[{"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-810":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},1240610,1667,"Chapter 809","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-810",810,"\u003Cp>The intense fight came to an unexpectedly anticlimactic end—with the entire unit as witnesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one saw it coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah lay collapsed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And standing between them—was Tang So-yeol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at her beaming smile and found myself speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seriously?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flood of thoughts ran through my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How was I supposed to process this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang So-yeol had appeared out of nowhere and knocked both of them out cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the most important detail?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t even sense her.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with how chaotic the fight had been, I hadn’t noticed her moving in to interrupt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, the air had been saturated with Qi, and my perception had been dulled—but it was still shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant Tang So-yeol had honed her ability to conceal her presence to a frightening degree—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that she had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She slipped past my senses and into their blind spot…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had deliberately erased her presence, slowly creeping closer without alerting anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when the timing was right—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She pulled it off.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight ended just as she had planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t stop myself from exhaling in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s good. Really good.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she planned this from the start? Or had she improvised during the fight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang So-yeol played to her strengths and succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No one else here even noticed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had missed it, then the others definitely hadn’t seen it coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang So-yeol had proven herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a small laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned to stare at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling a bit awkward under their gaze, I cleared my throat and said—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Looks like we’ve settled on our first deputy commander. Any objections?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’ve got complaints, speak now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared to challenge what had just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t weaklings—they could tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That wasn’t just luck.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Tang So-yeol had done was calculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone with decent skills could recognize that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The impression she left is more than enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else could have done what she did?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping directly into a storm of sword auras and lightning Qi—and ending the fight in one move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I could’ve done it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one else here could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Tang So-yeol had proven her value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there might still be complaints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah had shown during their fight was on an entirely different level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone objected, I’d respect that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that case—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tang So-yeol can just settle it with another fight.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let her prove herself again—just like she did now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since no one seems to object, Tang So-yeol will take one of the two deputy commander positions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shifted my gaze to the Martial Alliance group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And what about your side?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by your faces, you haven’t decided yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, they hadn’t managed to pick a deputy commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked and added—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll give you until tomorrow. But if you don’t decide by then, I’ll choose someone myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I doubted they’d come to a decision by then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it didn’t really matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That side wasn’t important to me anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One side’s settled… The other can figure it out later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my hand and lifted Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah into the air using Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—promptly tossed them at Tang So-yeol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She barely managed to catch them, her small frame nearly toppling over under their weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her view was completely blocked as she struggled to balance them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Your first task as deputy commander—take them to the infirmary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-Wait…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dismissed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring her protests, I turned my back and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the first assembly came to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned to my quarters afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Martial Alliance had a dedicated space for the commander, but since I hadn’t finished moving my belongings yet, I was still stuck here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud thud echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of a massive boulder crashing into the training grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man wiping sweat off his brow spoke up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you just came back like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was brimming with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grimaced slightly and replied—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was the best I could do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t you have at least brought them back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There were too many eyes on us. I couldn’t exactly single them out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I left Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah to Tang So-yeol, Paejon immediately grilled me about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, he thought I should’ve handed them over to the Divine Doctor instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Like I didn’t want to bring them back myself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to—but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re already part of the unit. I couldn’t make it personal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were limits to what I could do now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to understand that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paejon tilted his head before speaking again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re annoyingly uptight about this stuff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, suit yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged and grabbed a towel, wiping away the sweat from what seemed like an intense workout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s probably his internal injuries acting up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still hadn’t fully recovered from the sparring match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And I told him to take it easy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy was practically falling apart, but he just had to keep showing off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does he think turning younger made him invincible?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely finished that thought before—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive boulder flew past me, slamming into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the shattered ground, I turned to look at Paejon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a shame. If my body were in better shape, I would’ve hit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your face was screaming insults at me, so I figured I’d respond.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really had sharp instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t thinking anything like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try saying that while looking me in the eye, hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided it was better not to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by the strength you just showed, you’re all healed up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then maybe you could’ve actually helped me earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I threw out a jab, and Paejon let out a smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still upset about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not upset. Just making a point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure you’re not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hanging up his towel, he casually brushed off my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but click my tongue internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I first formed the Star Dragon Unit, I had asked Paejon to join as a member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only would it have improved training, but it would’ve made it easier for him to hide his identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He refused.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Said he had something important to do and couldn’t commit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t push it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was half a joke anyway, so I let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What exactly is he up to?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His excuse still bothered me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Whenever he says he has work to do, something always explodes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I was overthinking it, but the old men around me always seemed to get involved in crazy incidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re making that weird face again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What face?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paejon squinted at me, clearly suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I played dumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never mind. My disciple being weird is nothing new.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re one to talk—wait, I was joking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slammed down an even bigger boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was with this guy and his violence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You get more short-tempered by the day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re imagining things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m pretty sure I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can we get back to why you called me here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t come here for small talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it’s nothing major.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paejon finally got to the point—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you had some kind of recent breakthrough. True?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The changes I experienced after dealing with that Crimson-rank Beast were obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Always hoarding all the good stuff for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ve shared plenty with you, though?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had given him elixirs and even the Dokcheon Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not my fault his progress was slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, seeing him made me swear—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m never trying that eternal youth technique.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d rather die than end up like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, does your breakthrough have something to do with why you called me here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It does. Doesn’t it always?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s your progress with the Blue Sky Steps?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Not enough time to master it yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paejon dusted off his hands and spoke—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, it’s time to move to the next stage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had called me here to teach me the next level of the Tua Pacheonmu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re ready to learn—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Pa-cheon (破天)’—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven-Sundering Step.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1411,"2026-06-05T15:10:19.687Z",1,"novelbin.me","8529294c94f008cc78aca7e5b39e1a322af66a62a03e3c5aaab7b1b465daa4cd","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-811","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-809",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]