Chapter 327: The Abyss (2)This happened just after the hands-on training test had started.
Cheol Jiseon followed Jang Seonyeon, but he was very hesitant about it.
This feeling of unease had been with him for days.
Moreover,
It’s not too late to turn back...
Despite continuing to make his way, his mind was a tangled mess of thoughts.
The Meteor Sword remained silent, but the oppressive atmosphere he exuded sent cold sweat trickling down Cheol Jiseon’s spine.
Even in the silence, Cheol Jiseon could sense it.
Dark emotions seemed to radiate from the Meteor Sword.
The tension was so palpable that Cheol Jiseon kept quiet out of fear.
This is the Meteor Sword?
Cheol Jiseon’s first impression of him had been poor, yet he was the son of the Alliance Leader.
The Meteor Sword had a reputation for kindness, but his current demeanor was entirely different.
At this point, I’d rather...
A familiar face flashed in Cheol Jiseon’s mind.
The man had the fierce look of someone from the Unorthodox Faction, but he carried an air of honesty.
...Instead of him.
Cheol Jiseon halted his steps.
He had been commanded to follow Jang Seonyeon’s every order, but it wasn’t something Cheol Jiseon could bring himself to do.
To open the gate right underneath where a person is standing...?
The memory of his childhood resurfaced.
Flames consumed the land, swallowing houses whole, and his father stood amidst the inferno.
He had screamed in despair until his voice broke, and his sister had held him close, comforting him until the end.
After that day, his mother never treated him the same, making the memory a living nightmare for Cheol Jiseon.
...But he is telling me to do such a thing again with my own hands...?
His fists clenched tightly.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, sliding down to the tip of his nose.
Lost in the grip of his past memories, Cheol Jiseon didn’t notice...
“Master Cheol.”
The Meteor Sword’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“...!”
Jang Seonyeon must have noticed his hesitation, because he called his name.
Cheol Jiseon turned to Jang Seonyeon in shock, instinctively covering his mouth.
The look in Jang Seonyeon’s eyes was utterly terrifying.
“You seem to be hesitant.”
The Meteor Sword said to Cheol Jiseon.
“N-Not at all.”
Hearing Cheol Jiseon’s unsteady reply, Jang Seonyeon’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Yet, to Cheol Jiseon, that smile was more chilling than comforting.
“You’ve come too far to hesitate now,”
“...”
“We both have our own desires.”
With that, Jang Seonyeon turned his head away.
My desires...
Jang Seonyeon’s words made Cheol Jiseon reflect on his own desires.
The revival of my clan.
To clear the false accusations that had tainted his clan, and to bring his back into the Orthodox Faction.
‘...And for my sister’s happiness.
He wanted his sister to live a happy life.
That was all he wanted.
He wanted to achieve the dreams his father couldn’t.
My sister...
I will cure her illness.
That was why he had journeyed to the Central Plains.
Jang Seonyeon had promised to help him restore the Zhuge Clan.
Though he hadn’t mentioned anything about his sister, if Jang Seonyeon had, Cheol Jiseon would have accepted without a second thought.
...If I didn’t meet the True Dragon that is.
Yes, that would’ve been the case if he didn’t meet him.
Putting aside the fact that he had the intention to kill him, the True Dragon’s presence alone was overwhelming.
His mere presence at the Heavenly Dragon Academy spoke volumes.
Cheol Jiseon was initially shocked by the arrival of blood relatives from all Four Noble Clans, especially given that this year’s Young Prodigies were said to have the greatest potential in the Academy’s history.
Most of the Six Dragons and the Three Phoenixes attended the Academy, and each one exuded an extraordinary presence.
But that wasn’t all.
There was the Sword Dancer of the Namgung Clan, famed for her breathtaking beauty.
Then there was the Meteor Sword, the son of the Alliance Leader, whose name had been on everyone’s lips lately.
Even the descendant of the Sword Venerable, who had vanished after his retirement, was present.
There were unbelievable monsters here.
And yet, in just two months, the one who had made the greatest impact was none other than the True Dragon.
He had not only secured the top spot in the entrance exams but had also defeated an instructor on his very first day at the Academy.
The True Dragon seemed to be at the center of every major incident at the Academy, as though he were a harbinger of storms.
...Because of him, I became the Mad Dog or whatever.
The thought made Cheol Jiseon grind his teeth, but that wasn’t what mattered now.
The True Dragon didn’t act superior or aloof.
Countless rumors surrounded him, most of them negative, yet he appeared completely indifferent.
He paid no mind to the rumors, as if other people’s opinions didn’t concern him in the slightest.
But he never tolerated anyone who insulted his friends.
Once, someone spread a rumor about the Poison Phoenix, and the True Dragon hunted him down, beating him to a pulp when he found him.
He had said, “Do that again, and I’ll burn your mouth so you’ll never speak another word.”
Those who witnessed it knew immediately he wasn’t bluffing.
The killing intent he radiated had filled the entire room.
This is why Cheol Jiseon referred to the True Dragon as honest.
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