Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: A Weirdo's Routine
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Morning: training.
Afternoon: gates.
Evening: hobbies.
The daily routine of the Ghost Soul Annihilators and Demon Dragon Squad had changed.
It was simply the addition of hobbies in the evening—nothing different from before.
But that single change brought them a sense of mental stability while infusing vitality into their training and gate-clearing duties.
People can't live on work alone.
Hobbies enrich life, channeling that energy into one's duties and propelling it further forward.
"You're really a weirdo."
Those were the first words the Heavenly Demon had uttered upon first encountering Yong-un.
At the time, he hadn't understood what they meant.
But as time passed, Yong-un had no choice but to admit it.
'I am a weirdo.'
A weirdo among weirdos, one who genuinely enjoyed training—what others saw as tedious, obligatory work—as a true hobby.
Of course, it had started as a means to grow strong for revenge, but it had grown addictive, evolving into what he now called a hobby.
He loved training so much that it had even earned him the moniker Martial Arts Maniac.
But.
'Not anymore.'
He had surpassed the stage where training elevated his realm.
To Yong-un now, training was merely one repetitive motion among many to refresh his body.
'Is it because I've lost my direction?'
The new plaything called Extreme Heaven Cleaving Sword had provided temporary amusement, but even that was fleeting.
Had he not hidden away to train, he would have mastered it long ago.
As such, he had grasped its intricacies and effective applications the moment he learned it.
In short, he was now at a point where he could find no further path forward.
"Boring."
With his sole hobby of training gone and his goal of family happiness achieved, a hollow emptiness crept in, just like after slaying the Blade Demon.
"Bored, sire?"
Myung-su approached Yong-un, who was lying on the roof of the Ghost Soul Annihilators' house as usual.
"Boring."
"Then how about joining us for a gate clear after so long?"
A gate.
Nothing beat moving his body to shake off boredom.
Yet the gates the Ghost Soul Annihilators tackled were full of small fry, sparking little interest.
Still, with nothing to do but float idly in the air, Yong-un rose lightly.
"Since Il-gwi-hon wishes it, let's inspect the Ghost Soul Annihilators' skills after all this time."
"Thank you!"
Myung-su bowed his head and glanced below.
The Ghost Soul Annihilators had gathered for their afternoon gate duty.
Quite some time had passed since they became Ghost Soul Annihilators, and the Yuk-gwi-hon and Chil-gwi-hon's martial arts had noticeably improved.
But they still seemed far from becoming true Gui-hon.
"I'll guide you."
Yong-un landed lightly on the ground.
"Thank you! Supreme One."
All the Gui-hon bowed toward Yong-un.
And with that, Yong-un led them all toward the gate they were assigned to clear that day.
'If only something special would happen.'
Harboring that faint hope, he took one step after another.
It had been a long time since the San Marino Demons incident—their first gate activity in ages.
Perhaps still shaken from their inability to contribute back then, the Gui-hon's skills had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Pa-pak. Pa-pa-pak.
Il-gwi-hon Myung-su, concealing his presence with the Void Fusion Killing Art, drove daggers into the monsters' necks.
Kwa-dududuk. Paht. Eu-deuk.
Cheon-il and Barum, fully embodying their demonization, swept through foes indiscriminately while intermittently vanishing from sight and reappearing with the Void Fusion Killing Art.
Pa-sa-sa-sak. Eu-deuk.
The Poison Witch, hidden via the Void Fusion Killing Art, massacred monsters en masse with invisible toxic qi.
Ssu-uk. Chok.
The Dancer dragged monsters into the shadows, only corpses tumbling out from empty air.
And finally, Sung-min and Kim Gu processed monsters from unseen voids while maintaining the Void Fusion Killing Art.
"Perfected. The Heavenly Demon Cult's shadows—the Ghost Soul Annihilators."
It was flawless.
No, they had surpassed the originals.
The original ones didn't know the Void Fusion Killing Art.
They didn't hunt from another dimension where no presence could be felt.
The Heavenly Demon Cult's Ghost Soul Annihilators concealed their own presence and struck from blind spots.
But following Myung-un's advice, he had taught the modern Ghost Soul Annihilators and Demon Dragon Squad without reservation.
The result?
The current Ghost Soul Annihilators were stronger than their Heavenly Demon Cult counterparts.
Swipe.
In a mere five minutes.
Nearly a hundred monsters lay exterminated.
And the Ghost Soul Annihilators' Gui-hon revealed themselves.
Immaculate assassins, not a drop of blood on them.
Yong-un flashed a satisfied smile and gave a small clap.
"S-Su, Supreme..."
"You've grown well."
He had praised them before, but never accompanied it with applause like this.
All the Gui-hon were deeply moved by Yong-un's small gesture.
They had now fully made self-improvement their own.
To the point where no further guidance was needed.
They had mastered the Void Fusion Killing Art nearly as well as Yong-un himself.
"I'm pleased."
A disciple's rapid progress was immense joy for any master.
"Just yesterday, I saw you as the same naive kids from our first meeting, but now you've grown into adults who can find your own paths."
"Thank you..."
The Gui-hon lowered their heads one by one.
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears threatened to spill.
"But you're still not quite ready for me to entrust you with my back."
The Gui-hon nodded.
They had undoubtedly grown tremendously.
If they faced the San Marino Demons again, they could provide some support to Yong-un.
But to cover his back while he fought onward without looking back—their power was still insufficient.
And every Gui-hon knew it well.
"Still, if you keep this up, that day won't be far off."
Kwaaaaaang!
As Yong-un spoke his final words, the boss's roar echoed, realizing all its minions were dead.
In response, Yong-un drew the Demon-Slaying Sword from his waist.
Love.
The blade, now a deep purple, emitted a dark crimson glow from the engraved characters.
"Then we shall test your true mettle. Come at me, all of you. Great rewards for any who leave a mark on my body."
A massive boss lumbered into view from afar.
"But... will it work?"
Yet the boss wasn't even in the Ghost Soul Annihilators' sights.
No one spared it a glance, as if it were a sack of barley left forgotten.
"Come."
Their eyes were filled only with Yong-un.
The Gui-hon exchanged glances.
And with nods, they summoned a different aura from before.
"Then, we're going in."
At the words of their leader, Il-gwi-hon Myung-su.
Pa-pat. Pa-pa-pa-pat.
All the Ghost Soul Annihilators' Gui-hon activated the Void Fusion Killing Art.
A warrior who abandons growth is no warrior.
Though he had halted training, Yong-un hadn't truly forsaken becoming stronger.
If opportunity arose.
If new insight struck.
He was always ready for closed-door cultivation.
'Unlike Murim, this world is teeming with experts.'
Royal class.
Hadn't he yet to see even higher heavens?
For Yong-un, with Supremacy of the Strong etched into his very bones, those heavens were merely goals to shatter.
"W-We lost."
The Ghost Soul Annihilators' Gui-hon rolled across the ground.
Had witnessing Yong-un's and their own power shaken it?
Ku-uuuung...
The colossal boss, which had roared boldly upon appearing, now trembled motionless from some point on.
It was the usual spar with the Ghost Soul Annihilators.
But for the first time, he had given them genuine praise, and this spar held significant achievements for them.
"Who did this?"
Despite their crushing defeat, smiles played on the Gui-hon's lips.
Yong-un raised the hand holding the Demon-Slaying Sword and revealed his sleeve.
The half-inch tear in the sleeve soon became a black cloth scrap, falling to the ground.
"Me. Hehe."
It was I-gwi-hon Cheon-il.
His smile was brighter than ever.
"You got me. But a promise is a promise. No scar means no reward."
"Ehh? Stingy!"
"Strive harder."
Yong-un chuckled softly.
They hadn't landed a wound, but the growth was undeniable.
Before, they collapsed without a single proper strike.
Now, they weren't just defending—they attacked with coordination and skill.
"We'll end the gate clear here for today."
"Pardon? Why suddenly..."
Myung-su looked disappointed.
Yong-un gazed at the fallen black cloth with a pleased smile.
"Seeing you has me curious about the Demon Dragon Squad now."
He had something to do.
Watching their growth sparked curiosity about the Demon Dragon Squad's progress.
They aspired to match the Ghost Soul Annihilators' strength, so they must have changed too.
"Ah, if that's the reason, we release you."
The Dancer rose, tossing out a chilling remark.
Coming from her rather than another Gui-hon, it sent shivers down Yong-un's spine.
"Th-Thank you."
"Go on, then. We'll handle that one."
The Dancer turned to eye the trembling boss.
Hwimchik.
The boss flinched in terror.
The Gui-hon all rose and turned toward the boss.
Yong-un gave them one last look before turning away.
"By the way, drinking tonight too?"
The Poison Witch asked, her face flushed.
Before exiting the gate, Yong-un nodded.
"If you don't want to, no need to come."
"No! I want to go. Lately, drinking and seeing people has been so great!"
She had changed so much from the Poison Witch who sold only poison in the mountains with Ho-gun.
Enjoying people, of all things.
Sensing her brighter change, Yong-un smiled.
"But not Geundae this time. And Kim Gu."
"Yes?"
"Call those friends again. They were quite polite."
"R-Really all right?"
Kim Gu beamed innocently.
"Call them. I'll buy the drinks."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Kim Gu bowed deeply.
With that, Yong-un vanished from the spot without a trace.
"After the gate, we're talking."
Myung-su glared at Kim Gu and spun the daggers in his hands half a turn.
Gripping them in reverse, Myung-su's form vanished.
"Yes..."
Kim Gu drooped his darkened face.
'Sigh, I'll never drink to blackout again. If I don't dispel the intoxication, I'm no better than dead!'
Following the Gui-hon charging the boss, Kim Gu kicked off the ground too.
With a grim expression, Kim Gu cheered for the boss for the first time.
'Boss! Hold out as long as you can!'
Wishing impossibly for the gate to drag on, he summoned his demonic qi.
The Demon Dragon Squad had achieved tremendous growth as well.
But due to their numerical disadvantage, they couldn't replicate the Ghost Soul Annihilators' lucky sleeve slice.
"Hahaha, lost but thrilled!"
Sword Tiger lay sprawled on the ground, roaring with laughter.
Despite the massive bruise around his eye, the mere fact he had landed an attack brought him immense joy.
"You've certainly grown."
Sword Tiger's sword was heavily notched.
The fruit of this spar.
In other words, he had struck the Demon-Slaying Sword with such force that it chipped his own blade.
What greater delight could there be?
"Glad to get hit?"
"Of course! I landed a solid blow, didn't I?"
Jong-hyun sighed deeply and shook his head.
Yet despite his actions, a smile tugged at Jong-hyun's lips.
"Jong-hyun's doing?"
"Yes, mine."
Yong-un lowered the Demon-Slaying Sword, black smoke billowing from it.
He looked down at the fallen Sword Tiger.
"Used well, it could become the ultimate weapon."
In truth, Yong-un was greatly surprised.
In terms of assassin prowess, that strike just now might surpass even the Ghost Soul Annihilators'.
Perfect Shot.
The skill that had made Jong-hyun a casting director for Garosu Guild, first manifested during the Jukmak-dong Demons encounter.
Back then, it consumed all his mana and worked only on lifeless objects like swords.
But now, it was different.
"How many times can you use it?"
"Three."
"Like the one that sent Sword Tiger flying?"
"Yes, three to send the leader flying. Others, up to ten."
Skills were truly astonishing, no matter how many times he saw them.
To think he could summon Sword Tiger himself—gripping a mana-infused sword—beside him without a trace.
The black smoke on the Demon-Slaying Sword faded as it slid into its sheath.
"Sometimes, knowing them too well becomes poison. Never assume certainty in any battle."
He never imagined such a development from a group he knew so well.
Thus, he had taken the hit squarely, as if on display.
No injury or even a graze, but surprise was surprise.
The reason Sword Tiger laughed.
"Hahaha, got it!"
Yong-un curled his finger in midair and flicked.
A sharp crack echoed above Sword Tiger's head.
Ddak.
"Ow!"
The laughing Sword Tiger clutched his head and rolled on the ground.
"Annoying—take another."
"Failed attack deserves it. Sigh, the leader will never know we created that chance for life."
"Exactly! One more, please!"
Jeong-won and Jin-mo rose, brushing dirt from their backs.
Jin-mo, who had been in lion form, reverted to human while laughing at Sword Tiger's pain.
Yong-un glanced at the laughing Jeong-won and Jin-mo before chuckling softly.
"See you this evening."
With that, Yong-un vanished from the spot.
"Uh... huh?"
Their sole shield was gone.
Now only the Demon Dragon Squad remained.
Swipe.
"What? One more?"
Sword Tiger stood.
Jeong-won and Jin-mo, caught off guard, exchanged glances.
'We're screwed...'
Demonic qi from Demon Dragon Manifestation rose from Sword Tiger's entire body.
A massive demon dragon slowly raised its head behind him.
"Run!"
"We're dead! Demon Dragon Manifestation!"
Sword Tiger swung his sword, and the huge demon dragon surged toward the fleeing Jeong-won and Jin-mo.
"Just die already!"
"St-Stop! We'll really die! Jong-hyun hyung!"
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