993 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Leaving the dwelling of Heuk Saek, he moved swiftly. The primary purpose of visiting Heuk Saek had been not only to pressure him but also to confirm whether the demonic energy had properly infiltrated his body. Upon inspection, the conclusion wasn't unfavorable. "The progress may be slow, but it's definitely taking hold." His corruption was assured, and the demonic energy was indeed present. "Initially, I thought it might not settle." But that wasn't the case. The only issue was the slow pace. "It's gradually taking control." It was just significantly slower than it would be with a human. The problem stemmed from the fact that the demonic energy displayed such a discrepancy. "Is it because the opponent isn't human but a member of the Wolya tribe?" Since he'd never used it on anything other than a human, he was unaware. Could it be that the efficiency of the demonic energy was reduced because of the Wolya tribe? It couldn't be attributed to a difference in levels or strength since that would be unreasonable. After all... "Heuk Saek's level is at the upper echelons of the Ten Great Masters." Like the other leaders. If evaluating their strength based on the daytime, that would be accurate. Thus, it couldn't be the difference in strength. "Even a Ten Great Master could become a demon." Becoming a demon was easy for Ten Great Masters or those who could reach such heights. It was even possible for them to become demons and obey him. "Could Heuk Saek be the odd one?" Heuk Saek wasn't like that. Though he became a demon, he did not submit to him through the demonic energy. Whether it was just Heuk Saek or others as well, he couldn't yet determine. Thus... "If I don’t know, I’ll find out from now on." If he didn't know, he just had to figure it out. That was today's goal, and for it, he moved through the night to a certain place. Thud. His toes touched down. This time, it wasn't the roof but the bottom of a building. As soon as he reached the ground, stares darted towards him from all directions. "Who goes there-!" "An intruder…!" "What? An intrud… Huh!" Recognizing him, the nearby soldiers gasped in shock. They realized who he was. "It’s the Heavenly Demon…!" "Report to the leader immediately-!" "The Heavenly Demon has appeared...!" "…Annoying." Kuoooooo---!!! He released energy that sliced through the air. The soldiers standing around him turned pale as the energy spread out. He didn't attack. He merely exuded energy. "I do not favor such commotion. Therefore, maintain silence. Shouldn't the night be spent peacefully as a night?" Crackle crackle---!! "Ugh… Hngh…!" "Eugh…!" The stronger he exuded his energy, the more intense the reactions became. Those barely hanging on began to collapse one by one. Some fainted from the pressure, while others who managed to endure only wet their pants or vomited. "Interesting." He grinned beneath the mask, witnessing such a scene. "Not bad." No killing intent was mixed into the energy, just pure pressure, yet it was effective. What would happen if killing intent were added to this state? As curious as he was, he refrained from trying it out. Was it to avoid unnecessary killings? That wasn't it. He didn't care enough about these wretches to be bothered if they lived or died. "Besides, there is a need to conserve my strength." He had no intention of wasting energy where it wasn't necessary. There was something he wished to accomplish with full precaution. Ignoring the progressively collapsing fools, he raised his head. Behind him was a large entrance, and across from him was an enormous mansion, proportional to the size of the entrance. Like the mansion of Heuk Saek or Cheong Saek, it was a white building imbued with unique color. He inspected it slowly. "Hmm." Would he be inside? Then, should he go directly, or have the opponent come to him? He pondered this. Crack! Rumbling---!!! With each intensifying wave of energy, cracks formed on the ground and the pillars swayed. It was quite aggressive, a distinct choice from when he entered Heuk Saek's mansion. At that time, he became acutely aware of the danger. He moved cautiously, fearing that if he displayed his strength recklessly, Yusa or the master residing in Yawol might notice. That was the reason when capturing Cheong Saek too. The careful approach with Heuk Saek had been for that same reason, but this time... "Now, it's different." Crack-! As he stepped forward, the ground shattered. Whether recognized or not. Whether people reacted to his shockwaves or not, he acted indifferently. In reality, it was more appropriate to want them to notice. Acting with the desire for recognition was accurate. Though aware the master was still near Yawol, there was a purpose to his reckless actions now. After maneuvering secretly so far, the outright disturbance he intended to create was... To make them witness the chaos he was about to incite. Watch it attentively and react. This act was for that purpose. Though he'd met the master at Heuk Saek's mansion, now resorting to such dangerous endeavors... "It's strange, isn't it?" This too was to confirm. Along with investigating the strange resistance Heuk Saek exhibited towards demonification. It was meant to verify the vagueness surrounding the master. "Why did the master..." Deliver such messages to him, suggesting to meet at the hill on the night of the next full moon? As he pondered that command, he glanced upwards. Through the aurora-filled sky, two moons shone above. One seemed close to becoming a full moon. "Did they mean the next moon, not the one that's currently full?" The next full moon. And the hill. He couldn’t comprehend the master's words. "Why?" If they had figured out he was an unusual figure, there would be no need for such a message. "Not the real body?" That wouldn't be a reason either. If that were the case, rather than relaying a message… "They should have used another means." They should have employed means to eliminate him. But instead of doing so, they delivered a message. "Not to take measures against me, but there's something expected of me." What could that possibly be? "Were they not lacking memory?" The mother I knew had disappeared, leaving only the persona as the master. I had heard that she retained no memory, yet perhaps that wasn't the case. Could it be that some memories still lingered? If she had made arrangements and entrusted something to Shin Noya, perhaps there was a sliver of hope. With that thought, I made my decision. ‘When creating a significant disturbance,’ Would the master appear? If she did, and if she took action against me, it would be a problem. '...But if she doesn’t appear.' If she remained absent even after causing such a commotion... ‘Could it be alright to have hope?’ Hope in the master. Could I dare to harbor some hope for my mother? There was a hint of such emotion. Crunch. I took another step forward. I held back the energy. The intent was for this act to fully extend into that mansion. 'Hmm.' I tilted my head, raising my energy level. It wasn’t pushed to the maximum, but this road seemed insufficient. Was there something else unique to try? I pondered while walking. Then, a thought occurred to me. 'I did want to try that anyway.' There was something I hadn’t attempted yet due to lack of mastery. This situation seemed perfect to employ it. Deciding so, I immediately focused energy on my heart. Buzzing---!!! I rotated the rings of the Nine Flames Wheel Art and simultaneously employed the Heaven Shattering Art. Instantly, pressure and friction arose together. A tremendous force erupted from the intense friction. Grit. The tension caused my veins to stand and my body to tense up. It was an exertion brought on by deploying the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. ‘Oh...’ I marveled at the burden seeping into my body. ‘Not bad.’ Far better than when I used it previously. Could it be due to the Wolya tribe's transformation? The flexibility in my body certainly helped, as well as the enhanced muscles providing support. Even with the burden, it seemed far less daunting. The grinding sensation pervaded my entire body. A fearsome explosiveness that felt as though it would cause my body to burst if released even briefly. I forcibly suppressed it. Harnessing that power was the crux of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. ‘With this degree...’ I reckoned I could attempt what I’d been considering. Originally, it involved projecting the force born from the Heavenly Demon Divine Art into a single punch. This wasn't really a martial art or technique. Merely keeping the force from dissipating and channeling it into explosive punches. How could that be called a technique? I did want to infuse the power into a formal technique someday, but... ‘Crafting a technique outright...’ The power is simply too immense. It’s still uncontrollable, so incorporating it into precise movements is impossible. ‘Hence, just punching.’ A simple punch. That was its limit. This signifies... ‘I can impart it into a simple motion.’ So then... ‘Why not try infusing this power into walking?’ Just the act of walking. A mundane activity performed to advance forward. How would it feel to augment it with the power and intent of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art? Merely a curiosity. Before, even this was unthinkable, but in my current state, perhaps... Crash---!!! I infused the overwhelming energy into my steps. Boom---!!! “Urghhh!!” Screams erupted from all directions. The pace of my stride slowed. '…This slow pace is the limit.' Any quicker and it would become unsustainable. Mere infusion had its limits. This too was only feasible thanks to the Wolya tribe's physique. Maintaining a release, rather than emitting it all at once, proved far more challenging. Yet. ‘Success.’ The power manifested as I imagined. Swirl---!!!! The level was distinct from merely emitting air pressure. With each step, the air seemed to crush beneath me. “Ahhh…” Even those who held out began to collapse. The reach must have been wide, even those rushing from afar fell. None dared approach me. This was truly dominion. A stride meant to stand above others. Therefore. ‘Gulimbo.’ Attaching the title of Heavenly Demon to it. Heavenly Demon Gulimbo. If I needed to name this power, that would be apt. 'Hmm.' With satisfaction, I nodded. Even I thought it was well-named. Feeling a sense of pride, I continued to walk when suddenly... Roar---!!! A rough roar echoed from somewhere. “Youuuu---!!!!” Crash--!!! With a sound of wrath, something descended and struck the ground in front of me. A fierce blast of wind carried debris, obscuring my sight. “Grrrr---.” As the low growling reached me, the obscured view cleared. There stood the figure I had been anticipating. The commander of this place, someone I had already met once. It was the leader of Baek Saek. "…Hmm?" Seeing him, I tilted my head in confusion. 'What?' Trying to meet his eyes, my gaze gradually lifted higher. Only after rising considerably did I finally meet his gaze. He was... “How dare you step foot here---!!” Boasting a strangely massive form. Certainly... there's something deeply moving about words that one is familiar with. Yeon Woo: "I had a feeling, but it's really Guilinbo." To comment, you must be logged in. Weekly Bests Adult BL/GL +411 Abandoned 6★ Heroes Are Obsessed With Me +2142 Life as a Magician at a Magic School +713 Freed Slaves Are Obsessed +294 Apocalypse Seems Too Easy Just for Me +735 Double Agent in the Heavenly Demon Church +1436 Genius Magician on Medication +217 My Skill Descriptions Are Weird +488 Became a Necromancer in Zombie World +159 Genius of Devouring in the Ruined World +15010 Childhood Friend of the World’s Best +511 Infinite Evolution Hunter +1712 Mistaken for a Genius Strategist +2613 Ranking Top 1 with 10 Trillion Asset +1514 Became the Goddess of the New World +3615 Dr. Maeng Wants a Big Ear. +4916 Life's Easy When You're Good-Looking +2817 Normalize Dark Fantasy +9018 Correct the Academy Villainess +6319 I Want to Be a Former Virtual YouTuber +6220 The King of the Underworld Is Tired New Posts + More New Should they be coming this way? Cartoon! Toon Toon! Australia Travel +2 +5 11.11 Phew... 11.11 Unfinished) Fabre in Sichuan Tang Clan 1-345 +9 11.11 Turns Out I'm a National Power S-rank Mosquito Hunter? +42 11.11 Share corrections! 11.11 Requesting ~Night Series by Peng Youjing +2 11.11 They shouldn't lie even if it hurts haha.. +5 11.11 Haha, younger brother +13 11.11 Something urgent before bed... suddenly crave dirty/public... +3 11.11 Please read +10 11.11 Kimchi!!! Childhood Friend of the World’s Best Chapter 993 (993/1059)