Chapter 311: The Heavenly Demon (2)
These are memories of the past.
Recorded within the tower. And…
‘Memories that no one else will ever see again.’
Jinhyuk calmly observed the scene before him.
In this desolate landscape, there could be no happy ending in a battle where the outcome was already determined.
The Heavenly Demon would lose everything, and the martial world would forget his achievements.
Even the Heavenly Demon Sect would turn its back on him, and all he had built would be defiled by Sama-ja.
And yet, why?
Jinhyuk wanted to capture this battle with his own eyes.
“…”
The Heavenly Demon’s sword extended forward.
It was simply thrust ahead.
The [Heavenly Demon Divine Art].
The technique was completed.
The power that allowed the Heavenly Demon to rule this world.
In response,
Rumble, rumble!
The heavens and earth shook violently.
The First Form.
The aura generated by the [Heavenly Demon Divine Art] completely enveloped the sword, extending over five meters long.
The tangible energy soon took the shape of a dragon.
‘Heavenly Dragon Emergence.’
How deep must his internal energy be for such an unbelievable skill to be possible?
But before he could marvel at it, the space was torn, and dozens of black goats poured out.
“Kiiiii…!”
“Kyeeee!”
Each one of these creatures could destroy the world.
They were at least twice as large as the ones that appeared during the outbreak.
‘Even creatures seen only on the 50th floor have arrived…’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
Upper-class phantasms known as ‘Denebola.’
The Denebolas wielding long spears radiated an aura that was entirely different in class.
Crack…
The leading Denebola threw back its shoulder, which held the spear, with great force.
Boom!
With a thunderous noise, the spear was launched.
The trees shattered, and the massive ten-meter-long spear flew toward the Heavenly Demon.
It wasn’t just about piercing.
Even a glancing blow would tear him beyond recognition.
But.
[‘Heavenly Demon Sovereignty Steps’ activated!]
No matter how powerful an attack is, if it doesn’t hit, it’s meaningless.
Boom!
The spear obliterated the spot where the Heavenly Demon had been.
Of course, the Heavenly Demon had already disappeared.
He reappeared amidst the Denebolas.
He was fast.
This was the [Heavenly Demon Sovereignty Steps].
This unique, dominant footwork was more powerful and faster than the Sword Demon Heavenly Steps created through fusion.
[Your understanding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art has increased.]
A status window appeared before Jinhyuk’s eyes.
‘Just watching it helps.’
He noticed that just before leaping, the Heavenly Demon tapped the ground three times in quick succession.
It must be a preparatory move to maximize acceleration.
He also observed that the energy was condensed and then released in two bursts, which could only be understood from a third-party perspective.
‘The martial arts manual of the second Heavenly Demon obtained from the Cloud Veil Pavilion is exceeding my expectations.’
More importantly, the environment, which allowed him to focus solely on analyzing the battle, greatly contributed to understanding the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
…Now!
The sword wind struck immediately.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!
The Heavenly Demon’s sword moved freely.
“Kyaaaaaa!”
“Keeeek!”
The Denebolas’ limbs were severed.
Splurt!
Black blood spouted from the severed parts like waterfalls.
The Denebolas wildly swung their spears in retaliation, but they were no match for the Heavenly Demon’s sword paths.
‘To think the transition between the Second Form and Third Form could be so seamless.’
Jinhyuk couldn’t help but be amazed.
A perfectly optimized technique without any waste.
This was the first time his heart raced and adrenaline surged so much.
Naturally, the level of understanding gained now would determine the completeness of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Obtaining such powerful martial arts so quickly, unlike the past, was thrilling.
As he concentrated all his attention on the sword paths, the number of Denebolas rapidly decreased.
Seventeen… nine… three.
Boom!
Boom!
None of the enormous monsters that had been standing were left.
At that moment.
Shub-Niggurath, who had been silent, finally moved.
“As expected of one who possesses the ‘Crown of Tyranny’… A strong body… and a holy relic capable of entering our realm. You are a threat.”
One step.
With a single step, one of the strongest beings in the tower declared the start of the battle.
BOOM!
The earth was completely overturned, and the shockwave blew away the entire mountain.
The terrain was utterly transformed.
Even knowing that this was a memory of the past, the magical energy wave from just now made all the hairs on his body stand on end.
Even with all these restrictions, such power…
There’s nothing more to say but that he’s insane.
However,
Even amidst the ruins, where not a trace remained, the Heavenly Demon did not lose his momentum.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Blood from his forehead stained his chest, but his fierce gaze remained alive.
It was not over…
yet.
[Baek Ilha activates Lv?? ‘Heavenly Demon Great Destruction’!]
Red energy filled the sky.
The floor shook, and the clouds parted.
This was the Heavenly Demon.
An absolute being who transcended humanity and reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
“A move akin to self-destruction… A disappointing move… insect. You underestimate my power too much. That’s why you will die today.”
Black smoke rose around Shub-Niggurath’s body.
Thus.
Boom!
Energy clashed with energy.
The tower seemed to tremble with unimaginable shockwaves.
“…Ugh.”
Red blood dripped from the Heavenly Demon’s mouth.
Indeed.
The balance of power had been broken from the start.
Even using core energy, killing the opponent was impossible.
In less than a second,
Twelve spirit swords appeared over the Heavenly Demon’s shoulders.
Just one of these spirit swords, known as the pinnacle of martial arts, was called the realm of the gods. He was using twelve, and all with remote swordsmanship.
“Do not presume to know the limits of my power.”
The spirit swords vanished simultaneously.
Front, back, left, right.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
Boom!
The storm of attacks shredded Shub-Niggurath’s body.
“Graaaaah!”
The scream from Shub-Niggurath was more of rage than pain.
A mere human had managed to injure its body, even if only slightly.
His fingers itched.
He wanted to imitate it right away.
That sword.
That swordsmanship.
That sword path.
And watching all of this unfold before him, Jinhyuk began to visualize another image in his mind.
It’s frustrating.
That he isn’t there right now.
That he isn’t the one fighting there.
It’s maddeningly frustrating.
More than anything.
‘If it were me… I would do it differently…’
‘If only I altered the sword’s trajectory a bit more…’
‘If I changed the flow of energy there…’
And at the moment these thoughts struck,
[The completeness of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art has increased significantly.]
A status window tinged with gold appeared.
—
How much time had passed?
“You were quite something. For a human… that is. Due to restrictions… I don’t have the power to end this… However, I achieved my goal in coming here.”
Shub-Niggurath spoke in admiration for his opponent.
Finally, the long battle had ended.
“…”
The Heavenly Demon looked down at his own body with calm eyes.
He could no longer feel any energy in his dantian.
Having exhausted his core energy, he had no strength left to hold on.
A complete ordinary person.
No, even moving like an ordinary person would be difficult now.
At best, he could move once more before the last flame extinguished.
But inflicting a fatal blow on the opponent in that one move was nearly impossible.
Shub-Niggurath, convinced of its victory, slowly extended its branch-like appendages with teeth toward the Heavenly Demon.
“The crown… The cursed holy relic that can reach our domain…”
It aimed to seize the symbol of martial power, one of the seven crowns, known as the ‘Crown of Tyranny.’
Although it was close, it could take the crown before the system’s reverse summoning occurred.
However.
“Did you think I would hand it over so easily?”
Just before losing consciousness, the Heavenly Demon threw the black crown from his chest.
He spent his last remaining energy not on escape or counterattack, but on throwing the crown.
Whirr…
Boom!
“No! It can’t be!”
Shub-Niggurath’s branches quickly flew towards the crown.
But it was too late.
The crown, breaking through the floor, began to fall to an unknown place.
Yes.
Jinhyuk knew this would happen.
The problem was…
‘No way…’
Jinhyuk’s pupils shook.
It was inevitable.
He saw where the crown was falling.
As a bystander, he could see everything, even places unseen by the Heavenly Demon or Shub-Niggurath.
‘So that’s where it was.’
—
[All of the Heavenly Demon’s memories have ended.]
Jinhyuk returned to reality in the early morning before dawn.
The hut, filled with the exhausted, sleeping people, was quite peaceful.
Except for one person.
Aside from the Heavenly Demon.
“Did you have a nightmare? I heard you groaning.”
“I had a… rather uncomfortable dream.”
He had witnessed the memories of an absolute being who was abandoned without recognition.
Seeing the current emaciated and injured state of that being only deepened his bitter feelings.
“They say dreams are mirrors that reflect the dissatisfaction within reality. Whatever it may be, if you have something bottled up, you should let it out. It will ease your mind.”
“Then… Can I ask you the question I asked before?”
“Are you referring to whether I have any regrets?”
“Yes. If the efforts you put in are forgotten and you are abandoned by everyone… I don’t think I could accept such an outcome.”
“So, your uncomfortable dream was about me. Indeed… the beings from outside the tower can freely peer into others’ minds.”
The Heavenly Demon fell silent for a moment.
He seemed to be recalling the memories one last time.
“…I fought against an enemy beyond human comprehension. I protected this world that my feet are currently standing on. Even if no one remembers, it is enough that I do.”
The Heavenly Demon spoke.
He had no regrets.
There was no falsehood in those words.
At least, the Heavenly Demon in the memories Jinhyuk witnessed was so.
‘Even without others’ acknowledgment, it is enough to remember it alone.’
Truly… a Heavenly Demon-like statement.
Believing that everything he did was the best and willingly taking responsibility for it.
That was how the Heavenly Demon had lived.
“Did that answer your question?”
“Completely. Thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind about the direction I need to take.”
Jinhyuk nodded.
But at that moment,
BOOM!
The barrier set up near the hut shattered.
“If you thought you could hide behind such a web, it was a remarkably stupid judgment.”
Leading hundreds of ghouls, the newcomer was none other than the fourth-ranking member of the Demon Sect.
The Heart Demon Commander.