[{"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-146":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},1828483,2432,"Chapter 146: The Path That Should Not Exist","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-146",146,"\u003Cp>The Path That Should Not Exist\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Isabella shift in her seat gave Victor quiet pleasure. Not once did he bother masking his interest. Each time he spoke a surprise, her usual stillness wavered just enough to show through. A small crease between her brows appeared. Her mouth pressed thinner without meaning to. One tap of her finger broke the silence - then nothing. What stayed unspoken came across clear anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the chair he went, loose and easy, an arm draped without effort while those gold-colored eyes followed her, lit by quiet laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Funny how clear it became, reading between the lines of that half-hearted leader’s silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here we go once more. Trouble follows him like shadows at noon. This always lands on my desk somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grin nearly broke across his face just thinking about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out came Isabella’s breath, long and low, as if pulling air through syrup. Behind her temples, pain began its crawl. Each arrival of Victor brought weight - a pattern stitched tight. Not just mess. Not only uproar. But labor, thick and clinging like wet paper. Worse than noise, worse than shouting - it was duty that scraped her raw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she sat up a little, shifting the talk away from danger just as his next words hovered at the edge of anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" she said, folding her arms lightly, \"did you really go to the Mystery Woodland?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor didn’t hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" he said easily, like he was talking about a casual stroll. \"It was a fun little trip. I actually got stronger because of that place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden cough broke loose when she shifted, hand flying to her lips. Though her stomach was empty, a lump pressed hard inside her throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared, voice breaking, \"You...\" A pause. Then another cough. Her eyes narrowed, weak but sharp. Really? That was his answer? Was he truly meaning it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small shift of his head showed Victor had heard. He answered without delay: \"Certainly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes locked on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into that spot where so many explorers stepped, then vanished without a trace...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They named it a good journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back he returned, built tougher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mentioned it as if it meant little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers brushed her forehead as a quiet comment slipped out - how could anyone be so impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grinned, shifting slightly ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say that,\" he said softly, \"but you don’t look surprised.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes met his, sharp and sudden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I’m choosing not to be surprised.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds like denial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds like survival.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes grew a little less sharp when they found her once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know,\" he said casually, \"you should smile more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept talking, like nothing could be more obvious. When your face lights up with a grin, he said, that is when you look right at home in yourself\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes locked on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’re doing it again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doing what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Flirting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet shift in his posture gave way to a half-smile. The corner of his mouth lifted just enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it working?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips parted -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of time passed. Then stillness returned\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shift passed through her gaze, barely there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice came out sharp, a quiet jab into the space between them. She turned her head, eyes finding anywhere but his face. Words hung like dust in sunlight - small, visible, impossible to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips curved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor caught it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have done it, naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There it is,\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back her gaze snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That smile.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small click of her tongue broke the quiet just before she turned her head away - yet that soft blush creeping up her skin? Impossible to miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You talk too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you don’t complain enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I complain plenty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not about this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, neither spoke. Stillness hung in the air like dust after footsteps fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it didn’t feel awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in his seat, Victor kept his eyes on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’ve changed a bit,\" he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You used to shut people down faster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Maybe I just don’t feel like wasting the effort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or maybe,\" he said lightly, \"you don’t mind talking to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her reply came later. Silence filled the space between.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single tap of her fingers met the tabletop, repeating what had just happened moments before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Don’t read too much into it,\" she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Of course you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes stayed fixed just a moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella paused, her eyes fixed on him now. Then she just looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat as if space bent around him, claiming corners without asking. A loose stance, yes - yet something held tight underneath. Black strands fell where they wanted, wild enough to suit him. Not flashy, those eyes. Golden, sure - but calm, like still water that sees everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s exactly why he couldn’t be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft breath slipped out as she moved just a bit in the chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened then? she wondered aloud, shifting gears just as things neared a corner better left unturned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Victor showed no sign of caring about the change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, that?\" he said casually. \"When my food supply was running low, I just walked deeper into the forest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I walked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Deeper?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You realize people usually try to leave, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor shrugged lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I figured if I couldn’t find the exit, I might as well find the center.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That’s not how survival works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It worked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rubbed her temple again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Go on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At first, I thought I was just walking in circles,\" he continued. \"Hours passed, but nothing changed. Same trees. Same silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I noticed something strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her attention sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lights,\" he said. \"Floating. Small. Like orbs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You followed them?\" she asked carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Of course you did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought they were fairies at first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And they weren’t?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What were they?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That answer...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t sit lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You followed something you didn’t understand,\" she said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor met her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned back slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I was curious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That answer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’re either fearless... or insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not joking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Neither am I.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet tension settled in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Then what happened?\" she asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s gaze shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not away—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So after following the floating orbs for a while,\" he said, his voice softer now, \"I reached what looked like the center of the forest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t playful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wouldn’t believe what I saw there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1167,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","7e569796c03034a4f84a91c8d07ed37f672326b5f527964119de1ee80932b2e1","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-147","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-145",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]