talk about him. "A disciple? The Warlord wants to take a disciple?" "So they say." "Why would the Warlord suddenly want...?" "Nobody seems to know the reason..." "Who is it? The one the Warlord wants as a disciple." "That's not clear either. It is said to be a promising junior, but..." 'Ugh.' He stuffed his mouth full of dumplings as if trying to suppress his rising frustration. 'I should finish quickly and head back up.' Or should he just put up a sound barrier? That seemed like a good idea. As he nodded to himself, intending to block out the noise with energy, "Excuse me." "Hmm?" He sensed someone approaching. Raising his head, he saw it was the woman he'd encountered earlier. "...What is it?" What's with her now? Looking at her with curious eyes, the woman hid a trembling hand and spoke softly to him. "I usually... I never do things like this." "Pardon?" "Really, I don't..." "...What do you mean?" "Could I perhaps... join you?" "...?" Join? He furrowed his brow at the unexpected request. Why would she want to join him? "There appear to be plenty of seats... Why?" There were indeed many seats available around them. Judging by her attire, she seemed to be of high standing. Wait a second. 'Now that I think about it... Those clothes...' Her green martial outfit was familiar. Even more so... 'That martial outfit resembling Tang Soryeol's...' As thoughts began to connect, The woman spoke up again. "Because... I'm interested in you." "...Excuse me?" Even to him, it was an unbelievable claim.