Chapter 311: Heavenly Demon (2)
Chapter 311: Heavenly Demon (2)
This is a memory of the past—recorded in the tower and...
'A memory that no one else will be able to see again if not for me.'
Jinhyuk calmly gazed at the scenes unfolding in front of him.
Amidst the desolate landscape.
There is no happy ending in a fight with a predetermined conclusion.
The Heavenly Demon will lose everything, and the martial world will not remember his achievements.
The Heavenly Demon Cult will turn their backs on him, and everything he has built will be tainted by the Devil's Practitioners.
Yet, why?
Jinhyuk wanted to witness this fight with his own eyes.
"......."
The Heavenly Demon's sword thrust forward.
Just reaching out straight ahead.
Heavenly Demon Divine Power.
The technique was complete.
The power that allowed the Heavenly Demon to reign over this world as the Heavenly Demon.
In response to that.
Kukukukuku!
The heavens and earth violently trembled.
First Form.
The violent energy drawn from the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Power' completely covered the blade, extending over 5 meters in length.
The tangible energy soon took the shape of a dragon.
'Heavenly Dragon Emergence'.
How deep must one's inner strength be to make such an impossible technique possible?
But before there was time to be shocked, space ripped open, and dozens of black goats poured out.
"Kiiii......!"
"Kieeee!"
Each one a creature capable of annihilating the entire world.
And they were all at least twice as large as the ones from the Outbreak.
'Are these the ones from the 50th layer.....'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
An elite soul entity, 'Denebola'.
The Denebolas wielding long spears radiated an aura of magical power that was of an entirely different level.
Kukuguk...
The leading Denebola drew its spear-wielding shoulder far back.
Paang!
With a loud noise, the spear was thrown.
As the trees were all smashed to bits, a giant spear over 10 meters long surged towards the Heavenly Demon.
Not just piercing—grazing could shred it to the point of being unrecognizable.
However.
['Heavenly Demon Overlord Step' is activated!]
No matter how powerful the attack, if it doesn't hit, all premises become meaningless.
Kwaang!
The spear obliterated the spot where the Heavenly Demon stood.
Of course, the Heavenly Demon had already disappeared.
The next location, amidst the Denebolas.
Fast.
This was 'Heavenly Demon Overlord Step'.
The uniquely tyrannical step was more powerful and swift than the Fusion-Created Sword Demon Heavenly Command.
[Your understanding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Power increases.]
A status window appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
'Just watching is already helping.'
Just before leaping, he noticed a subtle pattern: the foot tapped the ground three consecutive times.
A preparatory action to maximize acceleration.
And the condensation of energy followed by two explosive bursts at the end was discernible as an observer.
'The martial arts secret manual from the Cloud Mist Pavilion of the second great Heavenly Demon surpassed my expectations.'
Above all, being able to focus entirely on analyzing the combat greatly contributed to understanding the Heavenly Demon Divine Power.
...Now!
The sword wind stormed in.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
The Heavenly Demon's sword moved in all directions.
"Kraaaaah!"
"Keheee!"
The Denebolas' limbs were severed.
Kwolkwolkwol!
Black blood gushed from the severed areas like a waterfall.
The Denebolas swung their spears madly in retaliation, but they were futile against the Heavenly Demon's sword path.
'The transition from the second to the third form is so seamless.'
A sigh of admiration escaped Jinhyuk's mouth.
Optimized initial forms without waste.
His heart was racing and adrenaline was pumping like never before.
It was only natural.
The current rise in understanding would change the completeness of the Heavenly Demon Divine Power.
To possess such a powerful martial art so quickly, different from the past. How could he not be excited?
As he focused on observing the sword path, the number of Denebolas decreased rapidly.
Seventeen... nine... three.
Kuuung!
Kuuuung!
Of the dozens of massive demons that stood before, not one remained.
At that moment.
The Silent Shub-Niggurath finally moved.
"Indeed, a 'Crown of Tyranny'... worthy of one who possesses it. A strong body that... can reach our realm, a cursed relic. You are a threat."
One step.
With just one step, one of the strongest entities in the tower signaled the start of the battle.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
The ground was torn apart, and the shockwave blasted away the entire mountain.
The landscape had completely changed.
Despite knowing all this was a memory from the past, the magical power wave that just passed caused his body hair to stand on end.
Such a power, despite all the restrictions.
There was no other way to describe it than madness.
However.
Even within the ruins where no trace remained, the Heavenly Demon still did not lose momentum.
"Now it's my turn."
Blood flowed from the forehead down to his chest, but his pupils were still lively and breathing.
Not yet ...
It wasn't over.
[Baek Il-Ha at Lv?? activates 'Heavenly Demon's Great Extinction Catastrophe!']
The red energy covered the sky.
The stairs trembled, and the clouds split apart.
This person was the Heavenly Demon.
A being who transcended humanity with a human body and reached the end of martial arts.
"A tactic close to self-destruction... Disappointing move... Vermin. Underestimating the power I hold. That's the reason you die today."
Black smoke rose around Shub-Niggurath.
Thus.
Kwaang!
Energy clashed with energy.
The shockwave was so immense it felt like it was shaking the entire tower.
"......Kuk."
The Heavenly Demon coughed up red blood.
Yes.
The balance of power was already tipped.
Even drawing from the genuine energy origins, killing the opponent was impossible.
In a fleeting second,
Twelve Heart Swords appeared over the Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
Heart Swords that alone were considered the state of immortals, all twelve utilized in Sword Qi techniques.
"Do not presume... the limits of the power I hold."
The Heart Swords vanished in an instant.
Every direction.
Kakakakakakgak!
Kwakwakwakwang!
The storm-like onslaught battered Shub-Niggurath.
"Kraaaaah!"
The cries of Shub-Niggurath were of anger rather than pain.
A human, lower than an insect, had managed to inflict even minor wounds on his body.
His fingers itched.
Right now... he wanted to follow suit.
That sword.
That sword strike.
That sword path.
And as he observed all these, Jinhyuk began to form new ideas in his mind.
It was regrettable.
That he wasn't in that place right now.
That it wasn't him fighting there.
That feeling was unbearably regrettable.
Above all.
'If it were me... I would do things differently...'
'Right there... If only the sword's trajectory was...'
'If the flow of energy had been twisted...'
At that moment of realization.
[The completion of the Heavenly Demon Divine Power increases significantly.]
A status window shimmered in gold.
***
How much time had passed?
"It was quite something. For a human... that is. Due to restrictions... not enough power to finish. But ultimately, I achieved my purpose here."
Words of praise for his opponent flowed from Shub-Niggurath's mouth.
Finally, the long battle had ended.
"......"
The Heavenly Demon looked down at his body with subdued eyes.
He no longer felt any energy from the dantian.
The genuine energy origin was exhausted. There was no longer any strength left to endure.
A mere mortal.
Now, even moving like an ordinary person wouldn't be easy.
At best, there was only enough energy left to move once before the last flame went out.
However, it was near impossible to deal a fatal blow to the opponent with that one move.
Shub-Niggurath was confident of victory, too.
Once the threat disappeared, toothed branches slowly extended towards the Heavenly Demon.
"The Crown... cursed relic that can reach our realm..."
The Heavenly Demon was targeted to obtain the symbol of martial meaning 'Tyranny' from among the seven crowns.
Though the situation was precarious, he managed to obtain the crown before a system counter-reversal could occur.
But.
"Do you think I will simply hand it over?"
Right before losing consciousness, the Heavenly Demon threw the black crown he had hiding.
The last remaining energy was poured not into escape or retaliation, but into the throw.
Booowooong...
Kwaang!
"Kraaaa! No, don't!"
Shub-Niggurath's branches quickly reached for the crown.
But it was already too late.
The crown that shattered the stairs began to fall somewhere unknown.
Indeed.
Jinhyuk already knew this would happen.
The problem was.
'I can't believe it...'
Jinhyuk's pupils shook with shock.
He couldn't help but be thunderstruck.
He had seen where the crown... fell.
'Is it... there?'
***
[The memory of the Heavenly Demon has ended.]
He returned to reality early before dawn.
The cabin, where weary people slept, was quite silent.
Except for one.
Excluding the Heavenly Demon.
"Did you have a nightmare? You were moaning in pain."
"It was... a rather uncomfortable dream."
He had witnessed the memories of a forsaken sovereign unrewarded.
Looking at his current wounded and emaciated form, the aftertaste intensified.
"Dreams are mirrors that reflect the dissatisfaction inherent in reality. If you have something you're holding in, talk it out. It'll help you feel better."
"Then... may I ask you the question again from before?"
"Do you have no regrets?" Is that the question you mean?"
"Yes. If all the effort one made was forgotten and, on top of that, was abandoned by everyone... I don't think I could accept such an ending."
"Was the unpleasant dream about this sovereign? Truly... you people from outside the tower take the liberty to peer into others' minds."
The Heavenly Demon pondered for a moment.
Finally.
He seemed to mull over that last memory.
"...I fought against an enemy beyond understanding and defended this world we are standing on now. It doesn't matter if someone doesn't remember; if this sovereign remembers, that's all there is to it."
The Heavenly Demon said.
There were no regrets.
There was no deceit in those words.
At least, the Heavenly Demon Jinhyuk had personally witnessed within those memories had done so.
'Someone's recognition isn't necessary if you remember by yourself.' Is that it?
Truly... a statement befitting the Heavenly Demon.
Believing that everything he does is the best and willingly taking on the responsibilities that come with it.
That was the way the Heavenly Demon had lived.
"Was that an answer?"
"More than enough. Thanks to you, I'm now certain about how I should approach things in the future."
Jinhyuk nodded his head.
But then, at that moment.
Kwaang!
The barriers he had set up around the cabin were shattered.
"Thinking you could hide by spreading webs like this was an appallingly foolish judgment."
The one leading hundreds of Jiangshi and revealing himself was none other than the fourth ranked in the demon religion.
He was the Dark Martial Commander.