413 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**The Best in the World’s Childhood Friend - Chapter 414: Northern Hare - Web Novel Archives** Even as summer days come, my routine didn’t change much. It would be stranger if a bit of heat altered it otherwise. I merely felt the passage of time through the changing weather. “Sigh.” Taking a break after an exhausting training session. I cooled my slightly heated body and looked straight ahead. Unlike me, who was resting, the area in front was filled with heat. It was the heat generated by the internal energy of martial artists. Clang! Clang-clang! Harsh sounds constantly echoed. The air seemed dense with the mixed presence of inner energy. Where was this sound coming from? It was the sound of Namgung Bia and Jamryong engaging in a full-fledged sparring match. Why those two were suddenly sparring you ask? Since the day Baekryeongum caused a commotion, it became a trend. I watched their sparring with keen interest. ‘Well, this is new.’ A sparring match between these two. Jamryong and Namgung Bia. In a previous life, they were geniuses who would never have crossed paths. By the time Namgung Bia properly emerged in the martial world, Jamryong had already passed away. Seeing these two sparring in front of my eyes was nothing short of astonishing. Moreover... ‘It’s rather fierce.’ Their sparring was exceptionally intense. The spar with Baekryeongum last time was fierce too, but this felt different. It was apparent because their prowess was similar. Both were at the peak of mastery. While not enough to break through to the realm of enlightenment, they were not ones to be underestimated. Clang! Sparks flew as their blades clashed in mid-air. The traces left by the aura imbued in their swords were evident. Moreover... ‘They’re fast.’ Perhaps because they both focused on speed in swordsmanship, not only was their physical speed impressive, but their decision-making was notable as well. My gaze turned to Jamryong. Even if I didn’t know much about Jamryong’s martial arts, there was one thing I could discern. ‘Upon closer inspection, his movements are very rough.’ For someone claiming to be a Taoist, his movements were full of roughness. Are all of Wudang’s disciples like that? ‘That’s not it.’ That guy was unique. That much was certain. Even compared to other Taoists, he felt distinctly different. You can tell just by looking at Yeongpoong, known as the Sword Dragon. Although Plum Blossom Sword Technique isn't suited for rough usage... Yeongpoong possessed the most refined form, close to the basics. It felt obedient to the fundamentals. In contrast, Woo-hyuk... ‘Is a madman.’ He barely followed the “flow” pursued by Wudang, yet moved as he pleased. Perhaps this is why countless people gave Woo-hyuk the nickname Jamryong. Such a style of movement is impossible without being a genius. To break away from Wudang’s swordsmanship. To construct his own sword path with only the framework, and to move without problems using it? The average martial artist focuses intently to avoid being swallowed by their martial art’s framework. Jamryong, on the other hand, was called a genius for his contrary approach. And this was the same for his opponent, Namgung Bia. Crackling sparks flew constantly off Namgung Bia’s body from her thunder energy. Watching it, I chuckled incredulously. ‘She’s improved again.’ The number of thunder energies she emitted increased. That meant Namgung Bia’s internal energy had grown. Or was she secretly taking some kind of mystical herb to improve at this rate? ‘Even her control ability…’ The unnecessary movement in the strands of thunder energy had diminished. Namgung Bia was becoming increasingly adept at controlling it, and additionally... ‘The weightiness of the Imperial Sword Form has increased.’ Her feel for using Namgung family’s secret techniques had also improved. Namgung Bia was truly... “Changing every day…” “Beautiful, right?” “…Becoming more beautiful!?“ Startled by the sudden intrusion of a voice, I quickly turned my head. There stood Baekryeongum, smiling brightly at me. “Ugh!” Seeing her, I jolted back in surprise, putting some distance between us. Baekryeongum, noticing my reaction, made a hurt expression. “…Look at you. You’re reacting as if you’ve seen a bug or something.” “Why did you approach so suddenly…! You startled me.” “Would a bodyguard walk around shouting ‘I’m your bodyguard!’? Obviously, I'd be discreet.” “Why must you do that even to your protectee?” “There’s a saying that goes 'deceive your allies before your enemies,' isn’t there?” I let out a deep sigh at Baekryeongum’s cheerful words. That wasn’t a saying meant for such situations. ‘Just why does this woman act like this?’ She appeared unexpectedly on many occasions, surprising me every time. I glared at Baekryeongum with disapproval. Her smile, appearing pleased from catching me off guard, irked me endlessly. She wasn’t like this when we first met… I’m not sure how things ended up this way now. As some time passed, changes occurred in my relationship with Baekryeongum. In other words, it might be more accurate to say that my perspective of her changed. For starters, I realized I could be a little more casual around her without issue. ‘…How should I put this.’ From a junior’s perspective, she wasn’t concerned even if I acted a bit forward, as long as it wasn’t excessively rude. In kinder terms, she was broad-minded, but in another sense, she was rather oblivious. Upon realizing this, I could alter how I interacted with her. ‘Even if that were not the case.’ I glanced at the mark on Baekryeongum’s shoulder. It was a restriction placed with her consent. ‘Can’t believe she really wanted it placed.’ Baekryeongum insisted on the restriction, wanting it if she couldn’t trust herself, so it was placed, but... It was unexpected that she genuinely wanted such a restriction placed. Reaching the realm of enlightenment was dangerous enough without imposing restrictions on oneself. But Baekryeongum accepted the restriction without concern. Who knows if she trusted me not to misuse it? Thanks to this, Baekryeongum didn’t cause mishaps like before. However, this incident led to one noticeable change. “What do you think?” “What about?” “Between those two. Who do you think will win?” This change was that Baekryeongum began speaking to me much more frequently. Since I was her guard, we spent a lot of time together, but it did make things a little overwhelming. Quite often, Baekryeongum would throw peculiar questions my way, just like she did now. ‘Who do I think will win?’ Her question made me furrow my brow slightly. It was a challenging question. Jamryong and Namgung Bia were remarkably similar in skill. They were both at the mature peak, soon to face the wall of enlightenment. For two who had just passed their youthful prime, reaching such a level was astonishing. ‘…Though I’m an exception.’ Having defied time, I’m an anomaly. Not a genius from the start. Typically, reaching the peak was something an aristocratic martial artist might achieve around the age of thirty after considerable effort. If they continued for another decade, they’d reach the mature peak. This context highlighted why the current generation of martial artists was labeled a generation of comets. In that regard, those two had already surpassed that label. ‘They’re beyond simply being part of the younger generation.’ Judging who might win between the two was no easy task. ‘…’ It was hard not to hedge my bets when they seemed quite evenly matched. However, my gaze lingered slightly longer on Namgung Bia. Crackle! With a fierce sound, thunder energy mixed sword force left traces in the air. Even compared to earlier, her thunder energy had increased significantly. ‘Hmm.’ The radiating thunder energy couldn't breach the wave of Wudang around Woo-hyuk. He skillfully defused it. The flow, considered the essence and purpose of Wudang martial arts, was intact. His rough sword style still adhered to that essence. He siphoned and absorbed the attack, only to unleash it again. The precision with which Namgung Bia controlled her power was breathtaking, yet Woo-hyuk’s ability to deflect and counter with gathered momentum was equally astonishing. All I could do was laugh wryly at these talented individuals. ‘Damn prodigies.’ Geniuses like these never were to my liking. I clicked my tongue but refocused on the martial match. When Baekryeongum asked who might win, I said I wasn’t sure, but honestly, I instinctively knew. My gaze, as before, was on Namgung Bia. She continued the match without a flinch, but I sensed it. This match… “Geom Mu-hi will lose.” Namgung Bia was going to lose. Baekryeongum seemed surprised at my firm response. “Unexpected. You were more decisive than I thought.” “Isn’t that why you asked me? Because you thought the same?” I said, angry at her amusement, and she grinned. “Thought you’d defend your people and give a different answer.” “This is separate from that.” “You don't deny that she’s your person.” “...” I didn't respond to Baekryeongum’s playful remark and turned my head away. The spar continued, yet the crease on my forehead showed no signs of relaxing. ‘Why is she like this?’ Outwardly, nothing seemed off, but both Baekryeongum and I knew something was amiss with Namgung Bia. Her destructive force and incredible control were intact, but something was wrong with her state of mind. There was an unnoticeable inner demon within her movements during the duel. How did such an inner conflict emerge in a woman who had dedicated her life solely to wielding the sword? I pondered this perplexity. I recalled the Sabre Queen from my previous life. Her goal was solely to reach the pinnacle of her swordmanship, without any inner demons on her path. Then why did Namgung Bia now have such an inner demon? As this thought crossed my mind, my eyes landed on Baekryeongum. Noticing my look, she awkwardly addressed me. “Going to say something?” “I have nothing to say.” She, too, likely recognized it. After Baekryeongum faced Wi Seola, Namgung Bia, and Dangsoyeol simultaneously, Namgung Bia underwent this inexplicable change. Did something from that duel trigger inside her? Did it spark this inner turmoil? Even if that were true... ‘...’ There was nothing I could do about it. Nor could I blame Baekryeongum. Rather, I wondered... ‘Why do I feel relief?’ I observed Namgung Bia, entrapped in an inner conflict, feeling both concern and relief. Perhaps because, unlike her past life where she pursued the edge of the sword and did not live a human-like life, now seeing her struggling with inner demons seemed more human and indicated a different life path. ‘Though, dealing with inner demons isn’t pleasant from her perspective.’ Yet seeing Namgung Bia wrestling with such internal dilemmas oddly reassured me. In addition, I believed in her. I believed she’d overcome her inner demons with relative ease. Baekryeongum, watching me, seemed displeased and puckered her lips. “That expression bothers me.” “Excuse me?” “That look, like you’re proud. Like before…” “Before what…?” “Nothing. Just forget it.” Why stop mid-sentence? As Baekryeongum and I exchanged more words, the spar concluded with a sharp clang. The result was as expected... Woo-hyuk’s sword point was at Namgung Bia’s throat. Her defeat was clear. Namgung Bia stared at Woo-hyuk with wide eyes. Upon confirming this, I turned away. Baekryeongum called after me. “Huh? Where are you going?” “I’m going to wash up since I’ve seen everything.” “You’re not going to her?” “No need. It’s better to leave her alone for now.” Though I could possibly step in and solve her problem, that wasn't what I wanted. I hoped Namgung Bia would overcome and stand strong on her own, and I was confident she would. In this life, I was confident that she too would be able to accomplish things on her own. ‘She probably could have done it in the past life as well.’ The Sabre Queen surely had the potential as well, if only I had known. As I was about to head to the valley, I heard Baekryeongum whispering softly behind me. “…She shouldn’t resemble them in aspects like this.” “What did you say? Resemble whom?” “Nothing, really. Oh, if you’re going to wash up, I can help….” “No, thank you.” I retorted with disdain and quickly departed. That woman was definitely out of her mind. Shaking my head in disbelief, I disappeared towards the valley. Left alone, Baekryeongum watched my back with a bittersweet smile and whispered to herself. “He resembles you… far too much.” Her voice was filled with nostalgia. ****************** Dismissing Baekryeongum’s nonsense, I headed to the valley to wash the sweat off my body. Peeling off my drenched top, I felt the dampness clinging to my skin. Ever since my Flame Wheel Art reached the seventh star, ordinary training didn't make me break a sweat. Yet each day, sweat poured profusely. It signified just how grueling the training was. I frowned, thinking of the insane old man orchestrating this regimen. ‘Crazy old geezer.’ Paehon was indeed a madman. When he ordered me to pierce a cave while performing the Two-Step Sword Dance, I didn’t truly grasp it then. Now, in the second phase of training, I was feeling its full intensity. I was sparring with Paehon without missing a single day. Since starting night training with the Dark King, I thought I'd get some rest during the day, but that was not the case. —Until you master the first realm, we will spar daily. The sparring was relentless. And the problem extended further. ‘Spar while using the Two-Step Sword Dance?’ How ludicrous. Just using it was painful enough, and now he wants me to get beaten up while maintaining it. ‘Yet here I am, doing exactly that.’ Twisting my aching body, I let out a wry laugh. As expected, it was painfully absurd. ‘Crazy martial art.’ It seems the creator was a madman, hence the martial art was equally deranged. Executing it brought about considerable pain. Being hit in that state doubled the suffering. Paehon mentioned that it was because I hadn't fully integrated with it yet. When he forbade using it in actual combat without permission, it made sense. ‘If I were to get hurt using this…’ It might not be the injuries, but the pain could very well stop my heart. When Paehon struck me, it made me question reality. Thus, my entire focus was spent on enduring the pain. ‘And at night… they want me to "play" with the Dark King?’ Ha, it’s utterly ridiculous. Might as well tell me to die. If sparring with Paehon was torture, then sparring with the Dark King was the nightmare itself. ‘Nightmare is right. Truly a nightmare.’ Since starting training with the Dark King over a month ago, the instances of my "deaths" were only increasing. Initially, I "died" nine times on the first day, now it easily surpassed twenty. It felt like the Dark King was wordlessly telling me, "No matter how hard you try, you can’t reach my level." Such was the feeling it gave. Perhaps due to this, I felt considerably drained mentally. It really seemed hopeless. ‘What on earth am I supposed to learn from this training?’ Paehon wished for me to realize something through this training. Yet I couldn't grasp anything. What enlightenment was supposed to occur from experiencing countless deaths was beyond me. ‘I don’t get it.’ As my mind became fatigued, so too did my body feel weary. Ignoring the exhaustion from my thoughts, I finally arrived at the valley. Just as I reached it, someone who had showered before me was emerging. My eyes widened as I encountered the person. “Hmm?” “Oh.” It was Wi Seola. With water dripping from her hair, indicating she had just washed, Wi Seola spotted me. “Master…!” Wi Seola greeted me with a radiant smile. That smile shone brightly in my eyes. I recalled the times when Wi Seola served, meeting me with wet hair after just washing. As I reminisced, I moved towards her and used my towel to dry her hair. “Hmm? M-Master? Eeek!” “You should dry your hair properly!” Considering how many men would stare if she went out looking so alluring, why doesn't this sort of thing ever improve over time? Wi Seola, who slightly screamed, seemed to enjoy my rough handling and subtly leaned into my touch. Unbelievable. “Does that feel good?” “Yes… it does.” “…Oh, I see.” Her candid response to my teasing left me speechless. While drying her hair, a thought occurred to me. ‘…I should have just used heat to dry her hair quickly.’ I could have evaporated the water with heat in no time; why was I doing it manually? Immediately, I retrieved the towel and released a gentle warmth. Wi Seola looked disappointed for some reason. “Make sure you dry thoroughly. What are you doing?” “I was just about to….” “That’s a lie.” With a slight nod, Wi Seola conceded to my accusation. She still wasn’t great at lying. Perhaps because I pointed it out, she seemed a bit dejected, at which point I chuckled and offered. “Want some yakgwa?” “Oh!” The mention of yakgwa made Wi Seola’s eyes sparkle. Yet it lasted only a moment before she quickly turned her head away. “I’m not… a kid anymore.” “Then what was that reaction?” “I didn’t react at all.” It seemed she still had a sweet tooth. Why she pretended otherwise was beyond me. Seeing her act that way made me smile inwardly. It felt like it unblocked some of the withheld burdens in my mind. Noticing me, Wi Seola made a strange expression for a moment, then gingerly touched beneath my eye. Her hand was cool, having just been in water. “What is it? Is there something on my face?” “No… It’s just… are you alright, Master?” “Hm? What’s wrong?” “…You look very weary.” Wi Seola’s empathetic expression tugged at my heartstrings. Her words caught me off guard. Do I really look that tired? ‘Is it that obvious?’ Lately, it seemed like almost everyone who saw me asked if I was okay. There must be something off with my expression. Realizing this, I forced a smile. “I’m fine.” “...” Of course, Wi Seola didn’t believe me. ‘What choice do I have? I just have to endure it.’ When things get tough, you endure. That’s all there was to it. “It’s just that I’ve been having some nightmares lately.” “Nightmares?” “Yes.” Brutal nightmares that plagued me every night. Even I found the countless deaths challenging to handle. It was exhausting. That was the prevailing sentiment at the moment. Then, as Wi Seola, who seemed concerned, touched my cheek, I impulsively asked her something. “You… No, Wi Seol….” “Yes?” I abruptly shut my mouth. Why was calling her by name so difficult? “It’s nothing much…. What do you think one should do when they have nightmares every night?” It was a trivial question, in truth. It had nothing to do with my nightmares. Why was I even asking this? I was simply too embarrassed to call her by name and tried to change the subject. Oblivious to my inner thoughts, Wi Seola tilted her head, pondering my question. Her hair swayed with her movement, drawing my attention. “A nightmare…?” “It’s just a question, don’t…” “Wouldn’t you try to wake up first…? Since it’s a scary dream.” I smiled inwardly at her response. She had a point. If you knew it was a nightmare, you’d try to wake up…. ‘Huh?’ Suddenly, her words triggered something in my mind. ‘If it’s a nightmare, wake up.’ For some reason, that statement struck a chord with me.