1288 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Half an hour had passed since I started approaching the Great Mountain. I moved as quietly as possible to approach the mountain. ‘Let’s see…….’ I squinted my eyes. The fact that the monsters were attacked as soon as they got close means that there was something from the entrance. Especially. ‘The closer I get to the mountain, the more peculiar the atmosphere.’ It felt odd to attribute the atmosphere entirely to the Great Mountain itself. With that thought, I activated my inner sight. The eye that sees illusions. As I cast it. ‘……Just as I thought.’ I could see something densely woven around the mountain. It was clearly the domain of some spell or another strange power. Particularly, this is…… ‘It makes sense to call it a power.’ A twitch. Seeing that my heart kept palpitating, the power cast over the Great Mountain appears to be a particular power. What could be the effect of this power? ‘Based on predictions,’ I speculate that the absence of any living creatures around here is due to this power. ‘If not, it can’t be explained.’ In this wide mountain, not a single beast exists? It’s a ridiculous notion. I wondered what the reason was, but it seems this power is the cause. Therefore. ‘Should I dispel it?’ I considered using my abilities to nullify the power cast here but thought better of it. ‘It’s a risky thought.’ If a power that covers this extent where to disappear, they would undoubtedly become aware of it. The hassle that would follow seemed immense, so I decided to endure it for now. ‘Hmm.’ I lifted my gaze. The Great Mountain was still afar. However. ‘I must climb as I go.’ I couldn’t fly, so I gritted my teeth and decided to scale the mountain. * * * Whoosh-!!! The wind carried snow along. It was as fierce as a blizzard. The Great Mountain was blanketed with snow. The difference was. ‘Even the snow is red.’ A world where the falling snow was red. A ghastly place that would seem fitting for a depiction of hell. This was the world encapsulated within the demon gate. Ignoring the snow as best as I could, I walked and walked until some time passed, and I finally spotted the cave entrance of the Great Mountain. At that very instant, ‘Oh dear.’ I slightly bowed my head and suppressed my presence. There was someone ahead. “Did someone appear?” A voice sounded. I perked up my ears. “No, it’s not that someone appeared, but a monster did.” “A monster?” It was an apostle. I could tell from the horns on their head and their stance. “The Sword Queen’s power is camped around this area, can a monster appearing make sense?” “That’s why it’s strange. They say it was a small bird-shaped monster.” “So, it might just have been a fluke that it broke through.” “……You seriously think a random monster pierced through by happenstance?” “There’s no other reason for a small monster to reach here.” As they spoke, one furrowed his brow. “To have to search the whole Great Mountain for just one monster. There’s nothing more bothersome.” It indeed seemed like my dispatched monster was the cause of their movements. “You never know, it might not be a monster but an attempt by the martial artists.” “Ha.” At those words, one of the men burst into laughter. “Martial artists? What could those losers possibly do?” Arrogance was evident in his expression. “They were the ones who opposed becoming apostles to hold onto some trivial belief. What’s the end of keeping such a belief? Just living a miserable life day by day.” “Well, that’s true.” “Living in fear, wondering when an apostle might attack. Could they actually aim for us as an escape from that life? Is it even remotely possible?” Absolutely not. That expression and sentiment were clearly displayed. “Even that Mi Hyoran, whom the Sword Queen cautions about—look at the state now.” My eyebrows twitched slightly at Mi Hyoran's mention. “Completely incapable. What can she do when Namgung Jin, who tried to protect her, and even that great Divine Dragon both became apostles?” “She may have touted her abilities, but truthfully, she’s someone who can’t do anything without others’ help.” Snickers. The sound drifted to my ears. “Also, the Poison Phoenix—though the Sword Queen keeps an eye on her…… it’s futile.” Crack. I stood up. As I rose, I scanned the surroundings for any signs of life. The distance was just right. “So basically, those people……” “Hey.” “Hmm……?” As I interjected, they turned to look at me. “……What?” “A martial artist……?” They widened their eyes seeing me. Before they could fully grasp the situation, I moved. Crack. I grabbed one of their necks and pulled it out. Although I couldn’t absorb his energy, I didn’t mind. “Phew……!” As one apostle instantly died, the remaining one’s expression contorted. Extending my hand, I clamped it over his mouth. “Ngh…… nggh!” Watching him struggle, I cooled my eyes entirely. “There are always fools like this.” They’re the same everywhere. “Fools who don’t understand that running their mouths recklessly can get them killed.” “……Ngh…….” Fear filled his eyes. At the same time, I sensed he was trying something. Crack. “……!” I drove my power into his abdomen, stopping his attempt to use his power. “Die.” Whooosh-!!! “---!!!” Using Demonic Heavenly Absorption, I drained all his energy. As his energy dissipated, his body withered. The one with his neck torn out was disposed of with fire, leaving only the uniform the creature wore. “…….” I cooled my head as I observed it. The actions I took out of anger rapidly cleared up my mind. “Ah.” Thanks to this, a plan came to mind. * * * Crunch. The sound of bones resonated continuously. It had been a while since I used Qi Body Transformation. I restructured my body entirely. What I emulated was the apostle I just killed. Mimicking his physique and donning his clothes. Simultaneously. Ssshhhh-!! I mimicked the horns and tail on his head using sorcery. It was a skill I had kept handy. “This should do…….” Not bad. For a method that surfaced in my mind, it seemed quite decent. With the guise fully assumed, I headed toward the cave entrance. Ah. ‘I nearly forgot.’ I recalled that there was one more. I used the power of illusion. An embodied illusion appeared, walking beside me. Heading straight to the entrance, I was addressed by an apostle stationed there. “Oh, back already?” “……There wasn’t much to find,” I replied while observing him. The gatekeeper-like figure snickered at my response. “Just looking for an excuse to slack off, aren’t you? Seems like you’ve been wandering around more than usual.” It appeared that the original personality of this form was aiding me. “Go on in. The others should be arriving shortly anyway.” I nodded at his words. It seemed I had successfully entered the cave. Once I had distanced myself from the gatekeeper, I headed deeper into the cave while spreading out my senses. There was nothing notable around. As soon as I grasped that, I dispelled the power of the illusion. The specter that had been trailing me vanished. ‘Let’s see.’ I needed to survey the interior. Pacing slowly, I delved deeper into the cave. Before long, the passage ended with an iron door before me. I gave it a pull. Creak. The door swung open, revealing the inside. ‘Whoa.’ I was taken aback as I looked. ‘……It’s vast.’ The interior was far more expansive than I had expected. Not even comparable to the hideout that the past Moyong Hi-ah had constructed. ‘It’s like an ant colony.’ A giant ant colony. That was the most fitting description. There was no other way to describe it. Even more. Rumble-!! Rumbleeee---!!! An enormous variety of monsters lurked below the space. Different in number, type, size, and rank, they were all clustered together in one place. Normally, a brawl should have broken out by now, so how were they huddled together like that? ‘Disgusting.’ Their tightly packed appearance was quite repulsive. How could such a gathering occur? As I stared at the monsters in bafflement. ‘……Oh?’ I noticed something else at the center. It was. ‘A tree?’ Indeed, it was a tree. Amidst the throng of monsters stood a single tree, its size quite noteworthy. ‘Why is there a tree there?’ It didn’t match the setting at all, no matter how I pondered. Why on earth was it there? It bugged me oddly. “…….” I surveyed the area. No eyes seemed to be on me. The abundance of monsters was concerning, though. ‘If I suppress my presence.’ It seemed feasible. I employed a substantial amount of energy to completely mask my presence. Then I lept from the ledge towards the tree. Thud. I landed amidst the monsters. They didn’t notice me. I took another light leap towards the tree. The distance was not too far for jumping, allowing me to reach my destination swiftly. ‘……Hmm.’ I examined the tree up close. Why was something like this here? Was it, too, perhaps. ‘Like Muah?’ The World Tree. The Sacred Tree of its master. Was it such an entity? I inspected it carefully. Then, circling around, I headed to the back of the tree. Upon completing half a circle to check the back of the tree. “……Oh?” I found myself frozen just as when I first saw my mother. “This is…….” It was the same as before. Again, there was someone bound to the tree—another familiar figure. An old man bound as if dead, eyes closed against the tree. My voice trembled as I spoke upon recognizing him. “……Paejon Elder?” Paejon Bijuu. My mentor and one of the Three Venerables was bound to the tree.