[{"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-325":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},1240301,1667,"Chapter 325: Hands-on Training (5)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-325",325,"\u003Cp>Since they taught how to defend yourself against Demons, the hands-on training served to test whether students had fully grasped their lessons and could apply them in real combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I suspected, it was most likely that students were going to be made to hunt Demons and as I expected, that indeed happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a few things took me by surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this where the entrance exams took place last time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The range of the hunting ground was far larger than I had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same two mountains from the entrance exams were now being utilized for this hands-on training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that those mountains were small to begin with—they were colossal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t sure how this test was going to be held, but if the instructors intended to grade us individually, they could have simply observed each student fight a Demon one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was it a hassle for them to clean up Demons that were released afterwards, and I doubted whether the instructors could prevent danger effectively, despite their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have until sunset. Instructors will be watching you from everywhere, so I suggest that you don’t do anything stupid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Cheol Hwanho’s warning, nervous expressions crept onto the students’ faces, but the reality was it wouldn’t be as dangerous as they feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need for them to fear battling Demons at their current skill level, and it was most likely that only green and barely a few blue Demons were released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While fighting alone could be perilous, that wouldn’t happen with so many instructors around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, people were more dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With more than a few unhinged individuals present, the instructors warned students not to fight each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them were dangerous, unable to control their tempers once provoked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, most of them held back their anger since they didn’t want to ruin their clan or Sect’s image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, as I mentioned before, there were still a few bastards who didn’t care about such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s only natural for me to return the favor when someone is being irritating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can hold back once or twice, but that’s where my patience ends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like Cheol Hwanho’s gaze was locked on me as he spoke those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are forbidden to fight each other. You will be punished if we catch you doing such a thing, so be warned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must’ve been a coincidence—our eyes meeting like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You better… be warned!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Maybe not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It truly seemed like his warning was directed at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was probably just in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mhm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what’s with this test all of a sudden when we barely learned anything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I went along with it because it was mandatory, but it still felt absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were being tested after just two months of training—I couldn’t wrap my head around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, many of us had previous experience hunting Demons, but it was different now because we had to use the methods taught by the Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard that this test was going to affect our grades a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone will probably try their best because of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in my opinion, the Academy’s techniques weren’t all that effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it positively, they focused on the basics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or should I call it the most standard way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only taught the most basic methods for these scenarios, but I’m certain the instructors knew it wasn’t the best approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than teaching us how to properly defeat different types of Demons, they stuck to the bare minimum. Even the instructors seemed aware of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were only doing it since the higher-ups told them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why there is no growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood that they wanted us to gain real-world experience after mastering the basics, but that made attending the Academy feel pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day I thought about it, I arrived at the same conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What really mattered were the connections you forged and the reputation you built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The education offered here wasn’t what held value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s fucked. Seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Murim Alliance’s premier military institution was now surviving on reputation alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People flocked here because of the name’s prestige, but they were all swept away when the calamity hit, thanks to the broken system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What were the Ten Sect Alliance, the Four Noble Clans, the Murim Alliance, and the Orthodox Faction, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Idiots drunk in peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How can we ever expect hope to grow from such rotten roots?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the Celestial Sword, they would have perished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From my past life’s experience, I had lost all hope in the Orthodox Faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew the demons that lurked within their corrupted core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t even want to lay my hands on them, but I’ll have to get rid of them if I want to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to get rid of those nasty bastards one by one starting soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then, it would make my future a bit easier to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Woocheol spoke up suddenly as we walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is your plan for the summer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summer, out of the blue? Was something big important happening during the summer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you plan to go back to your clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The clan…? Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I realized he was talking about the upcoming Academy break, where students could either use the training facilities or return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the break, students would either train in the enclosed rooms or regular grounds, while some would return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It might be a bit difficult for me to go back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious that the clan was informed about the trouble I caused with the secret vault here. Facing punishment from my father was a possibility, so it seemed safer not to return just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ideally, avoiding the trip home altogether was the wisest choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not sure about others though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub and Gu Yeonseo would likely return when the time comes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Gu Jeolyub—he’d have to deal with Gu Sunmoon, so returning was almost certain for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he doesn’t go though, I’ll make sure to make him work this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him get completely crushed by Yung Pung last time, it really made me think that I needed to go harder on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had planned to be brief since it was such a hassle, but remembering his stupid, nervous expression made my teeth grind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might’ve been a different story if he had no potential in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had learned everything I taught him, and he had talent, so why did he always act that way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in my days, I had tofigure it all out on my own since there wasno one like me to teach me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Second Elder used to push me to my limits, but I fled because I genuinely thought I’d die if I kept up with his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, he should be grateful and work hard if there is someone willing to teach him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really wasn’t fond of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kids these days…tsk, tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but frown whenever Gu Jeolyub crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Woocheol flinched when he noticed my expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is this bastard flinching?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, my tone slightly irritated, and Pe Woocheol scratched the back of his head as he answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing special… but if you don’t have any other plans, how about you come with me to my clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Clan was based in Sichuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that where the Tang Clan is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sichuan, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going back to my house wasn’t an option, and I thought about looking for the White Demonic Stone if I really couldn’t overcome my wall in tim-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Wait, isn’t that in Sichuan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t exactly in Sichuan, but it was in the same direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Demonic Stone was formed centuries ago when white Demons went berserk, and it was hidden deep beneath a lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it’s in the same direction, if I haven’t broken through by then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh…! Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you thanking me? You’re the one who invited me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should be the one thanking him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I replied, somewhat speechless, but Pe Woocheol just smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father would love seeing you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not exactly confirmed yet you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to consider it carefully—it would be risky to go before breaking through my barrier, especially with that dangerous bastard guarding the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be much more effective to consume the White Demonic Stone after reaching the Fusion Realm, but I had to question whether I could handle that ‘monster’ at my current level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was another potential problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Though I’m sure he wouldn’t do such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father might come after me directly and drag me away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, I’d have no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely he wouldn’tgo that far*.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was rare for my father to leave Shanxi unless there was an emergency, like the incident with Gu Huibi, or if a True Gate of Demons had opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t called the Tiger Warrior, the guardian of Gu Clan and Shanxi for no reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But me not going is also a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, who was destined to become the Young Lord, running off with Pe Woocheol instead of returning home because of a little trouble—well, that was an issue in itself, but what could I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shouldn’t have made me a Young Lord in the first place then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m sure they would be more lenient with me now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WIth that thought and a smile, I spoke to Pe Woocheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should start going too. I think it’s about to start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pe Woocheol bowed his head and left quickly after hearing my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had only one reason for sending him away like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were told that we couldn’t cooperate with each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had been told to keep our distance, and now the students were spreading out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a problem if Pe Woocheol is involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without that rule, I would have sent Pe Woocheol away, so it worked out for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It gave me a convenient excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere I looked, I saw a mountain thick with trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focusing my senses with Qi, I could detect several presences scattered around—probably other students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of the bigger presences I felt in between were probably the instructors who were hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two near me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition to that, there were Demons scattered all around the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just seeing this was fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could the Orthodox Faction release Demons in a perfectly fine mountain like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how did they even capture demons to begin with?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was no one questioning this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps, the Alliance got rid of the people that asked these questions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounds probable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows were shot up high in the air as I glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just one or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like during my entrance exams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrows were infused with Qi, and as they reached their peak height,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They burst with a faint sound, and the Qi within them dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a signal for students to begin the test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched for a moment before slowly beginning to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sensed Demons with each step I took, but I didn’t bother heading toward them to hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Demons weren’t the objective of this training for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after, I began leaping through the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I concealed my presence using my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I noticed a few people around me growing confused when I concealed my presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like some instructors had been watching me, but they reacted this way because they lost track of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shaking off the instructors, I reached the highest point of the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ugh, my joint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat on a nearby rock and began massaging my knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t make sense for my body to feel sore at this age, but my joints had been aching lately due to the mental exhaustion I’d been facing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it going to rain tomorrow or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that idle remark, I glanced up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather was clear and beautiful, with no sign of rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched the clouds drift by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was beautiful, with a few clouds dotting the otherwise clear sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is it so frustratingly slow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn’t the type to be mesmerized by scenery like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was only watching because there was nothing better to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder when he’ll show up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d climbed all the way up here to make it easier for him to find me, so it would be a problem if he couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’d be pretty pathetic if I had to go to him after all this effort, you know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, I considered plucking a leaf to play a whistle with,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, sensed a presence approaching from one direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shifted my gaze toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t to check who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like the right time to unleash my frustration, after holding it in for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I almost thought you weren’t coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled as I spoke, but the bastard who appeared wore a disgusted look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pleasant smile he usually displayed around others was gone, replaced by a foul aura that cloaked him entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered how a person could change so drastically in an instant, but I welcomed this side of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the side of him I’d been waiting to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fixed his gaze on me and started speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You were waiting for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not for long. I just came too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I greeted him like an old friend, but this bastard—no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jang Seonyeon’s expression only darkened further after that.\u003C\u002Fp>",2300,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","04c43ea10ebc3b2a061f96275e75dc9647df344b2def2d7d359ffddfea4af9ee","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-326","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-324",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]