Episode 221

Ruined ground—

Seol-Hwi stood in the place for a long time and stared at the oddly lined rocks. There was no such thing as joy as he took down the mighty walls which stood ahead in the past.

Rather, it was all worries about how to live in the future, and the feeling of emptiness.

“Even if this is a win, it isn’t like I won prop…”

Seol-Hwi clicked his tongue. He took a lot of time to reach the Supreme Demon level.

He had gone through countless battles, countless experiences.

He made sure to build everything all up. However, even all that effort and improvisations were basically nothing when he compared them to how much the System contributed.

It was because his desperate efforts from dying and coming back felt useless compared to the “Learning Martial Arts” ability or special skills.

“Is this rapid growth what is holding me back…”

The absolute realm—ordinary ones would have never experienced it, and those who experienced power and even those with outstanding skills would get frustrated around the Peak Demon level.

Even those who were chosen would not all be able to reach the Supreme Demon level.

One could tell by looking at the fact that the Second Disciple and Third Disciple could not jump over the wall of Supreme Demon.

That is how high it was. The absolute. Although Seol-Hwi died, he came back and managed to reach it in just a couple years.

“Something… feels wrong.”

Seol-Hwi had once thought about not touching the system. That was why he tried to dig into the information of what abilities this system had.

So, firstly, he had to actively use that ability, and with the help of various martial arts, he was able to reach the Supreme Demon level. The sword he was holding now was the result of it.

But the problem came from here.

As he actively utilized the system, the way to become stronger in the future was pigeon holed to one path. And if he followed the path which was set up like that, he would end up meeting the Heavenly Demon at the end of it.

Would he be able to kill the player who was a lot more experienced than him?

Was the path created by the system not a path the AI had passed through countless times? Moreover, the AI was on the level of Profound Demon, and he himself could not defeat the Heavenly Demon.

But can he really get out of the system and kill the Heavenly Demon?

“I have to get back to learning again. From the basics, one after another.”

Seol-Hwi felt that the path he had walked down was wrong.

He had to go through the process of exploring martial arts himself and not only use what he got only from the martial arts obtained from the system.

That way, he would be able to aim at a place higher than the Supreme Demon level, and he would be able to reach it on his own.

In the end, in order to surpass this system, he will have to try different things.

“Do I have more than half a year?”

Seol-Hwi looked around. According to the AI, the Heavenly Demon would start searching for him.

Seol-Hwi lightly ate the meals with a wheat pill and spent the days meditating. He could calmly hold himself and his desires.

At first, he tried to obtain a higher level of internal energy, but the results were not good and months passed.

Like a ship drifting in the open sea, he could not figure out which path to take. So he decided to calm his mind first.

Sometimes he would sit like Buddha, and sometimes just cultivate. However, it was the same feeling in the corner of his heart.

“Something about life is fleeting.”

Seol-Hwi looked back on the past he had been through. The process of moving from a third rate warrior to first rate warrior and to a truly higher state. But when speed began to pick up in his life, he dazzlingly moved from Super to Peak to Supreme Demon.

Among them, there were also martial arts he learned but did not gain anything from the speed at which he moved.

That is the problem.

Seol-Hwi’s heart clenched.

In the next life, he would no longer rely on such martial arts. To understand martial arts in a new way, he will take time to properly learn them.

So he would take a master who will train him, like the Earth Demon…

Wait.

Seol-Hwi suddenly thought.

The AI had said that what was given to him was a Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation.

Then the purpose was to foster the Heavenly Demon for the system.

In other words,

“It doesn’t exactly have to be me right?”

Probably. No.

This was focused on helping the Heavenly Demon. Even if it was not him, if someone else becomes the Heavenly Demon—

In other words, kill the player who becomes Heavenly Demon. Would he not get out of this system?

“The Earth Demon. With his power…”

Seol-Hwi felt his hair stand on his arms.

A genius among geniuses with the Heavenly Killing Star. Using his power, would he not be able to deal with the Heavenly Demon?

The end of the Earth Demon’s power could never be seen. As shown in the figures, he was a person with infinite strength.

“What are my abilities now?”

Seol-Hwi was curious about it.

If he used the turn based system, he could probably check the numbers. But he had not seen his stats lately and had not even had the time to check.

He wondered how much he had changed.

Seol-Hwi raised his head up.

Changed the combat style and that moment.

He could see the abilities ahead of him.

“Huh…”

Seol-Hwi chucked like he could not believe it. This was the moment he felt extremely great about his growth.

“The special skill can be used at least ten times with this.”

No, maybe even more.

Even the martial arts of the First Disciple can be used three times to take down around three best warriors.

“Then how much will the Heavenly Demon have… uh?”

Seol-Hwi, who was about to think through it, hesitated. He stared down at a form which was approaching him.

“It was you.”

He had a slim body.

But the energy he held was too much.

“The one who appeared and interfered with my game.”

T-the Heavenly Demon!

Seol-Hwi’s eyes widened. And whether he wanted to or not, the abilities of the other one came up.

The numbers made him doubt his eyes when he saw them.

Considering the timing, he should have another two months left for two years to be done, but the man came to him.

“Who are you? You…”

At the question of the Heavenly Demon, he stood up.

Taking comfort in the fact that he had the Double Edged sword on him—

“Guess it.”

Anyway, he was planning to use all the special abilities in this life and move with no regrets.

If he could not use them right away, it would be difficult to know the powers of the opponent.

“You a player?”

“…!”

Seol-Hwi was shocked.

How did he know? Did the player enter the body of the Heavenly Demon in this lifetime?

Was he so obvious? The opponent said,

“Nothing to be surprised about. When a certain amount of time passes in the law of causation, your existence reveals it all.”

“If you know of my existence, are you a player too?”

Seol-Hwi asked.

He wondered about this man’s identity being what the AI told him about.

“Not me. I am no player like you, but a person born on the land of martial arts and trained. And…”

“…”

“I have been waiting to get rid of things like you.”

“Like me?”

“Right.”

Shh

The Heavenly Demon took out his sword, and the sword was truly beautiful with its curvature. He continued to look straight ahead calculating everything.

“Players who are born blessed by Gods. I have been ordered to destroy them. Because that is the only way to prevent confusion in the sect and reduce the unwanted damage.”

“…”

“As of today, I intend to carry out the mission. Raise your sword. I will put an end right to you here.”

This is a bit…

Seol-Hwi felt odd.

For some reason, this Heavenly Demon was right, Seol-Hwi and the AI were the evil aspects in the world, so the determination to eliminate them was right.

It was like this man was different from the one who made countless die simply for his own entertainment.

“Right. Well, we need to put an end to this.”

Seol-Hwi raised the sword.

Whatever the guy was talking about, this fight had a lot at stake.

How strong can a Profound Demon be and how are their skills? Knowing that, he can at least set the goal for the next life and move forward.

Phew

The wind blew and the eyes of the opponent were calm.

He had no idea what was happening in their mind, but it seemed like there was one thing he could understand.

The guy wants to put the fate back online by himself.

“I move first.”

At this point, nothing mattered.

Seol-Hwi immediately used his special technique.

A black vortex spread around.

Huge strange rocks were destroyed while others rose to the sky, showing the power of Seol-Hwi.

Seol-Hwi judged that the Heavenly Demon, who was stronger, would be able to deal with this. But then he said,

“The energy of nature… you must have reached the Supreme state.”

He stood there without a care.

He thought it was wrong. But when Seol-Hwi looked through the black storm, it could not even reach the area around the opponent.

What is this!

Seol-Hwi immediately ran to him, and right in front of him, he activated another technique.

Zzjjjj!

This time he was sure to bind him down, and in the midst of it, Seol-Hwi handled the sword, aiming for the opponent.

A blow to end the Heavenly Demon.

However, since the distance was closer than the past, he would have to be safe.

A dim purple light shone around.

Until then, the Heavenly Demon did not move. So he thought he might do some damage this time.

Tssss

The purple flame almost made their way to the Heavenly Demon. And at the same time, when the bonds of time got released—

Hellish Annihilation Arts was covering his body.

Until then he could not move.

“Hah!”

But then, right when the flame was going to take over him, with just one act of swinging the sword—

“…!”

“Flame Aggregating Demonic Martial Arts. It is the best martial arts for the flame attribute.”

To Seol-Hwi, who was shocked, the guy spoke like he was teaching.

“But, once you enter nature, the power it holds is lost.”

“Haah!”

This time, Seol-Hwi used the Heavenly Demon Footwork.

Around the Heavenly Demon came ten illusions, but he stood there unbothered.

You are caught.

This was a deliberate move—

To catch the opponent off guard and make a move like this.

The deep blue flames began to draw a circle in the air, and in the meantime, Seol-Hwi was keeping the opponent busy with his footwork.

Eventually, the circle of flame was completed.

“Let’s see it until the end.”

As soon as Seol-Hwi checked the activation time and used the technique—

Kwaaaaak!

Kwaaaaang!

Huge flames rose from the ground, consuming everything. Seol-Hwi was invincible for a second, and raised his head the moment the flames died.

“…!”

And he witnessed something he could not understand.

The guy was already far—

“How long until it falls?”

Since when did he do this?

“Take a look.”

Tuk

The guy held a leaf in his hand.

Flutter

The falling leaf stopped like a lie.

It was because of the special technique of Seol-Hwi which he used to follow the opponent’s movements.

“…!”

Kukuku!

Cracks began to open.

Moreover, even though the body of the Heavenly Demon did not completely block this, it looked odd.

Piece by piece the ice around moved, as if the whole body was being cut by a thing which was not there.

It was like an absolute space created with ice arts. It felt like a phenomenon in which the flow of time was abnormal inside.

Jjng!

When the special technique disappeared, Seol-Hwi went wide eyed.

As if waiting for this, the enemy was ahead of him.

“It is the end.”

Paack!

Seol-Hwi’s neck fell.

“…”

Even so, the eyes of Seol-Hwi stuck to the leaf.

No, he kept looking there, that very same place.

The leaf which had stopped mid air, did not move at all.