Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8 The Grand Master
Four years had passed since Baek Ran left. It was my 20th year in the tutorial.
I was facing the avatar of Baal, the strongest monster in the tutorial.
'No matter how many times I fight it, I just can’t get used to it.'
This was a monster from beyond the heavens, attacking with entirely different patterns each time it was summoned.
Its killing intent instinctively made my body shrink, and each swing of its fist carried enough force to shatter mountains.
How many times have I died to this thing by now?
Even my strongest attack, the Fourth Form of the Fist of the Shattered Sky, couldn’t deal meaningful damage to it.
-"At the very least, you won’t even be able to harm it until you’ve entered the realm of Qi reinforcements"
Only after dying countless times to Baal’s avatar did I recall Estelle’s words.
Moreover, the tutorial’s basic meditation techniques imposed a restriction, it was impossible to reach the level of using Qi reinforcements.
The energy output was simply too weak.
So, the reason I kept repeating this wasn’t to defeat Baal.
'Here, like this...'
As a result of mastering the Observation and Energy Sense skills, the two abilities merged to form a new skill.
[Deep Insight]
An ability to meticulously analyze the flow of an opponent’s energy.
Using this skill, I thoroughly analyzed how Baal manipulated his energy, how it flowed and regenerated, without missing a single detail.
Ten minutes passed.
For the first time, I succeeded in facing Baal’s avatar without dying.
The tutorial’s monsters disappeared after a set time, and as my strength drained, I collapsed to the ground.
"Haa... Haa... I didn’t die for once."
This was a monumental moment that would normally call for celebration.
But before I could bask in the emotion, I pulled out a notebook and meticulously recorded everything I had just analyzed.
How Baal’s energy flowed, regenerated, and was released.
I cross-referenced it with the data I had compiled so far, all for the sake of a more accurate analysis.
"To think you’d actually try to create a new martial art just because the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art doesn’t suit you..."
Estelle, who came almost every day to dissuade me, pressed her fingers to her forehead.
This was a familiar sight by now.
"Why are you being so stubborn?"
"You said I need Qi reinforcements to defeat Baal, right? Then... I’ll just have to create a meditation technique that lets me use Qi reinforcements."
At my answer, she sighed as if she had a headache.
"Haa... I told you, that monster wasn’t made to be defeated in the tutorial. Even Yoo So-eun couldn’t beat it, so why are you so fixated on it?"
That was exactly it.
If I could defeat a monster even she couldn’t... From that moment on, I would truly surpass Yoo So-eun.
'Well, the Yoo So-eun of the past, at least.'
That was enough.
The experience of indirectly surpassing her, who had once been an insurmountable wall, would bring me a new goal.
It was something I absolutely had to do at least once.
"Eh~ I’m not giving up until I beat it! How about giving me a hint instead?"
When I joked, Estelle sighed and raised her fist.
"Violence is not the answer!"
I reflexively used the Flowing Clouds of Chaos Evasion to create distance.
Just seeing that fist gave me PTSD.
To others, it might look small and cute, but to me, it was a weapon of mass destruction.
In the end, Estelle was the first to back down.
Lowering her fist, she offered some advice.
"Haa... The basic meditation techniques of each sect were meticulously crafted by their founders for future generations."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Her words were cryptic, but since it was Estelle, I couldn’t dismiss them lightly.
"I’ve given you the hint. Figure the rest out yourself."
With that, she vanished.
"If you were going to tell me anyway... You really are a tsundere."
Mulling over her hint, I resumed my research.
All to create a meditation technique perfectly suited for my ascent.
*****
Five years had passed since I began creating my martial art.
By now, I had lost count of how many times I had died.
"Is this the problem area this time?"
Perhaps due to channeling energy through the wrong pathways, my meridians twisted, and an intense energy akin to demonic qi enveloped my entire body.
Then—
KABOOM!
My meridians burst, and my body exploded.
My consciousness faded.
When I opened my eyes again, I had been revived.
I flipped open my notebook and corrected my previous records.
"So, circulating energy through this pathway causes rejection..."
I redesigned the energy pathways . Carefully, to avoid straying too far from the original goal.
"Even among fools, spending years trying to create a martial art like this is a new level of stubbornness."
"But I’m testing it firsthand with my own body. Who else has hundreds of lives to spare for martial arts experimentation?"
After 25 years together, I had grown comfortable speaking casually to her.
I even suggested she do the same, but she refused, saying angels shouldn’t grow attached to humans.
"Admittedly... that brutish method has produced something quite impressive. If not for the tutorial’s unique conditions, this meditation technique would’ve been impossible to create."
Who else could test a technique with their own body? I pushed my body to its absolute limits—and beyond—to craft this martial art.
"Just wait. I think something incredible is coming."
Every martial art has a goal.
Taoist sects seek immortality, Buddhist sects pursue enlightenment, the Heavenly Demon Sect worships Mara, the Southern Barbarians emulate beasts, and the Northern Ice Palace resembles winter.
And me?
'My goal is Baal.'
According to Estelle, gods and demons truly exist in this world.
Among them, the 72 strongest demons are called the Demon Kings.
And the strongest of them all, ranked first—a being even the combined might of gods cannot defeat: the Demon God, Baal.
-"Not even supreme deities like Zeus or Buddha could guarantee victory against him, even if they joined forces."
The fact that Baal’s avatar existed in the tutorial...
Even Estelle didn’t know why.
'Well, that’s good for me.'
The best teaching material had rolled right into my lap.
If I could emulate even a fraction of the 1st-ranked Demon King’s power, I would become strong beyond comparison.
For someone like me, who wasn’t even close to being the strongest human, let alone the 1st-ranked entity in the demon realm, Baal’s power was an irresistible temptation.
Like a spell that could make me soar to the heavens.
To grasp that spell, I studied Baal’s energy, its flow, and his combat style exhaustively.
Of course, the process wasn’t easy.
"Ah, another Qi Deviation."
In my attempt to mimic Baal’s energy, my own qi rebelled and disrupted my flow.
KABOOM!
Seeing no other solution, I detonated my heart and committed suicide.
"Time to try again."
After reviving, I made another note in my notebook.
I needed to find a way to harness Baal’s demonic nature without crossing the line.
I died dozens more times, researched energy pathways, and researched again.
Now, the meditation technique I had created was no longer a simple imitation of Baal.
I was forging a new path.
Drawing too much demonic nature would lead to Qi Deviation. But if I could harness it just enough, my energy would become faster and more intense.
To find that balance, I died dozens more times.
I died researching energy pathways. I died from meridian explosions. I died again and again.
All for a meditation technique tailored solely to me—optimized for me alone.
Baal’s energy wasn’t just demonic qi. It wasn’t mere ‘destruction’—it was ‘domination’ itself.
The way his energy flowed was entirely different.
First, I had to understand what ‘domination’ truly meant.
Anyone could destroy.
But to dominate energy, to subjugate it beneath your will—that wasn’t something just anyone could do.
In fact, true destruction required absolute restraint.
I had to dominate myself, dominate my energy, and dominate my very existence.
Only then could true destruction be achieved.
That was Baal’s essence.
After another year of repeated death and revival, I had thoroughly dissected every internal energy technique in the tutorial.
To grasp the principles of martial arts creation, I analyzed the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art—the only ascension technique—thousands of times.
And finally, I found the answer.
"So... this was it!"
In the endless cycle of death and revival, I had discovered my own path.
A new martial art, one that had never existed before, blossomed within me.
A path no one had ever walked.
Now, I wasn’t just ‘imitating’ Baal. I had become someone walking the same path as him.
Beyond imitation—into creation.
I was stepping into an entirely new realm.
[The Threefold Heart Method Technique is absorbed into ???.]
[A new form of internal energy technique, one that exists in no other world.]
[Please name it.]
There was no need to think.
I already had a name in mind.
"Dawn Divine Art."
One who pierces the darkness to greet the dawn.
No name could suit a technique made solely for me better than this.
[Dawn Divine Art (Lv1): A divine art of unprecedented concept, created by a heaven-sent fool through countless experiments and revisions, partially imitating the Demon God Baal.
Its energy flow is the fastest and most dangerous among all existing techniques, requiring extremely high internal energy control.
A martial art tailored exclusively to Han Yeong-min’s body, impossible for others to learn.
① Demon Core:
An internal core that accumulates energy in the manner of a Demon King. The limits of demonic energy vanish, and its accumulation and recovery speed receive the highest-level correction. Even if the dantian is destroyed, accumulated energy can be consumed to regenerate it.
② Demon Body:
A body forged from demonic energy itself. Physical abilities rise in proportion to total demonic energy. The limits of physical enhancement disappear, granting the highest-level correction.
③ ???:
Unlocks with proficiency increase.]
"I really succeeded..."
Before the euphoria of mastering a meditation technique made just for me could fade, I rushed to the first person who came to mind—and hugged her tightly.
"I did it! I did it! I created an ascension meditation technique! And it’s not just any technique—it’s a divine art! Isn’t this like the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?"
In martial arts novels, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a staple, the ultimate technique. Since my Dawn Divine Art also bore the title of divine art, it deserved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it.
Estelle forced a smile and spoke.
"I get it... Now let go so we can talk. I can’t breathe."
Realizing I’d hugged her too tightly, I loosened my grip just enough to let her breathe.
"...But why only this much?"
I grinned and replied.
"I’m just too happy. If you hate it, I’ll let go."
Right now, I wanted to grab anyone and brag about what I’d accomplished.
"Sigh... Do as you please. But how did this happen?"
"After dying and reviving over and over while correcting mistakes, I finally saw the path. That’s how it was completed. Want to hear about its effects?"
As she nodded, I explained each of the Dawn Divine Art’s abilities in detail.
"It certainly deserves to be called a divine art. Removing the limits on demonic energy and physical enhancement is something I’ve never heard of before. It might even rank among the top divine arts. And with a new ability unlocking as proficiency rises, its potential is high too."
Her praise made me grin from ear to ear.
"Congratulations. All your hard work finally paid off."
"I told you to expect great things."
'Huh? There’s more below?'
[You have succeeded in creating a peerless divine art, one that has never existed before.]
[Trait: Grand Master (S) acquired.]
Just by creating a martial art, I gained a new trait—and an S-rank one at that!
[Grand Master (S): A trait acquired by those who have created a completely new peerless divine art, rather than modifying existing martial arts.
① Martial Arts Creator:
Receives the highest-level correction when using self-created martial arts.
② Creator’s Luck:
Unintended positive effects may be added when creating new martial arts.
③ Martial Arts Expert:
Receives the highest-level correction to martial arts growth speed.]
Twenty-five years in the tutorial.
An endless cycle of experimentation and failure had guided me not just to a new martial art, but to an S-rank trait.
This wasn’t something preordained by heaven—it was the fruit of my effort, my struggle alone.
Earning this trait felt like the world itself acknowledging that the martial art I’d created was a divine art no one could ignore.
"Now that you’ve mastered an ascension technique, you should be able to reach the next realm if you work hard."
Until now, I had been blocked by the limits of my meditation technique.
Despite having gained enough enlightenment, I couldn’t advance further.
'I think I can reach the Peak realm right now.'
Sitting down, I closed my eyes and meditated, observing the inside of my body.
The Great Celestial Circuit—the flow of energy circulating throughout my body.
Two obstacles blocked it.
'The Conception Vessel and Governing Vessel.'
The Great Celestial Circuit. The flow of energy circulating through the entire body. The two obstacles blocking it: the Conception Vessel and the Governing Vessel .
The moment these vessels are unblocked, a martial artist gains complete freedom in manipulating energy.
All restrictions vanish—drawing energy like threads, enveloping the body, or releasing it beyond the body.
The reason I hadn’t unblocked them until now was simple: my previous meditation technique lacked the power.
'But now it’s different.'
The Dawn Divine Art’s energy flow was the fastest and most intense of all techniques in existence, giving me more than enough power to unblock these vessels.
If anything, I had to worry about overusing energy and damaging my meridians.
But after mastering energy control during the technique’s creation, that wouldn’t happen.
"Inhale... Exhale..."
Following the Dawn Divine Art’s breathing method, I guided the crimson energy in my dantian.
Like a wild horse, it was unstable, always eager to break free from control.
I tightened my grip on it.
While orthodox energy could sometimes lead to positive outcomes even if it ran wild, demonic energy wasn’t so forgiving.
'It’d be a one-way ticket to Qi Deviation.'
No one had experienced Qi Deviation more than me.
They say those who’ve suffered it know it best.
Unlike other demonic arts, the Dawn Divine Art didn’t attack the user’s mind, but its energy was even more frenzied than standard demonic qi.
I could’ve made it more stable during creation, but that would’ve severely reduced its performance.
So, I sacrificed safety for power, relying on my control to handle the rest.
'Baal used it like that too.'
A fighting style that discarded all safety measures, relying solely on one’s control.
I was fascinated by it, and the Dawn Divine Art was born the same way.
'Here we go.'
I moved the energy under my control.
Guiding it along the Small Celestial Circuit’s path, I stopped it just before the end, holding it at the passage’s entrance.
The path ahead was firmly blocked—I had to unblock the Conception Vessel.
BOOM!
"Ugh..."
Driving refined energy into the Conception Vessel sent a numbing pain through my lower body.
But compared to the agony of acquiring the Dawn Body, this was nothing. I kept hammering energy into it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
With each strike, I felt the wall thinning. Patiently, rhythmically, I continued until—finally—the path opened.
[You have successfully unblocked the Conception Vessel.]
'So this is how it feels...'
An indescribable refreshment, as if I had expanded.
Energy manipulation became freer, and my Energy Sense’s range increased.
But this wasn’t the end.
One vessel remained.
Though the Conception Vessel had been unblocked smoothly, the Governing Vessel was said to be tougher and more painful.
But with the thought that this was the final hurdle, I endured the pain and kept striking.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Finally, the Governing Vessel gave way to the Dawn Divine Art’s energy.
My world expanded even further than before, my energy reaching deeper places.
A vista I had never sensed before.
'Is this the Peak realm?'
No.
The Peak realm Estelle had described wasn’t like this.
The Dawn Divine Art was taking me to a new domain.
The world around me expanded infinitely.
HA sense of omnipotence coursed through my back.
'It feels like I can do anything.'
With this, I had stepped beyond the Peak.
Together with the Dawn Divine Art.