Childhood Friend of the Zenith

What a boring time this was.

The third, second, and first place winners were announced.

Even after the top three were chosen, the Qinghai Sword continued his endless speech.

-With this, we shall move forward by…

This old man sure knows how to go on.

His words were fine.

He was advising us to continue our relentless training, reminding us that this is what defines a martial artist and prepares us for future dangers.

The essence of his speech was that every graduate of the Heavenly Dragon Academy should become capable of protecting their own.

It’s a good speech, but…

How could I not be bored after listening to him drone on for hours?

I had heard that the first day was just orientation, where they would tell us about our accommodations.

I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

This guy’s speech is eating up at least half of the schedule.

I realized that it was a very painful schedule for the day after having experienced it.

How absurd.

-Lastly, the future will be illuminated by all of your lights…

By the way, I’ve already heard him say ‘Lastly’ five times already.

I swear I’m going to lose my mind…

This had to be one of the most excruciating days I’ve experienced recently.

What made it worse was the fact that all the Young Prodigies were staring up at me as I stood on stage.

I knew exactly what all the guys were staring at.

They aren’t even trying to hide it, those bastards.

Their eyes were fixed on Wi Seol-Ah.

To be fair, I probably would have been staring at Wi Seol-Ah too if I were down there with them.

Wi Seol-Ah’s blossoming beauty was indeed powerful enough to captivate anyone.

I wanted to use my Qi to conceal her presence a little, but I still haven’t fully recovered yet and it would be reckless to try anything with the Qinghai Sword right in front of me.

All I could do was commit the faces of those staring bastards to memory.

…But with so many of them, I doubt I can remember them all.

Most of the male Young Prodigies were staring, clearly not paying any attention to what the Qinghai Sword was saying.

The female Young Prodigies weren’t any different.

Whether he noticed or not, the Qinghai Sword continued to speak cheerfully.

As I glanced around, I spotted one bastard staring particularly lustfully.

You bastard, I’ll certainly remember you.

I didn’t know him or his name, but I etched his face in my mind.

As I committed that bastard’s face to memory, I glanced at Wi Seol-Ah beside me.

She stood still with her eyes half-open, maintaining a straight posture.

In the past, she would have been bouncing around, trying to talk to me without a care for the Qinghai Sword standing next to her.

I would have likely told her to stay still or listened briefly to her cheerful chatter.

‘But now.’

What about her now?

I could see her golden pupils through her slightly open eyelids.

She continued to breathe with her lips shut tightly.

The once lively Wi Seol-Ah now seemed like a well-educated noble descendant.

It felt different, and somehow, I felt more distant from her.

She’s closer to the Wi Seol-Ah I used to know in the past.

Her cold, winter-like demeanor, devoid of emotion, was familiar.

She was becoming more like the Wi Seol-Ah from my past life, and for some reason, that left me disappointed.

My continuous stare must have caught her attention, as Wi Seol-Ah glanced in my direction.

Our eyes met.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Her golden pupils reminded me of both the moon and the sun.

I couldn’t decide which one.

It doesn’t really matter.

Whether it was the moon or the sun, it made no difference.

Wi Seol-Ah was all of it.

Her lips twitched as she kept staring at me.

She looked like she wanted to say something.

As I focused on Wi Seol-Ah’s lips,

-With this, I shall conclude my speech.

I heard the Qinghai Sword finally finishing his speech.

He spoke for such a long time, and it finally ended.

The Young Prodigies began to move, guided by the instructors. Wi Seol-Ah was about to follow them when I grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

Her wrist was cold in my hand.

“At least tell me what you were about to say.”

It would be disappointing if she left it unfinished.

She needed to finish what she started.

“A-Ah, it’s um…”

She clearly didn’t expect me to stop her, as she became flustered.

Judging by her wide eyes, it seemed she hadn’t changed too much yet.

Should I be glad about that though?

“Food…”

“Hmm?”

“I was going to ask… if you’ve eaten yet.”

…If I've eaten?

It was so out of the blue.

“I ate. What about it though?”

“…I just… I just- wanted to ask.”

Wi Seol-Ah began to stutter, as if she were the one confused.

It seemed like something in her had cracked.

“I-It’s nice weather today, huh…?”

“Does that seem like nice weather to you?”

The sky was covered in dark clouds.

No matter how I tried to spin it, it was hard to call this nice weather.

“…”

It was clear she hadn’t even looked at the sky, because after glancing up, Wi Seol-Ah clamped her mouth shut.

Even, she knew it wasn't nice weather.

After stuttering for a while, Wi Seol-Ah quickly walked away, her mouth firmly closed.

“Hey, where are you going!”

She didn’t even look back when I called out to her.

I smirked as I watched her walk away.

What on earth was she trying to do?

******************With the orientation speech finally over, the next step was room assignments.

It was insane.I couldn’t believe we had to endure a three-hour-long speech.

Four to five people per room.

The room assignments and their locations were listed on a large wooden board.

The buildings were impressively large, each with more than six floors.

The male dormitories alone were comparable in size to the entire Gu Clan estate.

Though, to be fair, my clan isn’t that big.

Still, spending that much on dormitories felt like a serious waste.

I also found it odd that we didn’t get single rooms.

Couldn’t they have given each of us our own room if the buildings were this big?

I asked Gu Jeolyub, who was also looking at the floors next to me.

“What floor are you on?”

“Third floor.”

“Third floor huh… So they grouped all the sword bastards into the third floor.”

It wasn’t just Gu Jeolyub.

Other well-known Young Prodigies who used swords were also placed on that floor.

They categorized us by specialties, huh?

‘I’m on the fifth floor?’

It seemed like they assigned us based on our specialties. I wondered if it was really necessary, but they must have their reasons.

Climbing those stairs was going to be a hassle, especially since I was assigned to such a high floor.

After confirming my floor, I asked a different bastard this time.

“Friend, what floor are you on?”

“…F-Fourth.”

Cheol Jiseon answered, his voice trembling.

So he was on the fourth floor.

It seemed like he used a sword which was unexpected.

To be fair, he did have a sword at his waist, though I never saw him draw it.

“Do you know what we're doing tomorrow?”

“I heard that we’re just doing some greetings tomorrow.”

“With what, Demons?”

“The instructors in charge of each group…”

“Lame. What’s the point of a greeting?”

What a waste of time.

Why do we even need a greeting?

We should just get straight into learning instead.

Time is precious, after all.

As I continued looking around, sighing repeateadly.

Hmm?

I noticed something different.

They are all separated?

The bastards who were a real eyesore.

Whether it was the Water Dragon, the Sword Dragon, the Six Dragons or the Three Phoenixes, they were mostly separated.

Was I just mistaken, or was it a coincidence?

Why did they bother separating us?

I’m sure there must have been a reason for them to separate us.

As I scanned the wooden board, a familiar name caught my eye.

Huh? That bastard’s here too? I haven't seen him until now.

Hwangbo Cheolwi.

I saw his name listed as the blood relative of Hwangbo Clan.

It was understandable for him to be here as he was a Young Prodigy.

Did I miss him because he was in the first group during the exams?

That’s possible.

However, since I never saw him, it was likely that he hid himself on purpose.

Are things not going as he wanted it to?

I hadn’t given much thought to what I said to Hwangbo Cheolwi back then.

I should look into this matter later since Hwangbo Cheolwi must be feeling pressured..

It seemed like the others were separated as well.

Moyong Hi-ah, Tang Soyeol, and Namgung Bi-ah.

Just like the male dormitories, it seemed like they were separated as well.

However, Gu Yeonseo was with Namgung Bi-ah which was strange.

What were they planning?

Were they planning anything at all?

Setting that aside, I grabbed Cheol Jiseon, who seemed to be in a hurry, and spoke.

“Hey friend.”

“Yes? I-I mean, yeah?”

“Make sure to tell me if there’s anyone harassing you, don’t hold it in.”

“…O-Okay.”

Cheol Jiseon’s expression looked off when he gave me that response.

It was as if he found it strange for me to say such a thing.

“Why are you staring like that? Did I ever harass you? What’s with your face?”

“O-Of course not… You didn’t harass me…”

“Right? We promised to become good friends.”

The bastard nodded as I gave his shoulders a couple of smacks.

Look at this bastard, joking around.

Hehe.

“…”

“What.”

“Nothing…”

I asked Gu Jeolyub, who was staring at me in a strange way, and he shook his head.

This bastard… he doesn’t even know how to be grateful.

I picked up a bastard rolling around in mud, washed him and put new clean clothes on him.

Yet here he is, ungrateful as ever.

I should educate him again some day in the future.

As Gu Jeolyub shivered, feeling a chill from somewhere, I decided I’d seen enough and began to move.

I’ll check out the rest tomorrow. freewёbnoνel.com

Dragging my exhausted body, I searched for my room.

It wasn’t a bad idea to place the dormitories within the Academy, but it wasn’t without its flaws.

Creak.

As I opened the door to my room, a large space greeted me, filled with heated Qi.

“This bastard, how dare you talk back to me.”

“Are you looking for a fight?”

I began to hear stereotypical dialogues which I’m sure I heard from somewhere.

Where do they even learn to say such things?

“It might be a good idea to see who ranks higher.”

Good grief.

What kind of mess did I run into?

A bunch of guys were growling at each other as I entered the room.

Sigh.

I immediately sighed at the sight before me.

Five.

There were five of us in the room, including me.

After seeing this, I for some reason realized something.

I should’ve known.

I’ve mentioned it before, but the Heavenly Dragon Academy is filled with Young Prodigies from noble clans and Sects.

Moreover, many of these Young Prodigies had already been filtered through the exams.

This meant that this place was filled with bastards who think that they are geniuses and pride that rose through the sky’s limit as each of them knew just how much talent they had.

I’m sure none of them know what it feels like to be intimidated.

The characteristic of these egotistical bastards was that they didn’t treat others as the same rank as them.

Whether it was the Six Dragons or the Three Phoenixes or the bastards who thought they soared above the rest, they all thought that they were living in a different world compared to others and wanted to become the boss in their delusional world they lived in.

In a place filled with such bastards, they put four to five of them in a single room?

You bastard…!

This setup practically guaranteed they’d fight to see who ranks above the others.

Did they think it was better to establish a pecking order since they’d be spending a lot of time without their usual servants?

‘Ugh… It’s exhausting and it’s only the first day.

Watching the bastards charge their Qi in anger gave me a headache.

I felt like I now knew why they put multiple Young Prodigies into a single room like this.

Judging by the size of the building, they could’ve easily given each person their own room.

Yet they chose to make larger rooms and cram multiple Young Prodigies together.

There’s also a reason they separated the Six Dragons, the Three Phoenixes, and those with well-known titles.

They needed one person to take charge if things got bad.

That’s always the case.

It was natural for the weaker to succumb to the person stronger than them.

I’m not sure if they were trying to encourage this, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to me.

Ugh, they should’ve just given everyone single rooms.

What a pointless setup this is.

They claimed it didn’t matter where someone came from, and that everyone would be treated equally at the Heavenly Dragon Academy. But would that really work when everyone knows how much power fame holds?

Does the Murim Alliance not realize that?

No, they knew it but left it as is.

That was more comfortable for them after all.

The clever bastards were already observing everyone, moving around to build connections on the very first day.

I glanced around earlier, and everyone was so quick.

Kids these days learn too fast.

Back in my day… Wait, was I the only one bad at this? I regret even thinking about it now.

Even if there were other kids outside of this Academy, it wasn’t the same outside and this place was the best to build connections.

Also, this is also a good place to flex one’s strength.

Building a good reputation here will do wonders for one’s fame.

Bastards with their shoulders up high were all like this.

Especially on my floor, where only the bastards who loved to fight were gathered, they weren’t going to have the best personalities.

I think I have a bad personality because I am a close combat martial artist.

Judging by how each of the close combat martial artists I met had shitty personalities, it must be the difference in the type of martial arts people learn.

I would’ve been the nicest person ever if I was a swordsman.

[Grrr?]

What are you refuting that for all of a sudden? Go back to sleep.

[…Grr.]

I put aside the beast that cut me off rudely and observed the room that was about to get heated.

“Let’s see, how about I break your nose so you shut your…”

“Shut up you bastard. Lower your voice, my head hurts. Seriously, bastards think that they are stronger if they have a louder voice.

“What?”

The bastard responded in a cold tone when I interrupted him.

His gaze was sharper than ever as he looked at me.

He looked like he could seriously kill someone with that gaze.

“What did you just…”

“Wake me up last as I sleep a lot in the morning, and memorize what food will be served the next day every day.”

“What are you babbling about, bastard…”

The bastard walked towards me.

Then, another bastard, realizing who I was, started to speak,

“Wait, that person, he’s the True…!”

Crack-

But my hand was quicker.

“Ugh…!”

The chin of the bastard who was about to lift up his fist, turned in a different direction.

My Dantian would ache if I controlled my strength with Qi, so I hit him without holding back at all.

He probably wouldn’t wake up until the next morning.

I honestly wanted to clean him up as fast as possible.

I need to rest since I’m tired, you know.

Thud.

When the bastard, whose name I didn’t even know, crumpled to the floor effortlessly, the others who had been charging their Qi fell silent.

“Hey.”

I turned to the other bastard who had been fighting the one I just knocked out.

“…Y-You are calling me?”

From the way he spoke, it seemed he was from a Sect, not a clan.

“Of course. Who else is there besides you?”

“W-What is it that you want?”

“What is this bastard’s name?”

“He said his name is… Pe Woocheol.”

Pe Woocheol, never heard that name before.

He has a big physique, yet he fell to the floor like a weakling.

I kicked the unconscious bastard into a corner.

“Starting tomorrow, ask Woocheol if you need anything, this bastard is the youngest of this room.”

It was his fault for running his mouth the moment I entered.

“…What do you… mean by that?”

When the bastard questioned me, I responded with a slight frown.

“I’m not fond of bastards who are slow. Do you want to be the youngest brother if you aren’t fond of my decision?”

“I shall take good care of our youngest brother as the older brother.”

“You have good sense. You can be the second oldest.”

“Thank you, big brother.”

Unlike some others around me, this bastard seemed to have a good sense.

Not bad.

The situation calmed down a little after I knocked out Pe Woocheol.

They knew that I was in the same room with them when they read the names on the wooden board, so I don’t know why they were doing such a thing.

It was better to establish the ranks now rather than later for my comfort.

I spoke to my roommates with a smile.

“Let’s have a good time from now on, yes? Anyone who wants to object?”

After my question, each of them spoke to each other silently through their eyes.

I was willing to give a kind treatment if there was an objection.

“If so, hurry and speak. I need to sleep after making you sleep.”

I was obviously referring to knocking them out when I said that.

It would hurt them more than usual, since I couldn’t control my strength right now.

But it didn’t matter, since I wouldn’t be the one in pain.

It seemed my kindness reached them, as they all nodded in agreement, showing no objections.

Seeing that, I nodded with a smile.

I was glad that I had such nice roommates.