[{"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-616":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},1240466,1667,"Chapter 615","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-616",616,"\u003Cp>Occasionally, very occasionally, these memories surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was when I had just passed my twentieth year.Yes, around the same age as I am now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memories of the time when I barely survived by breathing in the Magyeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Didn't I tell you? You're too slow to keep up.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what the damn bastard said as he looked down at me, panting heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Huff... I can only keep up... huff... if I can, you crazy bastard.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could barely form words.That was how completely drained I was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing me in that state, Woo Hyuk laughed and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You just died three times to me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, my neck was cut during the first exchange.The third time, I stumbled into a feint and died again.The last was when I failed in a reckless charge, making it three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that every attempt I made had failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Why not just kill me in one go? Why stretch it out to three, damn it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I'm telling you, you need to think before you fight.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I did think, you bastard.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[And do you not remember almost getting eaten alive because you rushed in last time?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not remembering? Bullshit. I remembered it all too clearly.I had almost been chewed to bits and torn apart until the Sword Star and Woo Hyuk saved me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...It’s so embarrassing, damn it. You should’ve just let me die back there.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered in frustration, and Woo Hyuk flicked me hard on the head.Thud-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hit me hard enough that my head spun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You crazy...!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Life isn't something you throw away so carelessly.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to snap back, but his words made me pause with a frown.Because his eyes were unusually serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I keep telling you, stop throwing yourself at things just because they don’t work.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If no method or approach worked, wasn’t the only option to throw yourself into it at the end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beyond that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My life isn’t precious.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would I cherish something like this life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lives far more valuable than mine had already been lost in this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t lived an upright life to justify treating my life as something precious.I couldn’t understand his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that disbelief was written on my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk sighed as he looked at me and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Learn to control your temper.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That’s how I’ve been surviving so far.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I meant it sincerely, but Woo Hyuk's expression soured in an instant.What’s with this guy...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[See? Look at yourself. You were about to get angry again just now.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s because your face looks like shit.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So what if someone's expression looks a bit off? Does that mean you have to get mad first?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If I hold it in, the stress will kill me, and I’ll die from that instead.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Considering you're a walking stress factory yourself, you'll probably survive just fine... Sorry. My hand's down. I apologized in three seconds.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ground my teeth and held back.It wasn’t like hitting him would make any difference. And if I attacked recklessly, I’d just end up beaten instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Please, whatever happens, hold it in three times. That way, you’ll survive.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard enough to hold back once, and now he wanted me to hold it in three times.Back then, it sounded like sheer madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after hearing those words, there were hardly any days when I actually held back.Not even up to the day Woo Hyuk died after saying those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, I live trying to abide by what he said back then.But sometimes, doubts creep in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cherish your life, he said. Life isn’t something to be thrown away recklessly, he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At least.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...weren’t the kind of words Woo Hyuk should have been saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I knew from experience, having lived my life giving up on everything.The eyes of Woo Hyuk, who advised me to cherish life, were already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Woo Hyuk threw his life away just as recklessly as I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I tossed mine away carelessly, while he burned himself up to save others.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My life wasn’t precious.So I’d live as I pleased and die as I pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My life wasn’t precious.So I’d use it to save others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For all our similarities,We were fundamentally different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, I couldn’t help but wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I lived like a piece of trash,Why did you, who lived under Wudang's blessing and the world's attention,Have such hollow eyes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why did you feel a sense of kinship with me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did you extend a hand to a nobody like me and call me your friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were questions I’d never find answers to, since you had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the realization I’ve come to while living on is this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In the end, you were right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was wrong.Woo Hyuk was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cherish your life.Don’t throw it away recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That might not have been what he was trying to say, butI now understood that my life had its own value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if that value...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...wasn’t for living for myself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The qi of Wudang.Its unique clear and pure energy blended with the flow, amplifying its strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wudang’s defense isn’t about being unbreakable.It’s about calmly redirecting and letting everything flow away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Movements that seem leisurely yet swift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As weight pressed down on the foot crushing the ground beneath, the sword moved.It would be accurate to describe it as flowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clear. And beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far more so than the swordsmanship of the elders I encountered in Wudang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abandoning idle thoughts, emptying my mind, and letting everything flow freely.Woo Hyuk’s sword embodied the philosophy of Wudang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of the sword grazed my cheek.Blood spattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling that, I smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You crazy bastard.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone... everyone.Just a few years apart, and they all turn into monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk had already surpassed the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I first met him, he was at the pinnacle.When we parted ways, he was at the fully matured peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was at the brink of Hwagyeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t crossed it entirely yet, but it wouldn’t take long for him to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is ridiculous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my previous life, they weren’t growing this quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang So-yeol, Yeongpung...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, the growth rates of the new generation feel like they’ve completely diverged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘While someone like me has to scrape by with every opportunity, barely managing to keep up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where are they even getting all these realizations?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I changed my footwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped back half a step. At that moment, the sword grazed my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I sent my gaze forward, the sword had already disappeared.Having failed, he had already withdrawn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump-! Heat rose to my eyes, and my heart began to race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I activated my Eternal Bind (Gui-jeong).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwaaa-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Woo Hyuk’s body, countless lines of death burst forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, stars poured forth from the tip of his flowing sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stars were the traces left by the sword.There were so many that it resembled the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve grown stronger.”I could feel it as I watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, I was still stronger for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Guyeomhwaryungong (俱炎態輪牙).’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwaaaa—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The azure flames emanating from my body quickly enveloped the surroundings. Whirling flames surged forth, consuming everything in their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk hesitated as he stepped back.His eyes were gauging the range of the flames.Seeing this, I shifted the flow of my energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In war, you know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are times when you face countless opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those situations, my abilities proved to be an overwhelming advantage.As I spewed out countless flames to burn others,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Adaptation.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sometimes modified my martial arts to suit my preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the result of that adaptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guyeomtailunhwa (俱炎態輪化).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huuuuuuuu—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive ring of flames coursing through my body began to transform.Splitting further and further, into dozens, then hundreds of smaller pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fragmented fireballs gradually took on sharper shapes.Yes, they eventually settled into forms resembling arrowheads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk’s eyes widened as he watched.The sheer volume of flames was enough to obscure his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pointed a finger at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in an instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless fiery projectiles floating in the sky poured down toward Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kugugugung—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An enormous explosion erupted in the snowy field.Flames burst forth, scattering energy in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, my heart pounded harder and harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tsk….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was running low on energy.The internal energy I had depleted last time hadn’t fully recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sshaaak—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason Woo Hyuk could withstand this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiiiiiiik—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaaaaaaak—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An incredible speed of the sword.Numerous arcs of qi-laden strikes were blocking all the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash after slash carved through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marks left behind formed what looked like a circular barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwagagagang—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to miss nothing, he deflected every single flame.The speed and precision were unnerving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, I suddenly had a premonition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the world truly finds peace,And we manage to prevent the bloodshed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The competition for the title of Sword King will be fierce.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever succeeds Namgung Jin and earns the title of Sword King will undoubtedly be incredibly strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it’s Yeongpung, Seong Yul, Woo Hyuk, or anyone else, it’ll be a spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leapt forward and charged toward Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he blocked the flames, Woo Hyuk shifted his gaze to my advancing figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed of his sword increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, the barrier thickened.Was this to prevent me from approaching easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a bad choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to block the flames, too, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Even among those swift sword paths, there’s bound to be an opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heart Eye (Sim-an) technique I learned from Paejon told me so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes burned hot.Amid the chaotic sword trajectories, a faint glimmer passed through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of the frenzied flurry of blades,I reached out without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guhh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand pierced through the barrier and seized Woo Hyuk’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I yanked him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuaaaaaa—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cascading flames swept across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwagagagagang—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Devouring everything except for ‘us.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames, which had poured down for a long while, finally stopped.Amid the rising smoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted the Woo Hyuk I had grabbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guhh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk gasped for breath.His condition didn’t look great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t sustained fatal injuries, it seemed he hadn’t been able to block all the flames and had taken a few hits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does it hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked indifferently, and Woo Hyuk replied in a rough voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Haa… haa… yeah… it hurts a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just died more than three times in this fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but find it amusing as I spoke.Because those were the words Woo Hyuk had once said to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I know. I know very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing my words, Woo Hyuk laughed.Back then, I hadn’t been able to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…As expected, you’re strong. You’ve become much stronger than before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hearing that from you makes my conscience sting a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy was a true genius.Every time I heard such words from people like him, the tiny shred of my remaining conscience ached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that aside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all fine. In life, there are times when you might start a rebellion. That’s just how it is, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’re dissatisfied, you could even overturn a nation.That much, I could accept. But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You weren’t supposed to stand in my way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk had taken up his sword and truly tried to fight me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you do that, you’ll die. You know that, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he think he could defeat me?No, Woo Hyuk wouldn’t have thought that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then did he think I couldn’t kill him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s half-right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true.I couldn’t kill Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Partly because I thought of him as a friend.And because Woo Hyuk was too valuable to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s only true.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Woo Hyuk was still ‘Woo Hyuk’ to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy who tried to protect pathetic me.The guy who held onto an inexplicable conviction even in dire situations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy who, at the very least, wouldn’t stand in my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the Woo Hyuk I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are you still Woo Hyuk?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or are you now this Vioe-gun I don’t understand?Even if the being was the same, it didn’t mean he was the same person to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me. Why are you doing this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I asked.Looking into Woo Hyuk’s eyes, I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, too, Woo Hyuk didn’t answer.He just stared silently at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to say something more but shut my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes Woo Hyuk had right now—They were too familiar.Those were eyes I’d seen somewhere before, so very familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had I seen that gaze?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought about it briefly, and before long, I realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, that look. I knew where I’d seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s the same as mine.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes I had in my previous life.Though Woo Hyuk’s still seemed a little clearer for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I kill him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant his condition wasn’t good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was barely holding on, clinging to his collapsing sanity after giving up on everything.Was there any meaning in doing so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Woo Hyuk was already too far gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As that thought passed through my mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength tightened in my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hold back three times.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The damn words rang in my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I threw Woo Hyuk away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—!Roll, roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk rolled helplessly through the snowfield.Without properly gathering his qi, the ground was full of marks from his movements.Looking at that, I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost. I’ll let it slide this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving those words for Woo Hyuk, I turned to walk in the direction where Namgung Bi-ah was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard movement behind me and turned back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, Woo Hyuk was once again rising to his feet.If only it had ended there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once again pointed his sword at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, I had to press my temples.Was this his way of saying he wouldn’t let it end quietly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re really going to die. Stop this already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke in warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk spoke firmly as he looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t let you go there. Just kill me instead.”“Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spat out a curse and steadied my energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I see now.This leaves no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that case—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine then. Just die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There seemed to be only one way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved.Woo Hyuk leapt toward me at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of his sword was sharp. It was a sign that he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel his sincerity.Seeing that, I wrapped flames around my palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeomok (炎鈺).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue jewel of flames formed in my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssshhh—!A significant amount of my energy drained.It was my way of saying I intended to end this in one strike, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching the Yeomok, I rushed toward Woo Hyuk.And he forced his staggering sword upright as he charged at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The killing intent wrapped around the tip of his sword.Seeing that, I swung my hand, sending the Yeomok toward Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as we were about to reach each other—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk’s sword, reaching out toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssssss...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very last moment, he released its strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, I thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I knew you would.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had known from the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, just before the Yeomok could touch Woo Hyuk’s body—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I withdrew the energy of the Yeomok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk looked startled as he noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed his sword and plunged it into my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puuuk—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling sound came from my abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade pierced through my flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood trickled down the sword’s edge, dripping to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk’s eyes widened in shock at what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he hurriedly tried to pull the sword out—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held it tight to stop him from withdrawing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I interrupted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You told me to hold back three times. I held back about four times this time. Did I do well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo Hyuk’s eyes were filled with confusion and doubt, unable to comprehend my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve experienced it myself, you know…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood continued to flow from my mouth, but—Feeling that, I instead grinned widely at Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the fastest way to knock some sense into someone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was something I experienced myself in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something I learned directly from my father.\u003C\u002Fp>",2761,"2026-06-05T15:10:11.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","9102ca02197f5dbc3124d66ffc50fd485b04b54dde0a686c69784eb6a1003f1b","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-617","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-615",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]