Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 432 (Part 1)



432 (Part 1)

**Chapter 433: The Lake of Regret (3)**

Hummm.

A vibration resonated from Nahi’s body.

It was proof that the golden binding was properly woven.

Only then did I remove my hand from where I was holding and raised my body.

“Cough….”

Nahi let out a rough breath.

Her ribs were cracked of course and she had drawn qi roughly while attempting the golden binding.

It wasn’t that I had cast such a formidable binding.

There was simply no qi to do so and I didn’t feel the need to go that far.

“Huh… huh….”

Nahi who seemed to be struggling looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

“Who… exactly are you…?”

I chuckled at that question. It was one I heard too often to the point of being weary.

“What does it matter?”

The answer I always spat out in response to such questions was the same and it was becoming quite tiresome.

“…What did you do to Orabeoni? Why is he following you?”

“Curious?”

As I took a step closer Nahi flinched and trembled.

I hadn’t intended to hit her but it seemed the previous attack had left its mark on her.

I bent my knees and met her gaze.

“Just hold on a bit; you’ll have to be the same way eventually.”

“…I’m not like Orabeoni.”

Right you probably aren’t.

“That’s for you to figure out.”

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Nahi had likely approached Dangdeok several times trying to speak with him.

Perhaps she had even sent telepathy or something similar.

But in any case Dangdeok wouldn’t have answered. No he ‘couldn’t’ have.

I brushed my hands off.

The golden binding was merely about turning a blind eye to each other’s affairs.

If things went well I planned to undo this binding anyway.

‘It would be convenient to kill him…’

Being a person of Dang Clan he couldn’t possibly be a good human.

The fact that he was an assassin of the Tang Clan meant he was someone with a lot of blood on his hands so I had no qualms.

One thing.

‘It would be convenient for me to have eyes and ears as well.’

In a situation where the status of the Tang Clan was in doubt having a suitable spy was a good thing for me too.

As long as I could create a situation where I wouldn’t be harmed if discovered.

That wasn’t particularly difficult. It was something I was somewhat confident about.

Moreover there was a high possibility that Nahi knew about the treasured blade that Dangdeok was unaware of.

It would be quite a waste to kill someone like her.

Even if I did.

‘I need to make her spill everything she knows before killing her.’

With that settled I stood up.

“Keep watch. Don’t think about going anywhere.”

“…”

“Oh if you want to run you can. You’ll be caught soon anyway.”

As long as you aren’t afraid of what will happen afterward.

I only thought that last part in my mind.

Even if I didn’t say it out loud Nahi seemed to understand.

I turned and approached the lake. As I closed the distance I gradually felt the poison.

‘Hmm.’

The energy that hadn’t been felt when I was far away was now palpable.

Just getting a little closer made it this intense.

“…Why do you want to go into the lake?”

“I never said you could ask questions.”

“Is there something in there?”

Her unnecessary chatter was getting on my nerves.

I shot her a glance filled with annoyance and said “If you say one more word I’ll rip out your tongue.”

“…”

I was serious about that.

As I conveyed a slight killing intent Nahi’s shoulders trembled.

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I stopped walking waiting for her to say something if she had any words to share.

But Nahi didn’t say anything afterward.

Seeing that I resumed my steps.

Splash.

As my foot touched the surface of the lake a sound like something cooking spread out.

The poison was erupting trying to engulf my body.

‘Hmm.’

I thought about it as I observed.

Did I prepare a new outfit for when I came out?

“…”

Ah I hadn’t prepared one.

For a moment I thought about telling Nahi to prepare clothes too but I held back.

‘It’ll work out somehow.’

Sizzling…

I passed through the smoke filled with poison and headed toward the center of the lake. The closer I got to the center the more intense the poison became.

‘If the outside is this bad the inside must be worse.’

I changed my calculations.

What I had judged to be a quarter of a quarter angle I now estimated to be half that distance.

Unlike the standards I had observed from afar being at the center made it clearer. This lake is…

‘The poison isn’t leaking out.’

With this level of poison it should have consumed a distance of at least a diameter.

If it was completely undetectable from the outside I could guess that something was containing the poison.

If I entered the lake like this it wouldn’t be long before my senses would be overwhelmed.

If that happened there would be nothing left of me; I would melt away.

It was a chilling thought just to imagine.

Yet strangely my mind was cold.

I scanned the surroundings with a blank expression.

‘Where was it?’

Ironically even with that thought I wasn’t considering the option of turning back.

To prevent bloodshed within ten years I should cherish my life.

Yet I found myself acting recklessly.

Standing on the lake I felt something for some reason.

I felt that I would be able to find it.

That I could do it.

Such a feeling was surging in my chest.

‘What is this?’

As I sensed it I raised the corners of my mouth.

I see.

‘Something is calling me.’

It was indeed calling me.

Otherwise I wouldn’t have felt this way.

In fact it was a sensation I had felt many times before.

In the past I had no certainty and it was merely a subtle texture.

But now I was somewhat aware of it.

‘Something is calling me.’

Most of the miraculous encounters I had experienced were like this.

I had thought it was coincidence because I followed instinctively.

But for some reason I could understand now.

Where does this difference come from?

Is it because my realm has reached a new level?

Or is it because the energy within my body has increased?

Or perhaps.

‘Is it because I’ve become a demonic practitioner?’

Whatever it was there was no certainty.

This sensation could also be a lie.

Still I had to go.

In a situation where pursuing only safety would prevent me from achieving what I needed to accomplish.

Hesitation was a luxury.

Suuuuuu-!

I drew up my energy and enveloped my entire body.

And then.

Splash-!

I plunged into the lake which was soaked in poison.

Brrrr.

As I entered the water I gently opened my eyes.

It looked no different from ordinary water.

But.

Sssssss-!

The pressure I felt from my body was telling me it was definitely not water.

Initially I had said I could endure for a quarter of a quarter angle.

‘That was nonsense.’

It was absurd.

Even folding that time in half was still precarious.

I expanded my senses.

And using qi I descended to the bottom of the lake.

‘It’s deep.’

The lake was much deeper than it appeared.

The surroundings were just an ordinary muddy bottom but there had to be an entrance somewhere here.