[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-become-the-zenith":3,"chapter-journey-to-become-the-zenith-journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-111":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to Become 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},1828448,2432,"Chapter 111: Blade That Refuses to Leave","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-111",111,"\u003Cp>Blade That Refuses to Leave\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then please tell me, what is it that you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane spoke without lifting his voice. It didn’t sharpen. It didn’t even carry frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt off because of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There she stayed, still as stone, while the thick air around her cut close without making her flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, though—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this fails... I’ll have to report everything to Victor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers twitched faintly at her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that means... explaining why I didn’t bring Brinda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone annoyed her more than the possibility of killing everyone in this mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s instructions had been clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If negotiations fail—wipe them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple. Cold. Efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lane didn’t want to do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was able - just chose not to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was her reason. Not wishing it ruled her out. She stayed away. Her choice stood firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s pen hovered, then struck the line hard - once, again. The Redcliffe family stood apart, not simply another entry lost in the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet something about it gave her pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite stood Ramona Redcliffe - youthful, alert, burdened by a family’s faded honor - her gaze steady, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t you hear me?\" Ramona said, her tone hardening just a fraction. \"I said you may leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t leave until you tell me how I can convince you to join us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That finally broke something in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not visibly—but in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona frowned slightly, studying her more carefully now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she serious... or just stupid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No tremble. No anger. No pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... persistence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already said that we won’t be joining,\" Ramona said, her voice turning colder. \"Xavier, please escort our guest outside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The butler moved instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smooth. Silent. Controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward, reaching for Lane’s arm—not aggressively, but with quiet authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his fingers could even brush her sleeve—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No shift in posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her right hand came up in a clean, precise arc—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp, controlled strike landed directly on Xavier’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound wasn’t loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the effect was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes widened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and then his body collapsed, hitting the ground as he clawed weakly at his neck, struggling to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not shocked silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangerous silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona’s eyes widened just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single movement told her everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t just strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was trained to end fights before they began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona opened her mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the order never came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Lane had already moved again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her foot lifted—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and then slammed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, cracking sound echoed through the room as the floor beneath her shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wood splintered. Stone cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground gave way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden cave-in swallowed the hidden men beneath the floor, cutting off their positions instantly. Cries of pain and shock erupted below, then faded into muffled groans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ambush—gone in a single step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room hadn’t even finished reacting when the next attack came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind the paintings—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fast. Precise. Lethal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They tore through the air—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s hands moved like they had already known where each arrow would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers closed around the shafts mid-flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No strain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a split second, the room held its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She flicked her wrists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrows reversed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faster than they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three sharp impacts followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each arrow struck the right hand of its shooter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cries of pain echoed behind the walls as bows dropped uselessly from numb fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything... ended in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too fast to process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too clean to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona stood there, frozen—not in fear, but in stunned calculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This... is what she held back earlier?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t look proud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t look satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply walked forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the outcome had never been in doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona straightened instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now—even after everything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t lower her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fallen noble or not...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was still Redcliffe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that meant something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane stopped in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Close enough now that the weight of her presence felt suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was ordered to annihilate your whole family if you didn’t comply with Victor’s wishes,\" she said calmly. \"But I decided not to do that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No threat in her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will give you one more chance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes didn’t waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me what I need to do to make you join under Victor’s flag.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona didn’t speak immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now... she understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That earlier hesitation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could have killed us... from the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze flickered briefly toward Xavier, still struggling on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward the broken ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward the bloodied archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then back to Lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slow breath escaped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside her mind, thoughts collided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone like this follows Victor so completely...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what kind of man is he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers tightened slightly against the armrest of her chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger than her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that was true—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then this wasn’t just an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a turning point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything her family had lost... could be reclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything could end here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I refuse... we die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inevitably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if I accept...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then we step into something dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor wanted all fallen nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t charity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And none of the possibilities that came to her mind were simple... or safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What choice did she really have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane stood there, waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No impatience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word came out steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I only have a few conditions before my family joins your group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes locked onto Lane’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But before I do that, can you please come back tomorrow, since I need to talk to the other family members regarding this situation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice softened—just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... honest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once I finish doing that, I will tell you my conditions, is that alright with you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t even think about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I will return tomorrow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No negotiation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, their eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two completely different people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One carrying the weight of a fallen house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other... carrying the will of a man who could change everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lane turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No backward glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just steady steps echoing through the broken room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Redcliffe family remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the first time in a long while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the edge of something that might finally change their fate.\u003C\u002Fp>",1148,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","a5af2ea6513dda6fe6defe7fdda3c12b0b9df8b74fd0ae0803b1b73ba589bddc","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-112","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-110",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]