Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The ultimate form of Nine Flames Firewheel.

This was the peak I had reached in my previous life.

Creating a tidal wave of flames or soaring through the air on heat currents—such feats were achievable at this level.

But there was a difference compared to my past life.

“This is far better.”

Physically, in understanding, and in the sheer amount of energy I possessed, my current state was far more refined than in my past life.

Fwoosh—!

I began to tweak the Flame Jade condensed at my fingertips. The intricately compacted sphere shifted shape.

Rumble.

As it spun and compressed, the friction within the energy created vibrations. Without rushing, I adjusted it little by little, refining the flow.

Hsss.

In mere seconds, the energy transformed into the shape of a long spear.

However—

Crack! Crackle!

When I tried to stabilize and maintain its form, the energy began to falter, on the verge of bursting apart. I frowned slightly, disappointed, and overlaid it with my intent.

Only then did the energy calm, settling into a proper shape.

This was a modified version of the Flame Jade, the Flame Jade Spear.

I had first used it only a few days ago, and its completion now was far superior. While it still required my intent to stabilize and thus couldn’t be called perfect, the fact that it was easier to cast indicated that my cultivation had advanced significantly.

In other words—

“To fully master the spear, I’ll need to achieve Perfection.”

The fact that the difficulty of my creation was so high spoke volumes.

“Damn it. Of all things, I had to make something like this.”

The image of the perfected spear in my father’s hand lingered in my mind.

The feeling of having been robbed of something was accompanied by a yearning.

The mere fact that such a thing could exist was, in a way, a source of hope.

“Perfection, huh.”

Fwoosh!

As I dispersed the spear, I let my thoughts wander.

It had been six years since my regression.

Now I was twenty, and my life had taken a somewhat different path from my previous one.

At twenty in my past life, what had I been doing?

“What else? I was a complete wreck.”

By then, I’d already fallen out of favor with my family and had just been appointed as the Young Lord.

It was also the time I’d been dragged into the Dragon Phoenix Assembly and humiliated.

They called me the "Scourge of Shanxi," said a dog had been born to a tiger.

I endured all kinds of ridicule, causing a scene only to end up beaten.

Not exactly memories I cherished.

“Compared to that...”

Now, I had surpassed the heights of my past life at twenty and even earned a semblance of fame. Yet—

“The work hasn’t lessened.”

Despite my changed life, there was far too much to do to enjoy it.

“Not that I ever planned to enjoy it anyway.”

Pat, pat.

I brushed off my hands, dispersing the remaining energy.

I had been frequently checking my transformed body.

The sudden leap in my cultivation demanded that I fully grasp the changes.

“My internal energy has doubled. Even compared to my previous life, I’m not lacking.”

In other words, I was no longer at risk of running out of energy in battle.

“It’ll take some time to get used to the physical adjustments, though...”

The rapid increase in my abilities had caused some imbalance in my body. A few days of training would resolve that.

The other issue was—

“While the increase in energy is good...”

There was a slight problem with the energy itself.

Specifically—

“The cold energy hasn’t fully melted yet.”

Although the icy energy had been converted into my internal energy and stored in my vessel, it hadn’t entirely transformed into heat.

“There’s simply too much of it to melt all at once.”

This was energy condensed over centuries. Purifying it in an instant was impossible.

Ultimately, I had to rely on the Nine Flames Firewheel to gradually dissolve it over time.

“At least there’s a silver lining.”

Sss.

I raised my palms to face each other.

Crackle!

Between my fingertips, cold energy coalesced into a small ice crystal.

I chuckled softly at the sight.

“Who would’ve thought I could use cold energy?”

This was a change brought about by absorbing the Ice Essence into my vessel.

Though my body was trained in flame techniques, the ability to wield cold energy felt oddly surreal.

How was this even possible? It was too late to question now.

“Even I don’t fully understand my body.”

With so much energy already coursing through me, adding another element seemed absurd. But I accepted it.

“Even if the cold energy fully melts into heat, will I still be able to use it?”

It didn’t matter if I couldn’t. This was merely a curiosity.

“It’s not like it’s strong enough for combat anyway.”

I doubted I could wield it as the Palace of Ice Clan did.

“Maybe it’s only good for keeping water cold.”

The thought made me laugh. Ice powers reduced to chilling drinks—it was ridiculous.

Certainly not combat-worthy. Especially not for creating armor like Yuseon had shown me.

“Yuseon, huh.”

Thinking of that troublesome Palace Lord’s daughter reminded me of the last thing I needed to confirm.

The Authority I had taken from Mang—one of which Yuseon had also used.

From Mang, I had obtained two Authorities.

The first, related to regeneration, had already been given to revive Woo Hyuk, so that was out of the picture.

The second remained with me.

Swoosh.

I raised my hand again, visualizing a small gem in my mind.

A blue, hexagonal gem, about the size of a thumb.

Focusing intently, I poured my will into it.

And then—

Hum.

A faint vibration resonated within me.

Sss.

The gem materialized in my palm, exactly as I had imagined.

I grasped it lightly.

It felt solid, cold, and real. To anyone, it would look like a genuine gemstone.

But—

“Phew.”

As I exhaled and released my focus—

Fsssh.

The gem dissolved into smoke, disappearing as though it had never existed.

Watching the dissipating energy, I nodded.

“Even at this size, it lasts only fifteen minutes.”

The larger or more intricate the creation, the shorter the duration.

“What a hassle.”

All the Authorities I had taken were annoyingly difficult to use.

This gem was a manifestation of illusion, created with Authority.

Call it a mirage, a falsehood—it was a lie that approached the truth.

It could materialize sights, sensations, and even smells as if they were real.

Just like the space Yuseon had crafted.

And every moment I had fallen victim to her illusions.

Wish.

Wish desperately, with all your heart.

And it will come true.

This was the essence of the Authority and how it was used.

“How simple.”

All I needed to do was wish. Could there be anything easier?

It could create something nearly tangible, making it far more practical than cold energy.

But—

“Even this one isn’t as efficient as it should be, just like regeneration.”

When I stole Regeneration with Greed, its effectiveness diminished. The same applied to Wish.

“Could it be that stealing an Authority with Greed reduces its efficiency?”

The process was straightforward: consume the power of dragons and claim their Authorities.

That much I understood about Greed.

But perhaps I needed to rethink my assumptions.

Maybe—

“The stolen Authorities don’t weaken.”

Perhaps it’s simply that they don’t suit me.

This thought struck me because of the fundamental nature of Authorities.

My Authority is Greed (Tam).

It aligns with my nature: I crave, I despise losing, and I take what I desire. This Authority is a perfect fit for me.

I take because I refuse to be taken from. Could anything suit me more?

“Wish and Regeneration might be the same.”

Maybe these Authorities performed well for Mang because they matched him.

It was a reasonable suspicion.

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“It’s ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ hard to say otherwise.”

This doubt arose when I transferred Regeneration to Woo Hyuk.

The moment the Authority integrated with him, his body healed at an astonishing speed.

It was odd.

“If the Authority became less effective after coming to me, it doesn’t make sense for it to work better when passed on.”

I flipped my hypothesis.

The issue wasn’t that the Authority weakened when I stole it.

“It simply wasn’t compatible with me.”

It wasn’t designed for me in the first place.

What I still didn’t understand was—

“What determines compatibility?”

If it’s just about personality alignment, there’s no reason Regeneration shouldn’t suit me.

“I need it more than anyone.”

If Regeneration worked for me, I could fight even if my arm was torn off or my chest pierced.

But it didn’t, and that was frustrating.

There must be another reason, but I couldn’t figure it out yet.

Growl.

A low rumble caught my attention, and I turned my head.

“Hah.”

Before I knew it, a massive head had approached me—Dol-dol.

Drip.

Blood dripped onto the ground.

It was coming from what Dol-dol held in its mouth.

A red-furred beast, a crimson-ranked creature.

Dol-dol approached me with the massive beast clamped in its jaws.

Considering that crimson-ranked creatures are generally the size of a small house, the fact that Dol-dol could carry it like a toy was a testament to how massive it had grown.

“Sigh...”

I let out a quiet breath and swung my hand.

Smack—!!

Growl—!!

The blow landed square on Dol-dol’s head, causing it to stagger.

“Dammit, why the hell have you gotten this big again? I told you to grow moderately!”

Growl...

“‘Unfair,’ my ass. Your food bills are already driving me crazy, and now you’re going to eat even more, aren’t you?”

Growl.

“‘You feed yourself’? Yeah, sure. With that size, you’re really blending in just fine, huh?”

Growl...

“‘Why don’t you take care of me better’? Look at your attitude! When’s the last time you got properly disciplined?”

Growl—!

As I reached out to grab its fur, Dol-dol quickly darted away.

Whoosh—!!

Its massive body soared into the air, stirring up dust and wind as it moved. I frowned and shouted after it.

“Are you coming down or not?”

Growl.

“Fine, I won’t hit you. Just come down.”

Growl.

“If you don’t believe me, why did you even ask?! Get down here already!”

Instead of listening, Dol-dol sped off into the distance. Despite its enormous size, it moved with alarming speed.

“Hah.”

Watching its retreating figure, I could only sigh.

Since coming to the Northern Sea, it had grown at least twice as large.

What had happened while I wasn’t paying attention?

“I know the answer.”

It was because of me.

I could tell just by looking.

As my energy increased, Dol-dol’s size and form changed accordingly.

“That creature is linked to me.”

Whenever I grew stronger—physically or in terms of internal energy—Dol-doll transformed as well.

“When I grew physically stronger, its appearance changed.”

It became more savage, more ferocious—its presence as a beast grew intimidating enough to make anyone tremble.

“When my energy increased, its size grew.”

Having surpassed the abilities of my past life, Dol-dol had grown excessively large.

Do you know what’s funny?

“That damn thing can shrink if it wants to...!”

Like me, Dol-dol could use a form of Qi Manipulation Technique to control its size.

But it seemed to like its larger form and refused to shrink back down.

“Hah...”

I wondered who it took after to behave this way.

Shaking my head, I watched Dol-dol disappear into the distance.

“A creature that grows alongside me...”

Originally, Dol-dol had been born by feeding on my energy while I purified a crimson beast’s core stone.

And now, it had evolved into what it was today.

Thinking of that, I couldn’t help but recall Mang.

“Mang’s true form was also that of a beast.”

A white-ranked creature once called a dragon—that was Mang’s original body, which had emerged from the Ice Essence.

“Do all dragons have a ‘true form’?”

Mang was a Pureblood Dragon, and I had been called one as well.

Did that mean I also had a "true form," like Mang?

“I’ve never felt anything like that. But if I did...”

The creature that had just flown off might be the closest representation of what my “true form” could be.

'...'

Could it be that thing?

The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.

"Even if it could be, I’m the true form. How could that thing be?"

The very concept of a "true form" was peculiar.

If there’s a true form, it’s the one I embody now—what else could it be?

It was nothing more than a silly thought.

Ssshhh.

Dismissing the idea, I began unwrapping the bandages bound around my chest and set them alight.

Fwoosh!

The flames consumed the bandages, releasing a faint stench. They had absorbed blood and sweat during the last few days.

"My internal injuries are fully healed."

It had been three days since the intense battle.

Despite being stabbed and sustaining fractures in my bones, both internal and external injuries had healed in mere days.

"My regeneration has definitely improved."

Considering that the Authority of Regeneration was no longer mine, it seemed my natural recovery ability had simply increased.

"At this rate..."

It wouldn’t hurt to train more intensely. Even if my bones broke or my flesh was torn, I’d be back to normal in just a few days.

This improvement was, without a doubt, the most satisfying aspect of my recent growth.

Crunch.

Hearing the faint sound of approaching footsteps, I turned around.

A striking young man with pale skin and clean martial attire stood there—Seong Yul.

His left arm was wrapped in bandages, likely injured during the fight with the beast.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked politely.

"No, I was just finishing up. What’s the matter?"

"The Palace Lord is looking for you," Seong Yul replied.

I nodded. I had planned to go there anyway.