The Heavenly Demon Returns to Earth
When I first fell into the Murim, I cannot even begin to describe how panicked I was. Until the day before, I had been a mere salaryman at a company that was a bit too big to be called a small business, but a bit too small to be a mid-sized one. The extent of my martial arts experience was taking Taekwondo classes until the fifth grade of elementary school. Honestly, I’m not even sure if what I learned could be called martial arts; I only went to the dojo because of various extracurricular activities.
The sect I landed in was the Heavenly Demon Cult. It was a symbol of terror, feared by both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions as the Demonic Cult. But that was all just a baseless rumor. Aside from the fact that the martial arts they practiced were a bit bizarre, there were no people as pure-hearted as the cult members. Regardless, it was in the Heavenly Demon Cult that I first learned martial arts, including the Internal Energy Cultivation Method. And for the first time in my life, I felt that I had talent.
Ten years passed. The people of Murim began to call me the Heavenly Demon. And fifteen years after that, I transcended the laws of nature. At that moment, I felt it instinctively. Whether it was ascension or expulsion, I knew I didn't have much time left in the Murim. I hurriedly summoned my disciples and the Nine Demonic Sovereigns to the Heavenly Demon Palace. They must have been within the sect, as they arrived without delay.
“Master! What is happening to your body!”
“Cult Leader!”
“Your Majesty!”
I looked down at my body, wondering why they were making such a fuss, and saw that I was gradually fading away. Feeling that the moment of parting had arrived, I felt a strange mix of relief and sadness.
“I trust you all will do well. Continue to manage the cult as you have until now. I was truly proud to have fought countless battles alongside you.”
Before I knew it, I was on the verge of becoming transparent. Where would I fall next? One thing was certain: the Heavenly Demon is one who reigns supreme. I just needed to clear away any obstacles in my path.
“Cult Leader! Where are you going!”
“You cannot! There is still much work to be done!”
“We’ve unified the Murim, we must overthrow the Imperial Court as well!”
It seemed my disciples and the Nine Demonic Sovereigns could no longer see me. But my consciousness was perfectly clear. And soon, I could feel it. The Murim was merely a single dimension, and each dimension has a certain tolerance limit for power. I was being kicked out because I had exceeded that limit. I realized the truth of all things regarding dimensions. The laws governing the dimensions were binding me, trying to send me somewhere. But the Heavenly Demon is one who reigns. No one can force me.
As I gathered my internal energy to resist, I searched quickly through each dimension. Surely, Earth must be somewhere. And just before my energy bottomed out, I was able to find Earth.
“I’m coming!”
The laws were still pulling at me, but the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step, which had reached a new realm, dragged me to Earth. Soon, the scenery around me changed. I was in a forest. But what kind of situation was this? People armed with all sorts of weapons—swords, spears, axes, staves—were surrounding me.
Swords and armor meant knights, and staves and robes meant mages? What on earth was this? Just then, I saw a massive tower soaring high into the sky. I realized why I had been able to return to Earth. The appearance of that tower must have raised the power tolerance limit. I had returned. A laugh escaped me naturally. The Murim was boring because there wasn't much to enjoy, but Earth was a different story. Once I got home, I decided I would just play for six months with the money I had saved up.
At that moment, the man in front shouted, “It would be best if you followed us quietly.”
What kind of nonsense was this? Laughter burst out of me. To talk about using force in front of the Heavenly Demon. To think that one First-class and five Second-class warriors dared to try and subdue me. I held my stomach and laughed for a long time.
“I will say it again. Follow us quietly. Under Article 1, Section 13 of the Returnee Special Act, we have the right to subdue you.”
I smirked and asked, “Let me ask you something. Is this Earth?”
The man repeated the same words like a parrot. If he wouldn't answer, I had no choice. I lunged at the man. I didn't use my full power. Having gone through the long Righteous-Demonic War and spent my time hunting down the Unorthodox faction, I had become accustomed to using my strength efficiently.
“No!”
“How can he move like that against an A-class Awakened!”
By the time the others reacted, I had returned to my original spot with the hostage. I let go of the hostage's collar and asked, “If I ask a question, you should answer. I asked if this is Earth.”
They were really making me use short sentences. The hostage, who was looking at me with an expression of disbelief, nodded his head.
“Yes, this is Earth.”
“It’s Korea, right? I think I found the right place.”
“Y-yes! That’s right!”
I asked a few more questions. This was indeed the Earth I used to live on.
“Mount Bukhan?”
“That’s right!”
I had arrived properly. My business here was finished. I was going to head to my studio apartment, where a comfortable bed and a top-of-the-line desktop were waiting for me. I pushed the hostage's back, but when he didn't move, I said, “Why aren't you going? Don't tell me you're still trying to subdue me with that special act or whatever?”
“No! Absolutely not! I have committed a grave error.”
“Then?”
“Shouldn't you look for your family?”
“They'll all be at my family home.”
The hostage shook his head.
“Then?”
“Do you see that tower?”
“Yeah, I see it clearly.”
“A lot has changed since that tower appeared.”
“Did many people die?”
“Quite a few people died in the early days.”
I must have let out some Demonic Qi without realizing it. One of the Second-class warriors wet himself. The others were trembling violently.
“P-please.”
Only then did I withdraw my Demonic Qi. I must have gotten excited for a moment. It wasn't strange. I had wanted to return to Earth so badly. Entertainment was only the second reason. The first was my family.
“I will guide you to the Awakened Association! We will mobilize all our personnel to find the whereabouts of your family.”
I nodded. For now, following him was the right thing to do. If things went south, I could just smash everything.
“Lead the way.”
“I am Kim Minseok! Though I am lacking, I work as the Team Leader of the Emergency Response Team at the Awakened Association.”
The man who had been my hostage earlier said, rubbing his palms together. He looked like a sycophant, but I didn't bother saying it out loud. “You can ride in this car.” I climbed into the backseat of an SUV parked on the shoulder. Glancing at the trunk, I saw all sorts of weapons scattered about. As I stared at them, Kim Minseok explained with a very tense face.
“They are all for clearing Gates.”
“Gates?”
“Didn't you feel something strange when you first arrived?”
“There was a point where energy was concentrated.” Though it disappeared with a single punch.
“That is a Gate. It’s a passage through which monsters from the Tower emerge.”
I nodded and asked what I was truly curious about. “Is it really 2032?”
“Yes, five years have passed since the Tower appeared.”
Timing-wise, I had fallen into the Murim one day before the Tower rose. I had spent 25 years in the Murim, but only 5 years had passed on Earth. It was a relief that I wouldn't have to face elderly family members. As we talked about this and that, the car came to a stop.
“You can get out now.”
Stepping out of the car, I saw a tall building. “This is the Awakened Association.” Kim Minseok said, rubbing his palms. “Just follow me.” I followed Kim Minseok into the building. Kim Minseok entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
“If you don't mind, may I ask your name?”
“Park Minho.”
“May I also ask from which world you have returned? Returnees come back from so many different worlds.”
“I returned from the Murim.”
“Perhaps... the Murim Alliance Leader?”
His eyes were full of expectation. I smirked and revealed my true identity.
“No, the Heavenly Demon.”
Kim Minseok's face turned deathly pale. In the silence that followed, the elevator stopped at the 50th floor. A woman was standing in front of the elevator. Her black bob cut, which sat slightly above her shoulder line, and her curves caught my eye.
“I am Chae Sumin, who leads the Awakened Association.”
As the Association President, she had reached the Peak-stage. “Thank you sincerely for visiting the Awakened Association. Team Leader Kim, you may go back down.” Chae Sumin guided me inside. The office at the end of the long hallway was quite large. The massive wooden desk and leather sofa were impressive.
“How about we sit and talk?”
“Sure, let's do that.”
Various snacks were visible on the table between the sofas. I grabbed a piece of chocolate. In the Murim, the only way to get something sweet was honey. I tore open the wrapper and popped it straight into my mouth. The taste of chocolate after 25 years was fantastic.
“You said you returned from the Murim?”
“Yeah.”
“There are several returnees from the Murim at the Awakened Association as well. But there is a peculiar fact.”
“That they all returned from different Murims?”
Chae Sumin's eyes widened. “How did you know that?”
“I spread a few words that only Koreans would know, along with some English words, throughout the entire Central Plains, but no one ever came to find me.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Why? Is there a problem?”
“The scale became too large, so it was impossible to handle.”
“Ah, please understand the casual speech. Having led a faction for 25 years, I haven't had any reason to use formal speech. I'll try to fix it as soon as possible.”
Actually, I'm not sure if that's possible. It felt very uncomfortable when I used formal speech earlier. Perhaps it's because I didn't use formal speech even when I had an audience with the Emperor right after unifying the Murim.
“That is fine. And I heard from Team Leader Kim that you wish to find your family.”
“That's right.” I gave her the address and various other information.
“If you wait just a little, news will come soon. Would you like some more chocolate?”
Before I knew it, a pile of wrappers had accumulated in front of me.
“I’d appreciate it.”