Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Dark Strike (2)
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“Then.”
Whoosh.
A sharp monomolecular cutter sliced through the air toward the neck of the crouched Heavenly Demon.
No, it should have sliced.
“How...”
The monomolecular cutter, capable of cutting steel like tofu, was caught between the Heavenly Demon’s index and middle fingers.
“Quite the outdated trick.”
As the Heavenly Demon straightened his back from his crouch, the cutter trapped between his fingers snapped in two instantly.
Clang.
Nam Hyunwook stared down at the two broken pieces with eyes wide as if they might tear. His expression screamed utter disbelief.
“To think you’re still wielding your strength even after inhaling the deadly poison, Life-Death Fragrance, which can fell an elephant in one breath.”
“What a tacky name.”
The Heavenly Demon extended his right index finger toward Nam Hyunwook, who was backing away nonstop.
“Watch closely.”
As the Heavenly Demon channeled his internal energy, white smoke suddenly rose from his fingertip, soon condensing into a pitch-black liquid.
Drip. Drip.
When the black liquid at his fingertip fell to the ground, a foul stench erupted alongside hissing smoke.
Neutralizing Qi Poison Collection.
A technique that used peak internal energy to gather the poison spreading through one’s meridians into a single point.
It was a detoxification method any martial artist with one cycle’s worth of internal energy could employ, yet Nam Hyunwook looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Even poison arts are outdated relics in the martial world.”
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“The Venomous Law King, called the Thousand Autumns Myriad Poisons Man, wouldn’t dare lift his head before me. And you thought to act so brazenly with this petty poison art?”
Nam Hyunwook’s head spun.
Life-Death Fragrance was a deadly poison skill that infiltrated not just the respiratory system but the skin itself. No matter how strong an Awakener’s power or skills, none could block or withstand it.
“Well, I’ll give you credit for one thing—cracking my Myriad Poisons Immunity with mere poison.”
The Heavenly Demon yawned as he gazed at Nam Hyunwook, who stood frozen without moving.
“Have you exhausted all your tricks now?”
“Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha!”
Nam Hyunwook started with a low chuckle before bursting into mad laughter like a lunatic.
“I’ve finally found one. An Awakener who can withstand Life-Death Fragrance! Heh heh ha ha ha!”
A feral gleam of madness shone in his eyes as he spread his arms wide.
“Now I can finally use it. Finally. Hee hee hee hee!”
Foam gathered at the corners of his mouth as Nam Hyunwook glared at the Heavenly Demon. Then, abruptly, he gripped the metal guard plate attached to his nanosuit’s chest.
Crunch. Zzzzt.
As the metal crumpled, blue sparks flew. It wasn’t a guard against external attacks—it was a precision machine.
“What a boring bastard.”
The Heavenly Demon yawned again as he watched.
“...!”
Suddenly, Nam Hyunwook vanished from in front of him. Or so it seemed.
“Where are you looking?”
Nam Hyunwook now loomed behind the Heavenly Demon, his voice dripping with malice.
“Huh.”
The Heavenly Demon let out an exclamation. Even if he’d been careless, for this man to briefly fool his senses—sharp enough to dodge falling lightning.
“So you had one more card up your sleeve.”
As Nam Hyunwook’s hand blade dug into his back and clashed with the Heavenly Demon’s blocking fist.
Boom!
A deafening explosion unleashed a massive shockwave rippling outward in concentric circles.
“Heh heh heh heh!”
Nam Hyunwook’s height had grown by about a meter, his body now swollen to over twice the Heavenly Demon’s bulk.
He no longer looked human—more like a monster made of pure muscle.
“Make it more fun!”
With yellow eyes gleaming wildly, Nam Hyunwook raised his fist high once more.
The Heavenly Demon swiftly unleashed a palm wind, but it melted away like snow on jagged muscle.
“Like the Demon Subduing Hell Prison Art.”
The Demon Subduing Hell Prison Art was an external martial art devised by one of the Ten Great Demon Lords. It inflated muscles like balloons, deflecting incoming force.
Unlike arts vulnerable to Vibrating Palm Hits, like Iron Cannon Three, or the Shaolin’s Diamond Indestructible Body, which dispersed energy when speaking—these were peak demonic techniques of a different caliber.
Boom! Bang!
The hulking beast Nam Hyunwook had become wasn’t just tougher—his speed had surged dramatically.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
As the invisible flurry of blows from Nam Hyunwook and the Heavenly Demon collided repeatedly, earth-shaking blasts filled the air, dust clouds billowing everywhere.
“Ha ha ha! Is that all you’ve got?”
With time, Nam Hyunwook’s speed accelerated further, his body ballooning like an inflating sphere.
A full-fledged monster. The more he exerted himself, the stronger Nam Hyunwook grew.
Boom!
Another fist-to-fist clash sent the Heavenly Demon skidding back over ten meters, unable to withstand the force.
“Weak! Weak! Too weak!”
Nam Hyunwook charged again, raining down punches in a frenzy of pure madness.
Every part except his eyes was encased in rock-hard muscle—no trace of humanity remained.
“So these so-called elite Awakeners are only this much!”
Boom!
The relentless fist clashes continued. Each time, the Heavenly Demon was pushed back.
“Because of scum like you...”
A guttural, inhuman voice echoed through the sky. His bellow carried an undercurrent of resentment and injustice.
“Because of scum like you! Because of scum like you!”
Fists like massive boulders poured down like rain.
Nam Hyunwook’s onslaught grew fiercer. At first, the Heavenly Demon only yielded ground, but now his feet sank deep into the earth.
Yet the Heavenly Demon’s eyes, standing firm against the onslaught, held only serene calm.
‘No difference at all.’
Battles with monsters were simple—just smash the tough body with full power.
But human versus human was different. Not just limbs—eyes, fingers, subtle movements could lure out openings.
Precise, arcane motions over raw destruction. Concise, lightning-fast strikes targeting vitals and weaknesses. That was how to fight humans.
But the muscle-bound Nam Hyunwook was no different from the dungeon monsters he’d faced.
“Wasted hope.”
A red aura began seeping from the Heavenly Demon’s body, his face etched with disappointment.
The Heavenly Demon. To gauge Nam Hyunwook’s strength, he’d held back deliberately, not attacking.
Killing intent flared in Nam Hyunwook’s eyes as he watched.
“Don’t get cocky!”
Swoosh.
As Nam Hyunwook’s twin fists hurtled down at blinding speed toward the Heavenly Demon’s head.
“Fist Demon Seven Forms...”
The Heavenly Demon, crouched low, had red energy swirling like a storm around his fists.
“Soaring Wind Dragon Fist!”
Slicing the air, the Heavenly Demon leaped skyward, his fists slamming into Nam Hyunwook’s massive gut and iron jaw.
“Don’t make me laugh, something like th—”
A grave mistake.
He’d assumed, from the Heavenly Demon only defending until now, that his attacks wouldn’t deal serious damage.
“I’ll take it head-on!”
Nam Hyunwook crossed his arms to block. Or tried to.
Crack!
With the gruesome snap of breaking bones, the Soaring Wind Dragon Fist’s power burrowed into his arms.
“Urk.”
As agony from his shattered arms drew a groan.
Splash!
Like waves crashing on rock, the impact launched Nam Hyunwook’s body into the air.
Thud.
When he hit the ground again, Nam Hyunwook snapped his head up.
“Pfft!”
Spewing blood from his prone position, his massive muscles began to deflate.
Seeing his blood tinged purple, something clicked for the Heavenly Demon.
“So not poison arts—a Poison Man.”
Poison Man.
One forcibly injected with secret drugs and toxins to amplify physical abilities and wield poison freely.
Poison Men gained immense short-term power but lost fertility and lifespan.
“Marinated in drugs and poison, eh.”
As the Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue, Nam Hyunwook laughed through streams of blood from his prone form.
“...How else could I fight on equal footing with Awakeners like you?”
An odd statement. So Nam Hyunwook wasn’t an Awakener?
“Groan.”
Groaning, he forced himself up.
But with his bones pulverized, no strength remained in his body.
“Impressive. First time I’ve lost after using everything.”
Panting as he struggled upright, Nam Hyunwook sighed in resignation.
“Telekinesis, muscle enhancement skill, near-sonic mobility... using all those skills at once.”
He gazed at the Heavenly Demon with admiring eyes.
“Then you must be one of ‘that one’s’ underlings.”
“That one?”
“Well, I half-expected it...”
The Heavenly Demon frowned. Clearly, this man had mistaken his identity.
Back to human form, Nam Hyunwook grew chatty again.
“I’d hoped for a day like this. To die by the hand of a strong Awakener like you.”
But the Heavenly Demon, fed up with the chatter, wore a look of utter exasperation.
“Kill me. Now.”
Blood pooling around him, Nam Hyunwook smiled.
Was this it? This feeling?
The terror of death was nothing. Depending on your mind, it could be joy or madness.
“Better than endless suffering, neither dead nor alive.”
Gazing at the sky, Nam Hyunwook closed his eyes with a relieved expression.
“...”
Yet no matter how long he waited, nothing happened. Sensing something off, he slowly opened his eyes again. There stood the Heavenly Demon, still scowling.
“Why aren’t you finishing it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Hurry up and do it.”
“Already did.”
“What...”
Nam Hyunwook’s face twisted in absurdity.
“Showing mercy?”
“Ridiculous.”
Frowning, the Heavenly Demon kicked the fallen monomolecular cutter blade on the ground toward him.
“If you want to die, slit your own throat.”
“What?”
“No need to squash a dying bug.”
As the Heavenly Demon turned slowly, Nam Hyunwook shouted desperately.
“Your strike shattered every bone in my body. How am I supposed to kill myself?”
“Not my problem.”
Muttering low as he turned away again, the Heavenly Demon drew Nam Hyunwook’s eyes wide.
I can’t let him leave like this!
Nam Hyunwook’s techniques—no, his very body—was top-secret intel not yet ready for the world.
“W-wait!”
His face swollen like a steamed bun, Nam Hyunwook yelled.
“Fine! I’ll tell you everything! Don’t go!”
“What are you on about.”
Turning back, the Heavenly Demon prompted. Nam Hyunwook cried out with near-joyous relief.
“I’ll tell you everything, so stay. Everything...”
The Heavenly Demon stared intently at Nam Hyunwook slumped on the ground.
Any normal person would’ve gone into shock from such limb-shattering pain. Yet he grinned like someone half-anesthetized.
“What I fear is not dying. Just shattered bones—no threat to my life. You know? If things go wrong... I could end up neither dead nor alive.”
‘Sounds like gravel rattling in his skull.’
The Heavenly Demon was the overlord of the world’s demons.
Nam Hyunwook’s demeanor seemed like a naive toddler hiding a toy.
“Very well.”
Picking up the fallen monomolecular cutter, the Heavenly Demon approached.
Truth be told, he couldn’t care less about the man’s ramblings. But he was curious how this world’s spies attempted self-destruction.
“We anticipated you’d expect it, but we’ve already succeeded to some degree. What we demand from you is...”
As the Heavenly Demon stepped closer, Nam Hyunwook smirked cruelly.
Crack.
Bones snapping, he transformed back into the muscle giant in an instant, seizing the Heavenly Demon.
“Heh heh heh. Never dreamed I could use it twice in a row.”
Clutching with all his might to crush him, Nam Hyunwook continued.
“You die with me!”
Tears of blood streaming as he screamed, he burst into low laughter.
“No, better to die now. Soon... the world will turn to hell.”
Whispering cryptically, Nam Hyunwook crunched down hard on the fake tooth hidden in his mouth.
Hiss. Boom!
A blinding flash, intense enough to plunge noon into night, swallowed the Heavenly Demon and Nam Hyunwook in a massive explosion.
Rumble...
The blast site was a massive, glowing red crater, the surrounding earth melted into gooey clumps. Its power rivaled three or four B-52s.
But.
Whoooosh.
Amid the explosion, a sphere of transparent light. The Heavenly Demon stood tall within.
The legendary martial art, Body Protecting True Qi, had been unleashed. Arms crossed, the Heavenly Demon regarded his own protective aura.
“Hmm.”
Body Protecting True Qi. Normally required three cycles of internal energy to barely manifest. He hadn’t recovered that much yet.
“This must be it.”
The Our Clothes, newly obtained from Hogwang, were imbued with a special energy.
By circulating Reverse Extreme True Energy to spread it, a force akin to qi briefly emanated.
Understanding the principle, the Heavenly Demon turned his gaze back to Nam Hyunwook. No trace of him remained amid the wreckage—not even scraps.
“All outdated tricks.”
Fake teeth and explosives for mutual destruction. Even novice martial assassins avoided such relics.
The Heavenly Demon shook his head, smacking his lips in regret.
“Wasted hope after all.”
His first true human-versus-human fight in this world.
He’d harbored faint hope that among this world’s humans, a master worthy of crossing fists awaited.
Nam Hyunwook’s mad fervor had briefly fulfilled that—however fleeting.
-Soon... the world will turn to hell.
Staring at the rising black smoke, the Heavenly Demon felt the whisper echo in his ears.
“...Irrelevant.”
He muttered low.
“My world was hell too.”
Turning coldly, the Heavenly Demon vanished from the blast site in a misty body technique.
* * *
-“Ever heard of ‘Compatibles’? They’re Awakeners who don’t get dungeon-related jobs but normal ones, living quietly.
-Recently, with hidden monsters popping up one after another and accidents in dungeon zones, the number of so-called Compatibles is rising.
Back from a dungeon brawl, the Heavenly Demon sat with Nameless at a small street food stall, watching TV.
His expression was as serene and bored as if he’d just popped to the corner store.
To Nam Hyunwook, it might’ve been a life-or-death clash. To him, it felt like quitting a fine drink midway—unsatisfying.
‘Why don’t the humans here hone martial arts?’
Truthfully, muscle-bound Nam Hyunwook’s power matched the Heavenly Demon’s one cycle of internal energy. With proper martial arts, he wouldn’t have fallen so easily.
[Lord Heavenly Demon.]
Nameless called to the Heavenly Demon, who stared silently at the TV.
[Couldn’t you at least tell me that man’s identity?]
“I don’t know either.”
The moment they’d returned to the rooftop room, Nameless had bombarded him with questions nonstop.
No matter how much he asked or begged, answers were always “I don’t know,” “Not interested,” “Didn’t ask.”
[At least you’re safe. That’s a relief.]
Gazing at his profile, Nameless ventured cautiously again.
[And from now on, let me join you for everything.]
Still, no reply came.
Unable to contain his disappointment, as Nameless timidly entered the charging station to lie down.
“Fine.”
A tiny, low response came.
[Thank you.]
“But don’t tell the landlady about today.”
The Heavenly Demon said it gravely, like driving in a nail.
“Wouldn’t want to lose future fun.”
Ambushed by an unknown assailant, not even grasping why—yet he called it not a threat, but pleasure.
In resignation, Nameless murmured so faintly it might not be heard.
[...Understood.]