1201 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Boom—!!!** A flash burst forth, filling the surroundings with an overwhelming heat. "Ugh!" Do Cheol stumbled backward. The pressure of the air was no small thing; it was a force so strong it was hard to withstand. "You...!" What on earth did he just do? This was a power he hadn't sensed before—the intensity and the condensed pressure were on a completely different level. The light was so blinding, it instinctively made him squint as if his eyesight would fail. This isn’t good. ‘How does he possess such power?’ What could this force possibly be? It was an energy he'd never felt before. ‘How could the world allow for this?’ It was infuriating that such power was granted to him. The tumultuous emotions surged up to his throat. "Hah...!" Do Cheol gathered his strength and expelled the pressure. No matter how powerful the force was, he could at least dispel this much. With his forcibly awakened body, he looked forward again. The light had subsided. "...This can’t be." As he surveyed the scene, Do Cheol gritted his teeth. The once solid iron door... "Has been breached." There was a hole, sizzling and seething as if it had been boiled. This kind of force shouldn't be able to breach such a thing. It was presumed insurmountable without knowing the unlocking technique. ‘To think...’ To break through with sheer strength—it was ridiculous. With gritted teeth, Do Cheol charged forward. He threw himself into the space Goo Cheolun had torn open. He had to stop him. He couldn't allow him to disturb what lay within. ‘That, for sure.’ Of all things, that must not happen. Meeting their final opportunity this way wasn't acceptable. With that determination, he rushed to thwart Goo Cheolun. ‘What?’ As he propelled himself, he noticed Goo Cheolun standing beyond the iron door, still and unmoving despite knowing Do Cheol approached from behind. What is he doing? As Do Cheol moved to attack Goo Cheolun, his eyes unknowingly followed what Goo Cheolun was staring at. In that moment, “...Huh?” Do Cheol's body, too, was immobilized. It was inevitable. Baek Yangcheon, who was supposed to be locked within the bars, was outside, and the egg they had been feeding with their energy was nowhere to be seen. "Baek Yangcheon." It was then that Goo Cheolun called out to Baek Yangcheon. At the call, Baek Yangcheon slowly turned his head. Baek Yangcheon turned his upper body, and in his hand, he held something. ‘What is that?’ Do Cheol squinted his eyes at the sight. A black mass. Baek Yangcheon was clutching an unidentifiable black mass with both hands. As if. As if it was something of utmost importance. * * * "Blood Demon." As soon as realization hit, he mentioned him. "Hehehe." An irritating chuckle was heard, unmistakably his voice. "So this is how it ends." His response, as if he had anticipated this all along, made my face contort with frustration. "Have you been watching the whole time?" It was a voice emanating from the crimson-tinged ring. That would imply... ‘Does that mean he's been watching all along?’ I uttered those words with such intent but... "That's not the case." The Blood Demon denied it. Yet, "But even so, it wouldn’t be a problem. Isn't that why you took it along, as you anticipated?" "..." This was true as well. I was curious about how the Blood Demon in this world would act. And if he was observing, I wanted to see what he would do. "Then what is this?" I asked about the ring, and the Blood Demon replied. "It was just a means of communication. I gave you something quite precious, so consider it valuable." "Stop babbling nonsense. You must have a reason for appearing." "Hmmm." When I reacted harshly, the Blood Demon's voice echoed with a hint of regret. "How unamusing. It's a shame... it was meant as a courtesy." I reached to remove the ring, tiring of his pointless ramblings. Then he said, "Wouldn't it be worth listening to? It's a good opportunity." "Then explain properly. Stop irritating me." I wasn’t interested in trivial banter. It felt like a waste of time. "You have a fiery temper. After all, it was you who damaged my carefully laid plans. Why so angry?" "...Laid plans?" His words made my face twist involuntarily. "As expected." Was it just as I had presumed? "Was this all your doing as well?" The incidents at the Taoist sect. And even the current situation... Something about it all felt reminiscent of the Blood Demon’s schemes. Was it truly him behind all this as I suspected? "What were you intending to do?" I growled the question, wondering what he intended this time. "I prepared a grand arrangement." "Arrangement?" "I merely set in place something of great rarity, over an extended time." "...Rarity? That thing?" Was he referring to the violet egg? Then, "This is also your doing then." Indeed, the egg too was engineered by the Blood Demon. "What did you plant here?" Why would this egg, filled with celestial demonic energy, have such importance? "It’s truly valuable." "So, what is..." I prepared to question him further but... "I embedded my divine nature there." "...What?" At the Blood Demon's words, I was momentarily halted. ‘Divine nature?’ The mention of divine nature arising here made my breath catch. I turned my gaze to the violet egg. "...Divine nature embedded?" "To be precise, I placed the energy itself there. Now that you know, doesn’t it seem noble?" "Spare me the illusions. I’m not talking to you for hollow words." I was restraining myself from hurling the ring away immediately. To have implanted his very energy into it... His words reminded me of something I heard before. "‘The Blood Demon’s energy and body severed and let loose across the heavens,’" was what Cheolyoung had said. It had been lingering in my mind. "‘Energy.’" Could the energy he referred to indeed be this? The energy Cheolyoung severed and sealed? But then, "It resembles celestial demonic energy?" It made a shiver run down my spine. "...Why involve the Taoist sect?" "It's regrettable to say 'involved.' They acted of their own accord." Upon his words, frustration boiled within me. "Shit." What a ridiculous thing to say. "What were you trying to do? Why the energy?" Moreover, "Are you cultivating it in Shanxi?" "I simply timed it right. It was only natural given the purpose. However," The Blood Demon paused briefly before speaking to me again. "I did not foresee Taecheon’s betrayal." "...What?" "I never trusted him, but I didn’t expect him to act so rashly." Taecheon. I recalled the fellow I encountered last time. ‘Taecheon betrayed you?’ What a curious statement. What relationship do Taecheon and the Blood Demon share? And also, "...What are you up to?" I began to harbor doubts about the Blood Demon. "What do you mean?" The Blood Demon feigned ignorance, but I didn’t buy it. "Why are you telling me all of this?" He kept divulging information, and it was baffling. "I’m merely answering your questions—what’s wrong with that?" "Cut the crap. What’s your real aim? Be straight with me." Gritting my teeth, I thought to myself that there was no way this guy would be genuinely friendly to me. This strange character, whose thoughts I could never discern, was now openly sharing information? ‘Unless it’s all lies.’ It was unfathomable to trust him. I couldn’t. The notion of his energy being divine, and everything else the Blood Demon was saying—none of it was trustworthy. I couldn’t trust the Blood Demon in my world, and certainly not this world’s Blood Demon. “So, what are you planning?” I questioned why he was sharing all of this, and he answered with a laugh. "Hehehe." The Blood Demon chuckled, pausing just briefly to say, "You’re right. Without a purpose, there’d be no need for this." Then the Blood Demon said, "O nameless dragon." He addressed me. "Do you not wish to take my place?" "...What?" I was dumbfounded by what I heard. “What did you just say?” "You heard correctly. I asked if you wanted to succeed my position." “...” Succeed your position? "What are you talking about? Are you suggesting I become some sort of dragon emperor?" "Exactly." "What a load of bull." There was no bigger nonsense than this. "Why would I do that?" I had heard the Blood Demon’s world had already crumbled. He came into this world to become its calamity. "Are you trying to test me with this nonsense? Spare me the revolting offer." "It's also good for you. The body of a dragon, the unstable divine nature. You know the world has plans for you. Stay away from that." The Blood Demon continued. "The world will discard anything for its desires. Your role is no different. If you’re to be swept away by fate, disappearing without your own will, then this would be better. It would be a good offer for you." To be swept up by fate. I had heard that cursed term enough since my regression. "Join me." But, "Screw you." My answer to the Blood Demon would always be the same. I couldn’t help but laugh. He made it sound like a grand offer, but I knew all too well who was making the offer. "I heard somewhere once." The very being telling me this drivel was the source of it all. "Dragons are so arrogant that they can't stand anyone above them." Arrogant and filled with malice, that’s what dragons are. Even towards their kin, they are especially hostile. I was like that too. "And you’re offering me something?" The Blood Demon was no different. "What kind of bullshit is this? Are you looking to get killed?" I chuckled as I spoke. “......” The Blood Demon fell silent for a moment and then laughed similarly. "Haha." Then he said, "Well... it didn’t work. So, it can’t be helped." With those words, Whooosh—!! “......!” Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted from the ring. Crimson energy surged out, aiming to enshroud me. However, Crack—! It couldn’t. "Huh?" The Blood Demon uttered in confusion. From the cell opposite, something burst forth from the violet egg. A surge of black energy emerged, consuming the Blood Demon's energy in an instant. "…Huh?" As I processed the situation, my eyes widened. Not only at the abrupt emergence of this energy. Thump—! Thump—! The vibration from the violet egg intensified. For some reason, that vibration seemed to carry an aura of immense anger.