Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Little Heavenly Demon, Peach Paradise (5)
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Ever since she began sharing time with Do-won senior brother, Cheon-do had always looked forward to the next day.
What would she do with him tomorrow? What should she bring tonight?
Even while working, senior brother's face would pop into her mind, and thoughts of last night would intrude at random moments.
For Cheon-do, who had carried the heavy burden of being the Little Heavenly Demon and found every aspect of life nothing but a hassle, this was the first time she had something to eagerly anticipate in her daily routine.
"......Why."
But now, that routine had been shattered.
It started with the elderly couple who ran the inn where she worked being murdered.
They were people she had always respected, so the moment her rationality snapped was instantaneous.
"Kuhh... Ack."
The man lying on the ground, grabbed by the collar by Cheon-do, wailed in agony.
She had subdued a single hunter in an instant, living up to the title of Little Heavenly Demon without a shred of shame.
-Drip, drip.
Blood droplets formed on Cheon-do's forearm and fell.
The fallen hunter's body was riddled with holes, as if pummeled indiscriminately with fists.
Through her disheveled bangs, Cheon-do glared at Jeong Ho-moon.
"Stop now."
Her wide eyes were bloodshot.
Even her father's words to always remain calm didn't surface in her mind at this moment.
"Or else......"
Black mana coiled around both arms, evaporating the blood mixed in.
The surrounding air trembled in resonance with that mana.
Jeong Ho-moon calmly conversed with the hunter beside him.
"Little Heavenly Demon. Contact the communications team calmly."
"Don't order me around, you bastard."
The man reached for the radio. Realizing from those words alone that they had no other options, Cheon-do's figure vanished from sight.
As the woman standing on the broken roof tiles disappeared, Jeong Ho-moon furrowed his brow.
"Incoming! Stash the radio first."
"Got it.... Damn, this is chilling."
While the two drew their swords and exchanged words, white energy surged from Cheon-do's hand.
Form of One. White Peach.
In the blink of an eye, Cheon-do repositioned behind them and thrust her fist. Ho-moon and the man, turning their heads, blocked the attack with their swords.
-Kwa-gagaga!
A massive wave of petals engulfed the two hunters in an instant.
Unlike the Heavenly Demon or Si-heon's versions, it was a technique so beautiful to behold it almost mesmerized.
Its form varied each time based on aptitude, process, and growth.
The rustling petals scraped across the hunters' bodies as they passed.
-Kwachik!
As Cheon-do stomped the ground, cracks formed in the earth, and a vortex swirled up.
Veins bulged prominently on her forehead.
'......White Peach. Yellow Peach.'
The faces of her two sisters flashed through her mind.
They weren't so weak that they couldn't fend for themselves, but they weren't as capable as Cheon-do herself.
The situation was urgent, and worry gnawed at her.
With desperation came no room for leisure. She needed to finish this quickly and go find them.
But her opponents were formidable.
The two men clashing with Cheon-do were elite representatives of their guilds.
-Whoosh!
The splitting wave of petals.
Free from White Peach's aftermath, the two hunters swung their swords around, sinking nearby buildings along with the petals.
"If you don't snap out of it, you're really headed for a coffin."
The faces of Jeong Ho-moon and the man lost their composure. The hunter shouted boisterously, as if trying to shake off tension.
Seeing the fury on young Cheon-do's face, Ho-moon didn't look pleased either.
"Get lost while I'm asking nicely."
Cheon-do's eyes twitched as she spoke.
"What a brat."
"Match my moves. Follow me."
Age didn't matter—if they sensed the Heavenly Demon's power, they had to die.
Jeong Ho-moon charged at Cheon-do first, sword raised higher than anyone.
"Mess up and we're dead."
"Got— Ah!"
The hunter's words cut off midway because Cheon-do exploited the gap and kicked his body.
But it wasn't a severe blow.
She followed with a light jab to the jaw, then kicked his shoulder and leaped into the air.
Jeong Ho-moon and the short-haired hunter. Capture meant certain death at minimum.
'...Senior brother.'
He was stronger than her, so why the worry?
Her father's thoughts flickered sporadically too.
Maybe these guys were after Master.
As such thoughts crossed her mind, Cheon-do felt something binding her body.
'Mana?'
A mana quality she'd never felt before—no, one she'd occasionally sensed from senior brother.
Suddenly, bright yellow chains appeared in the air, suppressing her body like a vise.
Scanning around at the eerie sensation, she saw a woman in a hat extending her hand toward them.
"...Ugh."
Infusing mana throughout her body, black mana began surging from Cheon-do.
A lion-like ferocious aura. But it was fleeting; the more she resisted, the faster mana drained from her.
"Good girl."
The short-haired hunter gulped, gripping his sword tighter.
As her fierce resistance weakened, ecstasy lit his face.
A relic that converted a World Tree's power into an artifact.
The cult's treasure, treated as a national asset, was in the woman's hand.
"Urk. Mmph."
Blood streamed from Cheon-do's mouth.
Trying to forcibly tear the chains had backfired with even greater repulsion.
A black rift appeared in empty space.
Fifteen chains extended from it, suspending Cheon-do dangling in midair.
Her body felt several times heavier.
Cheon-do's face paled as if she might lose consciousness any second.
"No wonder it's called divine."
The short-haired man whistled.
He scanned Cheon-do's body, then shrugged.
"Up close... Hm. Not as monstrous as before."
"Shut up and prepare to fight."
Jeong Ho-moon cut off the flippant man.
Among the strike team, he was the most skilled. At his words, the surrounding hunters tensed.
"Why? Isn't it over? Wait, to catch the cult leader?"
"No."
"What...... Ah."
The short-haired hunter finally fell silent.
Something approached without hiding its presence.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Do-won is dying.
With no time to grieve that fact amid the sudden assault, Hong Yeon decisively commanded the scene.
"Rescue the Little Heavenly Demon. Support the Heavenly Demon. Think of nothing else. Focus on one thing only."
Her eyes, usually gentle, now sharpened like blades.
Click-clack. Each step of her heels echoed, shaking the nearby mana.
Swords floating behind her followed in her wake.
"......Kill every bastard who set foot inside."
In Hong Yeon's hand, the corpse of a hunter.
Torn flesh and skin—brutally savage.
Even as the Demonic Cult's leader, her face showed no doubt as she presented her resolute expression to the others.
"Right now."
"Yes!!!"
Do-won's warriors spread across the entire mountain range, each boasting exceptional combat prowess.
'......Don't think. Anything.'
Though her heart tore and blood tears threatened, Hong Yeon gritted her teeth and clung to reason.
Her gaze turned to one spot.
"You alright?"
"Y-Yes. Thank you."
A woman in black clothes emblazoned with the Little Heavenly Demon emblem.
Her torn top revealed what she'd narrowly escaped.
"Water inside. Have a cup."
"...Yes."
Though trembling, she responded promptly to Hong Yeon.
"Calm down. It'll end soon."
Several figures suddenly dispatched to Do-won's innermost core.
Watching people continuously teleported to one coordinate, Hong Yeon quickly realized who was responsible.
"We've secured the interior. But the outer areas, lower and mid sections alike, are a bloodbath."
"I know."
Even on the day he died, that person had helped Do-won's people.
He was Do-won itself, in name and truth.
"Cult Leader? Where to?"
"Outside."
"Too dangerous."
Swallowing the bitter taste in her mouth, Hong Yeon steadily advanced.
To the warrior's protest, the raspy voice unique to unleashed Wood People escaped her lips.
"I am the Cult Leader. What do you doubt?"
The warrior shut his mouth.
At Hong Yeon's declaration, many eyes in the building widened toward her.
Rumors swirled about her lacking prowess; she usually obsessed over Do-won's internal affairs.
No one had witnessed such charisma from her before.
"Trust me."
This scale of assault was unprecedented.
She lacked much field command experience.
Yet as Do-won's Cult Leader, she couldn't be swayed by petty emotions—she had to decide coldly what must be done.
-Clunk!
The firmly shut door opened.
Corpses of warriors who'd escaped through windows littered outside.
Spotting Hong Yeon, some hunters eyed her with varied emotions.
"What is this place that you dare set foot?"
A sword extended straight toward the hunter, resonating with her trembling voice.
Maple leaves from her skirt hem turned to swords, multiplying.
Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
Crimson lightning clung to the blades.
As if gripped by her own hand, the sword tips quivered.
"What is this place...... you say."
If not for those people, he wouldn't have died.
Hong Yeon pressed her tightening chest with both hands and stepped forward.
Oncoming hunters.
-Flash!
The swords moved.
Extending in different directions, they collided and redirected.
-Chaeng, chaeng!
Leaving red sword trails, they spread far ahead, fanning out omnidirectionally.
Do-won's replicas flushed red in the blades' glow.
That instant.
-Kugugugu!
A figure flashed across Hong Yeon's widened eyes.
On the horizon of her vision, far away— a man flying toward somewhere at barely visible speed.
Hong Yeon's lips twitched.
Instinct told her: this was the last glimpse.
Thump.
Time seemed to halt; her mind cleared, surroundings slowed.
For a moment, it felt like he looked her way.
Bloody in white robes, yet unyielding.
'Ah.'
No lament escaped her lips.
Regret, dizziness. Even now...
Emotions that could fill pages churned in her head, but her choice ended in one motion.
"......"
Hong Yeon didn't meet his eyes.
Instead, she raised her rigid hand, sweeping the surroundings once.
-Kwajijik!
The dispersed swords plunged into the hunters' bodies.
Blood burst. Bone fragments rolled to her feet.
The scene ended in a flash. Shattered armor and broken-necked soldiers littered the ground.
Demonic Cult Leader.
Swords numbered nearly fifty now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Nothing ever went as wished.
My life had always been that way.
So I never expected otherwise this time.
Plans never went accordingly.
Not for me, nor for those bastards.
-Woooong!
The mana pouring from my body seemed endless, no matter how much I drew.
Even at full throttle with all my mana for speed, my body showed no fatigue.
Days without sleep, yet no drowsiness.
Felt like flying with wings.
-Kwang!
A hunter chasing a fleeing Do-won civilian.
I smashed his head with a punch, then advanced one step to teleport the civilian to the core.
All actions flowed naturally, as if premeditated.
No... It was as I thought. Odd how my body moved exactly to thought.
Like painting on white canvas. Senses utterly free.
Even pain, normally a brake, lubricated me.
It hurts.
Hurts, but I move.
In battle, consciousness blurred slightly.
-When you fight, something's different about you.
Like zoning out while vaguely imagining in your head.
Not exactly the same, but similar sensation.
"Little Heavenly Demon!"
A hunter leaped onto a roof, bending knees to block ahead, thrusting his sword.
I casually tilted my head to dodge, then closed in.
A light palm-heel strike.
Just that.
-Splurt!
Hunter holed through the chest. Light faded from his eyes as he slid off the roof.
-During training, you seem to lose midway memories briefly.
-Me?
-Yes.
Reason training felt so short.
Didn't know then, but combat revealed it.
Everything felt slow.
Swords, magic. Even my fists.
Mind spun at high speed, making magic activation swift too.
-Peureng!
A female mage activating magic.
I casually unraveled it; bewilderment crossed her face.
Swinging hand severed her neck as usual.
Gushing blood fountain. Kicked her down to avoid vision block.
-You're a natural. This training suits you perfectly.
No wonder you inherited the Ghost King's power.
The Heavenly Demon had said that.
Recalling the old man's words brought vivid memory of my first kill.
Caught in a cult. Stabbed a follower who fully believed I was one of them.
......Had to be done. Felt nothing.
Am I insane?
Yeah, whatever.
As the old man said.
Even rotten, I carried father's blood.
Others whine I wasn't always like this—pathetic.
Hypocrite or not, what did it matter now.
My people mattered.
Anyone can turn cruel by circumstance, ugly in shame—common knowledge. I've always been ordinary.
After the dungeon, identity confusion hit hard.
But seeing Lee Se-young's death future changed that.
Me.
Spineless bastard. Does whatever he wants.
Sometimes merciful, shrugging coolly; helps when relaxed.
Pity drives aid, arrogance belittles foes.
Ignored? Rage from shame. Ugly excuses like "meant this." Acts cool, hides hurt.
Preaches change, repeats same.
Petty nature—can't sustain goodness. Just who I am.
Reed-like, but one thing to protect.
Now even that's slipping.
Such thoughts amid motion.
Thus moving,
-Kwajijijik!
Halting my dash-like movement, roof tiles flew from my toe.
From one building roof end to end.
Sliding through air, I arrived before Cheon-do.
"......"
Cheon-do, bound in chains, looked up with lightless eyes.
Light slowly returned to those pupils.
"...Senior brother?"