Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 615

Occasionally, very occasionally, these memories surface.

It was when I had just passed my twentieth year.
Yes, around the same age as I am now.

Memories of the time when I barely survived by breathing in the Magyeong.

[Didn't I tell you? You're too slow to keep up.]

That was what the damn bastard said as he looked down at me, panting heavily.

Damn it.

[Huff... I can only keep up... huff... if I can, you crazy bastard.]

I could barely form words.
That was how completely drained I was.

Seeing me in that state, Woo Hyuk laughed and said,

[You just died three times to me.]

Once, my neck was cut during the first exchange.
The third time, I stumbled into a feint and died again.
The last was when I failed in a reckless charge, making it three.

It meant that every attempt I made had failed.

[Why not just kill me in one go? Why stretch it out to three, damn it.]

[I'm telling you, you need to think before you fight.]

[I did think, you bastard.]

[And do you not remember almost getting eaten alive because you rushed in last time?]

Not remembering? Bullshit. I remembered it all too clearly.
I had almost been chewed to bits and torn apart until the Sword Star and Woo Hyuk saved me.

[...It’s so embarrassing, damn it. You should’ve just let me die back there.]

I muttered in frustration, and Woo Hyuk flicked me hard on the head.
Thud-!

He hit me hard enough that my head spun.

[You crazy...!]

[Life isn't something you throw away so carelessly.]

I was about to snap back, but his words made me pause with a frown.
Because his eyes were unusually serious.

[I keep telling you, stop throwing yourself at things just because they don’t work.]

I couldn't understand it.

If no method or approach worked, wasn’t the only option to throw yourself into it at the end?

And beyond that,

‘My life isn’t precious.’

Why would I cherish something like this life?

Lives far more valuable than mine had already been lost in this land.

I hadn’t lived an upright life to justify treating my life as something precious.
I couldn’t understand his words.

Maybe that disbelief was written on my face.

Woo Hyuk sighed as he looked at me and said,

[Learn to control your temper.]

[That’s how I’ve been surviving so far.]

I meant it sincerely, but Woo Hyuk's expression soured in an instant.
What’s with this guy...?

[See? Look at yourself. You were about to get angry again just now.]

[It’s because your face looks like shit.]

[So what if someone's expression looks a bit off? Does that mean you have to get mad first?]

[If I hold it in, the stress will kill me, and I’ll die from that instead.]

[Considering you're a walking stress factory yourself, you'll probably survive just fine... Sorry. My hand's down. I apologized in three seconds.]

I ground my teeth and held back.
It wasn’t like hitting him would make any difference. And if I attacked recklessly, I’d just end up beaten instead.

[Please, whatever happens, hold it in three times. That way, you’ll survive.]

It was hard enough to hold back once, and now he wanted me to hold it in three times.
Back then, it sounded like sheer madness.

Even after hearing those words, there were hardly any days when I actually held back.
Not even up to the day Woo Hyuk died after saying those words.

Now, I live trying to abide by what he said back then.
But sometimes, doubts creep in.

Cherish your life, he said. Life isn’t something to be thrown away recklessly, he said.

Those words...

‘At least.’

...weren’t the kind of words Woo Hyuk should have been saying.

Because I knew from experience, having lived my life giving up on everything.
The eyes of Woo Hyuk, who advised me to cherish life, were already dead.

And Woo Hyuk threw his life away just as recklessly as I did.

The only difference was this:

‘I tossed mine away carelessly, while he burned himself up to save others.’

My life wasn’t precious.
So I’d live as I pleased and die as I pleased.

That was me.

My life wasn’t precious.
So I’d use it to save others.

That was Woo Hyuk.

For all our similarities,
We were fundamentally different.

And so, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Even if I lived like a piece of trash,
Why did you, who lived under Wudang's blessing and the world's attention,
Have such hollow eyes?

Moreover,

‘Why did you feel a sense of kinship with me?’

Why did you extend a hand to a nobody like me and call me your friend?

These were questions I’d never find answers to, since you had died.

And so, the realization I’ve come to while living on is this:

‘In the end, you were right.’

I was wrong.
Woo Hyuk was right.

Cherish your life.
Don’t throw it away recklessly.

That might not have been what he was trying to say, but
I now understood that my life had its own value.

Even if that value...

Thud-!

‘...wasn’t for living for myself.’

Swish-!

Swish-!

The qi of Wudang.
Its unique clear and pure energy blended with the flow, amplifying its strength.

Wudang’s defense isn’t about being unbreakable.
It’s about calmly redirecting and letting everything flow away.

Movements that seem leisurely yet swift.

Crunch-!

As weight pressed down on the foot crushing the ground beneath, the sword moved.
It would be accurate to describe it as flowing.

Clear. And beautiful.

Far more so than the swordsmanship of the elders I encountered in Wudang.

Abandoning idle thoughts, emptying my mind, and letting everything flow freely.
Woo Hyuk’s sword embodied the philosophy of Wudang.

Slash-!

The tip of the sword grazed my cheek.
Blood spattered.

Feeling that, I smiled.

‘You crazy bastard.’

Everyone... everyone.
Just a few years apart, and they all turn into monsters.

Woo Hyuk had already surpassed the wall.

When I first met him, he was at the pinnacle.
When we parted ways, he was at the fully matured peak.

Now, he was at the brink of Hwagyeong.

He hadn’t crossed it entirely yet, but it wouldn’t take long for him to do so.

‘This is ridiculous.’

It was absurd.

In my previous life, they weren’t growing this quickly.

Tang So-yeol, Yeongpung...

For some reason, the growth rates of the new generation feel like they’ve completely diverged.

‘While someone like me has to scrape by with every opportunity, barely managing to keep up.’

Where are they even getting all these realizations?

Whoosh-!

I changed my footwork.

I stepped back half a step. At that moment, the sword grazed my neck.

By the time I sent my gaze forward, the sword had already disappeared.
Having failed, he had already withdrawn it.

Thump-! Heat rose to my eyes, and my heart began to race.

I activated my Eternal Bind (Gui-jeong).

Hwaaa-!

From Woo Hyuk’s body, countless lines of death burst forth.

Simultaneously, stars poured forth from the tip of his flowing sword.

The stars were the traces left by the sword.
There were so many that it resembled the night sky.

“You’ve grown stronger.”
I could feel it as I watched.

But.

Thankfully, I was still stronger for now.

‘Guyeomhwaryungong (俱炎態輪牙).’

Hwaaaa—!!

The azure flames emanating from my body quickly enveloped the surroundings. Whirling flames surged forth, consuming everything in their path.

“…!”

Woo Hyuk hesitated as he stepped back.
His eyes were gauging the range of the flames.
Seeing this, I shifted the flow of my energy.

‘In war, you know.’

There are times when you face countless opponents.

In those situations, my abilities proved to be an overwhelming advantage.
As I spewed out countless flames to burn others,

‘Adaptation.’

I sometimes modified my martial arts to suit my preferences.

This was the result of that adaptation.

Guyeomtailunhwa (俱炎態輪化).

Huuuuuuuu—!!

The massive ring of flames coursing through my body began to transform.
Splitting further and further, into dozens, then hundreds of smaller pieces.

The fragmented fireballs gradually took on sharper shapes.
Yes, they eventually settled into forms resembling arrowheads.

Woo Hyuk’s eyes widened as he watched.
The sheer volume of flames was enough to obscure his vision.

I pointed a finger at him.

And in an instant—

Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!

Countless fiery projectiles floating in the sky poured down toward Woo Hyuk.

Kugugugung—!!

An enormous explosion erupted in the snowy field.
Flames burst forth, scattering energy in all directions.

Each time, my heart pounded harder and harder.

‘Tsk….’

I was running low on energy.
The internal energy I had depleted last time hadn’t fully recovered.

That was the reason.

Sshaaak—!

The reason Woo Hyuk could withstand this.

Shiiiiiiik—!!

Shaaaaaaak—!!!

An incredible speed of the sword.
Numerous arcs of qi-laden strikes were blocking all the flames.

Slash after slash carved through the air.

The marks left behind formed what looked like a circular barrier.

Kwagagagang—!!

As if to miss nothing, he deflected every single flame.
The speed and precision were unnerving.

“Wow.”

Watching him, I suddenly had a premonition.

If the world truly finds peace,
And we manage to prevent the bloodshed,

‘The competition for the title of Sword King will be fierce.’

Whoever succeeds Namgung Jin and earns the title of Sword King will undoubtedly be incredibly strong.

Whether it’s Yeongpung, Seong Yul, Woo Hyuk, or anyone else, it’ll be a spectacle.

Thinking of this—

Whoosh—!

I leapt forward and charged toward Woo Hyuk.

“…!”

Even as he blocked the flames, Woo Hyuk shifted his gaze to my advancing figure.

Swoosh—!

The speed of his sword increased.

As a result, the barrier thickened.
Was this to prevent me from approaching easily?

Not a bad choice.

He had to block the flames, too, after all.

‘But.’

—Even among those swift sword paths, there’s bound to be an opening.

The Heart Eye (Sim-an) technique I learned from Paejon told me so.

My eyes burned hot.
Amid the chaotic sword trajectories, a faint glimmer passed through.

That was it.

In the midst of the frenzied flurry of blades,
I reached out without hesitation.

Then—

Crack—!

“Guhh!!”

My hand pierced through the barrier and seized Woo Hyuk’s neck.

And I yanked him out.

Kuaaaaaa—!!

The cascading flames swept across the ground.

Kwagagagagang—!!!

Devouring everything except for ‘us.’

The flames, which had poured down for a long while, finally stopped.
Amid the rising smoke,

I lifted the Woo Hyuk I had grabbed.

“Hey.”

“Guhh…”

Woo Hyuk gasped for breath.
His condition didn’t look great.

Though he hadn’t sustained fatal injuries, it seemed he hadn’t been able to block all the flames and had taken a few hits.

“Does it hurt?”

I asked indifferently, and Woo Hyuk replied in a rough voice.

“…Haa… haa… yeah… it hurts a lot.”

“You just died more than three times in this fight.”

I couldn’t help but find it amusing as I spoke.
Because those were the words Woo Hyuk had once said to me.

“…I know. I know very well.”

Hearing my words, Woo Hyuk laughed.
Back then, I hadn’t been able to laugh.

“…As expected, you’re strong. You’ve become much stronger than before.”

“Hearing that from you makes my conscience sting a bit.”

This guy was a true genius.
Every time I heard such words from people like him, the tiny shred of my remaining conscience ached.

“Well, that aside.”

“Why did you do it?”

“...”

“It’s all fine. In life, there are times when you might start a rebellion. That’s just how it is, isn’t it?”

If you’re dissatisfied, you could even overturn a nation.
That much, I could accept. But—

“You weren’t supposed to stand in my way.”

Woo Hyuk had taken up his sword and truly tried to fight me.

“If you do that, you’ll die. You know that, right?”

Did he think he could defeat me?
No, Woo Hyuk wouldn’t have thought that.

Then did he think I couldn’t kill him?

‘That’s half-right.’

It was true.
I couldn’t kill Woo Hyuk.

Partly because I thought of him as a friend.
And because Woo Hyuk was too valuable to kill.

But—

‘That’s only true.’

When Woo Hyuk was still ‘Woo Hyuk’ to me.

The guy who tried to protect pathetic me.
The guy who held onto an inexplicable conviction even in dire situations.

The guy who, at the very least, wouldn’t stand in my way.

That was the Woo Hyuk I knew.

But—

‘Are you still Woo Hyuk?’

Or are you now this Vioe-gun I don’t understand?
Even if the being was the same, it didn’t mean he was the same person to me.

“Tell me. Why are you doing this?”

So I asked.
Looking into Woo Hyuk’s eyes, I asked.

“...”

But this time, too, Woo Hyuk didn’t answer.
He just stared silently at me.

‘Hmm.’

I was about to say something more but shut my mouth.

The eyes Woo Hyuk had right now—
They were too familiar.
Those were eyes I’d seen somewhere before, so very familiar.

Where had I seen that gaze?

I thought about it briefly, and before long, I realized.

‘Ah.’

Yes, that look. I knew where I’d seen it.

‘It’s the same as mine.’

The eyes I had in my previous life.
Though Woo Hyuk’s still seemed a little clearer for now.

Which meant—

‘Should I kill him?’

It meant his condition wasn’t good.

He was barely holding on, clinging to his collapsing sanity after giving up on everything.

Maybe Woo Hyuk was already too far gone.

As that thought passed through my mind—

Grip

Strength tightened in my hand.

And at that moment—

[Hold back three times.]

“...”

The damn words rang in my ears.

“Tsk.”

Whoosh—!

I threw Woo Hyuk away.

Thud—! Roll, roll.

“Ugh…!”

Woo Hyuk rolled helplessly through the snowfield.
Without properly gathering his qi, the ground was full of marks from his movements.
Looking at that, I spoke.

“Get lost. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Leaving those words for Woo Hyuk, I turned to walk in the direction where Namgung Bi-ah was.

Rustle.

I heard movement behind me and turned back.

There, Woo Hyuk was once again rising to his feet.
If only it had ended there.

Swish.

He once again pointed his sword at me.

Seeing that, I had to press my temples.
Was this his way of saying he wouldn’t let it end quietly?

“…You’re really going to die. Stop this already.”

I spoke in warning.

“Just kill me.”

Woo Hyuk spoke firmly as he looked at me.

“I can’t let you go there. Just kill me instead.”
“Hah.”

I spat out a curse and steadied my energy.

“You bastard.”

I see now.
This leaves no choice.

In that case—

“Fine then. Just die.”

There seemed to be only one way forward.

I moved.
Woo Hyuk leapt toward me at the same time.

The tip of his sword was sharp. It was a sign that he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

I could feel his sincerity.
Seeing that, I wrapped flames around my palm.

Yeomok (炎鈺).

A blue jewel of flames formed in my hand.

Sssshhh—! A significant amount of my energy drained.
It was my way of saying I intended to end this in one strike, too.

Clutching the Yeomok, I rushed toward Woo Hyuk.
And he forced his staggering sword upright as he charged at me.

The killing intent wrapped around the tip of his sword.
Seeing that, I swung my hand, sending the Yeomok toward Woo Hyuk.

Just as we were about to reach each other—

I saw it.

Woo Hyuk’s sword, reaching out toward me.

Ssssss...

At the very last moment, he released its strength.

Seeing that, I thought—

‘Right.’

I wasn’t surprised.

‘I knew you would.’

I had known from the beginning.

Seeing that, just before the Yeomok could touch Woo Hyuk’s body—

Fwoosh!

I withdrew the energy of the Yeomok.

“What…?”

Woo Hyuk looked startled as he noticed.

Grip!

I grabbed his sword and plunged it into my body.

Puuuk—!

A chilling sound came from my abdomen.

“…!!”

The blade pierced through my flesh.

Blood trickled down the sword’s edge, dripping to the ground.

“Ah…!!”

Woo Hyuk’s eyes widened in shock at what had happened.

As he hurriedly tried to pull the sword out—

Grip—!!

I held it tight to stop him from withdrawing it.

“You…!”

“Three times.”

I interrupted him.

“You told me to hold back three times. I held back about four times this time. Did I do well?”

Woo Hyuk’s eyes were filled with confusion and doubt, unable to comprehend my words.

Seeing that, I spoke.

“I’ve experienced it myself, you know…”

Blood continued to flow from my mouth, but—
Feeling that, I instead grinned widely at Woo Hyuk.

“This is the fastest way to knock some sense into someone.”

This was something I experienced myself in my past life.

It was something I learned directly from my father.