Chapter 338
Chapter 338
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 338
Chapter Title: This Is Starting to Get a Bit Scary
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“…….”
After gathering her energy, Haseola secretly watched Joo Dong-hoon’s weapon ceremony.
She still had her eyes wide open, fixed on Joo Dong-hoon.
A joint quest?
The wooden sword her master had mentioned?
None of that registered amid the jaw-dropping spectacle.
‘What kind of item is that…….’
Unconsciously, Haseola glanced down at the sword on her waist.
‘Heavenly Sword for the Heavenly Demon’ (SS-grade).
It was the Heavenly Sword she’d originally used, upgraded by Joo Dong-hoon.
Of course, it was still her beloved weapon, boasting a beautiful dark blade.
“…….”
But compared to the weapons handed out to those skeletons……
It fell several…… no, hundreds of levels short.
Was she helpless as a sword enthusiast?
‘Should I become one of Joo Dong-hoon’s subordinates too……?’
The thought even crossed her mind for a moment.
The Heavenly Demon Cult was something she’d created on Kang So-so’s whim anyway.
She’d always been more comfortable alone.
Plus, that way, she could stay by Joo Dong-hoon’s side longer……
“What the hell.”
Kang So-so spat out a curse upon reading her disciple’s insane thoughts.
“Snap out of it, you ridiculous Heavenly Demon.”
Good lord.
A Heavenly Demon serving under someone?
Unthinkable anywhere.
Kang So-so was beyond baffled, straight into shock at her disciple’s absurd notion.
Anyway.
‘……Amazing.’
The afterglow lingered for Haseola.
Every single weapon had left a deep impression.
Especially that Bone-Il fellow’s black sword—it was still vivid in her mind.
Elegant yet fierce, delicate yet alive……
Any sword lover would crave it.
“Hey, hey hey!”
That’s when Kang So-so freaked out beside her.
Rumble……
The ground was starting to vibrate faintly.
Haseola, entranced by the sword, had let a sliver of her restrained energy leak out.
“Get a grip, you idiot! Have you been possessed or something? What’s wrong with you lately?”
‘Huh?’
Startled, Haseola whipped around.
“If you’re gonna radiate that kind of overwhelming presence here, what’s the point of sneaking in? Huh?”
As Kang So-so scolded her, countless gazes turned their way.
Oh no……
Haseola made a sheepish face at her blunder.
“That…… woman?”
“She looks familiar.”
“She’s pretty. An idol?”
The crowd murmured.
Then, someone shouted.
“Idol my ass……! You idiots! It’s Haseola! Haseola! The Heavenly Demon, Haseola!”
Only then did everyone’s eyes widen.
“H-Haseola?”
“The world rank 2 Haseola? N-No way, it is!”
“Whoa……!”
“What brings Haseola to Murim Haven?”
“A-Autograph! I gotta get her autograph!”
The spectators, still buzzing from the weapon ceremony, faced a fresh shock before the excitement even faded.
Haseola’s appearance!
It set their hearts racing.
Hyper-rankers were rare sights in a lifetime.
And here they’d spotted two in one day.
‘Oh man.’
Haseola broke out in a sweat.
She’d planned to watch secretly and greet Joo Dong-hoon separately.
Had she ended up disrupting the event?
Step.
She took a step back, her gaze landing on Joo Dong-hoon.
Sure enough.
He was staring right at her.
‘……Sigh.’
In the end, Haseola sighed inwardly.
* * *
‘Hm.’
I frowned.
‘When did she get in?’
Only authorized people could enter Murim Haven.
A big shot like Haseola should’ve triggered a heads-up from Kim Jin-ah.
But checking the chat log turned up nothing.
Which meant……
‘She slipped through?’
Then why?
She’d just been watching secretly, it seemed.
Why hide her presence?
Worried about interrupting my event?
That’s when something clicked.
‘Message.’
[Joint quest activation conditions met!]
I’d held off on this while crafting weapons, keeping Demir from seeing.
I pulled it up again.
[Joint condition exclusive to Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer!]
[Joint condition exclusive to Unique Ability: Heavenly Demon!]
[Condition: The meeting of ‘One’ and ‘One’!]
- ‘Supreme of Gold and the World’s Best’ and ‘Heavenly Demon’ share the dungeon ‘Murim’ world.
- Heavenly Demon, Kang So-so recognizes the medium, ‘Supreme of Gold and the World’s Best’ (SS-grade).
‘Heavenly Demon, Kang So-so……?’
In that instant.
I grasped the big picture.
Heavenly Demon, Haseola.
She was cut from the same cloth as me.
Just as Master Mansul guarded my side.
She had a master offering guidance too.
And that master’s grudge……
Was tied to Bone-Il’s past life.
The grand scheme snapped into focus.
[Opening the medium ‘Supreme of Gold and the World’s Best’ (SS-grade) will allow joint entry.]
[Cannot open medium without Heavenly Demon nearby.]
“Hm.”
Pretty clever.
Dungeon diving with Haseola, huh.
Anyway.
She didn’t seem hostile toward me, judging by her flustered expression.
If she’d come, it was probably because of this quest.
“Lady Haseola! Huge fan!”
“Please, an autograph!”
“You’re always in seclusion, so what brings you to Murim Haven?”
“What’s your connection to Skeleton Emperor?!”
As the crowd swarmed her, sending desperate glances my way for help.
Heh.
I chuckled and nodded.
Curious?
Just ask directly.
* * *
Murim Haven conference room.
“Hahaha. Heavenly Demon?”
Kim Jin-ah, who’d extracted Haseola and me from the crowd, brought coffee.
The steaming Americano looked incredibly inviting.
“If you’d just given a heads-up before coming, it would’ve been. So. Much. Easier, right?”
What was impressive about Kim Jin-ah.
She didn’t flinch even before the world rank 2, Korea’s living legend Haseola.
She even jabbed with a bright smile.
Ooh.
My Kim Jin-ah.
Solid as a rock?
Shing!
That’s when Haseola drew her sword from her waist.
Eek!
Kim Jin-ah jumped.
“Whoa!”
Then she swiftly hid behind my back.
For a split second, I thought she was a ranker herself.
How’d she dodge that fast?
[Kim Jin-ah: Guild master, guild master!]
[Kim Jin-ah: What’s her deal?]
[Kim Jin-ah: Why’d she draw her sword out of nowhere?]
Hey……
What are you doing?
[Kim Jin-ah: Help me, help me!]
Of course, Haseola hadn’t drawn to attack us.
No killing intent in the blade.
Swish, swish!
- Sorry.
The reason she’d unsheathed it.
Just to apologize.
I grinned.
Fox pretending to be a tiger? From Kim Jin-ah, no less.
[Skeleton Emperor: Uh…… mind letting go of my clothes now?]
She was clutching my sleeve back there so tight.
It felt like my skin might tear.
Though a non-ranker like Kim Jin-ah’s nails wouldn’t manage that.
[Kim Jin-ah: Haha, hahaha.]
[Kim Jin-ah: This frail vice guild master…….]
[Kim Jin-ah: You’ve gotta protect me, guild master!]
[Kim Jin-ah: Seriously, what kind of apology is that savage?]
Kim Jin-ah brazenly chatted while emerging from behind me, acting all casual.
“It’s fine, Heavenly Demon.”
Like she was graciously accepting the apology.
“Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is learning and improving. Just give us a heads-up next time.”
- Yeah, thanks.
“So.”
Kim Jin-ah glanced at Haseola.
“What brings you to our Murim Haven?”
- I.
Haseola’s gaze met mine.
- Honestly, I wanted to fight Joo Dong-hoon.
“Hmm?”
Kim Jin-ah looked baffled.
Why would world rank 2 pick a fight with the head of a rival faction out of nowhere.
- Just curious.
- But not anymore.
- I’ve seen enough.
Swish! Swish!
Haseola elegantly inscribed words in the air.
So fast it outpaced speech.
‘Seen enough’ probably meant……
She’d witnessed my subordinates’ true capabilities.
- However.
Haseola gave me a look.
I nodded back.
She was talking about the joint quest.
She might’ve come from curiosity at first.
But now we were in the same boat—had to clear the dungeon together.
Without her, I couldn’t even open the medium.
“Vice guild master?”
At my call.
“Hehe, coffee’s served. Time for me to handle some business.”
Kim Jin-ah tactfully excused herself.
“Have a wholesome, fun chat, you two.”
Clunk!
She shut the door behind her.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence enveloped the conference room.
Truth be told.
When she said she wanted to fight.
My blood stirred a bit.
To reiterate.
I’m rank 4, but I’m confident I won’t lose to anyone now.
‘But.’
I have a next ‘goal.’
Awakening Bone-Il.
Can’t forget that.
Just two left.
Seeing myself once Bone-Il and Bone-Ten are fully awakened—that’s what matters most now.
“Heavenly Demon.”
- Yeah.
“No need to spell out the dungeon part; you’ll join me. So straight to the point: brace yourself. The medium makes it insanely tough.”
Tough was an understatement.
During Yui-sa’s awakening, I nearly got trapped in the spirit realm’s depths forever.
- I know. I’m ready.
Haseola pointed her sword at the wooden sword on my waist.
- That.
- My master’s target.
- The kid wielding that wooden sword? Supposedly insanely strong.
Master meant……
The Heavenly Demon Kang So-so from the message?
“Insanely strong, huh…….”
Heh.
Wooden sword wielder—Bone-Il, right?
Why’s my chest swelling with pride?
Bone-Il got the nod from the Heavenly Demon’s master!
“How strong we talking?”
- Master said.
- One move.
“……?”
- Died in one move.
- Oh, and my master’s stronger than me.
Stronger than Haseola.
And Bone-Il took her down in one move?
“…….”
Hold up.
This isn’t just pride.
It’s starting to get a bit scary?
Indeed.
How brutal would this difficulty be?
* * *
For now, I scheduled with Haseola.
Thought about going right away, but we both had reasons to delay.
I’d just returned, still sorting things out.
Haseola had slipped out without telling the Heavenly Demon Cult.
So we set it for.
One month later.
Meet at Murim Haven and head out.
Thorough prep in the meantime.
“Guild master, guild master!”
Once Haseola left, Kim Jin-ah latched on.
“What’s the deal? Why’d the Heavenly Demon show up? Everyone’s losing it. That lazy-ass Heavenly Demon at Murim Haven? What’s your connection? Secret lovers? Tabloids are going nuts with speculation articles everywhere.”
“Hmm.”
As expected.
Fame’s a curse.
A simple chat spirals into rumors and gossip.
“Just dungeon-related.”
“Oh, dungeon…….”
Slurp.
Kim Jin-ah smacked her lips.
Like some curiosity lingered unsatisfied.
Her narrowed eyes hinted at suspicion too.
‘Sigh.’
Guess I should give the gist.
“There’s a brutal dungeon. We’re teaming up. That’s it.”
“Reaally?”
Eyes still narrowed, Kim Jin-ah glanced aside.
Hm?
Come to think of it, her usual tag-alongs were there.
The Kwon sisters, Seon-ji and Tam-ji.
Tam-ji nodded.
Meaning yes.
‘What?’
Did my vice guild master just doubt me?
“Ahaha! It’s true?! Whew, what a relief……!”
“Yeah…… exactly one month from now, we’ll head out…….”
What a relief?
What’d she think?
“Got it! Your loyal vice guild master will handle it precisely and reliably! Leave it to me!”
“Hey, vice guild master?”
Tot! Tot! Tot!
Ignoring me, she scampered off lightly.
Looking relieved.
‘What’s her deal?’
I tilted my head briefly.
But honestly, I had work to do.
Weapons done, forces fully replenished—time for a test run.
Now.
Time to meet the dangerous ancient being, Apophis, as I’d asked Arin.