Chapter 103 Demon (3)
A week later, from then. In the backyard of the secret villa purchased by the Sword Demon, the Heavenly Demon said this.
“Who would have known? I didn’t know this would happen to the pitiful guy that I tried to teach.”
Should she say it was like a development where someone like an older brother becomes a lover? There had been so many coincidences that, at this point, it felt like fate.
“I thought this legacy was going to end with me….”
Although it wasn’t officially announced yet, Yoon-seok became the Co-Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sect. After ignoring the Sword Demon’s reliable advice that he had to learn about the law of the sect, they ended up staying so he could receive the Heavenly Demon’s teachings. There were three main things that he learned.
“So you’ve got a pretty good idea about the second tactic.”
First was the eight tactics of the Heavenly Sword, which surprised even Namgoong Chul and the Sword Demon. For reference, the first tactic, which Yoon-seok has enjoyed using so far, was called Heavenly Reign. He learned all of the tactics. Still, it was all in theory, so the only one he could imitate was this.
The second tactic, Traverse, pierced through one’s present time. In other words, it could be classified as a type of spatial sword that combined dominating and bluntness.
‘Actually, it still feels more like magic than martial arts, but…’
An unavoidable sword that dominated one’s entire space. If this tactic reached its maximum level, it would be possible for the Heavenly Demon to use Yoon-seok’s levitating sword to kill him. Well, for Yoon-seok, he still had a long way to go…
Anyway, this was the second thing he came to realize.
“So you’re not going to Cheonma-dong?”
Cheon-ma meant a place, not a specific person. He would have to earn his position in Cheonma-dong, and those who were qualified could take over the Heavenly Demon’s, Cheon-ma’s, position and lead the sect. For reference, the Co-Sect Leader was a vacant position when there were two Heavenly Demons simultaneously. When the Heavenly Demon kills the Co-Sect Leader, or when the Co-Sect Leader kills the Heavenly Demon and steals the position… those were some of the reasons why the position could become vacant.
“Yes, it doesn’t seem necessary yet.”
“Indeed, you’re a special case. There’s no reason for you to be obsessed with that place.”
In that sense, Yoon-seok was very lucky. Although his
was incomplete, he could still get his hands on the Heavenly Sword, and he didn’t have to become enemies with Cheon-ma, who had lost all interest in the sect.
“But if you feel like you’re stuck, come find me. I’m sure I can help.”
“Yes.”
Having settled on a bench in the backyard, she took out a silver thread from her subspace pocket and recited:
“Knitting.”
Over the past week, this was the last of the three new things he had learned. Was it because she was the strongest of them all? Her hobby was to buy non-exceptional skills with her AP.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As soon Cheon-ma chanted the command, the thread in her hand began to take shape at a rapid pace. What was her rank for it to be at that speed? He was curious, but he didn’t ask. Yoon-seok, who had been aiming for efficiency when spending AP, felt quite discouraged.
‘How many types of these skills does she have?’
Knitting, pottery, embroidery… the skills acquired by the Heavenly Demon were diverse, and he could see that knitting seemed to have the highest rank of all.
“There you go. Put it around your neck.”
The embroidered handkerchief was made in under four minutes and even had the word Demon engraved on it. After receiving the unexpected gift, Yoon-seok scanned over it before putting it on his neck, as she ordered. But…
*Magic Scarf (Rank B+) – 31st Heavenly Demon Jeong So-wol’s hand-made neck accessory for her student. It is made from Invisible Precious Threads holding a thousand years of accumulated energy from Mother Nature.
When worn, coldness cannot be felt. When the moon rises, magic recovery speed increases 3x, and when the sun rises, stamina recovery speed increases 3x.
‘What the hell is this…?’
The item made on a whim was rank B+. And Invisible Precious Threads? It was a material he’d never heard before, but it was extraordinary at a glance. Still, this wasn’t the point.
‘Do I have to put this on?’
To be honest, he didn’t like the design. To put it in a good way, it was a scarf-like accessory. It looked like a bib more than a scarf. He didn’t even know it was an accessory until he scanned it with Appraisal. Unable to withstand Cheon-ma’s subtle glances, Yoon-seok eventually put the scarf on.
“Well, that’s not bad.”
She briefly commented on Yoon-seok. The reviews weren’t good, but she looked very satisfied. Cheon-ma made a temporary mirror using her power and made it float in the air.
“What do you think? Don’t you think you look more like a demon?”
How could she ask if he looks like a demon just because he’s wearing a cloth with the word demon on it? It was a perspective he couldn’t relate to, but Yoon-seok was curious about the method she just showed, rather than complaining about it.
“How did you do that?”
“Inflate the inner space with the properties of ice, compress it as much as you can, and spread it wide.”
A simple explanation. The Sword Demon, who was waiting by the side, sneaked in a hidden smile.
“The messiah is very indifferent to this kind of thing.….’
It was easy in words, but it was a technique several levels higher than Concentration Fire, which used one’s inner strength to create flames. It wasn’t just about changing attributes but even required the art of embodying energy from the outside and reaching to the extremes. It was hard to learn from the explanation alone. However, it would be ridiculous for him to point that out.
‘I’ll have to explain it to him next time.’
The Sword Demon thought so and kept quiet. In the end, it was just useless consideration.
“Is it like this? It’s simple.”
Yoon-seok used Skywrath Energy to make a mirror in the air. He didn’t brag, however, saying that he succeeded on the first try. He looked indifferent, much like Cheon-ma, as if it were a matter of course.
“…”
The Sword Demon gaped unknowingly, but no one could tell as no one paid attention to him. Yoon-seok looked at himself in the mirror.
‘It’s better than I thought.’
It wasn’t bad, as Cheon-ma said. Was it because of the luxurious material? It felt like he was wearing a uniquely shaped necktie. Thinking that he might be able to wear it regularly, Yoon-seok asked.
“By the way, why are you gifting me this all of a sudden?”
He was thankful for the gift, but he was curious why. Besides knitting, she was constantly making this during Yoon-seok’s training, but she never gave him a gift before.
“Disciple… no, think of it as a parting gift from the Sect Leader to the Co-Sect leader.”
“A farewell gift?”
“The training is only until today. I have some business to attend to, so I will stop ascending the Tower for some time, and I was thinking of going down to Moorim for a while.”
“…I see.”
Perhaps it meant that it was an important matter to the extent that it would keep her away for a while. It would be a lie if he said he didn’t wonder why it had to be now, but Yoon-seok didn’t ask her to stay. What he learned for the past week was undeniably more precious than anything.
A moment of silence filled the backyard. As if the awkward silence heating the air was uncomfortable, Cheon-ma coughed dryly.
“Ahem! I’ll give you one last piece of advice. Eight-colored energy… eh, why did you give it such a name?”
“…”
“Anyway, you still lack because you’re neither one nor the other, but the sword certainly has infinite potential.”
Infinite potential. He didn’t expect to receive a comment like that from Cheon-ma, so he felt unsure. She clicked her tongue as if she didn’t like Yoon-seok’s expression before continuing.
“So study it carefully if you can find your color and find the balance… well, who knows. I think I’ll be looking forward to that too.”
“…”
“Keep in mind; we’re demons.”
Demon… for reference, the demon didn’t mean evil in the Heavenly Sect. At least not in the way Cheon-ma addressed it. It meant to break without hesitation if something was meant to be broken.
“So think hard about what you have to break. Then the road will open.”
With that, she left.
Although Cheon-ma had left, Yoon-seok remained. He could head back to the waiting room, but he didn’t want to. Otherwise, it felt like the things he was about to grasp would fly away without a trace.
‘What I have to break….’
Yoon-seok thought hard about the words that Cheon-ma left behind. Noticing that this was an important starting point for Yoon-seok, the Sword Demon didn’t let out a single breath and left the backyard while protecting the parameter and blocking out any slight changes. Of course, Yoon-seok was so deep in thought that he couldn’t sense his consideration.
‘…What am I supposed to break?’
In the past, the answer came out immediately because it was a question that he had thought about repeatedly. The world was an unfair place, so he had to break it down to create a utopia. With that in mind, Yoon-seok chose to ascend the Tower.
—Breaking the dirty ground and opening up a new sky. That’s what we want from Cheon-ma.
Suddenly, he was reminded of the doctrine of Heavenly Sect, which the Sword Demon had babbled about as if he were brainwashed before.
‘I need to find out what that exactly means.’
Cheon-ma said demons and devils were different. So how exactly was it different? Yoon-seok’s perspective of demons and devils… in other words, the differences between the two could be observed according to the individual’s perspective. This was the case even with Yoon-seok’s track record. He couldn’t call it a good deed for sure, but it wasn’t a bad thing either because it differed depending on who he was dealing with. Jang-Il, who experienced absurdity and was saved, regarded him as a savior, but in the public’s eyes, Yoon-seok was just a mere lunatic.
“Then am I a demon?”
Cheon-ma asked that and said that we are demons and to remember that fact. But Yoon-seok questioned and questioned again. How could his identity be defined and determined by someone else? It was unacceptable. Besides, Cheon-ma also advised him to find his color and balance. But…
‘What am I?’
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find it in him to call himself a demon. But how could he be sure? If the distinction between good and evil was by the standards of the beholder, then he lacked a set standard.
‘No, because the standards aren’t the problem, was it because they didn’t want to see it…?’
Yoon-seok opened his eyes and looked at the bracelet on his wrist. Purity, a bracelet that turned white if he did good and black if he did evil. The bracelet still contained a gray light, neither white nor black. That’s why she had said Yoon-seok was neither one nor the other.
Slashhhh.
Yoon-seok created a mirror using the technique he learned earlier. Then, he put his hand on the Judgment Sword on his waist. Until now, he had never worn the Judgment Sword and looked into the mirror. There was no mirror in the Tower in the first place, and when he returned to Earth, he had left all his equipment behind. But it would be a lie to claim that was why he hadn’t checked. He could’ve easily done so on the 45-day mission.
Smirk.
For some reason, he laughed. Many had been judged under his subjective judgment, yet he only thought that it was something he had to do. He never enjoyed doing it. Maybe that was what he’d been trying to believe.…
Now, it was undeniable.
Clang!
In front of a mirror that reflected his original self, Yoon-seok pulled out his sword. At the same time, he realized the essence of this topic. What mattered wasn’t who he was, but who was he trying to be?
“…”
Yoon-seok could feel it vaguely. No matter what the result would be, the truth was that a lot would change in the future.
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