Chapter 325
Chapter 325
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 325
Chapter Title: Title Fight (2)
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BOOM—!
It was hopeless.
That was the honest impression the original Mad Demon, Mok In-gwang, felt while clashing with his opponent.
He had faced plenty of powerful foes before and been in countless crises, but this enemy was truly a first.
'What the hell is this guy?'
Just looking at the development of his physique made it clear his external martial arts were no joke.
Those ferociously honed muscles were far beyond what ordinary training could produce.
And it wasn't just mindless bulk.
That overwhelming body possessed matching destructive power and speed, along with sharp dynamic vision, rock-hard durability, and the battle instincts to back it all up.
'Above all...'
Anyone else might not recognize it, but he couldn't miss it.
The madness boiling within the man.
It was a presence no human could contain—something unimaginable for any person to harbor.
'I can see it with my own eyes, but I still can't believe it. Is he really human?'
It felt like fighting a monster of an entirely different species wearing a vaguely similar shape.
That was why he'd deliberately played to the enemy's strengths in power and speed, tricking his instincts to strike at openings. At first, the plan seemed to work...
BOOM—!
A surge of qi claws from a blind spot was blocked by the enemy's hand blade.
But this had happened several times already, so Mok In-gwang didn't hesitate and chained into his follow-up attack without pause.
And that attack—
CRUNCH!
Was blocked again.
"Kuhahaha!"
Interrupted before it could fully extend.
SCRREEECH!
And dismantled repeatedly.
This was a completely different response from the early stages of the fight.
And what that meant...
'...He's catching up?'
Proof that the monster he faced was learning in real time.
Using no one else but himself as fodder.
Of course, he'd mixed in feints amid it all, carving several wounds into the enemy's body, but even those weren't fatal.
The injuries healed cleanly as time passed.
For qi wounds infused with the intent of a transcendent realm master—destroying everything they touched—to regenerate so easily?
Even for a peak Divine Transformation expert, recovery required prolonged rest. This was unheard of.
"Kuh! You bastard, did you master some legendary immortal divine art? What the hell kind of body is that?!"
"Khat! Not bad, you! It's rare to find someone who can push this far. Show me more!"
"You mad bastard!"
But the opponent was so alien that no countermeasures felt right.
For him, still at the cusp of the Flower Realm, this foe was utterly beyond handling.
He'd always exceeded limits through synergy of his martial arts and unique constitution, but there was a world of difference between surpassing walls and failing to.
"Come on, come on! You're not tired already, are you? One more time, friend!"
Mok In-gwang's brow furrowed at the taunt.
By now, even he could clearly see it.
'To think it was only this much.'
The reason this fight dragged on without a quick end was because the enemy wanted it that way.
Of course, fury boiled at the realization, but he had no leisure to dwell on it.
'Dangerous.'
He was reaching his limit.
From overexertion, the madness that had always fueled him burrowed into his marrow, surging to his brain and relentlessly pounding his crown.
The double-edged sword—source of his power and the curse he'd borne since birth—was now strangling him.
'Time to decide.'
Two choices remained.
Acknowledge defeat, withdraw all power, and calmly recover body and mind... or pour everything out now and settle it, consequences be damned.
'...Do I even need to choose?'
As always, his conclusion was set.
His lips curled ferociously upward.
'Fine, you're beyond me—but.'
Circulating the Madness Control Heart Art—a unique method he'd trained daily without fail since gaining it in childhood—Mok In-gwang drew up his energy once more.
He ignored the backlash, the flood of suppressed madness tainting his mind.
Luxuries like worrying about aftermath had no place when his own neck was on the block.
Crunch—
Blood flow surged, muscles swelling.
His senses sharpened, thoughts fixating on one goal.
Topple the enemy before him, by any means.
Like a drug, combat logic spun furiously in his brain under that premise.
The enemy's madness was vast beyond measure, but he had the Madness Control Heart Art to wield it more efficiently.
Hadn't he pierced that flesh and drawn blood several times already?
Victory was still possible.
So he thought.
"Kuh! Let's see who the true Mad Demon is!"
"Oh? Suddenly aggressive... Hm?"
Reason fading into haze, he charged at the startled enemy.
Enveloped in sword-black flickering energy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The central castle town of Hanam Province.
Inside a certain building in its back alleys, a few people conversed in hushed tones.
While deploying an advanced barrier art that perfectly sealed all sound from leaking out.
"The Mad Demon?"
"As planned. He headed to the manor with the impostor. They've probably met by now."
Their topic was the one who had left the city recently, pursuing the man impersonating him.
That had been their reason for dispatch here in the first place, after all.
"Who do you think wins?"
"From the data so far, probably the impostor."
"Hmm, but the Mad Demon isn't one to admit defeat meekly when cornered. If he ignores his own safety..."
"True. He'd definitely go that far. No thought for consequences."
They exchanged opinions casually while swiftly cleaning the site.
No clear answer until the outcome, but one point they all agreed on.
"Whoever survives that fight won't be in any shape to interfere for a while."
Either way, both would be out of commission temporarily.
"Mission accomplished, then."
"Results don't matter—our job's done. The higher-ups decide the rest."
With those two likely disruptors pitted against each other, cleanup would be far easier than before.
"Moving to next position."
Of course, that matter was out of their hands now. No need to care what became of them.
"...Deungbong County."
The spot they left was spotless.
The building, once home to a back-alley intel network, held nothing now.
Not even the original owners, who'd been there before their visit.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While trading blows with the original Mad Demon, Hari let out yet another sigh of admiration. He wasn't sure how many it made.
"Well, damn, impressive!"
The opponent wasn't even at Divine Transformation yet, but his combat prowess was no joke.
No matter how murim specialized in interpersonal combat, this level demanded ranking him at least half a step above otherworldly powerhouses.
'Martial arts for handling refined madness. Never knew such a thing existed—fascinating.'
His feats owed much to the art's traits.
Vast extensibility that covered every base.
It perfectly offset the limited variety of this world's qi-based mysteries.
'This could be pretty useful too.'
Hari's response was simple.
Observe with eyes, experience with body, adapt and learn from attacks.
The common skill Mimicry wasn't just Hugo's—he could use it too. Easy enough.
'Plus I've got Tyrant of Madness, specialized for handling it.'
After devouring the white giant's core, three madness-related skills—Beast of Frenzy, Mad Dragon’s Heart, and Madness Control—had merged and evolved.
Under that tyrannical power dominating madness, the vast insanity in his body began flowing along specific paths.
But...
'...That looks dangerous.'
In the midst of his one-on-one lesson, trying new things, Hari frowned.
"Kraaaah—!"
His teacher's state was off—eyes rolled back, foam at the mouth as he charged.
Overexerting beyond limits had triggered backlash. Uncontrolled true qi leaked from his fully irrational body.
Left alone, self-destruction was ninety percent likely.
'Still so much left to learn.'
Not what Hari wanted.
The technique he was mastering deviated from standard martial principles and was highly advanced, needing time for fine adjustments and mastery.
'Picked him as my first Strength Return Realm subordinate too.'
First, calm him down.
"Hey, friend? Calm down and talk..."
"Kraaah!"
Mok In-gwang wasn't listening.
Pure aggression.
And disregarding all means, he even drew on his innate true qi—his very life force—to compensate for lacking power.
'Leave him like this, and I'll be mopping up a corpse.'
Subduing was secondary; suppress the madness first.
Even restrained, runaway insanity would devour all his innate qi.
'First time trying this on someone else.'
No time to hesitate.
Failure meant fate—nothing to be done.
The penalty wouldn't fall on him, anyway.
"Hoo."
With a light exhale.
WHOOSH—!
CLANG—GRIND—!
Hot steam and metallic clamor erupted from his body.
His right eye, glowing red, split vertically like a reptile's; the green left pupil faceted like a gem, sparkling.
And right after.
BOOM—!
The mountain-shaking clash echoed again, but the result was worlds apart from before.
"Kahat! Time to bleed off some strength."
"Kuhyeok!"
"Sorry, friend. Think of it as anesthesia before surgery."
In that decisive moment, Jewel Eye: Coercion activated. A massive fist buried deep in Mok In-gwang's gut.
His hesitation was a split-second, but for Hari—who had him fully analyzed—it was ample for a clean hit.
"Kuhhhh!"
"Whoa! Persistent guy! One wasn't enough, huh?"
Of course, a single punch couldn't calm someone with madness at its peak.
Holding back to avoid rupturing organs played a part too.
Grab!
Hari clamped one hand on the man's head, flexing the other repeatedly as he gazed meaningfully.
The former Mad Demon trembled, already recovering, straining to move.
But the unprecedented pressure crushing him tolerated no rebellion.
'Not sure how well Tyrant of Madness works here.'
Still beats doing nothing.
A bit rough, but he'd understand.
"This'll sting a little~?"
Probably.
THUD!
"......!"
And so.
The tyrant of a great power led his army to crush a rebellion abroad.
With overwhelming violence to quell resistance in conquered lands.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The world brimmed with wisdom worthy of emulation.
If it doesn't work, keep going until it does.
What a brilliant maxim.
Short phrase, but reeking of sweat-soaked effort, unyielding persistence, and do-or-die passion—not easily dismissed.
'And there was that one too.'
Who said it?
A mad dog fears no whip.
Thud—THUMP—
Hari mulled the saying he'd heard somewhere, diligently practicing enlightenment today by working his body tirelessly.
And the result.
Thump—
"...Kuhk. Y-You mad bastard... Cough!"
Proved once more that nothing was impossible.
The current Mad Demon nodded slowly, looking down at his predecessor with satisfaction.