Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter 354: The Dark King (4)

Night Reapers.

They were notorious as the most dangerous and ruthless group of assassins in the Central Plains.

They were also renowned for remaining independent, and unaffiliated with any other faction.

The assassins in the Central Plains were akin to tacit approval.

What did this mean?

They were groups of people who took the lives of others for money, but the Murim Alliance didn’t take any action despite being aware of their existence which was the proof of it.

Moreover, it was no secret that some noble clans raised assassins themselves.

This was exactly the case for one of the Four Noble Clans, the pillar of the Orthodox Faction.

The ruler of the Tang Clan of Sichuan was an example.

Just a few centuries ago, this clan, known for its expertise in poison and steel, was not part of the Orthodox Faction.

It was only after the Blood Demon vanished and the war ended that the Orthodox Faction accepted the Tang Clan. One of the heroes credited with ending the war was the Lord of the Tang Clan, Tang Jaemoon.

It was thanks to Yeon Il-Cheon founding the Murim Alliance and becoming the Leader himself, and Tang Jaemoon accepting the offer.

From that day forward, the Tang Clan became part of the Orthodox Faction and one of the Four Noble Clans. But it hadn’t been long since they had supposedly abandoned their darker traits.

They still possessed martial arts specialized for assassination and torture, and their physiques complemented these deadly skills.

There were still dark parts of Tang Clan for them to be fully considered one of the Orthodox Faction.

Moreover, even if they claimed to have shifted focus to weapon crafting, many suspected they were hiding the truth about their activities.

Was that true?

I however knew.

I knew the real truth behind the Tang Clan.

In any case, the Tang Clan wasn’t the only one of the Four Noble Clans with such secrets.

I wasn’t certain about the Moyong Clan, but I was sure the Peng Clan exploited this as well, not to mention the Namgung Clan.

This was probably the case for the Hwangbo Clan as well.

I wasn’t sure about the Gu Clan, though.

As far as I knew, they didn’t have an assassination group, but then again, I barely knew my damned clan.

Anyway, in a world where even the Murim Alliance took advantage of assassination groups, the king of the Night Reapers was known to be the most divine.

The king of assassins.

No one disputed his title as the ruler of the night; he was the ultimate, an unmatched existence.

Such was the Dark King.

But why is he here right now?

It was said that no one in the Central Plains knew the Dark King’s identity.

No one knew his age, his gender, his height, his appearance, or even his voice.

Not even his martial arts were known.

But I learned it all just now.

I was left speechless.

Well, it was hard to say I learned it all as I truthfully learned nothing properly.

He could hide his gender, his face, and even his voice if he wished.

The only known fact about the Dark King was that he’d been active for decades, so he was at the very least not young.

That was the only thing I knew.

Not only was this legendary figure right in front of me, but I hadn’t expected him to seek me out through the Sword Queen.

Moreover…

It was he who interfered back then.

As the Black Dragon was turning into a monster after some strange occurrences, the one responsible for saving me by cutting away the monster, was the Dark King.

Did he have some purpose for being here?

Once I realized his identity, the Dark King addressed me.

-I got to see you, so I’m satisfied. You may leave now.

The Dark King spoke as if he was satisfied by meeting me, and I responded.

-…You want me to go now just because you saw my face? Then why did you bother calling me?

Oh, this damned mouth of mine.

I let an old habit slip and spoke far too bluntly.

All I had to do was think before speaking, yet I failed such a simple task.

I only realized my mistake once the words were out.

It was scary. I should’ve known to be cautious, especially with someone like him.

-…

The Dark King’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he stared at me.

I didn’t know what to say.

Just as I was considering apologizing,

-Ha.

The Dark King let out a short laugh.

-You talk just like your grandfather.

-…Huh?

I was momentarily confused by his response.

Grandfather? There was only one person who could be called by such a name.

-…You know the First Elder?

The First Elder. He was often referred to as my grandfather.

Did this mean the Dark King and the First Elder knew each other?

Just what did he do back in his primes for this old man to be close with all these peop—

-First Elder? Who are you talking about?

*

**-Huh? I thought you were talking about Gu Ryoon…*

-Gu Ryoon isn’t your grandfather.

-Well, that’s how others referred to him-

Wait…?

If it wasn’t the First Elder the Dark King was referring to…

-…If it isn’t the First Elder, then who are you saying that I am similar to?

The Dark King replied, sounding as if he were just as confused.

-I’m obviously talking about your grandfather. Who else would I be referring to?

He was referring to the previous Lord of the Gu Clan, who had died before I was even born.

That means… that the Dark King met with my grandfather.

Judging by how he spoke, it seemed they had been active in the Central Plains during the same era.

The First Elder was active around then as well, but it was refreshing to hear about my grandfather, and I almost never heard anything about him.

Amused by my expression, the Dark King spoke with a smile.

-I will come visit you in the near future.

The Dark King said that he would visit me.

It was very strange.

Was I really supposed to wait for the king of assassins to visit me?

The thought alone sent chills down my spine.

Though I didn’t think that another problem would explode, as it was already bad as it was.

Crack.

In the tranquil night, I stretched alone in the center of the cracked, crumbling training ground.

Woong.

I felt my Qi surge up to my top Dantian in an instant.

It was incredibly fast, and my exhausted body felt revitalized.

More accurately, I was forcing energy back into my body with Qi.

It’s definitely improved*.*

But it was super effective.

It wasn’t just my arrogance that rose after I reached Fusion Realm.

With access to my top Dantian, my martial arts grew exponentially in power.

This was the level I reached in my past life, and also the level where I spent the most time in.

Not only had my Qi increased, but I could now use it more efficiently and sparingly.

It also unlocked new abilities, which was the essence of the Fusion Realm.

If I were a swordsman, I’d be able to float my sword midair and control it at will.

This was often called Sword’s Will.

But besides the Leader of Wudang Sect, almost no one else used the ability.

Even for those who reached the Fusion Realm, it wasn’t an efficient technique.

That was the power of the Fusion Realm: it allowed one to do what had once been impossible.

In just a few years after regressing, I’d reached a level that once required Demonic Qi to attain in my past life.

But it’s still not perfect.

I already reached Fusion Realm in the Abyss, but I lost everything I achieved when I returned to reality, so it felt strange compared to back then.

The discrepancy likely stemmed from that loss, but I doubted it would become a major issue.

I’d already sensed this since the beginning.

That happened when I regained my younger body after regressing.

The emptiness I’d felt in my body back then was far worse, so this didn’t seem like much.

The important part was,

What I need to do from now on.

I reached Fusion Realm.

Others may be shocked by it,

It’s not enough.

But it was nowhere near enough for me.

I felt this especially when I thought of the Heavenly Demon I’d encountered earlier.

The Heavenly Demon’s presence was overpowering. I’d known this from my past life, but now I was reminded of it in this one.

In my current state, I couldn’t defeat the Heavenly Demon.

I wouldn’t last more than a few seconds if it decided to kill me.

Then what do I do?

I was overwhelmed.

I knew little about the level beyond Fusion Realm.

It was written in the records, but it was unknown of how many people reached such a level.

The Three Venerables… did they reach it?

Perhaps they had, but even they fell to the Heavenly Demon. At the very least, I needed to reach the strength of the Celestial Sword from my past life.

It was overwhelming.

wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Rumble.

Lost in thought, I instinctively started channeling Demonic Qi within my body.

As my heart pounded, I felt a surge of heat within.

Sensing my Demonic Qi merging with my heart, I opened my eyes.

“…So this still seems to work.”

I couldn’t see my reflection, but I was certain my eyes had turned violet.

I had just transformed into a Demonic Human.

I could feel the change without even testing my martial arts.

I sensed I was far stronger than in my normal state.

I thoroughly checked up on my body.

There hadn’t been time after the battle, so I needed to check now.

I examined my appearance, the flow of Qi within me, and my mental state.

My body feels stronger, my Qi is surprisingly calm, and mentally, I feel fine.

Most importantly, I’d managed to return to my normal human form.

That was the most significant outcome; I’d regretted becoming a Demonic Human deeply.

One thing still concerns me…

I rolled up both sleeves.

My body had changed in subtle ways.

The light pink bandage on my left arm had turned black, and a strange mark now appeared on my right arm where nothing had been before.

Just what is this?

It wasn’t that big. It was around the length of two knuckles.

The problem was that it existed at all.

This looked as if…

…A reptile’s skin.

It looked like a snake’s skin that made me feel uneasy.

This hadn’t happened in my past life.

Why did such a thing appear?

It seemed to have emerged after I became a Demonic Human this time, but why?

Do you know anything?

I directed the question inward, hoping the beast might know something.

[ Grr… ]

However, the bastard only responded with a sleepy tone.

I’d noticed something else: the beast seemed to become exhausted each time I became a Demonic Human.

[ Grrrr… ]

Alright, just a little more.

It was so bad to the point that it was telling me to undo it.

The beast’s whining annoyed me, but I needed to complete my check.

I examined the bandage on my left arm and called out to someone else.

“Elder Shin.”

[ … ]

I called, but there was no response.

I needed to ask about this bandage… but Elder Shin wasn’t waking up.

“Tsk…”

I clicked my tongue in frustration and reverted to my normal human form.

The boiling heat within me began to subside, and my body grew heavier with it.

I also noticed a strange pain near my heart and Dantian.

It wasn’t strong… but this means,

That I can’t use it for too long.

I’d need to spend more time researching how this affected my body.

What’s left…

There were still many questions, but the most pressing one surfaced in my mind.

“…Did she not wake up yet?”

I thought about Wi Seol-Ah who lost consciousness.

The thought of her made me anxious.

I’d been rude even to the Dark King, but thinking of her made me even more uneasy.

How did she do it…

How was she in this world?

Did she regress like me?

But when? Maybe ever since the start?

That probably wasn’t the case; she would’ve stabbed me in the neck before ever offering me a potato.

When was it then?

I wasn’t able to know, but I wanted to.

The most frustrating part was that I could do nothing but wait for her to wake up.

I looked up at the sky.

It was still a dark night sky.

Naturally, it was dark since it was nighttime, but that wasn’t the issue.

Why isn’t it disappearing?

The Black Dragon was imprisoned, and most of his underlings had been captured.

Of course, there weren’t many survivors from them.

I killed more than half of them by myself after all.

It seemed the reinforcements from the Alliance weren’t coming because of the barrier…

“Do you know how unfair you are?”

“…!”

I was startled by a voice that broke the silence as I stared up at the sky.

I hadn’t sensed their presence at all.

“How could you not even come to see me once?”

I was so lost in thought that I hadn’t even noticed someone approaching.

“…Oh.”

The girl standing before me frowned at my brief reaction.

“Oh? Did you just say oh?”

“Wait, I was busy… and I was planning to go see you right now.”

“Are you really using that as an excuse?”

The one speaking angrily was Moyong Hi-ah.

Right… I’d completely forgotten to go see her.

I didn’t go because I figured she’d be fine on her own.

I heard that she was alive.

I knew she hadn’t been injured, and she’d even been helping the medical team treat others.

Her?

It was surprising for someone so calculated to join in, but I felt a sense of pride in her for it.

However, it was still bad that I never went to see her.

“…You are so cruel.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes began to fill with tears as she looked at me.

Wow, I’m fucked. Her, of all people, is crying…

The usually cold and sharp Snow Phoenix was crying right in front of me.

It seems that I did commit a sin after all.

“Sorry. It wasn’t on purpose.”

“…Of course not. You wouldn’t have forgotten me on purpose. If you had, you’d be barely human.”

“…”

“Could you just bark instead of responding?”

I nearly barked in response before catching myself.

“Sorry…”

“…”

Moyong Hi-ah fidgeted with her lips as I continuously apologized to her.

“…I wasn’t always like this, you know?”

“Hmm?”

“I hate how my anger fades just because of your stupid apology.”

“…”

“I came here to curse you out… and I even sought you out first to do it.”

“…Oh… So- “

“Don’t apologize. It’s annoying…”

“Okay.”

Was this the first time since regressing?

Seeing Moyong Hi-ah this angry.

I saw it almost every day in my past life, but seeing it now felt new.

“Were you smiling just now?”

“You must be seeing things. It’s dark, after all.”

“As if I’d ever mistake an expression on your face.”

“…”

“Ugh, so annoying, seriously.”

She began kicking the ground as if frustrated with her own words

She seemed to be fighting herself.

“…Haah, whatever… I didn’t come here to do this…”

“But what about cursing me out?”

“That’s part of the reason…”

Ah, I see.

Moyong Hi-ah looked me over and asked mid-conversation.

“…Are you not hurt anywhere?”

“Mhm.”

“…I see.”

So that was what she really wanted to ask?

“What about you?”

“Thanks for asking so quickly. Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“…”

Looks like I messed up again.

Moyong Hi-ah sighed deeply, looking at my confused expression.

“How did I end up falling for such a jerk…”

“Jerk…”

“You know it, right? What will happen afterward.”

“…”

My mouth shut instantly at Moyong Hi-ah’s words.

“I came here expecting that you would know it.”

“…Oh, that?”

I flinched, half wondering if she’d discovered my regression, but that wasn’t it.

“I am… predicting a little indeed.”

“It’s less a prediction and more a certainty, given how massive this incident was.”

Only then, did I feel like I knew what Moyong Hi-ah was referring to.

“…If things go on as they are, it’s bound to happen. This incident was that huge.”

“Hmm.”

“The gathering of Orthodox Faction. They will try to make that happen.”

That meeting would bring together the Ten Sect Alliance, the Four Noble Clans, and all the Murim Alliance affiliates.

Though it’s been decades since the last gathering, this incident might just force another one.

“Then… my father will come too, right?”

“Probably.”

The Moyong Clan was one of the Four Noble Clans, so the Lord of the Moyong Clan, the White Heavenly Sword will come as well.

“Before that happens,”

Moyong Hi-ah spoke softly, tugging at my sleeve.

What could she be about to say to look so mournful?

Just as I began to wonder,

“Let’s run away.”

“What?”

I responded in utter disbelief at her words.

“If we don’t, you’re going to die, Master Gu…!”

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of nonsense she was talking about.

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