1098 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 1098: Northern Hare** After the uprising of the red demonic beast, the news had yet to spread across the Central Plains. Since the creature appeared in a region under the Martial Alliance’s jurisdiction, it seems the Beggars' Sect intervened, keeping rumors from spreading in the Henan region. Within the confines of the Martial Alliance, only a select few were aware of the situation. "Don't slack off! Breathe properly!" Training continued incessantly within the Azure Dragon Unit. The group consisted entirely of fresh recruits, none with more than five years of experience. The recruits were running at a pace where one's breath would naturally falter after a while, since they weren't using any internal energy techniques. They had been running at that pace for over an hour. 'I'm bored to death.' From my perspective, it wasn't a particularly rigorous training. My body wasn't one to tire over such basic exercises. My physical form had long been infused with energy, making such training mundane, whether for half a day or an entire day. However: "Huff... Huff..." "Haaah..." The others were visibly exhausted, looking as if they might collapse at any moment. Well, considering their level—at best a first-rate, nearing the pinnacle—it was impressive they were pushing themselves this far. As I continued to run leisurely, I felt a gaze on me. It was coming from my left and slightly behind. Ah, it's Doyoon. He had been watching me, and our eyes met. When they did, Doyoon gave a hesitant smile. "Heh...," he laughed awkwardly, prompting me to look away. His eyes seemed full of questions. I wasn't concerned. 'If he wants to talk, he'll come over.' I knew the reason—yesterday's incident. It all revolved around the words I said to Doyoon during the red demonic beast's revolt. Doyoon was concealing his true strength. Despite his lax demeanor and loose lips, he was strong. 'Strong.' Doyoon was quite capable. To what extent, you might ask? "Hey, no chitchat!" The one glaring at us from the front was Sword Commander So-yi. He was likely stronger than her. "Ah, yes! Sorry about that!" Doyoon quickly apologized. "Apologies," I added quietly. The woman in front wasn't merely a Sword Commander to me... 'To me, she's more of a Sword Queen.' Her reprimand felt akin to the wrath of a Sword Queen, so my apology was light. After speaking, I looked towards So-yi. "..." "..." Our eyes met again. I gazed at her nonchalantly, but— "Tsk..." "...?" She clicked her tongue and turned away, seemingly displeased. 'What's her problem?' Why does she react like this? So-yi's response was perplexing. It was clear she wasn't fond of me. What did I do wrong? 'When I think about it...' From the start, she never really liked me. The moment she laid eyes on me, she wasn't thrilled. 'Why?' I couldn't understand. In my past life, we got along just fine. Yet, the young So-yi seemed not to like me at all. '...It doesn't really matter.' Being disliked was something I was accustomed to, so her reaction didn't bother me much. However, the lack of a clear reason was mildly troubling. Of course, 'It's not like I'm going to ask her.' I had no intention of questioning her about it. --- "Huff... Huff..." With the training concluded, everyone collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. They were drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. Some gulped down water without pause, parched from exertion. Among them, I alone stared aimlessly at the sky. Naturally, no sweat adorned my forehead. I sat simply because everyone else was doing so, looking up at the sky. '...How long must I remain here?' That question plagued me. How many days had passed? Less than a full week? How much longer must I stay? 'I need to return.' Be it to the Ten Thousand Realms or the Central Plains I originally inhabited, I must find a way back. Lingering here was not an option. 'Tsk.' What should I do? 'I must resolve this quickly.' What this world demands of me, specifically, what Mother intends for me to gain, must be swiftly acquired so I can leave. 'Lingering here is becoming tedious.' Yesterday’s conversation with the Tyrant made things increasingly cumbersome. 'He talked about regression.' He spoke of turning back time—a claim the Tyrant didn't ultimately believe. Even after explaining my desires to him, he still remained skeptical. 'Or did he?' While he didn't fully dismiss it, some degree of belief seemed present. 'Despite that, he didn’t completely buy it.' Ultimately, he didn't accept my words. What did he say? 'He mentioned he would think about it.' He said he would contemplate the situation. That seemed to be his stance. 'Hmm.' Indeed, if I were in his position, I'd find it hard to believe. No matter how much martial arts align with reality, accepting such a notion isn't simple. 'The important thing is, where do things go from here?' The Sword Sovereign's suspicion—coupled with the Tyrant's offer to verify my identity—means that: 'Depending on the Tyrant's next move...' If it comes to it, a conflict might erupt within the Martial Alliance, even under the Sword Sovereign's leadership. '...Thus, before anything happens.' I must resolve matters swiftly and depart. With that thought, I looked off into the distance, towards a prominent building within the Azure Dragon Unit’s quarters. It was known as the Commander's Residence. '...' Where Father would be. I sighed while looking at it. "Huuuu..." The reason for my presence here was likely connected to Father. Coming at this particular time, it’s clear I’m supposed to gain something from him. **'What am I supposed to do?'** What was I meant to gain from my father? Although I wasn't certain yet, I had a strong feeling there was something significant waiting for me. There was nothing else, after all. While I pondered over this and gazed at the Commander's Residence, a voice interrupted. "What are you staring at?" It was So-yi. "Huh?" "I asked what you're looking at." "It's nothing specific. Just observing what I see." "......" "Do you have any particular reason for approaching me?" The fact that she had come over to talk suggested she had something to discuss, but So-yi just glared at me without saying anything further. Why is she acting like this? Just as I was about to inquire about the reason, "About yesterday." "Sorry?" "Why didn't you do it properly?" "...What?" Her abrupt question caught me off guard. Yesterday? What was she referring to? 'During the demonic beast incident?' It must've been about the encounter with the red demonic beast. "What do you mean I didn't do it properly?" Perplexed, I asked for clarification, and So-yi frowned. "You have more power than that. Why did you just stand by and watch?" "..." Her words made my eyes narrow. Interesting. 'Did she notice?' It seemed So-yi realized I hadn't exerted my full effort against the demonic beast. How did she pick up on that? 'Is her intuition sharper than I thought?' That could be the case. After all, she would eventually rise to the peak of the martial world, recognized as the Sword Queen. 'Hmm.' How should I explain this? Somehow, 'I noticed she seemed fiercer today.' I had wondered why she seemed displeased, and now it appeared this was the reason. "It isn't that I didn't do it properly." I did attempt to help in my way, but I chose not to intervene directly. "No, you didn't." "...Why do you think that?" "You're strong. Much more than you let on." "I'm really not." "Are you going to claim weakness after what you did to the Sword Dragon?" "......" Ah, right. I had almost forgotten about Namgoong Jin. I had defeated him, hadn't I? "Ahem... Well, maybe he wasn't as strong as his nickname suggests?" "The Martial Alliance doesn't bestow the title of a dragon upon the weak." Her stern response made me nod. 'What is this?' It was a curious statement, hinting at a firm belief in the Martial Alliance. I could sense her conviction. 'Indeed.' It was different. The Sword Queen I knew wasn’t particularly devoted to the Martial Alliance. "It's clear you have substantial power. So why didn't you step in?" By this point, I felt partially resigned. "We managed to resolve it well enough without me stepping in, didn't we? What's the problem?" The outcome was favorable, so what was the issue? I asked, genuinely puzzled. "People could have died." Could someone have died because I didn't act? Her words brought a smile to my face. "That would be the beast's fault, not mine." "You..." "Furthermore, I have no intention of taking responsibility for something that didn't happen." I felt guilty because I knew the red beast's revolt was partially my doing, but— 'Now I'm starting to get annoyed.' Her accusation felt like needless provocation. Suppressing a sigh, I looked at So-yi, whose beautiful eyes held a flicker of hostility. Just as I was about to respond, "So-yi. New recruit." A voice interrupted, and So-yi immediately acknowledged it. "Yes, senior." A warrior from the Azure Dragon Unit had approached us. Speaking to both of us, he said, "An assignment has come down. Prepare yourselves." "What...?" "What?" His sudden words made both me and So-yi frown. An assignment?