Heavenly Demon Versus Heavenly Demon
The tournament balance is completely broken right now. No one can beat Lady Hwaryeong. It's totally one-sided.
"Of course tournaments and ranked matches are completely different."
A ranked game where you suddenly run into someone and start swinging blades is nothing like a tournament built on meticulous analysis of your opponent. Anyone who doesn't understand that will be utterly helpless in a tournament no matter how much they dominate in ranked play.
"But there are always people who refuse to accept common sense."
It hadn't been long since Hwaryeong first appeared in Apis. Yet the traces she left behind were anything but light. From the Three Elders to an Outer God, and most recently defeating a second-string pro player before achieving her Master promotion, she was not someone who could be measured by ordinary standards.
From the moment it was announced that Hwaryeong would be participating, Dang So-il had begun his analysis. The other competitors were familiar faces, but Hwaryeong was different. Analyzing her required starting from the very foundation.
So from the day the tournament roster was revealed, Dang So-il had scoured every video of her he could find. The conclusion he reached was simple.
How the hell am I supposed to beat that? Dekay, you bastard! What kind of tournament are you even running?!
Hwaryeong was an existence beyond the rules.
The phrase "you see only as much as you know" is usually used to scold people who offer unhelpful advice without understanding anything. But its root meaning is that the more you know, the more you can see.
As a seasoned pro league artisan, there weren't many things Dang So-il couldn't perceive. He even prided himself on being able to follow most of the moves professional players made. Yet even he couldn't fully comprehend everything Hwaryeong did.
"I hope that's a joke. If that's genuinely how it looks to you, all I can say is that I feel sorry for you."
Among those who claimed to be good at Apis, none dismissed Hwaryeong. Among those who said they were decent as the Heavenly Demon in Apis, how many had never tried challenging the Three Elders? Among those who thought they had some skill, how many had never attempted an Outer God hunt? And among those who had entered a few tournaments, how many didn't know exactly how impressive Dekay was?
What proved Hwaryeong's strength were the achievements she had already accomplished.
When Dang So-il called it out directly, the chat window united and began attacking the person who had posted the strange message. The user made a few excuses, but he couldn't withstand the fierce backlash and chose to flee.
"Maybe it's because Lady Hwaryeong has been doing too well lately. There are so many antis coming out of the woodwork."
"If every single participant gangs up on Lady Hwaryeong, they might have a chance."
"Does that guy actually have an apology fetish? How does he manage to create incidents every single year?"
In Dang So-il's opinion, finding someone who could fight Hwaryeong on equal terms would require bringing in the professional players currently competing in official Apis tournaments. She was simply too much for any amateur to handle.
"That Murim Alliance Leader is out of his mind, that's why."
"Brother WhipLover isn't exactly normal either, to be honest."
The concept-obsessed Murim Alliance Leader who proudly declared he would defeat the Demonic Path even though he knew he would lose, and WhipLover who wanted to gain enlightenment even if it meant getting beaten—the two were identical in how completely incomprehensible they were to Dang So-il.
When an earthquake hits, you run. Why would you think to punch the ground to stop it?
"Since you want to meet her so badly, I really hope those two get matched against Lady Hwaryeong. I'll just face someone else and advance."
"Shut up. You guys can keep your romance. I'll take the practical route."
It was ironic that praying was his method for taking the practical route, but there was nothing he could do about it. The tournament bracket was decided by the AI God's will. It wasn't something Dang So-il could interfere with.
"All right! We will now determine the tournament matchups!"
After the participants' interviews concluded, Dekay raised his voice to draw everyone's attention.
Please. Just let me avoid Lady Hwaryeong. I'll take anyone else. Give me Yi Sun instead. That guy at least gives me something to work with. Meeting Hwaryeong means getting crushed miserably and eliminated right away!
"Oh. The very first match is already intense. This is the person who's been the biggest topic in the Apis community lately, correct? Ranked game record: 163 matches, 0 losses. The rising star who successfully advanced to Master with a perfect record! A user whose Heavenly Demon concept feels more like the real Heavenly Demon than anyone else's. It's Lady Hwaryeong!"
When Hwaryeong was selected for the first match, a strange current flowed through the participants. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Anyone, please become that person's opponent and make the sacrifice. Become the prey that gets instantly eliminated.
"Why is everyone so tense? Lady Hwaryeong must be quite frightening, it seems."
When Dekay tossed out the joke, the contestants' expressions darkened. To drag in the calamity known as Hwaryeong herself and then make a comment like that! Wasn't that rich coming from someone who had been beaten without being able to do anything?
Dang So-il grumbled to himself. Ignoring the reaction, Dekay drew the next name.
"Then let's see who Lady Hwaryeong will face. Oh? This is interesting."
Who is it? Interesting? Is it against the Murim Alliance Leader who claims to represent the Orthodox faction? Or one of the championship favorites like Gwon-jon or Yi Sun? It's not me, right? Right?
"This person is also quite well-known. The user of persistence who called himself the Heavenly Demon from the very beginning when no one would acknowledge it, and eventually earned that recognition. The one who turned public criticism into cheers!"
Ah. No way.
"It's Dang So-il!"
I'm fucked.
"The first match is Heavenly Demon versus Heavenly Demon! My heart feels like it's about to burst with excitement!"
I'm really fucked.
"Lady Hwaryeong! It's time!"
Her thoughts had grown complicated because of that man from earlier, so it took Ha-rin calling her several times before she snapped back to reality.
What? I was chosen as a participant for the very first match?
Well, this actually worked out nicely. Things like this were more enjoyable when you finished them quickly and then watched everyone else.
"Good luck!"
"Yes. I'll be back soon."
Receiving Ha-rin's encouragement, she stepped forward, and her opponent finally appeared.
The man was using my appearance. Hwaryeong had mentioned he was one of those who called himself the Heavenly Demon. She had said he possessed skill but his petty personality made him seem far removed from the true meaning of the name.
His name was probably... Dang something-or-other.
The moment she saw Dang something-or-other's face before her, she felt a strong sense of displeasure from his expression.
I don't like it.
The guy who calls himself the Heavenly Demon is standing there with a gloomy face like a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse simply because he met someone he cannot defeat. With an attitude like that, he isn't worthy of the name Heavenly Demon, and it feels wasteful to even call him a member of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
This was strange. Why did this man's appearance irritate her so much? He was just one of the ignorant children playing make-believe.
Whether she pouted her lips or not, Dekay continued with the proceedings.
"Since we have a Heavenly Demon facing another Heavenly Demon, the first map should follow tradition, shouldn't it? We will now transport both of you to the Heavenly Demon Cult's training grounds!"
A blue light enveloped both her and Dang something-or-other. Soon the scenery changed.
It was a place intimately familiar to her. The location where she had devoted her entire childhood. The training grounds of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The moment her feet touched the gray bricks, the system's voice rang out.
Heavenly Demon VS Heavenly Demon
Game begins in 20 seconds
"Kid."
"What!"
When she called out, a sharp voice snapped back from the other side.
How rude. A fool unworthy of even the cult's name dares to talk back to me.
She slightly lowered her eyebrows. Dang something-or-other, who had been watching her expression, quickly added a polite suffix to his sentence.
"...ma'am."
"What do you believe the Heavenly Demon to be?"
"The Heavenly Demon is the Heavenly Demon!... ma'am."
"You must have your own definition. That is what I wish to hear."
Since he called himself the Heavenly Demon, she believed he must possess some kind of conviction. If he didn't even have that, she would be greatly disappointed in this person called Dang So-il.
"The strongest person in the Murim."
"If that is the case, even if the strongest expert from the Orthodox faction appears, should we still call him the Heavenly Demon?"
The Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Cult could not always be the strongest. Being the greatest in the Murim was something granted by the heavens. Depending on which side the talent of that generation favored, the strongest could emerge from the Orthodox faction or the Demonic Path. It could even be one of those bastards from the Blood Cult. If anyone strong could be called the Heavenly Demon, then all of them could claim the title. Even thinking about it, didn't that seem wrong?
"I will ask once more. What is the Heavenly Demon?"
"Uh... the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult... ma'am."
"Then if some cult leader of a pseudo-religion with many followers decides to call his group the Heavenly Demon Cult, he could become the Heavenly Demon."
If they followed that logic, dozens or even hundreds of Heavenly Demons would be mass-produced across the land.
"I will ask one final time. What is the Heavenly Demon?"
"I don't know! Do you know then?!"
"I do not."
When she answered confidently, Dang So-il looked at her with an expression of disbelief. But what could he do? The concept of the Heavenly Demon was not something that could be defined with a single word. Throughout the long history of the Murim, how many Heavenly Demons had existed, and how many Divine Cults? Deciding such eras was the role of historians, not warriors.
"However, I can speak of the path of the Heavenly Demon that I have chosen."
From a young age, she had heard endlessly about what the Heavenly Demon was. She had grown up among a group of fanatics trying to create a god with their own hands. They had injected their idea of the Heavenly Demon into her as if brainwashing her. She still remembered it clearly.
The strongest in the Murim. The ruler of all demons. The living god who leads the believers of the Divine Cult. The being of heavenly mandate who would cover the rules of the world with the rules of the cult.
That was what they had taught her the Heavenly Demon was.
However, that was nothing more than the thinking of fanatics. It was not her own.
In the days after the cult was destroyed and she became a public enemy of the Murim, fleeing from pursuit, she had trained in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art for the sake of revenge. Since she possessed no other talent, she had no choice but to devote herself to it. The training had been stagnant. She was constantly blocked by walls and experienced countless failures. Just as she began to doubt her own talent due to the lack of progress, she met an old man.
The man who called himself insignificant had been her fateful encounter. He told her that if she could not even define what the Heavenly Demon was in her own heart, how could she possibly achieve greatness in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?
It was a correct statement. The contemplation that began from there continued without end. Many thoughts passed through her mind, but none seemed like they could become her simji.
Watching her, the old man had laughed. Why are you still trapped by other people's words? Only after hearing that did she realize the truth. She hated the cult, yet she was still trapped by it. She needed to establish her own simji, but she had been obsessed with other people's teachings. How could her heart demon ever disappear? She had been walking a futile path, but the fortuitous encounter allowed her to return to the starting point.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was hegemony. It was the arrogance of declaring that one would suppress everything in the world with overwhelming power. It was the pride of shouting that one would smash through anything that blocked their path and continue forward.
In her mind, hegemony was not something that pointed downward. It pointed upward. Shattering the sky that pressed down upon her and placing even that oppression beneath her feet—that was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art she envisioned.
Therefore, it was clear what kind of existence the Heavenly Demon who wielded this art should be.
"The Heavenly Demon is an existence of Pacheon."
An existence that shatters every heaven in the world and becomes the sky itself. That was her Heavenly Demon.