[{"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-864":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},1240714,1667,"Chapter 863","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-864",864,"\u003Cp>Memories come flooding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them are from my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The days following my mother’s departure. I see myself gradually falling apart.Breaking things, throwing tantrums. Bullying the servants relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wretched days when I’d scream over trivial matters.The version of me that couldn’t accept anyone’s concern or even my own feelings, seeing only malice in everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I deteriorated day by day, someone was watching me from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was crouched down, drying out like a withering plant, unsure if I was sobbing or angry. From a distance, my father stood watching.When was this memory from? I couldn’t tell. It was hard even to call it my memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t known this moment existed.If not a memory, then perhaps an illusion? That seemed logical, but it didn’t feel right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, was it truly a memory? A memory I wasn’t aware of?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was this resurfacing now? I couldn’t understand.And furthermore—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why does he have that expression?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was my father looking at me like that? He usually wore the same impassive face, but this was different.What kind of look was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hatred, or perhaps disdain? I had always assumed those were the only emotions he held toward me back then.But now, his eyes appeared different—calm and expressionless, yet tinged with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worry? My father, worrying about me?He didn’t approach but stood at a distance, his hands and feet hesitating, as if debating whether to come closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staring at me for a long time, he finally closed his eyes tightly and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why didn’t he come closer? Why did he turn back with that expression?I couldn’t understand anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, suddenly, the scene shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When was this? Judging by my appearance, it seemed to be around the time I became the successor.Ah, I think I know.It was probably shortly after I rose to the position of Successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still haven’t pulled yourself together. How long do you intend to live like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father’s face, rare in its anger, appeared before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he so upset? While I could place the timing, I couldn’t recall the context.Then again, there were plenty of times he got angry at me after I became the successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his scolding, I had replied, pouting my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why? Are you planning to start caring about me now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even to my own eyes, I looked insufferably arrogant.How could I make such a face? And, before my transformation, my appearance was even less appealing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why bother with something you’ve never done before? Just leave me alone, as you always have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father, furious moments ago, fell silent at my words.Back then, I was probably trembling inside, scared out of my wits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet I lashed out because I too was filled with resentment.Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you’re trying to act like a father now, don’t bother. I don’t need it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That despicable attitude of mine was anything but justified.What a fool I was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father said nothing. After glaring at me for a long moment, he finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered me out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Until you leave for Hanam as punishment, remain confined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. As you wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those defiant words, I slammed the door behind me and left.What had I done to deserve such punishment? What had I done wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t remember. Too many incidents blurred together.But one thing I knew now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I left, my father pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed deeply.That expression—it felt oddly familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was I being shown this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene shifted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was a rainy day.My heart sank. I immediately knew what day this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father, bleeding out, lay collapsed.His body, suddenly frail and aged, covered in wrinkles and white hair.His once-vivid red eyes were fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day I killed my father with my own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our final conversation as his breaths grew faint.This was unmistakably that memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I forgive you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day my father forgave me for making him raise his hand against his own child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Live.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His last command to his wretched son: to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a memory I didn’t want to see.I wanted to erase it forever, so vile and unbearable it was.If I could, I would intervene and destroy that younger me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You never escaped this moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words of the Gu Flames Firewheel Technique echoed in my mind.I understood now. I was still stuck in that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain fell, the cold weather dampening everything.My father’s breath became shallower as his lips slowly closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His life was ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been kneeling, silently watching him.And he had been watching me in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes widened as I watched the scene unfold.Maybe it was because I had seen earlier memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, I realized—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…His eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the first memory until now, my father’s eyes as he looked at me had been the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had thought they were filled with disdain, anger, and hatred.But they weren’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes had always held worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did he worry for me?Why didn’t he hate or resent me?Or had he never hated me in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind spun. If this was true of my past life, then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of eyes does my father have now when he looks at me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I wondered, I realized—Ah, I had never truly looked my father in the eyes, either in my past life or in this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I didn’t know. That’s why I couldn’t be sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought churned in my gut.At the same time, I questioned myself.Had I been ignorant of this? Or had I simply refused to acknowledge it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…The latter, most likely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was certain of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hate you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood the words of the flames now.I hated myself too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you alive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to ask myself the same thing. Why was I alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said it was simply because I wanted to live, but that answer felt hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing that, I had to live.Or rather, I needed to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? I had struggled with the flame’s question countless times, but only now did I think I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Live.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father’s words resonated deeply in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stay alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep living.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Survive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Words spoken to the broken me resurfaced, sticking like a thorn in my chest.Different voices, different tones, but all expressing the same sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were these words coming back to me now?It felt as though they were trying to explain why I was still alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narrow-minded and pathetic.Remembering their words now and using them as a reason to keep going—it was disgraceful and utterly insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this okay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know.At that moment, none of it mattered. I just… suddenly missed my father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought alone made my blurred vision clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes were cloudy, and my ears were ringing.The sound of tinnitus filled my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All my senses seemed blocked, and the suffocating feeling pressed in on me.But it was only momentary. Slowly, very slowly, my senses returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first was my sense of smell. Like unclogging a blocked nose, I began to detect scents.A musty, dusty odor mixed with the faint aroma of flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was this? Why could I smell flowers?As I puzzled over this strange contradiction, my sense of touch returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt stifling. Something was wrapping tightly around my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What now? Why did it feel so constricting?Though I still couldn’t see, I tried moving my body—and just as if on cue, my vision returned as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hazy at first but gradually sharpened.Finally, I realized the source of my discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was literally bound.Not by ropes or chains, but by people—arms and bodies holding me tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…So that explains the mix of dust and flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange smell made sense now.The musty scent came from the surroundings, but the floral aroma was from the ones holding me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing I saw was the top of someone’s head.Golden and white hair tangled together in a mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was, of course, Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah.They were both clinging to me with all their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel their trembling through the faint vibrations of their bodies.Watching them quietly, I finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flinch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them visibly jolted at the sound of my voice.Then, the golden-haired Wi Seol-ah hesitantly lifted her face, which had been buried in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When our eyes met, it was my turn to be startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face was a mess.Fear filled her wide eyes, red and swollen from tears that left streaks down her cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to ask why she looked like that when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sniff… Hic…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wha… What the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-ah suddenly started crying in front of me.And not just a few tears—her sobs were accompanied by a torrent of tears streaming down her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, what…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time I had ever seen her cry like this.I was completely flustered, unsure how to handle the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before I could even try, I realized I still couldn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Wi Seol-ah’s hold on me had loosened, Namgung Bi-ah’s grip had only grown stronger.Her hands were clamped onto me with even more force than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on? Why are you crying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Waaaahhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a complete disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Wi Seol-ah was outright wailing, her voice rising as she clung to me.What was I supposed to do? I needed to calm her down, but with my body restrained, there was little I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I try to free myself? That would mean using strength, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hic! Wha—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I thought about escaping, something changed.My body effortlessly slipped through their hands as if it were intangible, like passing through air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them, suddenly unbalanced, collapsed to the floor with a thud.Lowering my gaze, I examined my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were made of flames.Not just my hands—though my body appeared normal, I could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I willed it, I could transform my entire body into fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand how this was possible, but instinctively, I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I’ve reached it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was it.The name given to those who reached the ultimate mastery of a core technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>💥 Completion .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had reached the pinnacle of the Gu Flames Firewheel Technique.There was no other explanation for this sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had I suddenly achieved this?While I had brushed against the edge of the sensation, I had neither fully grasped it nor made it my own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because of what just happened?The battle with the Gu Flames Firewheel Technique, which had taken my form—Had defeating it been the key?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed likely. I couldn’t think of any other reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only my body, but the flames themselves had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rippling flame that bloomed from my hand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the black fire of demonic energy.Nor was it the blue flame I had gained through my transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was white fire—a brilliantly radiant white flame.\u003C\u002Fp>",1843,"2026-06-05T15:10:20.656Z",1,"novelbin.me","2f121c658dfbf910ba5fe2c86e9037b1071ccd9524e99f956d076deee6efe3a9","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-865","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-863",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]