Chapter 98
Chapter 98
Translator: Penny
Chapter 98
Heavenly Pavilion Lord.
Mok Yeon looked at me.
“So it’s you?”
Mok Yeon’s gaze was filled with interest.
It seemed he saw me as something quite extraordinary.
“Looks like you’ve really piqued the Heavenly Demon’s curiosity. You.”
I scratched the back of my head.
“Isn’t it just that he’s the type to be curious about almost everything?”
Mok Yeon shook his head.
“Seems the Heavenly Demon didn’t mention that part, huh? He’s been combing through the entire Central Plains martial world like searching for a needle in a haystack to find you. Of course, the ones being spied on never noticed it.”
Mok Yeon added.
“Probably, the Heavenly Demon intends to make you fight the Sword Pavilion Lord.”
Sword Pavilion Lord.
That red-haired man I saw yesterday, right?
His name was Pyo Wi-heon.
“Is he strong?”
Hearing that he was an opponent I had to fight, I became more curious about his level of strength than the reason I had to fight this Sword Pavilion Lord guy.
“He’s strong.”
Mok Yeon’s following words were enough to chill my mood.
“He’s 7th Rank Middle Stage.”
Fucked.
Without any exaggeration or understatement, it was clearly, utterly fucked.
“The enemies he’s defeated so far have all been 7th Rank or above. Moreover, he even killed one who was also Middle Stage.”
Mok Yeon smirked.
Since Mok Yeon was answering my questions well, I decided to ask in detail.
“7th Rank Middle Stage… Do you happen to know exactly who he killed?”
“The former family head of the Mo Yong Clan, Mo Yong-hyeon gang.”
The former family head of the Mo Yong Clan.
He killed someone quite famous.
“Sword Demon Pyo Wi-heon. He made his name known by killing Mo Yong-hyeon gang. He was already famous, though.”
“I see.”
Sword Pavilion Lord is literally a position. He had a separate nickname, Sword Demon.
Mok Yeon continued explaining.
“It’s possible the Heavenly Demon is trying to pass the task of killing the Sword Demon to you because he finds it bothersome.”
“There must be a reason he wants to kill him.”
“It’s simple.”
Mok Yeon pointed to the sky.
“That bastard spouted nonsense. He said something like, if you eat people, you might be able to see the realm beyond. And he actually committed that act of cannibalism. After playing around with Bewitching Demons, it seems he even picked up some of their unpleasant traits.”
Another question arose in me.
“Do you Apostles also clearly view cannibalism… eating human flesh… negatively?”
Mok Yeon narrowed his eyes into crescents.
“To tell the truth, we’re the type who don’t really think much of it. Don’t even care. I’m the same.”
Mok Yeon gazed steadily at me.
“Of course, that’s not the point that angered the Heavenly Demon about the Sword Pavilion Lord. The problem is his stubborn adherence to a mistaken notion. Firmly believing that he can surpass the Heavenly Demon through that method. That must have provoked the Heavenly Demon’s faint anger.”
I roughly understood.
“He probably just wants to shatter that ridiculous belief using your hands.”
Though it might take me a while to fully grasp that sentiment.
“Time-Delayed Prison. It seems he’ll put me in there and make me train. What method do you think it will be?”
“Hmm, you’re in for quite a struggle. The method will be sparring.”
“Sparring, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t I going into the Time-Delayed Prison alone? Who am I sparring with?”
“You’ll find out soon enough anyway, so just look forward to it.”
Nevertheless, Mok Yeon was quite kind.
More than I originally thought.
Just when I thought the conversation was completely over, an unexpected remark popped out of Mok Yeon’s mouth.
“But are you really from another world? I did eat that… what was it, pork rice bowl or something, but I’m still a bit doubtful.”
“…Ah, so you shared the one that was taken from me.”
Last night.
The day the Heavenly Demon snatched the [Cream Bacon Pasta] I bought from the Coin Shop and brought in.
When the Heavenly Demon rushed at me asking if I had anything else like this, my [Pork Rice Bowl] was also taken.
“But since you didn’t eat it alone and shared it, my perception of the Heavenly Demon has improved a bit.”
A peculiar light appeared in Mok Yeon’s eyes.
“Just how much worse was your original perception of the Heavenly Demon?”
My original perception of the Heavenly Demon.
“Kidnapping a person. Taking all the food I had… uh, a Giant Demon.”
“Hmm! Seeing you hesitate, you thought he was a beggar!”
Cor, correct.
What kind of Heavenly Demon steals so much food?
***
I headed towards the main palace where the Heavenly Demon resided.
There, a bizarre scene unfolded before my eyes.
The Heavenly Demon had his eyes closed, leaning his head back.
A woman was seen stroking the Heavenly Demon’s long hair.
[NPC – Heavenly Demon’s Attendant Yeo-rin]
What’s this.
A scalp massage?
“Mmm…”
The sound that escaped his lips carried a sense of comfort.
It was definitely a scalp massage, no matter how I looked at it.
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes slowly opened.
The Heavenly Demon looked at me and smiled faintly.
“Hmm, you’ve come. Han Yoo-seong.”
“Yes, I’ve come.”
When the Heavenly Demon gestured with his chin, the attendant bowed deeply and disappeared.
The Heavenly Demon slowly rotated his neck as if stretching.
“Now it’s time to enter the Time-Delayed Prison.”
“Exactly what is it, and how long do I need to stay?”
“As long as your body and mind can endure, it doesn’t matter.”
Body and mind.
“The period you need to survive here, now that one day has passed, 59 days left?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can set that period as the baseline for now. Time in the Time-Delayed Prison is 30 days per day.”
Getting to live 30 times longer, isn’t this a huge jackpot?
—But I hadn’t experienced it yet to think that.
I decided to experience it first.
“If you’re ready, let’s go in.”
“Alright, it’s good to experience it.”
“But how was it made? A space that slows down time like that.”
The Heavenly Demon grinned mischievously.
“Once you go in and experience it, you’ll naturally understand how it was made.”
I decided to go along with it for now.
The Heavenly Demon guided me.
We stood before a door shrouded in thick fog.
“Just go in.”
I stepped forward.
The moment I entered the space, the impression that struck me was vastness.
I thought a prison, even if large, would be a space about the size of a blocked-off stairway waiting room.
But this looked closer to a piece of nature carved out.
And in the center of that space, a faint human silhouette appeared.
[NPC - Byeok Un-cheol 6th Rank]
To borrow the Heavenly Demon’ words, the being before me could be called a copy.
Copies of those who had fought the Sword Pavilion Lord until now.
Sword Pavilion Lord.
It seemed they were the souls of those killed by the hand of the Sword Demon Pyo Wi-heon.
Inside this Time-Delayed Prison, they were like intact, living, breathing people.
That bastard, despite being a copy, was damn strong.
So Hyang-wol and Yeon Yooshin, whom I had sparred with over two days, were also 6th Rank.
Perhaps because neither had opened their Domain like me,
Even considering it was a sparring match without risking life, their range of attacks didn’t seem that extensive.
But Byeok Un-cheol, also 6th Rank, kept making my breath catch.
Byeok Un-cheol made me give my all even without manifesting his Domain.
Although I ultimately managed to knock him down.
I pierced Byeok Un-cheol’s heart with my sword.
Byeok Un-cheol’s body toppled backward.
Sssss…
His body soon scattered ash-gray smoke and dissipated.
Thud—
I was also completely drained of strength.
Sprawled out on the ground, I pulled out the Transcender Gallery Terminal.
I won’t be constantly voyeuristically watching you just because you’re sitting in the Time-Delayed Prison, so just survive on your own.
The Heavenly Demon had clearly said that.
I didn’t take the Heavenly Demon’s words at face value.
Because he was exactly the kind of person who would do that without it being strange at all.
He’s just doing it because he wants to browse the gallery.
The terminal itself shouldn’t be visible, so if anyone asks why I’m staring into empty space, I can just make up some excuse about that.
I took a picture of the Time-Delayed Prison’s scenery with the Transcender Gallery Terminal.
Title : Time-Delayed Prison Day 1 in progress.
Author : ㅇㅇ*
First off, it’s not as prison-like as I thought. It’s closer to a forest, this.
The enemy I was facing is a 6th Rank Swordsman.
As posted in the gallery yesterday, it seems certain I have to face the Sword Pavilion Lord.
The 6th Rank Swordsman I just subdued is someone the Sword Pavilion Lord killed during his lifetime. According to this Heavenly Demon’s explanation.
-
Seems it proceeds by facing, one by one, those killed by the guy I have to face.
-
Yes, correct.
-
Heavenly Demon) The Time-Delayed Prison is the exclusive property of the Heavenly Demon Church within that martial world’s setting.
-
Heavenly Demon) The most useful peculiarity is that even if you die inside the Time-Delayed Prison, you revive.
-
Sword of Light) Instead, the physical growth achieved in the Time-Delayed Prison won’t be maintained. Internal energy is the same.
-
Sword of Light) What you can gain is the experience and enlightenment from the combat itself.
-
Dang Ha-yeon) But the Domain is more connected to the Mental Image and will than the body, so even if you awaken it inside the Time-Delayed Prison, you should be able to use it sufficiently outside too!!
-
Oh, I see.
Well, if physical growth were also maintained, there’d be no need to ever come out; you could just stay buried in the Time-Delayed Prison.
-
Absolute Monarch) Was the 6th Rank you defeated someone who hadn’t awakened their Domain?
-
Hmm*) Not sure about that.
-
Absolute Monarch) If it was someone who had awakened their Domain but was subdued without using it, then there will come a time when they reappear before your eyes and initiate combat. That’s how it was in my experience.
A copy that died without using its Domain even though it had awakened one can reappear and use its Domain.
I could immediately tell that Senior Absolute Monarch’s words were correct.
[NPC - Byeok Un-cheol 6th Rank]
The copy I had clearly dissipated had reappeared.
Something ominous was coiled around the sword gripped in his right hand.
Is that your Domain.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!
I stared directly at the trajectories piercing towards me accompanied by colorless light.
Countless thrusts were executed omnidirectionally.
The sword trajectories that had already grazed past me returned like boomerangs.
Sword strikes like bullets in a bullet hell game that bounce back after hitting a wall.
I had to evade all of them. And shatter them.
I shattered over 500 various flashes of light.
Not a single one directly hit the enemy.
Several times, I felt the sensation of my skull being crushed during the process of breaking them.
Because I evaded them all by a hair’s breadth.
If my judgment had been even a fraction slower on any one, it would have been instant death.
My bones tingled.
The atmosphere rippled tumultuously.
Jjeo-jeo-jeong!
Fragments of sword light scattered densely.
Finally, having shattered all the sword strikes.
I pierced Byeok Un-cheol’s heart once more.
Byeok Un-cheol dissipated again.
Once more, I lay sprawled on the ground.
And pulled out the Transcender Gallery Terminal.
Title : Almost got fucked.
Author : XX*
As the seniors predicted, Mr. Un-cheol reappeared holding his Domain. Barely managed to take him down again.
Gotta keep sparring like this, build up some combat experience. Seems I need to try creating a Domain.
-
? You disappeared less than 10 seconds ago?
-
Dude’s in the Time-Delayed Prison right now. He’s using time super efficiently.
-
It’s amazing the Transcender Gallery works. Could you see the climbing gallery, but when you posted, wasn’t it encrypted and stuff?
-
Jjuhdak) Right. That was the case. It’s fortunate.
So damn fortunate.
If I could only lurk, I might have gone crazy.
-
Dang Ha-yeon) Ssuuuh! If it weren’t for the martial world inside the Tower, this Dang Ha-yeon! Would shout “I’m coming!” and go find you right away, what a shame!!!
-
Shrine Maiden) Hawawa, if that were the case, I would have found you long ago.
-
Famous Thing) That would have been so.
-
Scum Sword Saint) Since you have time to spare, make sure to train in the Plum Blossom Sword Art too.
I had previously received the Plum Blossom Sword Art through interdimensional trade.
-Okay, going to review it all.
As Sword Saint sunbae said, I’ll look at the Plum Blossom Sword Art too. I plan to train by meticulously examining all the sword arts I possess.
I also felt convinced it was a necessary process for the Domain I would create.
-
Ice Queen) Kkong-kkong! Frozen…! Hang in there!
-
Sword of Light) Since the time you can utilize has increased, take it easy.
-
Okay*) Got it.
After catching my breath, I turned off the Transcender Gallery.
Immediately after.
Jjeo-jeok!
Another someone tore through space and burst out.
I had to keep fighting.