[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith":3,"chapter-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-308":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1240284,1667,"Chapter 308: CheolYang Cheol the Wicked (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-308",308,"\u003Cp>Students were required to complete two hours of morning training after waking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, they would have lunch and begin their military training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructors were assigned to students based on their intellectual level, and they had the choice to either conduct lessons or engage in a completely different type of training. Personally hated the lessons the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore… in order to deal with the blue Demons, you must destroy  their Demonic Stone so that they die for sure and reduce the risk of explo- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only worse because I already knew everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m sure the other students had already learned all of this from their clans and Sects, making these lessons hell for everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all had their mouths shut, but they were probably fighting for their lives in their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting against drowsiness that is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Woocheol, sitting next to me, kept pinching his thigh to stay awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might start bleeding if he keeps it up -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I think he already is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered why lessons like these were needed for killing mere Demons, but when I thought about it, they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowledge like this was crucial in a world where people fought Demons, not yet each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Truthfully, I did have some regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I became a Demonic Human, or even before that, during my time in the Murim Alliance, I nearly died to Demons more than once or twice because I lacked knowledge about them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I was fine now, having built up experience through brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve built up a ton alright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I even got to count how many fangs a red Demon had in its mouth when I was inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, instructors could teach about green and blue Demons, but how could they teach about red Demons?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no solution to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No martial artist in this current timeline had ever encountered red Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Gate of Demons at such an extreme level hasn’t opened yet, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that the only person who knew about red Demons in this timeline was me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that would only be true if I was the only one who had regressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it was pointless because of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was also why the students barely paid attention during these lessons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not only capable of defeating green Demons, but they were easily able to win against blue Demons if they were over First-rate and didn’t let their guards down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some blue Demons might possess special powers, but they still didn’t pose much threat if these Young Prodigies used their Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They basically weren’t dangerous at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, too, probably wouldn’t have any trouble with them as long as they don’t charge at me from every direction all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be a different story if some of them were different in any way, but even when I was in the Frontlines for more than a year, I never ran into any trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were actually a great help to me as I was able to feed the bastard in my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most dangerous moment I faced there was probably when Gu Huibi got mad at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, the current world was at peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demons still existed, and the Gate of Demons continued to open regularly, but the world had learned how to deal with them swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It still caused harm to ordinary people, but by now, they had accepted it as part of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They simply told themselves they were unlucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world of peace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my eyes, it was the world of oblivion instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had deluded themselves into thinking it was fine to live in this world, as it had been this way for centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that I care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew what kind of world I was living in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head to observe others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was filled with students struggling against drowsiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sought a more comfortable life by building connections and bringing honor to their clans and Sects, but no one knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the calamity is brought down to the world, everything would be destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether green or blue, the red Demons were leagues above them, making these lessons irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red ones will appear in two to three years from now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They began to appear in groups after the Heavenly Demon;s arrival, but the time of their first appearance wasn’t too long from now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was the location again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it Sichuan, or was it Seo-Ahn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or, if neither, was it Qinghai instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Central Plains were shaken when a red Demon appeared for the first time in ages, but I wasn’t able to remember it clearly as it’s been a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was important information, but I’d forgotten it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Once the red Demon appears, the formation of many armies will break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could fight against red Demons unless they were at Peak Realm, and at the end level of it at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many perfected Peak Realm martial artists were there in the Central Plains?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely over a thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a thousand martial artists in the Central Plains capable of fighting red Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could such a small number be able to endure the red Demons’ onslaught?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only managed to stop them after forming a proper system, but by then, the world was already in flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could somehow stop the Heavenly Demon from appearing, I could prevent all of this from happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I failed, everything would unfold just like in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chair creaked loudly as I leaned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes and began to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I need to start spreading information, little by little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Information about the red Demons’ weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was necessary to slowly spread that information to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, only those who believe me will believe it, as I had no proof of encountering them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had to do it regardless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I let the Beggar’s Sect know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hao Clan might be better for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…ther.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or, maybe I should tell the clans or Sects ab—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was deep in thought, a rough voice snapped me back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Pe Woocheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the? Are we done?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it just ended.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like the lesson had come to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard it would take two hours, but it flew by since I’d spaced out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t have the best look on your face right now. Are you okay, brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m perfectly fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt stiff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t been able to focus during the lesson, so I ended up spacing out more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t have a day to relax, since I still have to do training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since I found the location that seemed to be the secret vault, I’d been using my free mornings for solo training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still wasn’t fully healed from my injury, but I could train again since most of it had recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, it was only mental training for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to raise my level as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My impatience was making it harder to overcome my wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strange thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel like I meet all the conditions for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My physical strength was still a bit lacking, but my Qi was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be odd for me to lack Qi after devouring all sorts of things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This much should allow me to overcome my wall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So where am I getting stuck?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, I still couldn’t overcome it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought about why I couldn’t overcome my wall, then I remembered—I hadn’t reached the Fusion Realm in a normal way in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Ugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of reaching that level through many enlightenments and a long time of training, I forced my way there using the Qi I gained from my Demonic Absorption Arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was easy to say my Qi broke through the wall simply due to the sheer amount I possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given how I reached that level, it’s no wonder I’m struggling to overcome this barrier the normal way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Though this problem would be solved if I got my hands on the White Demonic Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This issue wouldn’t exist if I absorbed the White Demonic Stone, but as I’ve said before, I wanted to absorb it after reaching Fusion Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then would I be able to make full use of that stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would lose more than I gained if I became too greedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, I had to be patient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m out of time. This isn’t a good situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t do what I did in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I did, I’d face the same outcome as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to find a normal way to increase my level from now on, but that only made me more anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only Elder Shin was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked when that thought passed by my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lived my past life doing whatever I desired, yet now I was seeking someone to teach me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still was good for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’m tired. Let’s go eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the point of thinking about it if no answers come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll just continue to work hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of wasting my time thinking about it, I need to use this time to do what I must.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no time to be demotivated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a great life this was, for fucks sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woocheol.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We didn’t learn anything too important, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, as always, nothing too special.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, it might not be anything special to me, but wouldn’t it be different for you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Pe Woocheol, speechless, when he suddenly clapped his hands, as if he’d just realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was very loud due to how big his hands were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it wasn’t anything special… but the instructor told us to—“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Pe Woocheol was about to tell me something, someone appeared and cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I checked to see who it was, I saw a handsome-looking face and a sword on his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His outfit, symbolizing Wudang, was more than enough to tell me who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haven’t we met before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handsome man looked at me with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the few people in this world I could trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Water Dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon, Woohyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s no trouble, would you like to eat together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A friend from my past life had come looking for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************The Water Dragon, Woohyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the few friends I had in my past life, and a Young Prodigy who ranked at the very top, even among the Dragons and Phoenixes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the biggest hope of the Wudang Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his lazy and easygoing personality, he became sharp whenever he held his sword, which made him stand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One clear lesson I learned during the war against the Demonic Cult was that he wasn’t as lazy or easygoing as he appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I was able to learn that he was always sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason so many people were able to survive in such dire situations, was thanks to Wi Seol-Ah, the Water Dragon, and Snow Phoenix, who tirelessly worked to save them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Give it three chances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From time to time, I remembered his annoying face that always bugged me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have enjoyed teasing me, always coming to taunt me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chuckling afterward only made him seem like a crazy bastard in my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heisa crazy bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Leave without me, I’ll follow you in a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was definitely a crazy bastard, sacrificing his own life for a worthless worm like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Let’s have a drink when we meet again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That memory haunted me to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, did you know the rice here tastes really good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t that meat…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good, would you like to try some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No, I’m good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Taoist was eating meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as I knew, people from the Wudang Sect didn’t eat any kinds of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is that okay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Senior Brother, please…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person who seemed to be his Junior Brother, was making a sobbing face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I expected, it wasn’t okay after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stubbornly ate even with people stopping him though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something I remembered from my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recalled a bastard from the Wudang Sect eating meat like it was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Junior Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon began speaking seriously to Woo Eehyun, his Junior Brother from the Wudang Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know what the most important rule of the Heavenly Dragon Academy is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s to forget about your backgrounds, and to live as a student of the Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This means that as long as I’m here, I’m not a Taoist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Which means?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doesn’t that mean I’m allowed to eat meat, since I’m not a Taoist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell the Head to come to me if he’s so annoyed by it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, he really is crazy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even mentioned the Head of his Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he really a martial artist from the Wudang Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger Water Dragon was just as crazy as the one I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’s been like this ever since birth. That makes me a bit glad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting that aside…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, why did you look for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to ask the necessary questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting the Water Dragon at the Academy was one of my goals, but I hadn’t bothered seeking him out since I had so many other things to do. I didn’t expect him to visit me first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he holding a grudge from the last time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee mentioned the Water Dragon had asked about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know why, but maybe he was upset about when I interfered in his fight with Yung Pung?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wouldn’t be like him, given his personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as I knew, he wasn’t the type to hold grudges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely you must have a reason for you to visit me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I do. But Young Expert Gu, may I ask you something first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you talking to me in a formal way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area around us grew silent after the Water Dragon finished speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words, in a way, sounded cold to some.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As far as I know, I’m older than you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was around two to three years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon was indeed older than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why are you speaking informally to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-So why are you speaking informally to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard the Water Dragon’s voice twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because we had the same conversation in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way I spoke formally to the Water Dragon in my past life, as I was far more disrespectful back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon had asked me the same question back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I wasn’t able to back down due to my pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You do it too if you’re unhappy with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t have been surprising if I had been beaten to death by any other martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was essentially the same as a nameless weakling pretending to be strong and trying to start a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it wouldn’t have been strange for him to swing his fist, the Water Dragon just smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no different from him in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was cool with it and gave a short response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shocked the people around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Eehyun looked at his Senior Brother with disgust, while others stared at me, wondering what my problem was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I had a shitty personality, I never was this disrespectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Water Dragon continued to speak as if he wasn’t concerned about the gazes of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since we’ve dropped the formalities, does that make us friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His being cool with everything made everyone speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how he hadn’t changed from the Water Dragon I knew in my past life even made me smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard was the same as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing was different, though,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-What are you talking about, won’t you screw off already?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My response was different this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh? I didn’t expect you to accept my offer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon showed a shocked reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no intention of refusing his offer in the first place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside the Water Dragon, who for some reason seemed disappointed, I continued speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, because we are friends, I’ll ask this. Why did you come looking for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To come see my friend of course?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Save your jokes for later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no intention of letting him off the hook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that means you’ll listen to my jokes later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you tell me after I beat you up or before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why don’t I have the choice of telling you without getting beaten up at all…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon smiled after falling silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others around us watched our conversation, wondering what kind of nonsense this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked as if they were wondering how things could progress this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It has been like this ever since my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not anything special,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon’s expression turned serious as he got straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I happened to hear that you were forming a clique of your own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clique? My clique?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What clique?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at the Water Dragon, baffled by his sudden nonsense, but he continued speaking without giving me time to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me in it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my clique…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His request was so nonsensical that it left me confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came all this way just to ask if he could join my clique?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came to me for such a retarded reason…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, though?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was probably the least interested person in the Heavenly Dragon Academy, so I struggled to understand why he’d come to me with such a request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Water Dragon wasn’t speaking quietly, every student around us had their gazes on us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Water Dragon was trying to join the clique of the brutal True Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing him speak with such eyes, I suddenly had an idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t anything special, but I wanted to tease him a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would also be nice if I could squash a rumor about me in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sorry, but I can’t accept you in my clique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon’s eyes widened in surprise at my refusal, as if he hadn’t expected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not the one in charge of making those decisions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My clique… uh… um…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought for a few seconds, but I couldn’t afford to think for too long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-Yes, if you want to join the CheolYang Cheol Clique, you must get approved by our leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…CheolYang Cheol Clique? Your leader?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, I came up with the name CheolYang Cheol by combining Cheol Jiseon’s ‘Cheol’, Gu Yangcheon’s ‘Yang’, and Pe Woocheol’s ‘Cheol’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I regretted it immediately though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely, I could’ve thought of a better name than that dumb one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, we had a name like th- …Urgh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Woocheol tried to question me, so I pressed my foot against his to silence him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The True Dragon… wasn’t the leader?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Then who is it? The person capable of controlling that brutal True Dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area around us became rowdy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because I hadn’t set up a sound barrier before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, Moyong Hi-ah, Tang Soyeol, and Namgung Bi-ah didn’t even bother looking this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They seemed to have already realized I was up to something nonsensical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting on a serious expression, I spoke to the Water Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The Mad Dog, Cheol Jiseon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He is the leader of our CheolCheol Yang Cliq- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, wasn’t it Cheolyang Cheol instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If you want to join the CheolYang Cheol Clique, you must get approval from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon’s eyes widened at my response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he really that shocked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rolling his eyes around for a moment, the Water Dragon responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a guy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon’s reaction couldn’t be any lamer, but that wasn’t the case for everyone around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another rumor about the Mad Dog Cheol Jiseon was about to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>",3415,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","dcd944e842721dc95cfecf53e7cdc5cb17b8a5aaaf622ea5f295cef3be1b65cd","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-309","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-307",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]