Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 533 (Part 1)



533 (Part 1)

The Dark King had talent.

Moreover with the ‘power’ contained in the curse it was not difficult to harm someone.

He was not intoxicated by power but he steadily utilized it.

As time passed he was now called the Dark King (暗王) and had reached the pinnacle of the shadowy assassins.

As he gained strength other shadowy assassins began to gather around him.

Thus the Cheolya Assassin Corps was formed.

That was just a hundred years ago…

“Wait a moment… what did you say?”

I interrupted the Dark King’s words as I was listening intently.

The Dark King who had been explaining calmly closed his mouth and looked at me.

It was even stranger that he looked at me as if to ask why.

Did I mishear? Something definitely felt off.

“…A hundred years ago? You just said a hundred years ago right?”

“Yes.”

The birth of the Cheolya Assassin Corps was a hundred years ago?

It’s rare for a master like the Dark King to live that long but it’s not impossible.

‘…Looking at the flow of the story it seems like he lived longer than that.’

As I listened to the story the Dark King shared tales from far before a hundred years ago began to emerge.

That means…

“…Senior may I ask how old you are?”

“I haven’t counted since I turned one hundred and fifty.”

“…”

I had to close my mouth tightly at his nonchalant remark.

‘…One hundred and fifty?’

I definitely heard that right.

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One hundred and fifty years old? And considering he hasn’t counted since then he must be even older.

‘He looks young though.’

From just his appearance he certainly didn’t look that way.

Even if the Great Lord had undergone a transformation that could be understood.

No matter how you looked at it the Dark King didn’t seem to be past forty.

Even now although his skin had changed and looked a bit strange he was a handsome man with white hair and pale eyes.

How could such a person be one hundred and fifty years old…

I was left dumbfounded by the age that was far beyond my expectations.

As I stared blankly at the Dark King he began to elaborate further.

“The curse does not even allow for death.”

“Does that mean… it’s like immortality?”

A curse that does not allow for death.

Is that really what you would call a curse?

At the very least…

“…If one cannot die of old age isn’t murder also an option?”

If one wishes for death it is possible to be killed by someone else. If suicide is impossible.

There could be poisonings and other methods might exist as well.

Why hasn’t he done anything?

Just as that question began to sprout.

“Because it does not allow death to those of a lower race than oneself.”

“Ha that’s really absurd.”

After hearing that I couldn’t help but curse.

What kind of great race must he belong to for such a ridiculous situation to arise?

Let alone.

‘The lineage of Yeon Ga.’

The family of Yeon Il-cheon who saved the world. The Golden Cheon Yeon Ga.

If their bloodline was cursed like that…

Why…?

“…Do you not know how such a curse came to be?”

“It is recorded that it was because the great dragon was angered that this curse was bestowed.”

The great dragon was angered and thus the curse of dragon blood was placed.

‘The great dragon…’

As I recalled it was naturally one being that came to mind.

‘Blood Demon.’

Since he was the only one I could think of as a dragon if a curse was placed it must have been him.

The Blood Demon placed a curse on the blood of Yeon Il-cheon.

Is that the conclusion I should draw? Just after that thought crossed my mind I spoke the words I had wanted to say to the Dark King.

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“But Senior.”

“Yes.”

“Could you please treat me a bit more comfortably?”

Please I felt like I was going to go crazy because my kneeling posture was stiff and the sudden shift to formal speech sent chills down my spine.

“Why are you doing this…?”

“…”

At my words the Dark King fell silent for a moment.

“Hmm.”

After a brief pause he moved his body slightly.

Then.

“…!”

Before I knew it the Dark King’s dagger was at my throat.

No it wasn’t touching. He stopped just before it could.

‘What is this?’

It was one thing that I couldn’t catch the Dark King’s movement.

But I felt a killing intent filling the air.

It seemed he had the intention to kill me.

Yet for some reason that attack had stopped.

Curious I looked at the Dark King and he sheathed the dagger and spoke to me.

“I cannot harm you nor can I act against my own principles.”

“…What if you don’t?”

“I must.”

Hmm.

So the Dark King was saying that even if he didn’t want to he had to act this way towards me.

That meant he couldn’t attack me.

Was he trying to show me that?

I lightly brushed my cool neck.

It was slightly annoying that I hadn’t reacted at all.

“…Alright. I understand everything.”

Yes I understood that the Dark King was under some curse.

I also understood that he had become a dragon to some extent. I knew that because I had become a dragon he had to act this way towards me.

“So what is it that you wish from me Senior?”

What does the Dark King want from me right now?

I needed to know that precisely.

‘Did he ask me to lift the curse?’

He had asked me to lift his curse. The Dark King had made that request of me.

‘How am I supposed to lift it?’

Even if he asked me to lift it I had no way to do so.

No even if there was a way I needed to know how to lift it.

‘How can I lift it if I don’t know the method?’

Given the situation I didn’t know what to do even if the Dark King acted this way.

To that the Dark King replied.

“It is said that if you meet a dragon it will be resolved. They would know.”

I frowned at those words.

If I meet a dragon it will be resolved?

“…Who said such a thing?”

That if I meet a dragon the curse will be resolved? If a dragon placed the curse then it would make sense for the dragon to lift it.

But if he heard it that would be a different story.

That would mean someone provided that information.

With a somewhat serious expression I asked the Dark King.

“Taechun (太天).”

He answered without hesitation.

“The master of Taechun said so.”

“Taechun… Taechun?”

I widened my eyes at those words.

Taechun… could it be.

“…Are you referring to the demonic realm in the northeast?”

The demonic realm of Taechun.

It refers to the open demonic realm located near the border of the Central Plains around the Black Dragon River region.

Not just any demonic realm that spews out demonic beasts like the Demonic Realm Gate or the True Demonic Realm Gate.

A few open demonic realms managed by the Murim Alliance.

Among them the one furthest away was like that.

However.

‘The master you say.’

The word master that the Dark King uttered struck me deeply. Here the meaning of master ultimately means.

‘The master of the demonic realm called Taechun.’

It would be akin to saying the master of the world.

Then the Dark King met the master of the world called Taechun.

He heard that if he met a dragon he could lift the curse.

‘What kind of being is that?’

Not only did a being from another world suddenly appear but it was also strange that he spoke of dragons.

“That means… is there a connection to why you are here Senior?”

“Yes.”

The Dark King answered without hesitation to my question.

The reason the Dark King was here.

He must have had a request from the Great Lord but I thought of something else first.

“What about the Black Dragon Sword?”

The clear reason I came to Sichuan.

It was the Dark King who had wiped out the Black Dragon Sword which had transformed into a bizarre form in one strike.

Does that also mean there is a connection?

“Taechun said that to lift the curse one must meet a dragon. So he offered to tell me the location of the dragon.”

The Dark King’s stiff formal speech continued to irritate my ears but I didn’t point it out.

“That was the deal to hear that.”

“…That deal?”

“To eliminate the errant apostle.”

Apostle?

The fact that he answered that way regarding the reason for seeking the Black Dragon Sword meant.

‘Does that mean the apostle of Taechun was the Black Dragon Sword?’

From what I heard it seemed to be the master of the other world.

The Black Dragon Sword was thus a righteous apostle. Regardless of how that process unfolded.

Then that means.

‘…The reason the one who was said to be dead is alive is because of that.’

The reason the Black Dragon Sword which met its end at the hands of the Sword Lord is alive.

If it was because a high being from the other world reached out it would roughly fit.

There were some questions though.

“Then what is the reason you didn’t deal with the Black Dragon Sword right away Senior?”

I couldn’t understand why the Dark King had to come all the way to Shinryonggwan to kill the Black Dragon Sword.

To that question the Dark King tilted his head slightly and replied.

“That was the best method.”

“Precisely.”

“I had to approach the Black Dragon Sword. He happened to be seeking my help. So I used him.”