[{"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-464":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},1239990,1667,"Chapter 463","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-464",464,"\u003Cp>Shhaa… Shhaa…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of a hazy consciousness, a faint sound accompanied by a sensation of something tugging at her arm could be felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The persistent grip wrapping around her arm, pulling her somewhere, finally made the woman open her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slanted view came into focus. Dry, barren branches came into her sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tried to move immediately, but for some reason, her body wouldn’t respond well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhaustion? When she tried to gather strength in her dantian, a throbbing pain surged through her. It seemed she had run out of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hrng…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the pain coursing through her body, Mageomhu (Demon Sword Queen) let out a groan unconsciously. She immediately understood why she felt this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…The backlash…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the backlash from forcing herself to useThunder Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This backlash was now flooding her entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her muscles were fatigued, and her spirit and vitality were completely drained. She wouldn’t be able to move for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite this, Mageomhu strained to turn her head, glancing around. There was someone she needed to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Where…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where is he? She kept searching for the person, but strangely, couldn’t see him anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where didhego?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she kept looking with trembling eyes, something grabbed her forearm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lowered her gaze to her arm to see what was holding her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she looked at her arm, Mageomhu’s eyes held a trace of confusion. Understandably so—something was wrapped around her arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhaa…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She heard a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It came from her arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focusing her gaze, she could tell that something was wriggling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhaa…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A snake with red scales...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Blue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, she thought it was purely red, but upon closer inspection, she saw a gradual blue hue creeping up from the tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered was why this snake was wrapped around her arm. Not only was it wrapped around her, but it also seemed intent on pulling her somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhaa—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature made an urgent sound, as if trying to drag her somewhere. Mageomhu furrowed her brow at the strange sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this creature?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of this, she sensed a peculiar presence emanating from the snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A snake… yet not a snake?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then that Mageomhu realized what this snake was. Ademonic beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its distinct aura confirmed it wasn’t just any snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, was this an attack? It seemed unlikely that the demonic beast was trying to attack her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhaa—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than attacking, it appeared to want to take her somewhere. Trying to decipher its intentions, Mageomhu frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mageomhu’s gaze was drawn somewhere—upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump-thump-thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heart began pounding fiercely, her body reacting instinctively to the ominous presence in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her vision trembled as she looked on. Far away, clouds parted, and something began to appear in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light gradually gathered in one place. An incomprehensible force, intimidating just to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The condensation of realization. The tingling sensation climbing up her spine made Mageomhu brace her hand against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She needed to stand up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was gathering in the sky was unmistakably a Heart Sword. Moreover, the faintThunder Qicontained within it compelled her to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body’s fierce reaction was because of that Thunder Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this entire world, there was only one person besides Mageomhu capable of wielding such Thunder Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, there were very few who could manifest a Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing this, Mageomhu knew she had to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If left like this, he would die. With trembling legs, she tried to force herself upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whhoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surging energy made Mageomhu, who was halfway up, collapse back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scanning the air again, Mageomhu’s eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the Heart Sword, which she assumed was Cheonjon's, three larger and clearer Heart Swords appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shudder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mageomhu realized her fingers had begun to tremble. It was an instinctive reaction of a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…What is that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Cheonjon’s Heart Sword, whose sheer presence was enough to make her hesitate…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was different. This was not fear or dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pure reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emotion filling her chest was unmistakably reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by looking at it, she could sense the meaning behind the refined Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her weakened legs couldn’t gather strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Mageomhu, it was a sensation she was experiencing for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhaa—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distracted by the Heart Sword, Mageomhu wavered, yet the demonic beast clinging to her arm continued trying to drag her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was it trying to take her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mageomhu realized that the demonic beast was leading her precisely in the direction of the Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it trying to take her there? Just as she was trying to make sense of the situation…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Get… up.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice reached Mageomhu’s ears. No, it wasn’t exactly a voice heard through her ears. It resonated directly in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Get up now.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice, calm and weighty, devoid of any discernable emotion, sounded once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a voice she didn’t particularly like. In fact, she avoided using Thunder Fang whenever possible because she didn’t want to hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, she had to heed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Go there immediately.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, she could sense an uncharacteristic hint of urgency in the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing her trembling legs to stand, Mageomhu gritted her teeth against the pain searing through her body as she rose, refusing to utter a single cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something more important than pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grasping onto the remnants of her fading consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mageomhu walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towards the place where the Heart Sword was shining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mageomhu was certain that the person she was looking for would be there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Generation of Shooting Stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They called the current era the generation of shooting stars, with countless geniuses as brilliant as the stars in the sky being born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Shin Cheol, it was a statement that could only make him laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generation of shooting stars, a generation of peace... If there was laughter, it would surely hold multiple meanings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was a sense of pride, that their sacrifices had finally led to a generation of peace. Another was a hollow laugh at the so-called generation of shooting stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do they know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That there was once an era, unlike now, referred to as a time of chaos and ruin—a time when people struggled in the grip of misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t about anything else; they had to pick up a sword to survive. It was a time when they wielded swords to protect their kin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, it wasn’t to pursue enlightenment or dream of something great, but because that was the only way to live in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To protect something, one needed strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Shin Cheol’s era, that’s why young disciples of Mount Hua took up the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that one had to carry several Heart Swords on their back to even be recognized as a swordsman… It meant one needed that much strength to hold onto what was dear at their roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, they would lose it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol remembered his youth vividly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the sect leader who had his heart torn out while protecting a disciple from a white-ranked demonic beast. He remembered his senior brother, who lost both eyes protecting Shin Cheol’s left arm. And he could recall his master, who, to save him from a cliff, sacrificed his lower half while throwing young Shin Cheol to safety with his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the era back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without strength, one lost everything. Without wielding a sword, the cost was unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing this, Shin Cheol wielded his sword and raised his cultivation. Wasn’t he fortunate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had talent. Moreover, he possessed an unyielding conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With dogged persistence, he raised his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed in this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And one day, Shin Cheol finally managed to manifest a Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The achievement he reached just past forty, earning him the name Hua Mountain Ghost Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did he feel back then? Did he feel joy at manifesting his Heart Sword?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nonsense. He only felt sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorrow that he hadn’t managed to reach this level sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grief stemmed from the countless young saplings he had failed to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heart Sword was an extreme manifestation born from such a sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have nothing within your sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While recognizing Cheonjon, Shin Cheol also found him laughable. Watching Cheonjon gaze at his Heart Sword in a daze, Shin Cheol’s expression turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is nothing contained within your sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was within Cheonjon’s Heart Sword? What was his conviction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Shin Cheol, Cheonjon was too shallow to be worthy of judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A vessel filled only with hollow desires—are you truly worthy of being called a warrior?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Cheonjon a warrior? Yes, he would be, a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one who cultivated and honed the martial path, he would be called a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Shin Cheol were to impose his own values ofmu(martial integrity) on him… By Shin Cheol’s standards, Cheonjon was no warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To consider him a warrior would be to demean the fallen heroes he had fought beside on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three swords rising into the sky bore Shin Cheol’s will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One held the regret of not having become stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second held the desire to save the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third held the longing for peace to finally come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this world truly a righteous one? Shin Cheol couldn’t bring himself to be certain of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guijeonggroaned in resonance, the gathered sword aura growing in intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I don’t particularly care to know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding the new world was solely the responsibility of the next generation. All he felt was regret for not having left a better world behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screeech…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heart Sword moved, aiming at Cheonjon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unblinking gaze of a plum blossom in full bloom was unwavering. Under its immense gaze, Cheonjon...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa…haa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly staggered, sinking down on one knee. His appearance seemed even more aged than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight had yet to begin. The Heart Sword remained suspended in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonjon’s Heart Sword slowly began to fall apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol clicked his tongue at the sight. He understood why this was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How disappointing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was crumbling. Cheonjon had lost his fighting spirit. Before they even exchanged swords, he was falling apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol couldn’t hide his disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To crumble at the mere sight of a larger wall—was this truly…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Myung. Is this truly your descendant?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he truly the descendant ofNamgung Myung, the Thunder Heavenly Sword?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe. The one among the five least likely to disappoint had so thoroughly botched things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seems like he really messed up raising his kid.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enough to elicit a wry laugh. The one so desperate to protect his lineage…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How on earth had he let things get to this point?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A complicated array of feelings stirred within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol’s Heart Sword, suspended in the air, began to fade as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its role was over, so it dispersed without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first place, Shin Cheol had no intention of fighting Cheonjon to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the power of the Heart Sword was immense, defeating Cheonjon by matching his cultivation alone was a stretch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the thought of killing a friend’s descendant was an uncomfortable notion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If Myung were here, he might have killed them all himself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the Thunder Heavenly Sword’s nature, he might indeed have done that. However, even if that were so, it wasn’t Shin Cheol’s role to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power ofGuijeong, which had been held in his hand, dispersed, returning to the form of a cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloth, seemingly possessing its own will, crawled back up Shin Cheol’s left arm, transforming into a bandage wrapped around his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the vacant gaze in Cheonjon’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a warrior who had lost his will, that was as good as death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not dead as a human, but as a warrior, he might as well be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘For something so small.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had shown him merely a higher wall. Yet that alone had left him exhausted and collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I can’t understand.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he observed, the less sense the situation made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they spoke of it being a time of peace... This was too low, far too low a level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at Cheonjon, Shin Cheol’s recurring question grew ever larger. Why were the warriors of this era so weak?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this era be so different from his own? He didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it truly because there was no longer an age of war? It couldn’t be that simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter the peace, such a drastic difference was strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even looking at the young talents they called the Generation of Shooting Stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his time, the talents of the current youth were undoubtedly higher. Yet, when compared to the elite warriors of his prime, their quality seemed to fall noticeably short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was only Cheonjon, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to comprehend that a figure called one of theThree Great Masters of Central Plainscould only manifest a single Heart Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because he was mixed with demonic influence? Or was there another reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I don’t understand… Ilcheon, what were you dreaming of?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of his golden-haired friend, who once vowed to save the world, left a cold sensation in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silence, with a cold wind blowing, Cheonjon’s feeble voice could be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once noble gentleman had in a short time become a powerless old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were mumbled, but layered with many implications, to which Shin Cheol tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My identity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something he had been asked often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Shin Cheol’s answer was always the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A warrior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am simply a warrior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A response without a hint of hesitation. In Shin Cheol’s eyes, he was merely a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing more, nothing less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Cheonjon’s head lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That resolute answer seemed almost as if…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if Cheonjon himself was not a warrior. It was a thought that Cheonjon himself could not bring himself to refute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down at the ground in silence, Cheonjon was lost. Shin Cheol watched him, sighing as he brushed his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only intended to buy some time or stall him. Things had taken an odd turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was fortunate in a way, what mattered was ultimately…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are you doing well?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scoundrel, lying dormant within himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tch. An old man went this far for you, so if you don’t get it right this time, I’ll spank you until you’re red.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would whip him soundly, no holding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, unless he wanted that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wake up already, you rotten scoundrel.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Shin Cheol briefly closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing chaos…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bubble—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lone bubble rose to the water’s surface and briefly burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the faint traces of bubbles, we delve deeper inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast, boundless space was filled with water. It was deep and wide, yet strangely, no other life could be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, it wasn’t entirely devoid of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very center of this almost oppressively silent space floated a single figure, appearing as if he were asleep, drifting peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man’s face was slightly furrowed, as if something troubled him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he having a nightmare? His expression contorted intensely, only to ease up again, over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time passed like this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man’s eyes trembled slightly, and his eyelids slowly began to lift, opening just a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the tranquil space known as the realm of the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yangcheon, who had lost consciousness there, finally opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>",2649,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.032Z",1,"novelbin.me","c7f06616400e8e78c0e4a460230e03e7db1057082c0ca00c88226240e7d28190","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-465","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-463",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]