Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Translation: godtl
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
As if to prove he was indeed a Constellation.
The Heavenly Demon gazed intently with extraordinary eyes.
Si-mun maintained an impassive expression without backing down, but his inner thoughts told a different story.
'Could he be asking if I've regressed?'
As a high-ranking Constellation, it was possible he had sensed the regression.
But considering that...
'Zeus and Black Goat showed no signs of knowing about it.'
He wasn't sure about Black Goat's rank, but Zeus was undoubtedly a high-ranking Constellation.
Yet, the Heavenly Demon was asking about something even Zeus hadn't questioned?
Si-mun's pondering didn't last long.
"Daring to avert your gaze in my presence, are you? Hmph! So you're not entirely ignorant."
Though the meaning was unclear, the Heavenly Demon seemed to have already decided Si-mun's answer.
"How much do you know about me, boy?"
At the Heavenly Demon's abrupt question, a flood of information rose in Si-mun's mind.
Mostly.
'Perverted old man, damn geezer, crazy bastard, strength-obsessed lunatic...'
Images spat out by Go Mal-suk in his past life were the most prominent.
Of course, he didn't foolishly blurt out what was in his head.
"I know you as a Constellation who pursues the Path of Hegemony and favors the Survival of the Fittest, much like the Demon Realm."
"You're quite the sharp young man. I see I judged you correctly."
The Heavenly Demon nodded in satisfaction at Si-mun's answer.
But the glint in his eyes peering through the wrinkles told a different story.
"Long before I became a Constellation, I ceaselessly sought power and walked the Path of Hegemony."
The Heavenly Demon's piercing gaze alone felt like it could bore into his soul, freezing his entire body.
'That gaze...'
It was a gaze he had experienced once before.
'Right. It feels similar to that giant eyeball I saw in my past life.'
Which meant that the giant eyeball he'd seen in his past life was at least a Constellation of the Heavenly Demon's caliber.
The Heavenly Demon's sharp gaze shifted to the side of the pavilion.
Toward the natural scenery spread out like a painting.
Then.
"Hah!"
Without realizing it, Si-mun let out a sharp breath, breaking the poker face he'd maintained until now.
It was unavoidable.
The breathtaking scenery that had once fit the word "sublime" was gone.
Whoooooosh—!
As if he had been abandoned alone in a starless void.
Only pitch-black darkness now filled the space beyond the pavilion.
'It's like... sinking endlessly into some unknown place.'
Yes.
Exactly like plunging into an abyss.
But why?
'I'm not scared at all.'
An ordinary person would have surely been terrified.
But Si-mun was only surprised by the change in scenery.
Beyond that, he felt no other emotion.
Rather.
'It feels... familiar.'
Should he call it an inexplicable sense of comfort?
Then.
"As expected of one who bears his traces. For a mortal to remain so composed before the Void..."
The Heavenly Demon's voice slithered into Si-mun's ears.
When he turned his head.
The Heavenly Demon's eyes had returned to their initial serene appearance.
"Will you still pretend not to know?"
As if he knew everything.
The Heavenly Demon wore a sly smile.
In response, Si-mun slowly nodded.
"I suppose it's because of the title I possess."
"Title?"
"Yes. I have a title called [One Who Receives Gaze from Beyond]."
At that.
"Kuhahahahaha—!"
Rumble—!
The Heavenly Demon's roaring laughter shook the world.
It was a phenomenon that could almost be called calamitous.
Yet Si-mun simply watched him with calm eyes.
"From beyond, from beyond...! Yes, that's a fitting way for him to describe himself! Kuhah!"
Eventually, his laughter subsided.
With a deeply solemn expression, the Heavenly Demon drained the cup before him.
Silently observing him, Si-mun spoke.
"You've met that being from the Beyond before, haven't you?"
The Heavenly Demon's movements abruptly halted.
Then,
the corners of the Heavenly Demon's wrinkled lips curved into a crescent moon smile.
"Indeed, I have."
"You must have lost, then."
"Hoho! You're quite the bold one, aren't you?"
A shiver ran down Si-mun's spine.
An indescribable energy flowed from his back, spreading throughout his entire body.
It wasn't difficult to recognize it as the Heavenly Demon's killing intent.
Yet Si-mun showed no fear.
Not only did he already understand the Heavenly Demon's temperament, but—
'If anything happens to me, the Black Goat won't just stand by.'
Now that he'd directly faced the Void of the Beyond himself, he understood.
If any threat arose here,
the Black Goat—a Constellation from that dimension called the Beyond—would immediately intervene.
How could he be so certain?
—Hoho...
From within that abysmal darkness conjured by the Heavenly Demon,
he could sense the Black Goat's meaningful laughter and her sticky gaze.
'Therefore, I'm safe.'
Thanks to that, Si-mun didn't show even the slightest tremor in the face of the Heavenly Demon's killing intent.
"Kehah! As expected, you're worthy of her gaze! Now I understand why that crazy bitch has taken an interest in you."
Apparently pleased by this,
the Heavenly Demon burst into hearty laughter before emptying his cup once more.
Then he admitted bitterly,
"Yes, just as you said. This venerable one was defeated by him. And quite miserably at that."
Galaxy Arena.
Or rather, any being who truly knew the Heavenly Demon would have widened their eyes at such words.
But unfortunately, Si-mun belonged to neither group, so—
"I see."
He simply nodded indifferently.
Perhaps finding this reaction even more to his liking,
"That only makes you more interesting. Tell me, what aspect of you caught his attention?"
the Heavenly Demon asked, gazing at Si-mun with a lingering smile.
"To be frank with you—since you're standing before me—it took this venerable one a full thousand years just to earn a glance from him."
"...A th-thousand years?"
"Indeed."
The Heavenly Demon spoke of a millennium as if it were nothing.
"Come to think of it, as a mortal, you wouldn't know. That being is..."
He seemed about to continue, but—
"Damn it! These pests are getting noisy."
Perhaps there was some interference from the Galaxy Arena's side?
The Heavenly Demon waved his hand dismissively through the air.
After glaring into the void a few more times,
"Fine, fine! Tch. Disciple, regrettably, we'll have to end our meeting here for now."
"Understood. But... disciple?"
"You've inherited the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, haven't you? Then you're no different from my disciple."
At those words, Si-mun nodded.
Since he hadn't been personally chosen by the Heavenly Demon or formally apprenticed,
the title of "disciple" would have been inappropriate—"successor" fit better.
"Then, as you mentioned earlier..."
"Of course. This venerable one has no objections to you mastering the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. In fact, I welcome it. To have someone who's caught his attention carrying on my legacy..."
The Heavenly Demon smiled contentedly.
"But you're not my disciple. So let me make one request."
[Constellation Heavenly Demon has requested a quest.]
[Quest window activated.]
Si-mun's eyes widened as he checked the message window.
'A quest?!'
Unlike missions assigned by Constellations or viewers, this was a task directly issued by the Galaxy Arena.
And since the rewards weren't limited to ordinary categories,
most players were desperate to receive quests.
Si-mun hurriedly checked the quest details.
[Find a Disciple]
Reward: 5,000 Achievement Points, Heavenly Demon Divine Art (2-Star)
"This is—!"
"How is it? I tailored it to fit the format these pests suggested."
Si-mun's eyes bulged as he read the contents.
A concise yet highly efficient reward.
But before discussing that—
'A talent worthy of being sponsored by a Constellation?'
For a moment, Si-mun was seized with worry—what if his actions ended up altering Go Mal-suk's future?
Whether the Heavenly Demon was aware of his concerns or not, he proceeded to list his conditions.
"You are someone who has caught his attention, so I trust your discernment is exceptional as well. However, there are a few conditions I'd like met."
"Conditions?"
"Indeed. Since you're a man, I'd prefer a woman, if possible."
"Huh?"
Fortunately—
"She must also be young. Preferably younger than you. Her beauty must be outstanding, and her personality—bold, even to the point of being brash, would be ideal. The Heavenly Demon Arts are a reckless martial art, after all."
"Uh, wait a second—"
"And of course, her limbs should be long and well-proportioned. Ah! I personally prefer fair skin."
"H-H-Heavenly Demon...?"
"Listen here! A disciple is an extremely important matter for a martial artist! And on top of that, her bust and hips should be ample, while her waist—"
Thank. God.
It seemed Go Mal-suk's future as the Heavenly Demon wouldn't change much after all.
"Whew, I'm completely drained."
After listening to what was ostensibly the "Conditions for a Successor to Learn the Heavenly Demon Arts" but was, in reality, just the "Heavenly Demon's Personal Preferences," Si-mun collapsed onto his bed like a limp rag.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, but—
"Still, it's a relief."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Mal-suk's future won't change after all."
She was destined to receive the Heavenly Demon's sponsorship anyway, but now that only Si-mun could decide the Heavenly Demon's successor, he didn't have to worry about any unforeseen butterfly effects.
"Now that I think about it, that girl Mal-suk—she used to live in Busan before becoming a Player, right?"
One of the few acquaintances he had as a Level 1 Alchemist.
Remembering her—a woman whose personality was the polar opposite of his—he couldn't help but chuckle.
Just then—
"Oppaaaaa!!"
"Huh?!"
A sharp, piercing tinnitus rang violently in his chest.
"Are you okay?! Are you actually conscious now?!"
A voice thick with concern echoed repeatedly.
It was the Philosopher's Stone.
"Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Seriously! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! What the hell happened?! Why did you suddenly pass out?!"
"Pass out? Oh! Well, you see—"
I met a perverted old man.
Barely swallowing those words, Si-mun steadied his breath and answered.
"I met a Constellation."
"A Constellation?! You're not even in a proper Arena yet, how did you meet one?! Wait... Don't tell me—you met the Heavenly Demon?!"
"Huh? You know of him?"
"Of course! He's infamous as that muscle-brained psycho Constellation!"
The Philosopher's Stone continued excitedly.
"And on top of that, he's a total horndog! Don't you know his famous saying? 'Man or woman, as long as they're tasty, that's all that matters!'"
"Wh-What?!"
Si-mun's breath hitched.
The words were completely at odds with the benevolent, sage-like appearance the Heavenly Demon had projected.
"Oppa, you didn't... let him do anything weird to you, did you?"
"No. Nothing like that happened."
"Thank goodness. Honestly, it's a miracle you came back in one piece after meeting that psycho. I swear, if you were even slightly weak, he would've killed you on the spot!"
Was it just his imagination, or did his head suddenly feel dizzy?
Si-mun pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and sank into momentary silence.
"Anyway, if that lecher let you go unharmed, he must have taken a liking to you. He didn't give you shit for learning the Heavenly Demon Arts?"
"No, he didn't. In fact, he seemed pleased that I'd learned it."
"Just as insane as the rumors say. Well, good for us."
Having said that, the Philosopher's Stone continued.
"Then let's hurry up and make the Spirit Elixir. Now that you have a skill to handle Demonic Energy, we need to acquire it as soon as possible."
"Right."
Si-mun immediately got up and headed toward the worktable he had set up.
The materials he had prepared earlier were still laid out on the table just as he'd left them.
"Let's get started right away."
-Mhm! You don't need me to tell you the recipe, right?
"Of course not."
Hobgoblin serum was a material he'd handled countless times even in his past life.
Si-mun deftly began purifying the serum and preparing the supplementary ingredients.
Naturally.
-Aah! Can you hear that? The serum keeps screaming every time you remove its toxicity. It's like,"What are you trying to do to me!"
-Ohoho! All the toxicity is completely gone now? Where did that fierce attitude disappear to?
-Oh my~ Already surrendering? How bland. I thought you'd put up more of a fight.
He cleanly ignored the incessant stream of incomprehensible words echoing in his chest.
Soon.
"Done."
Something with the springy texture of dark green slime now occupied the table.
-Huh? It's a pill, not a potion?
"I don't have the proper containers prepared, so liquid form would be difficult."
-Well, it is made with Demonic Energy as its base.
Spirit elixirs take different forms depending on their primary ingredients and intended effects.
In cases like this where it's a pill,
it's one of the most common forms for elixirs since it minimizes energy loss.
The added benefit of not requiring special containers like liquid varieties was just a bonus.
"Now, let's check its status."
Carefully placing the elixir on his palm, Si-mun opened its information window.
[Blood Flower Pill]
Grade: C
A spirit elixir created using special blood as its base.
Through high-level alchemy, the Demonic Energy that had been corrupting the material was maximized rather than its primary effects.
"Wow!"
An exclamation escaped him involuntarily.
'Even though I made it myself, I really outdid my expectations.'
It had been a while since he'd made a spirit elixir, so he'd been secretly nervous,
but to think he'd managed to create one with permanent stat increases—and for all three physical stats at that.
-The materials were low-grade so it's only C-rank, but those options are insane! As expected of me! I told you I was worth transmuting!
The Philosopher's Stone praised enthusiastically.
True to its nature as a being meant for transmutation,
the Philosopher's Stone perfectly understood the Blood Flower Pill's value.
-But there's a chance you might not get the Demonic Energy, right? The probability isn't 100%.
"Normally, that would be the case."
Perhaps because the amount of Demonic Energy corrupting the serum had been small,
the elixir's options didn't guarantee acquiring the Demonic Energy stat,
but that wasn't a major concern.
"The first star of the Heavenly Demon Arts' secret techniques is already fully contained here. I just need to properly utilize it after consumption."
When Si-mun tapped his chest lightly,
-Oh right, that's true! Hehe, Oppa, just trust in me!
The Philosopher's Stone trembled excitedly like a pleased cat.
"You rascal."
Smiling faintly at its antics, Si-mun immediately swallowed the elixir.
Ssshh—
The elixir melted in his mouth like thin ice.
Si-mun gathered even his saliva to swallow every last drop.
[Strength has increased by 2 due to the spirit elixir's effects.]
[Agility has increased by 2 due to the spirit elixir's effects.]
[Stamina has increased by 2 due to the spirit elixir's effects.]
A series of pleasant messages appeared in succession.
But Si-mun didn't relax his guard, immediately crossing his legs into the lotus position.
Perhaps because the Philosopher's Stone had fully comprehended the Heavenly Demon Arts' secret techniques,
just like when using Human Body Transmutation,
the energy circulation that followed his meditation flowed as naturally as if he'd practiced it for years.
Before long.
'Found it.'
Si-mun detected a dark, undulating energy within himself.
Demonic Energy.
However.
'Damn! It's already dissipating!'
Despite having maximized it through the elixir's creation, it was gradually fading.
Contrary to the "high probability" option,
he'd hit the low probability chance of failing to acquire the Demonic Energy stat.
Si-mun urgently used the Heavenly Demon Arts' secret techniques to grasp the fading Demonic Energy and shouted internally.
'Philosopher's Stone!'
-I know. Got it! You little—!
Immediately, the Philosopher's Stone used its Transmutation Power to hook—no, more accurately, to embrace it.
'You said high probability—I almost lost it completely.'
After confirming the Demonic Energy had stopped dissipating, Si-mun tried to guide it below his navel to the dantian's location.
'First create the dantian, then circulate through the Great Heavenly Cycle...'
-Oppa, wait.
If only the Philosopher's Stone hadn't interrupted.
-You know, does the dantian absolutely have to be below the navel?