Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Sssssss—!

The moon vanished from the blackened sky.

The last remnants of light crumbled, and shadows descended upon the cold forest.

Darkness arrived.

Ominous. Discomforting. Unfathomably deep.

Namgung Hyung felt it seep into his bones, and without realizing it, he swallowed dryly.

"Descendant."

Noe-a’s voice echoed in his mind.

His body, which had been frozen stiff, finally loosened slightly.

"Guhk…!"

The breath that had been trapped in his throat burst free.

"Hahh… Hahh…!"

His body clenched up on its own.

It felt like something was pressing against his chest, stopping his lungs from taking in air.

Cold sweat poured from every pore, drenching his skin.

"What is this?"

What… was this?

With trembling eyes, Namgung Hyung looked ahead.

Crackle…

A man in black robes, gripping the lightning in his hand.

Long, flowing hair.

A towering frame, nearly eight feet tall.

And without hesitation, he crushed the lightning in his grip.

"…Hah."

That lightning—

It wasn’t just any lightning.

It was the lightning of Heavenly Lord, the Namgung Patriarch, the undisputed ruler of Anhui.

His grandfather—

A man who, if he so desired, could wipe Namgung from the face of the earth on his own.

And yet, this man had just ripped apart that very lightning.

With his bare hands.

"…Who is he?"

His vision trembled, and though he had regained control of his breathing, his thoughts still felt sluggish.

This sensation—

"…Why is it stronger than when I faced my grandfather?"

When he had stood before Heavenly Lord, he had felt fear.

But right now, standing behind this man—

He felt something even stronger.

A void—a presence that felt like nothing, yet paradoxically revealed everything.

As if night itself had taken human form.

That was what Namgung Hyung felt as he looked at this man.

"Cheonma.."

Heavenly Lord whispered, repeating the name.

Then, he let out a soft chuckle.

"I've heard of you. They said a great master appeared recently. So, it was you?"

The man did not answer.

But Namgung Hyung finally realized who he was.

Because he had heard the rumors too.