[{"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-698":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},1240448,1667,"Chapter 697","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-698",698,"\u003Cp>Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the flames touched my skin, my heart pounded wildly, as if about to burst. Nine Flames Firewheel began spinning out of control, its energy raging chaotically inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blood burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through ragged, distorted breaths, I stared straight into the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a truly perfect vessel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was this flame speaking to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have to think long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For it to resonate with me so powerfully meant it was Nine Flames Firewheel. That much was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This burning flame in front of me was my family’s legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was, I had never seen this flame before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which could only mean—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A blood relative I don’t know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if so…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then who could it be?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, there was no need to agonize over it for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were before, I might have been uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, there was only one person who came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to move my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t. An unknown force was holding me down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to open my mouth, but it was the same. My lips felt locked in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woooong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I focused on my heart, drawing power into it. Fortunately, I could still control my energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kiiiiiing—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spun Nine Flames Firewheel faster, compressing the rampaging energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering the swirling flames into a single point—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I detonated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaaaa—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue flames exploded outwards, spinning violently as if a storm had been unleashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive surge of energy filled the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oppressive force around my body shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, my lips were free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden use of power left my meridians and bones aching, the strain immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hooh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I flexed my shoulders and tested my body, the flame’s voice came again, tinged with admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned deeply as I glared at the flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll ask you this directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke while drawing my senses to their absolute peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you my grandfather?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it my imagination?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could almost feel the flame smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though its form was purely made of fire, with no face to speak of, I somehow knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Curious. Your father never told you, and yet… How did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame’s response made me click my tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame was my grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed heavily and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How are you alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking someone why they weren’t dead might seem crude, even to me, but I needed to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s quite a startling question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s more startling for me, I assure you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I not be startled when a humanoid flame suddenly appeared, claiming to be my grandfather—a man everyone thought dead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He said In’wae (inhuman).’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had asked me why I had become something inhuman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant he could tell I was no longer human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My voice came out sharper, edged with suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you seek me out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I narrowed my eyes and asked, the flame replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it so strange for a grandfather to seek his grandson?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a reasonable answer, on the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it made me laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s the case, then why didn’t you show up until now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never seen him once in my life, not even in my past one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now he suddenly claimed to be my grandfather?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Showing up in such a hostile manner doesn’t help your case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was merely a gesture of affection.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One more ‘gesture’ like that and someone might end up dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cluck, cluck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard him laugh faintly and rolled my eyes, scanning the still-silent surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Grandfather, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former head of the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had heard nothing about him—not his story, not his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why was it that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, looking at him, I felt nothing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To me, Grandfather was Elder Il.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person in front of me felt infinitely distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been so long, yet you’ve grown so well. It’s a sight to see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at the unexpected praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense is this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your flames are proof of your effort. They are truly beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words felt like praise, yet somehow made me uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your vessel is firm, your body is strong. There’s no need to worry about the next generation… But.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame’s hand gripped my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could you, with such potential, become inhuman? That is what confounds me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand burned hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the swirling energy filled my senses, I stared into the flame’s form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no avoiding it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I lived my life, and it just turned out that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply struggled to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all I could say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame tilted its head as if curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it murmured,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps I should have burned her after all. A precious flame tainted with impurity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words froze me in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew instinctively whom he was referring to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should have removed her the first time I saw her. Things would have been better that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a shame. Your vessel is so pristine, yet its light has dimmed because of that filth—hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame paused, tilting its head again as it looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you wear such an expression?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could guess it wasn’t pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You talk so much shit. How am I supposed to smile?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he was my grandfather, how could I accept someone who called my mother an impurity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stretched my shoulders and looked at the flame coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t look so ‘human’ yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title of “grandfather” no longer suited him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A body wrapped entirely in flames?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At best, it mimicked the shape of a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame replied calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You cannot see me properly because you lack the qualifications.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qualifications…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he talking about my level of mastery? Or something else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it because I haven’t taken the Soga-ju position?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked directly, and the flame laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I inherited the position, would I be able to see beyond the flames?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in my past life, when I had become Soga-ju, I had never seen him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, I was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you here now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, after all this time, had he come to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As I said before, a grandfather seeking his grandson—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cut the useless affection and get to the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t take it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was sickening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You speak as though you care, yet there’s no warmth in your voice or gaze. Just say what you came to say. You’re making me sick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hooh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spat my frustration at him, and the flame’s demeanor shifted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is disappointing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soft facade disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone turned cold and emotionless, sending a chill through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this not the approach you preferred?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was no effort to hide it. Stop talking nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze, his voice—everything about him was different now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandfather?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word made me think of Elder Il. To me, that was the only image of “grandfather” I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this being want?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it you want from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked again, knowing it wasn’t because he missed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because the time has come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice resonated ominously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are ready. The time has passed, and the extra time I gave your father has run out. And yet—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat around me grew even more suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Child, you still haven’t received the key, have you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately understood. He must be referring to the Gu family’s insignia—a symbol passed down to the Soga-ju.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is time for you to inherit the karma. That is what we must do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words weighed on me like a boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that why you came to see me? To tell me to hurry up and take it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did this man—who had played dead for who knows how long—come all the way here just to pressure me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I asked, the flame replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I came purely out of curiosity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Curiosity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Gu family despises the inhuman more than anyone. And yet you, the one meant to inherit our karma, have become something vile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was because I had turned into a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did becoming a dragon somehow interfere with inheriting the karma?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How does he even know?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him to know I was no longer human, he must have been watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thought struck me, and I asked sharply,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…By any chance, is what happened to the Patriarch your doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father couldn’t make it to Henan because something had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Mi said it was related to something only the Soga-ju could understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now my grandfather had appeared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This couldn’t be a coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame gave a simple answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my teeth. My hunch was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… What did you do to the Patriarch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I acted according to reason. Your father is guarding the Gate in my stead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What gate was he talking about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was something your father should have done long ago, and one day, it will be your responsibility as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…All this just to guard a door?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you call it ‘just a door’? Guarding it is our karma.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our karma…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu family’s very reason for existence, something I knew nothing about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear that only the Soga-ju, or perhaps the Patriarch, could know this truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking it over, I asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If becoming inhuman is such a problem, doesn’t that mean I can’t inherit it anymore?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the way he talked about impurity and corruption, it seemed like my transformation would interfere with my ability to inherit the karma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I asked, he replied calmly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s a problem. That is why I have come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was indifferent as he continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To burn away the impurity and restore you to your original state. That is why I came personally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Tch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, I immediately drew up my energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To burn it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he mean to kill me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tightened my focus, glaring at the flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue flames erupted across my body as I raised my defenses, preparing for a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame folded its hands behind its back and continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I made a deal with your father. I will grant you a little extra time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deal with my father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could finish,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a snap of his fingers, the flames enveloping my body vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to summon the flames again, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sizzle… Crack…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only small sparks sputtered uselessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rings of Nine Flames Firewheel had fallen completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What’s going on?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy was still there, but I couldn’t call forth the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stared, stunned, the flame spoke once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So for now, I will take your flame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I widened my eyes in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had sealed my ability to use Nine Flames Firewheel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame raised his hand, and I saw it—the familiar glow of a blue flame swirling in his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is why I sought you today. If you wish to reclaim it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the radiant flame danced in his hand, he said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come find me in Xinjiang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sucked in a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinjiang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loss of my flame was shocking, but what caught me more off guard was that word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinjiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Xinjiang…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“Go to Xinjiang.”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Myung had spoken those words through Woo Hyuk’s body in the North Sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinjiang was also where the Demonic Cult’s main base had been in my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, my grandfather was telling me to come there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How was this all connected?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just a coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I cannot give you much time. Your father mentioned a year, so I will grant you that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, I immediately shouted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was trying to leave just like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tensed my legs, unwilling to let him walk away so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t just take something and leave! Who the hell do you think you are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to force my flames back, but nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scowled, channeling another power instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t need flames to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I twisted my body, focusing energy into my fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tua Pacheonmu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demonic energy surged into my body, and I swung with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwave exploded forward, tearing through the air toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his hand slightly, and flames erupted from the ground, forming a wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwave collided with the wall and dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, I used Simkwon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force struck the wall, shattering it with a thunderous roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame gave a short, impressed hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by then, I was already in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out and grabbed the blue flame from his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I crushed it, and the familiar heat seeped back into my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue flames reignited around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hoo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, that was my flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even though I had reclaimed it, I couldn’t relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, my grandfather had managed to take it from me once. He could do it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I remained on guard, I heard him chuckle softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice sent chills down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed hard, my body instinctively tensing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was this feeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. You’ll do nicely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a step toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhhhhh—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something fell from the sky, landing between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooooosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy, dark aura swirled aggressively around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flinched for a moment at the overwhelming presence, but as the aura faded, I saw a small, slender figure standing in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long, dark hair with a violet sheen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A graceful silhouette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure blocked my grandfather’s path, standing between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke quietly, my voice low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman turned her head to look at me, her violet eyes meeting mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the one who had stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>",2374,"2026-06-05T15:10:12.585Z",1,"novelbin.me","1f80401ab99f36b5868498b9fc5871e63c8902130450b33939565f0b023874ce","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-699","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-697",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]