[{"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-437":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},1239913,1667,"Chapter 436","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-437",437,"\u003Cp>“Hah…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I regained my senses, I breathed heavily, coughing a few times while my eyes darted around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where am I…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ceiling looked unfamiliar—if you could even call it a ceiling, since I couldn’t see one. All I could see was the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it night? Or perhaps dawn? The sky was ambiguously dim, making it hard to tell the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shot up, instinctively sitting upright as I surveyed my surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Where is this place?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing around me was the scorched, blackened ground. I grabbed a handful of the dirt and examined it closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soil was rotten. Completely and disgustingly so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like it had decayed from poison exposure. Fortunately, it seemed that enough time had passed for the toxic residue to dissipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brushing off the dirt, I stood up. I had to figure out where I was first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where the hell did she send me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I circulated my energy through my body, letting it flow along my blood pathways and returning to my core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small amount of energy had recovered, and I didn’t sense any abnormalities in my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I remembered Tang Jemoon’s words. Since she’d mentioned a trial, was this entire place the trial ground?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘For a trial, it has a strange vibe.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eerie atmosphere caught my attention, not just the pit I was in. Something chilling outside kept prodding at my instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gathered strength and leaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! I burst through the ground and out of the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I landed, I took in the scene outside the pit, my eyes widening in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scanned my surroundings, and within seconds, I couldn’t help but be stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for good reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amazingly, the spot where I’d just been lying was inside the Poison Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lake, which should have been filled with water, was completely drained, leaving only a pit, with me lying in the center of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a sigh of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had all that water drained in an instant? What was going on? Not only was the lake drained, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison Lake was something the Tang Clan treasured as one of their greatest assets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An outsider shows up, and immediately after, the lake’s water disappears? There was no way I could explain this away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was really bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How would I even begin to explain this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Damn.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I had finally encountered some genuine fortune, but this too turned out to be a disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I released the tension in my brows and looked around, hoping to spot Nahi, who should have been waiting outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I carefully surveyed the area, I noticed another oddity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All around me, the field was withered and dead. The forest I’d passed through was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trees were stained black, inside and out—proof that they’d decayed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-vibrant forest, which the Tang Clan had carefully cultivated…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight made my heart pound erratically, and my body moved of its own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the small amount of energy I’d recovered, I pushed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this an attack? Had someone attacked while I was gone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind was struggling to process it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I could do was run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What about them? What about them…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no time to assess the situation. I just had to keep running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because I exerted myself too suddenly, the blood vessels in my eyes burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—Rumble—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kicking up dust, I arrived at my destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, I hadn’t seen a single person. The faint smell of blood mixed with a deadly aura lingered in the air around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tore open the door with a surge of urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to calm my frantic heart, but it wasn’t easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if something had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That worry filled my mind as I made my way to the place where Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as I walked down the corridor, I bit my lip upon seeing the blood that stained the walls and floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood trickled down from my lip and onto my chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, I arrived at the place, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no trace of anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only faint signs that someone had been there remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or devastated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My strength left me, and I slumped to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What…what is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a situation that demanded calm, but I couldn’t steady myself. My heart was pounding faster than usual, and my breathing was already erratic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My rising emotions brought heat to my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had gone wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had I been in that place for things to turn out like this? What about the others? Were they safe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth had happened here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping my throbbing chest, I struggled to organize my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something appeared in my field of perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My head turned to face them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it…what’s going on…! Are there no messages from the other units?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sir, we must regroup immediately…! If not, the other infiltration teams will be….” “You idiot, what do you think we’ll accomplish by going there? You don’t realize who’s waiting for us?” “But…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all I needed to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lunged toward the intruders in the building, breaking one’s leg to bring him down. As he fell, I grabbed the other by the neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gggh!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, the intruder stared at me, wide-eyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took in his face while holding his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plain-looking guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, he wasn’t anyone I recognized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Murim Alliance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clothes he was wearing were clearly those of the Murim Alliance’s Sword Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grr…urr…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his uniform, I loosened my grip on his neck slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you? Why is the Murim Alliance here?” “Cough…huff…A-are you…a survivor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me with shock, as though he hadn’t expected to see anyone alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A survivor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A-a survivor…? I was told there were no survivors…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cold words made my face twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant there had been an attack on the Tang Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened here? Answer me.” “Are…are you with the Tang Clan? I’m from the Murim Alliance…” “Answer me first if you don’t want to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laden with killing intent, my words drained the color from his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whimper…ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the broken leg whimpered beside him, glancing at me with terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who…who are you…? How could a martial artist treat the Murim Alliance like this?” “Shut up and answer me. Why is this place in this condition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was getting desperate. I had no idea what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tang Clan was in shambles, and there was no sign of life around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea how much time had passed. I didn’t know if the others were alive or dead, and I couldn’t stay calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was on the verge of destroying everything in sight, barely holding myself back. Sensing my agitation, the man hesitantly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“P-please calm down…! If we’re too loud, the others might hear us…!” “What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That statement made it worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you say ‘others’?” “Y-yes…the demonic beings here now…do you know…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his words, something snapped within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How do you know about demonic beings?” “What are you talking about…! This isn’t the time to…urp!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drew demonic energy up to my heart. The ominous aura seeped through my entire body, intensifying to the point of reaching my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the man saw my face, he began trembling with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“D-demonic…!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He actually said that word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A term no one of this era should know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was with this reaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did they know about demonic beings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I processed that thought, chills ran down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head and scanned the area again, piecing together everything I had seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drained Poison Lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The decayed forest, devoid of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood-soaked Tang Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who knew about demonic beings and the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I put it all together, I finally started to see a connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to hold it back, I vomited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like everything inside was coming out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further my thoughts progressed, the more ‘fear’ wrapped around my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No…no, please…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I prayed this wasn’t what Tang Jemoon had meant by a trial or the regret she had spoken of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As fear poured out of my mouth, I sensed a surge of murderous intent from behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I felt it, I swung my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gaaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black flames tainted with demonic energy clung to the attacker, quickly growing into a blaze that consumed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long for the man’s life to be snuffed out, while the remaining man covered his mouth with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bl-black flames…Black Flame Demon…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I twisted his neck before he could spew any more nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle, crackle—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames used his body as fuel, burning brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wiped away the traces of vomit from my mouth with my hand. Then, clenching my fist, I swung it against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! My fist punched into the wall, sending spider-like cracks spreading outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As dust and fragments crumbled from the wall, my mind raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything felt too real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lingering heaviness, the visceral sensation of taking a life…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the feeling in my arm that was lodged in the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything felt genuine. Was this truly an illusion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not…then what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This can’t be real. This…this is too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand trembled as I wiped it across my face again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With everything in shambles around me, I could no longer ignore the situation I was in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piecing it all together, only one conclusion emerged. This wasn’t some event that happened while I was inside that space. It wasn’t some strange distortion of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Time hasn’t moved forward at all….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sensation brushed against me, drawing my gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From far off in the distance, I felt an unmistakable energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I directed my senses toward it, spreading my perception as far as it would go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far beyond, the sky was stained red, a dark storm cloud looming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No way….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a familiar pulse of lightning energy (Noe-gi) coming from that direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a second thought, I leaped toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My speed was faster than before, driven by a feeling that was entirely different from the previous desperation and unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would I even call this feeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I knew was that I had to keep moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raced through the desolated forest, past crumbling buildings and decayed trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My energy core screamed as it approached its limit, but I ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance closed little by little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I drew closer, the smell of blood grew, so thick that it stung my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming scent of blood made me grimace unconsciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring it, I finally reached my destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the sight before me was enough to leave me speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I not be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom…rumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the sky above, absent of any clouds, a storm cloud filled with lightning energy had formed, clashing with the surreal scene on the ground below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was covered with bodies, pools of blood spreading from where they lay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them wore the uniforms of the Murim Alliance warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brutal and horrifying scene was clear before me, but I barely registered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the very beginning, my focus was solely on one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nauseating smell of blood. The corpses covering the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of that mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one thing I cared about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the bloodied pool formed by the corpses, I saw a lone figure standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the sound of my footsteps in the blood, she showed no sign of noticing, remaining indifferent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took another step closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the trembling in my legs, I continued forward until, at last, her gaze turned toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold blue eyes met mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her appearance was exactly as I remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ashen-white hair, the porcelain skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her entire body was soaked in blood, but I knew it wasn’t hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the blood of those she had slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weary sigh escaped my lips as I confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head, curious about my reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that gesture was exactly as I remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I looked at her, memories surfaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…In the hellish life of my past, there had been a woman I could never fully understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did she always chase the moon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why did she swing her sword day after day, as if she wanted to cut down the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had known nothing about her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My life had been so intense that I hadn’t even had the chance to notice her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hadn’t changed, even when she laid down her life for me without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the same unreadable expression, she pointed her sword at me and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who…are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice carried a subtle menace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was, without a doubt…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the Sword Demon Empress (Ma Geomhu) I remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>",2223,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.032Z",1,"novelbin.me","a51d05557707d86456561b07b49832961fdb236b8860803d2c7941f9994c8c93","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-438","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-436",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]