[{"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-117":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},1828454,2432,"Chapter 117: The Truth Hidden Beneath the Soul","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-117",117,"\u003Cp>The Truth Hidden Beneath the Soul\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor remained seated in the heart of the Mystery Woodland, unmoving like a statue carved from silence itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist drifted slowly around him, brushing against his skin like cold breath. Leaves rustled faintly overhead, and somewhere in the distance, a beast let out a low, echoing cry—but none of it reached him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind was far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drowning in the visions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the kind of confusion that came from lack of knowledge—but the kind that gnawed at the core of one’s existence. The kind that made even someone like him pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why these visions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows tightened slightly, the only visible sign of disturbance on his otherwise calm face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...This isn’t random.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything he had seen carried weight. Meaning. Intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more than anything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor exhaled slowly, his breath merging with the cold mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s something inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something I haven’t seen yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t like unknowns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this one... wasn’t something he could crush with strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My soul...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought lingered longer than the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers twitched slightly on his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’At first I pushed it aside, since no matter how long I think about it I knew there will be no answer. Still I wonder why did I reincarnate with my memories intact? The only beings that I could think of that can mess with a soul from someone as powerful as me, would be Gods or ancient dragons. Actually that’s only to my knowledge, there might be other beings capable of such feats.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts flowed quietly, sharp and controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beneath that calm—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangerous curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s mind drifted back to the visions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those... things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones that didn’t feel like creatures, but like concepts given form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His jaw tightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those weren’t normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were... something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Primordial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient beyond understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the way space twisted around them... the way existence itself seemed unstable in their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Those things could probably reverse time itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought didn’t feel exaggerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that alone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was enough to make even Victor pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, silence stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another thought surfaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those people...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones in the visions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes remained closed, but his focus sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single one of them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ridiculously strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unnaturally so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor recalled the youngest among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger than his current self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint crease formed between his brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That’s absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who stood against that incomprehensible being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s lips curled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one... was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, remembering him sent a strange thrill through his veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unreasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Victor himself was no ordinary person—far stronger than most adults in this world, far beyond what anyone his age should be capable of—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not compared to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were... on another level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet realization settled in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...They’re as strong as I was when I was Anos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that wasn’t entirely accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor didn’t feel inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t feel threatened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acknowledged it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To something more... interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor recalled the way some of them casted spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing slowed further, his mind replaying every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That... was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t rely on their own mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pulled from the world itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filtered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Used it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s fingers curled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That shouldn’t be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shouldn’t be practical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In principle, mana was everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every living thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one used it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because to do so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Required purification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the only way Victor knew—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was to cycle it through the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refine it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Make it his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he sat here now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absorbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mystery Woodland made it easier—its mana was thicker, cleaner, richer than anywhere else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet those people—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skipped all of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t need vast reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t need overwhelming internal mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They simply—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Used what was already there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor let out a quiet breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That’s efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was revolutionary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he mastered something like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His combat capability would rise to another level entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No limitations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless supply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes remained closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his mind sharpened further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I need to learn that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not greed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a simple decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts shifted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the other side of those visions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s lips curved faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Now those were interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them weren’t just one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magicians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One stood above the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who fought the dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor could still see it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way he controlled the flow of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every strike—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His swordsmanship wasn’t flashy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His offense and defense blended seamlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like two sides of the same coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t switch between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At all times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacking felt like defending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defending felt like attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible to predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s fingers tightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That’s the ideal form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A style where reaction and intention became one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where the body moved before thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where every motion flowed naturally into the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could still remember it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the dragon struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man didn’t panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply adjusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And turned defense into offense in the same breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s breathing slowed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost... nonexistent now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...If I reach that level...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t finish the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest around him continued to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mist curled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaves whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Victor—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remained still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unmoving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet beneath that stillness—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a blade being sharpened in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His understanding was deepening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His perspective expanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hidden presence stirred again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor didn’t open his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a quiet thought surfaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...So that’s how it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not confusion anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beneath it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A growing hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not for power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the answer hidden deep within his own soul.\u003C\u002Fp>",1130,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","2786285898526276eef2320437def276cb7ddcc13ef82cef9110b2e6da279c10","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-118","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-116",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]