Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Crunch.

"Ugh...."

Muk Yeon groaned as the pressure around his neck intensified.

His feet no longer touched the ground.

Suspended in midair, strangled by an iron grip, he felt the searing pain and suffocation creeping in—but far worse was the overwhelming sense of helplessness.

He could do nothing.

All he could muster was a trembling breath and the faintest of whimpers.

"Hnnngh...kuh...."

The room felt frigid earlier—autumn's chill lingering in the air despite the faint glow of the lantern.

But now?

Now it burned.

Sweat pooled on Muk Yeon's forehead.

The once-cold air had vanished, replaced by suffocating heat.

And it was only getting hotter.

Muk Yeon forced his gaze downward.

The source of the heat and the iron grip choking him—Gu Cheolwoon.

His glowing red eyes blazed like fire, piercing through the shadows.

Even without clearly seeing his face, Muk Yeon recognized those eyes.

Eyes like smoldering embers, threatening to ignite at any moment.

"Muk Yeon."

The deep voice pierced his ears.

"I'll ask you again."

Calm—too calm.

But Muk Yeon could feel the rage simmering beneath the surface, tightly restrained but ready to erupt.

Gu Cheolwoon's fury was unlike anything he had ever seen from the man before.

"Where is my son?"

"Khgh...."

The grip loosened slightly—just enough for Muk Yeon to rasp out a response.

"You... already... know, don't you?"

Gu Cheolwoon's fiery eyes narrowed.

That reaction confirmed it.

Muk Yeon was certain.

Gu Cheolwoon wasn't acting blindly.

He had come here with answers already in hand, seeking confirmation rather than information.

He had always been meticulous.

Despite his uncontrollable wrath, Gu Cheolwoon had a reputation for calculating his steps, ensuring his rage didn't consume him entirely.

And that made him even more terrifying.

He knew how destructive his power was—and how to wield it without hesitation.

It was no different now.

Even as his life hung by a thread, Muk Yeon couldn't help but respect him.

Gu Cheolwoon had always been unshakable.

Too resolute to manipulate.

Too strong to control.

"..."

Finally, Gu Cheolwoon released his grip.

Thud.

Muk Yeon collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently as his frail body crumpled.

"Cough! Cough—!!"

As Muk Yeon struggled to catch his breath, Gu Cheolwoon leaned down, his burning gaze boring into him.

"I'll change the question."

"...Cough."

"Why did you do it?"

"...!"

Muk Yeon froze.

Even without Gu Cheolwoon's aura flaring, the killing intent in his voice was suffocating.

It slithered around Muk Yeon's throat like an invisible noose, threatening to tighten at any moment.

His vision blurred, narrowing until all he could see were those blazing red eyes.

Sssss....

The air he inhaled felt scalding, like fire flooding his lungs.

'He hasn't changed.'

Muk Yeon's thoughts drifted.

Not to the present—but to the past.

To the day he had first seen the blazing flame that was Gu Cheolwoon.

Back then, the world's greatest martial masters—the leaders of the Nine Great Sects—had all stood against him.

Even they hesitated, unable to predict the outcome of the battle.

And yet, Gu Cheolwoon, younger and covered in blood, had said:

"There is no reason for me to run."

His voice had been steady, resonating like thunder despite the chaos.

"So I won't."

Behind him, a dying woman lay hidden.

And still, drenched in blood, Gu Cheolwoon stood tall.

One of the martial masters—the Ghost Thief (Pungun Gwido)—had mocked him then.

They called him foolish.

Told him to surrender the monster he was protecting and retreat.

Or else he would die.

To any onlooker, it was clear.

He had no chance of survival.

And yet—

"Why do you think you get to decide my defeat?"

His eyes had burned just as fiercely then.

"I haven't lost yet."

"And I won't—not until my last breath."

He was a flame.

A wildfire that refused to die, no matter how much blood he lost.

Even surrounded by the strongest warriors of his time, Gu Cheolwoon had stood unyielding.

"Come, then."

Muk Yeon had thought it then—

That man was not human.

He was fire incarnate, destined to burn until nothing remained.

And now, seeing him again, Muk Yeon couldn't help but laugh.

Chuckle...

"..."

Gu Cheolwoon's brow furrowed.

Muk Yeon's laughter didn't sit well with him.

"...I'm sorry."

Muk Yeon apologized, though his voice held little regret.

Why had he laughed just now?

He knew the answer.

"It wasn't intentional. I just... thought of your son."

Yes.

That was it.

"He's like you—but not entirely."

Gu Cheolwoon was a raging flame—hot, wild, and destructive.

His son, however—

'He's cold.'

Despite his burning presence, there was a frigid edge to him.

Muk Yeon had seen it in his eyes.

The boy carried an unfathomable weight, far too heavy for someone so young.

His voice and mannerisms were sharp—tinged with hostility that couldn't be hidden.

'He's holding himself back.'

Like a flame restrained by ice, poised to explode at any moment.

And in some ways, that terrified Muk Yeon even more.

But—

"Huh...?"

Suddenly, Muk Yeon realized he could breathe again.

The pressure was gone.

The killing intent that had filled the room moments ago had softened.

'Did... did something change?'

He looked up, still seeing Gu Cheolwoon's burning red eyes.

But they seemed less piercing now.

'Is this a trick of the mind?'

Or had something truly shifted?

Muk Yeon's thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of the change.

"We made a pact back then."

Gu Cheolwoon's voice rumbled through the room.

The tone felt... different.

"You said that if I gave you what you wanted, you wouldn't interfere."

"..."

"And I did as you asked."

Muk Yeon couldn't speak.

Gu Cheolwoon's words were heavy—too heavy to interrupt.

"I fought your wars. Burned mountains of bodies to ash. And even then—"

A flicker of malice crossed Gu Cheolwoon's eyes.

"I turned a blind eye to what the Martial Alliance did under the banner of 'justice.'"

Muk Yeon's throat tightened.

Gu Cheolwoon's expression was devoid of emotion, yet that emptiness was what made it all the more unbearable.

"I didn't care. I had already abandoned faith in your 'justice' long ago. It didn't matter to me."

With each word, his voice carried more and more heat—slowly igniting the room.

"So I tolerated it. I even bound the Five Demon Lords with seals, despite how tedious it was."

Creak.

The table shifted.

The piles of scrolls scattered to the floor as the room began to tremble.

"Even when your elders made disastrous choices... even when my men died because of it."

Crack.

A web of cracks splintered across the walls.

"I endured it. Because the only thing that mattered to me was the pact."

"Lord Gu...."

"You know it's true."

Gu Cheolwoon ignored Muk Yeon's weak protest and continued.

"You know I could've shattered that worthless pact anytime I wanted. Don't you?"

Muk Yeon gave a shallow nod, unable to deny it.

"And yet, I didn't. Because I was stubborn."

Gu Cheolwoon raised his hand.

"I was determined to protect her wish."

Muk Yeon's heart sank.

He knew exactly whose wish Gu ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Cheolwoon had meant.

"So I let her go."

Sizzle.

Flames curled around Gu Cheolwoon's fingers.

Though small, they burned brighter and brighter, ready to explode.

"Because keeping that promise meant preserving what little time we had left."

Fwoom—!!

The fire roared as if to devour the room whole. Visit My Virtual Library Empire (MV-LEMP-YR) for more.

Then—

Boom—!!!

A shadow lunged forward.

Gu Cheolwoon's hand moved before the intruder even reached him.

Clench!

He caught the blade in his bare hand, flames licking at the steel.

Yet his gaze didn't waver.

His eyes never left Muk Yeon.

"I did everything you asked. I warned you back then."

Clang—!

The sword shattered in his grip.

Crash—!!

The attacker—Sword Emperor —staggered to his knees, the ground beneath him trembling from the impact.

Blood dripped from his lips as he struggled to rise.

Gu Cheolwoon, however, remained unbothered.

"I'll protect what needs protecting. But if you break your word—"

"...I remember."

Muk Yeon forced the words out.

"Good. You remember."

Gu Cheolwoon nodded before suddenly grabbing Muk Yeon's throat again.

"Then why?"

His voice was sharp, trembling with anger.

"Why is my son working under the Martial Alliance?"

"Ghh...!"

Muk Yeon couldn't answer.

He couldn't even breathe.

"I did everything you demanded."

"Kuhk—!"

"I bought time—bought peace—just as you asked."

The Sword Emperor tried to move, but Muk Yeon raised a trembling hand to stop him.

Gu Cheolwoon's voice darkened.

"I hid myself. I stayed out of your way. And in return, I trusted you to leave my children out of this."

His eyes burned hotter than the flames surrounding him.

"But instead, you dragged him into your world."

Hisssss.

The flames spread, the floor cracking as heat warped the wood.

"Why?"

Gu Cheolwoon's fire burned with raw, unrestrained fury, and Muk Yeon felt it.

It wasn't just anger.

It was betrayal.

"Answer me."

Gu Cheolwoon's voice was low, but it shook the room.

"Or I'll burn the Martial Alliance to the ground."

His words weren't a threat.

They were a promise.

And Muk Yeon knew—

If Gu Cheolwoon made that promise, then nothing—not the elders, not the sect leaders, not even the full strength of the Martial Alliance—could stop him.