Heaven-Breaking Divine Art (3)
They said she was looking for him. The Heavenly Demon was searching for him. He had no idea why. But the moment he heard it, a surge of elation welled up inside him, making both his fists tremble.
How strong has she become?
Back then, he couldn't even use sword ki. His Heavenly Demon Body rank had been too low. And yet, the Heavenly Demon had unleashed a tsunami with a single sword. Looking back now, it was utterly ridiculous. Even today, Yun-seok still couldn't wield the Heavenly Demon Sword without the aid of Blood Demon Qi.
A warrior who stood above the heavens with nothing but pure technique and not a scrap of inner energy. Now that she'd been granted inner energy as well, he couldn't even imagine what realm she'd reached.
But still…
A competitive fire began to swirl in his chest.
"……."
He wanted to clash with her once more. He wanted to see, firsthand, just how much he had grown.
"Where is she now?"
Eshton flinched at Yun-seok's question. Asking like that was as good as confirming that the challenger the Heavenly Demon sought was himself.
"Don't tell me there's bad blood between you?"
Eshton didn't answer right away. Instead, he countered with concern filling his eyes.
Yun-seok quietly shook his head.
"No, nothing like that. If anything, you could call it a mentor-disciple relationship. She's the one who first taught me the sword."
"So that challenger is Mr. Yun-seok's master?"
"Not officially, but… in my heart, I think of her that way."
Seizing the moment, Yun-seok briefly recounted his early duel with the Heavenly Demon. Eshton listened with sparkling eyes, utterly engrossed, then answered his question about her whereabouts.
"Truth be told, I don't know where she is either. From what I hear, she only appeared in the plaza once."
"……?"
As Yun-seok tilted his head, Eshton began explaining step by step, chronologically.
"She showed up about ten days ago—right around when Mr. Yun-seok was deep in the Exploration Trial. Word is, she stayed in the plaza for about three hours before leaving."
"…But earlier, you said she was looking for me?"
"Yes. That's right. But the situation has some… peculiar aspects."
"Peculiar?"
"Yes. So before I get into the details, I should probably tell you about one of the clans in the plaza first."
Eshton started with one of the six major powers in the 6th Floor Plaza—a clan made up entirely of Murim warriors called the Ilwol Clan. More precisely, he spoke of its leader, a certain challenger.
"Jeong Dae-un, better known by his moniker Sword Demon. He's a 19th-floor Duel Trial challenger, and apparently, he was affiliated with an organization in Murim called the Heavenly Demon God Cult."
Yun-seok, who had little interest in the Tower's power dynamics, seemed to think a blank slate was necessary to understand this incident. But the moment Eshton mentioned the "Heavenly Demon God Cult," Yun-seok instantly grasped what he was getting at.
He kept his expression neutral and listened to the end.
For some reason, his life kept intersecting with Murim matters, so even without detailed exposition, Yun-seok quickly pieced together the full story.
"……."
To sum it up:
After the Heavenly Demon appeared, the challenger known as the Sword Demon recognized her and immediately dropped to his knees. He begged her to lead them. But she showed no interest in the position and asked just one thing.
—Have you seen this challenger?
An Earth-origin Duel Trial challenger. Early twenties, male, wields a sword.
That was all the personal info the Heavenly Demon provided, and to the Sword Demon—who had never even met Yun-seok—it was a complete mystery.
When the Sword Demon said he didn't know, the Heavenly Demon seemed slightly disappointed and returned to the Tower. Overwhelmed by guilt for letting her down, the Sword Demon began searching for this challenger based on the description.
Eventually, the story reached Eshton, leader of an Earth clan. Not knowing the full context, they kept Yun-seok's name out of it entirely.
"If you'd like, I can arrange a meeting with the Sword Demon. Of course, there's no way to contact her since she left the plaza, but just in case…"
"No, that's fine."
Yun-seok cut him off with a firm shake of his head.
From the looks of it, the Heavenly Demon had simply asked out of curiosity, while this Sword Demon challenger was fanatically loyal on his own, searching far and wide. Meeting him would just be a hassle.
So that's all it was…
Yun-seok felt the earlier elation drain from his heated body, leaving him cold.
Was he secretly hoping she'd remember him as someone special? It left him feeling oddly deflated.
Pushing down the confusing emotions, Yun-seok calmly spoke.
"Do you know what floor she's on?"
"No, nothing confirmed. But there's a rumor—the Sword Demon, on the 19th floor, saw her and said she was already floors above him, with utter reverence."
Yun-seok clenched his fist without realizing it.
Eshton seemed skeptical since it was just a rumor, but Yun-seok knew. It had to be true.
Of course… it makes sense.
Every time Yun-seok ascended a floor, he needed time to adapt to his new acquisitions. But not the Heavenly Demon. For her, the trials were merely retracing paths she'd already walked.
At least 20th floor or higher… She's pulled so far ahead already…
Was this how Namgoong So-so felt watching him? The road ahead suddenly felt endless.
But he had no one to blame but himself.
Kang Hyung-woo, Lee Chang-hoon, the plaza, missions, Earth, Exploration… While Yun-seok had been resolving one crisis after another to climb the Tower, the Heavenly Demon had steadfastly pushed upward.
Didn't Eshton just say it? The Sword Demon begged her to lead them, but she showed zero interest.
Maybe only those who ignored such things could reach the Tower's pinnacle.
This isn't the time to slack.
Nothing stimulated him more than this.
Of course, he knew floor numbers weren't everything. But his benchmark was the Heavenly Demon herself. Even in the insane world of Murim, she was heaven beyond heaven—a living legend revered as an absolute being.
If even their floors were worlds apart, he'd never even glimpse her toes.
And yet he'd dared to feel competitive? To test how much stronger he'd grown in a fight? It was arrogant enough to draw a hollow laugh.
At least I'm relieved…
At the same time, Yun-seok felt a wave of relief. For learning this now. For the fact that their reunion wasn't today.
If she'd seen him like this, she'd surely be disappointed.
"Any more info on her?"
He wanted to rush back to his waiting room and tackle the next trial, but first, Yun-seok peppered him with questions about the Heavenly Demon. Eventually, her appearance came up.
"…A young woman?"
"Yes. They described her as a cold, ethereal beauty of about thirty, with an aura that kept people at bay. Shocked a lot of folks. The lofty Sword Demon dropping to his knees before some young lady in front of everyone."
Were there multiple Heavenly Demons? Or did higher ranks of Heavenly Demon Body include eternal youth? No way to know.
But he'd find out when they met again someday. Yun-seok shelved his questions and left the plaza.
Purchased items have arrived.
Please check the lower part of the statue.
Back in his waiting room, Yun-seok first checked the hole in the wall. It still wasn't repaired, and beyond it, Namgoong So-so sat immersed in meditation. Probably reflecting on herself. The 9th floor trial demanded as much to overcome.
Come to think of it, how did she beat it?
The Heavenly Demon was practically a completed being already. And yet, facing an opponent 10% stronger? Winning by growing mid-duel didn't make sense.
But there had to be a way. The Tower of Heaven, which craved strong challengers, wouldn't design trials unfairly against them.
If we meet again, I'd love to hear about that too.
Yun-seok tore his gaze from Namgoong So-so and quietly approached the statue without a sound, fiddling with the tablet.
With the Eight-Colored Sword Qi secured, further training held little meaning now. Besides, wasn't it Heaven-Breaking Divine Art that elevated him to this realm, not training?
Facing trials and growing from them was far more efficient. Sure, Murim folk might see his mindset as that of a half-baked warrior, but he knew better.
This wasn't Murim—it was the Tower of Heaven. Paths to strength varied.
And this is my ability…
Predation. A power that grew stronger by devouring foes in duels. Swordsmanship alone hadn't forged Yun-seok.
Skills, stats, authorities—all combined to make him strong. He'd blocked the Heavenly Demon's final strike because he could draw every ounce from them.
[Challenge]
Yun-seok had no doubt. Climbing floor by floor like this, even the lofty heavens would one day seem within reach.
Alright, let's do this.
This wasn't like the 10th floor. Zero info. No clue if the opponent was another challenger or a Tower construct.
The chat rooms had few lingering challengers anyway, with scant updates—useless.
It even crossed his mind: With so few challengers left, maybe no more duels against fellow Trial-takers?
Not baseless. No same-challenger fights since the 6th-floor boss and 8th-floor infinite arena.
But…
In that future, other challengers definitely appeared.
During the Wish Auction. He'd seen a future where he contracted with the Thousand Martial Artist. In that world, he'd dueled countless challengers in a broken state—including Steel King Keriksis.
So that guess was wrong. Proof: Tapping [Challenge] brought up the message.
Matching duel opponent.
Unlike past instant pulls to the arena upon challenging, a gear icon spun clockwise on the tablet.
So that's how it works.
This revealed two things: His opponent was another Duel Trial challenger on the same floor…
And he'd likely wait a good long while.
Guess I'll train.
A bit deflating, but no helping it. Yun-seok sat, closed his eyes.
As he began sinking into his mental world—
"You're back?"
Namgoong So-so, having ended her meditation, peeked through the hole. She stuck her head out, tongue clicking at his waiting room.
"Whoa, what a barren waiting room."
Fair point, maybe. Hers had beds and such; she even snacked from the [Convenience] menu sometimes.
His? Just the statue with the tablet, like day one.
Truthfully, Yun-seok assumed everyone was like him. Wasting precious AP on frivolities? Unthinkable.
"What's with that look…?"
Did his thoughts show in his eyes? Namgoong So-so, looking wronged, launched into unasked defenses.
"The bed's not even that expensive. And with it, you can sleep here and recover mental fatigue from battles. Probably every Duel challenger has one? Fighting for your life drains so much stamina… Wanna try it? Then you'd get wh—"
Suddenly, her face flushed. More flustered, she mumbled again.
"No, I mean—not that. Just, while I'm here, try the bed. Yeah! That's it."
Honestly, no clue what she meant. But one thing was clear: Folks with the Namgoong name talked way too much.
"I see."
No bed for him, but he mentally noted to buy furniture to plug the hole. Then:
"Anyway, what is it?"
As if remembering, Namgoong So-so muttered "Oh, right!" and opened her mouth.
Or tried to.
Duel opponent matched.
Prepare. Duel will begin shortly.
He'd braced for at least three days… Good timing? The match came way faster than expected.
"Hold on. Duel first—back soon."
"Huh? Duel? What do you m—"
Couldn't hear the rest of Namgoong So-so's baffled question. His vision shifted to the arena.
Countdown beginning.
The arena blazed under harsh sunlight. Yun-seok tensed his body appropriately and eyed his opponent.
A thick smile crept across his lips.
Interesting.
It was a demon. But not just any demon.
If his memory served…
The original owner of Blood Pact, a key component of Blood Demon Divine Art. No doubt about it.