Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 606: The Curse of the Ice Crystal (2)
As I initially assessed, this place was a cave.
It seemed to stretch on endlessly, both long and deep.
Even after walking for several minutes with the White Lotus Sword, the path showed no sign of ending.
‘At least I can walk without any issues.’
I calmly continued forward, closely monitoring my physical condition.
There didn’t seem to be any major problems with my muscles or bones.
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From the tips of my toes to the top of my head, I carefully examined each part of my body while also listening to the White Lotus Sword’s words.
"Your companions are resting above. Until recently, the Tang Clan’s child was looking after you. It was right when we swapped shifts that you woke up.”
The White Lotus Sword, as always, was quite talkative.
“That child must have been disappointed. They were so worried about what to do if you didn’t wake up, and then the moment they stepped away, you opened your eyes.”
It seemed Tang So-yeol had been very concerned about me.
‘I’ll have to apologize later.’
Another task to add to my list.
Ignoring the White Lotus Sword’s chatter for a moment, I organized the information I had received on the way here.
First, the circumstances that led to me arriving in this place.
‘Right after I lost consciousness, they said a scouting party appeared while assessing the situation.’
I had heard that soldiers from the Lord of the Ice Palace discovered the scene while patrolling the area.
No, to be precise...
‘Paejon captured them while they were scouting, didn’t he?’
Before the soldiers even reached their destination, Paejon found and captured them, interrogating them to confirm their identities.
Apparently, judging them to not be enemies, they ended up here with the princess.
At first, I wondered if it was okay to just recklessly bring people here, but seeing the White Lotus Sword here seemed to confirm it.
Of course, if the White Lotus Sword turned out to be an enemy, that would be a different story entirely.
‘If that happens, well...’
Things would get troublesome.
Though I doubted that would be the case.
Incidentally, the enemy soldiers captured at that time were reportedly locked in a torture chamber.
“Oh, by the way, that Bi-ah kid. She’s impressive, isn’t she?”
“...Pardon?”
The "Bi-ah kid"? The sudden remark from the White Lotus Sword made me pause.
‘Ah.’
After a moment of thought, I quickly understood.
Come to think of it, Paejon was associated with the Namgung family.
But referring to him as a “kid”...
‘I’m not used to that title.’
The White Lotus Sword likely didn’t know Paejon’s true identity.
Knowing it myself, I found it hard to comment.
“Her energy, and what do they call it... Twin Dragons? I didn’t know much before, but seeing her in person, I get it now. You really do have some incredible people around you.”
Had something happened while I was unconscious?
The way the White Lotus Sword talked about Paejon felt strange.
“Well... sure.”
Incredible, indeed.
A person who had reverted their physical state to complete their martial arts technique.
Even aside from martial skill, they were impressive in many ways.
“...So, you’re saying this place is the Lord of the Ice Palace’s hideout?”
Cutting off the White Lotus Sword before they could ramble further, I brought the conversation to the main point.
“Correct.”
Hearing the answer, I gave a slight nod.
While I appeared calm outwardly, internally, I was anything but.
‘This is a complete mess.’
The mention of the Ice Palace’s hideout.
That alone was enough to understand how dire the situation was.
‘It means the Ice Lord has already been driven out of the palace.’
The Ice Palace, their original home.
For them to be driven out and hiding in this cave...
It meant that the enemy forces had already seized the main palace.
‘If the White Lotus Sword is correct, heading straight to the Ice Palace would have been catastrophic.’
My suspicions were correct.
The Ice Palace wasn’t safe, as I had feared.
While it was fortunate to meet the Ice Lord here sooner than expected,
the situation being far worse than anticipated was hardly a good sign.
‘This is even worse than I expected.’
I wanted to run.
No, I should have fled long ago.
But knowing that, I still couldn’t leave.
Not with Namgung Bi-ah involved.
“Senior.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you even here, Senior?”
There were still many things I hadn’t been told.
The White Lotus Sword, the Hermit of Wudang,
Namgung Bi-ah, and even Woo Hyuk...
I didn’t know how all of these people were entangled, but none of them had any real need to involve themselves in this situation.
If a bloodbath had erupted, they should have left instead of getting tangled up here.
Why were they still here?
“...Because I owe a debt.”
At that moment, the White Lotus Sword spoke.
A debt?
“A debt I owed long ago but never repaid. That’s why.”
“...”
A debt. If it was a debt to the Lord of the Ice Palace, I couldn’t really argue against that.
But still...
‘What does that have to do with Namgung Bi-ah?’
That didn’t explain why she was involved in all of this.
I wanted to question the White Lotus Sword further, but I held back.
It might not have been their fault.
If Namgung Bi-ah was involved, there was probably a reason.
So I restrained myself.
Now was the time to gather information.
Suppressing my weary body and emotions, I continued walking, and eventually, the White Lotus Sword and I arrived in front of a massive door.
How could such a giant door exist in a cave like this?
While pondering this, I looked at the door.
Screech.
A figure in front of the door moved, turning to face us.
“Aeryeong.”
“Hello.”
The White Lotus Sword greeted the man.
Aeryeong?
Was that what they called the White Lotus Sword?
‘Why are all the names here so odd?’
White Fox, Crimson Feather...
All of the titles were bizarre.
It seemed to be something unique to the North Sea.
As I pondered, the White Lotus Sword spoke to the man.
“Is the Lord awake?”
“Yes.”
The man nodded in response to the White Lotus Sword’s question.
Looking at him, I had to suppress a small gasp of surprise.
‘Strong.’
If not quite an absolute master, he was certainly at the Hwagyeong level.
Judging by how difficult it was to gauge his exact level, it was clear that his power wasn’t ordinary.
As I stared at the man, he turned his gaze toward me.
He was a man with a strikingly strong impression, accentuated by a neatly trimmed beard.
“So, you’re the famed Crimson Feather?”
It had been a while since I last heard that ridiculous title.
“...”
“You’re a bit different from the rumors.”
He seemed slightly disappointed as he looked at me.
What was this?
What kind of rumors had spread to make everyone so familiar with that humiliating nickname?
I wanted to grab him and demand an explanation—what exactly had been said about me?—but he didn’t give me the chance.
“I am Mukcheong, the Black Lion, the Grand General of the palace.”
The man grasped the door handle and spoke to me before I could ask anything further.
“By the order of the Lord, you are granted entry.”
Grind, creak!
The heavy iron door began to open slowly.
Whoosh!
“...!”
From the narrow gap in the door, an overwhelming chill burst forth.
It was unlike the cold I had felt upon arriving in the North Sea.
‘What the hell?’
The air was freezing.
The icy aura alone made me feel like I might turn to ice.
Buzz...
My energy reacted instinctively.
The heat within me flared up in resistance to the intense cold.
I peered inside the door, thoughts swirling.
‘The Lord of the Ice Palace is inside here?’
Were they trying to freeze someone to death?
How could anyone survive in such a place?
As I hesitated at the entrance, a voice suddenly pierced my mind.
[Enter.]
“...!”
The voice was not heard with my ears but resounded directly in my head.
It came from just beyond the door.
Someone was there.
As if drawn by an unseen force, I took a step forward.
“Wait, hold on...!”
The White Lotus Sword called out as if they had something more to say, but I was already inside the door.
I wasn’t sure why, but it felt as though my steps were compelled to move forward.
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Whoosh!
The icy air brushed against my cheek.
Even with the heat protecting me, it was still bitterly cold.
The moment I fully stepped inside the chamber,
Thud!
The door slammed shut behind me, sealing the entrance completely.
“What is this place?”
I widened my eyes, scanning my surroundings.
The spacious interior of the cave was frozen solid, with sharp, biting cold permeating the air.
The chill was so intense it felt like it could cut through flesh just by brushing against it.
It was sharp enough to make me laugh incredulously.
‘Why is it so harsh?’
Even as someone who had reached Hwagyeong through mastery of fiery techniques, enduring this level of cold for long was nearly impossible.
What kind of space was this?
As I scanned the area, full of questions,
[Welcome.]
The same voice spoke again.
Instinctively, I turned toward the direction it came from.
And then—
“...!”
My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me.
[First, I must apologize.]
I couldn’t help but stare.
[Not only could I not greet you properly as an honored guest, but you also see me in such a wretched state.]
At the center of the chamber sat a figure.
It was only then that I realized why {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} I hadn’t noticed them earlier.
‘What is that?’
The person’s appearance blended seamlessly with the frozen surroundings of the cave.
Their snow-white hair and body were half-covered in ice.
That’s when it became clear.
The chilling cold that filled this cave—
It wasn’t the cave itself.
‘All of this...’
The intense cold came entirely from this person.
A staggering aura of cold radiated from them, filling the space.
And yet,
‘Something about this...’
The freezing energy and the strange presence emanating from them felt oddly unsettling.
It didn’t take long for me to recognize why.
This discomfort—
It was the same faint unease I’d felt ever since arriving in the North Sea.
Something that irritated and suffocated me, even if I stayed still.
That same sensation was coming from this person.
As I frowned at the peculiar feeling,
[Originally, I intended to speak with you from outside the door.]
The figure continued speaking,
[But seeing you stirred a curiosity I could not suppress, leading me to act so rudely.]
Buzz...!
The sensation grew stronger.
The more I looked at this figure, the more a distinct emotion bubbled up from within me.
Hostility.
I felt an undeniable sense of hostility toward this person.
Why was this happening?
Thump, thump!
I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm my wildly beating heart.
[Before we converse, I must first ask you something.]
The figure slowly raised their head and looked directly at me.
“Heh.”
The moment our gazes met, I felt my body freeze in place.
[What is your relation to the Supreme Ruler of Zhongyuan?]
The figure’s cheek was adorned with scales, and shards of ice flaked off from beneath their skin.
Moreover,
Their pupils were slit, resembling the eyes of a reptile.
Yes...
It was almost identical to when the Shadow King had revealed his curse before me.
