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Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter CH.1114: The World of Ascension (44)
Chapter CH.1114: The World of Ascension (44)
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We climbed the mountain.
It was the same one as before.
The place where we had discovered the Grand Magyeong Gate—the exact location we had visited last time.
“......”
“......”
My father and I ascended in silence.
Last time, we had needed a guide, but now that we had the clan leader’s permission, there was nothing stopping us from climbing as we pleased.
When we finally reached the peak, we saw the Magyeong Gate again.
But—
‘It’s bigger than before.’
The size and radiance of the gate had noticeably increased since the last time we saw it.
And—
‘One of the rings is gone.’
Previously, there had been four rings. Now, only three remained.
Only a single day had passed, yet it had changed.
This lined up with what my father had mentioned before.
‘If all those rings disappear...’
Then the gate would fully manifest.
As if reaffirming this, my father stepped forward and examined the gate closely.
Watching him, I did the same.
‘Why is it this big?’
I frowned.
The size was beyond my expectations.
It wasn’t my first time seeing a Grand Magyeong Gate, nor was it my first time witnessing a Red Magyeong Gate.
But—
‘I’ve never seen one this huge before.’
This wasn’t just a gate—it was like another mountain sitting atop the peak.
‘If this thing fully manifests, what will happen?’
A gate of this magnitude meant the creatures inside were beyond ordinary.
What concerned me more was—
‘The fundamental problem with Magyeong Gates themselves.’
Magyeong Gates.
I hadn’t understood them before, but now I knew.
These gates were connected to the Abyssal Pit of the Myriad Worlds.
When the world collapsed, those who failed to reach the Myriad Worlds were buried within that abyss.
The rifts that formed from the Abyssal Pit—those were the Magyeong Gates.
‘Which means...’
Whatever emerges from this gate is something that had been trapped in the Abyssal Pit.
‘Hmm...’
What exactly was trying to break through?
And more importantly—
‘...This is troublesome.’
The possibility that this gate was my fault made it all the more irritating.
While I was still deep in thought, inspecting the gate—
“Do you notice anything strange?”
For the first time since we had begun our climb, my father spoke.
Strange?
I stared at the Magyeong Gate, then answered honestly.
“It’s big.”
“......”
“Very big.”
At my blunt observation, my father’s brow furrowed slightly.
Was it because I had stated the obvious? Probably not.
‘Because there’s no answer more accurate than that.’
There was no need to sugarcoat it.
The sheer, overwhelming size of the Magyeong Gate was the anomaly.
“It’s at least twice the size of any other Grand Magyeong Gate. And if it fully manifests, dealing with it will be a nightmare. It has every problematic trait possible.”
Yes, and the terrain didn’t help either.
Since the gate had formed at the mountain’s peak, the creatures inside would inevitably spill down the slopes.
That made containment even harder.
No matter how extraordinary martial artists were, this was going to be a major issue.
At my assessment, my father asked—
“Then.”
He turned to me.
“What do you think is the best course of action?”
That question made me pause.
Not because I was unsure of how to respond—
But because I wasn’t certain whether he was seeking my advice or testing me.
‘Is he looking for insight, or is this a test?’
Was he asking for a tactical assessment?
Or was he trying to evaluate me?
Regardless—
“There’s no real ‘best course of action’... other than fighting well.”
My answer didn’t change.
“The terrain is awful. And according to what you—no, Deputy Clan Leader—have assessed, the gate will open in a few days. But calling for reinforcements from the Alliance seems difficult.”
If we tried, we’d have to request aid from the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance.
But what real strength could they provide?
Not much.
And—
‘Namgung’s forces will definitely be here, but...’
The biggest concern was the Red Magyeong Gate.
‘They don’t know how to handle it properly.’
If their knowledge was at the same level as what I had heard, then they weren’t prepared.
This era’s warriors didn’t yet know the proper method for hunting Red Magyeong creatures.
And a Red Grand Magyeong Gate manifesting?
‘As far as I know, that would mean at least...’
Six.
At least six Red Magyeong Beasts would emerge simultaneously.
‘How will they handle that?’
That was the real problem.
To hunt six Red Magyeong Beasts at once, you’d need at least a hundred peak-level martial artists.
And at least five Hwagyeong level warriors to provide overwhelming firepower.
Of course—
‘If I step in, I can kill them.’
If I took action myself, eliminating the Red Beasts wouldn’t be an issue.
But—
“...Tsk.”
That was exactly why I was hesitating.
If there was one glimmer of hope—
‘It’s that this is Namgung’s territory.’
This was the stronghold of the Namgung Clan, the dominant force in Anhui.
I was counting on that.
Because—
‘If it’s Namgung’s main estate... he should be here.’
The ruler of thunder.
The true master of Namgung.
The father of Namgung Jeohwi and grandfather of Namgung Jin.
‘The Heavenly Lord.’
One of the Three Masters—the Heavenly Lord.
There was a high probability that he was somewhere in the Namgung estate.
‘If he’s here, even a Red Grand Magyeong Gate wouldn’t be a major problem.’
I didn’t know his exact condition at this time, but if he was still in his prime—
He was the most powerful among the Three Masters in terms of firepower.
If he stepped in, the Magyeong Gate wouldn’t even be a concern.
‘...That is, if he chooses to act.’
I didn’t even know for certain whether he was here, let alone what his current state was.
“Well, in any case... we should go back down and discuss it. But given the high risk, it would be best to evacuate anyone who wouldn’t be useful.”
“The ones who wouldn’t be useful?”
“Anyone below first-class martial artists. And those without martial arts should be sent to safety.”
Trying to move them too far would be even riskier.
The best option would be a secure location nearby—like the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance.
“You’ve fought Red Magyeong Beasts before, so you already know. First-class warriors aren’t of much help against them.”
“......”
My father didn’t refute that.
Because it was the truth.
Even a first-class warrior was nothing more than fodder against a Red Magyeong Beast.
They’d be throwing their lives away for nothing.
“We should evacuate civilians and weaker martial artists to the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance. Then we’ll request support from Namgung and prepare for battle. It would also be wise to provide them with some intel about Red Magyeong Beasts. And—”
Tap. Tap tap tap.
I tapped my fingers against my waist.
“The important question is—will we be providing additional support?”
Since the Magyeong Gate had manifested in Anhui, it made sense that Namgung should be responsible for dealing with it.
But the Azure Dragon Division had already been deployed, and with the gate expected to erupt in just a few days, it was uncertain whether our involvement should end here.
That was why I asked my father.
“We will provide support.”
His answer was firm.
“An unexpected crisis has occurred. We cannot simply let others die.”
“......”
“The Martial Alliance operates on righteousness and unity. We will assist Namgung and join the battle.”
...Wow.
I found myself unable to respond immediately.
I hadn’t expected my father to say something like that.
Righteousness and unity?
I almost laughed.
Those were the two words I hated the most in this world.
And yet, they had just come from my father’s mouth.
‘...Is it because this is still the early Martial Alliance?’
The people I knew in the future—those who still called themselves part of the righteous faction—most of them harbored deep distrust toward the Martial Alliance.
But the ones in this era seemed to take great pride in it.
What happened in those few years?
“Let’s head back.”
With that, my father turned away.
“......”
I silently followed him down the mountain.
—Ssssshhhhhh—
Once our presence fully disappeared from the mountainside, leaving only the Grand Magyeong Gate standing quietly—
Chiiik!
A small disturbance rippled through the gate.
Not in its size or the number of its rings.
But in its color.
Amidst the deep, blood-red hue that had coated its surface—
A faint, almost imperceptible wisp of white light flickered.
It was the beginning of another anomaly.
**********
After descending from the mountain, we headed straight for the Namgung Clan’s main residence.
Since our visit had been announced in advance, we were able to meet the clan head without issue.
“You’ve arrived.”
“I greet the Namgung Clan Head.”
“I greet the Clan Head.”
Namgung Jeohwi looked noticeably more gaunt since I had last seen him.
He bore a strong resemblance to Namgung Jin.
‘But he doesn’t look much like [N O V E L I G H T] Namgung Hyung.’
Namgung Hyung, said to be the spitting image of Thunder Heaven’s Sword, barely resembled his father at all.
Moreover—
‘His blood aura is still intact.’
The distinct, powerful presence flowing through his body was still as vivid as ever.
“How was it?”
Namgung Jeohwi asked as my father handed him the prepared reports.
Rustle.
He accepted the documents and scanned through them.
“...Evacuation requests and battle preparations, I see.”
He stroked his chin, as if he had already expected this.
“The sooner we act, the better.”
With only a few days left, swift evacuations were crucial.
However—
“Moving an entire household is not something that can be done on such short notice.”
Namgung Jeohwi frowned, clearly troubled.
That was when I interjected.
“Even with your authority as the Clan Head?”
If the command came directly from him, it should be possible.
So why was he hesitating?
I voiced my suspicion, and—
“......”
Instead of answering, Namgung Jeohwi pressed his fingers to his temples.
What was this reaction?
My father and I watched him in silence.
Then—
“...Would you be willing to accompany me?”
He directed his words to my father.
“There is someone we need to meet.”
“Someone we need to meet?”
“The former Clan Head. We need to see him.”
“...!”
Both my father and I widened our eyes at the same time.
The former Namgung Clan Head—
‘The Heavenly Lord (Cheonjon).’
The very person I had just been thinking about at the Magyeong Gate.
Well, well.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
This situation was taking a promising turn.
‘Looks like things might actually work out for once.’
The troublesome matter of the Magyeong Gate suddenly seemed a lot easier to deal with.
For a moment, I even felt a sliver of relief.
But—
“What are you?”
“Ah, for fuck’s sake.”
I didn’t realize at the time—
That this was only the beginning of an even greater headache.
