[{"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-610":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},1240460,1667,"Chapter 609","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-610",610,"\u003Cp>As I moved, I could feel my vision sharpening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do my pupils look right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re probably similar to the Palace Lord’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord’s eyes widened as he saw me.Looking straight at his face, I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you so much as lay a finger on me—forget rebellion or anything else—you’ll die by my hand first. Understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha-ha.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer, radiating heat, and the Palace Lord let out a chuckle.What could he possibly find amusing? The sight of it only fueled my anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Do you think you can really do that?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if his strength had weakened due to the curse, he was still the Palace Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone who once ruled over an entire region, he had an aura I could instinctively recognize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord was stronger than me.Overwhelmingly so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if he was stronger?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwaruk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy swirled around my hand.It coalesced and rotated, forming a flame jade in my palm within moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And so, you think I should bow down to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My temper was too foul for that. I’d already held back more than enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t consider anyone who touches my people to be human.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how strong they were, if they dared to lay a hand on what was mine, I would hunt them down to the end and tear their throat out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it were a so-called ‘god,’ whose existence I could neither confirm nor deny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue-tinged flame jade spun incessantly in my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel its strength intensify with each rotation.It was the power of rotation, a technique I’d learned from my father in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame jade radiated heat while absorbing cold energy from the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord’s expression betrayed a lingering sense of astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I maintained the flame jade, I spread my energy perception around the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remained vigilant, knowing the cold energy could move unpredictably at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I allowed my anger to be fully displayed, I kept my head cool and calculating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When should I unleash it?How should I unleash it?That was all I thought about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha-ha.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord, watching me closely, suddenly let out another laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re laughing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he think this was a joke?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frowning, I took another step toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[My apologies.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord’s voice interrupted my advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I made a grave mistake.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Your companions—I swear on the honor of the Palace Lord that no harm has come to them.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honor? What honor does someone bedridden with pain have to speak of?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke with a derisive smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You’re not wrong. In that case, I swear on my name, ‘Yucheon.’ I promise that your companions remain unharmed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord, without hesitation, acknowledged his fault and swore on his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing those words, I slightly lessened the energy I was exuding.I was even a bit surprised deep inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t expected him to concede so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I didn’t withdraw the flame jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I continued to glare at the Palace Lord with eyes radiating heat, he met my gaze and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You truly must be his son.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His son?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hear such words in a situation like this—it hardly sounded like a compliment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though he was alluding to a similar event in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, I casually hurled the flame jade backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!! BOOM—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An enormous explosion echoed from the entrance I had come through.Glancing back, I saw the iron door crumpled, with a small gap left open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I thought I had controlled it to some extent.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the flame jade to only crumple the door upon direct impact…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant the iron door wasn’t ordinary.Honestly, I’d intended to destroy it completely, so this result was slightly embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creeeeak—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crumpled iron door opened, and a man stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the man I’d seen earlier, the so-called Black Lion who had opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stepped inside, taking in the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Palace Lord—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the scene, the man immediately began to emit a fierce aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing close to the Palace Lord while I radiated heat—it was more than enough to provoke suspicion… No, it wasn’t just suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not a misunderstanding.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, I had threatened the Palace Lord. It wasn’t a misunderstanding at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s face twisted into a grotesque snarl, as if he had seen a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This situation was bound to get troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[General.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Palace Lord who stopped the man.At his call, the general froze in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Stand down.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Palace Lord…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I was the one who acted rudely first.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acknowledging his fault, the Palace Lord addressed the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Return to your post at once. That is an order.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the command, the man remained still, prompting an immense pressure to emanate from the Palace Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of it was incomparable to what he had shown me earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, I had to reassess him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This man.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been concealing even more power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strength I hadn’t fully grasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[General, are you disobeying my orders?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, sir… I will comply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Palace Lord’s warning, the general withdrew his aura.However, his gaze toward me remained sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I observed him quietly for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with deliberate steps—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my back on the Palace Lord and began to walk away without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dare…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, enraged by my behavior, began to speak again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[General.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Palace Lord once more stopped him in his tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I approached the open door, I turned my head to glance back at the Palace Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Earlier, you asked me a question, didn’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question the Palace Lord had asked me just before—whether I still considered Woo Hyuk a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I need to answer now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And if not?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll answer later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it sounded more like a notice than a suggestion, it wasn’t an easy question to answer immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve never been one to take only one side of the story at face value.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Woo Hyuk had truly instigated a rebellion under the alias Vioe-gun, the first thing to understand waswhy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no way he would have done something like that without a reason.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had to be a reason. That was the first thought that came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I spoke with that intent, the Palace Lord posed another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So, are you saying you’ll seek out Vioe-gun to talk?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would find him and ask.Ask if it was true, and if so, why he did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the clearest path forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing my response, the Palace Lord smiled faintly and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And if you find his reasons convincing, what then? Will you join his rebellion?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, I scowled deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I look insane to you? I’m not the type to get involved in messy situations like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding his reasons was one thing.Helping him was something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They can stew in their own chaos for all I care. It’s none of my business.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What I wanted was simple.To know why he made the choice he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it turned out his reasons didn’t make sense to me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll knock some sense into him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would beat it into him until he came to his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much, I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in my past life, Woo Hyuk had done the same for me whenever I strayed too far from reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With my thoughts sorted, I started walking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold aura still lingered behind me.But I neither felt nor heard the Palace Lord’s voice calling out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his way of saying he wouldn’t stop me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I kept walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I walked, my thoughts drifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where should I even begin to untangle this mess?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding Woo Hyuk was my first priority in this situation.But before that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Before I even deal with this rebellion nonsense.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to address the reason I had come to the North Sea in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought of the ornament I had tucked away in my robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her whereabouts were still unknown.And her current condition was equally a mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I have to find her first.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where are you, and what are you doing?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sense of urgency and unease filled my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had said there was no body at the location where the ornament was found.If that was true, then she might have only dropped it and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But how could I figure anything out with just this ornament…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stopping abruptly, I stood still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘An ornament.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one Namgung Bi-ah had left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I thought about it, a realization dawned on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t I think of this before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a way—a single method to determine Namgung Bi-ah’s location, no matter where she might be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vrrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vrrr, vrrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint vibration emanated from her waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the subtle sensation, the woman who had been unconscious opened her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had abruptly regained awareness, she didn’t move in haste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting her heavy eyelids, she first surveyed her surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What she saw was a dark space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was she?Her eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the darkness, and she couldn’t see clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold touch of metal startled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hands were bound.She checked to find iron shackles around her wrists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she tried to move, curiosity taking hold—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh…!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shallow groan escaped her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp pain radiated from her waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she thought about it, she had suffered a sword wound there.It was wrapped in bandages, evidence that someone had treated her injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should she feel fortunate for that?She wasn’t sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she endured the searing pain in her waist—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vrrr, vrrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vibrations continued, causing her to furrow her brow and turn her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attached to her waist was a rod adorned with jewels, vibrating incessantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than theThunder Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing it, her eyes glimmered with a faint spark of recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Why is that…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was the Thunder Fang vibrating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the question began to form in her mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re awake, it seems.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice called out to her from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, she snapped her head toward the source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How’s your condition?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk, his icy gaze fixed on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Vioe-gun, the Blue Wolf, looking down at Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>",1760,"2026-06-05T15:10:11.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","65d632af9475ecbc156a9314cbb3921f2c461807c4cb260efc2cf3a7a3eb69f6","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-611","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-609",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]