[{"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-934":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},1240684,1667,"Chapter 933","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-934",934,"\u003Cp>\"Daughter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood there for a moment, stunned, at the words Noya had just spat out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Daughter?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya had clearly said that Yarang was the daughter of my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What is that...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how I tried to say something, my mouth wouldn’t move, almost as if it were broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that shocking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That my mother had another child?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that was the case, I thought it was childish and petty to be so shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have just been pure surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I blinked, unable to form words, Noya, who had been cutting the grass with a sickle, added another comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s what your mother said. I don’t know the details of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya lowered the sickle as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The important thing is that this Yarang is your mother's eyes and ears.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Eyes and ears?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya, having carelessly tossed the sickle aside, started picking up his clothes that had been left in a heap on a nearby rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In this world, there’s nothing Yarang can’t see or hear. That’s the power they have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s some ridiculous kind of power...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing that can’t be seen or heard? That’s not just about expanding your perception, is it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, that's not really everything. It’s still within the realm of power, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While speaking, Shin Noya pointed to somewhere with his finger. It was the spot where the plum tree, full of blossoms, stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where there is the sacred tree, no power can be used, so it can’t be seen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Eh? Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I guess I couldn’t know since it had never been told to me before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So, you can’t use powers where the sacred tree is...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did such a thing exist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, generally, powers can’t be used inside places like Yahwol Palace or others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned slightly upon hearing this. There was a part that didn’t quite make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Noya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You just said that you can't use powers where the sacred tree is located, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But then, when you said you can't use it in other places... does that mean there are sacred trees in those places too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are there sacred trees in places like Yahwol Palace too? I asked with that doubt in mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Did they stick something that big there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t see such a tree when I went to Yahwol Palace. No matter how vast the interior was, I should’ve noticed something that large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, Noya looked at me with a disappointed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think all sacred trees are that big?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Aren’t they that big?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know since it was my first time seeing one. Someone should’ve told me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sacred trees aren’t always that big. There are smaller sacred trees that might not be visible or could be hidden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all sacred trees are that big, and some might be hidden. I suppose that makes sense. If all sacred trees were that size, I should have noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are there more of these big sacred trees in this world...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you look for them, you’ll find them. Probably, there are exactly three more, besides this one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three more?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. There are four sacred trees in total. The same number as the generals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same number as the generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I focused on that part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, you’re saying there are as many sacred trees as the number of generals?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Strictly speaking, it’s more accurate to say there are other regions, but... there probably won’t be any in one place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why, you ask?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like he had pointed out earlier, Shin Noya pointed to the plum tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I stole it and planted it here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but wash my face with cold water after hearing that. What is he saying so confidently?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had heard it before. He had stolen the seed of the sacred tree and went through a lot of trouble because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, you probably won’t be able to see inside here. But the outside might be different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya began to gather the crops he had harvested into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...But, why did you steal it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would he go through the trouble of stealing that sacred tree?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not understanding, I asked, and Noya calmly replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I needed it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The sacred tree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. But there was no other way to get it, so what could I do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, you stole it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was such a bold response. Almost absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, that sacred tree belongs to Yarang, that woman. And you stole it and planted it here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And that’s why she’s trying to find it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why do you sound uncertain at the end?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably\"—what does \"probably\" mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my remark, Noya, with an awkward expression, said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It could be something else, that's all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it really be something else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yarang, the one who had come before and now again... It’s strange, isn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma had said she came to see me, but why does it sound like the general came to see me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remember her trying to capture the dragon last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were the case, they should have fought immediately upon seeing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What if they are more cautious than expected?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’re avoiding direct confrontation, that’s possible, but it didn’t seem like that to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could it be that Yarang is strong enough to hurt Cheonma?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma had fought alone against three of the great beings and still stood firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, of course, the Cheonma of the past and the current one feel completely different, but still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never imagined that Cheonma would come back injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think back to Cheonma, bleeding from the chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are the generals different?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yarang, the daughter of my mother...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, a sense of discomfort began to rise in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it because I have a sibling I didn’t know about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or is it because Cheonma came back injured?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not sure, but what’s clear here is...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though I can’t be sure because I didn’t see it properly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generals are probably stronger than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That leader guy, too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The level of power is hard to gauge. That’s why it’s difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can't move carelessly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To finish this quickly, I need to know more for sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also need to try contacting their general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Sigh...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path isn’t deviating, but it’s a bit suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels stifling, and there’s some sort of discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the midst of this growing mental strain...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya spoke to me. I shifted my gaze toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya was already dressed and ready to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you're done, let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh? Where to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does he mean by suddenly going somewhere?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taken aback by his sudden words, I asked, and Shin Noya grinned and spoke to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s been a while since we saw each other. Don’t you think I should see how much you’ve grown?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Eh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Noya jumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flower petals exploded and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared blankly for a moment, then came to my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya was drawing the path in the air with flower petals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to stare at it in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is going on here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I silently watched it and then focused my feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ridiculous, but I think I was smiling at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*******\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the petals, I arrived at an open area not far from where I had been earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a place that looked similar to where I had been beating up Gubong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I arrived, Noya was already standing in the center of the field, hands behind his back, eyes closed, calmly enjoying the breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue as I watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I don’t want to admit it...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he looked impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tall man, with his mouth shut, standing like a neat old man—he really did look quite cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cautiously approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, Noya kept his eyes closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you trying to do, coming all the way here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, Noya just slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t I say this earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see the fluttering of his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said I wanted to see how much you’ve grown.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed heavily and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is now really the time for that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were talking, and suddenly, he says something like this while we were farming?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was such a strange situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of nonsense is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t want to? I brought you here because you looked so stifled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not that I don’t want to, it’s just too sudden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seems like it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Noya relaxed the posture of his hands behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought you might want to release what’s inside you. Was I mistaken?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think his words were wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had indeed felt some kind of mental and physical suppression recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, come on over. I’ll at least indulge you for a little while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indulge? This feels a little too rough to be called indulging, doesn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya laughed loudly, as if he found my words amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, you really think too highly of yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Noya opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he did...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo—woooouuuuuuu—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt the hairs on my body stand on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body tensed up, and my hands began shaking involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instincts were raging inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I met Noya’s crimson eyes, I found myself stepping back without thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter what you do, it will only be a little amusement for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, do your best, as much as you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like the whole world was warping around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That way, maybe I can enjoy it a little bit too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My ears were ringing with Noya's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice wasn’t loud, but the energy wrapped in it was more than enough to make my ears ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I understood it fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...So that was truly him letting me off easy back then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shin Noya I had met in the Wind Plains... that had been a completely different feeling than anything I had experienced before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like I was the prey, with a predator in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And without realizing it, the corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Am I crazy? Laughing while feeling something more terrifying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my fist tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart pounded hard, and heat surged through my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Giiiii--!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rings of the Nine Flames Firewheel began spinning wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hooh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya reacted with interest as he watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his exhale was filled with heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was compressing all that force, ready to explode at any moment, as he calmly absorbed it into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Noya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke as I watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t you use a sword?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A sword?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my question, Noya chuckled, clearly mocking me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, if it’s worth it, I might think about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think the Sword Master wouldn’t even draw his sword to fight. It felt like he was stomping on his own pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, I’d curse and get angry at something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, let’s see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, I wasn’t angry. I thought Noya was someone who could, and should, say things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a deep breath, I bent my torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, I focused my strength into my feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the power surged, the ground beneath me caved in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, blue flames surrounded my entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll show you a little fun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all my might, I charged at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwahhhhh—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames exploded from me, showering Noya like a sea of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>",1950,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","6c10f854ab60e43b4b8048ccce1e65e5ee2cf26ae041b576560fb197f1e20733","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-935","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-933",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]