Journey to Become the Zenith

The One Who Took the Wheel

”Hey,” Azriel suddenly spoke casually into the emptiness itself, ”how about it?”

The vast white world remained silent for a moment.

Victor’s body sat motionless in the distance, cross-legged beneath countless drifting golden symbols. His black hair moved faintly despite the absence of wind, while streams of mana and faint traces of Zenith Aura swirled around him like invisible tides colliding against one another.

Budha immediately realized who Azriel was talking to.

The vampire emperor folded his arms loosely as his crimson eyes narrowed with amusement.

”Can I take over while this guy trains?”

His gaze shifted toward Victor’s meditating form.

”I’m sure you can allow this.”

Azriel smirked faintly after saying that.

”It’s not like we haven’t done this before.”

A few fragments of old memories surfaced in his mind. Ancient battlefields. Broken stars. Countless incarnations borrowing bodies for brief moments to settle unfinished wars or pursue impossible techniques.

”Last time we did it for Kevin... and it was you who took over his body.”

His grin widened slightly afterward.

”How about letting me take the wheel this time.”

The moment those words fell, silence spread through the endless soul world.

Even Budha became quiet.

Then—

A pressure descended.

It was not killing intent.

Not mana.

Not Zenith Aura.

It was simply... presence.

Ancient.

Endless.

Absolute.

The white world itself trembled faintly as a deep, heavy voice echoed from everywhere at once. It sounded ancient enough to crush eras beneath it.

Only Azriel and the incarnations could hear it.

Victor, who remained submerged in enlightenment, noticed nothing.

”You can... but do not burden our younger incarnation’s body too much.”

The voice carried no anger.

No emotion.

Yet every word felt like law itself.

Azriel immediately laughed.

”I don’t?”

The unseen existence remained silent for half a second before speaking again.

”Then you can go.”

A vicious grin spread across Azriel’s face.

”Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Budha sighed softly the moment he saw that expression.

It was the exact same look Azriel always made whenever he was about to cause trouble.

The vampire emperor turned toward the monk and casually waved his hand.

”Please take care of him for me until I take a fresh breath outside.”

Budha closed his eyes briefly before nodding.

”...Fine.”

”Don’t let him destroy his soul trying to force enlightenment too quickly,” Azriel added with a laugh.

Budha opened one eye.

”You are one to talk.”

”Hah!”

Azriel only laughed louder.

Then he slowly walked toward Victor’s meditating figure.

Golden letters floated around Victor’s body endlessly.

Some entered his skin.

Some shattered apart.

Some branded themselves directly onto his soul.

Even now Victor’s expression twitched faintly from the pain. Learning to separate mana from Zenith Aura was not simply training.

It was reconstructing awareness itself.

Azriel looked at him quietly for a moment.

For the first time since arriving here, his usual mocking grin softened slightly.

”You really are interesting, kid.”

Then—

He placed a hand over Victor’s forehead.

A brilliant crimson light erupted instantly.

The entire soul world trembled.

Budha narrowed his eyes slightly as countless runic chains appeared around Victor and Azriel both. Ancient symbols rotated around their bodies before collapsing inward.

FLASH!

Azriel closed his eyes.

For a brief instant, he felt weightlessness.

Then—

Cold air touched his skin.

The smell of damp earth entered his nose.

The distant sound of wind brushing through trees echoed nearby.

Azriel slowly opened his eyes.

”...Ah.”

His lips curled upward.

”This is the outside world...”

For the first time in an unimaginably long time, he felt real air against his skin again.

The night sky stretched above him.

Clouds drifted slowly overhead.

A silver moon illuminated the forest around him with pale light.

Right now, he was controlling the body of the current incarnation.

Victor’s body.

Azriel flexed his fingers slowly.

The first thing he noticed was the difference in physical density.

The second thing he noticed was how absurdly weak the body felt compared to his original self.

His crimson eyes flickered for a second before rapidly returning to golden.

Victor’s body instinctively rejected the mismatch.

Azriel clicked his tongue.

”Tch... troublesome.”

He rotated his shoulders once.

Bones cracked lightly.

Mana circulated awkwardly through Victor’s still-developing pathways.

”This body is weaker than I expected...”

His voice echoed quietly through the empty forest.

Still, after observing the structure carefully, his expression changed slightly.

”...Though I guess I could praise him.”

Azriel could tell immediately how insane Victor’s growth speed actually was.

The mana pathways were rough.

Unstable.

Incomplete.

Yet absurdly powerful for someone this young.

”With the limitations of this world, reaching this level already borders on stupidity.”

He inhaled deeply.

The mana density of the outside world was thinner than what he remembered from his own era.

Far thinner.

No wonder Victor’s development had slowed repeatedly.

Azriel extended his senses outward.

”...Hmm.”

Then his eyes narrowed.

”I can’t properly feel this body yet.”

His grin slowly returned.

”Well... there’s an easy solution for that.”

A battle was happening nearby.

And not just any battle.

The mana fluctuations carried familiar traces.

Azriel laughed quietly.

”Good.”

His eyes gleamed dangerously beneath the moonlight.

”Someone I know very well is there.”

But before moving, Azriel glanced around once.

”No point attracting unnecessary attention.”

He raised one hand casually.

A small amount of mana gathered at his fingertips.

Immediately, Victor’s body trembled from the strain.

Azriel frowned.

”...Pathetic.”

Even using such a tiny amount caused instability.

Still, he completed the spell.

”Crimson Veil Art: Night Coffin Domain.”

A dark crimson barrier silently spread outward from his body before merging with the surroundings completely.

The air distorted faintly.

Sound vanished.

Mana signatures disappeared.

Even the forest itself seemed to forget he existed.

Azriel nodded in satisfaction.

”A low-grade vampire concealment technique.”

He chuckled softly.

”It’s been a long time since I used something this primitive.”

Still, after activating the spell, Victor’s mana reserves visibly dropped.

Azriel stared at his own hand for a moment.

”...Seriously?”

His expression twitched.

”This body burns through mana too quickly.”

Back in his era, techniques like this were nothing more than breathing exercises.

Now?

Victor’s body looked like it had just fought a war.

Azriel sighed dramatically.

”What a tragic existence.”

Still, instead of complaining further, he sat beneath a nearby tree.

His breathing slowed.

Mana naturally gathered around him.

The forest air vibrated faintly as surrounding mana particles slowly flowed toward Victor’s body.

Azriel raised an eyebrow.

”Oh?”

Even the absorption speed was abnormal.

”This incarnation really is talented.”

A few minutes later, the drained mana recovered enough for movement.

Azriel stood again.

This time, he stretched his neck lightly before grinning toward the distant mountains.

In the distance—

Faint explosions echoed.

Trees shook occasionally.

The earth trembled in irregular intervals.

Battle.

Azriel’s smile widened further.

”Perfect.”

Instead of immediately rushing there using mana, he crouched slightly.

”...Let’s see how physically capable this body is first.”

The ground beneath him cracked.

BOOM!

Victor’s body shot forward like a cannonball.

The surrounding trees blurred instantly.

Wind exploded against his face as he dashed through the forest at terrifying speed.

Azriel laughed loudly during the sprint.

”Hahaha!”

Even though the body was weak compared to his standards...

To the current world?

Victor was already monstrous.

Azriel leaped across cliffs effortlessly while adjusting to the body’s balance little by little.

Each movement became smoother.

Sharper.

More efficient.

”This balance is good.”

”Muscle response decent.”

”Reaction speed... acceptable.”

He continued evaluating casually while moving.

At one point, he landed atop a massive tree branch and looked toward the distant battlefield.

Several mana signatures collided violently.

Among them—

Three familiar ones stood out clearly.

Diana.

Clara.

Lane.

Azriel’s grin became dangerous again.

”Now this...”

His golden eyes gleamed beneath the moonlight.

”...looks entertaining.”