Chapter 178
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Has Invaded!
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"Master..."
I approached Ga-hee, who had been hanging her head in frustration ever since her defeat, and patted her back.
She seemed utterly humiliated by her overwhelming loss.
"It's okay, Master."
"Are you really okay?"
"Yes... It must be because my efforts weren't enough."
Ga-hee glanced once at Jegal Suryeon, who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, then clenched her fist as if making some resolve before looking back at me.
Rather than despairing over her defeat, she seemed filled with fighting spirit.
"Even though she's the eldest daughter of the Pang Clan, is Jegal Suryeon really that exceptional?"
"No wonder they say she's blessed by the heavens in both civil and martial arts..."
From the murmurs of the Murim Alliance spectators watching from afar, it seemed Jegal Suryeon was the most outstanding among those present.
Not Dang Sohye, but that woman was the true ice beauty...
From the start of the match to its end, she maintained an emotionless expression throughout the fight. Even when her breathing grew ragged, her face never changed.
She ignored anyone who spoke to her and kept her eyes closed, making her seem truly cold.
The sparring matches continued.
As the matches progressed, Jegal Suryeon naturally advanced to the finals, where she would face me and Carserin in the semifinals.
"By the way, Carserin, I've got one thing I'm curious about."
"What is it?"
"Your strength has returned a little, so why fight like the people here instead of using magic?"
I could understand it for myself—I'd always used a sword anyway, and I was matching the local style. But Carserin had no reason to do the same.
Why would the prideful Dragon King fight like a martial artist without using magic?
"This world is different from our original one, making magic difficult to wield. In my current state, where my power hasn't fully recovered, using magic takes several times more effort."
She explained that fighting like this was more efficient until her strength returned.
Several times more effort to use magic in this world...?
I've never had to expend several times more mana or felt any strain when casting magic.
"If magic is so hard for you, why am I completely fine?"
Carserin let out a deep sigh, as if it were a stupid question, before answering.
"Once you reach a certain level of power like you have, such limitations become negligible."
Even if it was less than her original self, did that mean I was semi-divine in a way?
I had defeated a fragment of a god, after all... Maybe I'd gotten closer to godhood.
But when the Demon God went all out, I couldn't even resist and nearly died, so it was hard to gauge.
"By the way, Carserin."
"What now?"
"Why call me 'you bastard'? You should call me 'Master.' Or do you not want your womb sucked anymore?"
She froze.
We were exchanging punches mid-spar and bantering when her expression hardened, her ears turned bright red, and she suddenly unleashed a wave of killing intent.
Then she poured every ounce of her power into a punch aimed to kill me.
"Y-You filthy bastard...!"
Earlier, she'd eagerly agreed when I slapped her pussy. Now she glared at me murderously while swinging her fist.
Her reaction was hilarious, so I dodged her punches while teasing her, then ended the match at an opportune moment to claim victory.
Now, only the finals against Jegal Suryeon remained.
"Jegal Suryeon! Song In-hyeok!"
Once called, I ascended to the sparring platform and faced her.
She had beaten my disciple... Time to put her in her place too?
I wanted to twist that emotionless face of hers.
"As expected, this generation of later disciples is exceptionally talented."
Namgung Yeon spoke as she secretly watched the matches from hiding, concerned that drawing attention might distract the competitors.
Though each had their shortcomings, they were all outstanding.
Among them, several wouldn't have been overshadowed even if they'd stood beside her during her own time as a later disciple.
"Already gazing toward the Hua Jing realm."
The more she watched, the more satisfied she looked—until her expression hardened while observing Carserin and In-hyeok's match.
In the midst of ordinary fist exchanges, Carserin erupted with killing intent and attacked with full power, revealing glimpses of the Hua Jing realm, though not yet perfected.
Achieving Hua Jing at such a young age required immense talent and effort.
But Namgung Yeon was more shocked by In-hyeok, Carserin's opponent, than by Carserin herself.
He casually blocked and dodged the full-force strikes of someone nearing Hua Jing, all while grinning.
"Song In-hyeok wins!"
At the sight of him seemingly holding back just enough to end the match, Namgung Yeon felt chills run down her spine.
Where on earth did such a monster come from...?
"Shadow. Have you still found no information on this Song In-hyeok?"
"I'm sorry, but we've uncovered absolutely nothing about him."
Shadow.
The Murim Alliance's secret organization, known only to the Alliance Leader and a select few, which controlled all information from the murim's darkest corners.
For even Shadow to find no trace meant...
"Did he drop from the heavens...?"
"We'll keep investigating in case something turns up, Leader."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
She watched the shadow slip away into the darkness, then turned her gaze back to In-hyeok, now atop the sparring platform.
"Sparring begins!"
I drew my sword to discipline the one who beat my disciple—then noticed something.
Was she blind?
It was subtle enough that you wouldn't notice without close inspection, but Jegal Suryeon seemed unable to see ahead.
Shing—
As I stared at her eyes, she thrust her sword at me.
I parried, and she followed with a flurry of techniques.
Oh...
She was definitely stronger than Ga-hee.
To beat Ga-hee despite being blind... How much of a genius was she?
No wonder everyone said she was chosen by the heavens.
"You... can't see?"
I pressed my sword against hers and asked up close, unsure if she was truly blind. Her body flinched.
"How did you...?"
"Just a hunch."
Was she hiding her blindness?
She seemed quite shaken that I'd noticed.
Knowing she was blind made her seem a bit pitiful for no reason.
I lowered my sword briefly, and her emotionless face twisted into a frown as she spoke angrily.
"Don't pity me just because you know I can't see."
She must have sensed my lowered sword and thought it was pity.
"I'm not pitying you."
"Ugh...?!"
Clang—
I closed in swiftly, swung my sword, and knocked hers from her hand.
Even disarmed, she lunged forward, but I easily knocked her to the ground and pointed my blade at her face.
"Song In-hyeok wins!"
Defeated in an instant without landing a single blow, Jegal Suryeon looked greatly shocked.
"No need to pity—or reason to pity—someone strong enough to beat Ga-hee."
"......"
I left her with those parting words and descended from the platform.
The match had ended more anticlimactically than expected for me, but the onlookers didn't seem to agree, directing awed gazes my way.
"Master, that was incredible...!"
It would be nice if they all just looked at me with admiration like Ga-hee.
As I chatted with Ga-hee, someone called out from behind.
"The Leader seeks you."
A strangely dressed man delivered the message and gestured for me to follow. Without complaint, I trailed him to meet the Sword Queen.
And upon seeing her up close...
"Whoa..."
The exclamation escaped my lips. She was stunningly beautiful, enough to make my cock twitch.
Did she summon the tournament winner for a reward fuck?
As I ogled her voluptuous breasts with vain hopes, the Sword Queen met my eyes and spoke.
"Just what are you?"
"Me?"
Oho...!
She suddenly approached and groped me all over.
The beauty's soft hands kneading my body... This was turning me on too much...
I was getting hard.
"No signs of bone refinement or rejuvenation... So where did you come from...?!"
She froze in shock upon noticing my erection bulging out.
"Kyaa...! W-What is that...? Why are you suddenly...?"
"Well, you started groping me out of nowhere. Couldn't help it..."
Was she a virgin...?
Despite her age, reacting like a naive maiden to a mere erection made her seem untouched.
"Hmph... Forget that indecent display just now."
She'd squealed like that at her age but now tried to brush it off casually.
"To be direct: Are you a spy from the unorthodox sects or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"
"Spy...?"
"No matter how much we investigate, nothing comes up on you. Are you an infiltrator here to strike at the Murim Alliance?"
"What are you...?"
The Sword Queen emanated an aura that could kill me at any moment as she spoke.
Since I came from another world, of course no records existed here.
I had no easy way to prove my innocence, making it awkward to respond.
Her sudden suspicion irked me. Should I just rape her and be done with it...?
"Gasp... Huff... Leader... The Heavenly Demon has invaded."
"What...?"
"We must... return at once."
Suddenly, a man rushed in, panting heavily, to deliver the news.
A suspected spy like me, and now the Heavenly Demon attacking the Murim Alliance.
Confused by the twin crises, Namgung Yeon grabbed my collar.
"You come with me."
Led by her hand, I suddenly found myself heading to the Murim Alliance.