Heavenly Demon Divine Art (2) - The Soul's Training Ground

Your body’s balance is remarkably harmonious. It isn’t exceptional in any single area, yet the foundation meshes together so perfectly that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you hold a far greater advantage than others when learning the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

We who had named the technique the Heavenly Demon Divine Art immediately began the lesson to teach that very power. Cheonma ordered me to sit with my back turned to her. She placed her hand on my back and sent her formless energy flowing into my body. If anyone asked how a ghost could lay a hand on someone and channel energy, the only answer was because she’s Cheonma. Nothing is impossible for her. Whatever she does, Cheonma can do it. That was simply common sense.

-Well, this will start to twist a little later, but right now—when you need to learn the power—it is flawless.

“Thank you…?”

-Tsk, do not open your mouth. Relax your strength as well. Focus on reading the flow that circulates through your body.

I was already doing exactly that. Reading this kind of energy and imitating it was something I had long since mastered. The skill I had used to defeat the Sand Snake had been instantly recreated on the spot from past memories and experiences. After all the skills I had learned so far, there was no way I couldn’t manage at least this much. Of course the flow of the Heavenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Demon Divine Art had unique points that set it apart from other skills, but it wasn’t difficult enough to cause any real problems.

-This should be enough for you to have grasped the flow. Try recreating it yourself. And do not be disappointed if it fails. It is not as though succeeding on the first try is—

Uuuung!

“Huuu…”

The energy that had been flowing through my body now surged wildly around me. I had perfectly reproduced the flow I had just felt using only my own power.

Wait—hadn’t she literally just told me not to be disappointed even if I succeeded right away? When I turned my head with that thought in mind, Cheonma had already looked away, avoiding my gaze.

-It actually… makes sense. Hmm. You possess far more talent than I expected, child.

Her reaction was quite different from the usual Cheonma I knew. She must have been that startled. Honestly, I could understand why. For an ordinary person, instantly copying a technique after seeing it only once was something that simply shouldn’t be possible.

‘I only succeeded so quickly because I did it constantly in the game.’

An average person here would have needed days… no, perhaps months. Still, I had only just recreated the flow. Once I actually unfolded it with my own body, I understood. What I had done was no different from creating a vessel for the most basic foundation of the power she wielded.

-To seize the foundation this quickly. At this rate, we can move straight to the next stage without issue.

Cheonma once again confirmed that my thoughts had been correct. However, my face stiffened noticeably at the words that followed.

The current time was 9:52 p.m. The moon had risen; the day was drawing to a close.

“Um, Master?”

-What is it?

“It’s… almost ten o’clock?”

-So?

“It’s time to sleep…”

-……What?

At my words, Cheonma’s lovely face twisted beautifully. Her eyes asked whether she had heard correctly, so I gave a small nod. Yes, I knew how incredibly strange this sounded. But I had no choice. The thing I needed to obtain could only be accessed by sleeping.

-Hehe. If I did not mishear, you are saying you intend to sleep at this critical moment?

“Master. This disciple normally goes to bed at ten, so…”

-No one dies from staying up a single night! Disciple, let me tell you something. I once spent ten full days without sleep, focusing solely on mastering and cultivating power. There was no problem whatsoever. Moreover, wielding the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is no different from announcing to the world that you are my successor. Do you truly intend to remain in such a weak state?

Her words were undeniably correct. Sleeping while receiving instruction from Cheonma herself? From her perspective—or anyone else’s—it was more than enough to make one’s blood boil.

Still, I wasn’t saying it merely because I felt drowsy. I had a reason I absolutely had to sleep at ten o’clock.

‘Right now, nothing is more important to me than the Soul’s Training Ground.’

The Soul’s Training Ground was a hidden location within the academy that could be accessed only after fulfilling special conditions. Once inside, it allowed me to summon the enemies I had fought before as virtual characters and engage them in combat through simulation mode.

‘I need to raise my stats there as quickly as possible.’

The greatest advantage of simulation mode was that defeating the virtual opponents granted corresponding rewards—stats, items, or one of the opponent’s skills, chosen at random. In addition, the mode could only be used until the end of the first year, making it a facility I needed to utilize as often as possible.

Therefore, Cheonma’s lessons inevitably fell lower on my list of priorities.

Faced with my stubborn gaze, Cheonma looked as though she wanted to say more, but eventually she let out a small sigh and stepped back.

-Huu… Very well. Since today is the first day, you may rest.

“Thank you.”

-However. From tomorrow onward, you must give it your all.

Having said that, Cheonma moved to return to my dedicated weapon but paused and spoke once more.

-Now that I think about it, we have not yet named the weapon.

It was true. My weapon was a sword of a form I had never encountered in the game, so it had no established name.

-Of course, even in its current poor condition, it is the sword I reside within and the blade you must wield. The name should be bestowed by its owner…

“Heavenly Demon Sword…”

-Are you mocking your master?

“Then how about Heavenly Demon…”

-…This sword shall be called Black Heaven. I shall take my leave now.

With those words, Cheonma gave me one cold, downward glance before vanishing into the blade.

-Why is she so fixated on the word “Cheonma”? Could it be that she…

Leaving the muttering Cheonma behind, I awkwardly scratched the back of my head, then lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and prepared for sleep.

Let’s see… to enter the Soul’s Sanctuary I had to speak a specific code before falling asleep.

‘It’s been a while, so it’s a little hazy.’

“Um… Leorecarpe?”

……Silence.

“Leancor.”

…Not that either.

“Leunsarodom.”

…Still wrong.

-What exactly is the sleeping fellow doing?

“Leorecord.”

With a strangely small twist of my vision that confirmed it was the right answer, I left behind a faint smile and lost consciousness.

Tick. Tick. Ding. Ding. Creeeeak. Creak.

After speaking the word to enter the Soul’s Training Ground, I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a mysterious space filled with colorful backgrounds, clocks and alarm clocks wandering about erratically, and all sorts of strange tools.

This was the Soul’s Training Ground—the place I would visit frequently for the next year.

“This place is still noisy as ever.”

The clamor was so chaotic that even ten seconds inside would completely banish any trace of sleep. I circulated my magic power to shield my ears from the surrounding noise when a voice that absolutely should not have been here reached me.

-Exactly where is this place?

“M-Master?”

Why is she here?!

Whether I was shocked or not, Cheonma frowned as she looked around, most likely bothered by the noise. I quickly pointed toward the only pure-white building that served as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠our destination.

“Master, why don’t we head to that building first?”

-Hmm. You seem to know quite a lot about this place compared to me, so do as you wish.

“Haha… Then I’ll transport us there.”

We entered the only building in the entire area. The moment we stepped inside, the deafening noise from before vanished as though it had never existed. A massive electronic board lit up, and text appeared on its surface.

A single booklet then floated up before us. Inside were familiar names and titles of people I had once fought—the very opponents I could face here.

-Hoh, what a truly fascinating place.

Cheonma quickly scanned the list and gave a small nod. Then, near the very last page, her body suddenly stiffened. When I sneaked a glance at the page she was looking at, I saw the title “Sword God”—a name that clearly referred to her.

-To think I myself would be here as well.

As she spoke, her fingers gently stroked the letters “Sword God.”

Wait—!

“Master! You mustn’t—!”

It was too late. The booklet emitted a brilliant light and vanished. Roughly ten meters away, a woman who looked all too familiar materialized.

-Hoh…

She possessed the exact same appearance and clothing as the Cheonma standing beside me. In her hand was the weapon I had seen countless times during raids.

I hurriedly drew my weapon. The basic iron sword provided by this place trembled violently in my grip.

Dear god. I had to face her alone? In this pathetic state?!

The Cheonma before me—no, the Sword God—slowly raised her hand and pointed the tip of her blade toward me in a taunting gesture. It was the arrogant yet elegant stance she always took at the start of every raid. The real Cheonma beside me quietly muttered, ‘She really is identical,’ an assessment I desperately did not want to hear. My face grew paler by the second.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

Fine. If it had come to this, I would fight with everything I had! I steadied my resolve and took my stance. Considering the gap in our strength, I should focus on defense rather than—

Slash.

The sound of something being severed rang out. My vision flipped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠upside ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down, and the last thing I saw was a spray of red droplets scattering through the air before my consciousness faded.

That was the first death I experienced in this place.