Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Maeng Ak, Embracer of the Sacred Black Flame
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The place the Sacred Black Flame took me was very different from where the Heavenly Demon Sword had led me.
The medium then was water, but this time, it was fire.
Not only the surroundings but even the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor standing before me was different.
No, to be precise, the person was the same, but what he remembered was different.
That was it.
The Heavenly Demon's Ancestor I met through the Sacred Black Flame had no memory of me.
In other words, he was a being completely separate from the Ancestor I had met through the Heavenly Demon Sword.
As I stood there bewildered, the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor spoke.
“Hmm… judging by the sword, it seems you approached the Heavenly Demon Sword first. Yes, that must be why you can use the Heavenly Demon's Ki.”
He was definitely the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor.
He knew things that no one else could possibly know.
“Then this will be easy to explain. First, the me you met before is a different spirit from myself.”
“A different spirit… Do you mean one person's spirit was split into two?”
“Three.”
“Pardon?”
“The spirits I divided from myself, that is.”
The Heavenly Demon's Ancestor explained.
Just before his death, he left his will for future generations, and with it, he left behind his spirit.
One of them was the spirit contained within the Heavenly Demon Sword, and another was himself, contained within the Sacred Black Flame.
“That aside, you too have lived an eventful life.”
Just as the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor I met through the Heavenly Demon Sword had, this one too recognized my reincarnation.
“Then, was it the Sacred Black Flame that summoned me here this time as well, and not you, Ancestor?”
“That is correct. The Sacred Black Flame is the embodiment of the sorcery I once wielded. It is far too special to be considered mere black fire. It likely summoned you to choose its new master.”
“A new master…?”
The Heavenly Demon Sword had reacted to the Sword Arts of the Heavenly Demon, and the Sacred Black Flame had reacted to the Heavenly Demon's Ki.
While this was only possible due to the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor's arrangements, ultimately, they had to accept me as their new master on their own.
Of course, there was no reason for me, who had never even heard of sorcery in detail, to become its new master.
‘The power of sorcery... Is it really necessary? My martial prowess alone has already surpassed that of my past life.’
I felt differently than when I had obtained the Heavenly Demon Sword.
The situation was different from when I needed to use the sword to complete the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon.
First of all, unlike the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor, I had never used sorcery.
Was that why?
I felt no desire to obtain the Sacred Black Flame.
Sorcery seemed complicated.
So, I dared to refuse, apologetically.
“How can I, who cannot use sorcery at all…”
‘Is there a way to leave it preserved as it is? The Sacred Black Flame is already a great asset to the Cult just by existing.’
But the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor did not want that.
“You cannot use sorcery at all, you say? Did you not learn to open a space through the Heavenly Demon Sword?”
“Don't tell me...?!”
“Yes, that too is a form of sorcery. The sorcery I used was originally derived from a demonic dragon, so the very act of making the Heavenly Demon Sword, crafted from that dragon, your own is akin to sorcery.”
If that was the case, then the story changed.
If I could make the Sacred Black Flame completely mine, I could unite the Cult with perfect power, even without the sacred object itself.
My mind changed.
“Then, how should I accept the Sacred Black Flame?”
“Are you not already here? That means the Sacred Black Flame has acknowledged you.”
And yet, I felt no change in my body.
‘Will something happen when I leave this place, like with the Heavenly Demon Sword?’
It didn't matter either way.
There was no reason for the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor to lie.
‘The Sacred Black Flame is settled. I should ask the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor about the Windless Killing Curtain.’
The Honored Killer had said that no matter how many records he searched or codes he deciphered, he couldn't find any detailed information about why the Windless Killing Curtain was created.
All he knew was that an assassin, after receiving a favor from the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor, began to form the Windless Killing Curtain to aid him.
Just then, the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor asked.
“Hmm, my strength is slowly fading. It seems my time is almost up. From your expression, it looks like you have something to ask me. Go on, ask away.”
“Have you, by any chance, ever helped an assassin?”
“An assassin?”
Hearing my question, he rolled his eyes in thought.
Then, as if recalling something, he searched his memory and spoke.
“I don't know exactly who you're referring to, but seeing as you ask, it seems the one who was indebted to me did something later on.”
“Yes, that's right. He later created an organization called the Windless Killing Curtain.”
“The Windless Killing Curtain……. Ah! Are you perhaps talking about the Nameless? Yes, if it's that child, he might well create an assassins' organization.”
The Heavenly Demon's Ancestor told me about the man he mentioned, the Nameless.
This man, the Nameless, was literally without a name, and he had learned martial arts from the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor.
He did so to assassinate the black market tycoon who had massacred his family.
For that reason, the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor created and taught him a simplified version of martial arts for assassins.
Though it was a simplified version, it was still created by the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor.
The greatness of those arts was said to be worthy of being called a divine art in the world of assassination techniques.
Of course, the Nameless had to dedicate over a decade to learn it.
He said they lost contact after that, but I guessed that after achieving his revenge, he sought to repay his debt to the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor.
So he must have created the Windless Killing Curtain to harass the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's greatest enemy at the time.
“Thanks to you, I've obtained very valuable information.”
“Haha, indeed. You're probably the only one who would treat me like an informant.”
“Is there another spirit you've left elsewhere?”
Although the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor spoke like that, my time with him was truly precious.
It had only been twice, but each meeting had been helpful.
“This meeting will likely be our last. Even for me, splitting off a spirit strong enough to remain in the mortal realm could only be done twice at most.”
“You have been a great help.”
I offered him a fist and palm salute.
Beyond our relationship as the current Heavenly Demon and the Ancestor, I wanted to show him respect as one martial artist to another.
Did he sense my feelings?
As his final image, he showed me a smile.
“Haha, yes. Thanks to you, I believe I can depart in peace. My successor, do not be swayed by the judgments of the world, and fulfill the true purpose of our Divine Cult.”
“Maeng Ak, the current Heavenly Demon, accepts the Ancestor's command...!”
With that farewell, I was released from that world.
It was similar to the time with the Heavenly Demon Sword.
My consciousness faded slowly, then returned in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying naked.
Fortunately, the Great Guardian had covered me with an outer robe.
Spotting that I was awake, he asked in surprise.
“My Lord! Are you conscious? Your esteemed body! Are you alright?”
“Great Guardian, you don't need to shout. I can hear you perfectly. My body is also fine, so rest easy.”
I said that to calm him, but I could feel an inexplicable change in my body.
How should I put it?
My energy felt a layer deeper, heavier.
But my body felt light.
It wasn't because I was unclothed.
‘Oh, right. Where did I put the Heavenly Demon Sword?’
The sword I always kept by my side was gone.
And yet, for some reason, though I couldn't see it, I felt its presence somewhere.
‘Could it be because of that sorcery?’
When I thought of the space the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor had told me about, something incredible happened.
“Wha-?! What in the world is this!”
Even the Great Guardian, usually so composed, was so startled he fell backward.
Fwoosh!
Where I had unconsciously reached out my hand, a black flame erupted.
And there, an entrance to a small space appeared.
I naturally reached my hand into it.
Even when I sent my ki through, I couldn't gauge its exact size, but it was at least larger than the hall I was in.
From within, a familiar sword flew into my hand.
Thwack!
It was the Heavenly Demon Sword.
As soon as I pulled out my intended object, the space vanished along with the flames.
The Great Guardian, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, slammed his head on the floor and cried out.
“My Lord! Congratulations!”
I don't know if he realized this was the sorcery left by the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor, but even to him, who had reached the Profound Realm, the increase in my energy was palpable.
As he said, it was indeed an occasion for celebration.
I still didn't know much about sorcery, but just being able to store and retrieve the Heavenly Demon Sword like this was a great gain.
‘I should try this with things other than the Heavenly Demon Sword. Ah, yes, learning from a sorcerer would be a good idea, too.’
Just then, the most skilled sorcerer in the Cult entered.
It was Hwan Cheon-ju.
* * *
“I pay my respects to the Heavenly Demon.”
Contrary to her words, her gaze was sharp.
Even if he was the Heavenly Demon, causing a commotion while naked in this sacred hall, where the Sacred Black Flame had been handled since ancient times, was another matter entirely.
It was an act that could even be interpreted as sacrilege against the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor.
She asked, as if demanding an explanation.
“You've arrived earlier than expected. But why are you two here?”
“Ahem.”
Even the Great Guardian averted his gaze from her.
Entering someone else's home and wandering about recklessly instead of waiting was rude, regardless of status.
But Maeng Ak was different.
“The Sacred Black Flame guided me here.”
“Pardon? What do you mean...? Gasp!”
Distracted by the naked Maeng Ak, Hwan Cheon-ju finally looked for the Sacred Black Flame, which she hadn't noticed before.
But it was gone.
In the place where it had been enshrined, only the scorch marks from the blazing Sacred Black Flame remained.
The strength drained from her legs.
She crumbled at the fact that the Sacred Black Flame, which had been passed down from her ancestors, had been extinguished on her watch.
“O, Heavenly Demon! What in the world happened? How could the Sacred Black Flame... How...!”
She asked Maeng Ak with sorrowful eyes.
Her form, clutching her chest, felt like that of a parent who had lost a child.
Just then, Hwan Cheon-hwa and Hwan Cheon-ju's subordinates, who seemed to have followed her, also saw the scene.
They all glanced between the spot where the Sacred Black Flame had been and Maeng Ak, unable to hide their shock.
To any observer, it looked as if the Sacred Black Flame had been extinguished because of Maeng Ak, who had trespassed without a word.
But Maeng Ak didn't even blink.
“It would be faster to show you.”
He simply stretched his hand into the empty air.
Fwoosh!
That mystical event that had made the Great Guardian fall backward unfolded once more.
A black flame, identical to the Sacred Black Flame, flickered into existence, originating from Maeng Ak's hand.
Maeng Ak moved the flame freely.
And in the place where the original had been, he created a flame of the exact same size.
“...!”
At this unbelievable sight, Hwan Cheon-ju, Hwan Cheon-hwa, and her subordinates all widened their eyes.
What was the Sacred Black Flame? Was it not a sacred object itself, a fire that only the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor could wield, capable of incinerating anything and even granting the power of foresight?
And yet, not only was he emitting it from his body, but he was also controlling it freely.
In their eyes, Maeng Ak was their god, the Heavenly Demon himself.
What followed was similar to what the Great Guardian had done.
Thud!
They slammed their heads on the floor.
But the words that came from their mouths were slightly different.
Each of them confessed the doubt and resentment they had harbored in their hearts with the word "sacrilege."
“O, Heavenly Demon! Please kill this lowly believer who dared to harbor sacrilege!”
Among them, Hwan Cheon-ju's voice was the loudest.
Of course, Maeng Ak did not grant her request.
He simply smiled, achieving what he desired.
“I shall forgive your sin of sacrilege. However, Hwan Cheon-ju, you will teach me the power of sorcery.”