1132 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"Hmm..." I quietly watched my father collapse. The sight of him losing consciousness, his cheek slightly swollen, left a strong impression. Although he's in his youth now, seeing my father like this felt remarkably fresh and different. '...Did I overdo it?' If there was a flaw, it was perhaps the slight lack of control over my strength. However, I think this situation is more my father's fault than mine. 'Who told him to raise his energy that much?' The great energy my father intended to use. If it had indeed exploded... 'This entire area could have been leveled.' Not just the training hall but the surrounding vicinity was at risk of being demolished. The whole scenario was flawed from the beginning. 'Choosing to fight here itself was the problem.' Even though it's spacious, it's still inside a building. A training hall like this is suitable only for those with lower realms of skills. Once you surpass the 'Hwa' stage, fighting indoors itself becomes an ill-fit. Especially for people like my father and me, who focus on explosive martial skills. The reason he insisted on choosing such a training hall for a match baffles me. '...I don't quite understand Father's strategy.' He wasn't trying to prevent Namgoong Hyung from leaving; rather, it seemed he was assisting him. And calling me here under the pretext of assessing my skills... Even more, he... 'Didn't go all out.' Father didn't show his full strength either. Though I don't know if he was testing something, I knew he was probing. I ended it by seizing that moment. eS82cEF3M2JnbHlDcjVodFVtUDBmN2NJMjN4NVpxZUw0T0pyQ1E4ODhPTi90Ti9OR1ZYQlBMcy94eUpXaE5WOQ Crackling. I nonchalantly cleared away some debris. I hesitated about whether to help my father up but decided against it. Hmm. 'He should manage on his own.' I've done as instructed, so it shouldn't matter. Besides, mastering fire skills, sleeping on the ground won't cause him to get a cricked neck or anything. If anything, what's bothering me slightly is... '...Was this too much?' I intended to hide my strength as much as possible. Perhaps I revealed too much too aggressively. '...I don’t know.' Oh well, forget it. What's done is done. I decided against overthinking it. I stood up. I left my father and glanced around. There was still somewhere I needed to go. Someone I had to talk to. So I left my father behind and headed somewhere. * * * It was a silent time of dawn. Not long ago, this place was bustling with a party, and the fact it turned so still was intriguing. Perhaps Namgoong Jeo-hwi had ordered the halt of gatherings and issued a command for restraint. Moreover. 'The patrols have tightened.' Not only had the number of guards increased but the level of those patrolling seemed somewhat elevated. 'Hmm.' I moved, taking care to remain unnoticed and conceal my presence. Then, after maneuvering a bit more, I entered a place. Despite sneaking in, I slightly let out some energy from the midway. Since the counterpart was also a martial artist, it wasn't hard to announce my arrival. Zzzzz... I sent a little energy inward. Then, I sensed a presence inside the dwelling. Creak. The door opened, and someone came out. It was Hyun So-yeon in her pajamas. "Hello." "...What brings you here?" "I'm sorry for coming at this hour. But I assumed you'd still be up." "..." Hyun So-yeon opened her door wide, looking slightly wearied. "Come in." "I'm hesitant to enter a woman's room uninvited..." "But I know you have no feelings for me. Just come in; it’s more of a problem for others to see us like this." "..." A sensible argument. Thus, I slowly entered her room. "...Please apply a soundproof barrier." I had already set up a barrier before she requested it. Inside, I sat perched in front of a low table. "Would you like some tea?" "No, my throat's not particularly dry." "Alright then." She asked, smoothing her clothes. "What brings you here?" "Ah, I have something to ask." "Something to ask?" "Yes, it's nothing much, but..." I paused briefly, then posed my question to Hyun So-yeon. "Why did you lie?" "..." Her sudden halt confirmed my suspicion. It seemed my guess was correct. "You weren't trying to stop Nam Goong Gongja, were you? It seemed more like you were trying to help him leave." "..." "But, that's not of much concern. What I’m curious about isn't that." Yes, what I was curious about was something that made little sense. "Why did you pretend to betray him?" Why had Hyun So-yeon pretended to betray Namgoong Hyung? Standing in front of the escape hole as if trying to block it—what was her purpose? Upon my question, Hyun So-yeon smiled softly. "...Is that why you came at this hour?" "I had various things to handle... Yet, I wanted to clear some curiosities." "..." Why had Hyun So-yeon pretended to betray him? This was perplexing since it seemed she secretly harbored affection for him. 'If it were for such a reason, I could even understand.' She liked him and didn’t want him to leave. If that were the case, it would've made some sense. Yet, pretending to betray him and helping him escape didn't add up. There was silence from Hyun So-yeon for a while. Whether she was contemplating something, or unwilling to speak, or recalling memories—eventually, after some moments, she spoke to me. "Baek Gong-ja, what do you think drives a person mad the most?" "Well, there are too many to pinpoint a single one." Particularly for someone like me, there were countless things. Truly. So it was a challenge for me to choose just one, but luckily, Hyun So-yeon provided me with an answer. "It's regret." "..." I paused slightly, hearing that. It was a saying I recalled hearing somewhere before. Where was it from? The memory was fuzzy. But I was sure I'd heard it before. "When a person has unresolved regrets, it drives them truly insane." "So?" "So Namgoong Hyung has regrets towards Hyun So-yeon? Is that what you mean?" I pondered as I listened. "That's exactly it." Hyun So-yeon spoke while staring at the table instead of meeting my eyes. "Because I am his regret." "..." "This was the only way to erase it." "Are you saying..." I wasn't entirely sure if I understood correctly, so I asked, "...that Nam Goong Gongja had the same feelings for you?" Was Namgoong Hyung fond of you too? I questioned, and Hyun So-yeon shook her head. "I don't believe so." Though her words suggested doubt, her voice carried certainty. "He always sought to venture outside the world. The regret I mentioned wasn't about feelings for me." Her hands clasped gracefully, tension evident. "My feelings for him are the unfulfilled regrets." "..." "He's a kind person." Perhaps knowing she liked him, her unresolved feelings became regrets. It was a peculiar situation. What kind of relationship led to such sentiments? Yet, I couldn't comprehend. "Since we first met ten years ago–" "Oh, past stories aren't what I'm interested in." "...Ah, I see." I cut her off, uninterested in hearing past anecdotes. My curiosity was solely about why Hyun So-yeon acted as she did. Though Hyun So-yeon gave me a look of mild disbelief, I disregarded it. 'Ultimately, Hyun So-yeon's message is clear.' She made a choice to help Namgoong Hyung leave more smoothly. Nodding slightly in understanding, I stood up. "You're leaving already?" "Yes. I've heard what I came to hear and satisfied my curiosity." There was no reason to stay any longer. There was no point once my questions were answered. "Well, rest comfortably." Her weary expression, the subdued atmosphere—it all stemmed from the emotions invoked by Namgoong Hyung's departure. It's not something I could comfort or resolve. Especially considering. 'You still need to marry Nam Goong Jin.' I decided against asking why she developed feelings for Nam Goong Jin or what their relationship entailed. That future might be one of the most cautious matters for me. Creak-! I closed the door behind me and stepped outside. It was still dark in the early dawn. As expected, Hyun So-yeon didn't bother to see me off. What lingered in my mind was... 'Escaping this hell.' 'Regret drives people mad.' Those words from two different people lingered in my mind. It was irritating. Thinking of them, I moved. My destination was my dwelling. Having resolved what I needed, it was time to return and rest. As I made my way there, suddenly... Boom-!! '...Hmm?' There was a sound of thunder. It came from a significant distance. I sharply focused on its location. The direction was... 'That mountain... where the Heavenly Lord resides?' The mountain I visited last time to meet the Heavenly Lord. A secluded place, reluctant to admit outsiders, and the elderly person who failed to appear during the recent Demonic Sect incident. That's where the noise originated. The sound of thunder resonated from there, and I frowned. 'Ah, this...' A shiver ran down my spine. I had an ominous feeling. The hint of lightning's energy felt unusual.