Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter 374: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (15)

His eyes glowed red.

But they were nothing like the red eyes I had when using flames or the ones my father currently had.

While our eyes burned red with the intensity of flames, Jang Seonyeon’s eyes shimmered as if filled with blood.

Moreover, his pupils appeared distorted, stretched unnaturally apart.

What is that…

The fact that Jang Seonyeon was alive was shocking enough, but the strange aura radiating from him made me break into a cold sweat.

The pain in my right arm was unbearable already, but now my entire body felt inexplicably uneasy.

What is happening? Why does it feel so strange?

Tshh…

During this, the searing pain in my right arm intensified.

This is…

I thought I’d grown accustomed to pain over the past months through the Dishonored Venerable’s training, but this was entirely different.

It feels as if…

It felt like it was slowly expanding throughout my body. Almost as if the scale on my right arm was expanding itself.

The real question was why this was happening so suddenly.

Moreover…

No one seems to care despite his appearance.

Even setting aside the fact that Jang Seonyeon had appeared, his unnerving eyes alone should have drawn attention, yet no one seemed to notice.

Could it be that I’m the only one who can see this?

Perhaps only I could see Jang Seonyeon’s strange eyes?

Why though…?

As my mind raced with complicated thoughts, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in my ears.

- You don’t seem to be doing too well.

My eyes widened in shock as I turned toward the source of the voice.

It was Jang Seonyeon who had spoken.

- …You bastard…

- I didn’t mean to shock you, but I am satisfied by your reaction.

Jang Seonyeon’s unsettling smile as he spoke made him seem completely unlike himself.

Why was that the case?

His face and voice were unmistakably Jang Seonyeon’s, yet there was something disturbingly sticky about his tone.

It felt as if he carried a foul stench, when in reality there was no smell at all.

And yet, it unmistakably felt like the stench of blood.

Blood…? The nasty scent of blood?

As the thought crossed my mind, I began to understand the sinister aura radiating from Jang Seonyeon.

- Blood Demon…?

Jang Seonyeon’s smile widened at my realization.

His reaction confirmed it. I finally understood why his aura felt so disturbingly unfamiliar.

It explained why he no longer felt like the Jang Seonyeon I knew.

- You…

You’re quite sharp, aren’t you?

That bastard wasn’t Jang Seonyeon, but the Blood Demon instead.

- How… How are you inside him?

- Are you shocked by that?

- Isn’t that obvious…!

- I simply wanted to stretch my legs and get some fresh air*. Well, are you impressed?*

-…What did you do with Jang- …The owner of the body?

It was possible that the Blood Demon was borrowing Jang Seonyeon’s body like Elder Shin did with mine.

If Elder Shin could do it, then the Blood Demon surely could too.

The Blood Demon responded in a tone that feigned confusion.

- Child. You killed him yourself and reduced him to ashes. Why are you asking me such a thing?

- Don’t play games with me. I am not trying to joke around with you right now.

- Hehe.

The Blood Demon chuckled after hearing my growling tone.

Meanwhile, the searing pain in my right arm continued to worsen.

This wasn’t a good situation.

Why is this happening now, of all times?

It had been perfectly fine before, so why was the pain this excruciating now?

Wait… could this be because of the Blood Demon?

The only difference was the Blood Demon’s appearance. That had to be the explanation.

- You seem to be in great pain.

Though I did my best to conceal the pain, the Blood Demon somehow saw through it.

Judging by that, it seemed like this pain was related to him after all.

- …Did you do something to my body?

- Hehe… You may want to believe that, but unfortunately for you child, I have no intention to do such a thing to you.

- Nonsense! Did you forget when you forcibly injected your Qi into me?

- I did indeed. But did it ever bring you bad results?

-What…?

I wondered what the bastard was suddenly talking about.

Didn’t you rely on my power when you were in danger?

- …!

- I personally bestowed that blessing upon you. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice?

From his words, it became clear that the Blood Demon was aware every time I used Blood Qi.

Even if the scale on my right arm wasn’t the Blood Demon’s doing, I was able to know that he at least knew about it.

- …Just what is this?

When I asked the Blood Demon about the scale, he stared at me with a strange expression.

His expression carried a strange, inexplicable sense of delight.

- As I expected. Child, you really seem to be the change I’ve been dreaming of.

- Stop spouting nonsense and tell me what this is.

- You’re definitely not one of my pieces, and yet you’ve somehow begun to bloom.

- …Pieces?

And bloomed?

- I am not certain myself, but if that’s the case, you will be the first human to do so. I must congratulate you.

-Why do you keep rambling about things I can’t comprehend?

- What I’m saying is, you should be happy. Isn’t it exhilarating? You’re transcending the weak and powerless human race, rising to something far greater.

The Blood Demon spoke with joy.

- I pray that you break through your shell as fast as possible.

The thrill in the Blood Demon’s voice only made my head spin further.

To make matters worse, the pain in my right arm continued to intensify.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to hold back a scream for much longer.

After silently observing for a moment, the Blood Demon finally spoke, his lips curling into a smile.

- You seem to be in great pain. Child, allow me to show you my generosity once more.

- What…?

- This is a way of congratulating you, so do not forget.

Just as the Blood Demon uttered those cryptic words, the Blood Qi within my Dantian surged upward without warning.

It felt violent.

It felt as if it was obeying someone else’s command, violently coursing through my body.

While it didn’t hurt, the alarming part was how it moved entirely against my will.

I tried my best to suppress it, but the Blood Qi poured out from my Dantian and started to take over my body.

Fuck!

In mere seconds, the Blood Qi had completely enveloped my body.

However…

Huh…?

The pain I’ve been feeling disappeared in an instant.

Was it because of the Blood Qi?

Did the Blood Qi somehow erase the pain?

I examined my right arm, which had been throbbing in agony just moments ago.

I couldn’t roll up my sleeve to inspect it here, but I was certain the pain had subsided.

Considering what had just transpired, it was hard to believe this wasn’t connected to the Blood Demon somehow.

- Hehe…

The Blood Demon chuckled, seemingly amused by the situation.

- That child seems to really despise me.

- …Despise you?

- Child, the pain you felt was born from the hatred that being holds for me.

I frowned at his words.

That meant that the scale on my right arm was also some kind of existence.

And it hated the Blood Demon?

Just what even is it?

- It’s instinct. It’s understandable. No arrogant creature would want another existence that stands on an equal footing as them living in the same world.

Where was he finding so amusing, and why did it sound so pleased?

Whether it was his amused expression or excited emotion, I couldn’t understand either of it.

And yet,

- Why are you telling me this?

I needed to understand why the Blood Demon was sharing all this with me.

I could tell it was feigning generosity, but I couldn’t discern whether it was genuine or part of some calculated scheme.

Whichever it was, the Blood Demon had no reason to tell me anything.

- What is it that you want from me?

- Nothing. I don’t want anything from you.

- You really expect me to believe that when you’ve appeared in front of me like this?

I was left speechless. It claimed to want nothing from me?

Then why did it appear as if it desired something?

- If I had to give you an answer, then I pray that you become more capable than your current self.

- You still make it impossible for me to understand. How annoying.

- Child, it won’t be long before you grasp my meaning. When that day comes, you will seek me out. I await that moment eagerly.

- You expect me to go towards you, the calamity? Are you expecting me to come kill you?

At the mention of ‘Calamity’, the Blood Demon’s smile widened.

- It seems you’ve learned more than I anticipated. Not bad at all

- …Give me a straight answer. What is your goal? Just what do you want from me?

- Goal, you say.

The Blood Demon paused, as though lost in thought, before speaking again moments later.

- To escape the path of fate. Yes, I suppose that could be my goal.

- What do you…

-Originally, I would have begun gathering my pieces sooner. But seeing you start to bloom has allowed me to alter my plans.

Bloom.

I frowned, unable to grasp what the Blood Demon meant by that.

But if it had changed its plans after seeing me, it was clear the Blood Demon was scheming something.

I didn’t know how such a thing was possible, but the Blood Demon had undeniably taken control of Jang Seonyeon’s body.

Does that mean the Blood Demon intended to use Jang Seonyeon’s appearance for its plans?

…So, the reason I couldn’t find any trace of Jang Seonyeon after returning to the normal world…

Does that mean that the Blood Demon was behind this?

But how?

I still had no idea what the Blood Demon’s goal was, or even its existence.

The only thing I could ascertain was that the Blood Demon wasn’t human, not by the way it spoke.

I’d suspected as much before, but now I was certain.

- I’ll give you more time. You’ll come to realize it slowly.

- I won’t let you do as you-!

Ring-!

Right as I was about to respond to the Blood Demon, I felt my consciousness darken for an instant.

I felt dizzy.

- Do not worry. That’s just the backlash from me suppressing the hatred.

- …What did you just

- Like I said earlier, I didn’t do anything harmful to you. Just look at it now. Even the ruler of the Abyss inside your body isn’t doing anything.

Like the Blood Demon said, the beast inside my body that usually growled at little things showed no reaction this time.

Since absorbing the Celestial Sword, both Elder Shin and the beast had fallen silent, and I’d assumed it was due to her. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

- I came here today just to greet you.

-However, I’ve gained more things than I was expecting. I was able to see a clear path.

- I pray that one day, you’ll come to visit me.

With every word of the Blood Demon’s telepathic voice, my consciousness grew dimmer.

I fought desperately to hold onto my consciousness, but in the end, it slipped away.

Then.

When I finally woke up, the meeting of the Orthodox Faction was already over.

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