Chapter 218:  Murim (2)


    Just because there was a rat hole didn’t mean there was anywhere to hide.


    I quietly moved forward.


    “Huh?”


    A girl was staring nkly at me. She seemed to be someone of high rank. But why was her face turning so red? Her eyes were also hazy, as if she were under the influence of something.


    “……Who are you, sir?”


    The man next to her red at me with wary eyes as he spoke.


    It was an intense wariness, like someone eyeing a womanizer who would flirt with any woman he found. Despite appearances, I was here to help.


    “……Just a passing swordsman.”


    ……This is embarrassing.Despite my embarrassment, I forced myself to speak, but I was overwhelmed with a sense of shame. I wanted to flee immediately, but seeing Kim Seo-hyun’s satisfied smile, I couldn’t bring myself to do so.


    “A passing swordsman? Do you guys even know who this man is?”


    Bandit 1 walked up with heavy steps, his body reeking of a foul stench. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose.


    “This man is none other than a member of the Sima Outer Sect…”


    “Muncheol! Silence your mouth.”


    “……I’m sorry, hyungnim.”


    At Bandit 2’s scolding, Bandit 1 immediately became docile.


    I looked at Bandit 2.


    ‘He’s close to being strong. The problem is that his aura seems twisted from practicing dark arts.’


    -That’s a characteristic of such types. They enjoy explosive growth, but the higher they climb, the harder it bes to break through the barriers. That man has reached his limit.


    ck Heavenzilymented.


    I quietly cracked my neck, preparing for battle.


    My body was almost wrecked from fighting the Great Evil, but this guy wouldn’t be a problem if I used moderate force.


    ‘Kim Seo-hyun alone would be enough, but…’


    Bandit 2 was somewhat annoying.


    “Hmm, two strange-looking men. The Elder would be pleased.”


    “Indeed, he would. It’s rare to find such beauties of this caliber. The fact that they aren’t women is actually a plus.”


    The bandits murmured among themselves.


    I suddenly felt dizzy. So they weren’t targeting us because we’re women, but because we’re men?


    “More than that, that sword and sheath look pretty good. What’s it called?”


    “This?”


    I waved White Rogue in front of them.


    “Yeah, I should know the name of the sword I’ll be using from now on…”


    The bandit’s eyes suddenly froze, fixed on the hilt of the ck Heavenly Demon Sword, which was sheathed in White Rogue.


    His gaze stuck there, as if he recognized it from somewhere but couldn’t quite ce it.


    Come to think of it, did I use ck Heaven here before?


    ording to ck Heaven, the Heavenly Demon often used it, so maybe that’s why.


    “Hyungnim?”


    “You’re curious about the name of this sword and sheath? Want me to tell you?”


    “You don’t have to. I already know what it is.”


    I smirked as I spoke.


    If they’re on their way to the afterlife, shouldn’t I satisfy their curiosity?


    “This is called Physical.”


    “Physical? That’s a rather unique name. It might suit you, hyungnim.”


    And as he reached for the hilt of ck Heaven, he added,


    “And this is Therapy.”


    “……?”


    “Together, it’s called ‘Physical Therapy’.”


    Before Bandit 1 could say anything, I struck his face with ck Heaven, which I swiftly unsheathed from White Rogue.<hr>


    The bandits, or rather, the ones disguised as bandits, were subdued in an instant.


    It seemed Kim Seo-hyun was trying to loosen up a bit, but she had a sullen expression on her face. I swung my arms in circles.


    ‘Still okay for now.’


    I didn’t feel any strain on my body. As I adjusted my body meticulously using ck God Martial Arts, I looked at the bandits trembling with their hands raised in the air.


    “Ki, Kigod… who, who are you?”


    Bandit 1, who had been running his mouth earlier, stammered in response. His pronunciation was slurred because the “Physical” (Not) I threw had struck him so hard that it knocked out his teeth.


    This guy would spill information if you scared him a little. The rest could be dealt with more roughly.


    As I was contemting how to handle the bandits,


    Bandit 2, known as “hyungnim,” was staring nkly at the “Physical Therapy” (Not).


    “Th-that handle, c-could it be…?”


    “Huh? This?”


    I pretended to be clueless as I slightly unsheathed ck Heaven.


    Bandit 2’s expression changed drastically, as if he had seen something he should never have seen.


    “ck, ck, ck Heaven…”


    “The ck Heavenly Demon Sword!”


    If we hadn’t helped, a member of the group in danger spoke up.


    The man, who appeared to be a male, quickly widened the distance and ced his hand on the sword hilt.


    “Was Seo-ha connected to this world as well?”


    “Well, something like that.”


    Kim Seo-hyun’s eyes shed as he spoke.


    I shrugged in response. Bandit 2’s expression now seemed to say, “We’re dead,” and among the bandits, some looked despairing while others seemed relieved.


    “Are we going to survive now?”


    “Don’t talk nonsense! Th-that person is probably the disciple of the Demon God or someone of equivalent status. Th-that, the ck Heavenly Demon Sword, a sacred relic of the Dark Cult…”


    “They-they might kill us to silence us…”


    “You fool! How dare you approach Namgung Sang-ah with the ck Heavenly Demon Sword! Were you nning to use the Evil Faction to make Namgung Sang-ah fall for you and then take over the Namgung family?”


    “Th-that’s absurd!”


    Everyone around misunderstood the situation.


    I looked at the man with a dumbfounded expression.


    “If I were the Young Master, what could you possibly do?”


    “…Huh?”


    “What could a weakling like you do? You couldn’t even subdue these guys, so you chose to flee.”


    I quieted the man down and looked at Kim Seo-hyun.


    Kim Seo-hyun, who had been excited until now, had calmed down considerably. It seemed like he was about to discuss something serious, so I ordered Yeongcheon to cast a light spell.


    “Is this some kind of soundproof barrier? I didn’t know you were skilled in spells too.”


    Kim Seo-hyun muttered in amazement, then shifted to a serious expression as he looked at me.


    “Anyway, that’s not the important thing. The situation could be more serious than we think.”


    “Serious?”


    “Yes. We should find Grandpa quickly and return to our original world. Although some force brought us to the past, the Heavenly Demon is an incredibly dangerous person.”


    I looked at Kim Seo-hyun.


    She had inherited the thousand-year legacy of Murim.


    This wasn’t a metaphor. She had inherited the knowledge umted over a thousand years in a single world and ced the heart of a dragon in her chest. Even if Murim perished, she would leave behind Murim as her will.


    However, it was impossible to fully master the martial arts umted over those years, so she left things like trivial knowledge and documents in one part of Kim Seo-hyun’s mind.


    “Perhaps, she is using a power simr to yours… no, the exact same power. I read that she had something akin to the energy of defiance, like looking at Heaven Reversing Energy.”


    “It’s called the Energy of Defying Heaven. And yes, the Heavenly Demon does use the same power as I do.”


    “……That’s a really serious problem. The Heavenly Demon is a figure mentioned in the records, but I don’t know how dangerous she really is. However, even after 300 years, Murim was still afraid of her. Her martial power was one thing, but her nature made it easy to record.”


    “Her nature? Why?”


    “……She didn’t see this world properly. It was said that she yed with this Murim as if it were a yground.”


    “yed?”


    “Before I exin, do you know that Murim is divided into three factions: Justice, Evil, and Demonic?”


    “I have a rough idea.”


    “Justice are the heroes, Evil are the viins, and the Demonic Cult are the demons. But that’s just one perspective… Anyway, as a demon, the Heavenly Demon became a ruler of a region, and she could have wiped out both Justice and Evil. But she didn’t. Instead, she gave Justice and Evil a reprieve. She left them with one statement.”


    “What did she say?”


    “‘Bring me someone strong. Someone with the full power of your Murim. If you do, I’ll spare you. But if you don’t meet my expectations, Murim will be destroyed that day.’ That’s what she said. The current Murim is probably focusing all its efforts on creating a figure known as the Divine Maiden.”


    “How strong is this Divine Maiden?”


    “…She’s estimated to be at least a transcendent.”


    I fell into deep thought for a moment.


    Even if it was artificial, a Divine Maiden created by the full power of the Murim faction. She might be quite strong, but…


    “I don’t think the Divine Maiden would have been able to defeat her.”


    “…You’re right. Since they use the same power. Anyway, to bring the discussion back to the main point, this means that the current Heavenly Demon possesses the power that you, Seo-ha, would achieve if you became a transcendent.”


    Kim Seo-hyun shivered slightly, as if in fear.


    “That’s really dangerous.”


    I looked at Kim Seo-hyun.


    She had a fearful expression, but ck Heaven and Yeongcheon were shaking their heads.


    -It’s not quite that bad.


    -The Heavenly Demon certainly possesses overwhelming power, but Seo-ha is not yet at the level of a transcendent.


    -That’s right, Master. You are starting from a different point than the previous master. And… the power you will achieve at the same level will be different as well.


    -But… She’s not someone we can deal with now, Seo-ha. That monster still has room to grow.


    ‘Is it a difference in information?’


    I scratched my head and lifted the barrier.


    The bandits, sensing their impending doom, lowered their heads and stared at the ground.


    Still, I should get some information. And while I was at it, I might as well take some money.


    “Tell me everything you know. Those with money will be spared based on the amount.”


    “Seo-ha, you’re acting just like a viin right now.”


    …But I was the Heavenly Demon.<hr>


    A dark night sky.


    Beneath ity a pce filled with light. Lanterns were lit everywhere, illuminating the night. A city where indulgence and luxury thrived.


    A woman was watching over it from atop the pce.


    Her appearance was a blend of purity and sensuality. Contrasting beauties coexisted within her—the embodiment of the most perfect beauty in this world. She gazed outside with a bored expression, her clothes in disarray.


    “…No interesting news?”


    “I’m sorry.”


    “It can’t be helped. Baekho, go outside.”


    The woman, still with a bored expression, looked out at the street.


    In truth, she was bored. She had thought that if she went out into the Jianghu, there might be some strong opponents.


    ‘They said they were creating a Divine Maiden in Murim, but that’ll take at least another ten years.’


    To be honest, she wasn’t expecting much.


    She was just holding on to the fleeting hope that there might be a brief moment to erase her boredom, even if just for a tiny amount of time.


    ‘This is boring. No fun at all.’


    All sorts of negative emotions enveloped her.


    The peerless beauty didn’t reject them. There was no need to.


    This world was a yground for her. There wasn’t a single person simr to her, not even one who could be considered truly human.


    It was merely a small world.


    A world filled with beings struggling to survive, but one she could conquer at any time for her own amusement.


    As she gazed at the night sky for a while, she sensed the shockwave of a dimensional disturbance.


    “…”


    The peerless beauty, who had been wearing a vacant expression, slowly began to shed her emotion ofziness. She smirked, a smile that was almost seductive, even if the observer was of the same gender.


    The Heavenly Demon smiled.


    Sheughed silently for a long time, like a child who had found a new toy in a boring world after an eternity of patience, with an innocent smile.


    “What is this? Who is it? Who dares intrude upon this dimension? In the ce where I reside, how dare they. They must apologize with their death.”


    Though she said those words, the Heavenly Demon had no intention of killing.


    Someone of her caliber could gauge the strength of the intruders from the shockwave that crossed dimensions.


    And the power she sensed… was just slightly below hers.


    Moreover, there were two of them.


    One was a demon. The other possessed powers simr to those of a sorcerer.


    Boom!!


    Following her emotions, the objects around her shattered. A dark energy engulfed the surroundings. The Heavenly Demon reached out her hand. A sword materialized, piercing through space.


    -Warning. Enemies detected. Estimated level 7. Two enemies.


    The dark, shapeless energy took on a form. It was that of a man. A man with ck hair and an expressionless, mechanical face.


    “Shut up. I need to meet them immediately.”


    Gripping ck Heaven roughly, the Heavenly Demon leapt off the roof.