Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 328: The Abyss (3)

I was just past twenty when I first encountered the bastard from the Taeryung Clan.

More precisely, it was around the time I was thrust into the role of Young Lord of the Gu Clan and began to make my presence known in the Central Plains, free from my father’s control.

Regrettably, I found myself attending a Dragons and Phoenixes tournament as a Young Prodigy, despite already being the Young Lord of my clan.

Unlike the future Dao Emperor, Peng Woojin, who shed the title of Young Prodigy upon becoming his clan’s Young Lord, I wasn’t afforded the same courtesy.

In fact, people were more shocked that the incompetent Young Lord of the Gu Clan, infamous for his foul personality, had finally emerged into the world.

Around that time, Gu Huibi, the Tiger Warrior, was already being hailed as a master, and Gu Yeonseo was beginning to reveal her remarkable talents.

Naturally, people started comparing them to me.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A lion begets a dog, I was the prime example of it.

Despite inheriting the Tiger Warrior’s features, people said I hadn’t inherited his talent.

On that day, as guilt and shame weighed on me amidst the brilliant Meteor Generation of Young Prodigies, I tried to hide my incompetence while enduring the scornful gazes cast my way.

-It’s nice to meet you.

That’s when the bastard approached me.

He wore a soft smile, was undeniably handsome, and had a warm voice that left a good first impression.

In some ways, he was my complete opposite.

When he introduced himself as a child of the Taeryung Clan,

-What are you?

He responded with his title, feigning humility when I pressed him further.

-It’s nothing special, but I am called by the title, Meteor Sword. Nice to meet you.

The Meteor Sword.

Even living carelessly as I did, it was a title I’d heard more than a few times.

While other martial artists focused on their own affairs, there was a hero who braved the dangerous fields of Demons to save lives.

He was the son of the Murim Alliance Leader, and a famous Young Prodigy.

Rumor had it, he was on the verge of becoming the youngest Vice Captain in his army’s history.

He would soon hold the title of the youngest person to ever claim that position.

He was the Central Plains’ greatest hope.

The Meteor Sword, Jang Seonyeon of the Taeryung Clan.

That was how our first meeting played out.

Ironically, I learned a few years later that all his heroic deeds had been carefully staged.

After the calamity that wiped out many Young Prodigies, and after I transformed into a Demonic Human following the Heavenly Demon’s rise, that bastard found me as I wandered the Central Plains, setting everything ablaze.

-It has been a while. Oh, perhaps I should call you by your title now?

I had no intention of speaking with him.

My mind raced with thoughts of grabbing his neck and incinerating him on the spot,

-Have you heard about the Celestial Sword, and her body’s condition?

Pause.

My hand halted, as the thought of that damned girl entered my mind.

The flames in my hand blazed, ready to tear him apart, but in the end, I couldn’t follow through.

Jang Seonyeon smiled, noticing my hesitation.

That smile felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

That’s when it happened.

Another hell entered my world.

**********Craaack-!

Craack, Slam-!

A crack appeared in midair, yawning open like a gaping mouth.

Inside the tear, swirling, mysterious colors raged violently.

The wind howled from the crack, sending dust scattering across the ground.

Moments later, something was violently spat out of the crack.

Slam! Thud-!

The figures that emerged from the crack slammed into the ground, sending up clouds of dust with the force of their impact.

Not long after,

“Cough… Huff…!”

A figure emerged from the swirling dust and wind.

The rough, labored breathing clearly came from a person.

“No… No…!”

His eyes bulged with fury, saliva dripping unnoticed from his mouth.

“I-Impossible…”

In just a moment, the young man’s voice shook as he shouted, his pupils trembling with rage.

“Fuck…!”

His furious shout echoed through the air.

“Fuck… I, I did all of that…! But everything is ruined because of that bastard…!”

While the young man cursed and kicked at the ground in frustration, another figure emerged from the dust.

Unlike the furious young man drooling and throwing a tantrum, this figure calmly rubbed his chest, a slight frown crossing his face.

“I already feel like I’m going to vomit, so shut your mouth.”

At the sound of Gu Yangcheon’s voice, Jang Seonyeon whipped his head around toward him.

“You bastard…”

“Woah, it’s been a while ever since I’ve heard you curse. How refreshing.”

Jang Seonyeon sprang to his feet and charged at Gu Yangcheon.

He reached for the sword at his waist, but before he could draw it, Gu Yangcheon closed the distance and gripped his hand.

He wasn’t letting Jang Seoyneon pull his sword out.

“Ugh…!”

Gu Yangcheon’s grip was firm, preventing Jang Seonyeon from drawing his blade.

In desperation, Jang Seonyeon swung his left fist, charged with Qi,

-Slap!

But Gu Yangcheon’s hand was faster, slapping Jang Seonyeon across the cheek.

The sharp, loud crack of the slap echoed as it struck Jang Seonyeon’s cheek.

Swish! Slam!

Jang Seonyeon’s body was sent flying through the air, crashing back to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Urgh…!”

Struggling to stay conscious, Jang Seonyeon pushed himself up, blood dripping from his mouth.

“You dumbass. Do you think I’ll let you hit me if you charge at me like that?”

“Huff… Huff.”

Gu Yangcheon slowly approached the bleeding Jang Seonyeon, a smirk playing on his lips.

His hand still rested on his chest.

I don’t feel that good since it’s been a while.

This was the first time entering the Abyss after regressing, and my body wasn’t accustomed to it, leaving me feeling sick.

The first time, it had taken me a few minutes to recover, but this time I was able to endure it, having mentally prepared myself.

As Jang Seonyeon tried to rise again, I kicked his leg, sending him crashing back down.

“Agh!”

“Stay still, you look better that way anyway.”

“You bastard…!”

Jang Seonyeon glared at me with resentment.

His once emotionless expression had vanished, and now his face was twisted, veins bulging.

“Just how…! How were you able to move?”

“What do you mean how, I just was able to.”

I answered with a smirk.

Jang Seonyeon was asking how I’d been able to move on top of the Gate of Demons.

It was strange that he even asked such a question.

It meant he knew that most people couldn’t move once they were on top of it.

I’d experienced it myself and seen it firsthand.

At that time, the Water Dragon and other martial artists had been frozen, unable to move a muscle.

Yet, the only person who was able to move was me.

I honestly never wondered why that was the case though.

I just knew that it was possible.

I hadn’t expected things to be different in this life, and my suspicion was confirmed when I felt the gate beneath me earlier.

And this time was no different.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems like you thought I wasn’t going to be able to move, but why did you suspect such a thing?”

“That’s because you…!”

“No, you are the type of bastard to even doubt Cheol Jiseon if he said something like how martial artists can’t move on top of the gate.”

“…!”

Jang Seonyeon’s eyes widened in shock at the mention of Cheol Jiseon.

“How do you…! You bastard, so you knew all along…!”

It seemed like Jang Seonyeon had realized I knew all along that Cheol Jiseon was capable of creating the Gate to the Abyss—and that he had tried to kill me by using it.

“That’s not the important part though. I want you to answer my question from before.”

“How…”

“That’s what I’m saying. How were you so certain of such a thing?”

Jang Seonyeon had asked a different question, but I steered the conversation elsewhere.

He wasn’t the type of bastard to be certain in anything unless he experienced it himself, but he knew about Cheol Jiseon’s power and the special power that the gate to Abyss had.

It seemed he had another source feeding him information.

A source that informed him of Cheol Jiseon’s existence and the power.

Crack-!

I could hear the grinding of Jang Seonyeon’s teeth.

“You bastard! you intend to haunt me till the very end!”

“What do you mean by haunt you, you bastard.”

“If you wanted to die, you should’ve come alone! Why did you bother dragging me here with you!”

His shamelessness left me momentarily speechless.

I always knew Jang Seonyeon was irredeemable, but I hadn’t realized he could be this thoughtless.

Was this a sign that he’d been backed into a corner with no way out?

If so, that suited me just fine.

Jang Seonyeon wasn’t sane right now.

It was understandable though, since we were in ‘that’ Abyss.

I glanced around my surroundings.

The sky was a deep red—not night, not sunset, yet devoid of its usual blue hue.

The land beneath my feet was dry, lifeless, as though it had been dead for ages.

The only trees visible were dead and rotting.

This place, filled with strange, surreal sights, was one of the Abysses that lay beyond the Gate of Demons.

I’m glad.

And,

Thankfully I made it here.

This was exactly where I wanted to be.

This was the Abyss where many Young Prodigies fell into in my past life during the calamity, and this was also the Abyss that wasn’t recorded in the Murim Alliance’s records.

Though called the Abyss, I saw it as a false world.

It was like a dark reflection of the real world.

The chances of escaping the Abyss alive were nearly zero.

Even the Sword Queen had barely escaped, though she left with a fatal affliction.

For most, it was a death trap. The only reason the Young Prodigies had escaped this world was because of me—struggling through dirt to survive.

Had that not happened, they would have been trapped here forever, unable to escape.

To Jang Seonyeon’s eyes, this must have seemed like a hellish Abyss.

And he technically wasn’t wrong.

“I… I! I, Jang Seonyeon…!”

Jang Seonyeon screamed, as though he had completely lost himself.

It was a refreshing sight.

I had always hated how he pretended to be a good person, smiling in my past life.

Seeing him like this was something I had long desired.

Yet, was it because it was too late?

Or was it because this was the Jang Seonyeon of this timeline, not the one I despised from my past life?

Whatever the reason, it didn’t bring me the satisfaction I expected.

“I! Need to become the pillar of Central Pla-!”

“Ugh, shut your mouth, I’m trying to think.”

Annoyed by his rambling, I stepped on his ankle, crushing it beneath my heel.

Crack!

“Aghhhh!”

Jang Seonyeon’s scream echoed through the air.

This was a sound I much preferred.

“Why do you keep whining, didn’t you come to see me? And I’m fulfilling your wish right now.”

“You!”

“Oh, perhaps you don’t like the fact that we came here together?”

I gave him a mocking smile before crushing his foot again.

“Urgh!”

“You should be grateful. I came with you because I thought you might be lonely.”

Jang Seonyeon gritted his teeth, charging his Qi to unleash it in a burst.

He seemed to have regained most of his composure, unlike before, as his control over his Qi improved.

His ankle was shattered, but his sword was still fast.

Should I break his wrist next?

Just as I was about to reach my arm out,

“…!”

Jang Seonyeon suddenly froze, his body beginning to tremble.

“Hmm?”

I paused, watching his reaction closely,

What the hell was wrong with him?

As if in response to my unspoken question, Jang Seonyeon began to speak, trembling.

“…Why, why is my Divine Qi?”

His words stuttered, his pupils trembling.

“Why…! Why is my Divine Qi not coming out…? H-Heavens!”

Jang Seonyeon had clearly lost his mind, screaming at the sky.

“D-Did you forsaken me!?”

Hmm.

After observing him in confusion, I had a sudden thought and attempted to flow my Qi.

It was the Blood Qi he got from the Blood Demon.

I see.

I immediately understood Jang Seonyeon’s panic after attempting to control one of my own Qi.

It’s not moving.

My Blood Qi wasn’t moving.

I decided to try flowing other Qi, just in case.

The result was the same for my Demonic Qi.

My Tao Qi flowed smoothly, and my normal Qi was functional, but both my Blood and Demonic Qi were unresponsive.

Why, though?

I wondered why I couldn’t use these two types of Qi, while the others worked perfectly, but no answer came to mind.

Besides, there was something more pressing to deal with right now.

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, but don’t we have unfinished business?”

Jang Seonyeon flinched at my words.

It seemed he knew exactly what I was getting at.

“W-What are you going to do…”

“You really are young still, huh.”

“What…?”

“I’m fascinated by the fact that you are already feeling afraid.”

In my past life, Jang Seonyeon would never have revealed his fear so easily just because he lost an advantage.

This confirmed that the current Jang Seonyeon hadn’t yet fully matured—he was a far cry from the person I knew in my past life.

How lame.

It made the situation far less amusing for me.

Though of course,

“I have a few rules when I kill someone. Want to hear them?”

I had no intention of letting him walk away alive.

Jang Seonyeon stared at me, confused by my question.

“Rule number one: I aim to kill in a single strike. Makes things easier.”

I wasn’t some bloodthirsty maniac like the Sword Demon, so I didn’t waste time on unnecessary things.

“Second rule: if I use my flames, I always start by burning the hair.”

Whenever I was forced to use my flames, I always started by burning their hair—especially if they irritated me.

As I said those words,

Blaze-!

Flames erupted in my hand.

Jang Seonyeon’s eyes shook with such intensity, it was visible from a distance.

“Do you know what the third rule is?”

The moment I asked the third question, Jang Seonyeon channeled all his Qi into his sword and swung.

I’ll compliment him for that. He was fighting back instead of running away.

I’d crushed his ankle specifically to prevent him from running, sparing me the hassle.

Did Jang Seonyeon realize that as well?

Not that it really mattered.

I casually dodged his swing and kept talking.

“I slowly start by burning their feet.”

Even with Qi, Jang Seonyeon’s attacks weren’t a threat. His broken ankle made it impossible for him to move properly.

“Slowly, carefully. That way, they die a slow, painful death.”

I always saved their heart, head, and vital points for last.

That way, they felt every ounce of pain.

I used my Qi to make sure they didn’t pass out from the pain.

And of course, I made sure they couldn’t kill themselves to escape it.

“Aghhhh!”

Jang Seonyeon screamed and swung his sword wildly in response to my words.

I could see the fear in his frantic movements.

I watched his desperate swings for a moment, then sighed. His movements were riddled with flaws, and his eyes were full of fear.

I then reached my hand out.

I didn’t even move quickly.

I reached out slowly, guiding my hand exactly where I wanted it to go.

Smack.

Crack.

Through his sloppy swings, my fist slipped in and struck Jang Seonyeon’s Dantian.

With a sharp crack, I felt something break.

His Dantian was shattered.

“U…gh…!”

Jang Seonyeon let out a strangled scream.

As his Qi dissipated into nothing, he tried to gouge his eyes out in desperation. I grabbed his neck and forced Qi into him.

I couldn’t let him lose consciousness just yet.

“You remember my rules, right? One through three?”

This was the usual order I followed,

“But this time, I’m starting with number three. Exciting, right?”

I had something different planned for Jang Seonyeon.

“I’ve got a lot of questions for you, so I suggest you answer quickly. Controlling my power is such a hassle.”

In the end, all three meant death for him, so I didn’t give him the option to live.

The moment Jang Seonyeon tried to kill me with the Abyss Gate, his fate was sealed.

Not that I would’ve given him a chance regardless.

I reached out, staring at Jang Seonyeon, who was too paralyzed with fear to even scream.