Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 627

Greed.

A fundamental desire, an emotion inherent to all living beings.

Even the Shaolin, one of the esteemed nine orthodox sects, seek to transcend such desires, yet to me, desire is the essence of life itself.

The drive for humans to progress—

The struggle to obtain and conquer—

Be it material greed, the thirst for honor, or even primal lust—

Whatever it may be, it is ultimately desire.

To me, it is the most primal aspect of humanity.

Which makes one wonder—

"Is it any different for dragons?"

Be it their bloodline or Yuseon herself, who arrogantly proclaimed her greatness, they were no exception.

In my eyes, dragons are no different from humans.

If anything, they are even more transparent in their desires, not beings devoid of them.

Otherwise—

"They wouldn’t possess such instinctual power."

This thought crossed my mind as I gazed at the unfolding scene.

Crrraack!

A bone-chilling sound drew my focus.

It was black.

A world of deep black interwoven with faint traces of blue spread before me.

"Fascinating."

It was my first time witnessing this directly, and the sight was refreshing.

"So, this is…"

Authority.

It evoked a variety of emotions.

Unlike the dragon's speech, the rapid regeneration, or the near-perfect body I possessed as a human—

"This is the real deal."

This wasn’t a level of martial prowess that could be attained through training.

It was pure power, intrinsic to one’s very existence.

When I opened my eyes, I instinctively understood that Authority now coursed through me.

Yes, instinctively, I knew.

That I had Authority.

What kind of power it held, how it could be wielded—

What conditions were needed.

I didn’t need to experiment or test it to understand most of it.

Unlike the powers I’d gained before, which required relentless practice to uncover their secrets,

This power was absurdly convenient.

"Utterly unfair."

I couldn’t help but find the situation unreasonable.

The martial arts I had painstakingly refined over years,

The energy I had meticulously built up, consuming and accumulating it bit by bit—

All of it felt trampled upon simply because I had become a dragon.

It was utterly unfair.

Perhaps that’s why—

My unease seemed intertwined with this power, which had been shaped by my deepest desire.

This power seemed designed not for use against humans but solely against dragons.

Authority reflects its master, after all. Perhaps that’s why it took this form.

That’s what I believed.

Crrrack!

From my pierced heart, a shadowy force began to envelop everything around me.

It consumed the entire room, leaving no light to penetrate.

Dark and oppressive,

It was filled with an unmistakable emotion.

Greed.

That was the name of my Authority.

Crunch!
Crrrack!

A sound of something being chewed and swallowed reverberated.

It was unpleasant, to say the least.

Thump!

The heart pierced by Yuseon’s hand pulsed.

Thud-thud!

Despite being shattered, my heart continued to beat steadily.

Could dragons truly survive even when their vital points were destroyed?

"Of course not."

The thought made me chuckle.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

It was only because of the peculiar circumstances that I could endure it now.

Crrrrack!

The consuming darkness devoured the surroundings for a while.

And then—

Hrrruuummph.

As if satisfied with its meal, it let out a deep burp.

At that moment, cracks began forming in the engulfing darkness.

Craaaack!

The shadows shattered and crumbled—

Sssshhhh!

And were soon drawn back into my heart.

It took only a few seconds.

As the darkness receded, the world returned to its original state.

But—

It was not quite the same as before.

I turned my gaze to my arm.

Though my shoulder had been blown apart,

My arm was now fully restored, as was my pierced chest.

It was the same as before—

When my mangled body had returned to normal after the collapse of that space.

I dusted off my chest and surveyed the surroundings.

I wasn’t surprised.

I had anticipated this outcome.

"Ugh…!"

Thud-thud!

The sound drew my attention.

There lay Yuseon, collapsed near her throne, coughing up blood.

Though she had been gripping my neck just moments ago,

Though she had been so close to me within the darkness,

Now she lay sprawled near the throne, a pool of blood forming beneath her.

"Keuh… kuhuhk."

Drip! Blood dripped from her mouth, staining the floor.

With trembling arms, she raised herself and looked at me.

Her gaze was filled with disbelief.

"…What just… What did you do—!"

I didn’t wait for her to finish.

I stepped forward and delivered a swift kick to her face.

Smack!

"Guh!"

Her head snapped back, blood splattering from the impact.

Her long white hair whipped through the air, and without hesitation, I grabbed it.

I swung her by her hair and hurled her backward.

Whoosh!
Crash!

Her body smashed into a massive pillar, shattering it.

Rumble!

The debris collapsed, burying her underneath.

I flexed my left hand slightly.

Fwoosh! Flames immediately flared up around it.

I could feel it—

The heat was far more intense than before.

Judging by the sensation, the flame’s power had nearly doubled.

Hum!

I gathered the flames into my palm, compressing them.

The process was smoother than ever, the flames deeper and heavier.

As I infused my intent into the flames, they began to spin.

Whirrrrrr!

The flames resonated with the spinning rings of my Guyeomhwaryungong technique.

"Flame Orb."

I hurled the compressed flame orb with all my strength.

The orb streaked toward Yuseon, striking the pile of debris.

Boom!

A small tremor preceded—

KA-BOOOM!

An enormous explosion that tore through the palace walls, scattering debris.

Crash!

Cold air rushed in through the gaping hole in the wall, and I looked out.

Whoosh…

The rain outside continued to pour relentlessly.

I turned and walked forward.

Crackle!

Amid the burning rubble, I sensed movement.

Rustle…

It was Yuseon.

She was slowly pulling herself out from beneath the debris, her body trembling.

"Keuh… kuhuhk."

Her disheveled appearance, bleeding profusely, was pitiful.

I noticed her left hand—

Blackened, charred from the flames.

"Did she block the flame orb with that hand?"

It seemed she had sacrificed her hand to fend off the attack.

Despite her battered state, Yuseon glared at me with frost in her eyes.

She extended her uninjured right hand toward me, and—

"Despair !"

Her fingertips glowed as she tried to unleash something.

But—

Crunch!

"…!"

A shadowy force emerged from my own shadow, devouring her light.

Her shocked expression turned to a grimace as she glared at me.

"What… What did you just do?!"

Her disbelief was clear.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.

"Fascinating, isn’t it?"

"…What in the world…!"

"You’re wondering why your Authority doesn’t work, aren’t you?"

"…!"

Her widened eyes and bitten lips confirmed my guess.

I glanced around at the palace.

My gaze moved slowly, surveying the damage.

And soon, I saw it—

The corridor.

More specifically, the edge of the area once tainted by my shadowy aura.

Beyond it, an unusual ripple distorted the air.

"To be precise…"

I thought to myself,

"The parts consumed by my power have returned to their original state."

With that realization, I turned my gaze back to Yuseon.

"There were plenty of strange things."

"…"

The first moment of doubt was, naturally,

When I met Yuseon for the first time.

Breaking through an inexplicable barrier, only to find Woo Hyuk’s childhood garden beyond—

That much was fine.

Whether it was sorcery or a formation, I couldn’t understand it as a simple-minded fighter.

What matters is this:

"What did I feel?"

When my arm was torn off, when I was on the brink of death, and when Yuseon’s supposed mercy saved me, the sensation was—

It was eerily similar to Amwang’s domain, to his Authority.

But that wasn’t all.

"The people here couldn’t even navigate the palace properly," I said aloud.

I had barged straight into the Palace moments ago. Naturally, I expected a fight.

I was prepared for resistance. I didn’t plan to demolish everything, but I came knowing I’d face battles.

"The outer garden and entrance were fine."

But as soon as I set foot in the main palace,

No one seemed to even register my presence.

It was an odd situation.

Could they all have been under some sort of spell? Or was it—

"Did someone cast something over the entire palace?"

Yuseon didn’t respond.

Her glare only intensified.

The more I observed, the more familiar this sensation felt—the strangeness permeating the palace.

It was just like the enchantments cast over the hideout.

"It feels like sorcery," I said.

A power different from formations, sorcery had been used to complicate access to the hideout.

This felt similar.

When I mentioned it—

"Hah."

Yuseon let out a hollow laugh, as if she found the notion absurd.

"Similar? You’re wrong."

Her voice carried a subtle anger.

"Sorcery itself is a power derived from dragons," she declared.

"Huh?"

"It’s not something humans should even be meddling with."

This was a curious claim. I tilted my head, watching her.

"Sorcery is derived from dragons?"

"…You truly know nothing, do you?"

"You’re the strange one. The way you talk, anyone would think you’ve lived for centuries."

Sure, I’d heard that becoming a dragon would bring understanding, but it wasn’t all-encompassing.

"Not that it matters."

Knowing or not knowing didn’t bother me anymore.

Why?

"I feel like I’ll find out eventually."

I didn’t need to fuss about what I didn’t know; it would reveal itself in time.

Besides—

"I’ve got someone right in front of me who knows."

Yuseon could tell me everything.

But for that—

"It’d be nice if you’d play along a bit more," I said, launching myself toward her.

"…!"

As I closed the distance, Yuseon reacted quickly.

Crunch!

"Hm?"

Her charred arm suddenly regenerated, and I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp of admiration.

"Wow."

What was that level of regeneration?

"Could that be another Authority?"

Was that how she healed my internal injuries?

I was curious—could she regenerate others as well as herself?

"How far can it go?"

The thought stirred a strange excitement in me. It felt inappropriate for the situation, but emotions rarely obeyed reason.

Shatter!

Just as I closed in, frost surged from Yuseon’s feet. I adjusted my footwork slightly.

Sharp ice spikes erupted where I would’ve been.

If I hadn’t shifted, my body would’ve been skewered.

At the same time, I turned my head.

Whoosh!

Something grazed my cheek.

It was Yuseon’s fist.

BANG!

A sharp burst of sound shattered the air. Her strength was formidable.

For someone who had appeared exhausted earlier, Yuseon moved swiftly and struck with precision.

Her footwork was solid, her stance balanced. Her punches were sharp and calculated.

"Upper. Then mid-level strikes."

Tap! Tap-tap!

I parried her moves, redirecting the flow of her attacks.

When she stepped forward by half a step, I retreated by the same measure.

Whenever she extended a punch, I disrupted her rhythm before the motion could fully form.

Thud! Thud-thud! BOOM!

Even the lightest collisions between our hands sent vibrations through the air.

The palace trembled, as if an earthquake had struck.

Tap! I deflected her wrist as her fist came toward me, meeting it with my own.

Shatter!

Energy erupted, accompanied by the sound of something cracking.

I glanced toward the source of the noise.

At the point of impact, frost clung to our fists.

"So this is her ice art."

I’d heard of it before but hadn’t faced it directly until now.

Tap.

I infused heat into my hand, melting the frost instantly.

While I was at it, I channeled more energy into my palm.

Hum! Energy coursed through my shoulder and enveloped my right hand.

At that moment, Yuseon darted toward me, closing the distance rapidly.

She seemed to be exploiting the moment I was gathering energy.

A sharp decision.

But—

Smirk.

I grinned.

"…!"

She noticed something was amiss and widened her eyes.

"Gui-jeong."

Slash!

At my command, shadows surged from my left arm, binding Yuseon’s body.

"Tch…!"

Though momentarily restrained, she didn’t stop her attack.

Flash!

Her hand emitted another burst of light, aiming for something.

However—

Crunch!

Once again, shadowy tendrils emerged, consuming her light entirely.

"Ugh…!"

Bound by my Authority, Yuseon was left with an opening, and I seized it.

My energy-infused fist surged with power as I struck her chest.

Soul Strike (심권).

The motion was simple, yet immense energy flowed through it.

Thunk.

The impact produced a soft sound, almost too light to match the power behind it.

But—

Hum!

A gentle sound didn’t mean a gentle result.

"Urgh…!"

Yuseon let out a brief groan as a massive shockwave erupted from her back.

KWA-BOOOOM!

The tremors destroyed the hallway, debris crumbling in all directions.

The force didn’t throw Yuseon far, though—

Because I was gripping her hair, holding her in place.

Thud.

Slowly, one of Yuseon’s knees gave out.

She struggled to stand, her body trembling as if it could collapse at any moment.

"Keuhk… kuhuk…"

Blood poured from her mouth, pooling on the floor.

Watching her, I couldn’t help but confirm my thoughts aloud.

"You’re not all that strong, are you?"

"…"

Yuseon flinched at the remark.

I didn’t mean she was weak.

Yuseon was powerful.

She far surpassed the realm of Hwagyeong, perhaps even stronger than I had been a few days ago.

But—

She wasn’t strong enough to rip off my arm or overpower me like before.

In other words—

"Outside the domain you created, you’re not much, are you?"

"…Huff… huff…"

She didn’t respond.

But her silence was enough of an answer.

It seemed her strength relied heavily on the domain shaped by her Authority.

Without it, she couldn’t exhibit the same dominance.

Through gritted teeth and a face twisted in pain, she finally managed to speak.

"…What did you do…? Why…?"

"Ah."

She must’ve been wondering why her Authority kept failing.

I decided to enlighten her.

"My Authority," I began,

"Is so greedy that it can’t stand others using theirs."

I chuckled.

"It devours other Authorities. That’s my power."

"…!"

An Authority that consumes and ultimately steals others.

I hadn’t bothered with the conditions required to fully claim an Authority—it was too much of a hassle.

But it was possible.

That was the nature of Greed (탐).

Yuseon’s trembling gaze betrayed her disbelief.

"That’s…! There’s no way… That can’t be real…!"

The notion of a dragon’s Authority being consumed was unthinkable.

Her expression screamed denial.

But—

"What’re you gonna do if you don’t believe me?"

I wasn’t here to win her trust.

I had other business to attend to.

Ah, right.

"I had something to do."

I’d momentarily forgotten amidst the fighting.

First—

Crunch.

I grabbed Yuseon’s shoulder and tore it off.

Rip!

"AAAAHHH!"

Her agonized screams filled the air as her arm was ripped from her body.

Smack!

Annoyed by the noise, I slapped her face.

"Ugh!"

Her head snapped to the side, but despite her pitiful state, I found her fascinating.

I couldn’t help it.

Whoosh!

I tossed the severed arm aside and turned back to her.

"You were regenerating your body earlier," I remarked.

Recalling her miraculous recovery, I asked her,

"Can you regrow something like this? That arm I just ripped off—"

"…!"

"How far can you go? Could you regrow your heart if I ripped it out? What about your vital organs?"

Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten the original point.

Curiosity overwhelmed me as I peppered her with questions.

And in Yuseon’s eyes, fear began to take root.