[{"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-778":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},1240578,1667,"Chapter 777","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-778",778,"\u003Cp>A pitch-black background came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard I tried to see, there was nothing visible. Only the heavy, charred darkness filled the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why am I suddenly surrounded by this bizarre scene?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the absurdity of the situation started sinking in—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally realized what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s what it is—I had my eyes closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…When did I close them?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was sure I had been touching the mana stone just moments ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did I end up like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something felt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately tried to lift my eyelids, but strangely, they wouldn’t move easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that I couldn’t move them at all, so I forced them open with sheer willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, the familiar ceiling came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ceiling of the storage room I had entered earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant…I had been lying down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What exactly happened?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t remember what led to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last thing I recalled was using the Demonic Heaven Absorption Technique on the mana stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was certain the technique had activated properly. The mana stone had poured out its energy—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that’s where my memory cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What really happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to sit up and check my surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooong—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as my hand pressed against the floor, vibrations erupted from my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source—my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden pulse of energy swept through me, spreading to every corner of my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed the pain that washed over me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy surged through my meridians, racing like wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to regain control, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy spiraled out of control, rampaging in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wild and intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for my strengthened body, I wouldn’t have just failed to endure—I would’ve exploded on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I could do now was grit my teeth and hold on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grr…ugh….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I endured the pain for what felt like forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, the intensity began to wane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy didn’t disappear, but its rampage slowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the tremors in my heart subsided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, I was finally able to move my body a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Shit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cursing under my breath, I carefully examined myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There didn’t seem to be any visible changes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused mid-movement as something crunched under my foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down to check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor was littered with something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so translucent that it was easy to overlook at first glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached down and picked one up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt smooth and slippery to the touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was an unidentified material, something about it felt oddly familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had I seen it before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Scales?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It reminded me of the scales carried by snakes or similar monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never seen scales this transparent before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why were they scattered all over the floor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where’s the mana stone?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange scales were one thing, but the white mana stone—the one I had absorbed energy from—was nowhere in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t just the white mana stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where did the red mana stones go?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was the white stone missing, but the red mana stones scattered all over the place had vanished too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made sense if the white stone disappeared after I absorbed it, but what about the red ones?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had someone entered while I was unconscious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no sign of that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing about the scene suggested an intruder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to piece it together as I turned my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scale I held suddenly crumbled apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the one in my hand—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every scale on the floor disintegrated at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They vanished before I could even figure out what they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had happened while I was unconscious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why did I pass out in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My head swirled with questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one thing that mattered the most right now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did I actually absorb the energy?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had taken in the mana from the white stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or had I?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the real question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the energy that raged inside me earlier, it seemed like I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then what about my internal injuries?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the state of my body?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before absorbing the stone, I had expected to need at least three months of rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hoped the stone’s energy might cut it down to a month or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated for a moment, worried the energy might go berserk again if I tried to check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t just leave it alone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully gathered a bit of energy to examine myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woooong—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy slowly flowed through my meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It started circulating through my body, and thankfully—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes widened as I checked my condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had expected my injuries to have improved a little, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… I’m completely healed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body hadn’t just healed—it had completely recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it wasn’t just recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I actually felt…better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this some kind of transformation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I undergo Rebirth or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had experienced it once before when ascending to become a dragon, so it wasn’t entirely shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could simply absorbing a white mana stone really trigger something like Rebirth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found it hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising my arm, I sniffed at my clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No foul smell.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebirth often involved expelling impurities from the body, leaving a foul stench on clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there wasn’t even a trace of that on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe it’s because I never accumulated impurities in the first place.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I became a dragon, my body naturally purified itself, as if it couldn’t tolerate impurities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Paejon had jokingly called my body flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So maybe that’s why there wasn’t any odor this time—if it was Rebirth at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe it wasn’t Rebirth, and this was something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, it was clear something had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But what’s the point of gaining more Qi now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since my return, I had consumed so many resources that my Qi reserves already surpassed those of my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from experience, once Qi reached a certain threshold, it stopped enhancing physical strength or cultivation levels and only boosted raw firepower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That should’ve been the case—but now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the hell is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this some rare stroke of fortune?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t just celebrate without knowing the cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched and unclenched my fists a few times before looking around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As curious as I was about my condition, I first needed to figure out how much time had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed open the warehouse door and stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t night yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was setting, casting faint rays across the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Either it hasn’t been a full day, or not much time has passed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe an hour or two at most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given how my body felt, it was unlikely I had been unconscious for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, if I had been out for too long, I wouldn’t have woken up in the warehouse at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So time wasn’t the issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then why the hell did I pass out…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one step forward—and my body stopped cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, I raised my hand and ran it through my hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Creak. Creak. Creak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-“And then I told her—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-“Mom! Mom, listen to me—!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-“No, but really, this time Yeon said—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless voices echoed all around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just sounds—the sensation on my skin had intensified too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the wind felt sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could make out every subtle shift and ripple as it brushed against me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately realized what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My sensory perception has grown.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just a slight increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had at least doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly circulated my energy to suppress it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flood of information was too much for my body to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn’t block it, I felt like I’d collapse on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the noises faded and the sensations dulled, I finally felt stable again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell had happened to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could absorbing the white mana stone really have caused this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My cultivation hasn’t advanced, but my perception has skyrocketed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The range and clarity of my senses were completely different now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not that it’s a bad thing….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For martial artists, enhanced sensory perception was always beneficial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It expanded awareness and improved reaction speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it still didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, cultivation advancements drove improvements in perception, not the other way around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could my cultivation have advanced without me realizing it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had checked my internal state earlier when I circulated my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My cultivation level hadn’t changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I should double-check.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t examined myself too thoroughly before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t hurt to take another look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of just circulating energy, I decided to test my flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be the quickest way to confirm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames didn’t ignite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because I couldn’t summon them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I light this up now, I’m screwed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew instinctively—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I unleashed my flames, it would end badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body wasn’t in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I won’t be able to control it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer intensity of the flames would be impossible to contain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What kind of ridiculous situation is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My cultivation hadn’t advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet my firepower had surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How the hell did that make any sense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I couldn’t figure it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my body had already decided for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how much stronger had my flames become?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As much as I wanted to test it out, losing control of my fire was too risky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’d burn this whole place down.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, controlling my flames to prevent damage was second nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not being able to control them felt more like firing them recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I wanted to test this, I’d have to do it somewhere isolated—away from people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear I had stumbled upon some kind of opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not knowing what it was left me frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…If I don’t know, I need to check.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something had changed, the best thing to do was confirm it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d head somewhere quiet and test things out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I prepared to leap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something caught my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I thought it might be Nahi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nahi wouldn’t move so openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it were her, her demonic aura would’ve triggered a reaction before her presence did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So who was it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have to wait long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure landed lightly near me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What’s the matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man with flowing white hair appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Namgung Hyung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sudden appearance caught me off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were looking for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strange enough that Namgung Hyung was looking for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the expression on his face made it stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doubt and pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two emotions that didn’t usually go together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was with that look?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hyung, what’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, it’s just that…uh….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me ask you something first, Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How old were you when you did it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Excuse me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was that supposed to mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How old was I when I did what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea what he was asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hyung, I think you’re leaving out some important context.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, well…um…actually, never mind. Explaining it here would be difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does that mean—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s better if you see it for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and one more thing—Miss Moyong left me a message for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did she say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said, and I quote, ‘If you don’t hurry up, I’ll kill you.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand what Namgung Hyung was saying or what situation had unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no choice but to follow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped forward, bracing myself for whatever was waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place we arrived at was none other than the residence of the Divine Doctor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though called a residence, it was more of a clinic, where the Divine Doctor treated patients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also where Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah were staying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to frequent visits, I knew this place inside out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the place felt unusually crowded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, there wouldn’t be more than five people at most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could sense over ten presences inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was going on to draw this many people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly is happening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately asked Namgung Hyung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… Maybe there’s something worth seeing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyung gave an evasive answer, clearly reluctant to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those quick, sidelong glances he kept throwing at me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were seriously getting on my nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell is this about?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could possibly be happening inside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why did they drag me into it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t make sense of any of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially considering Moyong Hee-ah, who had been avoiding me lately, said she’d kill me if I didn’t show up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a bad feeling about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I should just run for it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget curiosity—my gut told me running might be the smarter option here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was already too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment we arrived, Namgung Hyung opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the door swung wide, the scene inside came into full view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A room packed with familiar faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Doctor, the owner of the place, was there, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So were the White Lotus Sword—who hadn’t shown up much lately—Wi Seol-ah, and Namgung Bi-ah, who appeared to be receiving treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that, Tang So-yeol and Moyong Hee-ah—the one who had called me here—were both present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…She’s pissed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone could tell from Moyong Hee-ah’s expression that she was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wi Seol-ah and Tang So-yeol looked unusually upset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell had happened to make them all this angry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be…me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as a cold sweat began to trickle down my back—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw something I couldn’t believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the angry women sat Namgung Bi-ah—calm as always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But sitting lightly on her lap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small child, judging by their size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I wondered why there was a random kid sitting there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the hell is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid sitting on Namgung Bi-ah’s lap looked disturbingly familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp, unfriendly eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An expression that screamed poor manners and terrible discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A face brimming with discontent and a raised chin that practically begged for a scolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…That’s me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid looked exactly like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just a resemblance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like someone had taken my younger self and made a perfect copy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An illusion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be seeing things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child sitting in Namgung Bi-ah’s lap met my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Da…ddy….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid called me Daddy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every murderous glare in the room turned toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>",2535,"2026-06-05T15:10:17.629Z",1,"novelbin.me","e0c783edc20087a9282d1604ac0a46288ca4370f07cd0158fde9e0de6e6989d4","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-779","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-777",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]