[{"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-315":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},1240291,1667,"Chapter 315: The Dragon's Diary (6)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-315",315,"\u003Cp>Despite the pink flower petals filling my sight, instead of discomfort, I felt a soothing warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How soothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>instead of discomfort, I felt a soothing warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conflicted mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was I thinking about before this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was sure it was something terrifying, yet now I couldn’t recall it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I knew I couldn’t afford to forget, so I pushed through the haze and the headache, trying to remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You are a calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeon Il-Cheon’s words echoed in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Have you never found your regression strange?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words pierced my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That is fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soothing warmth drained away, replaced by a creeping darkness in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said the Blood Demon was a calamity, and that it would return in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of the Heavenly Demon being the next calamity, Yeon Il-Cheon had called me the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m a calamity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never considered such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After my death and regressing, all I wanted was to live a different life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I want to live a peaceful life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was it something else entirely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Did I want you to live a happy life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it wasn’t my happiness I sought. Maybe it was hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever the case, if my regression was tied to some secret, and that secret was linked to the calamity…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do I need to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many thoughts filled my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was my resolve really this fragile, shattered by a single conversation? Or was it those small fragments of hope that kept me going?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now I’m starting to fear my sins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had I been trying to forget that I was once a vile, Demonic Human?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had hope that I could atone for the sins of my past life, but hearing that I was the root of all problems filled me with frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You retard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out an incredulous laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since when I was a good guy anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not once, even after my regression, had I thought of doing good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve always done whatever I wanted, only doing what I despised when I had a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if someone turned me into a calamity, and if my regression was someone else’s doing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t play along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know who they were, but I wasn’t going to follow their plan. I’d hunt them down and make them pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what fate is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I can’t win, I’ll carve my own path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would’ve gone to some mountain and become a farmer if giving up was an option after my regression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll overcome it, even if I have to break through fate itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, it’s not even certain that I’m a calamity in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only a conviction, but there was no evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my past life, the Heavenly Demon was the one responsible for the world’s disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost in thought, I suddenly felt something brush against my hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a large, rough hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt just like when the First Elder would roughly shake my head, claiming he was patting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That familiar dizzy feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I glanced up to see what it was, I realized the petals of plum blossoms were brushing my hair, forming the shape of a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this, this is terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this… perhaps,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Elder Shin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ You were acting so pathetic that I almost slapped you upside the head. But I’ll let it slide since you pulled through. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where were you this whole time? And what is happening right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s been more than a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin had told me he would be gone for a year after my punishment from my father, back when I was confined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it’s been way more than a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Were you hibernating or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Haha, I used this old body of mine to save you the moment I woke up, and you’re still running your mouth.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m just happy to see you again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I might fold you in half if this happens for a second time then.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dried but sharp voice of an old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a surprisingly rough voice for a Taoist, but I was happy to hear it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting that aside…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can I ask about the situation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[About what?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like what’s happening right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to ask about meeting the man who claimed to be Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked Elder Shin, and he responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[How would I know?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You sure ask a lot from someone who just woke up. If I knew all that, I’d be a martial artist of Wudang, not just a Taoist.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t Wudang also Taoist…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed the irrelevant thought aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did you wake up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Since the moment you stepped into the secret vault.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If what he said was true, it hadn’t been long at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I was reminded of something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation I’d felt earlier in the vault—something other than the beast within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That definitely was Elder Shin’s presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…But why didn’t you respond when I called you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin went silent for a moment after hearing my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he might be pondering something, but then he answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The bastard was looking at you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was clearly referring to the man with golden hair and eyes—Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That fuc- …No, is that man really your friend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If you’re going to curse him, just do it properly.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I can’t just curse him out in front of you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pissed me off, but I wasn’t about to curse Yeon Il-Cheon in front of Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were friends, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, is that man really the Iron Fist himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’m not sure.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze at his response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t know? What nonsense was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you acted as if you knew him earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin had even said it was nice to see him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I was just happy to see his face one last time.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of answer is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There’s nothing more to it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The one thing I’m sure of is that it was Il-Cheon’s memory.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you don’t know if it’s exactly him or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The room and the memory of him were definitely Il-Cheon’s power, but a memory is just a memory.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m not sure I understand. Then is this your power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plum blossoms that surrounded me, the overwhelming Tao Qi—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was all of this Elder Shin’s doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That bastard said it himself—this was the place prepared for me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just this secret vault, but all of my encounters with the heroes of the past might’ve been prepared for Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[This was what was prepared for me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incredible Tao Qi in the shape of a human that seemingly resembled Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel just how much strength it held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Does that mean this is your original stren- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You’re out of your mind.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin burst into laughter at my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You thought this tiny bit was my full strength?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I am not that weak.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiny amount? I was dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi I felt right now was extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only supporting me, keeping me safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if this Tao Qi turned into blades and went for my neck, I would’ve been ripped apart in just a few seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a strength,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is barely anything to Elder Shin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Just how powerful was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t even begin to imagine how strong he’d been in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were so many records about him despite him being a master from a long time ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d thought he was, at best, on par with the Heavenly Venerables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was he actually stronger?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this power was nothing to him, then it was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe, he might’ve been strong as the Celestial Sword, Wi Seol-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, definitely not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dismissed the thought immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would mean there were five people at that level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon surely wouldn’t have been that strong to go against five people at that strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there was Yeon Il-Cheon who became the Zenith over Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet those five heroes struggled against one Blood Demon, and they couldn’t even kill it. They had to seal it instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless the Blood Demon was a god, it was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You seem to have a lot in your mind again.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Because I heard such an absurd thing from you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hehe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind was a tangled mess, yet the old man just kept chuckling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you laugh right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[How can I not? The expression on your face is gold.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m practically on the edge of death, and yet he couldn’t care less—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, no. This was his business too. Elder Shin seemed to be connected to all of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t let it shake you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand that shook my head around, became rougher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There isn’t anything more dangerous than you losing yourself.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Of course you do. But your struggle to follow your own will is what makes you human.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Shin, did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Know what?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The calamity and fate that he told me about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the world was supposed to end in the hands of the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His friends knew that another calamity would come, even if they sealed the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if Elder Shin knew that as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[No, I did not know.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The reason I fell into a deep sleep was to recover my memories.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Memories?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered Elder Shin saying something similar when we first met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said his memories were hazy, like they had been shattered into pieces and scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he had called me a fake for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It took longer than I expected to recover my memories.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you found all of them then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, hoping there was useful information to glean, but Elder Shin shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’ve found most of my memories, but not what happened at the end.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The last memory I recovered was of my battle against the Blood Demon.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legendary battle where five heroes faced the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the last thing Elder Shin could remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That means,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes. I know it as well. My last moment wasn’t during that fight.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin didn’t die in his fight against the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the records, he returned to lead Mount Hua after stopping the Blood Disaster and spent the rest of his life there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[After my resurrection, I was supposed to find the secret vault. That’s what those bastards told me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Light of Might, the Iron Fist, and Namgung Myung, the Thunderous Sword, all told Elder Shin to seek the Thunder Fang..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had all expected Elder Shin to be resurrected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I don’t know the secrets of this world.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Central Plains persisted, even though it should have fallen long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was the Blood Demon, and the next calamity, the Heavenly Demon, waiting in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s likely those bastards tried to resurrect me because of that.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Il-Cheon always had a bunch of secrets, that idiot of might was always way too kind for his own good, Myung bastard was always an annoying bastard, and Jaemoon wasn’t really normal either.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do I even respond to that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing a hero from the past call all the others crazy felt… strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I could sense a deep bond in his words, so I didn’t interrupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And, of course, I’ve got a rough mouth and personality, even as a Taoist.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’s self-aware, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t expect that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…I never let go of my prey, so they might’ve found me to be the best option of all of us.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in the end, they left all the work for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Thinking of it that way just makes me hate those bastards more.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t mean to put it like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[However, that attempt was in vain in the end.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How can you be so certain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just a soul who had lost most of his memories and had almost no information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything could’ve happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin could have been nothing more than a memory, like Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also possible that he had been successfully resurrected, only to be killed soon after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin laughed after catching my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If I really successfully resurrected, the Central Plains would be shaking.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How come?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Looking at the current martial artists, they’re all idiots. How could the world stay quiet if a genius like me had been reborn?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this crazy confidence of his?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If I was reborn, I might’ve been called the Zenith of Plum Flowers.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You choose to be a martial artist of Mount Hua even in your second life huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Of course.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A petal drifted down, landing softly on my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I was born in Mount Hua, and my soul rests there. Even if I were reborn, I’d still be a child of Mount Hua.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much logic in his words, but there was certainty in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I am Shincheol of Mount Hua. Even if I lose my memories and turn into something else after death, that won’t change.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So don’t let anything shake you either. What would happen if you can’t even believe in yourself?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His last words struck a chord in my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke them just as I was still trying to calm myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s been a long time since we last met, but you haven’t grown much, huh? How can you still be this childish at your age? Tsk, tsk.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You might’ve looked cool if you didn’t add the last part.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I finished speaking, I felt a sharp impact on my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his hand into fist and slammed my head down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’ve been wanting to hit you for a while. How refreshing this is.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Whether it’s calamity or whatever, use your time to focus on what you’ve been doing instead.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Instead of stopping because you don’t know which path to walk in, you need to continue walking whichever path it is. But you probably know this as well.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I responded, the plum flower petals that filled my vision began to shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rough hand that had been ruffling my hair stopped as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Get up now. Now you need to do my job as well. You are going to be busy, hehe.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His response was strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why do I have to do your work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Since I ended up in this poor state where I can’t do anything, you must be the one to do it instead.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, wha-“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ugh, this old man saved your life. Do it along the way. Your goal’s probably the same as mine anyway. How can you be so whiny? Tsk, tsk.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was telling me to deal with the Blood Demon while also dealing with the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How absurd he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s not even paying rent, and now he’s making me do his work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to do it anyway, but now I don’t feel like doing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, my mind felt clearer, thanks to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity or not, I was still me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I believed I could stop myself from becoming a calamity, as long as I tried hard enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin probably found it most important to tell me this before anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was old like he said, so I don’t know why I’m still being taught by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like I still had a long way to go until I matured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Good luck.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I heard Elder Shin’s voice, the petals vanished, revealing the sky above me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still night, and the moon, high in the sky, cast its light down on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately got up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last thing I remembered was being in the secret vault, but now, for some reason, I was in the middle of a forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be more accurate, I was lying down in the entrance of the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you woke up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I looked around, I heard a voice from nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the voice of the Water Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, it seemed we had escaped the secret vault…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how did I end up sleeping here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you woke up, could you please save me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh? Save you from wha- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned toward the Water Dragon’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Dragon smiled at me, while in front of him…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen and the Qinghai Sword were staring at me with strange looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m fucked, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly racked my brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to figure out a way out of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I found it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly shouted at the Qinghai Sword while pointing to the Water Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That bastard was the one who did it! I only followed him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My special move—selling out a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my go-to strategy whenever a friend was around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Do you really think I’d believe that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, since I barely had any friends, it wasn’t that effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t work like I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck me.\u003C\u002Fp>",2872,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","94ce5b6ef03745c962e2fcb7991bcf512ab9f631034de041d61c11f74730eb30","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-316","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-314",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]