[{"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-113":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},1828450,2432,"Chapter 113: Pride Standing at the Edge of Ruin","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-113",113,"\u003Cp>Pride Standing at the Edge of Ruin\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still now that all of the fallen nobles in Fantom City had joined their cause, the actual nobility in Fantom City should have already caught wind of what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing this large stayed hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in a city built on whispers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in a place where information flowed faster than blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane walked beside Brinda through a quiet street, the late afternoon sun stretching their shadows long across the stone path. The air carried a strange stillness—like the calm before something inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They know,\" Brinda said casually, breaking the silence as she brushed a strand of purple hair behind her ear. \"Maybe not everything... but enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t look at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her mind was already moving ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most nobles would dismiss it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak gathering with weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fallen nobles clinging together like broken blades trying to feel sharp again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harmless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how they would see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that... was exactly what made it dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the ones who didn’t dismiss it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’ll send spies,\" Brinda continued, her tone light but her eyes sharp. \"Not immediately. Not loudly. But they will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane gave a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if they interfere...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers brushed lightly against her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A subtle motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one filled with intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We respond.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brinda smiled faintly at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Self-defense,\" she said, almost amused. \"Such a convenient excuse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was already certain of one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor has already thought of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way someone like him would overlook something so obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every move he made... had layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every step... calculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was what made him terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A day passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city didn’t explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No retaliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No open conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that pressed against the skin and whispered that something was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As promised, Lane returned to the Redcliffe estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brinda walked beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t like it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was always something about Brinda’s presence that irritated her... the way she spoke, the way she moved, the way she played with people like pieces on a board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she couldn’t deny the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brinda was useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Lane wasn’t foolish enough to ignore that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they approached the old mansion, the air shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane felt it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze lifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The archers were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But different expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday—confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t raise their bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t even pretend to threaten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They just watched her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like prey that had learned what stood in front of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply walked forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened before they could knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xavier stood there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a stiffness in his posture now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet caution in his eyes when they landed on Lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome back Lady Lane. Please come in, the master has been waiting for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even look at Brinda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t acknowledge her presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just turned and gestured for Lane to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brinda noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course she did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of reacting—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pride... even now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fallen nobles still clinging to the illusion of dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how predictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansion felt the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was tension in the walls now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every quiet step echoing through the halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona Redcliffe was already waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her green hair fell neatly over her shoulders, her posture straight despite everything that had happened the day before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes moved between the two women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One she expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One she didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the difference between them...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Couldn’t have been clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, Lady Brinda... what a surprise,\" Ramona said, her tone polite—but not warm. \"What brings you here? If you have something to say, please tell me later. I have something important to discuss with Lady Lane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disapproval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane spoke before Brinda could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s alright. I was the one who brought her here. She’s one of the people who recently joined under Victor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xavier’s eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona’s fingers tightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one piece of information—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Victor...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts shifted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it’s true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just some scattered effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t random.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor was gathering everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just fallen nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Have we fallen this far...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stand alongside people of the underworld?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To serve under someone who embraced them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought stung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another thought rose just as quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we refuse... we disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She already knew what happened after Lane left yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every refusal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No exceptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That truth sat heavy in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unforgiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t negotiation anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was selection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or be erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane didn’t wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t soften the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t ease the tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped forward slightly, her voice calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So Ramona Redcliffe, will you join us or will you perish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramona looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Really looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the woman standing in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blade wrapped in human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This... is what we’re facing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her nails dug slightly into her palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t a choice between pride and submission...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a choice between existence and extinction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her chest rose slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought of her family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of everything they had already lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I choose wrong...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would be the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For all of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And history—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would remember her as the one who buried the Redcliffe name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steady now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she was the weakest head to ever lead them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was still their head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this decision...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her gaze to Lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Met her eyes directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the first time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no hesitation left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1038,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","7a6a1e887e6abc3f7f3589f577415c18839216c7dc81565c05811e8f06eed1dd","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-114","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-112",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]