Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Resolve
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I read the Heavenly Demon's heavenly secrets, and it turned out I was her fated counterpart.
The ones who lost it the most were the Sword Empress and Dang Ayoung.
"Ah, no way... Your fated partner is the Heavenly Demon? And, and we weren't in there? Then what about us..."
"W-what does that mean? The Heavenly Demon's fated partner is you? How can something like that happen now..."
The two of them, who didn't know much about heavenly secrets, were half in meltdown, truly believing it was a predetermined future. But the other two were different.
"...This is troubling. How did it end up like that?"
"...Looks like I caused a bigger incident in the Central Plains than I thought. Of all people, to get tangled with her."
They knew heavenly secrets well enough to understand exactly what it meant for me to appear as the Heavenly Demon's fated counterpart.
And the last one...
"...?"
She was just tilting her head side to side, completely clueless.
Well, whatever.
It's probably better if she stays in the dark.
"Um... For now, you two, calm down. It's not like the fixed future you think it is."
"Really...?"
"Hmm... You could call it a fixed future, but it's a bit different, so hear me out."
Yeo Sochen began explaining to the two bewildered women.
"You've seen and heard things while hanging around this guy, so I'll skip the minor details... You know heavenly secrets aren't singular, right?"
"...Yes. There are multiple ones."
"The divination we read—what we call reading heavenly secrets—is usually the possibility with the highest chance of happening at that point in time. Unlike the past, which has already passed and can't change, the strands of future heavenly secrets branch out endlessly, too many for the human brain to grasp fully."
"Yes, yes... I know that much."
"I know that too."
"Good. With that much, it'll be easy to explain. Here's an example. Suppose you have the power to achieve anything you set your mind to. Would you achieve what you want, or not?"
"Uh... Normally, you'd achieve it, right?"
"There'd be a lot to consider, but... yeah, you'd probably go for it."
She's explaining it well.
Heavenly secrets aren't something you can sum up that simply in words, but as the saintess of heaven, earth, and gods, Yeo Sochen was breaking it down in an easy-to-understand way.
Just how tangled and complex it really is... no one gets it unless they've seen it themselves.
"That's the idea. At the Heavenly Demon's level, her own will directly influences the heavenly secrets. With that in mind, you can figure out why this guy showed up as her 'fated counterpart' in the reading."
"Hmm..."
Dang Ayoung and the Sword Empress sank into thought after hearing Yeo Sochen's explanation.
They're both smart, so they'll reach the conclusion soon enough.
And after about a minute...
"...So the Heavenly Demon wanted him?"
"!"
Dang Ayoung was the first to crack it.
"Yes. She's head over heels. From the glimpse in the vision alone, she fell at first sight—enough to think about marriage right then."
"...Heavens."
"Hmm..."
After hearing the conclusion, Dang Ayoung and the Sword Empress frowned in thought for a moment before turning their gazes to me.
"...What the hell did you do over there to make her fall at first sight?"
"I didn't do anything! We just had some drinks together!"
"Sounds like more than enough to fall for."
"What?!"
No way—someone falls at first sight just from sharing drinks?!
"I didn't think it'd turn out like that either! Even I wouldn't imagine the Heavenly Demon falling for something like that! And that woman seemed like she could see right through my cloak..."
"Yeah... Hate to admit it, but she's strong enough that even ten of me couldn't guarantee a win... Wait. What did you say?"
"...Ah."
Oh right, I hadn't mentioned that.
"...She saw through the inside of your cloak? Your real face?"
"...Not 100% sure, but I'm about 95% certain."
"That's basically certain!"
Okay, but this really isn't my fault.
I didn't expect an item with the reliability that even the Sword Empress and Yeo Sochen couldn't pierce—requiring me to remove the hood myself to show my face—would fail against her.
Strictly speaking, I'm the victim here.
They didn't warn me about that when I bought it.
[That woman's on a whole other level! Even without an explanation, it's common sense—you can't take on dragon breath trusting a single magic tool... that's thief mentality...]
Ignoring the weird voice in my head, I focused on reality and saw Yeo Sochen clutching her head.
"Ah... Hold on. This changes things a bit."
"I told you last time I got assaulted by the Heavenly Demon inside the heavenly secrets."
"That's different from this. No, but last time you said you were assaulted inside the heavenly secrets? In the reading you did, future you came out as the Heavenly Demon's fated counterpart, and current you exists separately, but then the assault... It's getting complicated."
"No, it's exactly that."
It sounds ridiculous even to me, but that's what happened.
"It got cut off mid-explanation last time, that's why... Let me finish telling you what happened that day I met the Heavenly Demon."
I recounted everything I could remember from that encounter with the Heavenly Demon in that state.
That I appeared as her fated counterpart, and the me inside those secrets was imprisoned by her for over a decade, fathering four kids.
And that the future Heavenly Demon in those secrets recognized the current me and assaulted me.
And that I'd have to visit the Demonic Cult again in a few months.
After hearing it all, the group's expressions were...
-Blank
"..."
Exactly the faces you'd make if someone said, "You won't believe this," in real life.
"Um... According to what you just said, the Heavenly Demon's heavenly secrets are influenced by her own will."
"...Right."
"So that kind of... future coming up—is it exaggerated or something? Or is it reflecting her true desires...?"
"..."
...Now that you mention it.
The Heavenly Demon fell for me at first sight, and I'd been too worried about when that future might hit to think of it.
Maybe it's exaggerated.
No matter how vivid someone's imagination, it can't replicate reality perfectly—heavenly secrets fill in the gaps on their own, and maybe that came out a bit extreme...
"There's a chance the 'imprisoned for over ten years and fathering four kids' part is exaggerated. But it's rare for heavenly secrets to auto-complete something with zero possibility."
"For example...?"
"This case is unprecedented, so no real examples. But if we had to say... something like 'I don't want to let this guy go' could manifest in heavenly secrets as that extreme form."
"Th-then...!"
"Or it might not be. She could have genuinely imagined it. I don't know her personality."
"..."
So close.
Still, I'd said everything that needed saying.
I'd been debating whether to spill it or not, but there were reasons I ended up revealing it.
For one, the Heavenly Demon had already come to our place, caused a scene, and left—hiding more felt pointless.
And I'm just tired of it all...
The burden of piling up more and more secrets was beyond imagination.
I'd revealed the Heavenly Demon stuff, but said nothing about the saintess.
No one except Yeo Sochen even knew she existed, and even she didn't know I'd made a soul-binding contract with her.
About how the moment I hit 10,000 points, I'd go to another world and live as a stud horse.
I thought there was plenty of time left, but it'd happen eventually.
The second the saintess blocked point spending somehow, it'd be a countdown to doom.
...She always whines about being tired in bed and all that, but the women here are manageable.
It's not just one or two flings—built-up bonds make it bearable.
This life was karma from my past anyway.
But the Heavenly Demon or the saintess? Totally different league.
The former meant locked in the Demonic Cult basement, no sunlight, milked by the Heavenly Demon.
The latter? A whole other world.
And not just seeding and done—nonstop with other women as a stud horse.
Couldn't even die on schedule; worst case, mixing with my own kids...
Ugh...
The nightmare I'd just escaped shuddered through me again.
I knew I couldn't void the signed contract, but honestly, I wanted to somehow.
Sex feels good, sure, but that's no way to live.
What was past-me thinking signing that? I can't fathom it.
Of course, without it, Dang Ayoung wouldn't be here now—but people act different when desperate.
Anyway, after dragging that anvil from my chest...
"...Feels lighter."
"Huh? What does?"
"...My mood."
Watching them all brood seriously over how to handle this, I couldn't help thinking I'd found some great people.
Really.
The kind you never want to lose.