[{"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-781":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},1240581,1667,"Chapter 780","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-781",781,"\u003Cp>Chirrrp.Chirrrp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of insects crying out was unusually clear tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like it had just been daytime moments ago, yet the moon was already high in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under that moonlight, I was climbing a mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint scent of grass and the crisp autumn breeze should have made me feel better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expression on my face as I walked wasn’t exactly pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m dead tired.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like I’d spent the whole day caught in a typhoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t actually done much, but the circumstances left me so exhausted I could barely stand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d planned to get so many things done today, but all I’d accomplished was attending a funeral and consuming the White Demon Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing else on my agenda had been checked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because I didn’t have enough time? No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one reason for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking for a while, I spotted a clearing I’d scouted earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was far from Hanan, surrounded by steep and rugged terrain, making it a place rarely visited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After briefly scanning my surroundings, I swung my arm and threw the thing I’d been carrying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short scream rang out as something hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whirrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed made me chuckle in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thing that had been tossed through the air spun in mid-fall but stopped before touching the ground, hovering as if defying gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the little pest who had been giving me a headache since earlier today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brat that looked just like my younger self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing my conversation with Madam Mi, I immediately grabbed this brat and dragged him up the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I snatched him up earlier, he let out a disappointed whimper, but I didn’t have time to care about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many things I needed to figure out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can fly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he looked human, it made sense that he could still fly since he used to have wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stared at him in fascination, the brat responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Caw…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Caw?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“C-Caw! You scared the hell out of me—!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I widened my eyes at the sudden outburst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why’d you throw me like that?! What if I got hurt?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was with this brat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sure talk a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just earlier, he’d been stuttering and acting like a clueless, innocent kid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were clear, and even his eyes had gained focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were pretending?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this brat had been acting all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I pressed him about it, he scoffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t pretending. I was just staying quiet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scrunched up his face like he was annoyed about something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because he had my younger face, but I suddenly felt the urge to smack him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held back for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why were you staying quiet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked why he had deliberately acted so naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat responded with a sulky expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because people like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“People like it when kids act innocent. They’re less threatening and seem harmless, right? Though, honestly, I’m not that harmless since I take after my dad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I could do was blink in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes were filled with exasperation, and my expression was one of utter disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t something a child, especially one who looked six or seven, should be saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brat… was far too cunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with my face, it made him look even sneakier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh… Plop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat, who had been floating, lightly landed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the red martial robes he was wearing fluttered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been wondering why those clothes looked so familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that my outfit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got to be kidding me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a red martial robe, which meant it had to belong to the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he’d been found naked earlier, someone must have brought him the clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as I suspected, it turned out to be my old outfit from childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where the hell did you get that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did he end up wearing something I’d thrown away years ago?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who gave you that outfit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This? White Mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at his answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“White Mom gave it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of nonsense is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? White Mom is White Mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused mid-sentence and thought carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White Mom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you talking about Namgung Bi-ah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what the hell is with that nickname?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White for her hair, I could understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would he call her that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the hell is she your mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s ridiculous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a perfectly normal young woman. Why the hell would he turn her into someone’s mom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not even your dad, so why are you calling me that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because you’re my dad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat grinned as he said it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know what’s really infuriating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This bastard acted all heartbroken earlier when I said I wasn’t his dad.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was smirking like he was making fun of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This little…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine. I get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he was born after sucking up my energy, I’ll let the ‘dad’ thing slide—no matter how unfair it feels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the hell is she your mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did this nonsense about a White Mom even come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I demanded an explanation, the brat tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, she’s not my real mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. She’s not your mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But she likes it when I call her that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She likes it, so what’s the big deal? Yellow Mom liked it too, and so did Green Mom. Black Mom seemed to like it the most, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this, some kind of color game?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Green, yellow, black—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The funny thing was, I could more or less guess who he was referring to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the fact that he said they liked being called that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you knew exactly what you were doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just... good vibes, you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ack!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swung my fist down on his little head, giving him a sharp flick right on the crown. The brat immediately grabbed his head and wailed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow! Ow ow! What the hell! Why’d you hit me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because you deserved it. Who gave you the right to turn people into moms? You wanna die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deserved it my ass! That’s just violence!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was his speech clear, but now he was talking back too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made me want to hit him even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you just say I’m your dad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, so what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then this isn’t violence. It’s education. Think of it as discipline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s ridiculous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat quickly backed away, glaring at me like he’d been wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t grow up getting hit like this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how would you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just know! I know everything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted with complete certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have much to say to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s true. I never grew up getting disciplined like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father was scary as hell, but he never hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, it was closer to neglect than discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yeah, I didn’t grow up getting hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s exactly why I know better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked and took a step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the brat could react, I was already right in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eek!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flinched and tried to back away, but my hand was already reaching out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew from experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kids who don’t listen need to be smacked around a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I turned out like this because I didn’t get that kind of discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As that thought crossed my mind and my hand almost touched him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoooosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat shouted, and flames erupted around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a familiar blue flame—the same as my own energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked just like the aura of the Nine Flames Firewheel Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious about what he was planning, I watched as the flames began to grow, swelling in size until—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grooooowl—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, guttural roar shook the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stood before me was the form I recognized—the monstrous beast with an enormous body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat had reverted to his original form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So he can change back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I was worried he might be stuck in human form.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t switch back, I’d have no idea what to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fortunately, it seemed his human shape wasn’t permanent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that he was about half the size he’d been before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not a big deal. He can shrink and grow, so size isn’t the issue.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered wasn’t the appearance but the density of his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my energy had affected him and caused this change, then what about his monster form?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yeah, it’s different.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, he looked the same, but the aura he gave off was completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even comparable to those low-level red-ranked monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s not quite white-ranked… maybe just below that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In monster classifications, he was right below the white rank—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just slightly weaker than his original, sealed form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that level of strength was no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groooowl—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat bared his fangs and let out a deep growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked him up and down, taking in his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t trying to fly away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must’ve known I’d catch him if he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a quiet sigh, I called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you change back to human form?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groar…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat hesitated, his massive frame trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I won’t hit you just because you’re big? Hurry up and change back. I won’t hit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean it. I won’t hit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that I was planning to beat him up in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flick to his head earlier had been an impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, part of me still wanted to smack him a few more times, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s hard when he looks like a younger version of me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the bigger problem was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t control my strength right now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even earlier, my hit had landed harder than I’d intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was supposed to be a light flick could’ve cracked the skull of a second-rate martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only because this brat was unexpectedly tough that nothing went wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Just come back. If you don’t, I really will hit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groar…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the brat started moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoooosh—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames wrapped around his body and began to shrink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the fire died down, the small human figure stood before me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You swear you won’t hit me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a sigh as I looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much I stared, he looked exactly like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, Dad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean… never mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did it even matter what he called me at this point?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to let it slide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So how the hell did you end up like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked what I’d been wondering since earlier—how he’d taken this form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would I be asking if I did?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how the hell should I know? If I knew, I’d have told you already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brat really had some nerve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Screw it. Should I just hit him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did he have my face, but now he even sounded like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what people felt like when they talked to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No wonder they always got pissed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d always wondered why conversations seemed to end with people getting angry at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I sort of got it. I’d have to hold back more from now on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re saying you don’t know the reason either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just eating, and when I came to, I looked like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you ended up in my quarters because?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I shrank and didn’t have anywhere to hide… and White Mom was there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he ran into Namgung Bi-ah, of all people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was she even in my quarters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d have to ask her later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, the real issue was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He doesn’t know either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He transformed when something changed in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why would a monster turn into a human?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it. He got caught.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bigger issue was that someone had already seen him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could stay in monster form, I could’ve just told him to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And it’s too late to take it back.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d already spoken to Madam Mi and set things up for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’d be hard to change plans now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much I racked my brain, no answers came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what should I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What do you mean, what should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re moving out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Moving where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember the lady from earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go live at her place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat’s face froze in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m supposed to live there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. You’re living there. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His quick agreement threw me off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re okay with it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brat didn’t seem to care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not? Should I not be okay with it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because he used to be a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone who used to be human, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. It actually seems pretty nice there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he really think he’d be comfortable living with Madam Mi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t wrap my head around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just walking with her felt suffocating, and he thought living there would be fine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then again, Madam Mi’s probably busy and won’t be home much.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She only agreed to this to keep an eye on him, so she wouldn’t be around all the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right. Surveillance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the only reason she told me to send him there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d basically offered him up as a sacrificial lamb, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can always pull him out if it comes to it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give and take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s all I could do right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, just stay there quietly starting tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Act as clueless as you did earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I said that, the brat nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And just so you know—if you cause any trouble, be ready for some ‘education.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His disappointment was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like he’d already been planning to stir up trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is wrong with this kid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who does he take after to be this damn troublesome?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fought the urge to smack him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not yet… Not yet.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held back with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t be too late to deal with him afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…But first, I need to check.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left the brat to stand by and turned my focus back to the reason I’d climbed this mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden change in my energy after consuming the White Demon Stone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to figure out how much I’d changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whirrrrr—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I released my Qi perception, information flooded in from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The range had easily doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area I could sense was big enough to cover the entire mountain, and it made my stomach churn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I steadied my breath and let my energy flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this isolated mountain, it felt overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d definitely have to keep my senses closed most of the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll work on refining it later.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved my hand slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The perception increase was important, but the bigger issue was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue flame bloomed in my palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the heightened senses, there was one more thing I noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The firepower’s stronger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if my energy reserves hadn’t increased, the density of the flames had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was instinctive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to control it properly right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I unleashed it carelessly, I’d probably burn down the whole area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I’d climbed up here to test it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Let’s see.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much stronger had I gotten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been holding back my curiosity all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I’m lucky, maybe a 30% boost?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that would be huge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But realistically, I figured it wouldn’t be that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I focused my energy into the flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue fire grew brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let’s start with something small.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I aimed at a nearby boulder and released a thin stream of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan was for it to burn lightly and then fizzle out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I focused on maintaining control rather than causing an explosion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woooooom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KRRRAAAAAAA—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwooooosh—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What came out wasn’t a thin stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a massive fireball the size of a house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue flames devoured everything in front of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boulder I’d been aiming at melted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared blankly at the scene, my face melting into disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>",2814,"2026-06-05T15:10:17.629Z",1,"novelbin.me","17d48e0af000db6adb893addd8a05fc550060504f9c828fbfb0a3b0d1f1ce60c","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-782","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-780",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]