1122 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

RUMBLE--!!! The sky roared and the ground shook mightily. "Ugh!" "Argh…!" It wasn't just the tremors. The pressure spread, pressing down on the entire mountain range. The intensity of it caused those standing to stagger. An overwhelming energy. This vibration wasn’t emanating from the mountain itself. ‘It’s emanating from the Majin Gate.’ The white, colossal Majin Gate. The energy pouring out from there shook the heavens, and that vibration crashed directly onto the ground. “Gah…!” The immense pressure brought warriors to their knees. Anyone below the peak level, those at the ranks of first-class, were collapsing under the strain. Foaming at the mouth or losing consciousness was a common occurrence. Watching this, Namgung Jehui let out a sigh. "What in the world…! Deputy Commander of the Qinglong Unit!" He shouted, calling out to his father. “You said there was more time left... What is the meaning of this?” He looked at the Majin Gate. The ring still existed. What once were two ropes were down to one, almost completely frayed and disappearing. According to his father’s prediction, the rope was expected to break and open by tomorrow. ‘What’s causing this sudden tremor?’ What is this unexpected change? The transformation of the red Majin Gate and this tremor... what do they signify? Thunk. His toes were pressed down. The pressure drilled his body into the ground bit by bit. Crack. He felt himself sinking into the earth and quickly pulled his foot out. Crumble. His foot popped out as he relieved the pressure. Although it was getting stronger, it was a marginal improvement. Feeling somewhat relieved, he leapt up when— “Deputy Commander of the Qinglong Unit…!” “……” Namgung Jehui roared in anger, but his father merely frowned, fixated on the Majin Gate. At that moment— ROAAAARRR----!!!! An intense heat burst forth from his father’s body. The heat, mixed with internal energy, enveloped the hillside. Consequently, the oppressive pressure diminished. His father was using his energy to counteract the pressure. ‘Impressive.’ His father possessed an incredible amount of internal energy to be able to emit such a vast quantity. “It seems there’s an issue.” His father spoke in a calm voice. It was remarkable that he could talk so calmly while emitting so much energy. Under his father’s energy, people managed to catch their breath. "Haah-." "Gasp… cough…" "Cough-!" Everyone coughed and heaved, regurgitating the remnants of pressure they were under. And then— Whhoooooosh-!!! Energy sprouted from all around. Supporting his father’s energy, other warriors released their own auras. Only then could they withstand the pressure. ‘This is the best we can manage with just our energy.’ Even the energy released by the white Majin Gate was causing immense pressure. And from there— ‘What if demons spring from it? What then?’ Once demons emerge, who knows what will become of the situation. No matter what comes forth, it’s bound to contain something extraordinary. Because of that, some muttered: “…This won’t do." "What on earth….” “We must escape.” The spirits of the warriors plummeted. Given the circumstances, it was understandable, yet not ideal. “…This is grave.” Incredulity tinged with despair simmered. What could be done about this? ‘What is this white thing, anyway?’ He had never seen such a level of Majin Gate before. While he had encountered the red Majin Gate, the white was a first. ‘Does the white one emit such energy?’ He had never before known that the Majin Gate itself could release energy. As he pondered this, an incident occurred. Crackle-! “What?” “The, the rope-!” There was a change in the Majin Gate. One of the surrounding rings snapped. Now, only a single rope remained. It wasn’t unexpected. The ring had been in a state where it could break at any moment. So, it wasn’t strange that another ring snapped. “Look, over there!” “The ring!” Crackling. There was a change even in the remaining ring. Subtly, a crack began to form. ‘Damn.’ The situation looked dire. A change was happening somewhere it shouldn’t have. This was bad. Truly bad. “…We must prepare.” His father spoke. With those words, the atmosphere became more tense. There’s no time to hesitate or deliberate. Hearing his father’s orders, Namgung Jehui shouted. “Prepare for battle! Ready yourselves for combat!” His shout, imbued with energy, jolted the warriors into immediate action. “Relay a message to the former head of the household immediately.” “Y-yes sir…!” Following Namgung Jehui's orders, others jumped up and started running. The warriors of the Namgung family, as well as our side, began bracing themselves. The ring began to snap faster and faster. Perhaps influenced by the warriors’ fierce intent, the rate of change quickened. ‘Damn it.’ What to do? While everyone else was wrapped up in their thoughts, mine were elsewhere. ‘How should I proceed?’ It wasn’t about how to handle the situation. ‘How should I step in?’ I needed to act, but how should I insert myself into this scenario? Thoughts like these flitted through my mind. ‘…If that ring really breaks, the Majin Gate will open.’ I couldn’t just remain idle. Not only because the Majin Gate was right in front of us, ‘Ultimately, it’s a problem I set off.’ I couldn’t pretend otherwise. It was blatantly obvious. So then, ‘What should I do?’ How do I step forward? Should I just release everything I’ve been holding back? And once I did, how would the problem be solved? ‘Hmm.’ As I was deep in such thoughts, ‘Ah.’ An idea struck me. ‘That will work.’ I had found a method. ‘I just have to make sure it’s not me.’ It wasn’t that I couldn’t step forward; it was that it shouldn’t be me who did. Someone else should step in. Pondering this, I narrowed my gaze. I had found a solution. * * * ROAAARRRR---!!! The vibrations intensified. Watching this, Gu Cheol Woon frowned. He sensed the worsening state of affairs. Looking at the Majin Gate, tension simmered to a boil. Scorch-!! In an attempt to release his aura, his Gui Yeomhwa-Ryun Technique ran continuously. Amidst the surge of compressed energy, Gu Cheol Woon surveyed his surroundings. The atmosphere was tense, filled with anxiety and fear, palpable amidst the stillness. The energy continued to grow more intense. Watching this, Gu Cheol Woon loosened up his body. A gut feeling hit him. ‘It's unraveling.’ The breaking ring—it was nearly destroyed. Something unpredictable and different from expectations was unfolding. His honed senses sent Gu Cheol Woon a clear message: once that ring shattered, something was bound to happen. A disaster would emerge from within. His instincts were clear on this. Clench. Gu Cheol Woon slowly clenched his fists. Could he do it? He didn’t know for sure. But— ‘It must be done.’ This was something that had to be done. Having witnessed everything unfold, he couldn’t just step back and pretend otherwise. Keeping this in mind, Gu Cheol Woon cloaked himself in flames. Whoosh---!!! Red flames enveloped his entire body. The Gui Yeomhwa-Ryun Technique reached its pinnacle. He unleashed every ounce of his aura. "Gasp-!" "…Ugh!" He abandoned any attempt to control the heat radiating from him. As a result, some warriors around him recoiled from the searing wave. Releasing his full aura, he allowed his energy to expand unrestricted. “…….” Fully unleashing his pent-up strength, he allowed the energy to encompass him completely. The ring of flames at their peak expanded, revolving intensely. “Phew…” Heat leaked from Gu Cheol Woon’s breath. He was ready. At that moment— Thunk-! A sound emanated from the ring. “Master! The ring has broken—!” The ring shattered, its energy dissipating. Warriors tried to relay this urgently to Namgung Jehui, but— ROAAAAARRRR---!!!!! A thunderous noise erupted from the Majin Gate. With the snapping of the ring, an incomparable shockwave burst forth. A pressure-laden wind exploded with the ominous energy, like a violent bombardment. “Aaaaaah---!!” The force of the blast knocked the warriors back. Some were even swept away, falling beyond the mountain’s edge. The white Majin Gate tremored violently. The energy within distorted the surroundings to the extreme. “...Something’s coming. Prepare yourselves.” Gu Cheol Woon announced. Hearing this, So Yi and Do Yoon released their auras beside him. Thankfully, there was no fear in that moment. Sensing as much, Gu Cheol Woon glanced back. In this situation, a particularly focused individual. Baek Yang Cheon. An enigmatic presence, somewhat irksome. Observing him, Baek Yang Cheon merely gazed at the Majin Gate with a peculiar expression. No aura emanated from him. What was this? ‘What?’ Something felt odd. Just standing there. What was this feeling? As he pondered the mystery— SCREEEAAAM---!!!! “……!!” The chilling wail echoed from within the Majin Gate. There and then— Screeech-! Something began emerging from the Majin Gate’s depths. Was it a hand? A massive white hand. A creature’s hand with sharp talons. Behind it, a grotesque maw protruded. An enormous figure. Given the Majin Gate spanned the entire mountain, the entity emerging from it was unsettlingly colossal. The warriors watched, faces drained of color. "H-Huh... M-Monster, a monster!" "What is that…! What on earth is that!" Everyone was engulfed by confusion and fear. A creature born of white terror. Its pallid limbs and the calamity emanating from them. Indeed, it was a disaster. At the moment of its emergence, none could predict the devastation that awaited. This couldn’t be stopped. Seeing it triggered such a realization. Despair descended. Amidst their petrified stance, frozen in terror— BOOOM---!!! Only Gu Cheol Woon clasped a flame in his grasp. Even if it couldn’t be stopped. Even if it couldn’t be defeated. ‘What does it matter?’ That wasn’t enough to halt his steps. With that resolve, he stared the demon down. ROAAAAAR--!!! The creature’s mighty roar resonated throughout the mountain. Just as it fully revealed itself. Thunk. Rooar…? A brief sound, and the creature fell silent. Moreover— “…What?” Gu Cheol Woon widened his eyes. The creature lowered its head. It was fixated on the position Gu Cheol Woon had been observing. A large hole had appeared in its massive body. Roa-…aa? The creature gazed at the hollow within itself with a perplexed expression. What on earth had happened? As everyone reeled in shock over the unfolding scene— “Cease your barking.” A voice resounded from above. Everyone’s heads snapped upward. There— “You’re rather noisy.” A warrior clad in a black robe, wearing a white mask, looked down. With his hand enveloped in a black aura, he spoke.