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Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter CH.1087: The World of Ascension (17)
Chapter CH.1087: The World of Ascension (17)
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Smack—!!
A harsh impact rang out as Namgung Jin’s head snapped back.
“Guh—”
A strained groan escaped him, but it was cut short.
Because before his head could even settle—
Boom—!!!
My fist drove into his face once more.
The sound of impact was akin to a boulder shattering.
The sheer force of the strike sent Namgung Jin airborne, his body twisting as he spun through the air.
A trail of blood arced from his nose, drawing a perfect circle as he tumbled.
His body was about to crash into the ground—
But—
“Guhhh...!”
Even in that brief moment, he never touched the ground.
Because before he could fall, a hand had already seized his throat, holding him in place.
“Ah, for fuck’s sake.”
A sharp curse spilled out.
My expression twisted in irritation, my blue eyes burning as I glared down at him.
Everyone around me flinched.
“This is just fucking pathetic.”
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue, my stance exuding nothing but indifference.
“At this point, I really have to ask—what the hell is wrong with all the men in your damn family?”
“Ghh... kuh...!”
Namgung Jin’s body trembled.
He was shaking from the residual pain coursing through him.
Smack—!
“Gah—!!”
I slammed my fist into his solar plexus.
His body jerked violently as blood splattered from his mouth.
“You know what I hate the most?”
I asked, my voice dripping with disdain.
“It’s weaklings who don’t know their place but still act like they own the fucking world.”
Crack!
I struck him again.
“If you can’t fight for shit, just shut the hell up and live quietly. Stop pissing me off.”
My words carried a weight close to self-loathing.
Because in my past life, I had failed to do just that.
That was why, without even realizing it, I had let my emotions spill over as I mercilessly beat him down.
While I was lost in my own thoughts—
The members of the Azure Dragon Division, as well as the surrounding recruits, sat in stunned silence, their eyes widened in utter disbelief.
“...Namgung Jin... is losing like that?”
“What...?”
“I couldn’t even see it.”
The senior members of the Azure Dragon Division were visibly shaken.
It was understandable.
Who was Namgung Jin, the Sword Dragon?
He was the heir to the Namgung Clan and had been regarded as the strongest among his generation before the Divine Dragon had emerged.
If not for the Divine Dragon, many believed that Namgung Jin would have taken the position of Vice Leader of the Azure Dragon Division.
Sure, he had some personality issues, but in terms of pure combat ability, he was considered nearly unmatched among the younger generation.
And yet, that very Sword Dragon was now beaten to a pulp, unable to move.
The shock extended to the new recruits as well.
“...The great Sword Dragon is being beaten like this?”
“This makes no sense. And by someone... of the same rank as us?”
The idea was simply unbelievable to them.
A fellow recruit—someone who had only just joined the Martial Alliance—was utterly humiliating Namgung Jin.
Among the stunned recruits—
“Hah. You all sound ridiculous.”
A calm yet amused voice cut through the murmur.
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
And there, standing with an oddly smug expression—
Was Do Yun.
“How can you even compare yourselves to Baek Comrade? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”
“...Do Yun? What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about?”
Do Yun scoffed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Baek Comrade is simply not the same as us.”
“What...?”
“Think about it. Do you all not know what Baek Comrade has done since stepping foot into the Martial Alliance?”
At his words, the other recruits began to recall the series of events that had unfolded since Baek Yangcheon had joined.
First.
During the initial entrance exam, he had defeated the sword examiner in a single strike.
There had been other cases where examinees won their matches against the proctors—
But never before had anyone defeated one in a single blow.
Second.
During the demonic beast knowledge test, he had been the only one to score a perfect mark.
Not only was he physically strong, but he also possessed vast intelligence.
And third.
“...He is the one personally recognized by one of the Three Supreme Masters—Paejon.”
The Three Supreme Masters.
Paejon, one of the most revered figures in the righteous sects, had personally taken an interest in Baek Yangcheon.
He had even attended the Azure Dragon Division’s banquet specifically because of him.
That alone had shaken the Martial Alliance.
Yet despite all of this—
“The real question is...”
Do Yun’s voice lowered slightly, making the others lean in.
“Why has someone this exceptional never been heard of before?”
“...Huh!?”
“...That’s... true.”
It was bizarre.
A man with such overwhelming skill—
And yet, until now, no one had known of his existence.
That made no sense.
Because—
“Look at him. He’s single-handedly dismantling the Sword Dragon.”
How could someone this strong have remained hidden for so long?
How—
“...Could he have never been granted a Dragon title?”
Among the younger generation, the highest-ranked prodigies were given titles of Dragon or Phoenix.
Yet Baek Yangcheon had never been acknowledged as either.
While the recruits were lost in thought—
“I have a theory.”
Do Yun suddenly spoke in a conspiratorial whisper.
The recruits immediately leaned in, eager to hear his words.
And then—
“I believe Baek Comrade—no, our dear Yangcheon, is a secret weapon raised by the Baek Clan in the shadows.”
“...A secret weapon?”
At some point, Do Yun had stopped calling him Comrade and started calling him a friend.
But the others were too preoccupied with his statement to care.
“Yes. The Baek Clan, once considered too weak to make a difference, secretly raised a genius to restore their presence in the martial world...!”
“Hah...!”
It made sense in a way.
The Baek Clan had never been one of the great powers.
“...So that’s why he remained hidden for so long?”
“If that’s the case... it actually explains a lot.”
His unbelievable combat skills.
His encyclopedic knowledge of demonic beasts.
His previous obscurity.
If he was a hidden prodigy raised in secrecy, then it all clicked into place.
“Perhaps... we are witnessing the birth of a new legend.”
Do Yun, emboldened by the attention, nodded sagely.
“Haaah...”
The recruits murmured in agreement, slowly buying into the idea.
And as their whispers turned into belief—
‘These fucking clowns.’
The actual Baek Yangcheon—
No, Gu Yangcheon—
Listened to every word with an expression of utter disgust.
**********
I heard everything.
‘What? A secret weapon?’
Unbelievable.
A secret weapon, my ass.
This ridiculous misunderstanding was spreading like wildfire.
And they weren’t even trying to keep their voices down.
My heightened senses made it impossible to miss.
‘Hah.’
I barely held back a sigh.
This was bad.
‘What should I do?’
That absurd conversation was already a problem—
But there was something far worse.
‘I really fucked up.’
Namgung Jin, the bloody mess wheezing at my feet—
This was a problem.
I hadn't even hit him that many times, but he was already half-conscious.
I had meant to hold back, considering our difference in cultivation, but—
‘I... miscalculated.’
I had never fought a weakling after reaching transcendence.
I had misjudged my strength and gone overboard.
‘...What now?’
It looked like I had really messed up.
On top of that, I had also acted out of anger.
But come on.
He kept pissing me off.
I had tried to hold back.
But this was his fault.
‘And to top it off, he looks exactly like Namgung Cheonjun.’
Technically, Namgung Cheonjun resembled him, not the other way around—
But that wasn’t the point.
That damn face, glaring at me with that smug expression, had set me off.
‘So I ended up beating him a little too hard.’
This hadn’t been the plan.
It was getting a bit inconvenient.
Still, I had at least avoided hitting his face.
Even in my anger, I had subconsciously controlled myself.
‘Because that’s the only part of him that resembled Namgung Bi-ah.’
I had held back.
And—
‘Normally, I would’ve just shattered his groin.’
For a moment, I had considered making sure he could never have descendants, ensuring my grudge against Namgung Cheonjun ended with him—
But—
‘That won’t do.’
Because of that bastard, I couldn’t risk preventing Namgung Bi-ah’s birth.
Hoo...
I exhaled, a small sigh escaping my lips.
At the same time, I released my grip.
Thud.
Namgung Jin collapsed to the ground.
His shallow, ragged breaths told me that he was still alive.
As I watched him, a thought crossed my mind.
‘So he really matured as he got older.’
Was it just this world that made him like this?
Or was Namgung Jin the same in my Zhongyuan?
I didn’t know.
But compared to the Sword King of the Firmament I had known, this version of Namgung Jin was nothing more than a thug.
‘Hm.’
As I stared at Namgung Jin, I felt a certain gaze locked onto me.
All eyes were on me—
But there was one particular stare that stood out.
I wanted to keep hitting him.
I had calmed down a little, but—
‘Since things have already come this far, I might as well milk it.’
Even if my anger had subsided, there was still use for this moment.
Swoosh.
I raised my foot above Namgung Jin’s head.
And at the same time—
Ssss...
I let out a barely perceptible killing intent.
A small, thin wisp of intent—something most wouldn’t even notice.
I wrapped it around my foot, preparing to crush his skull.
And just as my heel was about to come down—
Fwoosh.
A spark flared beside my ear.
Heat.
Intense heat radiated just inches away from me.
I turned my gaze.
Roar—!!!
A massive crimson blaze exploded before me.
Fast.
Violent.
The flames surged around my body, engulfing the air.
But they didn’t touch me.
Not yet.
Even the slightest movement would let them burn me alive.
A fire infused with pure aura.
It was scorching, yet within that heat—
I sensed an unfamiliar coldness.
A power different from my own flames.
I shifted my gaze to the owner of the fire.
“The duel is over.”
A deep voice.
A pair of crimson eyes staring down at me.
"Step back, Baek Yangcheon."
My father stood there, expression unreadable, releasing his aura upon me.
I smiled.
"Step back?"
Still smiling, I looked up at him and said—
"Make me."
"......."
A deep crease formed between Father’s brows.
...Honestly, I was scared shitless.
But I refused to show it.
