Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 344 (Part 2)



344 (Part 2)

I judged that it would be better to handle it without any trouble rather than waste time holding onto it for no reason.

Even now among the countless energies I sensed there was a force that was poking sharply at the crown of my head.

I reached out my hand.

“This Black Dragon Sword… to be killed by a mere bloodied lump not even a martial artist.”

‘Black Dragon Sword…?’

I almost hesitated at the words that reached my ears but I did not stop my hand.

Instead I increased my speed.

My hand touched the old man’s face.

No it was just before I touched it.

1 That can’t be.

Creeeak.

“•••!”

I felt a change.

I withdrew my outstretched hand and created distance.

I drew in enhanced qi and heightened my tension to the extreme.

An unknown energy that I sensed reacted at my qi center.

[•••R…Rumble….]

“You…?”

My eyes widened at the sound of a growl that finally reached me.

It was something that had not appeared while I was rolling around in the demon realm and it suddenly opened its eyes.

[Grroooar….]

The growling sound was quite rough.

It was clear that it was baring its teeth at something.

And that something was.

‘•••Is that it?’

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It must be the old man who called himself the Black Dragon Sword.

“Is it called the Black Dragon Sword?”

It sounded like a name I had heard somewhere but I couldn’t quite remember it.

If it were a famous alias I would have likely remembered it right away.

How could I not know when a martial artist of that level had an alias?

But now was not the time to ponder such things.

“What the hell is that?”

Changes were occurring in the old man’s body.

“Kuuh… Huhhh….”

Starting from the scar on the back of his neck.

Something began to ooze out.

Just looking at it wriggling and moving was enough to make one feel nauseous.

To express the feeling it resembled a giant earthworm.

Whoosh—!

I summoned flames and gathered them at my fingertips.

It looked dangerous to leave it as it was so I couldn’t just stand by.

I felt my qi which I had gathered at my qi center rapidly depleting.

Even while casting martial arts I observed the old man’s changes.

‘What the hell is that…. a demonic beast?’

If it was a demonic beast it was a form I had never seen before.

A demonic beast that parasitizes humans?

I didn’t know what it was but it was clear that it wasn’t a good situation.

Flames gathered in my palm.

I intended to cast the flame orb I had used just before once more.

I was thinking of burning it away entirely.

The shape was gradually taking form but it was incredibly grotesque.

Moreover the energy I felt was somehow murky and dark.

It was somewhat different from the demonic qi that a demonic beast would possess.

Whoosh—!

The preparation for the flame orb was complete.

I was about to release it immediately when—

[Grroooar!]

Thud—!

“What?”

Along with the growl that echoed from within my body.

I felt the energy that had gathered in my hand vanish in an instant.

“What the hell.”

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The beast had arbitrarily adjusted and released my energy.

Was that even possible?

Could it interfere with the energy I was using?

More importantly I needed to understand why this creature suddenly interrupted after sleeping.

“Why did you suddenly wake up and start interfering…!”

Just as I was about to question it.

Kiaaaah—!

With a sound that felt like it would tear my ears apart.

The thing that had been an old man shot out a massive tentacle toward me.

The speed was quite fast.

I drew in enhanced qi to respond.

‘•••Huh?’

Suddenly it felt like my energy was completely blocked and I couldn’t move. I wondered if my qi had trembled.

That couldn’t be.

I had confirmed that more than half of it was still left just a moment ago.

Regardless of my confusion the tentacle flew toward me rapidly.

This was not normal.

If my qi wasn’t working should I draw up some other energy first?

Just then.

Whack—!

The tentacle that had flown right in front of me was instantly severed and fell to the ground with a thud.

The severed tentacle seemed to melt away as it hit the ground.

It almost looked like it was being absorbed into the ground.

“What the….”

Just when I was trying to comprehend what had just happened.

I felt a reaction from the center of the pit.

I immediately sent my senses toward the direction of the creature.

‘Someone is there.’

A figure I had never seen before was stabbing a sword into the monster.

It seemed that this person was the one who had blocked the attack the monster had sent toward me just before.

‘I couldn’t sense their presence.’

Even if my energy was blocked.

My senses were spread out around me.

Yet if I hadn’t noticed that figure it meant they were likely an extraordinary master.

‘Who are they?’

I couldn’t see them clearly.

With a vague presence I couldn’t recognize them.

This meant they were intentionally hiding their energy and presence.

In a pure white martial arts uniform.

With hair that matched white as snow.

Kii… Kiiiaaah—!

The monster began to scream repeatedly as if it was in pain from the sword embedded in its torso.

Where was its mouth to scream like that?

The figure presumed to be a man seemed to react to the screams and moved his hand.

Swish—!

The sword embedded in the monster’s torso swung and lightly sliced through it.

The reason I involuntarily swallowed hard while watching that movement was that even though I was seeing the action with my own eyes I couldn’t properly comprehend it.

The white-haired man having split the creature once took advantage of the moment when the monster seemed to be immobilized and reached out to touch its flesh.

The viscous oily liquid was unpleasant but the man showed no hesitation.

Soon after.

“…Huh?”

I saw not the man but the shadow of the man moving.

The shadow began to wriggle and leaped out to envelop the monster.

—Kiiak… Argh…

The not-so-small figure was tightly bound by the shadow.

It thrashed around inside making a loud thumping noise.

But that movement was brief and soon it fell silent.

I could only stare at the man unable to understand the sudden situation.

What on earth was happening?

As if sensing my gaze.

The white-haired man gradually turned his head toward me.

His eyes were as white as his hair.

His skin was also pure white.

He looked so much like a human that I wondered if he was the same as me.

His other features were somewhat mysterious causing me to momentarily lose my focus.

“Are you going to keep watching?”

The man asked me as he looked my way.

Contrary to my expectations his voice was much deeper. I flinched at the sound of it.

“•••Who are you?”

It seemed he had saved me but I felt tense as I didn’t know his identity.

I was ready to respond if necessary.

As I held my tension and asked the man slowly opened his mouth to speak.

Just as his answer was about to come.

Rumble….

“What?”

I involuntarily turned around at the energy I felt behind me.

It was in the direction of the Taesan.

My body trembled at the energy that emanated from there.

Was that all?

I even felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

“….Why?”

The words I uttered were not even collected.

I drew up my qi and leaped leaving the monster and the man behind.

It was a sudden impulsive action.

But the white-haired man did not try to stop me.

I quickly increased my speed.

The reason I was moving so urgently was none other than the familiar energy that began to emerge from somewhere high up on the Taesan an energy I never wanted to feel again.

‘No way…. It can’t be.’

I wanted to deny it but the energy imprinted in my body was already giving me a clear answer.

It was certain.

From far away on the Taesan.

I could feel the demonic qi of the Heavenly Demon (天魔).