Silver Noblewoman (2)
“What the hell is this guy?! Aren’t you afraid of our Black Bear Gang?!”
“B-Brother! This masked freak is weird! Magic and curses don’t work on him!”
“His movements are just a bit quick, but we can’t even grab him!”
A cramped space no bigger than 100 square feet.
There, I was fighting off these criminals.
I quickly scanned the room with my eyes.
Demons are the enemies of this world. They massacre humanity, destroy stars, and offer them to the outer gods to gain power.
That’s why killing demons on sight carries no punishment—in fact, you get rewarded for it.
But there are also those treated as villains. Killing demons isn’t a crime, but villains are.
They’re either not yet committed to selling this world to the outer gods and becoming humanity’s enemies, or they’ve rejected demonhood because they don’t want to be puppets.
Still, their goals align with the demons’ to some extent. They’re beings who seek to rewrite the laws of this world for their own pleasure and survival.
That’s what villains are.
‘Well, these guys don’t seem to be on that level.’
These ones are weak. Even a regular Korea Hero School student could take them one-on-one.
“Hraaah!”
I smacked away the arm of the guy lunging from the left and thrust the sword I’d bought from the smithy into him.
Pfshk.
An unpleasant sensation wrapped around my hand as the guy’s eyes bulged wide.
But no blood flowed.
Instead, gray ash scattered from the stabbed spot.
Something dropped, but I ignored it. Loot from these guys is all the same anyway.
‘The real important stuff is something else.’
Conceptual Stat Reverse Heaven +1
They boost my stats.
‘Roughly, three of these demons give +1, huh.’
The one I killed with Seo Gayeon had given me a whole point in Reverse Heaven.
Guess the amount varies based on the demon’s strength.
—Raising the qi of Reverse Heaven by killing trash like this?
The Black Heaven Demon Sword spoke in a disbelieving tone.
I get it—it’s ridiculous.
Reverse Heaven seems like a top-tier conceptual stat, yet it goes up just from killing demons.
‘Didn’t the previous owner have cases like this?’
—No. The previous owner raised it through enlightenment or steady training. Killing demons never boosted Reverse Heaven qi.
So is this the power of the status window? Or something I gained when it evolved into a conceptual stat?
I don’t know.
Something to figure out later. For now, focus on demon hunting.
I refocused my mind.
“Y-You bastard! You think you’ll get away with this unscathed? Behind us is the Mid Grade demon lord who’s conquered this whole district!”
“You talk too much. Scared?”
Honestly, a Mid Grade demon showing up would be welcome.
I remember most demon traits, so they’d be easy to handle.
And a demon protecting trash like these… would probably hand over a full point in Reverse Heaven.
‘Just not High Grade.’
High Grade is a whole other realm here. Even if ten Mid Grades ganged up and crippled one limb, they’d laugh it off and slaughter them.
That’s when you hit the level of cleaving seas and skies solo.
‘Well, to do that, you’d need Top Grade among High Grades, but still.’
Against my favorable matchup like a curse sorcerer, one-on-one, my win rate is 20%... no, maybe 10% at best.
That’s High Grade. Monsters who shake the world’s laws. Existences treated like entire armies, threatening the world alone.
‘No way one of those is here—or coming.’
“Kuhk.”
Slash.
I cleaved the last demon with my sword.
Ash scattered, and the demons dropped items.
‘This really feels like a game.’
No idea why, but killing demons drops loot like this.
I lifted the demon drops with Nian and tucked them into my subspace.
Deeper in, no presences anymore.
They’d probably already contacted whoever was backing the Black Bear Gang.
Inside, a safe caught my eye.
I shoved the safe into my subspace bag.
Checked its contents with Viewing.
Mostly papers for illegal dealings, alchemy stuff, blacksmithing materials.
‘Time to bail, then.’
They said a Mid Grade demon had their back, but from the vibes, they’re not coming.
Thud!
Then a heavy impact shook the air.
—You damned fool! How dare you, how dare you touch the Black Bear Gang I protect!
A shout ignoring the city around it. Clear proof of a demon.
I checked my condition.
Not bad. Since awakening Nian, my body maintains peak form constantly.
Once or twice a year, I hit those off-days where I play like crap.
So-called slump days. Mine just hit during intense fights or when I’m bedridden from serious injuries.
I pulled out potions of strength, agility, and stamina, and downed them.
A surge of raw power floods your muscles.
Effect:Strength +10
Your reflexes sharpen to a razor's edge.
Effect:Agility +10
Vitality surges, banishing fatigue.
Effect:Stamina +10
Clunk.
I shoved the guitar case holding the Black Heaven Demon Sword to one side.
—Master! Saying it again, isn’t my treatment a bit too rough?
I nodded apologetically to the Black Heaven Demon Sword and drew it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The footsteps grew closer.
Bang!
The door shattered, revealing a hulking brute.
A muscular man over 2 meters tall. Black veins bulged like he’d doped up.
Oddly, his skin was entirely black.
‘Possession type, huh.’
Talent: Possession series. Summons evil spirits to inhabit his body.
His inexperience shows in those bursting black veins.
His technique seems to enhance that flesh.
Let’s test him.
I infused a kitchen knife with Reverse Heaven and hurled it.
The demon glared, then smirked.
“Ha, you think that puny knife can scratch me?”
The knife pierced his eye.
“Gaaaahhh!”
“……”
What an idiot. Doesn’t even seem Mid Grade.
The demon yanked out the knife toughly and glared at me with his remaining eye.
Now he was on guard, unlike before.
I spun another kitchen knife in my hand.
His eye followed it.
This time, the demon dodged.
But Nian.
I shifted the knife’s trajectory with Nian.
The demon freaked and leaped aside.
I moved too.
Raised my sword and slashed down.
The demon caught the blade.
“I won’t let you get away with this, you bastard.”
“Do what you want.”
I poured Reverse Heaven into the sword.
Black qi rippled along the blade.
Sizzle!
Reverse Heaven rejected the demon’s hand.
His magic-based power crumbled.
‘Better effect than expected?’
As the demon yanked his hand free in panic, I pressed the sword forward.
Black Island Swordsmanship.
The ink-black qi sword sliced clean through the demon’s neck.
Slash.
Conceptual Stat Reverse Heaven +1
(Reverse Heaven Stat Reached 10!)
……Reverse Heaven stat hits 10.
Clunk.
From the ash fell a black twig.
Appraisal.
Black wood. Its hardness surpasses iron.
Common junk. Shame—hoped for something better.
I stored it in subspace and prepared to leave.
As I moved, I sensed a presence.
Different from the demons so far. It radiated sharp mana, distinct from demonic energy.
‘……’
The room’s temperature dropped a bit.
No, not imagination. It was actually cooling.
Frost began forming lightly on the walls and corners.
Step. Step.
Confident, light footsteps.
And the sound of something being dragged.
“Demon oh demon, hide away tight~.”
‘……Crazy.’
That godawful song confirmed it. Off-key melody, nonsensical lyrics.
She shouldn’t be moving yet.
I started scouting escape routes.
Fighting her now? I could win.
Potion buffs still active.
My physicals are a tad below this timeline’s Silver Noblewoman.
Problem is, I’d have to go all out. My identity would blow instantly.
“Oh my, a little thief hiding here~?”
I turned. White hair.
Blue eyes like a lake.
Wearing the Korea Hero School uniform openly.
Frost-coated longsword and shortsword in each hand.
The silver noblewoman. Dual-wielding fiend who collects demon arms and heads as a hobby.
Seol Haryeon.