[{"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-534":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},1240360,1667,"Chapter 533","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-534",534,"\u003Cp>The room felt unusually dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was likely because I hadn’t left a light on before falling asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drew on my inner energy to brighten my vision, and the room finally came into focus, albeit faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, cold sweat began to trickle down my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump… thump…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My startled heart refused to calm down, pounding heavily in my chest.It was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I not be shocked to wake up and find an assassin standing before me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just any assassin—the figure before me was none other than the King of Assassins, theAmwang(Shadow King).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, if he had merely dropped by for a visit, I might not have been so alarmed. But the problem was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What exactly are you doing there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TheAmwangwas kneeling before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes, there he was, directly in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kneeling stiffly as if performing some solemn rite. His head was slightly bowed, and his gaze lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The posture was so meticulous that it almost seemed perfect—an impeccable show of respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this had been some noble youth from a prestigious family, I might have thought,Wow, what excellent manners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is insane.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the one kneeling in such a position was theAmwang, the master of assassins, was what made it a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell is he doing here now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, I had thought things had been unusually quiet. I had almost forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right… there’s theAmwangtoo.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this man was still around.I had momentarily overlooked the fact that he had joined my group, disguised underPaejon’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is this place even safe anymore?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at theAmwang, a thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The value of a single martial artist at the level ofHwagyeongwas immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those at theJeoljeongstage were sought after by prestigious martial sects. If someone reachedHwagyeong, their worth became immeasurable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just look at the elders of the major martial clans—all of them wereHwagyeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To have reachedHwagyeongwas to hold a position of unparalleled value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And how many of them are here right now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How manyHwagyeong-level martial artists were currently gathered in the Tang Clan?Even excluding those belonging to the Tang Clan itself…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baekryun Sword, the Hermit, and others. Just counting them, there were five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This place is practically a nest of living weapons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While it felt like I had somehow drawn all of them here, that wasn’t the issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all these elites, if I were to evaluate theAmwangstanding before me…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s someone who could kill anyone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the simplest way to put it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the King of Assassins, renowned for being capable of killing even theSamjonjaif he wished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master of the infamousCheolya Assassination Squad, whose identity was entirely unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well… almost unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I do know a bit, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While few, if any, had survived an encounter with theAmwang, I knew something others likely didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A descendant of Yeon Ilcheon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TheAmwangwas, in fact, a descendant of that accursed Yeon Ilcheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know if anyone else was aware of this, but considering I hadn’t known in my previous life, it seemed to be a well-kept secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is that why he’s here?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he be here to silence me for knowing that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I doubted it, the mere thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What dismissed that notion, however, was theAmwang’s behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he kneeling in my room?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even my groggy, half-awake mind grew cold at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given his level, hiding such intent would be trivial, so that didn’t mean much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I considered something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Since when?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had theAmwangentered this room?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had set up a barrier to awaken me if anyone approached while I slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That doesn’t matter either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was theAmwang, that barrier was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a ridiculous situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Living like this is exhausting.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many precautions I took, there were always people capable of breaking through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reality was absurd. Yet perhaps that absurdity was what brought my thoughts into focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This must be a reminder not to get complacent.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was fortunate that I had been reminded of that fact, albeit in this unsettling way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I worked to piece together the situation, Shin Noya spoke from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s been about an hour.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Since when theAmwangentered the room?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes. I tried everything to wake you up, but you wouldn’t stir even if you were dying.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TheAmwanghad been here for that long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And judging by the timing, it seemed he had waited for me to fall asleep before entering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, I addressed him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Do you have business with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, my voice didn’t tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was a small victory. If it had, I’d have looked utterly pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my question, theAmwangfinally raised his head to look at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver-white hair glinted in the faint light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the dim room, his hair seemed to shimmer unnaturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he typically wore a mask or disguised himself, I had the impression that this was his true form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his eyes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White eyes that, despite their color, felt dark—like a void pulling you in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time I saw those eyes, they had terrified me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What’s this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, strangely enough, they didn’t scare me as much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I continued to look into his eyes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his eyes changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pupils narrowed vertically, like slits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight sent chills down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because it was grotesque, but because it was familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had seen those eyes before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take me long to recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Blood Demon’s eyes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the same crimson pupils I had seen during the faction meeting. The same ones that stared at me through Jang Seon-yeon’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the changes didn’t stop there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange vibration spread through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat surged through my blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was my body reacting?Unbidden, an intense warmth filled me, rising until it reached my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t need a mirror to know.My own pupils had likely transformed to match theAmwang’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a drawer,Doldolleaped out, coiling his body in azure flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames flared up briefly before revealing not the small, wiry snake I knew but a massive beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His colossal form curled protectively around me in the cramped room, baring his fangs at theAmwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Grrrrrr…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doldoltrembled with rage, exuding hostility toward theAmwang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TheAmwangturned his gaze toDoldol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this unfold, I braced myself for the worst, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems I was right,” theAmwangfinally said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of reacting with violence toDoldol’s aggression, he nodded as though everything had fallen into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell does that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TheAmwang’s gaze shifted back to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sudden motion made me instinctively prepare for an attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively tensed as theAmwangmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He abruptly bowed his head, offering a respectful salute toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, I opened my mouth to ask why, but before I could utter a word…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A guardian born of Yeon Ga’s lineage greets the great Dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words froze me in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragon .That single word knocked the breath out of my lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I hesitated, struggling to process what he had just said.Then, pushing past the confusion, I asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Senior, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was I cursed by some celestial misfortune lately? Or had every old man around me suddenly decided to lose their minds?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was far scarier than anything else. Watching theAmwang—of all people—act like this was unnerving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Am I already dead?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ridiculous thought crossed my mind, though I quickly dismissed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as I tried to lift theAmwangfrom his kneeling position, his words lingered in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word sent a chill down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A term used to describe legendary creatures, or as a collective term for White-Rank beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also the image that had flashed through my mind during my battle with the manifestation of blood energy—the same form I’d seen whenDoldoltransformed after my rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…A dragon, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no longer a foreign concept, though it still felt surreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Am I a dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this strange body of mine truly that of a dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scales on my arms, the altered state of my body—were these signs of a dragon’s form?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if that were true…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragon or not, that’s not the issue right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever I had turned into, that could be dealt with later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, I needed to understand why this terrifying man was acting this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer dread I had managed to suppress was threatening to rise again, especially with his drastic change in tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, Senior… Get up first…”“I beg before a being so great as you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to pull theAmwangaway fromDoldol, but he simply continued speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please take pity on this wretched bloodline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When my hand touched his shoulder…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssssss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I made contact, his flesh began to change.Startled, I withdrew my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as I stepped back to distance myself, the changes continued, spreading further across his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skin transformed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as his pupils had earlier, his flesh began to morph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It became rough and textured, resembling the scales on my right arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was that while my scales were blue, his were golden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at him with wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, something changed in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart began to pound violently.The heat coursing through my veins became unbearable, far beyond what I had felt earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I struggled to find a word to describe it, a voice from my past echoed in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was what the Blood Demon had once said to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, when I had lost control of myself amidst the frenzy of blood energy, the Blood Demon had remarked on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That’s simply the way it is.—Arrogant creatures that cannot bear the existence of an equal under the same sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had said this while looking directly at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, was this emotion I felt toward theAmwanghostility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t hostility.It was something colder, more disdainful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had to put it into words…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inferiority?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes,inferiority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was looking at someone far stronger than myself, yet all I could feel was a sense of their insignificance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was I feeling this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a disgusting emotion, one I wanted to rip out of myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I recalled the Blood Demon’s words, another thought occurred to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have known from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon must have realized what I would become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before I had fully shed my mortal shell, he had understood that I was destined to become a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this about the blood energy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made sense. My flames had transformed into blue fire, born of blood energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Blood Demon’s earlier words stuck in my mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You are not my fragment, so how did you begin to awaken?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words implied that my transformation had not been his intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I couldn’t fully trust the Blood Demon, his words suggested something important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the Blood Demon also… a dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was part of this unknown species, then his remarks about being the “seed of the Dragon Emperor” also made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon’s claim wasn’t just a metaphor—it was literal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait… If that’s true…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A realization struck me as I began to connect the dots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the beginning, creatures associated with the termdragonwere always…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White-Rank beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, people called them dragons based on their form and immense power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as of now, no White-Rank beasts had appeared in Zhongyuan since the Blood Demon’s disappearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in my previous life, while Red-Rank beasts had started to emerge, I had never seen a single White-Rank beast until my death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While this absence had brought peace, was it truly just a coincidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, then, were Red-Rank beasts appearing now?What was causing this shift?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I thought about it, the rougher my breathing became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blurry outlines of these events were starting to take shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the clearer the picture became, the larger and more daunting it seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As my mind raced to piece everything together, theAmwangspoke again in his dry voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Please…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words snapped me back to the present, and I turned my gaze toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brow furrowed instinctively—not because of his grotesque appearance, but because I couldn’t understand him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heroes were said to have saved the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t been able to kill the Blood Demon, but they had managed to seal him, preserving peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite seeing me as a disaster, I had respected their achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the ones who had turned back time to save this world.That was how I had viewed Yeon Ilcheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was this descendant of Yeon Ilcheon in such a state?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he now kneeling before me, begging:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Release the curse bound to my bloodline…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had the foremost defender of the world ended up like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, that realization left me feeling deeply unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>",2165,"2026-06-05T15:10:08.481Z",1,"novelbin.me","ac163b50cb006ca6c95f130182d2377e2748c089c2be1b15a50ab1c737c8b29a","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-535","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-533",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]