Chapter 32
Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Regressed to Bronze
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Flash!
Choi Shin-hyeok, who had answered the Heavenly Demon's summons, emerged amid a brilliant burst of light.
The atmosphere here was vastly different from the rocky, foreboding mountain he'd visited at the War God's call.
"Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. It's been a while here too."
Shin-hyeok knew this place well.
The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
It was also the home of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Heavenly Demon's stronghold.
Of course, this was precisely the Heavenly Demon's transcendental domain, a perfect recreation of that past sanctum.
In any case, stepping into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains for the first time since his regression, Shin-hyeok glanced around with a nostalgic expression.
True to its position atop the Heavenly Demon Cult's headquarters on the mountain's peak, the air itself felt razor-sharp.
Even the firmly shut grand gate made that clear.
The gate, a harmonious blend of inky black evoking demonic energy and blood-red crimson, exuded an intangible pressure that weighed heavily on any who beheld it.
But that was just the beginning—if it ended there, the Heavenly Demon Cult's reputation would ring hollow.
The massive plaque emblazoned on the gate was the crowning touch.
That boldly scrawled inscription in a single, sweeping stroke carried its own crushing weight.
Most people would be overwhelmed at the mere sight of it, knees buckling instinctively as they bowed their heads in submission to the Heavenly Demon Cult—and to the Heavenly Demon himself.
But it was irrelevant to Shin-hyeok.
Step by step—
He slowly approached the distant gate.
Not content with that, despite the passage of ages without a speck of dust marring it, he gently caressed the plaque with his hand.
The rough texture of the wood, and even in the mere letters, the palpable power infused into the words "Heavenly Demon Cult."
As he savored them for a moment—
-If you're here, come in already. What are you dawdling for? Enter.
Creeeeak!
A deep, resonant voice echoed in his mind.
It bore the weight of countless years, yet the power within it could crush the world itself.
At the same moment, with a rusty groan from ancient hinges, the gate swung open on its own.
A well-maintained gate and plaque, yet creaky hinges—what an odd mismatch.
Chucking softly at the thought, Shin-hyeok stepped through the now-wide-open gate.
Step by step—
The world beyond the gate was immense.
Atop a mountain.
No, atop the colossal Hundred Thousand Great Mountains—a cult compound so vast it beggared belief.
Dozens of mansions and buildings.
Steeped in the patina of ages, they were the simplest testament to the Heavenly Demon Cult's might.
Of course, they now stood empty.
Casually passing through such grandeur, Shin-hyeok naturally headed toward the heart of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The Cult Leader's Palace.
Arriving at the palace after traversing a path of pure, gleaming white marble—
"You're here. You're late. But how did you know this was the Cult Leader's Palace? I never even told you I was here."
The Cult Leader's Palace.
Its master awaited Shin-hyeok.
The words were almost muttered to himself, yet they carried clearly to Shin-hyeok's ears from a considerable distance.
In response to the Heavenly Demon's curiosity, Shin-hyeok gave the answer he'd prepared.
"I just sensed where you were, old man."
"...Old man?"
Ah, he slipped into his pre-regression habits for a second.
But a tiny mistake had crept into his response.
Pre-regression.
He'd let the old title he used for the Heavenly Demon slip out.
But spilled water couldn't be gathered back—what was said was said.
"Old man is right, isn't it?"
"Ha, I've lived a long time, that's for sure. Never thought I'd hear someone call me 'old man' right to my face as a constellation, though. Maybe it's because I've lived so long."
Having said it, Shin-hyeok decided to own it.
The Heavenly Demon, lounging casually in the Cult Leader's throne with his chin propped up, stared at him in disbelief.
But only for a moment.
"A title's just a title. It's not like you're being rude with it."
The Heavenly Demon brushed it off nonchalantly.
He'd never cared much for how others addressed him anyway.
Titles didn't define his worth.
Of course, outright insults would be another matter—
'It feels oddly endearing, somehow. But this is strange. This should be our first meeting.'
The 'old man' moniker had quietly pleased the Heavenly Demon.
In any event, titles weren't the issue.
So, straightening his posture slightly, the Heavenly Demon fixed his gaze on Shin-hyeok.
"How did you learn the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon?"
"...!"
Rumble...!
A single casual remark.
But the power behind it was no joke.
One could tell just from how it dominated the surroundings completely.
Seizing control of space itself.
Most Diamond-tier players could manage that much with full effort.
'But the old man did it with a single word. Constellations are all monsters, every last one. Well, he's an exceptional monster even among them.'
The problem was that the Heavenly Demon had achieved what a Diamond-tier player strained for—with mere words.
Having met quite a few constellations as a Challenger-tier player, Shin-hyeok knew the Heavenly Demon stood out even among them.
But the Heavenly Demon's prowess wasn't the point.
'One slip here, and I'm dead meat.'
The Heavenly Demon was similar to the War God, yet different.
The War God pursued martial prowess, his nature upright and steadfast.
He didn't fuss over origins or backstory.
The War God cared for one thing alone.
Martial arts.
The Heavenly Demon was much the same.
He pursued martial arts, his personality as unyielding as an ancient oak.
Up to here, they aligned.
But from there, they diverged.
'The old man is the master of the Heavenly Demon Cult. A being above all others. He guards the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon—the foundation of his authority—strictly. Letting such a symbol of the Heavenly Demon leak out tarnishes his dignity. If I can't explain properly how I learned it, I'll die here.'
Unlike the War God, who saw Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style as just another martial art and wouldn't care who learned it if they had the talent, no matter when or where—
The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon were transmitted only to direct heirs handpicked by the cult to succeed it.
Thus, if he couldn't prove himself as this sudden interloper, he'd meet his end here under the Heavenly Demon's judgment.
Of course, for a constellation to privately sanction a player from a dimension where the integrated league hadn't even started was insane.
It would incur massive penalties on the constellation, a blow to dignity the Heavenly Demon couldn't ignore.
Yet Shin-hyeok was certain.
If he couldn't prove himself here, he'd die.
With that thought settled, Shin-hyeok took a slow, deep breath.
"Hoo..."
Not an ordinary breath, of course.
Circulating the Tai Chi Divine Art [D]—the War God's gift—it rapidly spread mana through his body.
Pure, high-grade mana flowed, alleviating much of the pressure.
Shin-hyeok took one step forward.
And that wasn't the end.
One step became two, two became four.
From his position to the Cult Leader's Palace.
To the Heavenly Demon's throne—dozens of steps remained.
With each step, the oppressive weight blanketing the palace intensified, pressing down harder.
Yet Shin-hyeok's feet never faltered.
Step—
One more step.
Step, step—
Two in succession this time.
The gravity in each step grew heavier, denser, but in the end, Shin-hyeok reached the Heavenly Demon.
His face pale, his body drenched in cold sweat.
"......"
"......"
Shin-hyeok, right before him.
The Heavenly Demon, watching him.
They stared at each other in silence.
Now, just one step separated them.
But Shin-hyeok advanced no further, simply meeting the Heavenly Demon's gaze.
A gaze burning so fiercely it seemed aflame.
Yet brutally cold, utterly merciless.
As the Heavenly Demon regarded it wordlessly—
"True霸道—the path of hegemony—leaves no room for obstacles in its advance."
"And?"
"It's true that I learned the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon. But what does that matter?"
"The Divine Arts are the cult's sacred art and a symbol of the Heavenly Demon's authority as leader. They may have leaked outside, and you say it doesn't matter?"
"Yes. Martial arts, sacred arts—they're just techniques, tools in the end. What matters is the one wielding them."
"...What are you getting at?"
"Proof, in the end. The order might be off, but we correct it here and now."
Thud!
Finishing his words, Shin-hyeok drew his magic spear from his inventory and slammed it into the ground.
A Unique+ grade magic spear.
A fine weapon by Shin-hyeok's standards.
Plenty good enough to carry him through Diamond tier comfortably.
"Trash."
Not by the Heavenly Demon's.
A being who treated legendary weapons as disposables and preferred mythic-grade at minimum.
But Shin-hyeok didn't flinch.
"If it doesn't suit you, why not give me something worthwhile?"
"...I'll handle that later. Drawing your spear now means you want to prove yourself to me, right?"
"Yes."
"Why should I bother? I could just dispose of you."
"That would hurt you badly, old man. Wouldn't it?"
"......"
The Heavenly Demon's lips pressed into a thin line.
He could reduce Shin-hyeok to pulp with a flick of a finger.
Yet he refrained—first, because Shin-hyeok had piqued his interest to some degree; second, because the penalties would be severe.
Thus, Shin-hyeok took one more step forward, leveling the spear at the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon impassively eyed the gleaming tip inches from his face.
To him, Shin-hyeok swore.
"When the proof is done—if I don't satisfy you, I'll offer my life."
"Your worthless life is mine whenever I want—"
"I'll offer it myself. Then you face no penalties."
"......"
His own life.
Offered not by force, but willingly.
The Heavenly Demon's lips sealed once more.
Now, genuine interest flickered in his eyes, replacing boredom and indifference.
His choice was singular.
"Begin the proof."
Griiiiind!
The Heavenly Demon.
He rose from his throne.