Too Much Talent Is Also a Problem
I answered my master’s question with a moment of careful thought.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, huh… If I had to put it into words, it was an overwhelming power that operated on a completely different level from anything else. A skill that shattered the very concept of balance? Or perhaps…
“A universal force that can solve everything on its own?”
Yeah. Even the skill description had used the phrase Cheonsang Cheonha Yua Dokjon—I alone am supreme under the heavens. At my honest reply, the Heavenly Demon let out a small chuckle and took several steps back.
Rumble.Rumble…
The moment she raised her hand, black storm clouds began to gather beneath the sky. Within them, violet lightning hid its face as if shy, yet roared loudly to announce its presence.
‘A skill? But this familiar feeling…’
Having learned the Heavenly Demon Divine Art myself, I immediately sensed something was off. And when I instinctively drew on my power, I realized the clouds themselves had been artificially created through her Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
‘Good grief. It wasn’t a weather-manipulation skill?’
To artificially create weather and command the forces of nature… So the Heavenly Demon Divine Art could do even this. It was a power so astonishing it left me speechless, and the way she used it so naturally only reinforced one conclusion: she was a monster.
-Let me tell you something. When I first succeeded in wielding this power, I had a single thought.
As if reacting to her words, the storm clouds began to tremble. The massive lightning that had been gradually revealing itself finally…
-I held the sky in my hand.
CRACKLE—BOOM!
The instant the Heavenly Demon finished speaking, lightning struck. The blinding white flash was so intense I instinctively shielded my body from the shockwave, all while worrying about her safety.
-There is no need to worry about this master of yours.
The sight of her standing there so casually made my jaw drop. I couldn’t close my mouth no matter how hard I tried.
‘She’s insane.’
Crackle. Bzzzzt.
Lightning raged wildly in the palm of her hand. No matter how fiercely it struggled to break free, it couldn’t escape her grasp. She looked at me staring blankly at the lightning in her hand and slowly opened her mouth.
-Zeon.
“…!! Yes!”
-The Heavenly Demon Divine Art possesses a mystical power that elevates the most outstanding innate attribute to its absolute limit.
Gulp.
I began to feel the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art slowly unraveling from her hand. The lightning that had been there, formed entirely of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, flickered back and forth between violet and black. Then, as she clenched her fist, it finally took on the color we were all familiar with—the deep purple-black of the Heavenly Demon.
-When the lightning attribute I possessed encountered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, its power grew even stronger, just as you can see.
“Yes. I can feel it so clearly it’s giving me goosebumps.”
What had once been like a wild horse on the roadside was now completely out of control after meeting the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
-Watch carefully. Yes, this power is vast and ferocious. But strangely enough, using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art makes it far easier to control than before.
With a small gesture from her, the lightning infused with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art obediently followed her command and began to take shape.
‘That sword…’
Having fought the Heavenly Demon several times, I barely managed to hold back the scream rising in my throat the moment I saw the blade floating above her palm. There was no mistaking it. That was the exact sword that appeared in her third phase. How could I ever forget the sight of her creating it in midair and turning the entire area into a wasteland?
Shake. Shake. Shake.
-Hm? What’s wrong with you?
“N-nothing at all!”
-It doesn’t look like nothing.
Knowing all too well how terrifying that sword was, my body began trembling uncontrollably. Sorry, but this wasn’t something I could stop even if I wanted to!
-Good grief.
The Heavenly Demon stared at me in bewilderment as I suddenly froze in terror the moment she created the sword, then made it disappear. It was clearly a considerate gesture meant for me.
Master! I’m truly touched! Of course, you’ve cut my throat dozens of times, but still!
“Hoo…”
Only after the sword vanished did my body stop shaking. The strange look the Heavenly Demon was giving me felt oddly piercing, so I instinctively turned my head away.
‘Wow~ Has that much time already passed?’
-……
“Ahem. Wow, time really flies, doesn’t it?”
-…Everyone has secrets they’d rather keep hidden. I won’t ask about what just happened, so look at me.
At those words, I quickly turned back toward her. She resumed the lesson as if nothing had happened.
-As you just saw, it is possible to create a sword using the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Now you understand why I said there was no need to obtain a separate weapon, yes?
“Yes. So I just need to manifest weapons using the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and fight with them, right?”
Honestly, that seemed to be the case. The sword she had just created looked like it could rival or even surpass any famous blade out there.
-Then shall we move straight into practicing weapon creation?
“…Huh? Right now?”
Making one right away seemed…
-Since you’ve already learned the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, you don’t need to worry about physical fatigue. Just relax and focus. Besides, the weapons we create here aren’t of particularly high quality anyway. For now, just follow my lead. Gather the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art above your palm…
How could a disciple possibly refuse their master’s teaching? In the end, I had no choice but to quietly continue the additional lesson.
-We’ll start by releasing the power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art outward and then gathering it in one place.
Releasing the power outward was incredibly easy. Simply drawing up the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art caused it to spread out from my body as the center.
‘But gathering this power in one place…’
Wasn’t that supposed to be difficult?
Shwoooo—
The energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art obediently gathered toward my hand according to my will. She had said controlling it wouldn’t be that hard, and she was right. It really wasn’t difficult at all.
-While maintaining that state, picture the shape of the weapon you desire.
“Yes ma’am!”
I decided not to try forcing it. I would simply visualize it, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art would accept my will and shape itself accordingly.
Tssssss—
What I pictured was a single sword. It resembled the Heavenly Demon’s, but darker—like the night sky itself.
-Yes! That’s it!
Forming the weapon’s shape wasn’t difficult either. Unlike the lightning sword she had created, mine felt like condensed darkness. Because of that, the blade seemed to devour the colors around it, as if it were the very embodiment of darkness opposing light.
-Once the shape is formed, now infuse it with an attribute. The weapon right now is nothing more than an empty shell. You must realize your own unique attribute and fill it within.
The Heavenly Demon had filled hers with lightning and even created the sword from lightning itself. Since I still lacked that level of delicate control, I chose to form the shape first and then fill it with attributes.
‘Is this why the level of my Heavenly Demon Divine Art is stuck at 8?’
No, it felt like something fundamentally different was missing. Even with the trait’s effect applied, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art remained at level 8 instead of 10. While pondering what key might lie beyond that wall, various attributes began filling the sword in my hand.
Vrrrr—Crackle.Kiiing.Crunch.Tap.Boom.Ziiing.Clang.Crack.
The Heavenly Demon had said that if I infused it with the various attributes I possessed, we would be able to see which one was the most outstanding. But as time passed and the attributes gradually filled the sword one by one, her expression grew increasingly stiff.
-Hah… How is this even…
“M-Master?”
It was starting to get difficult for me to endure. Cold sweat ran down my forehead and my hands began to tremble. The Heavenly Demon circled around me, muttering words of both admiration and shock.
-How can a human body contain such a miracle?
“Master…?”
-My disciple. Listen well.
Crack.
The rampaging power that had seemed on the verge of exploding vanished completely. The Heavenly Demon had instantly suppressed it with her own strength.
-Every person has an attribute that suits them best. You already know this. I possess the lightning attribute. The protagonist, Mir, possesses the light attribute.
“Then which attribute suits me best?”
-None.
“Pardon?”
-In my judgment, Zeon, you do not possess talent in any single attribute.
Thud.
My heart sank. Me? No talent? Maybe it was because I had only ever heard good things until now, but hearing her say I had no talent for the first time felt like a dagger flying straight into my heart. No, it wasn’t just a stab—it was like being brutally hacked apart…
-Ah, it seems you misunderstood what I said.
…Misunderstood?
-You don’t have talent in just one attribute. You have talent in every single attribute.
“Every… attribute? …What?!”
-Yes. Even I find it hard to believe, but it’s the truth.
Gulp.
-Zeon, you possess talent in every single attribute. Not a single one is lacking. But precisely because of that, you cannot train in the ordinary way.
Perfect talent across all attributes. To fully awaken it, the Heavenly Demon lifted the lightning—which had somehow transformed into a club—with a bright smile on her face.
“M-Master?”
-Do not worry. I will pour all my strength into making that talent of yours fully bloom.