Chapter 311: Heavenly Demon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 311: Heavenly Demon (2)
This was a memory of the past.
Recorded in the Tower. And...
‘A memory that no one but me will ever witness again.’
Jinhyuk calmly gazed at the scene before him.
Amidst the desolate landscape.
There was no happy ending in a fight whose conclusion was already predetermined.
The Heavenly Demon would lose everything, and Murim would not remember his achievements.
The Heavenly Demon Cult would also turn its back on him, and everything he had built would be defiled by Samaja.
Yet, why was it?
Jinhyuk wanted to witness this battle with his own eyes.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon's sword extended forward.
It simply pointed straight ahead, unwavering.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The form was completed.
The power that allowed the Heavenly Demon to reign over this world as the Heavenly Demon.
As if responding to it—
Rumbleeee!
Heaven and earth shook violently.
First Form.
The Aura channeled through the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art' completely enveloped the blade, erupting to a length of over five meters.
The materialized energy soon took the shape of a dragon.
'Heavenly Dragon Emerges.'
Just how deep must his internal energy be to pull off such an absurd technique?
But before he could even marvel at it, space tore open, and dozens of Black Goats poured out.
"Kieee...!"
"Kieeeeee!"
Each one was a creature capable of destroying the entire world.
Moreover, they were easily twice the size of the one that had appeared during the Outbreak.
‘Have even the ones only seen on the 50th Floor come here...?’
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
The 'Denebola,' high-ranking thoughtforms.
The Denebolas, wielding long spears, exuded a magical power that was on an entirely different level.
Creak...
The Denebola at the forefront pulled its spear-wielding shoulder far back.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the spear was thrown.
Obliterating all the trees in its path, the massive ten-meter spear surged toward the Heavenly Demon.
This wasn't just a matter of being pierced.
If it so much as grazed him, he would be torn apart beyond recognition.
However.
[‘Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step’ is activated!]
No matter how powerful an attack was, if it didn't hit, the premise itself became meaningless.
Crash!
The spear completely obliterated the spot where the Heavenly Demon had been standing.
Of course, he had already vanished.
He reappeared right in the midst of the Denebolas.
Fast.
This was the 'Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step.'
Its uniquely domineering footwork was more powerful and faster than the Sword Demon Heavenly Spirit Step created through Fusion.
[Your understanding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art increases.]
A status window appeared before Jinhyuk's eyes.
‘Just watching this is helping.’
Right before leaping, he noticed the subtle way the Heavenly Demon's foot tapped the ground three consecutive times. It was likely a preparatory movement to maximize acceleration.
Furthermore, condensing his Qi and then exploding it in two stages at the very end was something Jinhyuk could only grasp because he was observing from a third-person perspective.
‘The martial arts manual of the Second Heavenly Demon I got from the Cloud-Mist Pavilion is also exceeding my expectations.’
Above all, the environment that allowed him to focus entirely on analyzing the battle greatly aided his understanding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
...Now!
Immediately, a storm of sword wind raged.
Slash, slash, slash!
The Heavenly Demon's sword moved freely in all directions.
"Arghhh!"
"Keeek!"
The limbs of the Denebolas were severed.
Gush!
Black blood sprayed like a waterfall from the severed stumps.
The Denebolas swung their spears frantically in a counterattack, but they were utterly helpless against the trajectory of the Heavenly Demon's sword.
‘To think the transition from the Second Form to the Third Form could be so natural.’
An exclamation of admiration escaped Jinhyuk's lips.
A technique optimized without any wasted movement.
It was the first time his heart had pounded and adrenaline had surged like this.
It was only natural.
The completeness of his own Heavenly Demon Divine Art would depend on the level of understanding he gained right now.
To be able to acquire such a powerful martial art so quickly, unlike in the past—how could he not be thrilled?
As he focused all his senses on watching the sword's path, the number of Denebolas rapidly dwindled.
Seventeen... nine... three.
Thud!
Thump!
Of the dozens of massive demonic beasts, not a single one remained standing.
Right then, Shub-Niggurath, who had been quietly watching, finally made her move.
"Indeed... worthy of one who possesses the 'Crown of Hegemony.' A strong body... and a Sacred Relic that allows you to enter our domain. You are a threat."
One step.
With just a single step forward, one of the strongest existences in the Tower declared the start of battle.
Rumbleeee!
The earth was completely overturned as a shockwave blew away the entire mountain.
The terrain was completely transformed.
Even though he knew all of this was just a memory of the past, the wave of magical power from moments ago made the hairs on his entire body stand on end.
To possess such power despite being subjected to all kinds of restrictions.
Indeed, the only word that came to mind was 'monstrous.'
However, even in the ruins where not a trace remained, the Heavenly Demon still did not lose his momentum.
"Now, it is my turn."
Though the blood flowing from his forehead soaked his chest, the light in his eyes was still vividly alive.
Not yet...
It wasn't over.
[Baek Il-ha activates Lv?? ‘Heavenly Demon Great Annihilation Calamity’!]
A crimson Qi shrouded the sky.
The floor shook, and the clouds parted.
This man was the Heavenly Demon.
An absolute being who, with a human body, transcended humanity to reach the pinnacle of martial arts.
"A move... akin to self-destruction. You play a disappointing hand... insignificant creature. Underestimating my power so greatly... is the reason you die today."
Black smoke billowed around Shub-Niggurath's body.
And then—
Boom!
Qi clashed against energy.
The shockwave was so beyond imagination that it felt as if the entire Tower was shaking.
"...Ugh."
The Heavenly Demon coughed up crimson blood.
Indeed, the balance of power had been broken from the very beginning.
Even if he burned his True Origin Qi, killing his opponent would be impossible.
In a split second lasting less than a second, twelve Heart Swords manifested above the Heavenly Demon's shoulders.
Twelve Heart Swords, when manifesting even one was said to be the realm of immortals. Moreover, he was controlling all of them through Sword Kinesis.
"You are the one... who should not presume to judge the limits of my power."
The Heart Swords vanished simultaneously.
Front, back, left, right—
Clang, clang, clang!
Boom, boom, boom!
A storm-like onslaught of attacks shredded Shub-Niggurath's body.
"Aaagh!"
Shub-Niggurath's scream was likely born of anger rather than pain.
Because a mere human, lower than an insect, had managed to wound her body, even if only slightly.
His fingers itched.
He wanted to copy it... right this instant.
That sword.
That strike.
That trajectory.
And as he watched it all unfold before his eyes, Jinhyuk began to paint another mental image in his mind.
It was a pity.
That he wasn't standing in that spot right now.
That he wasn't the one fighting there.
He felt an agonizing sense of frustration.
Above all:
‘If it were me... I would have done it differently...’
‘If I had adjusted the sword's trajectory just a bit more there...’
‘If I had twisted the flow of Qi...’
And the moment his thoughts reached that point—
[The completeness of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art increases by a very large margin.]
A status window bathed in golden light appeared.
* * *
How much time had passed?
"Impressive. For a... human, that is. Though I lack the power to finish you... due to the restrictions... I have achieved my purpose in coming here anyway."
Words of praise for her opponent flowed from Shub-Niggurath's mouth.
The long battle had finally come to an end.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon looked down at his body with sunken eyes.
He could no longer feel any Qi in his dantian.
Because he had exhausted his True Origin Qi, he had no strength left to hold on.
He was now a complete mortal.
No, now it would be difficult for him to even move like an ordinary person.
At best, his limit would be to move just once more before his final spark of life went out.
However, inflicting a fatal wound on his opponent with that single move was next to impossible.
Shub-Niggurath was equally certain of her victory.
With the threat gone, a branch lined with teeth slowly reached out toward the Heavenly Demon.
"The crown... a cursed Sacred Relic... capable of reaching our domain..."
Her target had been the symbol of martial supremacy among the seven crowns—the 'Crown of Hegemony.'
It had been a close call, but she was now able to seize the crown before the system's reverse-summoning took place.
However.
"Do you think I would just hand this over to you?"
Just before losing consciousness, the Heavenly Demon threw the black crown he held in his robes.
He had poured his last remaining Qi not into fleeing or counterattacking, but into throwing it.
Whoosh...
Crash!
"Aaagh! N-No!"
Shub-Niggurath's branches swiftly shot toward the crown.
But it was already too late.
Having shattered the floor, the crown began to fall into the unknown depths below.
Yes.
Jinhyuk already knew things would turn out this way.
The problem was...
‘No way...’
Jinhyuk's pupils shook violently.
He couldn't help it.
Because he had just seen... where the crown was falling.
Since he was there as an observer, he could see places that were completely out of the line of sight of both the Heavenly Demon and Shub-Niggurath.
‘So... that's where it was.’
* * *
[The Heavenly Demon's memories have ended.]
It was dawn, before the sun had even risen, when he returned to reality.
The cabin, where the exhausted people slept, was quite peaceful.
Except for one person.
The Heavenly Demon.
"Did you have a nightmare? You were groaning and whimpering."
"I had a... slightly uncomfortable dream."
He had peeked into the memories of an absolute ruler who had been abandoned without any reward.
Looking at his current emaciated, wounded state, the bitter aftertaste felt twice as strong.
"They say dreams are mirrors that project the discontent inherent in reality. If there is something weighing on your mind, whatever it may be, speak of it. Only then will you find some peace."
"Then... may I ask you the same question I asked last time?"
"Do you mean whether I regret it?"
"Yes. If my efforts were forgotten and I was abandoned by everyone instead... I think it would be hard for me to accept that kind of ending."
"So that uncomfortable dream was about me. Truly... you people from outside the Tower peek into others' minds as you please."
The Heavenly Demon fell into thought for a moment.
He seemed to be savoring the memory of that final moment.
"...I fought against an enemy that transcended human comprehension. And I protected this world upon which we now stand. Even if no one else remembers, it is enough that I do."
The Heavenly Demon said there were no regrets.
There was not a single lie in those words.
At least, that was the case for the Heavenly Demon in the memories Jinhyuk had witnessed firsthand.
‘So even without anyone's recognition, it's enough to remember it yourself.’
Indeed... those were words worthy of the Heavenly Demon.
Believing that everything he did was for the best, and willingly taking responsibility for the consequences.
Because that was the way the Heavenly Demon had lived his life.
"Does that answer your question?"
"More than enough. Thanks to you, I've firmly decided on the direction I need to take."
Jinhyuk nodded.
But right at that moment—
Crash!
The barrier erected near the cabin shattered.
"If you thought you could hide by spinning a mere spiderweb like this, it was a chillingly foolish judgment."
The one who appeared, leading hundreds of Jiangshi, was none other than the 4th rank of the Demonic Cult.
Shimmasaryong.