Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Hazy, Fleetingly (3)
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Discussions had become frequent at the inns of Peach Paradise, debating whether it was right or wrong to take on the newly appeared disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
"That guy's a Blood Demon."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"The moment I saw him there, that's the first thought that came to mind. Do you know why?"
His aura was savagely fierce, and no matter how much blood he shed, he never stopped moving.
The birth of this new disciple, shown in the recent public sparring match, had been an utterly shocking sight for many martial artists.
"A human body only has so much blood. But the man I saw was different. He wouldn't die even if he should have. Even after dyeing the entire arena red with blood, he kept spraying more."
"Just because of that, calling him a mythical Blood Demon? Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
"No exaggeration. Even the Demonic Cult's leader screamed in agony."
"No way! Hong Yeon of the Maple?"
A martial artist who had been listening intently at the table jumped up in surprise.
Rumors always had a bit of embellishment, but this one wasn't entirely off.
"I think he did something to his own blood. I heard a few days ago he attacked the entrance to Peach Paradise. The martial artists there said he used some kind of external sorcery."
"Oh ho, so that's why Blood Demon!"
At the excited, raised voice, the other martial artists in the inn showed their interest.
"What are you all talking about so animatedly?"
"About the Blood Demon!"
"Ah, that hot rumor going around right now. I saw it myself—he was merciless, without a drop of blood or tear."
"I'm curious! Tell us the story."
"Well, he turned Hong Yeon's face, who was trying to surrender, into a bloody mess. Completely wrecked it."
Hong Yeon's skills as the Demonic Cult's leader, who served the Heavenly Demon, were renowned beyond words.
Civil and martial talents combined, from managing Peach Paradise to her martial prowess, topped off with peerless beauty—every martial artist here knew her name.
For such a Hong Yeon to be utterly outmatched by some nameless man?
To the martial artists, there was no juicier gossip than this.
"Can't have this story without drinks. Hey, waiter! Bring a flask of bamboo leaf liquor!"
The inn grew rowdy.
Cheondo quietly listened to the stories flowing around her from her spot.
"Coming right up."
The waitress at the inn atop Peach Paradise's commercial district. It was Cheondo's job, hiding her identity as the Heavenly Demon's disciple.
It was her personal wish, not an obligation—to observe those below her more closely.
"Here you go, shaken as requested."
Cheondo moved efficiently, carrying food and drinks.
The loose white robes she wore fluttered gently with her movements.
Her cute appearance, like a gentle lamb wagging its tail, brought warm smiles from many martial artists watching her.
Two hours a day, sacrificing her own rest.
Yet thanks to her bright personality, natural eloquence, and singing talent, she had become the inn's signature star.
"So, what story are you all sharing?"
"Haha, curious, eh? It happened at the public sparring match..."
Cheondo gave a wry smile as she took in the customer's long tale.
The man who had appeared before her out of nowhere, and now even become the Heavenly Demon's disciple.
She knew full well that the talk buzzing throughout Peach Paradise was about the person she knew.
Blood Demon. That's what some were calling him.
His desperate fight, splattering blood everywhere, must have looked that way to others.
'Why was he so desperate?'
A guy who joked around a lot and had his quirks. Lately, the distance between them had shrunk to the point of feeling burdensome, but to Cheondo, he was still a good person.
She trusted her eye for people.
Of course, she was still young and inexperienced in everything.
But she could accurately judge someone's character after just a few meetings.
'...He changed overnight.'
To Cheondo's eyes, Lee Si-heon seemed utterly hazy.
It hadn't even been days since she thought he was trustworthy, yet everything about him had changed.
Especially that match he showed.
Half-killing an opponent with no will to fight—it was a gruesome sight even for her.
What had made him like that?
Or had he always been that way?
Madness flowed across his blood-smeared face as he reattached his severed arm and kept fighting.
Whether that would fuel his growth or drag him down, only time would tell.
'Oh right, why am I worrying about some guy who won't even tell me his name.'
Hmph. Cheondo snorted.
He hadn't given his name to the end. Fine, she'd just call him whatever she wanted.
...Maybe think up a good name.
Cheondo thought that wasn't a bad idea.
*****
The day after the sparring match.
I hurriedly changed clothes as soon as morning came and stepped out of my room.
The lingering pain in my arm bothered me, but what's a little pain? It's not like it's my first day.
Being able to heal myself, and the power of the World Tree called a god—it was a huge help right now.
-Creak.
As I left the building, many eyes turned to me.
Rumors spread, and naturally, so did the attention. Academies, politics, martial world—it was all the same.
Especially in the narrow confines of Peach Paradise, rumors flew fast.
'As long as it doesn't cause trouble.'
I quickened my steps toward the mountaintop.
The training ground where the Heavenly Demon and Cheondo practiced.
Sure enough, there sat the old man in lotus position, surveying the mountains.
"The Blood Demon's here."
"Blood Demon? What's that title?"
"You bled so much, the underlings started calling you that. Bunch of idiots."
Using the World Tree's authority sped up blood regeneration too.
With a god's power restoring tissues and nerves, how could it fail to produce a single drop?
The healing authority worked constantly in battle, so injuries meant blood loss accordingly.
"So, how was it?"
"Too old to be arrogant. You're still far off. Struggling that much against mere Hong Yeon."
"I didn't struggle much."
"Says the guy who lost an arm."
The old man turned serious at my joking remark.
"You made more work for me. Turned that girl into a half-dead rape victim."
"...Well, yeah."
From the moment my arm flew off, it wasn't a normal spar anymore.
Maybe she really meant to kill me.
I acted with confidence in my potions for recovery, but to me, the leader's actions felt murderous.
"So, you're asking me to train you starting today."
"Why else would I come here?"
"Shameless brat, sucking your mother's spine dry."
The old man chuckled dryly in disbelief and turned to size me up.
His sharply slanted three-white eyes lightly scanned my body.
"Don't know who trained you, but your balance is good. Qi stability and capacity will come with time."
"No way to shorten that time?"
"I'm talking, aren't I? Shut up and listen."
I quickly clamped my mouth at his icy words.
"Your strength is your broad talents; your weakness is the same broad talents. You're gifted in sorcery and martial arts. Question is whether to specialize or maximize your wide range."
Talk of potential.
Cheondo had trained me to develop talents across all fields, including magic.
And that was actually good for my distant future self.
If I had talents to master someday, spreading them out offered more uses.
But with the little time I had now, nurturing a broad field was impossible.
I didn't know when that catastrophe would strike.
"No need to tell you the obvious. If you want dramatic growth here, drop the sorcery."
"Understood."
"And... you've got a cheat, right? How long you gonna hide the king's power?"
He knew that too, huh.
"You know of this power?"
"No high-rank tree in this world doesn't. If it gets out, plenty will target you."
The old man stated firmly.
"Using it would make rapid progress trivial. That unnatural regeneration comes from it, doesn't it?"
"Yes. But I don't even know how to use this power properly."
Touch flesh of a tree, gain some of its power.
If it's a World Tree, acquire its authority.
That's all I knew of the Wood Spirit King's power. It had never truly manifested.
Others like the World Tree of Time envied it, saw it as vital, but I couldn't feel it.
'Of course, the encyclopedia and fruits are powerful.'
The magic power I gained from peaches and elixirs exceeded what I'd built through meditation.
Consecutive fruits from the same tree diminished returns, but even accounting for that, the effects were immense.
"How to use it... Kill a World Tree or rape it, probably. Can't teach you that."
The old man stretched his legs and stood.
"Talent's sufficient, technique's decent. So what do you think you need to cultivate?"
I pondered his words deeply.
Talent. My potential was guaranteed since arriving in this world.
Over 20, surpassing 10.
The commonsense choices for unique abilities and traits were planted by the World Tree, so potentials over 10 existed somewhere.
Even modern Cheondo didn't seem like a 10.
She was young, after all.
Still, mine wasn't low.
Technique had grown plenty too.
What I lacked.
After careful thought, I slowly parted my lips.
"Real combat?"
"Too easy a question."
Time and actual battle experience.
The old man nodded impassively, expression unchanged.
"For humans or trees, the best growth comes in extreme situations."
In dire straits, the body hardens tougher, forcibly gathered magic expands the core to survive.
Observing my face, he stepped closer.
"Think it's nonsense? It's fact. Thousands of years ago, when that unknown magic you know burst forth, all laws twisted."
True.
Despite interpretations like hermeneutics or magic theory, we still didn't grasp the fundamentals.
Human muscle, unremarkable by composition, becomes unbreakable when infused with magic.
Innate body magic strengthens it; core-stored magic casts spells. Common sense this era.
I'd read in a book somewhere.
Magic primalists claimed the world was made of magic.
Anyway, dire situations did draw in more magic.
"Problem is creating dire situations. In Peach Paradise, those with death at their side are the strongest."
The old man opened his palm, then clenched it into a fist.
"In that sense, you'll struggle to endure it. A guy numb to pain—what death will he feel?"
As he said, I rarely recalled thinking "I'm gonna die" and flailing.
"You need to die a few times to shine."
The old man grinned eerily.
"Let's see how many times your heart stops today. Keep up to the end, and I'll double your strength."
I matched his stance.
Same martial art, similar form.
Slight differences from my personal adjustments to my body.
"Die?"
"Yeah."
Dark magic power billowed thickly as I swallowed hard.
Die, huh.
"Sounds fine."
It wouldn't be a bad experience.