20
Ep 20
[ Body Trait… Heavenly Martial Body has been unlocked! ]
It was somewhere I hadn’t expected at all.
No wonder everything looked unfamiliar.
Only after moving some distance away from the Demonic Cult did the surroundings start to look recognizable.
“…Still, was the problem that I ate everything?”
Of the roughly twenty elixirs I had, only three remained.
Still—
There were gains.
Heavenly Martial Body.
A physique that possesses aptitude for all martial arts, harmonizing extreme yin, extreme yang, and even taiji energy.
It allows one to master even the most supreme techniques as their own.
A body said to memorize the form of martial arts and replicate them after seeing them just once.
“…But I got this way too easily.”
It felt like someone had deliberately guided me here.
Still—
This was huge.
Had I finally stepped onto the overpowered path?
When I moved my body, the stiffness in my shoulders vanished, and when I raised demonic energy, a pure inner force resonated with it.
“…Oh.”
A natural sense of admiration slipped out.
But then—
—Shing!
The cursed blade suddenly drew itself from its sheath.
A weapon that had never reacted before—
Now responded.
And then—
“….”
Without warning, it lunged toward me.
The blade pierced into my body and began to hum.
—???
—Heavenly Martial Body… (Modified)
Category: Adaptability to demonic energy increases.
????? You can freely resist all predetermined fate. (Cannot be altered)
I pulled the blade out of my body.
“…You.”
My gaze dropped onto the trembling sword.
My head went blank.
Until now, it had remained still.
And now—
It acted.
And harmed me.
“…What are you doing?”
“…”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“…”
“Damn it…”
Of course, there was no answer.
It was just a sword.
I stared at it for a long time.
…Strangely, there was no blood from the wound.
“…Hah.”
Damn.
With a cheat like this, I could’ve had an easy path—
A peaceful route with Cheon Hyerin.
…Wait.
Is this dangerous?
When did I start thinking like this?
…Fine.
If I got something too easily, maybe it’s fair.
Like pulling a five-star in one try, only for it to get nerfed the next day.
Still—
The thought that I lost an easy future with Cheon Hyerin lingered.
…Why do I keep thinking about her?
[ Heavenly Martial Body (Modified) ]
I activated my energy again.
Unlike before, demonic energy didn’t merge perfectly with my inner force.
…but it was definitely better than before.
The previous sensation was just too strong.
—??? Heavenly Martial Body
1. Enhanced control and understanding of demonic energy.
2. Ability to resist fate.
The first was obvious.
The second—
I had no idea.
“Fate?”
That concept didn’t even exist in the game.
Still—
Not bad.
“…Why do I suddenly want to see Cheon Hyerin…”
I felt like teasing her.
…Something’s wrong with me.
Am I actually enjoying risking my life now?
“…I must be insane.”
///
The modified Heavenly Martial Body.
When I returned and used demonic energy—
It exceeded expectations.
“Oh… oh!”
I tried applying what Hong Yeon had taught me.
And became absorbed in controlling it.
The disrupted flow from before—
Now connected smoothly.
The more I circulated energy—
The more my capacity grew.
My demonic energy had already doubled.
“…They said this is about average for someone training all day with elixirs…”
Even sitting still and practicing—
My energy increased far more than before.
The name “Heavenly Martial Body” wasn’t just for show.
Matching Hong Yeon’s level would take time—
But this growth rate—
It wasn’t impossible.
“…Still, I need expert advice.”
There was only one person to ask.
///
A white-haired woman in black robes.
Powder falling lightly onto her chest.
“…Don’t stop. Keep running.”
Hong Yeon spoke while eating dumplings.
…Seriously.
Still—
Today was better.
My stamina had improved.
And the energy in my body felt strangely stable.
“…Maybe asking her was a mistake…”
But since gaining the new body trait—
I could train even harder.
Hong Yeon had evaluated me.
“Your level is too low for swordsmanship. Rely on your body.”
So—
I learned one thing.
Fist.
That was enough.
The same strike that shattered a massive rock—
Now easier to execute.
I could’ve learned more—
But chose not to.
Even with just that—
I had already defeated peak-level fighters.
Still—
As a precaution—
I learned techniques like Heavenly Demon Fist and others.
But I had no intention of using them.
Using them recklessly—
Would get me killed.
Those techniques required a far higher realm.
For someone like me—
They were too dangerous.
I followed Hong Yeon’s rules.
Do not mix inner energy carelessly.
Do not count incomplete strikes.
Push beyond limits at least three times.
…and one strange rule.
“Don’t go too far with the Sword Empress.”
…That one was odd.
The reason for all this training—
The elixirs.
To fully absorb them—
I needed extreme training.
The efficiency was insane.
Three times the effect.
And increased inner force as well.
“…Ugh…”
Lying on the ground, exhausted—
I heard her voice.
“…Something’s off.”
“What do you mean?”
She looked at me carefully.
“…Did you do something?”
“…What?”
“You were with the Sword Empress that night. Since then, your energy improved.”
“….”
“…Don’t tell me you two—”
“Please stop talking nonsense.”
“…Hmm. That reaction means no. Good.”
“…Good?”
“I didn’t want to see you torn apart.”
“….”
That sounded way too casual.
Then—
I remembered.
“…Look at me, Yujin.”
Cheon Hyerin.
Her pale neck.
The way she looked at me.
…Was that intentional?
But honestly—
There wasn’t anything special about me.
Potential.
Saving her life.
Those things wouldn’t last forever.
To outsiders—
I probably looked like someone lucky.
“….”
Still—
At least I treated her well.
“…Training is over.”
Hong Yeon handed me water.
“…Do you like flowers?”
“…Shut up. What’s with the flowers…”
“…Ah.”
Right.
I forgot.
She glared at me.
“…You’re unbelievable.”
“…Sorry.”
“If you approached the Sword Empress like this, you’d be dead.”
…True.
She sighed.
“…Still… you endured well.”
Her tone softened.
“…It’s time.”
“…Time?”
“…For real combat.”
Her expression turned serious.
“…The orthodox faction has launched a surprise attack.”