Chapter 97

Translator: Penny

Chapter 97

I deflected the incoming slash when it came close enough to be seen with the naked eye.

Fragments of Sword Qi scattered thickly.

When I raised my gaze, I saw a person standing on top of the palace.

[NPC - Heavenly Demon First Disciple Rank 6 So Hyang-wol]

The woman in black was looking down at me with a sword in her hand.

I took up my sword and assessed the situation.

There wasn't much to assess.

So Hyang-wol was rushing in head-on.

You only deliberate when you have multiple options.

I raised my sword and parried the incoming horizontal thrust.

Blocking the long-range slash gave me a rough idea of her level.

She wasn't someone I could handle while holding back too much.

80%.

I decided that level of power was appropriate to use.

Clang!

Light spread out along the friction of the blades.

So Hyang-wol's Sword Path and my Sword Path continued to clash in the air.

After the seventh clash.

A faint aura flowed from the Heavenly Demon standing next to me.

Perhaps because of that aura, So Hyang-wol's movements stopped.

I also stopped moving.

The Heavenly Demon looked at me.

"You wouldn't want to reveal all your cards so openly, would you?"

I readily nodded.

"Indeed, I wouldn't."

The Each Lord I had encountered on the way here were nowhere to be seen, but I could feel the gazes of the Warriors who seemed to be training in what looked like a training ground.

"Let's stop here. There's still plenty of time left anyway."

Was he referring to the 60-day deadline?

I wondered.

Martial Artist wouldn't consider two months a long time.

I still couldn't relax at all.

Heavenly Demon Church.

There was a reason the quest objective was survival.

Just then.

Thud.

A man with a strangely familiar face was approaching me.

I knew why he looked familiar when I saw the name tag above his head.

[NPC – Hubei Yeon Family Eldest Son Rank 6 Yeon Yooshin]

"I heard from Eun-gong that you were the one who saved my sister. Thank you."

He's also Rank 6.

"I was also a bit surprised to hear you were in the Heavenly Demon Church… I thought Yeon Seol-ah was a completely innocent victim, but it turns out she had some flaws."

Yeon Yooshin's lips curled up at my words.

"Everyone has their own circumstances. Ah, I wasn't the one who killed the eldest son of the Baekri Family. It's true that we sparred, and it's also true that I inflicted near-fatal injuries."

Surprisingly, the more I listened to Yeon Yooshin, the less I trusted him.

"Do you plan to stay in the Heavenly Demon Church?"

Yeon Yooshin nodded at my question.

"It seems like the wall I'm facing is about to collapse. I plan to resolve that first and then leave the Heavenly Demon Church."

I heard a snicker from the side.

It was the Heavenly Demon's laughter.

"What do you think this place is? Somewhere you can just walk in and out of?"

I had no choice but to ask the Heavenly Demon.

"Are you going to let me out of here?"

The Heavenly Demon nodded.

"60 days. You mentioned that deadline. Since you've already set foot in this Heavenly Demon Church, whether you're inside or outside, there will be many who seek your life, so stay here."

That did seem to make sense.

"...What do you want me to do?"

The Heavenly Demon tilted his head as if asking the obvious.

"Train, of course. Do what you always do here. Isn't that what you want? To create a Domain."

"That's right."

I could see a glint in the eyes of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So Hyang-wol and Yeon Yooshin at my answer.

It was Yeon Yooshin who spoke first.

"Oh, it seems Eun-gong is also struggling to find his way in creating a Domain."

I didn't feel the need to hide it, so I readily admitted it.

"Yes."

"I'm in the same boat."

"For how long?"

"A little over a year."

I could say that I had only experienced about half of that pain, but that didn't make me feel sorry for Yeon Yooshin.

Judging by the level of stagnation I was currently experiencing, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wouldn't be strange for that to double.

Snap-

The Heavenly Demon suddenly placed his hand on my right shoulder.

"It's alright. I'll provide a way to break down that wall to some extent."

I couldn't guess what that method would be, but I didn't want to ask here.

I felt someone's gaze again.

It was So Hyang-wol's gaze.

"How old are you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking how old you are."

It wasn't difficult to understand the intention behind her sudden question about my age.

Same Rank.

And she seemed to be asking because we were both blocked by a similar wall.

"Twenty-one."

"...You're young."

What's so young about that.

There probably isn't much difference.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

She is a genius.

Not that I'm one to talk.

The Heavenly Demon's voice was heard.

"First, let's return to my palace."

The Heavenly Demon kept saying strange things as he returned.

"You'll end up fighting one of the Each Lord before the 60 days are up."

Very strange things, indeed.

"What Rank?"

"There isn't an Each Lord who isn't at least Rank 7 Initial Order."

"Is the fight to the death?"

The Heavenly Demon chuckled at my question.

"Of course, we'll fight to the death. Did you think we were going to have a friendly spar?"

In other words.

I, who hadn't even created a Domain yet, had to fight a Warrior who was at least Rank 7 Initial Order.

And that had to happen within 60 days.

I instinctively knew that this 27th Floor might become my final resting place.

I had no idea why I had to fight one of the Each Lord, but judging from the Heavenly Demon's attitude, he wasn't the kind of person to go back on his word.

"What's the method? To break down my wall."

"Time-Delayed Prison."

The Heavenly Demon added.

"It's a room where time flows slowly."

Ah.

Really?

The Heavenly Demon's words were very easy to understand.

Because this was a very common cliché in narrative media growth stories.

I obediently accepted it.

"The Time-Delayed Prison is a place that requires time to prepare. So, practice sparring while it's being prepared."

"How long does it take to prepare?"

"Two days is enough."

It really didn't take long.

"I'll assign So Hyang-wol and Yeon Yooshin as your sparring partners. And once the Time-Delayed Prison is ready, you can go in."

"Understood."

The Heavenly Demon still gave me a private room.

A fairly spacious room.

I spread out my Energy Sense, but I didn't feel anything around me.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Demon didn't seem to be curious about my private life, which he had already placed in the palm of his hand.

I lay down on the bed, which was quite well-furnished.

And after taking a picture of the ceiling of the room first, I also took a picture of the side and opened the Transcendent Gallery.

This time, there was quite a bit to write.

Title: I've been kidnapped by the Heavenly Demon.

Author: XX*

Attached file: 18230912830940.jpg

It's the Heavenly Demon Church. As soon as I finished the North Sea Ice Palace quest, I was suddenly kidnapped.

What kind of strange things keep happening?

It said that some Floor scenario has been extended.

Ah, Hubei Yeon Family Yeon Seol-ah's brother Yeon Yooshin is here.

He says he inflicted near-fatal injuries but didn't kill him, but that's a bit suspicious too.

I thought the family was ruined unfairly, but there are plenty of suspicious points.

The reason the Heavenly Demon kidnapped me is surprisingly just curiosity about me.

And he seems to be interested in me getting stronger.

Ah, it seems like he's trying to throw me into a place called Time-Delayed Prison.

A space where time flows slowly.

I don't know how slowly it will flow yet.

And as soon as that's over, I'll probably have to fight one of the Each Lord.

I don't know why the Heavenly Demon is suddenly trying to make me fight one of the Each Lord.

At least Rank 7 Initial Order… there's no hope?

It's just that something else popped out for a long time, which is a problem.

Right now, he just seems like an untouchable being.

I see.

I stopped Gallery Browsing in the Transcendent Gallery and put the Terminal in my Inventory.

I sparred all day.

With So Hyang-wol and Yeon Yooshin.

The sparring was conducted alternately with the two of them.

The sparring, which was conducted one-on-one, was helpful in maximizing my combat sense, but it wasn't particularly helpful in breaking down the wall in front of me.

And today, an unexpected meeting was waiting for me.

Mok Yeon, the Heavenly Pavilion Lord, one of the Five Pavilion Lords, called for me.

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