Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 543

At the time when the sun had set, and night had fallen.

Countless figures were swiftly making their way through the forest.

"Move faster!"

"Stay in formation! Do not falter!"

Though their appearances varied, every single one of them shared the same expression on their faces.

Tension.

Their expressions were brimming with nervousness.

Tap!

Their pace quickened steadily.

Their movements, as they maneuvered through the forest path, clearly marked them as martial artists.

The wind whipped at their uniforms as they surged forward, and the insignia embroidered on their garments remained clearly visible even in the darkness.

There was only one meaning behind that insignia.

The Martial Alliance.

These were martial artists affiliated with the Martial Alliance, cutting through the night as they ran.

Among them, the man leading the group stood out.

Seo Dong, vice-captain of the Martial Alliance’s Guangdong Branch and the leader of the Flying Dragon Unit, darted his eyes around, scanning the surroundings.

"Damn it."

One hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

With strength focused on his dantian, he was using his Qi sense to its fullest.

His energy rippled outward, wrapping around the forest surroundings.

The energy he exuded was brimming with power.

To release Qi at this level, one had to surpass the limits of an ordinary martial artist.

This alone showed that Seo Dong had surpassed the Peak Stage.

Which also meant—

Someone as powerful as Seo Dong was feeling deeply anxious.

"Of all times, when we’re shorthanded…!"

Currently, there were only seven of them in total.

Although every member of the team was a first-rate martial artist or higher, it still wasn’t enough.

It simply wasn’t enough to handle the situation at hand.

A Red-Grade Monster.

This lineup wasn’t sufficient to take it down.

One peak-level martial artist and six first-rate martial artists.

Just a few years ago, this would have been more than enough firepower to handle most monsters.

Seo Dong alone, at his peak stage, could have slaughtered blue-grade monsters effortlessly. At the time, monster appearances weren’t considered overly dangerous.

But now—

"Damn it all."

That was no longer the case.

Just three years ago—

Starting in Sichuan, a new grade of Demonic Gate began to appear.

No, calling it "new" wasn’t quite right.

It was an old grade that had simply reappeared after a long absence.

And yet—

To dismiss it so simply would be to underestimate the monumental impact it had on the world.

"Prepare yourselves! Don’t let your guard down!"

At Seo Dong’s shout, the martial artists behind him flinched and began gathering their Qi.

Their energy mingled with the air, creating an oppressive heat that spread around them.

This was a grade that hadn’t been seen in centuries.

The Red-Grade Demonic Gate.

Starting a few years ago, gates of this grade began to manifest again.

The creatures emerging from them were incomparably stronger than those from blue-grade gates.

They were monsters with a protective layer of Qi shielding their bodies,

creatures capable of crushing even peak-level martial artists with their overwhelming strength.

On top of that, they were wildly destructive. Each appearance left their surroundings in ruins, earning them the title of another disaster.

The only saving grace was their rarity compared to other grades of Demonic Gates.

But even so, the mere appearance of a red-grade monster was enough to classify it as a catastrophe.

Seo Dong raised his head.

"Grit…"

He ground his teeth as he gazed into the distance.

There it was—a light.

A vivid red glow.

That light could only mean one thing.

"It’s about to emerge."

It was the sign that a monster was about to burst forth from the Red-Grade Demonic Gate.

The best opportunity to hunt such creatures was the moment they emerged.

In those few seconds, as they struggled to adapt to their new surroundings, lay the key to survival.

Especially with this limited team, a direct confrontation would mean certain death.

But now—

"We’re too late."

They were already late.

The report about the gate had come in late, and their preparations had taken too long.

At this rate, the monster would emerge from the gate.

And when that happened—

"There are too many villages nearby."

If the situation spiraled out of control, countless innocent lives would be lost.

They absolutely had to stop it.

"Why?"

Even as Seo Dong pushed himself to move faster, a nagging thought lingered in his mind.

"It feels like the frequency is increasing."

The number of Red-Grade Demonic Gates reported lately seemed to be rising.

In the first year they appeared, no more than twenty had been reported in total.

But now, with the year just beginning, over twenty had already been confirmed by spring.

It was increasing.

The sense of unease wasn’t unique to Seo Dong; it was likely shared by most of the Alliance’s officers.

This realization sent a chill through Seo Dong’s heart.

And then—

BOOOOOM!

"…!"

A deafening roar echoed from the distance, widening Seo Dong’s eyes.

He clenched his lips.

That sound could mean only one thing.

"The monster has emerged."

The thunderous sound marked the arrival of a Red-Grade Monster.

Beneath the crimson glow, the creature had appeared.

Crack.

Grinding his teeth, Seo Dong drew his sword.

Shing!

As soon as Seo Dong unsheathed his blade, the other martial artists behind him followed suit without hesitation.

Everyone likely understood it instinctively—

that they could very well die here today.

"…Why did this have to happen while the unit commanders are away?!"

If just one unit commander-level martial artist had been here, the situation wouldn’t have escalated this far.

But all of them were currently away.

They had been dispatched to investigate the death of Do Moon-gang, known as the Nine-Fist Demon.

Since the incident involved Sama Oje, it had required the attention of unit commanders.

But that decision had come back to bite them.

At least two seasoned peak-level martial artists were needed here, yet they were forced to act with this pitifully small team.

"This is nothing short of a suicide mission."

If he had planned to retire, he should have done so sooner.

Was it his fault for not stepping down earlier?

Seo Dong forced himself to steady his thoughts.

They couldn’t allow the monster to lay waste to the surrounding villages.

"We’re almost there."

Even Seo Dong’s voice, which had been calm moments earlier, now wavered with uncertainty.

"I’ll take the lead. Support me from behind."

"Vice-Captain!"

One of the martial artists behind him voiced his concern.

But no further protests came.

Everyone understood—there was no other way.

Click.

Finally, they arrived at the source of the light.

Seo Dong tightened his grip on his sword, his nerves on edge.

Hum—

The blade began to hum as a sharp aura enveloped it.

He extended his Qi outward to survey the situation.

"Where is it?"

This was undoubtedly the location of the light.

Which meant the monster had to be somewhere nearby.

Furthermore, Red-Grade Monsters were usually massive, so spotting it shouldn’t have been difficult.

"What the…?"

Something felt off to Seo Dong.

"Why is it so quiet?"

A suffocating silence blanketed the area.

If it were a Red-Grade Monster, it should already be roaring and tearing its surroundings apart.

Yet the forest was eerily quiet.

Even more troubling was the fact that his Qi sense detected nothing.

"…"

Seo Dong raised his hand and gestured for the group to move forward.

With their presence suppressed, he advanced, and the others followed behind.

They continued cautiously for several minutes.

And then—

Creak…

"…?"

A faint sound came from somewhere in the distance.

Creak... Crack... Crunch!

The sound was as if something was being crushed and broken apart.

Just hearing it was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Seo Dong felt his hair stand on end as the chilling sound reached his ears.

Squish... Crack.

The closer they moved toward the source of the sound, the louder it became.

It was practically right in front of them.

Thud!

There was no doubt.

The sound was coming from just beyond the shadows in front of them.

Tension thickened as Seo Dong’s breathing grew heavier.

His heartbeat quickened, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

Was it the Red-Grade Monster? Was it doing something?

That thought crossed Seo Dong’s mind as he cautiously took one trembling step forward.

“…Huh...!?”

The moment Seo Dong laid eyes on the scene before him, he involuntarily gasped.

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Something emerged from the dense shadows.

Drip, drip.

First, he saw glowing blue eyes.

Then, a massive body came into view.

Something large, agile despite its size, with crimson flesh, was devouring a monster.

Crunch!

With the sound of bones shattering, the monster’s head was crushed completely.

Drip, drip! Blood flowed freely, staining the ground beneath it.

Seo Dong’s eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight.

The mangled form of the creature being eaten was hard to discern, but it vaguely resembled a tiger.

"...That’s definitely..."

It was a Red-Grade Monster, far stronger than lower-ranked blue-grade monsters.

To defeat it would require a fully seasoned Peak-Level martial artist.

And yet, that formidable creature was being devoured alive right before his eyes.

Judging by the lack of visible damage to the surrounding area, it hadn’t even managed to put up a fight.

"What the hell... What is that thing?"

Whatever it was that was eating the Red-Grade Monster remained an enigma.

It looked like a monster, but its rank was unclear.

At a glance, it seemed to emit a faint blue glow, but upon closer inspection, it was closer to black.

"...Could it be a Blue-Grade Monster?"

No, that was impossible. A Blue-Grade Monster couldn’t possibly do this.

Then what exactly was this creature...?

Grrr...

"Damn it...!"

The creature, seemingly finished with its meal, turned its glowing blue eyes toward Seo Dong.

Seo Dong instinctively tried to channel energy into his sword, but—

Freeze!

"Urgh...!"

The moment their eyes met, his body froze completely.

This was bad.

At this rate—

"Excuse me."

"!!"

Frozen in place, Seo Dong flinched at the sudden voice that rang out near his ear.

At the same time, he felt an arm drape over his shoulder.

It was as if someone had casually thrown their arm around him.

"I have something to ask you."

The voice was high-pitched yet slightly subdued, unfamiliar to Seo Dong.

Forcing his stiff neck to turn, Seo Dong looked at the person beside him.

The first thing he noticed was—

"Eyes...?"

The same blue glow as the monster’s eyes.

Even in the darkness, those eyes shone vividly.

Though the person’s face was obscured, their voice suggested they weren’t very old.

One thing Seo Dong was absolutely certain of—

"I can’t win."

It was the intuition of a loser.

Just from looking into those eyes, he knew.

The reason the forest was so eerily quiet wasn’t because of the monster, but because of this person’s overwhelming presence.

As Seo Dong began trembling uncontrollably, the figure spoke again.

"I’m looking for someone. Thought you might know something."

Their tone was casual, even playful, but the sheer weight of their presence made Seo Dong’s body tremble even more.

Forcing words out of his blocked throat, Seo Dong stammered:

"...W-Who... are you?"

"Hm. That’s the second time I’ve been asked that today."

Sweat dripped down Seo Dong’s face.

It felt as though he was being crushed under an invisible weight.

"Just someone who enjoys traveling. Can’t that be enough? It should be."

"..."

It was clear the figure had no intention of revealing their identity.

Even so, Seo Dong couldn’t bring himself to argue.

He knew what would happen if he refused.

"If it’s not enough, things might get a little annoying."

That much was clear.

Grrr.

The large monster growled quietly from the shadows.

It seemed to be waiting for a command.

Which could only mean that this person had tamed the monster.

"That’s impossible."

The idea of a human taming a monster was absurd.

But—

"...Huff... Huff..."

Even as questions and confusion filled his mind, this wasn’t the time to ask.

"Who... are you looking for?"

Hearing Seo Dong’s question, the figure smiled faintly.

Though it was too dark to see clearly, the curve of the glowing blue eyes suggested they were smiling.

The figure then asked:

"The Sword Demon... No, that’s not it. What was his name again? I think it was two syllables..."

They paused, seemingly lost in thought.

"I don’t know his name."

Then, as if something came to mind, they spoke again:

"He’s a man, probably around my age... Uses a sword... Oh."

"And his eyes—his eyes are an unusual shade of yellow."

"...!"

Hearing that, Seo Dong froze.

Seeing his reaction, the figure chuckled and asked:

"Do you know him?"

"..."

Whether it was fortunate or not, Seo Dong recognized the description.

It matched someone who had recently gained infamy for all the wrong reasons.