1282 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I passed by the Poison Phoenix and stepped outside. Hyun So-yeon's story left my mind hazy, struggling to process everything. 'Where could she be?' After tossing the Thunder Fang to Namgung Jin, where did she disappear to? It's impossible to guess. I glanced back slightly. The expression on the Poison Phoenix's face as we passed by lingered in my mind, but that was it. 'Anyway.' It's not a bond meant to continue in this world. Just a person from the past. She only caught my attention because she resembled Tang Soyeol, nothing more than that connection. 'I'm just a bit curious.' Even to me, the existence of the Poison Phoenix seemed out of place. For her age and fame, she possessed exceptional and surpassing talent. To speak slightly exaggerated, no, even without exaggeration, her talent overshadowed that of Tang Cheongi, the current Poison Dragon and future Poison King. 'Why don't we know about her?' Why is she absent in the future? An unknown figure even to Tang Soyeol, meaning she likely died within a few years. 'Hmm.' For such a person to die... could it be due to the war? Perhaps. Though the war was brief, it was indeed a significant event. 'It's a shame.' If the Poison Phoenix had survived and remained in the martial realm— 'Maybe.' Perhaps the Tang Clan could have fared a little better. The thought flickered by. 'Or maybe not.' Of course, knowing the schemes and hidden agendas of the Tang Clan, even if the Poison Phoenix had survived, she might have ended up a sacrificial victim in place of Tang Soyeol... 'Ah.' My eyes widened. 'Is that it?' Could it be? 'Was she a victim of the Heavenly Martial Body Project?' The secret experiment being persistently conducted by the Tang Clan. Could it be that the Poison Phoenix was sacrificed for that? Such a premonition crossed my mind. It seemed possible. 'It might be.' If the current head of experiments in this era were willing to sacrifice even his own kin... Even Tang Soyeol might have suffered the same fate. 'This is just a conjecture, of course.' Given that I found it hard to believe the Tang Clan was truly so reprehensible, I only entertained the thought momentarily. I won't think further on it. 'Right now, neither the past of the Poison Phoenix nor the Tang Clan matters.' Namgung Bi-ah. What truly mattered was how she was faring. "King of Darkness." When I uttered the words in the solitude, a figure emerged beside me. "Did you know?" Acknowledging his presence, I shrugged. "No. I just figured the King of Darkness would be nearby." If I extended my sensory perception to the maximum, I could faintly sense his presence. But that would require utilizing my power to the fullest, an impractical luxury given my current depleted state. The King of Darkness regarded me with a slightly incredulous expression. "……Why did you summon me?" "I intend to continue what we were doing last time." "What exactly are you referring to?" A simple matter. "Demon hunts." Having emptied my stomach, it was time to refill it. * * * Rumble—!!! “Agh!” Crunch! Screams shattered the silence. Crack! Crunch!!! The sounds of devouring overlaid the cries of agony, as the noise of relentless chewing filled the air. “The… ugh…” Only when the screams subsided and the writhing ceased did the slurping sounds dwindle to silence. “Mmm.” Like plucking the feathers from a bird, I discarded the torn wings. Thud. The wings struck a tree and vanished, and when I waved my hand, whoosh! Flames consumed them, leaving no trace. “How bothersome.” I clicked my tongue, looking at the dispatched demon. A creature with a pair of wings. And not just for show, seeing how it had incessantly flown during the fight, making it a rather annoying capture. "If only it had behaved quietly." It was so full of confidence, yet this was its end. I smacked my knees and straightened up. Roughly an hourglass of time. In that period, I devoured three more demons. I've replenished my depleted energy and satisfied the cravings of my insatiable hunger. “It’s finished.” “…….” The King of Darkness, who had been observing, looked at me with an indescribable expression. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I tilted my head and asked, puzzled by his gaze. “Is it because you’re a dragon?” “Pardon?” “Or perhaps you’re broken somehow.” He spoke with genuine curiosity. “I’m not sure what you mean. What exactly are you implying?” “You are broken somewhere. Are you aware of that?” “Oh.” I scratched the back of my head at his statement. “Indeed, that might be true.” Considering the life I’ve led, there’s no way I could be entirely sound. I chuckled. It's not something that matters anymore. “Does it make a difference if I am?” Whether I was broken from the start or have only started deteriorating, it’s been a long time since I stopped worrying about such things. If I had fretted over them, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Or rather, there were times I had, but— ‘Now it’s too late.’ Too much time has passed. As I thought about this and tried to remain indifferent— “It should matter.” “Huh?” The King of Darkness spoke to me. “I want to end this deep curse as a human.” “…What?” “As the last of the half-dragon kind, it must be me. This long, dark night must end with me. It's a choice made because the cursed life and its end should be human.” “…….” What kind of talk is this suddenly? This isn't how the King of Darkness usually speaks. I’ve never heard him address it before. Nor have I asked what he thought. Why is he suddenly bringing it up to me? It felt somewhat uncomfortable. “In your eyes, there’s regret. The same as mine. Fix it before it’s too late.” Fix it, he says. His words were irresponsibly spoken, and I stiffened. “How exactly should I fix it?” To fix it? “The path I walk is not wrong.” The path I tread is correct. I must, by all means, proceed this way. “Human dignity? You should uphold it more, King of Darkness. It’s rather strange for the lord of shadow assassins to speak of it.” “…….” Was it because my heart felt pierced? My words refused to come out gently, not that there was any need for them to. "I went through a lot of trouble because I couldn't let go of those things. But once I did, it became easier. You just have to accept it." That I am no longer human. 'A monster.' Or a calamity. Something destined to destroy the world. That's what I had to acknowledge about myself, at least objectively. 'So one can prepare.' Because only then could I try to prevent it from happening. In such circumstances. 'The King of Darkness trying to maintain human dignity, huh.' It was almost laughable to me. 'A person like that, who has killed countless humans, calling themselves an assassin.' Someone who once loathed being half-dragon, enough to seek the end of their own life, seemed to wish to remain human until the very end. But. "If you're advising me because you think we're similar as dragons, you are mistaken." The King of Darkness's advice held no appeal for me. "I don't have the luxury to live preserving such things." "……." "Let's just do what each of us has to do. That's the rule we agreed on, isn't it?" I would provide what the King of Darkness desired. And he would facilitate what I sought. That was the extent of our relationship. Then why— "Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?" I found it incomprehensible that the King of Darkness, of all people, would say such things to me. In response to my question, he said, "There's regret in your eyes." "……." "Your actions are as sharp as ever. Yet, your eyes hold many burdens. Nonetheless, there’s no hesitation. It's the evidence of being thoroughly broken, isn't it?" "……Does it even concern you?" "Perhaps." The King of Darkness lightly shook his head. "It doesn't particularly bother me. Yet, somehow, I felt I should say it." "……." What a strange thing to say. You felt you should say it? As if instructed by someone...? "……." I halted my thoughts, narrowing my gaze. A nagging feeling lingered. Surely not. I shook my head firmly. "Let’s stop the conversation here, King of Darkness. Do you know of any other places?" I asked if there were any more demons around, just in case he had more information. "There’s no more around here. Do you seek somewhere farther?" "No. If there’s none nearby, it’s unnecessary." "I see." The King of Darkness nodded in understanding. "You specifically dealt with the demons around here. Were you concerned about those in the cave?" "That’s not it." I clicked my tongue, feeling like my intent had been partly uncovered. How embarrassing. "Let’s head back." "……." Cutting the conversation short, I spoke. Without further words, the King of Darkness activated his powers and took me along. The surrounding demons were dealt with. 'Now.' I needed to prepare to leave. I had to find Hyun So-yeon. '……I should find Muah.' To bring an end to this world swiftly, perhaps I needed to seek the World Tree that might exist in this land. * * * Sizzle. Just after the black aura whisked away the King of Darkness and Gu Yangcheon— Crackle. The bodies of the demons and the burnt monstrosities began slowly vanishing. Tap. Someone appeared in the space. Dressed in a blood-red robe, the figure surveyed the surroundings. She glanced at the lingering remnants of fire and removed her robe. That person was— "It seems they've been here." Surprisingly, it was Hyun So-yeon, whom Gu Yangcheon had been searching for so relentlessly. She muttered nonchalantly to herself. "If only I had arrived a bit earlier, I would've seen them. What a shame. Oh, who am I kidding? That's not what I mean." She spoke as if having a conversation with someone. "……If it's no, it’s no. Why get upset? Anyway... let's move quickly before it gets too late at night." Fizzle. Lightning wrapped around her body, and in an instant, she vanished. Interestingly enough— At that moment, one of Hyun So-yeon's eyes was tinged with blue. Much like Namgung Jin's Celestial Eye.