[{"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-905":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},1240650,1667,"Chapter 904","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-905",905,"\u003Cp>Plum blossoms continued to fall gently around us.Looking up, I saw the sky entirely obscured by a canopy of branches and leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight filtered through small gaps in the foliage, spreading across the vibrant green ground below like a soft embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was beautiful. Even for someone like me, who never cared much for scenery, it was breathtaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the fragrant scent of plum blossoms and the refreshing breeze, I followed Noya as we walked onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The destination wasn’t far. With a slightly brisk pace, we arrived before I even realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s enormous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had looked big from a distance, but up close, it was staggering.I had never seen a tree this large and thick in my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the height—it was astounding. The ground dipped downward around it, and yet the tree’s peak seemed to reach the clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of plum tree grows to such a size?I asked, unable to contain my disbelief, and Noya glanced at me before replying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who knows? I can’t say for certain, but I’ve heard it called the Shinmok (Sacred Tree).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sacred Tree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tree of the gods? It sounded ridiculous, but given its sheer size, the name seemed fitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not something that should surprise you. You’ve seen one before, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When would I have… Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused, realization dawning on me. Was he referring to that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mua.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forgotten World Tree. Once the master of Zhongyuan.The one who reversed time in Yeon Ilcheon’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the very being…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…who designated me as an Apostle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That tree had been colossal too.Though it was withered and gnarled, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch, its size was comparable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The presence is entirely different.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura it exuded was on a different level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this plum tree more imposing? No, that wasn’t it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mua was far more overwhelming.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference in essence was vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tree before me could still be considered just a tree.Mua, on the other hand, was not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mother or Kurung.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sensation you get when faced with a being beyond comprehension.Mua gave off that kind of presence, but this tree didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a tree. A large and beautiful tree, yes, but still just a tree.Though its immense size made it commanding, it didn’t feel like something transcendent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I approached the so-called Sacred Tree, taking in the sights around me.Where the sunlight fell, blossoms had bloomed, enhancing the beauty of the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I absorbed the surroundings, I searched for what was important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where is it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Noya, Kurung was supposed to be somewhere nearby, but I couldn’t see anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way something that massive could hide. So where was it?I should’ve been able to spot it by now, but no matter how much I looked, it was nowhere to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Noya kept moving closer to the Sacred Tree.He finally stopped at a crevice near its base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to ask him something when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noya, where exactly is that…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, are you okay in there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya called out, peering into the crevice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hm…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crevice, large enough to resemble a small cave due to the tree’s sheer size, wasn’t overwhelmingly vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Noya was speaking into it… could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep, rumbling growl echoed from within.The sound alone sent chills racing up my arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just hearing it was enough to make my body react instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tensed, automatically entering a combat stance. My heart pounded in my chest, and my feet refused to move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt dangerous.Far more dangerous than the massive silhouette I’d seen from a distance the previous night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…A difference in class.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something I couldn’t even bear to look at directly.An existence on a completely different plane, capable of making you tremble with just its presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I steadied my breath, trying to calm my racing heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re awake, come on out already. What are you doing sleeping at midday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya chuckled as he spoke. At his words, a flurry of dust fell from the crevice.A palpable presence surged outward, enveloping me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was coming.Something enormous was stepping out of the crevice…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grroooar.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I squinted to get a better look, I saw something emerging from the crevice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the size of the opening, it was surprisingly small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adorable…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its appearance was unexpectedly cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extremely, absurdly cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the divine tree, I sat beside Shin Noya. Someone had placed a chair and a desk there; judging by how comfortably Shin Noya sat, it seemed they had been there for some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting there, we silently stared at something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time I heard that growling sound, I couldn't help but flinch. The sensation was still heavy and tingling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop barking already. How long are you going to keep growling?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Noya's words, the creature sulked and shrank. Watching it, I felt an indescribable emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This felt entirely different from the immense entity I had seen just before. There was a clearly unfathomable gap…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is this?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, all I felt was bafflement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn’t be helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The being I was looking at was quite small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had to guess, about the size of a neighborhood stray dog?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked the part too. Exactly like a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More wolf-like than a dog, perhaps. But that didn't seem important to dwell on… It even had the air of a puppy, not a full-grown dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was cute. Its appearance made that thought unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…So this cute thing.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Was that terrifying creature I saw last night?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurung. The one we used to call by that name because it always growled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had always been a noisy presence in my body, alongside Noya, causing trouble whenever it did anything. It whined for ages when it was hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was endlessly annoying, and I had wanted to get rid of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That creature was even feared by the Blood Demon.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remember the Blood Demon referring to it as a bottomless pit and being wary of it. Before falling here, the fight with the Blood Demon had been utterly one-sided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite using the same Dragon Speech, the levels were different, and I was far too powerless in front of it. So powerless that I needed protection from Cheonma, the entity I was supposed to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was humiliating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had surpassed the previous realms and reached the upper echelons of the great masters. I wondered if I could even defeat the Sword Emperor, who I assumed would be the strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, I was still powerless in front of the Blood Demon? It was a shocking revelation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much stronger do I need to become? How far must I reach? That sense of despair was vaguely setting in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And Kurung, who was so guarded by the Blood Demon.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it lay flat, wagging its tail in front of me. It looked just like a real puppy. Not dangerous at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this… really that creature?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my reaction, Noya chuckled and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What, is it too trivial compared to your expectations?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. It's very trivial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered without hesitation. There was no need to beat around the bush. It truly was exceedingly trivial. This was just a puppy, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Grrr.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the creature seemed displeased by my words, It still looked trivial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this really be that vast entity? Doubts naturally arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't be too harsh. It didn’t choose to be like this. In a way, it's also your fault.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fault?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t intentional? As I focused on that, Noya added an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It acted a bit too aggressively to attract attention and used too much power. That’s why it ended up like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Attract attention?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, if it hadn’t, things would have gotten much worse. Be grateful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attracting attention. I pondered over whom it was trying to distract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From your mother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My guess was right. That was exactly the situation then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'So, the reason it covered me was also…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while being beaten by my mother, it endured. Was that all because of this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did it specifically attract attention from my mother?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t I tell you? Meeting your mother is dangerous. If it hadn’t distracted her then, you might have been harmed on the spot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can't understand. Why would my mother attack me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s because…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya looked at me with a calm gaze and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are a dragon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What does that mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve explained earlier why this place is called the Banished Realm. Do you remember?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A world left ownerless. A place where some beings that should have vanished came to exist without turning into demonic creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Banished Realm is a space that generally accepts all sorts of life forms indiscriminately. That’s the purpose and meaning of its existence. However, even this realm has expelled and banned a race.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brow furrowed as I anticipated what was coming next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That race is the dragons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected. The answer seemed likely when I heard it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That response raised more questions than it answered. Dragons were banished? If that were true, for now setting that aside,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t you say the Banished Realm is a place for those who have lost their world's owner?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who lost a place because their world's owner vanished. A realm that supposedly offers mercy to such beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there any reason for dragons to come here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s unclear how many dragons there are, but if they had their own world, Shouldn’t it still exist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The owner would be alive.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world where the dragons lived. Its owner. Clearly…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The Blood Demon.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have been the Dragon Emperor, but how could it be banished from the Banished Realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing my confusion, Shin Noya slightly narrowed his eyes and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young one. I understand your questions, but I don’t know much about this part either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The information is lacking… and if you think about it, isn’t it strange?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak. Noya leaned back in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Blood Demon… if he had his own world, there would be no reason for him to appear to claim the central plains.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I widened my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Certainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…Right?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Blood Demon had his own world, there’d be no reason for him to cause a blood havoc to come here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, why does he still remain in the central plains, dreaming of a paradise?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was full of inconsistencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Moreover. Why is there hostility if I'm identified as a dragon?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Blood Demon had done something to cause this. If there were other dragons and they were banished, where did they go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Noya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Banished Realm rejects dragons, then why did that creature save me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Banished Realm truly rejects me, specifically because I'm a dragon, and further tries to eliminate me, What was Kurung's intention in protecting me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said it was related to my mother. I also don't understand why she attacked it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you said I shouldn't meet my mother. Her reaction too. What exactly is going on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya looked at me quietly. In his still gaze, I sensed a subtle something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly regret. Why was he looking at me with such eyes? Just as I wondered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The reason this creature ended up like this while saving you is also because of your mother’s request.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its spirit residing in your body was for the same reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother's request? I frowned. The conversation didn't seem to add up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then all the more…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to say it didn’t make sense for this situation to happen, but.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that situation, how could your mother attack it and you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya spoke faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was supposed to protect me because of my mother, there was no reason for her to attack Kurung or to try to kill me because I was a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a natural reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Noya’s words, I had to close my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The woman you know as your mother isn't the same anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, I widened my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not the same?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she not be? I could understand everything else, but not this. She was definitely my mother, almost a certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t I tell you? If you have any hope for maternal affection from her, discard it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya’s voice held a clear sigh as he spoke to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The current her harbors no mercy or affection towards you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I listened, my gaze wavered. My heart seemed to shudder along with my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak. Shin Noya stood up from the chair he was sitting in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you fail to perform your duty, you receive punishment. That’s a rule set by the world. Even your mother was not exempt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Punishment…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s what this creature said.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya patted Kurung's head. The touch seemed slightly forceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your mother failed to perform her assigned task and received her punishment… and that punishment was.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plum blossoms continued to fall from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An oblivion of not remembering anything at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like those falling leaves, so seemed my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",2237,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","23ba134654409ae138041e02c346a0eb1b0afa37b9f606cc4aed3c5e42132c2a","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-846","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-904",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]