1289 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"Old man...?" Paejon was bound to a tree. My eyes wavered as I looked at him. Why was this old man tied up here? "No way..." After the battle with Cheolhyun Buseon, Paejon was said to be missing. Not only is he on this mountain, but he's also bound to a tree? "..." What happened? Was it Cheolhyun Buseon's doing? It seemed quite likely. 'Just like this armor.' Cheolhyun Buseon had embedded his energy into the armor, planting it in the ground. Considering his past actions, it seemed this incident was also Cheolhyun Buseon's doing. "...Hah." Seeing Paejon tied up made my fists clench involuntarily. At the same time, a slow but steady fury began to rise inside me. "That damned bastard." The invincible Paejon, whom no one could ever imagine defeated, was now helplessly bound. The reality of it made my blood boil. Was it simply because I saw Paejon defeated? No, though I wasn't sure of the reason, an overwhelming anger surged within. Probably because: 'How dare they.' The very fact that he was bound so pathetically to this tree alone was enough to upset my mood. Ssss. Unbidden, energy started to flare from my heart. It threatened to move on its own. As I forcibly composed myself and steadied my breath: "What are you doing there?" "...!" A voice sounded from behind me. I quickly turned my head, catching sight of a woman with a gentle smile. '...The Sword Queen!' She was none other than the Sword Queen, known as the source of the apostle's followers. 'How?' Even while suppressing my presence, she noticed me. How did she see through it? I swallowed hard. Panic had to be squashed quickly. "...I apologize." I hurriedly knelt. "I'm not asking for an apology; I'm asking for your reason." The Sword Queen continued, watching me. I immediately concocted an excuse. "With the strange happenings outside, I thought perhaps there might be issues here as well." I bowed my head deeply. Having been told more than once about my inability to lie, I chose not to show my face. "Is that so..." She approached, expressing curiosity at my excuse. "You needn't worry about this area. This is a place that Cheolhyun Buseon keeps an eye on. If he were to know about this... it might not end well." "..." I focused on her mention that Cheolhyun Buseon managed this place. Which meant: 'It confirms it was his handiwork.' It was indeed the workings of Cheolhyun Buseon. Clenching tightly, I controlled my murderous intent from spilling over. "You are right... I apologize. Please, forgive me..." "Though your actions are unclear, your intentions seemed to be for us, so I’ll let it slide for now. Stand up." "Yes..." I rose to my feet. "You should leave now." "...Thank you." It seemed I hadn't been discovered. Just as I began to feel relief: Rumble. The monsters around responded. Narrowing my eyes at their movements, it seemed they weren't intent on attacking me. Then, the Sword Queen gestured, causing the monsters to shift once more. The menacing figures began to clear a path. Watching this, the Sword Queen spoke. "Go now." "...Understood." I moved along the path. Having learned that Paejon was here, despite the anger, I needed to clear my head first. 'I need to plan further.' Prepare more meticulously and ensure everything is arranged without flaw. As these thoughts occupied my mind while I walked: "By the way." I halted. The Sword Queen's voice caused me to stop. "May I ask you something?" "What is it?" "Your name." She playfully wiggled her finger, pointing at me. "..." My heart sank. Why was she asking? And then: 'What was this guy’s name again?' I never learned his name. I killed him before I could hear it. Holding back the sweat threatening to form, I replied. "It’s insignificant. There's no need for the Sword Queen to remember such a name." "No, that’s not what I meant." The Sword Queen laughed at my words. "I asked for your name. I know it... but it seems you don’t." "..." Her words chilled me. I understood the implication. Seeing my expression change, the Sword Queen tilted her head. "Did you know? No apostle approaches that tree. Although Cheolhyun Buseon warned them, I placed a restriction there myself." With a gentle swish, the Sword Queen moved along the path the monsters had cleared, approaching gracefully. "Yet you approached. How could that be? There is only one reason. You are someone who hasn't received my restriction. That would be the answer. But..." The Sword Queen approached, wiping away her smile. "Here, there is no one of that nature. Because I would not permit it." My instincts flared. The very air felt charged, unnaturally heated. The monsters ceased their howling. I felt numerous gazes bore into me. From the confines of this space, the apostles' eyes targeted me. "Who are you?" "Ah." At her final question, I released the tension. Running a hand through my hair, I spoke. "If you realized, you should have said so from the start." My voice tinged with annoyance. "I played this role for nothing, made me act unnecessarily." Crack. I dispelled the transformative art from my body. Bones realigned as my original form returned. "Is that...?" "What is..." Amidst the apostles' startled murmurs, I let go of my disguise, discarding the horns and tail, returning to my true appearance. The Sword Queen seemed genuinely surprised. "Oh my... so it was you?" "Hah." My body felt invigorated; I couldn’t hold back my energy any longer and set it free. Whooosh-!!! My energy spilled out entirely. "Yes, this is right." Having released everything I’d been holding back, I felt a strange comfort. Who was I kidding with the pretense of hiding? "I should do what feels right." I decided to abandon needless acts. Why adhere to an ill-fitting disguise when there was one made just for me? "Let me ask you one thing too." I questioned the Sword Queen. "What might that be?" Despite me meeting her gaze, the surprise was already wiped clean from her expression. It's evident that the Sword Queen's demeanor inside this abyss was quite different from when viewed from outside. This was... 'An aura like the Heavenly Demon.' It was reminiscent of when I had seen the Heavenly Demon in a past life, that strange, almost nonexistent presence. Now, I recognized it for what it was. 'Mastery.' An overwhelming and vast presence typical of one who reigns over an entire realm. Additionally, "That power of yours... whom did you get it from?" The familiarity of her power struck me deeply. It reminded me of the sensation I felt when I watched my mother within the Ten Thousand Realms. "..." My question caused the Sword Queen's expression to vanish completely, leaving not even the faintest trace of a smile, rendering her utterly expressionless. "…Oh dear…" Her lips curled into a peculiar smile, the kind where only the mouth smiles without the eyes following suit—a chilling sight. "It seems you know quite a bit." "Answer me. Where did you attain it?" "Well..." A rumble erupted as the creatures surrounding us began to howl. "If you want an answer to that." The Sword Queen raised her hand in conjunction with her words. "First, try surviving." Boom-!!! Every apostle within the caverns lunged at me. The hostility, the murderous intent, and the aura of the enemy surrounded me from all directions. These negative energies were all too familiar to me. As the apostles closed in with astonishing speed, I found myself grinning. "Survive?" If that was the condition, it wasn't a bad one. "It's what I do best." Flames ignited, growing into a blazing white inferno. White Flame Dance. Boom-!!! "Argh-!!!" "Ugh!!" The apostles caught in the flames screamed as they were engulfed, their bodies consumed. Once surrounded, I extended my hand. Snap-! "Gah!?" I cast the dark arts of Heaven's Absorption on an apostle whose throat I'd grasped. Energy was being drained. "A lack of energy won’t be an issue." I smirked with satisfaction. Bang-! I projected bursts of energy into the air. Despite their numbers, I expanded the flames to block their advance. "Kill him!!" "He's a warrior!!" The apostles seemed undaunted by the flames and pushed forward relentlessly. Roar-!! Grr---!! The monsters judged me as prey and bared their fangs. "...Hmm." Despite the challenging environment and the overwhelming numbers, this was unexpected. '...But there's a way.' Thud-! I concentrated strength into my heart. Whooong-!!! "What?" "...What's that?" "A rift... a rift to the abyss?" The rift to the abyss opened behind me and above in the sky. As the dark blue gateway widened, I commanded: "Consume everything." With that order, two massive monsters plummeted to the ground from the abyssal rift. Boom-!!! Crash-!!! The heavy beasts landed, causing the earth to shatter and scatter. They were Mang, rank-white monsters, and they weren't alone. Screech-!!! Another, with butterfly wings, emerged. These were monsters I had devoured. And it didn’t end there. "If we're outnumbered, we'll just have to make up for it." I grinned as I turned to the Sword Queen. Screech---!!! Monsters poured forth from the rift in a frenzy. "Where did all these monsters come from?!" "What is happening?!" The apostles cried out in shock as the confined space began to fill with monsters. In the midst of the chaos and destruction, I locked eyes with the Sword Queen. "This is what I'm specialized in, after all." "..." I had always said, if there was one thing I excelled at, it was sowing chaos.