The Inheritance of the Mad Demon
‘Well, that one’s finished.’
Kim Ilshin looked down. There lay Bae Gitae, his eyes vacant, as if he still couldn't comprehend what had just transpired. Fresh, crimson blood continued to seep from his ankles—the result of deep, precise sword strikes carved directly into his Achilles tendons. The enemies' strategy had certainly been threatening, and it was clear why Park Seongjun had been so confident. If not for Muryeong-si, Ilshin might have struggled.
But no matter how well they masked their presence or utilized invisibility magic, they could not escape the gaze of Muryeong-si. Kim Ilshin perceived everything in his surroundings through that sensory dome. To him, Bae Gitae, who had foolishly closed the distance himself, was nothing more than a sitting duck. Ilshin had feigned a lapse in awareness to lure him in, and Bae Gitae had fallen for the bait perfectly.
‘I won’t kill him yet.’
He needed to keep the man alive to deter the mage from unleashing a wide-area spell. If they resorted to a suicide-type magic, Lee Yeon-woo’s safety could be compromised, even if Ilshin himself could handle it. ‘As long as I don’t kill him, it’ll be fine.’
Of course, that didn’t mean he would handle the situation sloppily. With his Achilles tendons severed, Bae Gitae was effectively immobilized.
Thud!
Kim Ilshin knocked Bae Gitae unconscious to prevent any unforeseen variables and immediately accelerated. In that direction stood Han Juhyeon, frantically preparing another spell.
‘If the traps can just buy me some time…!’
Thinking this, Han Juhyeon prepared a powerful spell capable of finishing the enemy in one strike. But before him, Kim Ilshin was sprinting forward, stepping through the terrain without triggering a single trap.
“H-how…!”
Han Juhyeon was left in shock as he watched Ilshin accurately step only on the empty, safe ground. Seeing that reaction, Ilshin confirmed his suspicion was correct.
‘So, they really were there.’
A moment ago, there had been something strange about Bae Gitae’s movements when Ilshin sensed him through Muryeong-si. In the empty space between them, Bae Gitae had walked with an unnaturally cautious gait, as if the ground were littered with hidden traps. Through that observation, Ilshin had deduced the existence of the traps. From that moment on, the traps became useless. All he had to do was trace the path Bae Gitae had taken.
Swish!
A swift, semicircular sword strike severed Han Juhyeon’s neck. The headless corpse slumped powerlessly like dry straw. The next target was Park Seongjun. Ilshin drove his fist into the abdomen of the man who had been pacing in a panic.
“Ugh, huff…!”
As Park Seongjun collapsed to his knees, vomiting blood, a sharp blade touched his throat. Small droplets of blood trickled down his neck.
“P-please, spare me…! I’ll never, ever challenge you again. Please, just let me live…!”
Dominated by terror, Park Seongjun begged without even daring to resist. He possessed no combat ability whatsoever; he had only been able to tail Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo thanks to the aid of magic. Once Bae Gitae and Han Juhyeon were taken out, he was left with nothing.
Kim Ilshin looked down at the trembling man and whispered coldly.
“You had plenty of chances.”
At those words, the things Bae Gitae had said during the pursuit flashed through Park Seongjun’s mind. Bae Gitae’s opinion had been to retreat quickly because they had clearly been discovered. It was Park Seongjun himself who had ignored that advice and pushed forward. And it was his own choice that had ultimately cost him his life.
Slash.
After finishing off Park Seongjun, Kim Ilshin also dealt with the unconscious Bae Gitae. It was better to eliminate any potential for future trouble, as he didn't know what the man might do if he regained consciousness later. Their bodies were hidden deep in the thicket, making them difficult to spot from the outside, and before long, monsters would likely find them and devour every trace that remained.
“You aren’t hurt, are you…?”
Once the situation was resolved, Lee Yeon-woo pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blood splatter from Ilshin’s face.
“No. As you can see.”
“That’s a relief…. Student Kim Ilshin, you were a much more incredible person than I thought….”
Lee Yeon-woo’s gaze drifted to the corpses behind Ilshin. It was rare to see a third-year academy student dispose of two C-class heroes so effortlessly.
“Since we’ve dealt with the enemies, shall we head inside now?”
“I’m fine, but are you alright, Student Kim Ilshin…? Shouldn’t you take a rest…?”
“I’m fine.”
“If you say so… I understand.”
Lee Yeon-woo conceded. It was true that Ilshin had handled the enemies without exerting much effort. “Then, let’s go in.”
Without delay, Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo approached the open door and stepped straight into the ruins. It was finally time to confirm the ‘Trial of the Predecessor.’
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“It would have been a disaster if we had recklessly broken the door…. It was designed to collapse entirely if subjected to an impact above a certain level.”
Lee Yeon-woo muttered as she investigated the passageway using various tools. It meant that the ruins were designed to completely block anyone other than the successor of the Ilshin Pacheon-gong from entering.
“We’ve checked this part, so let’s go deeper.”
Ilshin followed Lee Yeon-woo, who had dusted off her hands and stood up, toward the end of the passage. Beyond the long corridor, where complex patterns were etched with mathematical precision, lay a vast desert.
While moving through the corridor, Kim Ilshin did not stop operating Muryeong-si. He was preparing for any potential traps. However, he didn't find a single one until they reached the very end. Considering the nature of these ruins, a compelling hypothesis came to mind.
‘Since only the successor of the Ilshin Pacheon-gong can open the door, there was no need to install traps.’
Having reached the end of the corridor without incident, Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo finally stepped out into the desert beyond.
Crunch.
As they stepped onto the sand, the environment changed abruptly. The air, which had been cool just a moment ago, was now filled with scorching heat, and Ilshin had to squint against the light of the sun hanging high in the sky.
‘Is that it?’
Scanning his surroundings, Kim Ilshin discovered a structure rising in the middle of the endless desert. It was shaped like a stele about two meters tall, seemingly crafted from fine sand that differed from the dunes piled on the ground.
“Let’s head over there.”
“Yes. I don’t see anything else special.”
Ilshin pushed through the sand and quickly reached the front of the stele. The distance from the end of the corridor to the monument wasn't very far. On one side of the stele, familiar characters were written in a long line. They looked similar to the inscription above the entrance to the ruins—clearly the same ancient script.
“This is… I’ll try to interpret it. It won’t take long.”
Lee Yeon-woo approached the stele and began her work. Leaving her to focus, Kim Ilshin took a step back, his gaze shifting to the side of the monument. A black orb floated in the empty air. It was an object from his memories.
Its name was the ‘Memory Transfer Orb.’ It functioned exactly as the name suggested: it could transmit memories stored within it. While that might sound trivial, the core of a Memory Transfer Orb was that the transmitted memories were imprinted directly onto the user. If one used an orb containing the techniques of a martial art, the user could master it without any special training.
Furthermore, in its original state, the orb was so transparent that it would be indistinguishable if placed in water. The fact that it was stained black meant it had already been set with a memory. And the person who had set it was undoubtedly the Mad Demon who had created these ruins.
Lee Yeon-woo didn't seem to know its true nature. It was an item so rare it was hard to find even in the game, so that was to be expected.
“I’ve finished the interpretation. It’s a simple message, so I’ll read it from the top.”
Just then, Lee Yeon-woo finished her work and began to read the inscription.
“‘Welcome, successor. If you wish to challenge the Trial of the Predecessor, place your hand upon the black orb. I have left my enlightenment there….’ That’s what it says.”
Hearing the contents of the stele, Kim Ilshin grasped the intent of the trial.
‘So, he’s testing mental fortitude.’
It sounded like one could easily gain enlightenment just by listening, but there was a fatal danger to the Memory Transfer Orb. Memories naturally contain the ego of the person they belong to, and the memories stored in the orb were no different. If one used the orb, they would absorb not only the stored memories but the ego as well. Since two egos could not exist in one body, if the user couldn't push it out with their own mental strength, they could die in the worst-case scenario.
Judging by Lee Yeon-woo’s words, the Mad Demon was a man who had no equal under the heavens. The ego contained within his memories would inevitably be powerful.
“Then, I will proceed.”
“…Yes. Please be careful.”
However, Kim Ilshin approached the Memory Transfer Orb without a moment’s hesitation. He possessed the talent [Flawless Spirit (S)], so nothing could ever invade his mind. Kim Ilshin placed his hand on the orb, and in that instant, he gained a new enlightenment.