1200 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Rumble--!!! Thud--!! The ceiling collapsed and the walls crumbled under the impact. Sss-sssss. The intense heat was enough to melt the fallen debris. As smoke and burnt smells filled the air, Gu Cheolun moved. Rattle. Ignoring the debris clinging to his body, he took a step forward. Sss-sss-sssss. The heat from the ground startled the stairs. His burning, red eyes scanned ahead. ‘Stairs.’ Something is here. He had sensed something was off, which is why he broke in. It seemed his expectation was correct. ‘...Baek Yangcheon.’ Baek Yangcheon's face flashed through Gu Cheolun’s mind. ‘He just asked me to come for him?’ He had simply asked him to come to do and bring him back. He said it was a simple matter, but still. ‘Is he serious?’ Gu Cheolun's brow furrowed deeply. He said it was simple, but how was this in any way a simple task? ‘He must have known and asked anyway.’ Baek Yangcheon likely knew. He must have been aware that there was something in Do ga, and yet he had still come here. He probably understood that problems would arise in the process. And yet. ‘He called for me.’ He had asked him to come and bring him back. ‘...Ridiculous guy.’ The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. What is this all about? ‘Who is that guy?’ Just who is Baek Yangcheon? He must have known he was being watched. He would have understood. Moreover. ‘He knew I was concerned about Do Yoon too.’ Gu Cheolun realized that it wasn't just Baek Yangcheon who occupied his mind, but Do Yoon as well. It was likely that Baek Yangcheon also knew this. No, if it was him, he certainly knew. The Baek Yangcheon he had seen would certainly know. ‘...Who is he?’ He couldn’t understand. The talk of his being a part of Gu’s lineage. The mystery of his identity. And also. ‘The reason why he burdens my thoughts so much.’ Why did he care so much about him? Since the first moment he saw him. The fierce eyes. Despite normally being indifferent to others, he found himself peculiarly drawn to him. The eyes that revealed nothing of what they were thinking, yet somehow conveyed a deep-seated worry. Was it the fact that he concealed his prowess? His remarkably formidable strength? Those things didn’t matter. At the same time. ‘And she cares for him too.’ The strange woman he had taken in. She was also concerned about Baek Yangcheon. At first, it had bothered him. But not now. Because he acknowledged it. ‘I am.’ Regardless of other factors, Baek Yangcheon himself had been occupying his thoughts. Crash-!! “You wretch--!!” A shout erupted from behind him. It was Do Cheol, the head of Do ga. “…….” Gu Cheolun glanced at him briefly. He realized the secret within Do ga. He understood that something was being schemed and that it was connected to Baek Yangcheon. “How dare you deceive me!” At Do Cheol’s words, Gu Cheolun gathered his strength. Fwoosh. A crimson blaze encircled his body. Crunch! His fingers sank into the wall. Flames burst from the spot he embedded his hand in. He used that as a catalyst and swung his arm. Crash--!!! The wall crumbled alongside the flames, the space collapsing. “You-!” Before Do Cheol could utter a word, his path was blocked. Seeing this, Gu Cheolun instantly turned around. Boom--! He descended rapidly. At the same time, he shattered walls as he went down. Rumble--!! Sounds emanated from behind. Do Cheol was breaking through the blocked wall. It was merely a stalling tactic. Gu Cheolun continued to descend, spreading his energy. The stairs soon ended. He forced his way through the path ahead. He quickly reached the end. “…….” He halted at the sight of a steel door. The iron was thick. The locking mechanism wasn’t just one or two. Judging from the numbers, it wasn’t something that could be easily unlocked. Then. Crash-!! A collapsed wall burst, revealing Do Cheol. “You fool….” His face twisted into a demonic grimace. His lips curled upon seeing the steel door ahead of Gu Cheolun. “So, here you are. You've finally reached a dead end. What do you plan to do now?” “…….” Gu Cheolun glanced back at the steel door after looking at Do Cheol. “You’ll never unlock it without knowing the deactivation method.” A deactivation method, huh. It was truly solid. It didn’t seem like any ordinary force could break through. “Give it up.” Sss--sssss-!!! At Do Cheol’s words, flames ignited in Gu Cheolun’s hands. Seeing this, Do Cheol felt a surge of heat in his eyes. ‘So, he finally intends to give up.’ With nowhere left to escape, it looked like he intended to fight. The energy radiating from Gu Cheolun’s body was evidence enough. Indeed. ‘Impressive.’ It's strength not usually obtained at that age. Even just seeing the density of his energy, it was evident. He was born with far too much. The existence of Gu Cheolun was paradoxical yet exceptional. An anomalous being who possessed things he never should have. He bore a steadfast resolve to conclude the long, continued karma. ‘I don’t like it.’ To Do Cheol, it was incredibly displeasing. It seemed they had been blessed with what hadn’t come to them. After crying out in desperation and pleading to the heavens. It was as if the disgraceful ones had been given a chance. That made Do Cheol overwhelmingly resentful. “We will not forgive you.” “…Hmm?” Gu Cheolun reacted momentarily to Do Cheol’s words. But that was all. Crunch. The gathered flames took form. In that state. ‘Incoming.’ He was likely about to launch an attack on Do Cheol. Yet. Gu Cheolun did not. “Huh?” As if he was about to pounce on Do Cheol, he turned his body away. Rumble---!!! Crash-!! “Could it be…?” He slammed his flames directly against the steel door. Boom--!!! A vibration erupted. The steel door trembled under the shock, followed by a deafening explosion. Crraaaash--!!! Flames burst continuously. Seeing this, Do Cheol let out a gasp. “This madman…!” To think he planned on destroying the steel door? Does he even know what that door is? Though he was undeniably baffled, a smirk crept onto his face as well. “Futile effort.” That door is impervious to mere energy. As if to prove it. Sss--sss. “Hmm...” The flames touching the steel door started to wane. Not a single mark was left on the door. A trace of doubt flickered in Gu Cheolun’s eyes. “My energy just vanished.” Understanding the problem, he dusted off his hands. “Did you think something like this could be easily destroyed?” “…….” “It seems you thought this would be simple...” Bang--!! “Hmm?” Gu Cheolun abruptly struck the steel door with his fist. Yet again, there was no scratch. Despite this, Do Cheol widened his eyes, genuinely surprised. ‘He didn't infuse his energy before striking.’ He struck with full force without channeling any energy into his hands. Even with the impact capable of breaking bones, Gu Cheolun remained unfazed. It must have caused immense pain, yet he was so composed. “…Can you not comprehend words?” “…….” Do Cheol threw more words at Gu Cheolun, but it was no use this time either. “That’s not it, it seems.” Gu Cheolun simply commented dispassionately, evaluating the steel door. Energy wasn’t effective. Nor did sheer brute force affect it. He didn’t have the time to find the deactivation method either. Then what options were left? “That’s it.” Gu Cheolun nodded. In situations like this, only one method remained. “I lack strength.” If power can’t break through. It’s simply a matter of insufficient force. Perfect logic. Craaaaash--!!! “……!" Gu Cheolun released all his strength. The chilling heat caused Do Cheol to pause momentarily. “What-!” How powerful was this? It couldn't even be compared to what he’d felt before. Massive heat penetrated the narrow space. Do Cheol quickly moved. It was an instinctive reaction. He swiftly approached Gu Cheolun. The flames were fierce. Yet leaving them unchecked was more terrifying. His instinct-driven fist struck Gu Cheolun’s abdomen directly. Thud--!!! Crash--!! His energy flooded in at the perfect contact. It worked. At the moment Do Cheol felt triumphant— Trickle. A line of blood trickled from the corner of Gu Cheolun’s mouth. Evidence that the attack had landed. “…What is this?” It was Do Cheol, not Gu Cheolun, who was shaken. Despite the blood streaming from his mouth, Gu Cheolun’s posture remained unchanged, and his aura was undiminished. “You…” What was happening? As confusion started to take over him— Craaaaash---!!! “……!” The intense heat burst forth and pushed Do Cheol back several paces. It was a force much stronger than before. Shwsh. Gu Cheolun wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His abdomen throbbed with tremendous pain. It was an impact that could have made him faint, but he held onto his consciousness. ‘Difficult.’ It was challenging. What he was attempting now was something he had never done before in his life. ‘Can I do this?’ The current head of the Gu family. Since he had witnessed the flames his father became at the moment of his defeat to Baek Yangcheon. From that instant he saw the flames his father displayed. He had thrown all his effort into trying to replicate that. Yet his lack of insight and deficiency in enlightenment held him back. Everything suggested that he couldn’t do it yet. That he was unqualified. Every situation seemed to tell him as such. Naturally, he failed. However. “Sss.” He hadn’t wholly failed. Drop. The flames that he had conjured ceased. And then. Fwoooosh--!!! Beyond bounds, scarlet flames bloomed at his fingertips. Upon witnessing this, a chill ran down Do Cheol’s spine. “…What is that?” A familiar sublimity reflected in his eyes. In that moment. Boom---!!! The flames embodied in his two fingers penetrated the thick steel door.