Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon's Purpose
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When you're too shocked and flustered, paradoxically, no thoughts come to mind at all.
That was exactly Unhyang's state right now.
She was facing the worst-case scenario she had imagined.
The Heavenly Demon.
He had come for her himself.
No matter how much she was the foremost formation master of the Murim world, her opponent was the Heavenly Demon. Unless it was Heavenly Demon Extreme, something like a mere formation couldn't stop him.
"The Heavenly Demon Soul and the martial artist are one. You can never grow if you fear yourself."
At Jin Ha-ryeong's words, Unhyang gripped her sword and struggled to her feet.
No matter how scared she was, she couldn't remain seated.
"Why are you here?"
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Did you come to teach me? Or is this the time you've finally come to take me away?"
"The biggest stumbling block for you is still that soft, sentimental heart. That's not your true nature."
"What the hell are you-."
Jin Ha-ryeong didn't answer Unhyang's questions. This wasn't a normal conversation.
Unhyang steadied her breathing.
She couldn't get agitated. She couldn't let fear take over.
Composing herself, Unhyang looked straight at Jin Ha-ryeong.
"No one can touch you here."
It was a situation she couldn't have imagined not long ago. Staring directly into the Heavenly Demon's eyes and saying such a thing.
Her heart pounded wildly. As if screaming at herself what kind of madness this was.
On any other day, she would have lost to her heart.
But not today.
'I have to fight.'
Where did this strength come from?
It was probably because of the people sleeping in the annex right now.
Kwak-.
Jin Ha-ryeong's gaze shifted to Unhyang's hand gripping the sword.
"Planning to fight?"
Thud-.
One step. Jin Ha-ryeong approached.
"In that state?"
Shwaaa-.
The formless fear took shape before her eyes. The evil spirits manifesting behind Jin Ha-ryeong shifted into hundreds of forms in an instant.
And more terrifying than those countless evil spirits was Jin Ha-ryeong himself.
Her sword hand trembled faintly.
Fight that?
-You can win.
It whispered again.
-If you're with me.
Crunch-.
She bit her lip once more. Pain was always a reliable way to steady a shaken mind.
Yeah.
Let's see you try.
The moment that resolve settled in her eyes.
"You've grown well."
Fwaaah-.
The hundreds of evil spirits vanished, and the suffocating aura disappeared in an instant.
The atmosphere flipped in a flash.
As she wondered what was happening, Jin Ha-ryeong spoke.
"I'm not here for you."
"I have no interest in something half-baked."
"Then?"
No interest?
As that suspicion flashed through her mind.
Behind Jin Ha-ryeong.
She saw Soo-hyuk, who should have been sleeping, walking toward them.
"Soo-hyuk... nim?"
Jin Ha-ryeong's purpose in coming here wasn't her.
Just like last time, he had come to see Soo-hyuk.
She had thought he came because of the Divine Lotus Castle's collapse...
"I knew you'd come."
As if waiting, Soo-hyuk faced Jin Ha-ryeong.
"The host is sleeping. Shall we talk outside?"
He asked, but Soo-hyuk didn't wait for Jin Ha-ryeong's reply. Jin Ha-ryeong followed as Soo-hyuk turned and walked out, as if saying follow me.
Left alone, Unhyang's legs gave out, and she sank to the floor.
"He really... wasn't here for me?"
She had considered the possibility that the Heavenly Demon might come for her. And indeed, he had appeared before her.
But she never imagined his target would be Lee Soo-hyuk.
He truly seemed disinterested in her. Likewise, Soo-hyuk had anticipated Jin Ha-ryeong's arrival.
Why on earth?
Soo-hyuk moved as far from Jin Un's location as possible.
He was concerned about what reaction Jin Un might have if he learned Jin Ha-ryeong had come here.
'He doesn't seem interested in her.'
Though he said as much, Soo-hyuk remained cautious.
If Jin Ha-ryeong had come here for Jin Un after all, he had no way to stop him right now.
Thud-.
Jin Ha-ryeong, who had been following, stopped.
Soo-hyuk turned to look at him, sensing he had no intention of following further.
"What are you doing here?"
Jin Ha-ryeong asked.
"You're not scared, are you?"
Scared.
Just hearing that word told Soo-hyuk that Jin Ha-ryeong knew about his situation.
"What if I am?"
"The you I know doesn't fear such things."
"Wasn't our first meeting at the Inter-Guild Competition? What makes you think you know me so well?"
"Don't act like a fake. You're Lee Soo-hyuk."
But Jin Ha-ryeong wasn't fooled.
He had come already convinced.
Seeing his bullheaded demeanor, Soo-hyuk wondered if he had foolishly picked him out during the Inter-Guild Competition. Who would have thought he'd be so certain after just one fight.
Until now, only one person had seen through to his soul upon meeting him.
"You... you're Soo-hyuk."
Huang Gyu-seong.
He had recognized him.
'Is it because they knew me from my past life?'
No, that couldn't be. If so, Hailz should have recognized him too.
Hailz had suspected and even peeled away his mask, but in the end, couldn't confirm his identity.
And it wasn't just that.
Among the many rankers he saw at the Inter-Guild Competition, quite a few were people he had encountered in his previous life.
Yet only two of them—Huang Gyu-seong and Jin Ha-ryeong—had recognized him.
Perhaps it was a difference in intuition or realm.
Faced with Jin Ha-ryeong's near-certain words, Soo-hyuk gave up trying to deceive him.
"I was looking for a way."
It was the answer to Jin Ha-ryeong's question about what he was doing here.
"A way to beat this guy."
Crackle-.
As he spoke, Soo-hyuk ignited lightning at his fingertip.
Jin Ha-ryeong's eyes narrowed at Soo-hyuk's response.
"A way?"
"I don't lose to anyone. Except this guy."
What always defeated him was lightning. It was something Soo-hyuk had said from their first encounter with Jin Ha-ryeong.
"So I have to keep fighting. Against this guy."
"You really are Lee Soo-hyuk."
"You were convinced first. When did you get so sure?"
"From the moment you picked me."
"Should've known it was a bad idea."
He said that, but Soo-hyuk wasn't too worried.
The Heavenly Demon was the enemy of the world. No one would side with him, nor oppose him for alliances.
A being with no ties or interests anywhere.
Thus, the Heavenly Demon's secret was heavier than anyone's.
"Did you lose all your power?"
Soo-hyuk nodded at Jin Ha-ryeong's question.
"For now."
There was no need to elaborate that he had died. Even he, who experienced it, had no way to explain it.
What mattered to Jin Ha-ryeong wasn't life or death. It was the loss of power. That alone.
"Then you can't kill me either."
"No."
Soo-hyuk's eyes gleamed.
"This time, I can."
"With this crude trickery?"
Jin Ha-ryeong glanced at the formations spread around. They were Jin Un's, but to him, mere tricks.
Even so, Soo-hyuk nodded.
Of course, it wasn't just that.
"Including this."
Many things had changed since then.
He had reached the same level, but his past self was far stronger. Still, he could declare it confidently.
Because he had failed once before, this time he could take the right path.
"I'll promise you too. This time, I'll kill you."
Jin Un and the Heavenly Demon.
Soo-hyuk had made the same promise to both.
"So hold out until then."
"I will."
A sneer curled on Jin Ha-ryeong's lips.
As if saying, 'You, of all people?' Soo-hyuk furrowed his brow at the smile.
Still, Soo-hyuk understood.
Jin Ha-ryeong had come all this way specifically to hear those words.
Then, Soo-hyuk noticed the wound on Jin Ha-ryeong.
"Did your little brother do that?"
Jin Do-ha.
Hard to believe just by looks, but he was Jin Ha-ryeong's younger brother.
The two brothers walked opposite fates: one as Heavenly Demon, the other as Murim Alliance Leader.
"Not just him."
"Then?"
"Guardian."
"Guardian?"
Soo-hyuk's eyes widened.
Guardian.
The protectors guarding the trials to the next floor, the guardians of each level.
Soo-hyuk had been tackling them continuously under the name Blue Eyes. In the end, the culprit that led to his death, Hydra, was the 8th floor's guardian.
And currently, the tower couldn't conquer the 9th floor's guardian.
"You challenged it?"
"Yes."
"Alone, surely not?"
Jin Ha-ryeong nodded.
It was absurd. Even Hydra, the 8th floor boss, had been deemed too much for Blue Eyes alone.
Guardians were designed to be taken down by groups, not individuals.
"Definitely tough alone."
Soo-hyuk realized he was even crazier than he thought.
When he first saw the wound, Soo-hyuk thought of those who could injure Jin Ha-ryeong: including the Three Demons that Huang Gyu-seong mentioned.
But to think it was something even higher.
"Before killing me, you need to take that thing down first."
"What do you really want?"
Soo-hyuk grew suspicious at Jin Ha-ryeong's claim of challenging the Guardian.
"To die? Or to live?"
Come to think of it, this was the first time he was having such a conversation with Jin Ha-ryeong.
He had clashed with the Heavenly Demon countless times. Fought every Inter-Guild Competition, and when he first beat him, Soo-hyuk earned the title of strongest.
But in that process, Soo-hyuk could defeat Jin Ha-ryeong, but not kill the Heavenly Demon.
"Who knows."
Jin Ha-ryeong gave no clear answer to Soo-hyuk's either-or question.
"If it's what you want now, then probably taking down the Guardian."
"Why not just die to the Guardian?"
"Impossible. And even if possible, not now."
Jin Ha-ryeong shook his head, emphasizing 'now' again.
It was quite an unfamiliar sight.
A guy who once wished for death, now discarding that wish to hunt the Guardian.
'Why this obsession?'
The reason to tackle Guardians was one.
To conquer the tower and climb higher.
And the reason for that was singular.
"Is that day coming?"
The event that would one day begin.
The fear deeply rooted in every player's heart, about that day.
That fear was thicker for players climbing higher.
"It might not be far."
"Have you met the Three Demons too?"
Jin Ha-ryeong nodded at Soo-hyuk's question.
"See for yourself."
He gave no direct hints.
Both Huang Gyu-seong and Jin Ha-ryeong told him to confirm it personally.
'I've met the Demon King.'
Soo-hyuk had encountered one of them once.
A brief brush. And the terror he felt then, he still couldn't forget.
"And I met your friends."
Soo-hyuk's eyes snapped open from his thoughts.
"Si-woo and Ye-ryeong?"
"Something like those names, I think."
"Where? What are they doing now?"
He knew they were alive. But he knew nothing about where they were or what they were doing.
"Don't know where. Don't know what they're doing... but I know what they'll do."
Jin Ha-ryeong mocked Si-woo and Ye-ryeong's foolish act of seeking his help, knowing rejection awaited.
Yet it was amusing.
"They asked me for help, but it seems I should leave that to you."
That foolish action might have been fate for this very purpose.