The Heavenly Demon Sect (1)
Han Yeoreum let out a deep inward sigh. 'Idiot. Moron.'
It was always like this. Years had already passed since she began living alongside Kim Mugong. She knew exactly what thoughts prompted him to speak that way. Though she caught an earful every single time, Han Yeoreum was no fool. In fact, she was rather sharp when it came to reading people.
No matter how much she tried to stop him, Kim Mugong would never cease his self-destructive habit of carrying firewood straight into the flames. Not as long as she existed in this world.
A noble life of risking everything to sacrifice for others. It sounded admirable. To strangers, he might seem like a great hero of justice, but to those close to him—like family—it was nothing short of a curse. Even if that sacrifice was meant for her sake.
How could she simply rejoice in it?
“I….”
“Shh.”
She pressed her index finger to Kim Mugong’s lips as he tried to speak with a heavy expression. Any answer now would be forced.
“Later. Once everything is settled.”
Meeting his slightly trembling eyes, Han Yeoreum murmured quietly.
Kim Mugong nodded slowly.
“Let’s get up.”
Han Yeoreum rose first, brushing herself off. Her face looked far more relieved than before.
There were things in this world that could be understood without words. And things that had to be spoken aloud.
Though she had refused an immediate answer, honestly opening up left her feeling much lighter.
And.
If she couldn’t stop Kim Mugong’s rampage anyway, the conclusion was already decided.
‘I need power.’
Overwhelming power. The kind that could forcibly hold him back even if Kim Mugong charged ahead without a plan.
Gripping Kim Mugong’s hand tightly, Han Yeoreum quietly finished steeling her resolve alone.
Time flew by like an arrow.
After returning from Okinawa, we continued training and studying as usual. Finally, we even finished the written evaluation.
The results… weren’t particularly impressive. Having poured everything into training, I had only crammed for the written test, so reaching the top ranks was impossible. Still, my high scores in the practical martial arts evaluation brought me to a respectable level. Let’s leave the exact numbers for later.
And so, we welcomed summer vacation.
“The Heavenly Demon Sect, huh.”
Han Yeoreum applied lip balm while staring into a hand mirror. Her lips must have dried out from nerves.
“Why are you so tense?”
“It’s my first time here in this world.”
“Our backer is Cheon Hayeon anyway, so what’s the problem?”
“That may be true, but the Divine Cult isn’t exactly an ordinary place, is it?”
“You’ve got a point.”
The Abyss Response Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju. That was the official name for Jeju in this South Korea. The reason for the “Abyss Response” prefix was simple: the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect was located there.
One might ask, “So what?” But the Heavenly Demon Sect was far from ordinary. Even though it had been ten years, Jeju was already essentially the sect’s empire. Some might scoff at calling a single island an empire, yet the Heavenly Demon Sect officially possessed overseas territories—far larger than the Korean peninsula itself. Their purpose was, of course, military bases.
Countless nations worldwide had ceded land to the Heavenly Demon Sect in exchange for security support. The current Heavenly Demon Sect worked on a global scale to counter gate incidents and world erosion. A group stronger than nations. The title of strongest single force had not been given lightly.
“Are your preparations complete?”
Cheon Hayeon approached with a gentle smile.
“We’re ready.”
I lifted the carrier stuffed with luggage. If we went this time, we would likely remain on Jeju Island for the entire summer break. Opportunities to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect were rare; it would be a shame to handle business and rush back. We would stay as long as we could.
“Then let us depart.”
From behind Cheon Hayeon, men in black appeared without the slightest presence. Some of them gave me slight nods. They were the Muyeongmayeong I had seen during the vampire incident. I returned the greeting with a respectful bow.
We rode in the vehicle sent by the Heavenly Demon Sect and headed for the nearby Seongnam 25th Special Mission Flight Group.
We disembarked near the runway we had seen before. On the tarmac where the ZV-22 we had taken to North Korea once stood, a massive aircraft painted partly in the black color symbolizing the Divine Cult waited. Following the Muyeongmayeong’s guidance, we boarded naturally.
“Wow….”
Han Yeoreum stared inside with her mouth agape. The academy’s private jet had been luxurious, but this was on another level entirely.
“Is this real gold?”
Han Yeoreum muttered to herself while gazing at the golden decorations throughout the cabin.
“Of course it is real gold.”
The answer came from directly behind us. Turning, we saw an elderly man with deeply wrinkled skin. He was an impeccably dressed old gentleman in a black suit.
“It has been a while, Noya.”
Cheon Hayeon greeted him with a respectful glance. I couldn’t identify him, but both Han Yeoreum and I naturally offered a fist salute. Anyone Cheon Hayeon addressed as “Noya” was no ordinary person. He was clearly a master—at a level beyond my ability to gauge. Transformation Realm was guaranteed; he might even stand in the Profound Realm. I had never imagined such an expert would personally come to greet us.
“Hehe, Noya? Now that the Young Sect Leader has reached adulthood, please speak comfortably.”
“How could I do that? These two are, as I mentioned earlier, Cadets Kim Mugong and Han Yeoreum.”
“The Young Sect Leader honors this old man’s face with gold. It is a pleasure. This one is called Dan Cheonsang.”
Dan Cheonsang. The name alone didn’t ring any immediate bells.
“Noya is the Supreme Protector of the Divine Cult,” Cheon Hayeon explained.
That was why I hadn’t remembered. The Supreme Protector belonged to the previous generation. Even ten years from now, it had been quite some time since the current Sect Leader stopped appearing. Naturally, the Supreme Protector’s name was rarely heard.
“It is but a trivial name. Come, come, let us not stand on ceremony. Please sit.”
Dan Cheonsang gestured toward the large table in the center. The moment we sat, the plane took off immediately. Perhaps because every passenger was a martial artist, there were no procedures such as forcing seatbelts. Or perhaps the Heavenly Demon Sect simply did things the hard way.
“You have grown even more splendid since last we met.”
Dan Cheonsang gazed at Cheon Hayeon with a satisfied expression, like a grandfather watching his grown grandchild.
“I still have many shortcomings. I never expected Noya to come in person. Was this at my father’s… the Sect Leader’s request?”
“Hehe, I requested it myself upon hearing the Young Sect Leader would visit. After spending days surrounded only by old men in the Elders’ Hall, I grew restless. Everyone complains that this aches or that hurts. When one grows old, one should simply pass on, yet listening to these fellows—who could easily live several more decades—whine is tiresome indeed.”
“It seems everyone remains healthy. That is fortunate.”
Cheon Hayeon covered her mouth and laughed softly. Even in male attire, she could smile like that.
“It has been a little over a year since I last saw the Young Sect Leader, has it not? Nothing of note could have happened in so short a time.”
“Indeed. I entered the academy immediately after emerging from closed-door training. I should have paid my respects to the elders, but the Sect Leader’s command….”
“It is quite all right. When one grows old, time slips away unnoticed. To the elders in the Hall, a year must have felt like a single day.”
“I hope that is the case.”
“By the way.”
Dan Cheonsang’s gaze shifted toward Han Yeoreum and me. For an instant, a sharp light flashed across his eyes.
“Hmm… If I may ask, what are your respective sects?”
“We have none. I learned martial arts through self-study.”
“Self-study, you say…! No wonder the Young Sect Leader took interest.”
“Have you heard anything from the Sect Leader?”
Cheon Hayeon asked cautiously, her voice heavy.
Dan Cheonsang folded his arms and fell into thought for a moment.
“Nothing in particular. Is something the matter?”
“I simply cannot discern the exact reason the Sect Leader shows interest in these two cadets.”
“Hmm….”
Suddenly Dan Cheonsang stared directly at my face. The gaze was subtly piercing. In the end, I spoke first.
“Is something wrong?”
“Hehehe, it is nothing.”
Dan Cheonsang offered a kindly smile.
…That only made me more curious. Still, I could hardly press an elder who stood at minimum in the Transformation Realm—possibly the Profound Realm—to speak plainly. I had no choice but to swallow my questions.
While sipping the beverage a flight attendant had brought, the land of Jeju began to appear below.
Even I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The Heavenly Demon Sect—the strongest martial force on the planet as a single organization. In other words, it was a colossal PMC on a scale unimaginable in the modern world I came from.
If Seoul had developed to the point where high-rises were commonplace, Jeju Island itself had transformed completely. Peaceful resort. Beautiful island. Not a trace of such images remained. This world’s Jeju was the most thoroughly fortified location on Earth. Simply counting super high-rises over one hundred stories, there were probably far more here than in Seoul. Every time another scene swept past below, the sense of alienation grew stronger.
“We are nearly there.”
Dan Cheonsang stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Even as the plane descended, his body remained utterly still. Soon the sight of Hallasan covered entirely in buildings filled our view.
At last, we arrived at the Heavenly Demon Sect.