414 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World’s Best Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 415 Subtitle: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive "If it's a nightmare, you need to wake up first." Wiselah’s words lingered in my mind. ‘...Wake up, huh?’ It wasn't a thunderbolt of realization striking my head. But instinctively, I felt there was something in those words that I needed to grasp. Noticing my unusual expression, Wiselah tilted her head quizzically. As I wrestled with her words, trying to unearth something from them, ‘Ah?’ A vague idea brushed through my mind. It wasn’t a groundbreaking method. There had been a way I hadn’t bothered to try all month long. Yet, for some reason, it surfaced, intertwined with Wiselah’s words. “...Indeed, why haven’t I tried that?” “Pardon?” Wiselah reacted as if asking what on earth I was talking about, but I simply started patting her hair without providing an answer. “My lady...?” "Thank you. Thanks to you, I've gained some more 'crafty' insights." “I-isn’t that a compliment?” “Of course, it’s a compliment.” In this world, one needs to be crafty to navigate it. In that aspect, Wiselah’s words were indeed quite helpful. However, ‘Will it work?’ The question remained whether the method I conjured up would be effective against the Dark King. The solution in such cases is simple. ‘If it doesn't work, just forget it.’ You try, and if it doesn’t work, you seek other methods. That’s all there was to it. ****************** Night descended. Under the slender crescent moon, in the heart of a shadowy forest. A man stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He possessed a peculiar aura that gave the illusion of silence, as though only his surroundings were quiet. The man had hair so white it would elicit admiration just by sight. Yet paradoxically, it suited the darkness too well. Standing still like a statue, changes began to occur in the man as if life was returning to him. Starting from his feet, shadows started to spread wider. A chilling, ominous energy it was. The spreading energy blanketed the field and enveloped the trees, plunging the surroundings into darkness. And not long after, Even the faint light from the crescent moon was swallowed, bringing forth a thick darkness. In the manufactured gloom, the man, the Dark King (暗王), illuminated his peculiar white eyes and looked straight ahead. Shuffle— Heavy footsteps reverberated from ahead. It was the footsteps of the person the Dark King had been awaiting. Moreover, this was the person he had been meeting most frequently over the past month. Watching the young man approach from a distance, the Dark King’s eyebrows subtly twitched. ‘He’s come again today.’ It had been over a month now. This time held significant meaning for the Dark King. Firstly, the Dark King had to revise his initial thought, which was that the young man would last barely seven weeks at most. ‘I must acknowledge this part.’ He nodded. The young man had faced numerous deaths at the hands of the Dark King every night. The deaths were numerous, often exceeding twenty times a night. For an average person, their mind would have fractured long ago, within three days. However, the expression on the young man’s face, seen by the Dark King, appeared merely a bit worn out. It looked not much different from the first time. This fact, even he had to acknowledge. Despite the absence of torture or pain, the deaths were still gruesome. The endurance of that young man had already surpassed its limits. Thus, the Dark King continued to question. If he were human, enduring countless deaths couldn’t be possible while maintaining peace of mind; how then could this young man sustain such composure? Such a case boiled down to one of two possibilities in the Dark King's view. One was: ‘Already mentally broken and collapsed.’ A twisted state, no longer a normal psyche. There was a possibility, but to the Dark King, the young man did not seem at that level. Then, the remaining one. If he had surpassed the limits a normal human could endure, ‘He isn't human to begin with.’ This thought passed through the Dark King’s mind, and he nodded. For him, this was the most likely scenario. From their first meeting. The sight of the young man had the Dark King’s heart pounding wildly. Thump-thump. Even now, it was so. This was his blood and heart entwined in a curse, resonating uncontrollably. That this young man is akin to him. Hence, Prompting him to kill at once. The urge to kill was being virulently exuded. Suppressing the rising urge to kill, the Dark King banished the impulse to the corner. He had no intention of killing the young man. The young man might hold the key to unbinding the ‘curse’ wrapped around him. Since he was in a similar state, he shouldn’t have been killed. Concealing his presence, the Dark King gazed at the young man. Whether he was human by the Dark King’s standards or possessed something else, That wasn't important now. What mattered was, ‘It’s pointless.’ The present time wasn’t particularly beneficial. ‘Does he not know this?’ The Dark King frowned, recalling the overlord who had requested such training. Although the young man faced repeated deaths within the Dark King's 'domain,' To the Dark King, it seemed a complete waste. The young man still couldn’t even graze the Dark King's sleeve. Of course, he couldn’t. The darkness was the Dark King's domain—isn't that why? Those who step into his domain find their senses dull and have difficulty exerting their power. The only thing that intensifies is the pain felt, despite dulled senses. Initially, this power was used by the Dark King for torture. Thus, it was even more preposterous. The very overlord who knew this, throwing his disciple into the Dark King’s hands and placing him in such a situation. It was also abnormal for the young man to undergo this for over a month without missing a day. Even though the Dark King had no disciples, he understood that such a master-disciple relationship was bizarre. But, That was all. The Dark King didn’t ponder any further about the overlord and the young man’s relationship. He simply did what he was tasked with. So long as he could receive the request granted by the overlord in return. Additionally... From the beginning, the Dark King did not believe that this young man, no, Guhyangcheon, could overcome this trial. The conclusion drawn over the past month was no different from the initial one. And he wasn’t the only one aware of this truth; the person who knew it best was none other than: 'That boy.' It had to be Guhyangcheon, who was experiencing this situation firsthand. He didn't seem to have a broken spirit, but his slightly weary expression was evidence enough. Watching Guhyangcheon's expression, the Dark King gripped the dagger in his hand. How much longer could he endure? Reaching this point had already been beyond the Dark King's expectations. But from what he saw, Guhyangcheon didn’t have much mental strength left. Barely seven more nights, at most. Unless some unforeseen incident occurred, it would happen within that time. Once it did, even the Tyrant would realize it and seek another method. No matter how obsessed someone might be with martial arts, they wouldn't let someone who could fulfill their ambition be broken beyond repair. As the Dark King thought that, he intended to make a move when suddenly... ‘Hmm.’ The Dark King felt a change emanating from Guhyangcheon. He appeared the same as usual, but he was holding something in his hand. Upon recognizing it, the Dark King's eyes narrowed. 'A dagger?' What Guhyangcheon held was an unexpected dagger. Judging by its appearance and quality, it seemed to be a weapon from the Tang Clan. Most likely borrowed from the Poison King’s daughter, that bloodline hailing from the Tang Clan. 'A dagger, huh.' Why on earth had he brought a dagger? The question rose within the Dark King's mind. In past attempts to reach the Dark King, Guhyangcheon had employed a considerable range of methods. He tried to engage in hand-to-hand combat, then attempted to illuminate the surroundings with martial skills that couldn’t fully manifest. He even tried to burn the Dark King by emitting flames nearby. The most notable attempt was when he once tried to grab the Dark King with a dagger lodged in his neck for a fleeting moment. The Dark King recalled that was the most perilous moment. The dagger had been embedded in his neck in a way that would typically result in instant death, yet Guhyangcheon, relying solely on willpower, delayed his impending death just to grab hold of the Dark King. Only then did the Dark King come to terms with the fact. The Tyrant, that bizarre person, had indeed taken someone just as peculiar as himself as his disciple. Both master and disciple were undeniably peculiar. Deeply twisted individuals, at that. Watching Guhyangcheon, the Dark King cast a peculiar gaze. ‘Even after all that, is he planning to try something else?’ It seemed the dagger was intended for another purpose. ‘I must acknowledge that level of determination.’ To still attempt something more at this stage made even the Dark King want to click his tongue in amazement. Of course, despite such determination, the results wouldn’t change. Unless Guhyangcheon understood the secrets of this domain, he ultimately wouldn't be able to escape. While considering this, as he observed Guhyangcheon’s actions— Guhyangcheon grasped the dagger, and instead of pointing it outward, turned the blade towards himself. In that moment when it raised questions of his intentions. "...!" Guhyangcheon suddenly thrust the dagger towards his own neck. Upon realizing, the Dark King launched himself forward. There was no time to hesitate or ponder the situation. The Dark King swiftly closed the distance to Guhyangcheon. Just as the dagger's tip was about to touch Guhyangcheon's throat, Tightly—! He grabbed Guhyangcheon's wrist to halt the action. At that moment, Clasp—! Guhyangcheon's other hand grabbed the Dark King’s wrist. An occurrence so sudden it happened in the blink of an eye. With eyes wide open, the Dark King couldn’t hide his shock as he stared at Guhyangcheon. With all his might, Guhyangcheon smiled and looked at the Dark King, saying, “Caught you.” “…Ha.” His voice revealed raw, unabashed emotions as though he found it all too amusing. The Dark King had to let out a bewildered sigh. It was baffling. “…How did you know?” The Dark King asked Guhyangcheon. In response to his query, Guhyangcheon tilted his head and asked back, seemingly puzzled. “What do you mean?” “This method. How did you know about it?” The Dark King was genuinely curious. Being killed through a method other than the Dark King's own hands in this domain meant you couldn’t resurrect. It meant true death. Had Guhyangcheon reached the point of death just now, he would not have been able to revive. The reason the Dark King intervened was to prevent such a disaster, knowing Guhyangcheon must not die. In short, Guhyangcheon had chosen this method to force the Dark King to intervene. Knowing that choosing to die would mean true death. And inversely, knowing the Dark King would intervene to stop that death. Guhyangcheon knew, but how? The Dark King couldn’t grasp it no matter how hard he thought. Turning his gaze to the Dark King, Guhyangcheon nonchalantly answered. “I didn’t know.” “What?” The response made the Dark King frown. He didn’t know...? “How would I know that? I haven't learned mind-reading.” “Then, why do it?” With an expression as if asking why such a natural thing was questioned, Guhyangcheon answered. “I just tried it. Why not?” “What...?” …He simply tried it? Still wearing a confused expression, the Dark King listened as Guhyangcheon continued. “I was thinking about how to wake up from a nightmare, you see.” Perking up at the sudden talk of nightmares, the Dark King listened intently. “The first thing you have to do is try to wake up." “What does that have to do with this?” “Well, not much. I just realized I hadn’t really tried waking myself up from this dream. So I tried the simplest approach. This usually wakes you up in a dream, doesn’t it?” "..." The Dark King was at a complete loss for words from Guhyangcheon's calm statement. So he tried to take his own life for something so trivial. Without knowing the situation or what would happen if he died. For such a simple reason? Having heard all that, the Dark King could conclude with certainty. “…You’re a madman.” Indeed, he was a madman. “What would you do if I hadn’t stopped you?” “If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be revived, and then I would just look for another way.” Hearing those words, the Dark King couldn't help but confront the issue. "Boy, there was a possibility I might not have stopped your death." "Then I assumed you'd come to stop it." "Why would I? Why did you think I’d intervene to prevent your death?" While the first thought was something anyone might consider, Executing a plan believing absolutely that the Dark King would prevent his death was a different matter. What reason made him so sure? That was the biggest question for the Dark King. But upon hearing it, Guhyangcheon suddenly voiced his admiration and said, "Oh, I hadn’t thought of that." "What…." "Honestly, it just felt like you would." "..." "It was a hunch, you know." With Guhyangcheon's answer, the Dark King finally had to give up on trying to understand. "I thought I wouldn't encounter someone like Biju again." But the disciple of that wretched fellow was even more extreme than his master. To think he would attempt to break through in such a way. "Ha…." For the first time in nearly a decade, the Dark King had to run a hand over his own face. Whatever the case, the fact remained that Guhyangcheon had reached him. In his mind, he envisioned the expression of the Tyrant upon seeing this result. He was certain the Tyrant would laugh as if enjoying the spectacle, which caused a wave of annoyance. At that moment. Fwoosh. Suddenly, he became aware of the warmth. There was no need to verify the source of the heat. In this space, there were only the man and Guhyangcheon. With a slightly cold gaze, the Dark King looked at the source of the heat and asked, "What is this about?" "This was something I was personally curious about, so now that I have the chance, I thought I’d try it." Guhyangcheon continued to speak, steadily amplifying the heat despite the Dark King's question. His eyes turned a deep red, and the subtle rising heat seemed unusual. What exactly was he attempting to do now that it was all over? The Dark King didn’t think Guhyangcheon was foolish enough to outright fight him, so he remained silent, merely observing. "There was something I hadn’t managed to do because of dying every time I tried." "In this situation?" "Yes." Considering he had faced countless deaths until just yesterday, his expression seemed oddly bright. Almost as if he was a bit exhilarated. What on earth was with this guy? Could just achieving something be enough to restore him that much? No matter how much he observed, it was incomprehensible. "I was curious whether this was truly an unbreakable array." "..." "Just a bit of curiosity, really." To Guhyangcheon’s words, the Dark King offered no response. This wasn't anything that could be called an 'array' to begin with. It wasn’t a martial art technique or a boundary created by array masters. To be precise, it was the 'domain' birthed from a curse. In a way, As the Dark King thought about how, since he and Guhyangcheon were of the same nature, there might come a time when Guhyangcheon could also use it, but— He didn't feel the need to explain any of this. It was a power that brought no benefits even if understood. The Dark King simply maintained his silence. He didn’t stop or warn Guhyangcheon about his eccentric actions. It was a silent approval to proceed if he wished. Observing the Dark King, Guhyangcheon quietly muttered, "Scarlet Heaven." At that moment, An intense heat began to radiate outward from Guhyangcheon's body.