[{"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-79":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},1828616,2432,"Chapter 79: The Price of Survival","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-79",79,"\u003Cp>The Price of Survival\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Victor’s head, Diana spoke - soft but clear. Her words stayed there, hanging without sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is why you cannot fight the way you used to - back when you had nothing to lose... and no one waiting for you out there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weight pressed into Victor’s ribs. The phrase stayed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A haze settled over the scene, as if the fight had slipped into another world. His eyes shifted slowly, finding Alibaba once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hush sat heavy in the hollow where the necromancer held his ground - still as a needle in windless cloth. Upward stretched his bone-white hands, knuckles taut, fingers like cracked spears pointing skyward. Around him swirled cold magic, sharp and spinning, biting at the dark. Light bled through cracks, thin and ghost-blue, icing over every ridge and edge. Silence broke just before the surge - he waited, breath gone, as power snapped tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His grip tightened around the scythe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar weapon felt heavier tonight. Not physically—but in meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the first time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was low, almost lost beneath the rising hum of mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I have something worth surviving for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gasp slipped out from somewhere near his back. Her eyes jumped to Victor, wide with doubt, caught off guard by how steady he sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps echoed down the hall. Silence fell between them. Words could wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into the air near Alibaba, energy crackled like storm-lit wires. A sudden pulse twisted through the space, sharp and uncontrolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of nowhere, the necromancer’s hollow eyes sparked with a cold blue glow just as the magic surged. Under his boots, frost burst upward, spreading fast - snaking through stone as if it had breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chant reached its final word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hush gripped the cave, sudden and thick. Silence pressed down like weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ice Apocalypse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying cold exploded outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not simply cold. It was annihilating winter. A storm compressed into a single violent eruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temperature of the entire underground cavern dropped instantly. Frost spread across the stone floor like wildfire. The air itself froze, turning sharp and painful with every breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he moved anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor dashed across the battlefield, ignoring the pain from the arrows embedded in his shoulder and chest. Each step sent a jolt of agony through his body, but he forced himself forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy wind clawed at him, trying to slow him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lane! Clara!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women turned just as he reached them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara had been mid-spell, her staff glowing faintly with defensive magic. Lane’s bow was already half raised, instinctively searching for a target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both froze when Victor suddenly appeared between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor grabbed them both in a sudden embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Victor—?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked with confusion as his arms wrapped around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane stiffened in surprise, her bow still clutched tightly in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing—?!\" she began, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the answer was already written across Victor’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was urgency there. And something deeper—something fierce and stubborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before either of them could react—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor spoke quickly inside his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Diana. Now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a split second, the world seemed to hold its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the spirit of the scythe answered immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was calm, steady, almost reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ripple of mana expanded around the three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teleportation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Space itself bent under Diana’s power. The air warped and twisted like water disturbed by an unseen force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara felt the sudden surge of magic and gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait—Victor, what are you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s eyes widened as she realized what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teleportation?! Right now?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space around their bodies distorted for a single heartbeat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they disappeared—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell finished unfolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire underground cavern turned into a frozen nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick layers of ice covered the walls, ceiling, and ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the killing blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of razor-sharp icicles erupted simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some shot upward from the ground like spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others descended from above like falling swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire cavern became a field of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only untouched space was the small circle where Alibaba himself stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the spell finally ended, silence returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything underground was either impaled by ice...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or sealed within thick frozen layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba lowered his skeletal hands slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necromancer scanned the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three adventurers had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba tilted his skull slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So they escaped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice sounded mildly impressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How unexpected...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue flames within his eye sockets flickered thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I truly wanted to learn the boy’s origins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the origin of that weapon he carried.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers flexed weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the necromancer could feel the truth clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mana reserves were almost empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell he had just cast had drained nearly everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Victor returned right now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing him would be effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like crushing an insect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba turned slowly toward the tunnel leading out of the underground chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose our meeting will have to wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necromancer walked away calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am certain we will meet again someday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I must recover.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, Alibaba disappeared into the dark tunnels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Adventurers Guild of Fantom City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella sat behind her desk with a deep frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara had just finished giving her report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guildmaster slowly rubbed her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...An extremely powerful necromancer...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...beneath Northwest Mountain Village.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head began to ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The destroyed village was already bad enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the existence of a necromancer powerful enough to freeze an entire underground cavern...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to make matters worse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place wasn’t some distant wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fantom City stood near one of the kingdom’s three great knight academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning reckless young nobles were everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What a disaster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara stood across the desk quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane leaned against the nearby wall, arms folded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella began thinking through the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To deal with a necromancer of that level required serious preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At minimum—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two S-rank fighters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several A-rank parties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Multiple B-rank teams to surround the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike ordinary practitioners of forbidden magic...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A high-level necromancer could summon undead instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rituals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they had mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant a small group could be overwhelmed in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella sighed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, she needed to search historical records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any magician named Alibaba within the past century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she needed to contact the guild branches in nearby cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would have to request reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She needed to send experienced scouts to track the necromancer’s movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would need to inform the principal of the knight academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If certain arrogant noble students heard rumors about a powerful necromancer...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might try to hunt it themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that would be a disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella grabbed a pen and began writing letters quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts drifted briefly toward one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyebrows twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That idiot...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he appeared in this city, trouble followed him like a shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First the dungeon incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella gripped the pen harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should punch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two punches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she sighed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Victor hadn’t reported the incident, the necromancer might have continued his experiments unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isabella leaned back again, exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What a headache.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite her irritation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because deep down...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That reckless young man would probably end up fighting that necromancer again someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when that happened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire kingdom might shake.\u003C\u002Fp>",1280,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","7aa724333fa5860722afe5c049af0bc72658e45f2c60a15eb38c0da80dcf111e","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-80","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-78",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]