Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter CH.1080: The World of Ascension (10)
Chapter CH.1080: The World of Ascension (10)
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
“I... I like you.”
“......”
A woman suddenly confessed to me.
I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, not knowing who she was or even her name.
Like me?
Me?
‘...Why me?’
This was something I had never heard in my life.
Especially from a woman who approached me like this.
Doubt started to creep in.
“I don’t believe in gods.”
“...What?”
“I’m not interested in hearing anything strange. I don’t have any money either.”
“...What?”
Am I wrong?
The more I spoke, the stranger her reaction became.
Is this not it? This doesn’t make sense if it isn’t.
This couldn’t be happening.
It’s not that I don’t... don’t think I’m ugly, but...
At the very least, I wasn’t the type of person who would get into this kind of situation.
The only person who’s ever called me handsome was Tang So-yeol, and—
‘Wait...’
Tang So-yeol?
...Tang So-yeol?
I narrowed my eyes and looked at her. Tang So-yeol... Tang So-yeol, huh.
At the same time, I quickly glanced at the clothes she was wearing.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes, yes?”
I asked while looking at her.
“...What is your name?”
“Ah...”
The woman hesitated at my question before slowly removing the veil she was wearing.
I wondered why she suddenly took it off, but—
Once she did, her face became even clearer.
I had thought it before, and I thought the same now.
She looked way too much like Tang So-yeol. Her green hair and her clothes, everything.
Which meant...
This woman was also from the family I knew.
“...My name is Tang Seon.”
“......”
Her introduction confirmed my suspicion.
“Tang Seon... Then, by any chance...”
“That’s right... I am Tang Seon of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
I was right.
No wonder something felt off.
‘Tang Seon.’
Who is that?
Was there someone of her age in the Tang family bloodline?
As far as I knew, there was only the Poison King.
I stared at the woman with a confused look.
“That’s right. I am Dokbong.”
She spoke as though she expected me to recognize her.
Dokbong.
The familiar title echoed from her lips.
‘So she was the previous Dokbong.’
This woman must have held the title of Dokbong before Tang So-yeol.
Which meant—
“...What is your relationship with the current Poison Dragon...?”
“Huh?”
Since the current Poison Dragon existed, I thought there might be some connection, so I asked.
Tang Seon gave me a strange look and said,
“...She is my younger sister.”
“......”
I nodded.
‘So she had an older sister.’
In Tang So-yeol’s case, would she be an aunt?
I didn’t know Tang So-yeol had an aunt. I’d never heard of her, so it made sense.
“Well... Ah, I see.”
I awkwardly nodded, trying to process the situation, and said with a dumbfounded expression.
“You said your name was Tang Seon, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well... Thank you for your words, but...”
I understood that she was approaching me because she liked me, but—
“I have a fiancée.”
“Ah...”
When I mentioned my fiancée, Tang Seon’s eyes widened and quickly turned sad.
“I... I see. That’s unfortunate... really.”
“Still, I appreciate your words.”
It’s not every day I hear something like that.
The problem was that the person saying it was an eccentric woman from the Tang family.
“Thank you for telling me. I hope you have a good day.”
After giving me a polite bow, Tang Seon quickly disappeared.
Even as she left, her back resembled Tang So-yeol’s so much that it felt strangely nostalgic.
‘How is she doing?’
According to what Shin Noya said, it hadn’t been that long.
But from my perspective, quite a bit of time had passed, so she often came to mind.
Ah, right.
‘I miss them.’
I missed the others.
A lot.
********
The Next Day
A day had passed.
Even with the dawn of a new day, I was still in this world.
Not that I expected anything different, so it wasn’t much of a concern.
I simply shook off my daze, suppressed my irritation, and stepped out of the inn.
‘Damn, the weather is disgustingly nice. What the hell.’
As if mocking my mood, the world remained clear and bright, oblivious.
I let out a sigh as I looked at the pouring sunlight.
“...Damn it.”
Life is really something else.
I’ve gone through regression, traveled to another world—
And now, I’ve even ended up in my father’s childhood.
“Life...”
Ah, now that I think about it, I wasn’t even human anymore, was I?
“Fuck.”
Repeating useless thoughts, I kept walking. Before long, I passed the main gate and saw the headquarters in the distance.
As I neared the entrance, I called out.
“Excuse me.”
“Are you a successful applicant?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
“Hand over your acceptance certificate.”
As if he had done this countless times before, the gatekeeper asked me for my certificate.
I took out the acceptance certificate I had prepared in advance and handed it to him.
He checked it over carefully before stepping aside to let me through.
“Proceed. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
His expression didn’t match his words at all. It was just a customary greeting, nothing more.
But I understood how they felt, so it didn’t bother me.
‘...Poor guy.’
A gatekeeper, huh... I had done that job in my past life.
It was a grueling existence.
‘I used to get a lot of complaints about looking too scary as a gatekeeper.’
A distant, bitter memory.
Maybe that’s why my mood turned just as bitter.
I clenched my teeth and stepped into the main headquarters.
Inside, there were quite a few people, though fewer than yesterday.
It seemed that all the examinees had left, and only the successful candidates remained.
When I arrived, I saw them lined up in an orderly queue.
Observing them for a moment, I quietly took my place at the end.
As I stood there waiting patiently—
Tap, tap.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. Wondering what it was, I turned around and saw a young man I didn’t recognize.
“...What do you want?”
“When did you pass?”
“...Excuse me?”
A sudden question.
“Yesterday, right?”
“Ah, so you took the test at a different time than me. Haha. Wasn’t it difficult? It was really tough for me.”
“......”
Ah, just a talkative guy. I quickly assessed the situation.
“...Well, it was somewhat difficult.”
“Somewhat difficult? Do you know? This year’s exam was said to be the hardest in the last ten years.”
“Really? Was it?”
Was it, though?
“It really was! There were three questions about red-rank beasts in the test on demonic beast studies. Red-rank beasts don’t even appear in our era anymore, so no one studies them. Why would they ask three questions about them...?”
“Oh...”
Now that I thought about it, I had answered those questions without much thought. But considering the current time period, red-rank beasts weren’t a relevant topic.
“That’s why the passing rate was abysmally low.”
“Is that so?”
“It really was. Apparently, only one person got a perfect score.”
“Ah.”
“Whoever that person is, they must have been sharpening their sword for this. They’re going to be someone great.”
The young man shook his head repeatedly as if he couldn’t believe it.
Just as I thought he was done talking and things were finally settling down—
“Oh, by the way.”
“......”
There was still more?
This was getting a bit annoying.
“You saw it yesterday, didn’t you? The Grandmaster came.”
“Ah... Yes, I saw him.”
“Damn, I’m so jealous! I should have applied yesterday... Ha... To think you got to see one of the Three Masters with your own eyes... I’m really envious.”
“Ah, well...”
I only saw him up close.
If I told him I had used the Three Masters as servants, teachers, and even gatekeepers, he’d probably faint on the spot.
“And it’s not just that—he didn’t just show up, he personally selected a disciple to take with him. Did you see that?”
“......”
Since the conversation was about me, I reflexively shut my mouth.
“Well, I didn’t see it, but... Anyway, why?”
I didn’t see it—I experienced it. That wasn’t a lie.
“You didn’t see it? Ah, that’s a shame. I was curious about what kind of person got chosen...”
The young man smacked his lips repeatedly.
“I heard he’s some enormous brute, a martial genius like no other. He’s supposed to be so ruggedly handsome that women would swoon at the sight of him.”
“......”
What the hell kind of nonsense was this?
Only a single day had passed, and yet ridiculous rumors had already started circulating.
What the hell was this insanity?
“Well, it makes sense. If he’s that remarkable, of course the Grandmaster would take an interest. And listen to this.”
The young man extended his index finger, as if preparing to reveal some grand secret.
“Don’t be shocked.”
“...Okay.”
“That person who received the offer? Apparently, he’s also the only one who got a perfect score on the demonic beast studies exam.”
“......”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but pull a slightly displeased expression.
Seeing my reaction, the young man suddenly patted me on the shoulder.
“Ah, don’t make that face. I know it seems unfair, but life is just like that, isn’t it?”
He seemed to have misunderstood something once again.
“Just look at the dragons and phoenixes of our time. Life is simply different for some people. If you start envying them, there’s no end to it. There will always be people like that, people who live in an entirely different world from ours, just like that guy from yesterday.”
Ah, he thought I was envious of whoever he was talking about.
“Oh, I just realized—we haven’t even introduced ourselves properly.”
When did we ever have a conversation? I felt like I had just been listening to him monologue the whole time.
“I’m Do Yun from the Shanxi Dao Family. What’s your name, young hero?”
“...Ah, I’m—”
I figured I should at least introduce myself, so I was just about to respond when—
“Baek—”
“Baek Yangcheon! Where is Baek Yangcheon of the Baek family?!”
“...Huh?”
I turned my head. Far off on the platform, someone was shouting my name at the top of their lungs.
At that moment—
“Baek Yangcheon? Ah, that guy. The one who received the offer from the Grandmaster and got a perfect score? His name has already spread everywhere.”
The young man looked at me with great interest.
“I was really curious about what kind of person he was. This is a perfect chance. Oh, right! What was your name again?”
“That’s me.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“That guy over there.”
I pointed toward the platform.
“Baek Yangcheon!!”
I pointed at the person who had been screaming my name and made a slightly awkward face.
“...What?”
The young man’s expression crumbled.
Seeing that, I let out a chuckle and said,
“Let’s introduce ourselves properly later. I need to go since they’re calling me.”
I patted the shoulder of the young man, who had introduced himself as Do Yun, and walked toward the platform.
Immediately, countless gazes locked onto me.
“Mmmmmm!?”
Somewhere behind me, I heard Do Yun letting out a shocked scream.
I nearly burst into laughter because of it.
