1313 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The darkness dissipated with the power of the Dark King. The surroundings shifted, revealing that they stood in a different space. ‘This place.’ It was Mi Hyoran's hideout. A place they were familiar with. Upon confirming where they had arrived, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. "Haah—." "......Phew." Tang Cheongi and Namgung Jin bowed their heads as if expressing relief. It seemed the feeling of finally reaching a safe place had set in. ‘Hmm.’ Not much had changed. Taking in the unchanged surroundings, I surveyed the area. There was no sign of life. It seemed the Dark King had deliberately dropped them in a quiet place. "Thank you." I expressed my gratitude towards the Dark King. As usual, the King showed no significant reaction. He clicked his tongue in brief annoyance. "Could you please put me down now?" A voice came from behind me. It was Hyun Soyeon. Ah, right, I had been carrying her. Realizing it belatedly, I carefully set her down. "Ugh..." As soon as she was set down, Hyun Soyeon swayed. As I reached out to support her, the Poison Phoenix intervened and helped her stand. "Miss Hyun, are you alright?" "Oh my. Yes, thank you." Hyun Soyeon managed a slight smile at the Poison Phoenix's words. Despite her smile, she looked quite exhausted. ‘That makes sense.’ The backlash from when Namgung Bi-ah had borrowed her body seemed to have hit her. Considering she was a first-rate martial artist, using such extraordinary power was bound to be taxing. If that amount of fatigue was all she experienced, it was, in fact, a rather mild price to pay. ‘Yes, truly a mild price.’ Strangely so. “How are you feeling?” I asked Hyun Soyeon, and she glanced at me with a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just need a bit of rest, perhaps?” “I don’t think that’s true.” The idea that a bit of rest was all she needed seemed highly unlikely. From my perspective, she needed several days of recuperation. ‘It's not just physical fatigue.’ The issue seemed to lie elsewhere too. It was puzzling to see her smiling despite the tiredness. At that moment. “……You’re here.” Someone approached. It was the Iron Dragon Deputy Lord. Had he been waiting? As he came closer, we locked eyes. “The Young Lady is waiting.” The Iron Dragon Deputy Lord looked at me and said. I nodded at the words. “……Yes. Let’s go.” I immediately began walking. * * * When they arrived, Mi Hyoran met them with a weary expression. “……You’ve returned.” “Yes. We’ve returned safely.” At my words, Mi Hyoran looked over at the Poison Phoenix. “……Lady Dang.” “Thank you for your concern…… Young Lady.” It felt like a formal exchange of concern and gratitude. Mi Hyoran seemed exhausted, but she didn’t seem to be the type for empty words. Watching them, Mi Hyoran sighed before speaking. “……I’m glad you’ve returned without injury. Please get plenty of rest. However……” Her eyes turned to me. “Could I have a moment to speak with Young Master Baek?” “Of course.” I nodded, having anticipated the request. * * * The space was left to the two of us. The Iron Dragon Deputy Lord and the Dark King had withdrawn. In the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Mi Hyoran and I sat across from each other. She inquired about the mission to save the Poison Phoenix, and I explained the events with composure. “You didn’t meet Young Master Gu?” “No, the one we encountered was the Sword Sovereign.” “……The Leader. To think the Leader was alive.” Even Mi Hyoran hadn’t known that the Sword Sovereign was still living. It was peculiar. ‘What’s the deal with the Sword Sovereign?’ The Sword Sovereign wasn’t an apostle. He hadn’t fallen from grace and was operating as a human, yet none of them were aware. ‘Was he moving in the shadows?’ That was the only explanation. Though Mi Hyoran frowned hearing about the Sword Sovereign, she soon got to the main point. “Young Master Baek.” “Yes.” “……Is it truly possible to revert an apostle back to a human?” “It is possible.” I had already attempted it with Namgung Jin and succeeded. I had demonstrated it and was now confident in my own ability. Mi Hyoran’s lips moved as if wanting to say more, but the words were difficult to voice. The amusing part was that I knew what she wanted to ask. “Miss Mi.” “Yes.” “Do you wish for Young Master Gu to be turned back to a human?” “…….” She didn’t answer. That was her assent. Watching her, I scratched my cheek. “I understand what you wish. But it isn’t that simple…….” Converting father from an apostle to a human was a task even I needed to assess the feasibility of. Above all. ‘Mother’s involvement is concerning.’ My mother had been entwined with Muah. Father, who had tried to protect her, too was involved. ‘There is something.’ There was something there. The idea that father fell due to something as mundane as becoming an apostle didn’t sit well with me. Muah had mentioned it, hadn't he? That the current Sword Queen had usurped his mother's power. ‘Even for something usurped, it seemed quite feeble.’ Bearing witness to a fragment of my mother's power, the might the Sword Queen exhibited seemed lacking to truly be his mother's. 'For something called a master’s power, its presence is confirmative but...' Its intensity and presence confirmed it as masterful, yet... ‘Rather than the Sword Queen being formidable herself...’ ‘It was more like a power to enhance those around her.’ ‘Which means…’ ‘Though the Sword Queen had usurped the power, she might not fully utilize it, or...’ ‘She is using it for something else.’ This needed consideration as well. From the start, I didn’t know the Sword Queen’s objective or what led her to become an apostle. The only hint was the Blood Demon— The Blood Demon must be involved in these events. ‘Then why did they need the Poison Phoenix?’ Whether it was the Sword Queen’s or the Blood Demon’s intention, discerning the reason for needing the Poison Phoenix was necessary. At this junction of entangled events, it was clear what Mi Hyoran wanted, but dealing with father complicated things for me too. ‘There’s also the matter of my original father that weighs on my mind.’ My father, reduced to a shell of himself. The apparition of father as a specter gnawed at my mind. ‘Is it possible that they are from a different world line?’ I considered, like Shin Noya, that father might have come from elsewhere. Given I didn’t know the limits of the phantom's power, and the apparition of father was unfamiliar to me. Yet. ‘Somehow...’ The instinctual feeling that it wasn’t feasible consumed me. At that moment. “……Is it truly impossible?” Mi Hyoran, who had maintained her silence, finally spoke. She appeared unusually subdued, or rather, subdued herself. Perhaps it showed how earnest she truly was. "Hmm..." It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before. Perhaps due to the glimmer of hope, or— ‘Or perhaps the opposite—’ It was unclear, but I found myself weak against such a side of Mi Hyoran. It was a side I didn't want to, or rather couldn't, see. "Well, I can't say for certain if it's impossible." "Then…" "I'll attempt what Miss Mi desires, but don't set your hopes too high." I needed to temper her expectations knowing what she wished for. ‘Father won’t be easy.’ My father had mastered the Art of Mastery. With my current body, handling it was difficult. ‘If only I could reclaim my original strength.’ Would it be different? It seemed it should be. No, it had to be. ‘If only I could wield the master's power—.’ The awe that comes with transformation, the sensation of nature itself assisting. If I could reclaim such power, subduing father and reverting him back to human should be possible. "I will try." "……." Mi Hyoran bit her lip at his words. Then, nodding, she spoke. "……Yes. Please, I implore you." I thought it was quite a fragile stance for someone like her. * * * I moved on after concluding my conversation with Mi Hyoran, walking through the quietly serene hideout. "Hmm." I ran my fingers through my hair, contemplating what needed to be done. ‘I need to reclaim my strength.’ Regarding how to retrieve the lost strength, Namgung Bi-ah had provided a clue. ‘……She said to find Tolly.’ Tolly, supposedly not far from here. I was told to find Tolly, who had from the start, matured alongside me after I had captured the red demon beast and it had hatched. If such was the case, ‘The strength and…’ And I would discover how father had ended up that way. ‘But where do I find him?’ The problem was figuring out how to find Tolly. How had he ended up here? ‘The ancestor said this place is a fabricated world created by Mother's power.’ Everything seemed strange—the arrival of Namgung Bi-ah’s spiritual form, the appearance of Tolly, even father's presence. ‘What is this?’ What could this world possibly be? I was told that everything would move towards a predetermined conclusion, and that things would occur just as he desired. ‘What is it that this world desires of me?’ I couldn’t ascertain what this place expected of me. ‘In the end, it takes the shape of my desire…’ I frowned. ‘So, does that mean if I merely decide to find Tolly…’ Does it mean I could somehow discern where Tolly was? It didn’t seem like it would be that straightforward. “How then should I…?” He pondered how he might locate Tolly. As I dwelled on this question. Zzzt. “Huh?” His steps halted. Turning around to the tingling sensation creeping up his back. This was— “……Tolly?” It was the presence of the adolescent demon beast he was familiar with. Surprisingly, it was indeed him.