Chapter 315: A Nice Presence (3)

Shhhh!

The band of flame scattered and turned to countless embers, slowly losing their glow.

The gray dust — The gray ash flowed slowly.

Seol-Hwim who was watching this scene heard an excited voice,

-How is it? The last one?

"..."

Seol-Hwi said nothing for a while. The First Disciple, the End Demon—

The relationship between them has ended. Until the very end, he was a beast with teeth barred out and a threat that Seol-Hwi could not compromise about.

But—

"It wasn't much that I thought..."

Was it because the list of things he had to do was still so long?

He thought it would not feel like something was missing, but he did not feel any relief either. He just felt bitter, frustrated, and empty.

This life — in many ways, he took paths different from before.

In a sense, it was also a life which ended the struggle of succession within the Demonic Sect. The Third Disciple became a soulless and was absorbed by the Second Disciple who died at the hands of Seol-Hwi.

And this time, even the First Disciple was punished by the AI.

"Phew..."

Except for the Earth Demon, the Fourth Disciple, the other disciples died and were pushed out of the succession.

Because of himself.

So, it was not so nice.

In this life, there were strangely many invitations to side with other disciples. Several from the Second and First Disciple for Seol-Hwi to move under then.

He felt skeptical about whether there was such a development too.

Is the end all because of strength?

In the first few deaths which felt unjust, the Second and Third Disciples felt like devils. However, seeing the deaths of all of them directly in this life, the hostility he held for them had collapsed.

And so it was all just strength.

If one had enough strength, they would not unfairly die at all. Then, would it not be possible to design the future by siding with the Second Disciple in some life?

Because there was a past where he never imagined a life connecting the Earth Demon would come either.

"But... how did you speak at that moment?"

Seol-Hwi erased the questions within and asked.

The desperate situation, ,o, because the AI jumped out as if he was waiting for Seol-Hwi in a crisis.

-Right. At first I thought you called me... but it didn't seem like it.

"What do you mean?"

Him calling?

Did Seol-Hwi unknowingly call for help because he was in a dangerous situation? He thought that, but the AI said something different.

-The End Demon. No, to be precise the power which reached that level was pushed to me. I had a similar feeling once before, but this time I felt it more certainly. So I hurriedly came... it wasn't someone else.

"...!?"

In an instant the eyes of Seol-Hwi widened.

Come to think of it, the AI said last time that he would be able to call himself once he reached the Profound Demon level. And as he said, it was not him.

Cheon Miryo?!

There was just one person who had reached the Profound Demon level that came to mind.

She would have used her power to save him.

-Then we have a problem.

"What problem?"

-If I know, then he must have noticed it too.

"'He' you mean... the Heavenly Demon?!"

-Yes.

Seol-Hwi felt a chill run down his spine. Come to think of it, this was a serious problem.

Profound Demon's strength — it has been said to attract attention when used. So Seol-Hwi did not use it until the end... but Cheon Miryo who had eventually revealed it brought it into the open.

Seol-Hwi — to protect him.

"Then what will happen?"

-The Heavenly Demon will come to meet you soon. It wouldn't be strange if it was tomorrow.

"What is this..."

Seol-Hwi's expression went stiff.

The Heavenly Demon—

Can he take him down with his own skills? No, no matter how much he was suppressed...

-Well, if you live and die, you will somehow be able to beat the Heavenly Demon. The problem is the player behind...

The AI seemed to think there was no hope for the fight.

Actually, he did not even have to say it. He has been hearing of this power gap for so long.

"If I come back to Supreme Master..."

-It is impossible. In the first place, in this world, all martial arts that can go to Supreme Master have been discarded.

"...!?"

What else did this mean?

Did he just say this?

-What do you think is the reason why the Heavenly Demon reacts when you show the strength of Profound Demon?

"...What?"

-Because of the orders of the player. Why do you think the player is reacting sensitively?

"..."

Seol-Hwi narrowed his brows. The options were so numerous that he could not even guess it at all.

Fortunately, the AI answered Seol-Hwi later, as if he had expected that he would not be able to answer it.

-To get rid of anyone in advance. To prevent anyone who could threaten them from appearing.

"...!"

Seol-Hwi's eyes widened.

It felt like a secret which was finally opened up.

"It is clear that the level of the player is..."

-Demon God.

Demon God is the state called of being at the level of God.

A Demon God who overcomes the Demons in the sect.

And what reached the legendary level of the Sky Demon Order, and those who reached Godly Demon state were Demon Gods.

-A small and disgusting bastard. There is a level of difference comparable to a child's fight and an adult's fight, but he wants to eliminate the Demon right now anyways. But even if you climb to Profound Demon, he will come like lightning and cut off your head. The one who is reluctant to challengers is in the Godly Demon State...!

"..."

It was an alliance of ridicule and hostility too.

It was only then that Seol-Hwi realized the real reason why he could not overcome this player.

From Supreme Demon to Profound Demon, people faced limitations and walls to cross. Nine out of the ten failed to climb the steep road and fell down or gave up.

If he climbed until Profound Demon like that, would it be easy?

No. There was no guarantee for it.

The higher the level, the more enlightenment and time was required to reach the next level, but, if he just climbs to Profound Demon and demonstrates its power, the Heavenly Demon will be sent to handle them right away.

That meant that those who challenged the Godly Demon State would not be allowed. It might be absurd, but he could notice why the AI was so hostile. If it was a future challenger, someone who excludes everyone at the slightest possibility—

That's more like a timid tyrant than a lofty warrior. As the AI who was a warrior and half hearted to all, it must have been a collision and must have been rushed.

And at the same time.

"Meticulous and ruthless, one who never makes a mistake or tolerates it."

It could be understood why the players were so wary of the challengers.

The AI now, even if he stopped, at best it would just be some disillusionment. It was proof of how dangerous those who climb to Profound Demon could be if given a little more time and opportunity.

"But why is it impossible to head to Profound Master?"

Seol-Hwi wanted to keep his cool as much as he could and asked what he could not understand.

-There are one or two books that you can refer to for moving to a higher realm when you reach Profound Demon. In addition, you can get help from the 'system.'

"Hmm..."

-But the martial arts of Justice Faction are different. Their goals are to be in the background and not fight to kill or cause destruction, and in terms of their strength and destruction they can make, they don't go past the martial arts of the Demonic Sect. You surely must have felt it with Purple Cloud Divine Arts right?

"...I did. The process is more important than the result..."

-Right. So, there isn't a single Profound Master warrior who could stand against the elder who rose to Profound Demon.

As time went on for long, the books which gave clues to becoming a warrior vanished. And now that he thought about it, he had not even heard of any warrior in the Central Plains who recently touched Profound Master.

The Nine Great Sects One Union has warriors who have reached the level of Peak Master. But Profound Master was considered to be a legend-like stage for them.

Occasionally, there were rumors about those who touched that state, but the warriors of Justice Faction had never confirmed it.

-In the end, it is a situation where you need to head up to your level without help... Do you think you can hit Profound Master on your own? No, there are just one or two people who have even risen to Supreme Master through all the time. And those who touched that state had turned into leaders.

"But if one is a person skilled enough to touch Profound Demon..."

-That is a full on misunderstanding. It is Supreme Master and not Profound Master. The direction of enlightenment is entirely different.

Well, that isn't so wrong...

Seol-Hwi recalled the past.

When he reached the Supreme Master level, which was like Supreme Demon, and ascended to a higher level, the result was dissolution.

In other words the realization he had gained from numerous experiences and books so far came from the Demonic Sect and not Justice Faction's Sects. If he wanted to consider the best martial arts of the Justice Faction, it was the Purple Cloud Divine Arts.

Originally, he thought it would be enlightenment, but rather what happened was just a piece of it.

There must be a lack of knowledge when dealing with martial arts of the Justice Faction which accumulated over the years, but strictly speaking, Seol-Hwi did not really have a chance to learn because the basic source of his internal energy was demonic energy.

-It is the first time I have seen a case like you. In my view, you are a different kind of person. it should be said that you were born in the wrong place in terms of mind and events.

"What?"

-You. You were originally unfit to learn demonic arts.

"Ahh!!!!"

At the words of AI, Seol-Hwi felt as if he had been stabbed in the back of his head.

Lacking in demonic arts—

Words which referred to those whose bodies were not suitable to learn it, despite being from the Demonic Sect.

The weakest ones who are despised as the wrong choice, most ignored, and ridiculed.

-You were born wrong. Isn't that it? Even in Justice Factions there are people like you sometimes. It is about the core. Learning to avoid greed. You grew up in such an environment, but there are those who are crazy about killing, to trample on the others.

"..."

If they are crooked from birth in the Justice Faction. They are the same, born into the wrong sect.

Originally the ones stained with the Demonic Sect became vicious, even though he should be obsessed with harming others. Those whose nature was to avoid slaughter and avoid stepping into madness.

-In a way, I think that might be a talent... it was since the first time I saw you.

"Ha..."

Even in the Justice Faction, there are those who were born with evil nature. Even in the Demonic Sect there are those who hate killing.

That was what lacking in demonic arts meant.

It was the same for Seol-Hwi, who had mastered a lot of demonic arts through the system, and had forgotten about it.

"Uh?"

Just in time, someone approached from afar, and Seol-Hwi's face brightened.

-Is that person the one who summoned the Heavenly Demon?

The AI responded and asked.

Cheon Miryo, she saved him but the situation changed now.

"Yes."

-It was this person who stayed unknown.

By the time the AI finished speaking, she stood in front of Seol-Hwi.

"Are you alright? Sky Being."

-...Sky Being? What?

The AI reacted but Seol-Hwi ignored it and said,

"Thank you, miss. You played a hard role."

"I am sorry. Somehow I had to do it."

"It is fine. Otherwise, I wouldn't be alive, I would have turned into a corpse there like Mount Hua's Goo Jong-myung."

Seol-Hwi had a bitter smile.

He was truly grateful now. Without this woman, Seol-Hwi would not have been able to avoid the crisis around him.

-You were able to live because of this woman.

As he said, he should have been dead. That was how her presence was so great, but he was fine now.

But—

-I guess that is the way to go then. No, that is the only way. Now, look here Seol-Hwi.

The AI, who seemed worried about something, opened his mouth, but then Seol-Hwi doubted his ears.

The suggestion which was so shocking—

-The Heavenly Demon. Let us use that woman as a shield to divert his gaze. It is the only way you get to live.

"...What?"

To sacrifice Cheon Miryo in front of him, to get out of the crisis.

He could not even say anything back to those words.

-As long as the Profound Demon's power is revealed, she should know that she will soon die too, right?

What the AI said was indeed true.