Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Boom—!!!
Crack—!!!

A violent impact spread cracks across the barrier. The surrounding space, enclosed in its vastness, was collapsing.

Crackle.

Fragments shattered, falling to the ground. As they hit the floor, they crumbled into dust and scattered.

Watching the repeated cycle of destruction, I furrowed my brows.

“----!!!”

A deafening roar echoed. It came from the Divine Tree. More precisely, from the very roots forming the barrier—if that was the case, then this sound might as well be the voice of the Abyssal Pit itself.

“…This is not good.”

The Turtle spoke in a grave tone.

Vwooom—! A radiant light burst forth from his staff. The glow surged beneath the abyssal space, attempting to reinforce the barrier.

However—

Kuaaaaaaah—!!!!
Boom—!!!

Another shockwave tore through the newly layered barrier, ripping it apart in an instant.

“Kh…!”

The Turtle trembled, staggering from the impact. Seeing this, I quickly rushed toward him.

“Elder…!”

Drip.

A stream of blood dribbled from the Turtle’s mouth.

Even the regenerative heat sustaining him had faded.

I had infused him with a significant amount of energy, yet it had dissipated in an instant.

It meant the backlash he endured had been immense.

As I moved to channel energy back into him—

“…Stay still.”

The Turtle gripped my wrist.

“We must suppress our energy as much as possible… No, that’s meaningless now. It must have already sensed us.”

His expression revealed clear distress as he gazed skyward.

Following his line of sight, I turned my head.

Beyond the massive cracks in the barrier, a woman stood watching us.

A small, floating figure in the air.

Her long, white hair billowed like silk in the wind, blending seamlessly with her pale skin.

Along with that, her eyes held the light of an aurora, and behind her swayed multiple tails.

I recognized it the moment I saw her.

‘That is divinity.’

The overwhelming presence, the unfathomable grandeur—

Was this what my ancestors, or Taechon, had spoken of when they mentioned divinity?

‘This is on an entirely different level.’

She was nothing like Taechon, who had borrowed another’s body, nor like Abyssal Pit, who had merely woven a protective barrier.

Just seeing her was enough to understand—

No, rather—