The True Heavenly Demon
Myeong-yun had once heard a brief explanation from Park Ji-eon about how virtual reality operated.
The Soul Link system installed in New World was designed to reproduce the user's physical capabilities as remembered by the brain within the virtual world.
The reason Myeong-yun could display movements in virtual reality different from those in reality was because he remembered the power he possessed during his time as the Heavenly Demon.
Then how were enhancements to physical abilities handled through the game system?
Park Ji-eon had explained that this was resolved through "relaxation of physical laws."
If the system forcibly readjusted physical values, a discrepancy would arise between the virtual reality remembered by the brain and the actual body. Therefore, the solution was to readjust the physical laws within the virtual reality rather than the user's body.
With the help of AI, the physical laws of virtual reality were finely adjusted in real time. For example, when making a high jump, gravity would be weakened at that moment.
In the end, strength from reality could be brought into virtual reality, but strength from virtual reality could not be brought back outside.
Myeong-yun slowly raised his concentration to the maximum level permitted by New World.
He gradually drew out the Heavenly Demon from his previous life from within his soul.
Everything in the world began to slow down.
The figure of the Heavenly Demon charging toward him, Jeok-wol following suit, the moving heads of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Namgung family head, and the martial artists trailing behind them—all slowed.
Just as I thought, they were a pack of cowardly, underhanded bastards.
They did not wait for the battle between Myeong-yun and Hyeon-jeong to end. It seemed they intended to exploit the moment when everyone was focused on the fight to eliminate both Myeong-yun and Hyeon-jeong at once.
Because the viewers were watching from an omniscient perspective, chat messages warning Myeong-yun about the stealthy movements of the Four Heavenly Kings and Namgung also appeared.
They were reliable allies. They were the same cultists of the Heavenly Demon Cult from his previous life.
For their sake, Myeong-yun decided to show them the "real" Heavenly Demon, not the fake one covered in falsehoods.
Myeong-yun extended his hand toward Hyeon-jeong, who was slowly approaching.
The dark red demonic energy wrapped around Hyeon-jeong's hand looked as though it would tear apart anything it touched, yet Myeong-yun paid it no mind and reached out with his own hand.
Avoiding the cunningly shifting demonic energy, he grabbed Hyeon-jeong's wrist and twisted it sharply.
Using the technique of the Tiger-Rending Demonic Hand and returning it with the Flowing Willow Reversal.
Hyeon-jeong's massive body floated into the air, spun around, and crashed into the ground back-first, creating a large crack.
Myeong-yun immediately turned and deflected Namgung Cheon's sword blade with his palm, while his other hand shot out and struck Mi-ryeo's jaw as she charged.
Myeong-yun moved like flowing water.
He stomped on Hyeon-jeong's chest as the man tried to rise, then continued from the motion of deflecting Namgung Cheon's sword to smash his elbow into the man's face.
It was an exchange of blows at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, occurring in less than zero seconds.
After a moment where even the leaders of factions dared not intervene, only one person remained standing proudly.
Having knocked down three people with a single move, Myeong-yun fluttered his sleeves and clasped his hands behind his back.
"With this level of weakness, what use are you?"
The ones Myeong-yun had knocked down quickly recovered and stood up, then leaped backward to create distance.
Seeing them thoroughly intimidated, Myeong-yun continued.
"Well then, will the three of you attack together now?"
No one answered his words.
Those who were masters could discern with a single move whether their opponent was a master or someone capable of killing them.
And all three felt it.
The Myeong-yun before their eyes was clearly a monster.
Even though the three had attacked simultaneously from different directions, he had knocked them all down without the slightest hint of panic.
It was something impossible for the three who possessed life-and-death realm internal energy storages.
Having reigned as the lords of the Sleepless City until now, they had never experienced such humiliation.
Even so, they could not retreat.
"Kuh, heh heh heh… You're the perfect opponent to test this seat's full power."
"Do everything you can. Only then will you realize that you are unworthy of the Heavenly Demon's throne."
Provoked by Myeong-yun's words, Hyeon-jeong pulled something out from his robes.
It was a small object resembling a USB drive.
Seeing it, Jeok-wol cried out.
"N-no! Cult Leader!"
"Shut up! If you had done your job properly, this wouldn't have happened! This seat will kill every last one of you bastards here and stand as the supreme ruler of the Sleepless City!"
Before Jeok-wol could stop him, Hyeon-jeong plugged the device into the port on his neck.
Then came the sound of machinery idling with a whirring noise, and dark red demonic energy began to billow out from Hyeon-jeong's center.
He had realized that without drawing out his ultimate technique with a single move, he could not kill Myeong-yun.
The viewers were in an uproar.
But the uproar soon became reality. The dark red demonic energy flowing from Hyeon-jeong enveloped him, and the sound of metal clanking echoed dozens of times.
And what emerged from the gradually dispersing dark red demonic energy was a monster with three heads and six arms.
It was the complete form of an Asura that had shed its human appearance.
Hyeon-jeong, already a giant, had grown even larger. Steam billowed from his entire body as he spoke in a booming voice.
"Asura Heavenly Demon Divine Art… It is the greatest demonic art and divine art in the world, created by the Heavenly Demon Ancestor. If you are his descendant, you must have learned this art as well! Show it to me!"
Shocked by Hyeon-jeong's monstrous appearance and the tremendous energy radiating from him, Namgung Cheon and Mi-ryeo each spoke up.
"…The Demonic Cult Leader, did he really learn such an evil and ruthless art!"
"We cannot overlook this. This seat has no choice but to reveal her full power as well!"
As if stimulated by Hyeon-jeong's transformation, Namgung Cheon and Mi-ryeo also drew up their internal energy and transformed.
Namgung Cheon became like an armored warrior with blades protruding from his entire body, while Mi-ryeo grew nine tails and took on a half-beast appearance.
The transformations were as simple as basic implants; all three had shed their human shells.
"I shall show you the Heavenly Wall Emperor King Sword Form."
"Consider it an honor to become a sacrifice to the Nine-Tailed Evil Heaven Divine Art!"
Myeong-yun was now surrounded by three monsters.
The martial artists who had come to support the three could not even breathe under the overwhelming energy emanating from them and could only retreat.
Jeok-wol and the others were the same.
The life-and-death duel unfolding around the Three Emperors of the Sleepless City had become a stage that ordinary internal energy could not approach.
Yet even so, only Myeong-yun stood alone at the center with a relaxed expression.
Looking at the Demonic Cult Leader who had become a three-headed, six-armed Asura, he opened his mouth.
"Why would this seat bother learning such trash arts? True strength lies in transcending techniques."
"How dare you—call it trash—!!"
Hyeon-jeong's face turned red and blue with rage. The fact that the Asura Heavenly Demon Divine Art he had learned was called trash seemed unbearably humiliating, and he began to rage.
He drew the six blades that had replaced his ribs from his chest and swung them.
"I shall show you the Heavenly Demon Sword Art!"
Six blades traced sharp trajectories as they flew toward Myeong-yun.
The clear dark red demonic energy wrapped around the blades showed sword paths that indicated Myeong-yun could not escape no matter where he dodged.
It was a pattern close to a first-sight kill.
An incredibly vicious pattern where one would surely die if it was their first time encountering it, one that even carried the malice of its creator.
However, Myeong-yun lightly stepped out of the sword paths.
He placed his hand on the first blade swung and used the rebound to lift his body, spinning to instead dive between the sword paths.
Lightly kicking off one of the man's arms, Myeong-yun approached the large head and extended his foot.
"Here. The Heavenly Demon's Dominion."
Myeong-yun stomped on Hyeon-jeong's face and used it as a stepping stone to leap again.
Mi-ryeo, who had jumped into the air toward him, fired long lasers from her nine tails.
It was similar to a type of finger-flicking art that thinly shaved off internal energy to release.
Myeong-yun concentrated internal energy into his hand.
The principle was simple. Just as he had done in his previous life, concentrating energy made New World respond.
It was the same method he had used when employing Void Grab earlier.
In Myeong-yun's hand, an invisible, formless energy gathered.
NPCs had unique effects that made it appear blue or dark red.
But since Myeong-yun had no such color, it was transparent.
He deflected the lasers with his energy-wrapped hand.
Some of the scattered lasers rained down on Hyeon-jeong and the ground.
But it was not over.
As Myeong-yun fell while deflecting the rain of light beams, Namgung Cheon was waiting below.
"—Heavenly Wall Emperor King Sword Form, Infinity."
As he spun and swung the numerous blades protruding from his body simultaneously, golden sword energy soared into the air.
True to the name of the technique "Infinity," endless sword energy filled the space.
A dense net of sword energy with no gaps to escape pressed down on Myeong-yun.
"Haha, you're finally entertaining this seat."
Myeong-yun reached out toward the net of sword energy that seemed to have no escape and spoke.
"This seat shall show you the true Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Watch and learn well."