Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 29
>Chapter Title: Audit (2)
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As if my feelings meant nothing to him, Big Senior Brother grinned like an idiot and kept talking.
“Of course, our junior brother hasn’t even graduated from the Demonic Path Academy yet, so it’s a bit premature to say. But I believe in you. It won’t be long before you become a fine demon.”
I didn’t want to become one. A fine demon or whatever.
“Th-that’s too much praise, Big Senior Brother. How could I possibly serve as your right-hand man?”
“…It seems I’m lacking as a leader for you to serve, junior brother. You’re refusing so stubbornly.”
“!!!”
At Big Senior Brother’s disappointed mutter, cold sweat broke out on my skin before I knew it.
He claimed he’d entered Transcending Demon and could control his anger now.
But from my perspective, having seen him lose control already, any more refusal would just sound like a death threat.
“Wh-what are you saying! How could Big Senior Brother be lacking? I-I only said that because I’m the one who’s inadequate.”
“Hahaha. If that’s the case, don’t worry! You can definitely pull it off, junior brother. But you’re right too. I haven’t shown you the qualities of a leader worth serving yet! Hahaha! Just wait! I’ll become a man worthy of your service!”
“...”
This crazy wild boar wasn’t listening to a word I said.
And as if he’d said all he wanted, he left Wind Rock Hall just like that.
“......”
As I wallowed in despair, feeling my life in the cult twisting sharply, Jin Ha-yeon poured oil on the fire.
“Congratulations, Young Master. It seems the Grand Young Master has properly recognized your abilities.”
“…Is this something to be happy about?”
“Of course. If the Grand Young Master becomes the next Cult Leader, won’t he place you as Left or Right Guardian or even in the Demon Brain position?”
“Haa….”
A deep sigh escaped me.
And perhaps misunderstanding my sigh, Jin Ha-yeon spouted more nonsense.
“Or perhaps you’re devising a plan to propel the Grand Young Master to the next Heavenly Demon position?”
It was an absurd question, but I could roughly guess why she’d misunderstood.
It was a fact I only learned after about a month in the cult, but being the Heavenly Demon’s disciple didn’t mean you’d become the next Heavenly Demon.
Once the current Heavenly Demon ascends, a competition begins within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to select the next Cult Leader.
The competition is overseen by the Left and Right Guardians chosen by the ascended previous Heavenly Demon, and there’s only one minimum condition to participate.
Defeating one of the Left or Right Guardians in a martial duel.
And those Left and Right Guardians have always been masters who’ve cultivated specific demonic arts passed down only to previous Guardians.
To defeat such a Left or Right Guardian, one needed to have mastered a top-tier demonic art from the cult to at least the Transcending Demon level.
In other words, even a Heavenly Demon disciple couldn’t aim for the next Heavenly Demon seat without reaching Transcending Demon in an exceptional demonic art.
Conversely, even if not a Heavenly Demon disciple, any outstanding master could vie for it.
The reason for this system was simple. To cultivate the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the symbol of the Heavenly Demon, one needed to have already reached Transcending Demon in at least one exceptional demonic art.
It was the most powerful demonic art, but it also boasted the most vicious side effects, making this an unavoidable tradition.
The one who wins that competition and begins cultivating the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is called the ‘Cult Leader,’ and only after achieving great completion in it like my master—reaching Transcending Demon—do they truly become known as the ‘Heavenly Demon.’
When Jin Ha-yeon belatedly told me this, I finally understood why the cult operated in such a haphazard way.
From the moment the Heavenly Demon ascends, the cult enters a dark age that lasts from a few years to decades.
Because a fierce civil war breaks out among the cult’s top masters, all at Transcending Demon level, vying to become Cult Leader and cultivate the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Even if one emerges as Cult Leader at the end of that civil war, the side effects of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art turn the leader into a madman.
And if that leader fails to achieve great completion and dies from Demonic Deviation, the competition restarts.
Only when someone truly extraordinary achieves great completion in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art can they escape that horrific era.
Just like my master right now.
With a true Heavenly Demon like my master—who’d achieved great completion even in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—taking power, the cult experiences a brief revival, only for the dark age to return, repeating the cycle and leaving the cult’s structure in this mess.
In any case, Big Senior Brother had finally reached Transcending Demon in the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art, qualifying him to aim for the next Heavenly Demon seat.
But the cult already had several masters like Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang. In the end, Big Senior Brother was a latecomer.
So Jin Ha-yeon mistook my sigh for frustration at racking my brains over a scheme to help this latecomer surpass those who’d qualified first as his right-hand man.
I was just sad that my life of freeloading as a total bum was slipping away.
‘As expected, only Seon-a truly understands me.’
Unlike Jin Ha-yeon, who kept congratulating me nonstop from the side about how great it was, Seon-a was sighing right alongside me.
* * *
Wi Jin-hak, who had left Wind Rock Hall, arrived at a place familiar to Il-mok.
Entering the grand estate inscribed with the Hyeok-ryeon name, Wi Jin-hak held a private meeting with a certain man in the deepest hall there.
“It’s been a while, Family Head.”
“Indeed it has, Grand Young Master.”
As they exchanged light greetings, Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang didn’t show it outwardly but was quite surprised inwardly.
“You seem to have achieved great progress recently.”
“Hahaha. Thanks to my youngest junior brother.”
“Hmm….”
A suppressed exclamation of varied emotions slipped from Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang’s lips.
Looking at the Hyeok-ryeon family head, Wi Jin-hak spoke up.
“Actually, I came in person to apologize for the previous incident. I did receive punishment directly from Master, but I felt it right to visit you myself.”
“We agreed not to hold that against you, so no need to worry.”
Even as he replied, Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang had various thoughts swirling.
‘He’s truly entered Transcending Demon in the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art.’
He’d changed so much in just that one month. The guy who would’ve exploded in rage over the humiliation before was now coming to apologize himself.
‘And it’s thanks to that youngest young master, no less.’
Naturally, Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang’s thoughts turned to Il-mok.
At first, he’d only been watching because of the Heavenly Demon’s orders.
But after that youngest young master visited the family estate last time, his granddaughter had changed.
And in a very positive way.
Since that day, she’d thrown herself into martial arts training of her own accord.
Before, it had been obvious she was only following the family’s orders reluctantly—a complete reversal, one might say.
He still didn’t like that she visited that youngest young master for one hourglass each day, but aside from that time, she devoted herself entirely to training and studies at the estate.
Her talent was already outstanding, so her growth rate was astonishing.
And now, even the Grand Young Master had reached Transcending Demon thanks to that youngest young master, shifting Hyeok-ryeon Cheon-gang’s view of Il-mok somewhat positively.
But he still didn’t know why his granddaughter had changed so drastically.
The exact reason she’d become so obsessed with training.
* * *
Late at night.
In one wing of the massive estate at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s main headquarters.
Three men gathered in the darkness for a meeting.
As always, it was to discuss major and minor events within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But today’s topic was inevitably the Grand Young Master Wi Jin-hak, who had emerged from seclusion a few days ago.
“You’ve all heard the talk. That fool of a Grand Young Master has finally achieved great completion in the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art and entered Transcending Demon.”
“…We anticipated the risk since there’s time before the Heavenly Demon ascends, but I didn’t expect him to succeed so suddenly.”
Their faces were hidden in the shadows, but they exchanged words in serious tones one after another.
The discussion centered on predictions of Wi Jin-hak’s future moves and how to deal with them.
“It’s right to prepare, but no need to be overly sensitive. That could expose our movements, and he’s just a novice who’s barely qualified anyway.”
“However, as the Heavenly Demon’s chief disciple, simply qualifying puts him at a massive advantage. If the Heavenly Demon favors his chief disciple before leaving, it’ll flow against us later.”
“Hmm. In the end, we must watch most carefully how the Heavenly Demon treats the Grand Young Master.”
As the discussion on this topic wrapped up, the man on the right cautiously spoke.
“By the way, have you all heard that rumor?”
“Rumor? What rumor?”
“That the youngest young master made a major contribution to the Grand Young Master’s Transcending Demon success.”
“......”
The other two fell silent, as if they hadn’t heard it.
Then the man on the left tilted his head and muttered.
“Wasn’t the Grand Young Master’s rampage caused by that youngest young master?”
“It’s already widely rumored in the cult that the youngest young master provoked him nonstop, spewing the words the Grand Young Master hates most.”
Il-mok’s nonstop provocations to draw the rampaging Wi Jin-hak’s attention couldn’t help but become rumor.
Dozens of people had come to stop the rampaging Wi Jin-hak at the time, and they’d all heard Il-mok taunting the Grand Young Master.
“Hmm. We thought the youngest and Grand Young Master were completely at odds and lost interest.”
“Who’d have thought there was further contact between them.”
“For now, it’s just a rumor, so we should verify if it’s solid information.”
At the central man’s words, the men on left and right nodded.
If the rumor was false, no need to pay it mind. They weren’t so idle as to fuss over a powerless youngest young master based on fake gossip.
But if the rumor was true?
A kid who was clever enough to directly advise the Heavenly Demon and change the cult’s systems had now given enlightenment to the Grand Young Master himself.
Young as he was, he was a dangerous element that could massively impact their grand scheme.
If such a kid allied with the Grand Young Master, their plans could unravel.
“If the rumor’s true, we’ll put surveillance on the youngest young master then. So we can seize an opportunity to deal with him anytime.”
The central man declared in a tone laced with killing intent.
* * *
A few days later.
After a routine day no different from usual, it was training time with Master.
“How goes your preparation for the Demonic Path Academy exam?”
A vague memory of hearing something similar made me pause, and damn it, Jin Ha-yeon answered in my place.
“Morning studies have already finished the Heavenly Demon Secret Record, and the history texts are nearly done. At this rate, we can shorten morning study time later and focus more on martial arts. Achievements in martial arts are progressing quickly too.”
“Hmm. No major issues for the entrance exam, it seems.”
“Yes. And since you promised to bestow an Explosive Demon Pill later, factoring that in, entrance is certain. In my personal opinion, entering the top Jia Class from the start is also possible.”
The Demonic Path Academy selects just twenty trainees a year through exams, then splits them into two classes by performance: Jia Class and Yi Class.
“Hahaha. To think you might enter Jia Class after just a year of prep. Truly gifted with excellent qualities.”
“It’s thanks to the discerning eye of the exalted one who discovered Young Master Il-mok.”
I couldn’t understand why praise for my talent always circled back to the Heavenly Demon’s greatness, but the real problem was elsewhere.
‘This feels familiar from last time?’
And my ominous premonition wasn’t wrong.
“Fortunately, there’s some leeway, so I have a task for you, Il-mok.”
“H-haha. B-but you never know, right? Wouldn’t it be best to push harder on entrance prep just in case?”
“Don’t worry. After this task, like last time, this old man will make extra time to oversee your training.”
It was code for working me like a dog again, last time style.
And seeing this boomer geezer say it like some grand reward, I had no choice but to give up.
“H-haha. On second thought, we have plenty of time. N-no need for busy Master to spare extra time. B-but may I ask what the task is, Master?”
When I refused the ‘reward,’ he took it as humility and smiled warmly in response.
“As you suggested last time, we’ve opened academies in Divine Cult branches across the provinces and started education. Don’t you need to check with your own eyes if they’re running as you planned?”
In short, he was telling me to go on another business trip.
This time, as on-site auditor.