Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: I Am the Heavenly Demon
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"Not a hero..."
Song Dowon's words were no mere guess.
It was the tone of a man already convinced that Hyeok Mulin was no hero.
In response, Hyeok Mulin posed a question in lieu of an answer.
"What makes you think so?"
Hyeok Mulin couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity.
It had only been a short time, but during the few days they'd spent wandering and enjoying the pleasures together, he hadn't shown anything particularly noteworthy.
Even today, he'd simply played his instrument like any ordinary musician and dealt with an evildoer in the most commonplace way. So what exactly had convinced this man he wasn't a hero?
Above all else, Hyeok Mulin's curiosity about him burned brightest.
"The reason I think that."
Song Dowon closed his eyes slowly at Hyeok Mulin's words.
Where had the seed of doubt been planted?
In truth, it had started the moment he'd heard the news of a new member joining their group, along with fragments of stories about him. From the very beginning, Song Dowon had suspected his presence and true intentions.
Lately, his name had been circulating through the world more than he'd ever wanted.
He hadn't sought it out or wished for it, yet somehow he'd come to occupy one of the seats among the Three Stars United as One, drawing perilously close to the realm of the ancient martial venerables.
Because of that, people who recognized his identity occasionally challenged him to duels, making life far more troublesome than he cared for.
And right on cue, a new recruit who was supposedly a master joins their ranks. Naturally, he couldn't help but cast a suspicious eye on the man.
So after meeting him, he'd immediately probed his energy and observed him closely while they traveled together—gauging him as both a warrior and a man, trying to discern his inner thoughts.
Yet time had passed peacefully, and he'd found nothing out of the ordinary.
Except, perhaps, how surprisingly well they got along in conversation.
But today, fresh doubts had arisen as he watched the man.
A hero deeply versed in music was rare, but he could chalk that up to coincidence somehow.
However, what followed...
In the way he'd dispatched the Scorched Earth Ravager, Song Dowon had found his certainty.
"You took down the Scorched Earth Ravager in that tavern in one move. Had you heard of him before?"
Hyeok Mulin shook his head.
"No."
He couldn't possibly know every single unorthodox thug who made a name for himself in the area.
Song Dowon nodded as if he'd expected as much and continued.
"That sort of thing happens all too often in taverns. Drunken warriors harassing women and trying to drag them off—it's hardly uncommon."
It was obviously against any code of honor, and he'd been sizing up the situation, ready to step in himself.
Hyeok Mulin had simply beaten him to the punch by a fraction.
Before Song Dowon could act, Hyeok Mulin had hurled an insult at the Scorched Earth Ravager, drawing his gaze.
And when the man approached Hyeok Mulin...
"You ended his life without a moment's hesitation."
Hyeok Mulin had snuffed out his life in an instant.
In truth, he was the sort no one would mourn—people would rejoice at his death.
His past crimes had piled up until he was an undeniable monster.
But that wasn't the point.
The key was that Hyeok Mulin hadn't known he deserved death.
He'd killed him based solely on that one brief scene. That was what mattered.
The man was undeniably a vicious criminal, but to Hyeok Mulin—who knew nothing of it—he must have seemed like just some brute forcing a woman to drink with him.
Song Dowon opened his eyes slowly and fixed his gaze on Hyeok Mulin as he continued.
"Did that man truly deserve to die right then?"
Song Dowon could say with absolute certainty: no.
Had he acted first, before Hyeok Mulin, he would have spared the Scorched Earth Ravager's life out of consideration for his past—destroying his dantian at most.
Yet Hyeok Mulin, ignorant of his villainy, had taken his life on the spot just for pressuring a woman to join him in drink. It was an excessively harsh response.
"There's no mercy in your brand of heroism."
Hyeok Mulin's sense of justice carried something different from anything Song Dowon had seen before.
Something only a hero at the pinnacle could notice.
With that, Song Dowon turned to Hyeok Mulin and asked.
"What on earth were you thinking when you killed him? You knew nothing of his past crimes, so why not resolve it with words like a normal person?"
"I knew he was a vicious villain."
"What do you mean? Didn't you say you knew nothing about him?"
It was the truth.
Hyeok Mulin hadn't even known his nickname, let alone what he looked like, until that very day.
Yet to address Song Dowon's puzzled gaze, Hyeok Mulin pointed at himself with one finger and replied flatly.
"Instinct."
"...?"
"Everyone has instincts, don't they? And mine happen to be pretty sharp."
"What..."
Am I hearing right?
Song Dowon stared at him in disbelief. Hyeok Mulin quickly elaborated.
"Besides, I've got a good eye for people. I've lived this long without my judgment ever failing me."
Was he saying he'd sized up the Scorched Earth Ravager as an innate villain from that brief moment and executed him on the spot?
"That makes no sense."
Song Dowon shook his head in utter exasperation as he looked at Hyeok Mulin.
But his face was utterly serene.
As if he were a hundred percent convinced he was right.
With that, Song Dowon realized.
'He's already set upon his own path.'
He was a man who forged his own way and walked it without faltering.
U swayed by others' interference, armed with his own unyielding convictions and resolve.
That was Hyeok Mulin.
This was the first such man he'd seen in the League of Heroes.
Or perhaps... it was precisely because he wasn't a hero.
A wry smile tugged at Song Dowon's lips as he asked Hyeok Mulin.
"Who are you?"
A man who'd joined the League of Heroes of his own accord, despite not being a hero.
A man with his own sense of justice—one that diverged sharply from other heroes'.
A cool breeze flowed between them, tousling their hair and clothes.
And soon, Hyeok Mulin parted his lips with his answer.
"Heavenly Demon."
Just two short syllables, but they were enough to convey everything.
"...I see. So that's why."
Surprisingly, Song Dowon showed no great emotional shift at the revelation.
If anything, he simply nodded as if it all made sense now that he knew he was the Heavenly Demon—his domineering air suddenly clicking into place.
That said, heroes typically saw themselves as forces of righteousness.
Yet even faced with the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he showed no disgust or hatred.
Surprised by this, Hyeok Mulin asked him.
"You don't see me as an enemy?"
"What reason would I have to? Whether you're a demon or not changes nothing about how I judge a man."
Righteous, unorthodox, demonic.
Song Dowon never cared where a man planted his banner when they met.
The heroism he'd witnessed throughout his life had little to do with such affiliations, surprisingly enough.
It was a truth he'd only grasped after reaching the pinnacle of heroism.
Of course, there were differences by faction. Most unorthodox folk lacked any sense of justice, naturally.
But it wasn't absent entirely—just rarer.
After all, the circumstances that led people into their groups were far too varied.
In the end, Song Dowon judged people not by their faction's banner, but as individuals he'd met face-to-face.
And the Hyeok Mulin he'd come to know...
'Is no villain.'
He was no warrior who'd abandoned the value of justice at a warrior's core.
But even so, for him to hide his identity and infiltrate the League of Heroes...
"So you're after my life after all?"
Ever since rumors of the Three Stars United as One spread, countless warriors had flung challenges his way.
But he'd never imagined a titan like the Heavenly Demon would come calling personally.
He didn't know his exact level of skill, but he knew the Cult Leader now wielded immense power in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
A man who'd built such might surely wouldn't lag in martial prowess.
Hyeok Mulin spoke up from beyond Song Dowon's hardened expression.
"I only want to test your strength."
"It's nothing special, but if you insist on seeing it for yourself..."
"I do."
Song Dowon drew a deep breath and stared down at the stream for a moment.
The beautiful moonlight reflected on the water illuminated his face.
He knew.
That "testing his strength" meant claiming his life and his fame.
'I have no desire for a fight to the death.'
In truth, Song Dowon felt uneasy at the thought of crossing blades with Hyeok Mulin, his companion of the last few days.
Especially since he'd been the one who'd satisfied his love of wandering pleasures more than anyone.
In a way, it was only natural he'd dread a fight with him.
'But I can't back down now.'
Since earning the grand title of Three Stars United as One, he'd reaped some unexpected benefits.
Not only had his value as a hero soared, but the eyes turned toward his League of Heroes had changed too.
Before long, he'd become the central figure representing the heroes of the Central Plains.
Villains who recognized him would slink away before he even had to act, sparing needless conflicts.
But if he yielded or admitted defeat before even fighting Hyeok Mulin now?
His personal fame might fade, but the very concept of heroes he represented would become a joke.
With such a heavy burden on his shoulders, Song Dowon couldn't turn his back on Hyeok Mulin's request.
Srrrrk—
With a sound as smooth as flowing water, Song Dowon drew his sword.
An exceptionally thin and long blade.
His signature weapon, the Zelkova Longsword.
"Prepare yourself."
Having drawn his blade, Song Dowon even gave Hyeok Mulin time to ready for the duel.
But Hyeok Mulin brushed the offer aside lightly.
"No need."
"Aren't you a swordsman?"
A sword hung at his waist, yet he claimed no need to draw it.
As Song Dowon looked puzzled, Hyeok Mulin gave his answer.
"To see my sword..."
Hyeok Mulin's gaze descended imperiously.
"You'll have to prove your worth first."
"Hah."
Already looking down on him from above, was he?
'Interesting.'
For the first time in ages—truly ages—Song Dowon felt his warrior's battle spirit surge.
The Three Stars United as One meant a strength rivaling the ancient martial venerables above all others.
He couldn't even remember the last time such a figure had treated him this way.
"Very well. I'll humor you."
Song Dowon set aside his role as a hero for the moment. Now just a warrior, he gripped his sword hilt tight.
He raised his head slowly toward Hyeok Mulin.
Boom!
Leading with his sword, he stepped forward like thunder, his eyes blazing like roaring flames.