Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Chapter 70 Free Station
The moment the Emperor's breath ceased, all remaining erosion levels were filled.
[Current World Erosion Level 100%.]
Finally, it was time to cast off the ill-fitting clothes of being a Demon King.
"Phew... It was really hard pretending to be a Demon King. As expected, this kind of thing doesn't suit me."
[Some gods of the Pantheon say that's not true.]
[Some Demon Kings of Pandemonium say you seemed to enjoy it more than anyone.]
I also send my heartfelt gratitude to the transcendent beings who showed countless provocations and interest throughout this trial.
Since the content itself was a long trial, there were boring sections in between, but they made it less tedious with their back-and-forth each time.
It would have been better if the content wasn't just slander.
[You have cleared the 9th floor trial of the Testing Floors Hell difficulty for the first time.]
[Rewards are enhanced.]
[You have successfully subdued the Hero.]
[Rewards are greatly enhanced.]
[You are currently under penalty.]
[Rewards are very greatly enhanced.]
[Rewards have reached the highest level.]
[Rewards from floors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 are stacked.]
[Will you receive the rewards?]
[Yes / No.]
'Oh no, I almost caused big trouble if I had just killed him.'
Seeing that the reward enhancement condition says ‘subdued,’ if I had just killed him without making him submit, the rewards might have been downgraded by one level.
Simply killing could also be considered submission in another sense, but trials wouldn't give that much leeway.
This time there was also another familiar message below.
[You have successfully completely subdued a special entity.]
[Title: Conqueror of the Unknown (Legendary) rank increases.]
[Conqueror of the Unknown (Legendary) is promoted to Conqueror of the Unknown (Mythic).]
'The Emperor was treated as a special entity.'
Even for Hell difficulty, having an enemy who had stepped into the extreme level of Hamonry appear in the Testing Floors seemed too much, but if it's a special entity, I can accept it.
And as the title reached mythic grade, not only did stats simply increase, but I felt like all abilities had comprehensively risen, so I immediately checked the information.
[Conqueror of the Unknown (Mythic): A title given to those who conquered hidden pieces in the Testing Floors and completed preparations to become myth itself beyond legend.
① Stats: All Stats +5
② Idol: The more admiration, respect, and awe you receive, the more correction you receive to all abilities.]
'This is similar to how transcendent beings gain power...?'
Like transcendent beings who strengthen their abilities by receiving faith from others, now the emotions of others themselves could give me meaningful power.
If this is the case, wouldn't even just 1% of the people who received equipment from me in the tutorial showing respect result in tremendous ability enhancement?
Though humans are such conscienceless creatures that they might actually not feel grateful.
Still, just the first effect is an insane title that raises total stats by 60 when equipped, so I decided to think of Idol as just a bonus.
The space within the trial began to collapse.
Just as I was about to cross the portal, I heard a familiar voice from behind.
"Demon King! It was truly an honor to serve you!"
It was the adjutant who had followed me most diligently. So there was a slightly more familiar feeling, and since it would be awkward to keep deceiving him, I decided to give him the red pill before leaving.
"I'm not a Demon King. I'm a human named Han Yeong-min."
"I know. That's why I respect you even more. I, Andromalius, will support you anytime."
[One of the Demon Kings of Pandemonium smiles.]
With those words, his form crumbled. And I also moved my body to the portal before it was too late.
The waiting room I returned to after a long time.
[Time remaining until next floor opens: 23 hours 59 minutes]
And seeing the countdown I was seeing after a long time, I thought about the meaningful words I had just heard.
"Isn't Andromalius a Demon King's name?"
I don't know all 72 demon names from Solomon, but I roughly knew the famous ones.
However, the adjutant was strong but was definitely a demon tribe member, not worthy of being called a Demon King.
If the Demon King who sent the message at the end was Andromalius, there is one hypothesis I can establish.
If it's true that the Emperor was above, Chris's world must have successfully blocked the Demon King's invasion.
The Emperor was not someone who would ever surrender to a Demon King. Her being alive meant victory over the Demon King.
Then the Demon King's main body would have been severely injured as the price for losing his avatar, and if the adjutant had staged a rebellion at that moment to take his position, everything would make sense.
'The adjutant was a scary guy...?'
If I hadn't properly played the Demon King role, wouldn't I have also been backstabbed by Andromalius?
Just thinking about it gives me chills. As expected, the schemes of real Demon Kings were too much for an ordinary human like me to follow.
With the thought that I would be more careful in the future, I brought Eve out of subspace.
The 8th floor trial had ended quickly too, and the emotional drain was too great, so I was going to call her after the 9th floor trial ended, but it took longer than expected.
"I'm a bit late, right?"
"It's okay! Thanks to that... I think I gained a bit more!"
"Oh...? Really?"
Indeed, her aura had changed.
The intense energy she couldn't control no longer leaked outside and was completely under her control.
I could feel that her eyes for seeing the world had broadened further.
She, who had only techniques for handling energy close to a peak master, had truly become a peak master.
After becoming a retainer on the 3rd floor of Hell difficulty, in the short time I climbed to the 9th floor, she had achieved incredible growth.
'Though her energy and body were already prepared, it's too fast even if it's fast.'
A monster with an overwhelmingly stronger body than humans, overflowing mana, and now even enlightenment about martial arts added.
If martial artists who were just starting to cultivate martial arts saw her, they would probably feel relative deprivation.
Since she was obtaining too easily what they wanted to gain through lifelong cultivation.
"But Yeong-min has become even stronger... I can't predict how strong you'll become."
It seems she can also feel what I gained when Conqueror of the Unknown was promoted to mythic.
"I'll make you stronger too. Let's eat first."
"Good!"
Her expression, which had looked slightly dejected, brightened immediately.
This time I put more effort into it, so she was quite surprised when she saw the plated food.
"This... the cooking is really pretty...!"
"Right? It's called fine dining."
The improved dexterity from absorbing the dwarves' potential now made it possible to imitate the fine dining of famous chefs I had only seen on YouTube.
"I can taste several different flavors in one dish, it's really amazing...!"
Finding the hidden flavors within is also a way to enjoy fine dining.
She was thoroughly enjoying that fun with her excellent senses.
"Now sit in front."
After the meal ended, I had Eve sit in front of me.
Since she had become a peak master and the risk of mana going berserk had almost disappeared, it was now time to create a divine martial art just for her.
Of course, I wasn't thinking of creating a completely new martial art. That would take too long and be inefficient.
Since I had already accumulated samples of numerous martial arts on the 5th floor, I just needed to select one of them, modify it to suit Eve, and add a little kick.
"Eve. Did you like the Shaolin martial arts I taught you?"
"Yes! They really suit me perfectly!"
Since her thoughts are simple, it's actually easier to achieve an Immovable Heart.
'Afflictions originally come from complex thoughts.'
That was exactly why she easily grasped the essence of Shaolin martial arts. Because she wasn't human, she could dig into one thing more stubborn than humans.
What would be boring for ordinary humans wasn't boring for her.
"Right. Then I'll create a mental cultivation method in that direction for you."
"Got it!"
The martial art that would serve as the base was first the mental cultivation method that Shaolin's Hye-un was learning, the Yigin-jing (Muscle-Tendon Change Classic).
Since I was feeling the opponent only through energy sense without the five senses, the flow of that energy and breathing method still remained vividly in my mind.
I would modify that to suit Eve's body while adding the enlightenment I gained from Shakyamuni, who was the most outstanding among those who learned Shaolin-type martial arts I had met.
If Yigin-jing was a mental cultivation method created to reach Bodhidharma's level, the new martial art I would create would be a mental cultivation method to reach Shakyamuni, going one step further.
Eve's body was so sturdy and had good regenerative ability that minor destruction of energy and blood didn't affect her at all.
Her Immovable Heart also gave her a mind unshaken by pain, so creating the new martial art didn't take very long.
A new Yigin-jing that only suited Eve, enhanced with the enlightenment gained from Shakyamuni, was completed.
"Then shall we try learning what I just created?"
Eve nodded and quietly knelt down.
She straightened her back and inhaled.
A state of not moving like a quiet and solid mountain range, yet not being stopped.
The circulation of energy and blood in her body began to change very subtly.
Like old gears meshing and slowly turning, waves of energy sense began to flow from deep within.
At first it was subtle. Like the ripples of a small water drop in silence. But as time passed, those waves gradually became thicker and heavier.
From arms to legs, again from the dantian up the spine to the crown. The energy of Paeryeok Jingong circulating through her entire body gradually became thinner and began to break.
Intentional destruction. Just as you can't build a new house without tearing down the old one, she was now destroying all pathways in her body herself.
"HEUUUT...!"
Though she bit her lips tightly, her eyes didn't blur.
There was pain, but Eve had already learned not to feel such things.
Pain was just information, not emotion. To her, it was simply
Just a signal announcing progress.
The mental cultivation method gradually revealed its form. It's not simply a way to operate energy. It's a reassembly that rearranges the entire life force following breathing.
Golden afterglow began to ripple from her body.
For a moment, energy surged through her meridians.
Flowing but not scattering, moving but not fluctuating.
Energy rose along Eve's back, then two, three, eight lines extended behind her back.
A silhouette that anyone would inevitably think of Buddha.
The arms behind her back disappeared and she slowly opened her eyes, sitting in the exact same posture as before.
But she was a completely different being from before.
"This... fits my body perfectly...!"
A new martial art that placed Shakyamuni's enlightenment on the framework of Yigin-jing.
She had successfully learned Musang Yigin-gyeong (Supreme Muscle-Tendon Change Classic), a martial art that surpassed Yigin-jing.
'Shaolin people would really be shocked if they saw her.'
If things go well, they might even develop Qi deviation.