Chapter 256
A solemn resolve settled in Arisa’s eyes as she left the Hidden Realm with the Indulgence in hand.
‘I will never hand this Indulgence over to them.’
While Chun Ji-ho wanted her to use the Indulgence as a bargaining chip with the Undead Sect, Arisa had something else in mind.
Since ancient times, one did not make deals with madmen.
Demon Jiangshi, Demon Lords, and even Incarnations on top of that.
This could not simply be dismissed as mere ‘individual deviation.’
It was far more reasonable to conclude that the Undead Sect itself, and its Sect Leader, were deeply involved.
In Arisa’s eyes, the Undead Sect was a sect that had joined hands with demons.
No, it would not be an exaggeration to say they had become one and the same, beyond mere cooperation.
Even dragging every person involved out and excommunicating them in public would not be enough.
Telling her to make a deal with them was no different from telling her to join hands with demons as well.
‘As long as we have Anton and the experiment log, we have enough to pressure the Undead Sect.’
The problem was that both would only be useful if they were brought before the upper echelons.
They needed to contact the Mir Sect and, together with them, drag the Undead Sect before the Judgment Seat.
Moreover, both Anton and the experiment log were in Park Chan-woo’s possession.
If he changed his mind, or died, then all their plans would come to nothing.
She had to find some way to stay by Park Chan-woo’s side.
‘A way to ascend the mountain without using the Indulgence.’
To do that, she had to climb the mountain herself, but that was no simple matter.
Still, he had shown her personally that a frontal assault was not the only answer.
There were many ways.
She had only failed to climb this far because she had stubbornly clung to orthodox methods.
Had he not shown her with his own actions?
The process of proving his worth.
And the sight of him breaking through every Sacred Site in an instant!
‘Nothing is impossible.’
Having witnessed it all from right beside him, all she could feel was awe.
She had never seen anyone ascend the mountain so unhindered.
With an attitude so bold it seemed he feared nothing in this world, he took what he wanted.
He accomplished what everyone thought impossible without a moment’s hesitation.
‘……The successor of the Heavenly Demon.’
His figure kept flickering before her eyes.
The successor of the Heavenly Demon who had appeared in a time of chaos.
He controlled an ominous beast of unmatched ill omen and wielded a sword that had reached an unfathomable level.
Was he truly good, or evil?
Had he revealed himself to restore the unstable Hall of all Gods?
Did he intend to carve back in the name Taebaek had erased?
She did not know his true intentions, yet whenever she closed her eyes, Park Chan-woo’s figure strangely came to mind.
Perhaps it was because of the title ‘successor of the Heavenly Demon.’
Because he was the only one who could restore the Hall of all Gods to normal.
…That had to be it.
‘I’ll catch up soon.’
—
After clearing the trials of every Sacred Site,
Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo immediately began climbing the mountain.
“Quite the troublemakers, stirring up the whole mountain.”
Near the Warp leading to the upper echelons, a group of Arahan had gathered.
Figures dressed in black robes like grim reapers.
Inquisitors.
The Senior Inquisitor standing at the center looked back and forth between Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo as he spoke.
“The Mountain of Practitioners only truly begins in the upper echelons. But not just anyone may ascend. Even if they have passed the trials of every Sacred Site.”
“So there is another condition?”
“We received a report that you are connected to demons.”
“Haha! The one who really had dealings with demons was Gang Si-chan.”
“Gang Si-chan has been excommunicated. But since a report was filed, we have no choice but to verify it. I hope you understand.”
The Undead Sect’s response had come faster than expected.
Still, this was not something that could be brushed aside just by excommunicating Gang Si-chan.
Incidents tied to demons were happening one after another.
Chiwoo spoke with clear displeasure.
“Shouldn’t you be verifying the Undead Sect first?”
“That investigation is outside my jurisdiction.”
“Can we know who filed the report?”
“That answer is also outside my authority.”
“…And how do you intend to verify it?”
“Karma.”
“……Karma?”
“To put it simply, ‘Honor.’ We will now verify the Honor you possess. You may not know this, but Incarnations can hardly accumulate ‘Honor.'”
They intended to determine whether Park Chan-woo and Chiwoo were Incarnations.
Because Incarnations possessed little Honor, if any at all.
Indeed, those who had made contracts with demons had almost no way of gaining ‘Honor.’
Honor, Karma, was like proof of one’s existence.
The moment one formed a contract with an Incarnation, one’s own existence became blurred, which made the standard of ‘Honor’ ambiguous as well.
One could even lose whatever Honor they already had.
However, this method had many flaws.
Chiwoo frowned.
“It sounds like you’re planning to find fault whether it’s low or high. Is that really an objective way to distinguish an Incarnation?”
“Well, checking for the ominous flames that appear upon death is the surest method, but we can’t exactly kill you, can we?”
“Is a method that pathetic really your only way of identifying an Incarnation?”
“For now, this is the most reliable one.”
“…Still no progress at all.”
Chiwoo shook his head, looking faintly disappointed.
It made one question whether these people were truly the Arahan who stood against demons.
Nothing had changed despite all the time that had passed.
Moreover,
‘They’re definitely trying to nitpick.’
Their intentions did not feel pure.
Perhaps the Undead Sect had stirred them up, or perhaps one of the other nine families, uneasy that an Arahan from a Hidden Realm was climbing the mountain, had spread a false report.
‘……My Honor has probably faded by now.’
That worried him as well.
Honor was not eternal.
As time passed, it was forgotten. If one did nothing, it vanished.
Chiwoo had spent an extremely long time in Avici Hell.
He did not know how much Honor still remained with him, but it probably was not much.
And Park Chan-woo was no different.
He had never asked, but that beast of unparalleled ill omen… and the power Park Chan-woo wielded as well, felt closer to that of a demon.
If, by any chance, the source of that beast came from a contract with a demon……
“Is verifying Honor enough?”
“Successor-nim……!”
When Park Chan-woo suddenly spoke, Chiwoo flinched.
Park Chan-woo chuckled and asked,
“Do I look like an Incarnation to you?”
“N-no, of course not! Absolutely not!”
“Then why are you so startled?”
“Well……”
“Then I suppose that gives us even more reason to verify it.”
“M-my apologies!”
“I’m joking.”
Park Chan-woo gave a small shrug.
Ever since using the Authority, ‘The Absolute,’ and seeing the Shadow of Baal, he had felt Chiwoo’s attitude toward him shift slightly.
Chiwoo was trying to act casual, but Park Chan-woo had noticed the worry and unease underneath.
Even if he forced an explanation, he could not completely erase that suspicion.
This was actually for the best.
It was a perfect chance to dispel Chiwoo’s doubts and prove himself to the Hall of all Gods.
Then the Senior Inquisitor spoke.
“‘Honor’ is directly tied to the nobility of one’s existence. Demons and Incarnations are far removed from nobility, which makes it nearly impossible for them to possess Honor above a certain level. Therefore, if your Honor is confirmed to be above that level, we will send you on without another word.”
His tone suggested he knew quite a bit about Honor.
But it seemed he only knew half of it.
‘Of the hundred names inscribed in the Hall of Fame, half are demons.’
Demons were far removed from nobility?
He thought so too, but ironically, nearly half the members of the Hall of Fame were demons.
Demon Kings, and beings beyond even them.
There was something else that bothered him.
‘Don’t tell me there isn’t a single Arahan in the Hall of Fame.’
If there were, then they would already know that demons occupied an enormous portion of the Hall of Fame.
Yet seeing a high-ranking Inquisitor spout such nonsense, it seemed that fact was not widely known.
……Or perhaps there truly were none.
Chiwoo asked,
“How do you verify Honor?”
“If you place your hand on this ‘Immortal Sphere,’ it will change color according to the Honor you possess.”
“Immortal Sphere?”
“Yes. An artifact created by the ‘Immortals’ of the Hall of all Gods.”
“……There are Immortals in the Hall of all Gods?”
“Are you truly asking because you don’t know?”
The Senior Inquisitor looked back at him with the eyes of someone staring at an ignorant fool.
But Chiwoo was just as bewildered.
There had been no Immortals in the era when he was alive.
‘I heard the Immortals vanished along with the Heavenly Demon.’
Could it be they had returned?
He wanted to ask more, but held back.
For now, resolving the matter before them came first.
“What color corresponds to each level of Honor?”
“In order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.”
“Is violet the highest?”
“Yes. However, no one has ever possessed Honor at that level.”
“What level is enough to dispel suspicion?”
“Orange or above will suffice.”
The second lowest level.
The standard was more lenient than expected.
But that should not be mistaken for meaning it was easy.
Honor itself was something inherently difficult to accumulate.
“I’ll go first, Successor-nim.”
Park Chan-woo nodded.
Then Chiwoo stepped in front of the Immortal Sphere in a single stride and stretched out his hand, slightly tense.
Immediately, color began to spread across the surface of the Immortal Sphere.
Red.
It seemed as though it would stop there, but soon it turned orange.
The minimum level needed to dispel suspicion.
“…Hmm. It seems you are not an Incarnation.”
The Senior Inquisitor muttered in disappointment.
But the color continued to change.
Yellow.
……Green.
“……”
The Inquisitor clamped his mouth shut.
Reaching green meant possessing considerable Honor.
From green onward, it was considered high grade, and fewer than one in a hundred Arahan possessed Honor of that level.
‘Blue!’
To everyone’s surprise, it changed again.
Blue was the highest grade.
A level countable on one hand even within the mountain.
All who possessed it were honorable figures admired and followed by everyone.
…But.
“I-indigo!”
“It’s indigo!”
The Inquisitors cried out in shock.
They wondered if it would continue all the way to violet, the final stage, but it stopped at indigo.
Even so, that alone was enough to astonish them.
Among all the Arahan who had ever placed a hand on the Immortal Sphere, the highest result until now had been indigo.
There had been exactly one such person in the entire mountain.
‘The Family Head of the Mir Sect… only he possessed indigo Honor.’
At this moment, that record was broken.
The number of people officially known to possess indigo Honor had become two.
If this fact became known, the mountain would be thrown into turmoil once more.
“……You may pass.”
The hostility left the Senior Inquisitor’s face.
At least in Chiwoo’s case, it had been proven that he was an Arahan worthy of recognition and respect.
Now only one remained.
“My turn, it seems.”
With every eye fixed on him, Park Chan-woo confidently placed his hand on the Immortal Sphere.
At that moment,
Bang!
……The Immortal Sphere shattered.