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Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter 1092: The World of Ascension (22)
Chapter 1092: The World of Ascension (22)
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
VROOOOOOM—!!A Magyeong Gate appeared.
A massive red Magyeong Gate.
No one in this era had ever seen a gate of such an enormous and ominous size.
“What the hell is that—?!”
“Red? It’s red?!”
Panic spread like wildfire. It was only natural. No one in this time had ever witnessed a red Magyeong Gate before.
“If it’s red... no way. Could it be a Red-Grade beast?”
One of the warriors murmured.
At those words, the others flinched.
A Red-Grade beast?
“That’s ridiculous. A Red-Grade appearing out of nowhere?”
“Hasn’t it been centuries since the last one appeared?”
“They said not a single one had emerged since the Blood Demon Massacre...”
How could such an unnatural disaster suddenly appear now?
It was something no one had anticipated.
And then—
GRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOHHH—!!!
A deep, menacing roar echoed from within the Magyeong Gate, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
It was a sound they had never heard before.
THUD—!!
CRACK—!!
A massive hand emerged from the gate.
Slowly, its body began to reveal itself.
I furrowed my brows as I recognized it.
‘Redstone Bear.’
A bear-type Red-Grade demonic beast.
Its body was as hard as stone, which was how it had earned its name.
It was the same kind as the one I had just hunted down earlier.
ROOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!
The beast fully emerged, unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the entire forest.
“Ghhh...!”
“Aaaahhh!!!”
The sheer presence of the beast crushed everyone around it.
This wasn’t good.
‘Most of them are just at the Peak Realm.’
The majority of warriors here had barely reached that level.
Only two had reached Perfected Peak Realm.
No—three.
Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi), Sword Peak Soi... and one more.
I glanced at someone momentarily before shifting my gaze back to the beast.
‘This thing is too much for them to handle.’
Though they had reached Perfected Peak Realm, and were undeniably strong for their age—
‘Without experience, it’s meaningless.’
If they had never fought a Red-Grade demonic beast before, their current level meant nothing.
There were only two ways to hunt a Red-Grade beast.
Overpower it with sheer firepower.Find and exploit its weakness.
The Qi Barrier of a Red-Grade beast was constantly rotating.
It wasn’t evenly strong across its entire body; there were weak spots that shifted as it moved.
If you attacked those weak points precisely, the Qi Barrier would shatter.
In my past life, Woo Hyuk discovered this method.
It was this discovery that allowed the sword units formed at the Perfected Peak Realm to start successfully hunting Red-Grade beasts.
‘But right now...’
It was impossible.
‘Tch.’
What should I do?
If I wanted to end this easily, I should just kill the beast myself.
At my level, even a swarm of Red-Grade beasts wouldn’t make much of a difference.
But the problem was—
‘I can’t step in.’
There were things I needed to do, and if I revealed too much of my power, I’d draw unwanted attention.
If they found out that I had already surpassed Transcendence Realm, it wouldn’t just be about how I reached that level so young—
The monsters of the Martial Alliance would take an interest in me.
‘That would be troublesome.’
Not only would they realize I had stolen an identity, but in the worst-case scenario—
‘Instead of gathering intel on my father, I might end up fighting the Three Sovereigns instead.’
A confrontation with the Three Sovereigns would be unavoidable.
No, hiding my strength was the best course of action.
Besides—
‘I just need to stall for a little longer.’
This was Hanam.
A beast this massive had just unleashed its roar, radiating its presence across the entire region.
Before long, reinforcements would arrive.
All I had to do was hold out until then.
With that thought, I observed the situation.
"Everyone, battle formation!"
A senior member of the Red Dragon Division shouted.
Since this was a training exercise, high-ranking officers and elite warriors weren’t present.
The majority of the combatants were recruits, meaning their overall combat strength was lacking.
However—
"Don’t panic! Stay alert—!"
They were still warriors of the Martial Alliance.
They weren’t amateurs.
As sword unit members, they were trained to hunt demonic beasts, so they quickly steadied themselves despite the initial fear.
But—
ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRR—!!!
"Aaaaahhh!!!"
Even skilled warriors had limits.
Against a Red-Grade demonic beast, that wasn’t enough.
BOOOOM—!!
The Redstone Bear began rampaging, unleashing the sheer strength contained within its massive frame.
Despite its massive bulk, its speed was insanely fast.
It was as large as an entire mansion.
Every time it swung its claws, the surroundings were obliterated.
"Maintain distance—!! Guh!"
The bear’s claws slashed toward a warrior, ready to tear him apart.
SHIING—!!
CLANG—!!
ROOOAAARR—!!
A flash of light intercepted the strike, deflecting the beast’s attack.
A delicate floral scent spread through the air as leaves fluttered in the wind.
‘...Sword Peak Soi.’
She had leapt in, parrying the beast’s arm.
But she hadn’t done it alone.
"Thank you."
Soi glanced behind her, offering a brief word of gratitude.
That strike wasn’t hers alone.
I noticed a dagger embedded in the beast’s arm.
Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi).
“......”
With an expressionless face, Poison Dragon simply nodded.
It was a coordinated attack.
As the Redstone Bear staggered momentarily, Soi shook her wrist.
The strain from blocking such a massive beast had clearly taken a toll on her.
A flicker of pain crossed her face—but only for a moment.
"Everyone, we have to hold out until reinforcements arrive!"
Soi’s sword aura ignited as she shouted.
"Poison Dragon and I will take the lead. Support us!"
With those words, Soi and Poison Dragon charged at the Redstone Bear.
They were both the youngest among us, but they understood.
They knew they were the strongest ones here.
That was why they were the first to act.
‘...Ha.’
No hesitation.
Charging in headfirst against a beast they didn’t even understand.
‘She was like this even back then.’
A true warrior among warriors.
Even in her younger years, Sword Peak Soi carried herself like the woman who would one day be revered by all warriors.
‘And Poison Dragon as well.’
As Soi dashed forward, swinging her sword, Poison Dragon (Tang Cheongi) followed closely behind.
ROOOOOAAAARRRR—!!!
The Redstone Bear let out an enraged howl, as if it had never been injured at all. It charged forward, and in response, the warriors of the Martial Alliance leaped into battle.
‘Hah.’
This era really did feel more righteous.
If it had been the warriors I knew in my past life, some would have already fled the moment Soi and Poison Dragon engaged.
The contrast was almost nostalgic.
Watching them, I narrowed my eyes.
I had no intention of joining the battle.
As I had said before, I needed to keep my strength hidden.
However—
‘I can’t just let them die.’
This abnormality had happened because of me.
Letting people who shouldn’t have died perish because of my presence left a bad taste in my mouth.
I would help—but subtly.
Just as I was about to move—
“W-What should I do...?”
Beside me, Do Yun muttered anxiously.
“A Red-Grade demonic beast...! I’ve never even heard of such a thing before...!”
His eyes were shaking with fear.
I glanced at him indifferently.
“Yeah.”
“What are we supposed to do...?”
“What else? We fight. We’re a sword unit, aren’t we?”
We had come here to hunt demons.
There was no time to complain.
I stated the obvious.
“B-But... What could someone like me possibly do in a fight like this...?”
I sighed.
Just as I was about to walk away, I stopped and looked at him.
“Hey.”
“...Huh?”
My voice was laced with irritation.
There was only so much patience I had for this nonsense.
“Hiding your strength is one thing. But in a situation like this? That’s just pathetic.”
Do Yun froze.
His trembling, anxious gaze disappeared, replaced with something... else.
“I don’t really care what you do. But don’t pull that act in front of me. It pisses me off.”
Without waiting for his response, I walked past him.
I didn’t care about his reaction.
The reason I had said this was simple.
‘He’s hiding his strength.’
Do Yun.
That bastard was pretending to be weak.
He was stronger than both Soi and Poison Dragon.
He had already reached the Transcendent Realm—a level beyond Perfected Peak Realm.
I had no idea why he was hiding his power or why he was acting like a coward, but—
‘Not my problem.’
I didn’t care.
He didn’t seem like the type to cause trouble.
And besides—
‘At least he doesn’t seem like a bad person.’
For now, I would let it go.
It was just that seeing him act like this in this situation annoyed me.
‘Though I’m hardly one to talk.’
I lifted a finger.
BZZT—!
A small amount of Qi condensed at my fingertip.
Flick—!
BOOM—!
ROOAAARR—!!!
A shockwave shot forward, disrupting the Redstone Bear’s movements.
The small opening allowed the warriors to land attacks or escape dangerous situations.
Little by little, I assisted while making it seem like I was simply participating in the battle.
I couldn't just stand there doing nothing, not after what had happened in my fight with Thunder Dragon.
So, I fought.
The battle continued for a while.
"Haaah..."
"Khh..."
It hadn’t even been that long, yet many of the warriors were already exhausted.
Even Soi and Poison Dragon were struggling to catch their breath.
ROOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!
Meanwhile, the Redstone Bear showed no signs of fatigue.
They couldn’t penetrate its Qi Barrier, meaning they had done no actual damage.
I could sense their confusion.
‘They’re probably wondering why their attacks aren’t working.’
No matter how many times they attacked, the beast remained unharmed.
But without understanding why, they couldn’t do anything about it.
‘If you don’t know the reason, you can’t solve the problem.’
It was natural.
They didn’t know the characteristics of Red-Grade beasts.
‘Hmm...’
I frowned.
What should I do?
‘Should I help a little more?’
Holding back my power was pointless now.
At this rate, it would be better to intervene properly.
I was about to release more Qi when—
FWOOSH—
“...!”
I felt flames.
But they weren’t mine.
I looked up.
And then—
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!!!!
A massive inferno erupted from the sky.
ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!
The Redstone Bear let out a pained howl, engulfed in fire.
It was overwhelming.
A raging sea of flames, descending like a divine punishment.
Everyone gasped in shock as they witnessed the fiery radiance.
And then—
"Vice Commander!!!"
Soi beamed with relief and shouted toward the sky.
At the sound of her voice, everyone turned their gazes upward.
"Ah...!"
"That’s...!"
Someone floated above them, gazing down at the battlefield.
A figure wreathed in fire, their crimson eyes glowing like embers.
"I-It’s the Divine Dragon...!"
"Divine Dragon!"
"......"
Divine Dragon, Gu Cheolwoon.
He had arrived.
