[{"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-784":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},1240584,1667,"Chapter 783","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-784",784,"\u003Cp>Previous Life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly speaking, it was a time not too different from my current age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe a year or two older.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, leaving the clan, let alone joining an alliance, would have been unthinkable. Yet, for some reason, my father, the head of the family, had thrown me into the Martial Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a rather strange decision.Especially considering how reluctant he usually was to let me step outside the family grounds—he had sent me all the way to Henan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, I can’t quite understand why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the time, it didn’t really matter.If anything, I welcomed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chance to escape that damned house and finally breathe, even if only for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And also—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was someone there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the sole reason for my decision, but perhaps it was enough to make it feel worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, if I could go back and make a different choice… I probably wouldn’t make the same one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The things I experienced at the alliance were far more frequent and inconvenient than I had anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also then that my faith in the righteous factions plummeted to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was enduring mockery and contempt in the Flying Dragon Unit—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or surviving countless relocations during the bloodshed caused by Cheonma—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or losing people again and again, until I had to discard even myself—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to endure things I never should have, and those experiences shaped who I am now.They weren’t good memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further I walked into the alliance’s inner grounds, the more the memories came flooding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though a significant amount of time had passed and these events should have faded, they remained oddly vivid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was that tree always shaped like that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single tree stood in the open garden to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remember hearing it had been there since the alliance’s founding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its age and status made it a symbol, and the alliance had taken great care to preserve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Cheonma burned it down.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she first appeared, she slaughtered several leaders and masters—and burned that tree along with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They called it a symbol, but back then, I hadn’t seen it often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To even see that tree, you needed a high rank.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area I was walking through was deep inside the alliance grounds, a place I had no right to wander in my past life as a mere foot soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, there were times I’d been sent to deliver messages and caught a glimpse of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, it was just ‘some unnecessarily big tree.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It feels strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before it again, the tree gave off an oddly unsettling vibe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ancient tree, standing for centuries, firmly rooted in the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A symbol of the alliance, treated with reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, I understood why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s an aura.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tree was steeped in an unusually dense energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d heard that ancient objects and beings sometimes absorbed energy over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tree must have done just that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Interesting.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy I couldn’t see before was now visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, I studied the tree more closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t feel like the energy was simply there—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There might be more to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I use Insight?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I did, maybe I could see deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I focused my eyes and gathered strength—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Azure Dragon Leader and the Star King have arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The announcement from ahead made me click my tongue and halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, it seemed we had reached our destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive door groaned open, and I stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interior space was one of the largest in the alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a dozen or so tables and chairs, and several people were already seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ugh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I stepped into the room, the air hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It’s stifling.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy, oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was saturated with internal energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room wasn’t small, but the pressure came from the people occupying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is ridiculous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced around to count the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding myself and Ilcheong Sword made six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A total of six people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Five of them are at Hwagyeong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The majority of them had reached Hwagyeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the air felt so suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I clicked my tongue at the discomfort—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice came from the center of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the only person here who wasn’t at Hwagyeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Elder. We meet again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I greeted the man—Muk Yeon, the strategist of the alliance—with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon returned a faint smile of his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not late, am I? Everyone’s already gathered, so I thought maybe I was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you’re right on time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a relief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I spoke, I examined the others one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strategist, Muk Yeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the rest—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Twin Crescent Swords and Silver Wolf Sword, including the Marksman.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Dragon Leader, Gold Dragon Leader, and Iron Dragon Leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including Ilcheong Sword, that made four leaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After quickly scanning the room, I pointed to an empty chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I sit anywhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Make yourself comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I casually found a seat, and Ilcheong Sword followed suit.Of course, he made sure to sit a slight distance away from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon, observing this, gave me his characteristic gaze and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard there was some… disturbance before your arrival. Was everything alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he already knew about the earlier incident with Ilcheong Sword.Not that it mattered. It was obvious Muk Yeon would be aware of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it wasn’t much. Just a minor difference of opinion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waved my hand dismissively and glanced at Ilcheong Sword, adding a comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t that right, senior Ilcheong Sword?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At being addressed, Ilcheong Sword’s brow twitched slightly.For a moment, I wondered if he’d failed to control his expression, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing to worry about. One of my subordinates made a significant mistake, but the Star King was generous enough to let it go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing him talk so smoothly, I almost laughed out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just earlier, he had been fuming as if he might explode, but it seemed he had managed to pull himself together.Otherwise, there’s no way he’d be speaking so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon gave a slight nod after hearing Ilcheong Sword’s explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was the end of that topic.Not that dragging it out any further would have meant anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were more pressing matters to address.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that everyone is here, let’s begin the discussion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, the mood shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap. Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon placed a letter on the table and pulled out a small brush as he began to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Flying Dragon Leader is absent due to a specific mission assigned just prior to this meeting. The Guardian Leader is accompanying the Lord on another matter. And…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush moved lightly across the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Divine Dragon Leader is also accompanying them and will not be joining us today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine Dragon Leader. My ears perked up at that name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So they’re not here right now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had half-expected to see them today, but it seemed they were away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint noise came from where Ilcheong Sword was sitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced in that direction, but there was nothing visibly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With that, we’ll begin today’s Grand Leader Meeting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon’s words made me nod slightly.This was the reason I had come to the Martial Alliance today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A Grand Leader Meeting…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the name implied, it was a gathering of the leaders.And the reason I was here was obvious—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s meeting is being held because the Star King has matters to relay before officially assuming duties as a Leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because I would officially be taking my place as one of the alliance’s leaders today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No introductions. No ceremonies.This wasn’t the kind of setting for leisurely formalities, and honestly, I preferred it this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, the name for my division was Seongryongdae—the Star Dragon Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah… I already feel like throwing up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title was bad enough, but the division’s name was just as ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make matters worse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And the reactions here are a mess.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other leaders’ responses weren’t great either.Ilcheong Sword kept his usual stoic face, but after what I saw earlier, there was no way he was fine with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others weren’t much better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Dragon Leader didn’t show any visible emotions, but the others were clearly uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could already guess the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A brat with no experience suddenly became a leader, so of course, they’re reacting like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leaders of the Martial Alliance were pillars responsible for its foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The position of Leader wasn’t given lightly—it required years, if not decades, of service, strength, and unwavering loyalty to the alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, it wasn’t guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet here I was, a young upstart, suddenly occupying one of those coveted positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, they weren’t pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It also means things were urgent enough to push this through despite the backlash.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The alliance knew how the leaders would react.Yet, they had decided to appoint me anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They needed me more than they cared about the backlash.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other leaders probably saw it that way, too.That’s why they weren’t even trying to hide their dissatisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The division under the Star King will be named the Star Dragon Division.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d already heard this, so I didn’t react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I focused on observing the other leaders’ reactions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Furthermore, as previously mentioned, the Star Dragon Division will focus on combat and be tasked with handling the Unorthodox Sects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had learned about this just yesterday.My division would play a major role in clearing out the unorthodox sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A division dedicated to unorthodox sects.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not monsters or humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A division created solely to combat the unorthodox factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Lord said, it was more for show—A declaration of war against the unorthodox sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish. Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon continued writing as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this how smart people worked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Horan and Moyong Hee-ah often did the same thing—Handling multiple tasks at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe they thought it was more efficient?I didn’t get it, but it wasn’t my place to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, everything was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of this really mattered much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unlike previous divisions, which drew members from within the alliance…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Star Dragon Division will recruit its members externally through tests held within five days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the leaders’ discontent was about to explode.\u003C\u002Fp>",1746,"2026-06-05T15:10:17.629Z",1,"novelbin.me","618ef399d146c93fbb9271d49ed9101e2c9ddd566436b1592436b6a370d86838","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-785","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-783",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]