Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 757

“You must find a way immediately.”

As the attack raged on, complicated discussions were taking place inside the pavilion.

The surroundings remained covered by the barrier, and despite their efforts, they were still unable to break through it.

Even so, they couldn’t afford to remain idle.
Gathering their wits, they began formulating a plan to overcome the situation.

“…Ubong Chwigye, have you discovered anything?”

The head of the Taebaek Sect, Wuogeom, addressed Ubong Chwigye.
The latter had been scrutinizing the barrier for some time now.

Perhaps he had identified a weakness? That was the hopeful expectation behind the inquiry.

“…I did find something.”

“Huh?”

“Really?!”

Expressions immediately brightened at Ubong Chwigye’s response.
Could it be that there was hope after all?

Just as a glimmer of optimism began to spread—

“I found it, but….”

Ubong Chwigye added with a troubled expression,

“Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, this isn’t my area of expertise… it’s going to take quite a while.”

“Still, the fact that it’s possible is something, isn’t it? At least there’s a method….”

“How long are we talking about?”

If it was described as ‘long,’ perhaps half a day?

That’s what most of them thought.

“…Two days.”

“What?”

“…Wh-what did you just say?”

The time Ubong Chwigye proposed was far longer than anyone had anticipated.

Two days? Two whole days? What kind of nonsense was this?

Expressions filled with disbelief turned toward Ubong Chwigye.

“Didn’t I say I wasn’t confident? Are you all blind? Your glares are sharp enough to stab me!”

The old man shouted with a distorted expression.

“The rules reinforcing this barrier are too intricate. It looks like a formation, but one wrong move and the whole thing could reset.”

The Beggars’ Sect prioritized intelligence over brute strength.
And as someone who stood at the highest rank within the sect, Ubong Chwigye knew a thing or two about formations.

Fortunately, the barrier before them wasn’t entirely impenetrable.
With a bit of knowledge, it could be unraveled.

However—

“This is ridiculously complicated….”

It was only visible.

In practical terms, it was like trying to untangle a massive, knotted thread.

The complexity of the structure made the task seem utterly daunting.

“Ugh.”

Unless one was a true expert in formations, there was only so much Ubong Chwigye could do with his limited knowledge.

“Two days… two days is too long.”
“Shouldn’t we look for another way?”

Time was of the essence.

They had no idea what was happening outside, and this place was far from safe.
They had to find a way out—somehow.

“Even if the barrier absorbs internal energy, it must have limits, right? What if we keep attacking it?”

“That’s far too dangerous. What if the barrier destabilizes and the absorbed energy explodes?”

“Come now, Lord Cheol. Isn’t that a bit far-fetched? What kind of technique even does that…?”

“Do you know what kind of technique this barrier is? You’d have to be completely ignorant to think you can just brute-force your way through it. If you’re going to talk, at least make some sense….”

“What? Ignorant? You bastard—!”

The tension in the room escalated.
Their disagreement had cracked their fragile unity.

In their agitated state, the atmosphere grew increasingly volatile.

Martial energy flared within the barrier, threatening to erupt into violence at any moment.

And then—

“Gah !”

“…!”

A harsh shout swept through the space.
All eyes widened in surprise.

The voice belonged to none other than the Sword Emperor, who had remained silent until now.

As his intimidating energy subdued the surroundings,

The Sword Emperor closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.

In the sudden calm, another voice broke the silence.

It was the Sword Saint.

“Leader… please proceed with the attempt.”

“…You mean to unlock the formation?”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd at the Sword Saint’s request.

“But, Leader… Ubong Chwigye said it would take two days….”

“Do you have any other methods right now?”

“…”

The speaker flinched.
There was no denying the logic in the Sword Saint’s words.

“If we’re going to find a way, we need to start somewhere. Whether it takes two days or three… we have to begin.”

“…You’re right.”

Better to act and think as they moved.
Heads began to nod in agreement.

“…I’m counting on you.”

“…”

Acknowledging the leader’s request, Ubong Chwigye also gave a reluctant nod.

“I’ll say this again—whatever happens, I take no responsibility.”

The weight of the situation was crushing.
But there was no other choice.

With a deep sigh, Ubong Chwigye reached out toward the barrier.

However—

Thud.

His hand stopped just short of the barrier.

Close enough to touch, yet—

He couldn’t move.

Neither could anyone else.
All around, bodies froze as heads turned instinctively.

Their gazes focused on the same point.

It was some distance away, in the center of Hanam.

Nothing could be seen, yet every person there felt it.

“…Something’s coming….”

“…What is this…?”

Something was approaching.

Thump—! Thump—!

Their hearts began to pound wildly, as if warning them.

An overwhelming sense of dread filled the air.

And then—

Boom!

Whooosh—!!!

A powerful shockwave erupted as a massive beam of light descended from afar.

The light burst from a pattern carved into the sky, crashing into the earth below.

Despite the distance, the sheer intensity of the spectacle was visible even from where they stood.

“…What in the world is that—?!”

“What the hell is going on?!”

No one knew.
But one thing was certain—

“…We need to get out of here.”

Whether to head toward the light or to flee in the opposite direction,

They couldn’t stay here.

“…Damn it…!”

“We have to do something—anything…!”

As panic spread,

“Wait!”

Someone pointed beyond the barrier.

A few turned to look, but most were still captivated by the pillar of light.

“What?”

“Who… is that?”

Their reactions were grim.

And with good reason.

Someone was approaching the barrier.

Staggering and struggling to move forward.
Blood dripped from their body as they crawled closer, their movements heavy with pain.

The problem was—

“…Why is she here?”

Most of them recognized her.

An elderly woman with white hair and a frail figure.

She had been responsible for overseeing the sect’s entire formation network.

Bima Pa, the leader of the Wind Dragon Corps.

And now, the master of formations was stumbling toward them, battered and broken.

 
   ******************
   

Rumble—!!!

The pillar of light pouring down was a spectacle to behold.

I had never seen such an overwhelming flood of light before, nor could I have created anything so awe-inspiring, even with all my internal energy.

It was a sight that was both magnificent and terrifying.

“T-that….”

“Run…! Run for your lives!”

The impossible was unfolding before their eyes.
Realizing this, several people had already begun fleeing in a panic.

Most were civilians, but even martial artists were among them. Then again, faced with such a scene, did it matter whether one was a civilian or a martial artist?

In the past, I might have run away too.

‘The direction’s clear, so there’s no need to stop them.’

They were running in the right direction, so there was no reason to interfere.

Rumble—!!

For now, this was the least of my concerns.

I narrowed my eyes and focused solely on the pillar.

‘…Interesting.’

It was definitely unusual.
The sheer amount of light pouring down from the pattern in the sky was remarkable.

‘That much light is hitting the ground, yet there’s almost no damage?’

Despite the barrage of light raining down, the ground remained unscathed—no cracks, no debris.
How was that possible?

Was it unable to penetrate the surface?
I didn’t think so.

‘If that were the case, the impact wouldn’t be so straight.’

I didn’t need to look closely to know it was striking the ground with immense force.

So, was it piercing straight through without leaving a trace?

That didn’t seem right either.

‘…Hmm.’

I couldn’t figure it out.
Even using my spiritual insight revealed nothing.

The only thing I could be certain of—

‘It’s dangerous.’

That light was incredibly dangerous.
Just looking at it made every instinct scream at me to be on high alert.

Much like the people who ran earlier, I felt the same urge.

Run now—run before it’s too late.

Every fiber of my being warned me, but—

‘…Run away now? That’s ridiculous.’

Running away at this point wasn’t an option.
Not when there was a mountain of problems left to handle.

And more importantly—

‘If I don’t secure what I need here, everything else will fall apart.’

This was the core of the plan.
Everything else could be fixed, adjusted, or replaced.

But this? This was non-negotiable.
It had to be done, no matter what.

“…Young Master….”

A voice called out from beside me.
One of the martial artists from the Hwangbo Clan.

“We just received word. Lady Nahi has completed her preparations.”

I nodded.

‘Good.’

Thankfully, things seemed to be proceeding without any hiccups on that end.
The man continued, as if providing additional updates.

“And… there’s been confirmation of movement from the Wind Dragon Corps’ leader near the pavilion… but…”

“Leave that alone. Tell them not to interfere.”

“Yes, sir.”

It seemed the Wind Dragon Corps’ leader was finally making a move.
I took a deep breath, calmly assessing the situation.

Things weren’t straying far from the plan.
In fact, they were unfolding rather favorably.

Except—

‘Where the hell is the Tang Deok?’

What the hell is that bastard doing?
Tang Deok should’ve shown up by now, but there was no sign of him.

‘Tsk.’

Was it because I hadn’t given clearer instructions?
This could be a problem.

‘…It’ll be fine.’

It wasn’t a critical issue—at least not yet.
I chose to trust that things would work out.

Whoosh—!

I expanded my energy senses.
I needed to check if anyone else was nearby.

My senses swept outward in an instant.
Several presences entered my range.

‘Not civilians. Definitely martial artists.’

I couldn’t determine the exact number due to the urgency, but there were a lot of them, and they were heading this way.
Most likely drawn by the pillar of light.

I examined them carefully, looking for the one I had been waiting for.

‘…Not yet.’

Unfortunately, the person I was expecting wasn’t among them.

“Tsk.”

Why the hell is she late again?
Everything about her is irritating.

‘Maybe I should just wipe the slate clean.’

There’s no need for disobedient pawns.
I needed to keep making my moves.

“Hoo.”

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.

The tension was palpable.
When emotions waver, the body stiffens, and the discomfort seeps into the muscles.

I swung my hand.

Smack—!!

“Y-Young Master?!”

The man beside me flinched in shock.
I had just slapped myself across the face with full force.

Drip—

Blood trickled from my split lip, and my cheek began to swell slightly.
It was just enough.

Spit.

I spat out the blood and loosened my shoulders.

“Better.”

This was the best way to shake off nerves.
If I had made a mistake, it was hitting myself a bit too hard—my teeth felt loose.

Using the shock to clear my mind, I pulled a pouch from my robes and retrieved a pill.

It was none other than a Dokcheon Pill.

Sssss—!!!

The pill immediately dissolved, and its energy flooded into my heart.
The internal energy I had burned through earlier began to replenish itself.

To think I was using a top-tier pill like Dokcheon just to recharge my energy.

Even I thought it was absurd, but there was no other choice.

This was the fastest method available.

“Hm.”

I clenched and opened my fists a few times to test the results.
The pill was as effective as expected.

I had recovered a decent amount of energy.
What a luxury.

As I stabilized my qi and continued adjusting my flow—

“Young Master!”

A loud voice called out from the distance.
It seemed she had finally arrived.

I turned with a deeply furrowed brow.

“That damned wench. Didn’t I tell her to come straight here—!”

I was about to let loose with irritation when—

The person I had been waiting for appeared.

Short, jet-black hair.
Bong Soon, holding her staff, had arrived.

“Sorry—!! But this unni wanted to come along, so we’re a bit late!”

She smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
While she was the one I’d been waiting for, my eyes immediately shifted past her.

“You….”

“…Hi….”

Silver-blue hair swayed as she waved awkwardly.
For some reason, she was wearing my martial robe.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have mattered.
But right now—this woman had essentially become one of my lifelines.

My eyes widened at the absurdity of the situation.
This wasn’t a place she should’ve been.

I was certain I had told her explicitly not to leave the safe zone.

“Why the hell are you—!”

I started shouting, anger boiling over when—

Thunk—!

“…!”

Damn it. Even that was interrupted.

My head immediately turned back toward the pillar of light.

“Shit.”

My brows furrowed deeply.

The overwhelming energy that had been pouring down moments ago had completely vanished.

I had expected to see a massive crater, but instead, the ground was perfectly smooth.

Where the hell did all that light go?

If it hadn’t penetrated into the ground, then what had happened to it?

The question burned in my mind, but the answer came quickly.

Something was there—
on the spotless ground.

I squinted, focusing my gaze to get a clearer look.

“That’s….”

A white mass.

An unfamiliar white lump sat at the center.

It wasn’t much larger than an adult man, and its shape resembled an egg.

What the hell was that?

Was this the sealed dragon that Pillduma had mentioned?

It seemed too small for that.

While those thoughts swirled—

Sss… Sssss…

The lump began to change.

‘Threads…?’

Thin, delicate threads were unraveling from the mass.
Slowly, they began weaving together to form a shape.

Compared to the size of the lump, the emerging figure was far larger.

What would happen if it were left alone?

Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing while staring at the spectacle—

Shiiiing—!!!

Boom!

Kuaaaaaa—!!!

Before anyone could finish their thoughts, a sudden strike hammered the lump.

Flames erupted, accompanied by an enormous explosion.
And that wasn’t the end.

Shing—! Shiiing—!!!

Flashes of light kept raining down in rapid succession.

Fwoooosh! Kuaaaaaa—!!!

The continuous blasts were so intense that the temperature in the area shifted dramatically.

Everyone turned to look at me, their faces filled with shock.

“…What?”

Why were they looking at me like that?

I immediately shouted,

“It’s obviously transforming—why the hell are you just standing there staring? Are you insane?”

Some might’ve called it romantic to watch something like this unfold.

Romantic? My ass.

That kind of sentiment would get us all killed.