Chapter 399: Force (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 399: Force (2)
War is hell.
The streets are littered with the dead, and rivers once clear now run red. The sky burns crimson, and the city walls, cracked and battered, groan under their own weight. Those few souls still wandering wear masks of terror or hollow despair.
There is no hope.
Their faces said it all.
That is the nature of war.
There is no beauty to be found in violence, and war is its purest form—a calamity that rots the world from the inside out. That was the reality of my past life. It took the Heavenly Demon only a few short years to bring everything to ruin.
I wondered how much time I had left before that timeline repeated itself. I knew it wasn't much.
Back then, the Celestial Sword and her army managed to avert the disaster. But I am not her. I could never accomplish what she did.
If I truly wish to stand where Wi Seol-Ah once stood, I need two things: personal strength, and a force as formidable as the one she commanded.
The Celestial Sword's own power was one matter.
But a force…
She also had countless followers. I could never gather people the way she did. I lack her status, her inherent kindness. My nature is not suited to winning hearts with gentle words. It's a method that doesn't fit me, and attempting it would be pointless. I need to find my own path.
My own way, hmm…?
I'm not entirely without options. I know the easiest path available to me. And that is…
Demonification.
As I did with Namgung Cheonjun, I've learned I can turn others into Demons. I could create Demonic Humans and bind them to my will as slaves. For someone like me, that would be the simplest, most suitable method to build a faction.
I can't think of a better option. This way, I can command even those I don't trust.
However.
Is that truly the right path? I feel a conflict within. I've hesitated many times because I don't want to live that kind of life. I'm striving so I don't repeat the mistakes of my past. If I choose this method…
How am I any different from the Heavenly Demon?
Even if my goal is to stop the Demonic Cult, I would merely be creating my own version of it.
The thought lingers. But then…
…Do I have any other choice?
I'm not in a position to hesitate. Even if my methods are morally questionable, I can't afford to be picky. I know this. That's why I've already drawn a line in my mind, compiling a list of those who might be… acceptable to transform. People for whom becoming a Demonic Human might be a better fate than death.
It's a flimsy excuse, the last shred of justification for myself.
Even if my method isn't right, I'll have to live with it.
I have no other option if I want to replace the Celestial Sword. I've accepted this. I don't possess her innate capacity for greatness. Therefore, I must use every tool at my disposal to achieve what she did.
Guilt?
Regret?
Hesitation?
I'll say it again: I can only afford to worry about such things if I have alternatives. Right now, I have none.
There's no time to think. I must act, and the time is ripe.
Craaack-!
I clenched my fist tighter, pushing my body harder.
Slam-!
My fist connected with the wall, and the impact shattered it to rubble. Even from this small movement, pain lanced through my body. But by now, I'm so accustomed to pain that I only flinched slightly.
Should I be happy that I'm used to pain? I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me for finding solace in that.
I also noticed a subtle difference.
My movement has changed.
It was barely perceptible, but the way my fist shot out was different. Cleaner, perhaps? Or maybe an underlying awkwardness had vanished.
I pondered for a moment, searching for the right word. Then I found it.
Fluidity.
My movements had gained a new fluidity. It felt like my strikes carried more power because of it.
No, it's not just a feeling.
I was almost certain. My body must have changed after training with the Heaven Destruction Art. Is this what the Dishonored Venerable meant by 'changing the frame of the body'?
It leaves me speechless.
Something I failed to achieve through an eternity of training was solved merely by learning a new Mind Art.
…Well, I guess I can't say 'merely'.
The agony of every breath is a monumental problem. No one could deny this is the most powerful martial art, provided one can endure the pain. Anyone who experiences it would understand just how difficult the Heaven Destruction Art is to master.
I continued moving without rest. I was drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted, having trained with barely any sleep for days. Yet, I pushed on without hesitation, determined to continue until I reached my limit and collapsed. It had been several days already.
Lately, I'd been feeling something strange. Was it because I was too focused? My body was moving on its own. More specifically, it was shaking, operating as if possessed by a will of its own.
Even though my body was moving autonomously, I didn't try to regain control. A faint, lingering instinct told me not to interfere.
I took a step forward, and searing pain followed. My knees, my waist—nothing was in good condition. I endlessly circulated the Heaven Destruction Art from my Dantian. My Qi reserves were overflowing, allowing me to sustain this for days. Since I was only moving my body while focusing on the Mind Art, there was no risk of depleting my energy.
Yet, my vision was blurry. Should I focus to clear it? There was no need. My body was moving independently. The pain began to gradually recede.
Was this the state of selflessness achieved through sheer exhaustion? I knew such a state wasn't easy to attain, and I smirked at the irony. Whatever. It doesn't matter.
For now…
A little more.
I wanted to linger in this sensation a bit longer. I couldn't explain the discomfort. I knew this strange feeling would vanish if I focused even slightly, so I deliberately kept my mind loose.
Was this a form of enlightenment? I was curious what would happen if I let go completely.
Then, suddenly.
Snap-
Ugh, fuck.
Was it because of my wandering thought? My mind began to clear. The faint sensation faded, and my consciousness started to return.
Should I try to reclaim it? Just as the thought formed…
"Stop right there."
Someone appeared and forcibly halted my movements.
“…Ha…”
The strength holding my body up vanished in an instant, and I crumpled to the ground.
“Huff… Huff…”
I barely propped myself up with my hands. Was I really this exhausted? Sweat dripped from my face, darkening the earth beneath me. I noticed my hands were trembling. I hadn't realized it before, but my body had apparently been at its limit for some time.
As I gasped for air, someone spoke from behind me. It was the Dishonored Venerable.
"I was wondering how long you would keep this up. It's already sunrise."
“…Huh…?"
My eyes widened at his words.
It has already been that long…?
The Dishonored Venerable smirked, noting my expression. "You don't even seem to know how much time has passed."
I could have sworn he had just arrived. When did he get here? How long had he been watching? I had no memory of it. Had it really been that long since I surrendered to that strange, faint sensation?
"…" I stared at him in silence. He smiled in response.
"Are you disappointed?"
"…No."
"Stop lying. Your face is full of disappointment."
Is that really the case? I didn't think I was, but perhaps my face betrayed me.
"Also, don't take this as me interfering with your training. It would have been bad if I hadn't stopped you."
"I didn't think that at all." One look at my condition was enough to understand. It would have been problematic to continue. My body was at its absolute limit. The state of selflessness might be important, but the Dishonored Venerable intervened to prevent permanent damage. I knew that, which is why I didn't complain.
However, the Dishonored Venerable pursed his lips, seemingly unsatisfied with my response. "…What a lame answer."
"What do you want me to—"
Before I could finish, he flung something at me. With my exhausted arm, I caught it—a gourd. Judging by its weight and the sloshing sound, it contained liquid.
"Quench your thirst first. Tsk, tsk… For me to be bringing a drink to a kid at my age."
"…Thank you."
Parched, I thanked him and gulped it down. The simple drink restored a sliver of my energy.
As I drank, the Dishonored Venerable asked, "How did it feel, when you reached that state?"
After a few more sips, I asked curiously, "That state?"
"The sensation you experienced earlier."
"…"
"That faint sensation you didn't want to let go of. Weren't you nervous that the slightest mistake would make you lose it?"
"…That's—"
"Don't think it's strange. You were doing the right thing."
His words made me wonder. I had initially thought it was a type of enlightenment, but the Dishonored Venerable's explanation suggested something else.
"I told you not to be disappointed. It's a state you'll have to reach one day anyway."
"I'll have to reach it one day?"
"Have you heard of the state of selflessness?"
"Yes."
The sensation of losing yourself, becoming one with your movements—a state martial artists occasionally achieve through enlightenment. It's a dream for many.
"What you experienced just now was a form of that state."
So, in the end, I did gain enlightenment? But that didn't quite align with his explanation.
As I pondered, the Dishonored Venerable continued, "To be more accurate… It's the Heaven Destruction Art's form of the state of selflessness."
“…Huh?”
My eyes widened in shock. A state of selflessness created by the Heaven Destruction Art?
"The Heaven Destruction Art creates its own state of selflessness?"
When I questioned him with a confused expression, I saw him smile slightly. "I didn't think I'd need to explain this so soon, but you achieved it much faster than I expected."
"…"
"My martial art was created solely for my own greed. I'm sure you've heard that."
"Yes."
The Heaven Destruction Art was created by the Dishonored Venerable to become a stronger martial artist.
"To be more accurate, I wanted to surpass the limit of a human."
"…Limit… you say?"
"Yes. That was why I created this martial art."
The limit of a human? Hah, did he want to become a god or something?