Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 751

He stared at the thick crimson lines streaking across the sky.

‘Damn.’

The glow was sharp and vivid, almost unnaturally so.

At the same time, the once-clear sky was darkening, clouds gathering as if summoned.

It was clearly no natural phenomenon—its presence felt alien.

‘I thought it’d be something big, but this is…’

It was far more impressive than he had anticipated.

The sky rippled with energy, vast and ominous.

Even from the ground, its overwhelming scale was enough to leave people stunned.

They had claimed this had been in preparation for decades.

Clearly, it showed.

‘Hmm.’

Six lines began to connect, slowly forming intricate patterns, like the strokes of a massive sentence.

As they wove together, the darkening sky seemed to deepen further.

Rumble—!!!

The tremors spread across the arena and beyond.

“W-What’s happening?!”

“Ahhh!”

Cries erupted as panic swept through the crowd.

People scrambled in every direction, fear and confusion etched on their faces.

Martial artists from the Murim Alliance rushed out, trying to assess the situation.

His eyes shifted upward, toward the crimson barrier encasing the pavilion.

Hiss—!!

An ominous energy surged upward, sealing the area in a translucent red dome.

‘So this is what the Archdemon mentioned.’

He vaguely recalled it from the planning phase—

A mechanism to trap the strongest fighters in Hanam, cutting off their escape.

The Archdemon had claimed it could be created, given enough time.

And now, there it was.

‘What’s the principle behind this?’

Curiosity stirred, but this wasn’t the time to ponder.

Crack—!!

Suddenly, immense energy flared as the Plum Blossom Sage, the Sword Saint, and the Sword Emperor attacked the barrier.

‘Oh?’

Their combined strikes resonated, bursting outward with devastating force.

Yet—

Bang—!!

The crimson barrier absorbed it all without so much as a crack.

‘Interesting.’

It wasn’t just blocking the energy.

It was absorbing it.

The barrier’s glow brightened, as if feeding off the attack.

‘So it’s a formation.’

That much was clear.

A formation capable of siphoning energy to strengthen itself.

‘It won’t hold forever, but it’ll buy time.’

Breaking it would take time—and that was all it needed.

‘Half an hour, maybe.’

It was an estimate, but a reasonable one.

‘Damn. I really want to know how this works.’

A formation this complex could be useful—if he could study it.

But there was no time for that.

Rumble—!!

The tremors intensified.

The panic in the audience escalated.

“R-Run!”

“Yeonshin! Where are you?!”

“Get out of my way, damn it!”

“Waaaaahhh!”

Chaos erupted as the crowd surged, trampling over each other in blind terror.

Screams, curses, and cries filled the air.

Panic tore apart any semblance of order.

Even the martial artists tried to control the crowd—

“Stay calm! Everyone, hold your positions!”

“Move! Get out of the way!”

But it was no use.

They hadn’t prepared for this.

And that lack of preparation invited disaster.

Exactly as he had hoped.

His gaze shifted.

‘Time to move.’

While the chaos unfolded, it was time to act.

His eyes landed on someone.

A man supporting the unconscious Blade King—

Peng Woojin.

Peng Zhou’s son.

Expressionless as he propped up his father, Peng Woojin met his gaze.

Unlike his usual smile, Gu Yangcheon’s lips remained pressed in a tight line.

No matter how detached he tried to appear, it was difficult to look the man’s son in the eye after beating his father half to death.

Before he could say anything—

“This is quite the mess.”

Peng Woojin spoke first.

Screams filled the background.

Cries and desperate shouts for help echoed, yet Peng Woojin’s tone was oddly calm.

“I had hoped to face you soon, but it seems fate has other plans. What a pity.”

“…Is that really what matters right now?”

Gu Yangcheon’s disbelief slipped out.

Was this man serious?

Was he really focused on sparring at a time like this?

“Are you planning revenge for your father?”

“No need. He lost because he deserved to lose.”

“…What?”

Peng Woojin dismissed it without hesitation.

Not a shred of resentment in his voice.

It was unnerving.

‘How can he be this cold?’

Even as he supported his father’s limp body, his eyes never wavered from Gu Yangcheon.

‘He lost because he deserved to lose.’

When Peng Woojin glanced briefly at his father, the flicker of emotion that crossed his face was sharp—

Cold.

And dark.

‘Hmm.’

The look unsettled him, but he pushed it aside.

Peng Woojin wasn’t his concern.

Not now.

“I’ll hold you to your promise.”

“…I’ll do my best.”

Before Gu Yangcheon could process his words—

“Lord!”

Tang So-yeol landed beside him, her eyes filled with concern.

“Are you alright? We need to move—now!”

She’d noticed the anomaly in the sky as well.

Gu Yangcheon hesitated briefly but nodded.

Peng Woojin took the chance to speak again.

“We’ll talk later.”

With that, he tightened his grip and disappeared into the crowd.

Tang So-yeol turned back.

“We need to hurry!”

The sounds of chaos surrounded them.

“Protect the Alliance Master!”

“Get the sect leaders out!”

“Damn it! Where’s the formation expert?!”

Warriors battered the crimson barrier in desperation, trying to free their trapped leaders.

Gu Yangcheon watched.

Was this really the justice they preached?

The so-called righteous sects couldn’t even handle a minor disruption.

‘If this is their definition of justice…’

He wasn’t sure it was worth protecting.

 
   ******************
   

“It’s the end… The end of the world….”

“Oh, gods—!”

“Mommy…!”

As Tang So-yeol and I hurried through the streets of Hanam, the cries of despair around us grew louder.

Rumble—!!!

“Ahhh—!”

“Honey—!!”

The tremors hadn’t stopped, and the sky had lost its blue. It was now choked with dark clouds.

Less than half an hour had passed, yet the world had already turned upside down.

The once-bustling streets, alive with excitement for the martial arts tournament, had become a nightmare.

Terror hung heavy in the air, pressing down on the panicked crowd.

While I quickened my pace, Tang So-yeol turned to me.

“Should we head back to the quarters first?”

Returning to regroup and gather the others—that was what she meant.

It was a rational suggestion, but—

“You go ahead.”

“What?”

I wasn’t about to turn back.

Not after setting the stage for this.

“Take care of the others. I’ve got something to take care of.”

“In this situation? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry.”

I pushed her lightly forward, smiling.

“Nothing’s going to happen.”

“...”

Tang So-yeol hesitated.

Had she figured something out?

Was there a question she wanted to ask but decided not to?

I couldn’t tell.

But—

“…Alright.”

She nodded.

“…Don’t be late. If you are, I’ll come looking for you.”

“I won’t be. This won’t take long.”

“Fine.”

With that, Tang So-yeol sprinted off toward the quarters, leaving me behind.

I watched her disappear into the distance before pausing.

My gaze shifted to the side.

“Mamaaa…!”

A child clung to her mother, sobbing.

The woman held the child tightly, whispering reassurances she didn’t believe.

Terror had consumed the streets.

Some people ran aimlessly, while others froze in panic, unable to move.

It was a scene I’d seen too many times before—

The start of war.

I’d seen these expressions and this atmosphere when battles first broke out in my past life.

The only difference—

‘This time, I’m the one who caused this.’

The thought gnawed at me.

‘Why should I care if those worms die?’

Maybe it was the transformation I’d undergone—

But the thought made my stomach churn.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and turned away.

My foot pressed down.

I didn’t need excuses.

What mattered now was seeing this through.

Just as I steadied my breath—

“Listen well, dogs of the Murim Alliance!”

A voice boomed across the streets.

I looked up.

Floating above the city—

Dozens of figures.

“The day of revolution has come!”

The voice was old and sharp, carrying a dense, overwhelming presence.

“What’s happening?!”

“Who are they?!”

“What the hell is this?!”

The panic only grew.

If there had been any hope that this was a natural disaster, that hope was now crushed.

Because nothing was more terrifying than realizing humans were behind this.

“We are here to punish the sins of the Alliance!”

“The Murim Alliance has hidden its corruption and refused to correct the past.”

The old man’s voice trembled with rage, his words sharp and heavy with resentment.

“We were branded criminals, cursed and exiled—”

“The so-called defenders of justice created this lie, and we suffered for it.”

“But now, we—the Je Gal clan—bring judgment.”

As the old man raised his hand—

Rumble—!!!!

The tremors intensified.

The figures in the sky descended.

“Ahhh—!!”

“Help—!!”

The screams grew louder.

And yet, no one from the Alliance appeared.

A few fighters tried to stand their ground, but it wasn’t enough.

‘What are the higher-ups doing?’

I knew half of them were trapped inside the pavilion, but what about the others?

It didn’t matter.

‘If I don’t know, I’ll find out.’

I leaped into the air.

Chaos erupted behind me, but I didn’t hesitate.

I had a purpose.

“Stop them!”

From all sides, martial artists surged forward.

“Defend the civilians!”

Battle cries rang out as fighters clashed against the dark-robed invaders.

“It’s the Hwangbo Clan!”

“The Hwangbo Clan is here!”

Yellow-clad warriors poured into the streets, their presence steadying the panicked crowd.

Some took defensive positions, forming barriers, while others shouted orders.

“Stay calm! The Hwangbo Clan will protect you!”

“Follow our guidance immediately—!”

“Prioritize civilian safety! Fight with honor and defend the people—!!”

“Yes, sir!”

The sight of the Hwangbo Clan brought a sliver of hope to the masses.

I smirked.

‘Perfect.’

The pieces were moving as planned.

So far, no issues.

But this was just the beginning.

Now—

‘I’ll sacrifice what I must and take what I need.’

Boom—!! Crack—!!

Explosions roared as the fighting escalated.

I ignored them.

Reaching into my robe, I pulled out an object.

A cracked mask—

I slipped it over my face, my pulse quickening.

Thump.

Dark energy surged through my meridians, flooding my veins with demonic power.

Thump.

My heartbeat quickened, pounding in sync with the ominous energy.

And now—

At last—

It was time.

Time for the Heavenly Demon to descend upon the chaos I had unleashed.