9
Ep 9
A woman came to me in the middle of the night.
She was beautiful.
Even through her martial robes, her graceful figure was impossible to hide—truly fitting for a peerless beauty.
But more than that—
“…”
There was something strange in her gaze.
Cheon Hyerin approached after briefly looking over my body.
Then—
“…?”
In the quiet stillness, she slowly stepped closer.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, alluring.
Her robe shifted, revealing her figure more clearly.
But—
Her gaze stayed fixed on my body.
She seemed concerned about my injuries.
Her lips pressed together, as if slightly upset.
“I thought about what I could do for you. To be honest… I simply made time because I wanted to have you to myself for a
while.”
“…Pardon?”
“I, too, have my limits. I wanted to stay with you a bit longer.”
“….”
“…I’ve lost track of my point.”
She took out a small box.
Then leaned in slightly and spoke softly.
“Don’t push yourself too hard from now on.”
“….”
“I worry about you.”
Her tone softened.
There was even a hint of sadness.
She wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.
I nodded quietly.
“…You should also be careful not to get hurt. I worry as well.”
“…!!”
“Y-you really…”
“…?”
She exhaled sharply.
Her expression was dangerous.
“It’s a miracle you haven’t been swept away by other women with that attitude.”
“…?”
“But this time… I’m concerned.”
“….”
“If even a single attendant can be shaken by you… then this is no simple matter.”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Then turned and left the room.
What was she trying to do?
A warning?
Showing up at dawn just to tell me to be careful?
I couldn’t figure it out.
“….”
I opened the second box she had left.
Click.
Inside—
A dark pill filled with demonic energy.
My eyes widened.
“…This is a Heavenly Demon Pill.”
Not something common.
An extremely rare elixir.
Even after already receiving one—
She gave me another.
“…This can be consumed immediately.”
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Heavenly Demon Sword.
Two ultimate arts.
But—
Even with both,
I couldn’t master them instantly.
They were too complex.
And I had no real experience.
Still—
I had to succeed quickly.
This was the fastest way to grow stronger.
And—
The one I knew best.
In the game, it had overwhelming power.
And here—
There were no limitations.
“…She said she worries.”
What did that mean?
Was she simply concerned?
Or—
Something more?
Either way—
I couldn’t waste time.
“Let’s try it.”
I sat cross-legged.
Focused.
Breathed slowly.
The night was quiet.
Moonlight filtered through bamboo.
I calmed my mind.
My breath steadied.
A small flame flickered deep within.
It grew stronger.
Heat spread through my body.
My veins burned.
“…This is working?”
Sweat formed.
But I stayed focused.
My heartbeat stabilized.
Then—
A black flower bloomed within.
Energy surged.
Again.
Again.
Again.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The energy spread through my body.
My body felt lighter.
Like I was becoming one with the air.
“…It worked—!”
Then—
My vision faded.
////
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
A martial art used by a monster.
Impossible to learn easily.
Even in the game—
It was the highest difficulty.
Failure meant destruction.
But here—
There was no second chance.
So—
I had to be careful.
It was a technique that required pushing the body to its limits.
“I’ll use this rock.”
Ma Noe spoke.
That morning—
I followed him for training.
To control energy—
You had to gather it to the limit.
Then release it.
The simplest method—
Break a rock.
“This one seems manageable.”
But—
This was a problem.
I only knew theory.
Not practice.
“…Let’s try the next one.”
“Even experts struggle with this one.”
He moved ahead.
The rocks grew larger.
“…This might be bad.”
At this rate—
I had to fail naturally.
Not too obviously.
“….”
I chose a larger rock.
Something impossible—
But believable to fail.
Still—
Expectations were rising.
“….”
I followed him.
Pressed my forearm lightly.
A habit.
“…Where did you learn that?”
“…What?”
“That is a specialized method.”
“….”
He examined me.
“…You learned it for her sake.”
“….”
How does he keep misunderstanding everything?
“…You’re thorough.”
“….”
“…As expected of someone who loves her.”
“….”
He wasn’t listening at all.
“…Is she listening too?”
I turned slightly—
And saw Cheon Hyerin in the distance.
Her ears—
Bright red.
She had definitely heard everything.
“…Show me.”
“….”
Before me—
A massive rock.
Twice my size.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
Even he seemed unsure.
“…Are you sure?”
But—
“…Go ahead.”
He didn’t stop me.
So—
I took a stance.
Pulled in energy.
Focused.
“…I’ll just fail naturally.”
Energy surged through me.
From my heart—
To my arm—
To my fist.
My heart pounded.
Like a final shot in a match.
Pressure weighed on me.
But—
I had to try.
I cleared my mind.
Focused everything into one point.
“…This is my limit.”
Then—
For a brief moment—
I lost focus.
And—
The energy exploded.
My fist shot forward.
At an unseen speed—
The massive rock—
Shattered completely.
Without a trace.