[{"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-473":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},1239999,1667,"Chapter 472","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-473",473,"\u003Cp>As I stared at my sword, held tightly in Cheonma’s grasp, a single thought took hold of my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…To this extent…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the difference in our power truly so vast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could I possibly hope to do against an existence like hers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, unsettling sound came from where her hand gripped my blade, as if something were burning. It was the purging energy within my sword, trying to purify her dark aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This power was the very reason I was known as a beacon of hope for Zhongyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cheonma only glanced at her scorched fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a simple motion, she shattered my sword, breaking it in two as if it were nothing—even though it had been infused with all my energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pause, Cheonma extended her hand toward my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, I closed my eyes instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this… the end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely enough, the thought brought a sense of calm. My grip loosened, and just as I was surrendering to that strange peace—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve seen this countless times, and still, nothing changes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cold voice broke through, laced with a hint of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter how many times it repeats, you always choose this weak girl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words forced my eyes open, and I found myself staring at someone’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And it seems that, no matter what, that never changes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had stepped between me and Cheonma, shielding me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stunned, I looked at the figure standing in front of me as they spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know what kind of nonsense you’re spouting….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was young, a little rough, yet somehow familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When someone’s trying to talk, you don’t just start a fight out of nowhere. We still have things to discuss, don’t we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even through his words, a faint tremor in the young man’s voice was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I faced Cheonma’s cold, piercing gaze, a single thought flooded my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is bad.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No doubt about it—this was seriously bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why the hell did I…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was I thinking, jumping in like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing against Cheonma? It was reckless beyond belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here I was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was I asking to die?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other way to explain it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing in Cheonma’s way like this? That wasn’t something you did without a death wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma’s gaze settled on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same as the last time, but now, it felt even colder, more unforgiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Patriarch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was filled with winter frost, each word cutting and frigid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m in a very good mood today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words that followed were painfully ironic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the first time in a long while… today is a refreshing, pleasant day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma’s lips curved into a smile, and a chill ran down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only her eyes smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And yet, your presence here makes it rather… bothersome.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, I felt something press against my forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Cheonma’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had reached out and touched my forehead before I even realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m angry, and I need a way to vent. Understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guh…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive impact struck my forehead, forcing me to my knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What just happened? What hit me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clutched my forehead, my head throbbing as if I’d been struck with a blunt object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flick?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she just flick my forehead? It sounded absurd, yet the shape of her hand suggested exactly that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being flicked out of nowhere was surprising enough, but the sheer force behind it was beyond reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s been a while since I last struck you. Do you remember ever being hit by me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haa… haa….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One flick, and my mind was in disarray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma continued talking, but I could barely respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Judging by your expression, I suppose this is a first for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her soft laughter echoed in my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely managing to recover, I forced out a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What… what the hell is this…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t it considerate of me? I could have torn your head off, yet I merely gave you a light touch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she said this, Cheonma reached out and ran her fingers through my hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat beaded on my forehead from her touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this displeases you, I can still rip your head off. Would you prefer that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hand moved softly, but I could feel the hidden thorns in her touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because of the fight I had just witnessed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s still a monster.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know how strong Wi Seol-ah was in this world, but I could tell from her attack just now—she wasn’t weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet Cheonma toyed with her as if she were nothing more than a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Toyed with? Not even close.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a weary expression, she had merely waved her hand carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had been more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It completely neutralized Wi Seol-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was overwhelmingly daunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just watching drained any will to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An endless reserve of power that rendered any struggle pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it raised the walls of despair even higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her overwhelming force had never been clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Wi Seol-ah poured every ounce of her strength into her attacks,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma hadn’t moved a single step from her initial position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even then, she hadn’t let go of her grip on the surrounding space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if she had subdued Wi Seol-ah with a single hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at this, a thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How did you defeat this monster?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Wi Seol-ah, collapsed and struggling to catch her breath, I couldn’t help but wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such an insurmountable difference in power, how had the Sacred Sword of my previous life managed to defeat Cheonma?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the splitting pain in my head, this question lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest for now. We can continue our conversation after I’m finished here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finished…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, Cheonma responded curtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going to kill that refuse over there, and then exterminate every last insect in this area.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no mistaking that the \"insects\" she spoke of referred to the warriors of the Martial Alliance beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had often referred to the orthodox faction as insects in her past life as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If they received my mercy with arrogance, then punishment is only fitting, don’t you think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words were laced with sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma had never spoken falsehoods before, and this, too, was undoubtedly her honest intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She intends to kill Wi Seol-ah.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She intended to finish off Wi Seol-ah, who seemed as if she’d lost the will to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma extended her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooooooom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark energy gathered above it, forming a shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was no bigger than half a palm,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the sheer intensity of the energy caused everything around us to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How concentrated must that power be to cause such a reaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the energy continued to coalesce, Cheonma glanced at Wi Seol-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll give you one last chance. Run away, and I won’t pursue you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze wavered as Cheonma offered mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mercy…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, a promise is a promise, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she heard the word \"promise,\" a thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The promise Cheonma referred to was undoubtedly the one she had made with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Please… just go.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching my aching forehead, I silently prayed for Wi Seol-ah to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew she wouldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-ah, with trembling hands, pressed against the ground and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have no intention of fleeing while you’re bringing bloodshed upon us….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma’s eyebrow twitched at her response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still clinging to excuses. It would have been better if you’d simply asked me to kill you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A shell wrapped in ideals is the most wretched of all. If that’s what you desire, then so be it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark energy in Cheonma’s hand took on a shape, resembling a slender dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could tell just by looking at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An absurd amount of energy was compressed within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that small blade flew toward someone, the surrounding area would likely be obliterated by the sheer force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma’s gaze turned toward me briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anything beyond this doesn’t fall under the promise. You understand that, don’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit down hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her resolute words struck deep, and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated at Wi Seol-ah’s determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could possibly…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, an idea flickered in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lips felt dry as I considered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something I’d been reluctant to voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Someone told me once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other way to halt Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my trembling words, her face twisted in rare displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you plan on entertaining me with more drivel….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That you were the one who rewound my time and sent me back to the past.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand that had been poised to release the energy stopped in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confirming her reaction, I continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They said it was you… is that true?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma’s gaze shifted away from Wi Seol-ah and settled on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking into her eyes, I felt a surge of shock myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time since I had met Cheonma, I saw a look of genuine surprise on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>",1528,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.032Z",1,"novelbin.me","266a7991a5106d4b1d90945868b89b3b434563ccfcddd2155b8479f0cb3b5651","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-474","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-472",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]