Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 549

Four days had passed.

I had left the Guangdong region and arrived in Honam.

Shwaaah.

The sound of waves reached my ears.

Evening was approaching, so I had settled near a valley, resting casually.

I had walked for quite some time, yet the forest seemed never-ending.

"Hmm."

I might have been moving at a more leisurely pace than usual, but that was fine.

‘Things went smoothly.’

Because of this, I now had a bit of time to spare.

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There were three main reasons I had hurried in Guangdong.

The first:

‘The Thousand-Year Cold Iron.’

The storage cave in Guangdong where the metal was kept—that was my primary objective.

Finding it wasn’t too difficult since I had surprisingly detailed information about its location.

‘There were some complications, though.’

During the process, I had clashed with Gu Gwonjeokma, leading to a fight. However, I managed to turn that conflict to my advantage in resolving my next task.

‘I killed Wi Seok.’

The second reason I had come to Guangdong: to kill Wi Seok, the current branch leader of the Martial Alliance in the region.

It wasn’t entirely driven by revenge; the grudge I held had faded somewhat over time.

‘It was more of a convenient detour.’

I figured I might as well deal with him since I was already in the area.

‘And I made sure to spread the name.’

I had left the task of spreading my name to Seo Dong, the Martial Alliance warrior.

Of course, there was always the chance he wouldn’t report it, but that didn’t matter.

What was important was that Wi Seok was dead.

This would likely leave the Guangdong branch scrambling for about a month to recover.

Though there was only one fatality—the branch leader—it was no different from flipping the entire branch upside down.

‘A mysterious, unidentified individual wiped out the branch.’

If the report had been filed accurately, it would create significant upheaval in their operations.

‘One to two months.’

That’s how long it would take to send a new branch leader and stabilize the situation.

While that wasn’t an exceptionally long time, it would delay their ability to respond to any monster-related incidents.

And that would undoubtedly lead to casualties.

That’s why—

"Make sure to handle that part carefully."

In the quiet of the night, I spoke softly.

[Understood.]

A voice answered from the shadows, but I didn’t bother turning around.

[I will station people in the necessary areas.]

My meaning was simple: ensure no civilian casualties occurred in Guangdong during the Martial Alliance’s turmoil.

Ah.

"And while you’re at it, spread the rumors as well."

[As you wish.]

Having finished giving my instructions, I heard the voice add something else.

[By the way...]

It continued as if delivering another message.

[The Shadow King has a message for you.]

"Amwang?"

I raised my eyebrows, signaling my curiosity, and the voice spoke again.

[‘The child’s preparations are complete. I will return them now.’ That is the message.]

"..."

I let out a soft breath.

I knew exactly who the “child” referred to in that message was.

‘I’ll see them soon.’

It had been two years since the last time.

The child had left with Amwang for training, and now that time had passed.

I gave a small nod before speaking.

"Understood."

With that, the presence behind me disappeared.

Only then did I rise from the rock I had been sitting on.

I began walking, heading toward the sound of the waves.

As I got closer—

Shwaaah!

The moonlight reflected on the river, its surface rippling with the movements of the waves.

Someone was crouched by the water, their figure barely visible in the dim light.

Splash, splash.

The person was rinsing something in the river.

Their upper body was bare, pale skin clearly visible under the moonlight.

I called out.

"What are you doing?"

"…!"

Startled, the person flinched before turning their head stiffly to look at me.

The first thing I noticed was their weary, yellowish eyes.

It was none other than Seong Yul.

In his past life, he had been the Sword Demon, Cheonsalseong, and now he was presumed to be a disciple of Cheonghae Ilgeom, the former sect leader of Kunlun.

"What are you doing right now?" I asked again.

Seong Yul raised the garment he had been holding, showing it to me.

"…I was just… washing my clothes."

"At this hour?"

"…Yes. The timing wasn’t ideal earlier."

"Hmm."

It was true that there hadn’t been many opportunities to clean up lately, but still—

‘This guy really isn’t normal.’

Even in this situation, he was busy washing clothes in the river.

My gaze landed on his exposed torso.

For someone of his level, his muscles were surprisingly underdeveloped.

He was wiry, with scars scattered across his chest and body.

‘Those scars.’

They weren’t inflicted by someone else.

They were marks left by self-inflicted wounds.

"Hey."

"Yes…?"

"Give me your clothes."

"…?"

Though confused, Seong Yul handed me the wet garment without resistance.

I infused it with my inner energy.

Whoosh!

"…!"

In an instant, the heat dried the damp fabric completely.

I tossed the now-dry clothes back to him, watching as he fumbled to catch them with a stunned expression.

The sight of his scars had been unpleasant to look at.

As he clutched the clothes, I asked,

"I’m surprised you didn’t run away."

"…Ah."

It hadn’t been long since I’d started traveling with him, but there had been plenty of opportunities for him to escape.

Even over the past few days, he hadn’t attempted to flee once.

At my question, Seong Yul replied with a calm expression.

"Even if I ran, I have nowhere to go."

"Why not? Go home. Your home is in Cheonghae, isn’t it?"

When I mentioned the Kunlun Sect, his expression darkened slightly.

"…That is no longer a place I can return to."

Every time the topic of Kunlun came up, his face looked like this.

Over the past few days, I had pieced together some things about Seong Yul.

‘He hasn’t even reached thirty.’

He had said he was twenty-five.

‘And he really is—or was—connected to Kunlun.’

It wasn’t entirely clear whether he was still a member or had been expelled.

From what I could tell, it had to be one or the other.

Moreover,

‘It’s true he’s connected to the Qinghai Sword Master.’

Although he never mentioned it outright, it was undoubtedly the case.

But this guy…

‘Why is he acting like this here?’

As a Heavenly Killing Star, it wasn’t surprising that he had become a murderer, driven mad by bloodlust.

However, if he had truly been a martial artist of the Kunlun Sect, this raised several issues.

‘Heavenly Killing Stars are to be executed immediately upon discovery.’

This was one of the core rules established by the Murim Alliance.

Upon discovering a Heavenly Killing Star, they were to be reported and dealt with without delay.

For orthodox sects, this rule was as sacred as law.

‘Yet, the Qinghai Sword Master ignored this… even sheltered and raised him?’

What could his intentions have been?

I couldn’t fathom it. What was clear, though, was…

‘This just got more complicated.’

In the past, he had simply been a madman obsessed with killing.

But now, what kind of person was the Sword Demon?

At least from what I’d seen, he seemed naive and oddly ordinary.

‘Though he’s far from normal.’

His condition as a Heavenly Killing Star was undeniable. Judging from our first encounter, he wasn’t much different from the Sword Demon I remembered from my previous life.

However…

‘He hasn’t yet fully succumbed to the Heavenly Killing Star’s nature.’

In my past life, it seemed like his nature had completely consumed him.

But now, he appeared to be resisting it.

That said…

‘It’s only a matter of time before it devours him.’

Eventually, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Thinking about this made me sigh.

‘I should just stick to the original plan.’

Corrupt him into a demonic being and use him later.

That was why I had sought him out in the first place. But I hadn’t followed through.

‘Tch.’

The image of him, begging for death in guilt and remorse just days ago, flashed through my mind.

The memory irritated me.

‘Damn it. I shouldn’t have seen that.’

If I hadn’t seen those accursed eyes, I wouldn’t have hesitated.

But now, I had.

Tch.

Clicking my tongue in frustration, I noticed Seong Yul finishing dressing himself. He hesitated before speaking.

“Um…”

“What?”

“May I ask… what you want from me?”

“What?”

His cautious question made me smirk.

“Do you even know who I am?”

“I don’t. But I know you’re not an ordinary person.”

He seemed to have some grand misconception.

I wasn’t anything special.

‘Not even human anymore.’

I held back those unnecessary words.

“So, you’re just following someone you don’t even know?”

“…Because you told me to.”

Seong Yul said it plainly.

“And you didn’t even try to run?”

“There’s nowhere to run to.”

His calm voice carried a faint resignation.

“Besides… I didn’t think I could escape.”

“Hmm.”

He had concluded there was no point in trying to escape, knowing I wouldn’t let him go.

‘Smart.’

He was right. I wasn’t planning on letting him leave.

‘If necessary, I’d kill him.’

A Heavenly Killing Star was far too dangerous to let live unchecked.

Still…

‘What do I want from him?’

I thought about it.

“I don’t know.”

Nothing came to mind.

That wasn’t entirely true—there were things I wanted, but not now.

“And if I told you what I wanted, would it matter? Would you do it?”

“…I don’t know.”

Seong Yul shook his head.

“But… if it’s something I can do, I’ll try.”

I tilted my head at his answer.

“What nonsense is that? You don’t know who I am or what I’ll ask, yet you’re willing to agree?”

My original plan had been to corrupt him into a demonic being.

But here he was, willing to follow my orders?

It was absurd.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“…”

I scrutinized him, my curiosity growing.

After a moment, Seong Yul sighed and spoke.

“You know what’s wrong with me.”

Of course, I did.

The cursed nature of the Heavenly Killing Star—a thirst for blood and suffering that bordered on madness.

“If you can use me, even knowing what I am… then I’m okay with that.”

If someone like me needed him, that was enough for him.

“So, you’re saying… you’d rather do something than just sit around waiting?”

“…”

His tone carried a hint of resignation, almost as if he’d given up.

“Huh.”

Hearing his words, I thought to myself.

‘What an odd situation.’

The Sword Demon wasn’t fully consumed by madness yet.

If he were, corrupting him into a demon would’ve been straightforward.

But now, he was just… inconvenient.

‘A ticking time bomb.’

He seemed fine for now, but I couldn’t ignore the possibility that his madness could resurface.

If it did, it would likely be like the rampage he’d caused at the inn.

Knowing that made me consider my options.

It might be better to turn him into a demon right now.

‘No point in dragging this out.’

His guilt-ridden expression and the connection to the Qinghai Sword Master both lingered in my mind.

But those things didn’t matter.

The answer was clear.

Unless there was some way to suppress his Heavenly Killing Star’s nature, my options were limited.

‘And I don’t know of any way to do that.’

The Qinghai Sword Master must’ve had some reason, but I had no idea what it was.

Fine.

‘Let’s make this simple.’

If I wasn’t going to corrupt him, I’d have to kill him.

It was the logical choice.

Just as I reached for him…

Shaa—

“…!”

A presence behind me made me stop and turn sharply.

“What the…?”

Seong Yul looked at me, startled by my sudden movement.

“Uh, is something wrong…?”

“Be quiet.”

“…”

In the ensuing silence, I spread my internal energy outward.

Hwaaa—!

My energy swept over the surrounding area, and I immediately sensed two figures approaching quickly.

“Tsk.”

I frowned.

It was someone I recognized.

‘Why are they here?’

Though I didn’t understand, there was no time to think.

As soon as I confirmed the presence, I began to manipulate my energy.

Crack!

My bones began to shift.

“…Huh?”

Seong Yul could only utter a bewildered sound as he watched my body shrink and change.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of my bones realigning echoed.

My stature shrank, my build slimming down noticeably.

If you measured the difference, it was about a hand’s breadth in height.

“Whew…”

After finally finishing the transformation, I swept my hair back.

I glanced at the reflection in the water by the stream.

The first thing I noticed was the faint red tint in my eyes.

Thankfully, it seemed the transformation had gone as planned.

“…Wh-what…?”

Seong Yul stammered, clearly shocked at the sudden change in my appearance.

But now wasn’t the time to explain.

As I steadied my newly adjusted body, I could sense the presence getting closer.

Step.

The sound of footsteps rang out softly.

“Huh…?”

Then came a voice.

It was a woman’s, melodic and soft, yet tinged with surprise.

Hearing it, I turned my head to look in the direction of the voice.

“…What’s this?”

The woman’s eyes widened as soon as our gazes met.

Her face looked oddly familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Her slightly sharp, downturned eyes; her casually loose, dark hair; her small frame, draped in pristine white martial robes bearing a faint insignia—all of it struck me as familiar.

And above all…

Her face carried a resemblance to someone dear to me.

She was unable to hide her emotions as she looked at me.

“Why…”

The woman’s expression twisted in disbelief.

Then, she uttered something I hadn’t expected.

“…Brother? Why are you here?”

The woman who had appeared was none other than Gu Ga’s fourth child—

Gu Ryeonghwa.