Journey to Become the Zenith

The Difference Between Monsters and Men

”So aren’t you going to say thank you?”

He grinned proudly.

”I did save your life.”

Henrick stared.

His face slowly turned pale.

”Why are you looking at me like that Henrick? Surprised to see me beat that bastard for you? It wasn’t that hard; it was as we thought Shawn was overreacting. So aren’t you going to say thank you? I did save your life.”

The wind blew quietly through the ruined forest.

Leaves rolled over blood-soaked earth.

Henrick didn’t reply and simply looked at Oliver.

His expression looked strange.

Very strange.

Oliver frowned.

”Huh?”

He scratched his cheek.

”Why are you so quiet?”

No answer.

Oliver’s smile slowly weakened.

”Also... why are you looking at me like that? Your expression is kind of creepy.”

Henrick’s lips moved slightly.

Still nothing came out.

Oliver suddenly laughed.

”Ohhh, I get it!”

He pointed at himself proudly.

”Were you that impressed by my lightning strike? That’s it right?”

He puffed his chest.

”It was impressive wasn’t it?”

Blue sparks danced around his fingers.

”That was my strongest spell. At first it was just a simple lightning spell, but after countless modifications I improved the formula itself.”

His eyes shone with pride.

”Years of effort.”

He raised his hand dramatically.

”My masterpiece.”

The surrounding mana lightly crackled.

”That spell was meant to kill gigantic monsters like Ogre Emperors.”

Oliver smirked.

”Kind of sad that I had to waste it on a weak commoner.”

Henrick’s pupils trembled.

His mouth slowly opened.

”O-Oliver...”

”Hm?”

Oliver looked over.

”What?”

Henrick’s voice shook.

”Behind—”

Suddenly—

”It wasn’t that impressive.”

The voice appeared beside Oliver.

Everything froze.

Oliver’s eyes widened instantly.

His head slowly turned.

Victor stood there.

Not a scratch.

Not a single burn mark.

His black hair moved gently beneath the cold night wind while his golden eyes lazily stared back.

His hands rested inside his pockets.

Calm.

Composed.

Like he had merely gone for a short walk.

Oliver’s face instantly lost color.

Victor sighed.

”First, shouting the spell name alerts your target.”

He raised one finger.

”Second...”

Another finger.

”You used far too much of mana for such a mediocre attack.”

Another finger.

”Third...”

Victor smiled.

”Your control over mana is horrible.”

Oliver’s body trembled.

Victor looked around casually.

”And honestly...”

His eyes slowly narrowed.

”I find it offensive that you actually believed something like that could hurt me.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Oliver’s heartbeat began accelerating.

No...

Impossible.

He couldn’t even sense Victor approaching.

He didn’t see him move.

Didn’t feel his mana.

Didn’t feel anything.

Victor tilted his head.

”Well anyway.”

Then—

His hand moved.

No.

Oliver didn’t even see movement.

One moment Victor was standing beside him—

The next—

A hand wrapped around his neck.

Oliver’s eyes nearly burst open.

His body lifted from the ground.

”W-Wait—”

His feet dangled helplessly.

Both hands desperately grabbed Victor’s wrist.

Nothing.

It felt like steel.

No—

Steel would bend.

This wouldn’t.

Victor looked at him curiously.

”Hm.”

Oliver struggled wildly.

”Cough—!”

He couldn’t breathe.

Mana exploded around him in panic.

Lightning sparks covered his body.

Victor looked down.

Then laughed softly.

”You know...”

His smile widened.

”I was originally planning on torturing you people for information.”

Oliver’s eyes widened.

”Torture...?”

Victor looked thoughtful.

”But after seeing how weak all of you are...”

His expression slowly became disappointed.

”You don’t even qualify as a threat.”

Henrick stood frozen.

Cold sweat covered his back.

Victor wasn’t even angry anymore.

That was what terrified him.

Because he was smiling.

Smiling while holding a man’s life like it meant nothing.

Victor looked toward Henrick.

”So instead...”

He smiled.

”You people can become whetstones.”

Oliver’s struggling slowly weakened.

Victor’s golden eyes reflected moonlight.

”For now, I won’t bother finding out who’s behind all of this.”

His voice remained calm.

”But tell whoever sent you this—”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

”If you want to oppose me...”

The pressure around him suddenly changed.

The air itself became heavier.

Leaves stopped moving.

Even the wind seemed to disappear.

”Sharpen your fangs first.”

Henrick’s body shook.

Victor smiled.

”As you are now...”

His eyes swept across them.

”In my eyes...”

A pause.

”...you all look like toddlers trying to catch an adult’s attention.”

Henrick didn’t respond and simply continued looking at Victor.

Because he couldn’t.

Fear had already crushed his voice.

Victor glanced at Oliver.

”Also...”

He smiled.

”Seeing as I only need one messenger.”

Oliver’s eyes widened instantly.

”W-WAIT!”

Victor tossed Oliver upward.

Oliver spun helplessly in the air.

His arms stretched desperately.

”N-NOOOO!!”

Victor slowly raised his left hand.

He looked at the sky.

Then casually made a swiping motion.

The heavens answered.

CRAAAAAAACK!!!

The night sky split apart.

Blue light swallowed the moon itself.

A massive pillar of lightning descended like heavenly judgment.

Not wild.

Not chaotic.

Perfect.

Controlled.

Absolute.

Oliver didn’t even have time to scream.

The light swallowed him instantly.

For a brief moment—

The entire forest became brighter than daylight.

Then silence returned.

Nothing remained.

No body.

No ashes.

Nothing.

Victor looked at the empty space and smiled faintly.

”That’s how you use that spell.”

Once he was done saying that, Azriel disappeared from the area. Henrick started looking around and saw no signs of Azriel anywhere. At that moment if the smell of blood wasn’t so strong, Henrick would’ve thought that the events that transpired was all a nightmare, a very horrible nightmare.

The forest went silent... Completely silent...

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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