NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53: The Heavenly Demon (9)
Two days later.
As promised, a bizarre competition to select the successor of the Young sect leader began.
The competition grounds were in a vast area, far from the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Only three people were allowed inside: Geum Ja-yoon, Hyeok Ri-gwang, and Dokgo jeong.
They didn't start from the same point but moved separately from the vertices of a large equilateral triangle.
The quest was to find a palm-sized token in this immense battlefield.
While the exact location wasn't known, it was reasonable to assume it was somewhere near the center.
If it were too skewed to one side, it would create an issue of fairness.
Naturally, the other two candidates moved towards the center.
However, Hyun Suho remained in place even as time passed.
“This quest is truly baffling.”
Though it was an unusually long quest, he could sense that it was nearing its end.
The problem was that the goal of the quest was still unclear.
Even when a quest initially has its goal marked with a question mark, the objective usually becomes apparent as one gathers clues.
But so far, the quest’s objective was still marked with “???”
In the midst of this, a surprising message from the shamaness arrived, telling him to give up the position of Young sect leader.
The message ended without any explanation.
“Hmm! Could the shamaness be Hyun Suho in this world? Or…”
He had spent two full days pondering, but no clear answer emerged.
The grudge of Dokgo jeong had largely been resolved.
Apologies, but clearing the quest took precedence over becoming the minor sect leader.
The issue was that he wasn’t sure if following the shamaness's words was the right path.
“Troublesome.”
Dokgo jeong had spent seven years searching for Hyun Suho, the final mastermind.
He investigated everyone in the Heavenly Demon Cult, from those who seemed at death’s door to newborns.
However, there were exactly two people he couldn’t touch: the cult leader and the shamaness.
Even with his status as the cult leader's disciple, they were untouchable, the highest authorities in the Heavenly Demon Cult.
He couldn’t investigate them, but he also didn't feel the need.
If they were the culprits, there would be no reason for them to leave Hyun Suho alone for seven years.
So, he had removed them from suspicion…
“Getting stabbed in the back like this.”
While he pondered, time had already passed.
Even if he moved now, he would be far behind the other two candidates.
He was still deliberating when suddenly something fell from the sky near Hyun Suho.
Thud!
A corpse, drenched in blood.
At first, he thought it might be a boar savagely attacked by a beast, but it was a person.
The person had a look of disbelief, eyes wide open as if unable to accept their own death.
It was someone Hyun Suho knew very well.
“Geum Ja-yoon.”
The first disciple of the cult leader.
A person praised for his background, martial arts, and strategy.
He was widely considered the closest to becoming the Young sect leader.
Yet, here he was, appearing as a gruesome corpse not long after the competition had started.
His entire body was in ruins, but notably, his left chest was completely hollowed out.
“His heart… is missing.”
His rib cage was entirely caved in, and his heart was expertly removed.
It was flawless work.
Even a monster butcher couldn’t have extracted it more cleanly.
Someone answered Hyun Suho’s muttered observation.
“As expected of the first disciple. Out of all the hearts I’ve eaten so far, his was the most delicious. Kehkeh!”
Hyeok Ri-gwang emerged from the forest.
His entire body was covered in blood, but it wasn’t his own.
Particularly around his mouth, which was smeared with blood, making it seem like he truly had eaten Geum Ja-yoon’s heart.
Hyun Suho spoke in a tone of disdain.
“You’re drooling all over yourself at your age? Don’t you have a handkerchief or something?”
Hyeok Ri-gwang paused for a moment at Hyun Suho’s words, then burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
“Kahaha!!! Crazy bastard! Puhahaha! People call me crazy, but you’re worse than me?!”
“Whatever. I don’t want to hear that from someone who ate their senior brother’s heart. By the way, didn’t they say you ripped out the second senior brother’s heart too?”
The thought of the second senior brother, who had died in a duel with Hyeok Ri-gwang, crossed his mind.
At that time, Hyeok Ri-gwang had reportedly ripped out the heart and displayed it to others.
It was an act of madness beyond comprehension, even in the Heavenly Demon Cult, but people had just shrugged it off as typical behavior for Hyeok Ri-gwang.
But now, looking back, it was clear that Hyeok Ri-gwang wasn’t simply crazy.
“You’ve learned the Forbidden Heart-Eating Technique? Where did you pick up such a cursed skill?”
The Forbidden Heart-Eating Technique.
A dark martial art that absorbs an opponent's power by consuming their heart.
It was so forbidden that even the Heavenly Demon Cult, which revered power, had banned it.
It was a technique believed to have disappeared long ago, but it had resurfaced through Hyeok Ri-gwang.
“Kuhuhuhu! It’s all because of you. If it weren’t for you, I would never have resorted to such a technique.”
Hyeok Ri-gwang’s eyes, as he looked at Hyun Suho, were slightly crazed.
He had always been quite unhinged, but now it was worse.
The forbidden technique had clearly affected his mind as well.
Hyun Suho spoke in disbelief.
“Because of me? Don’t make excuses.”
“Damn it! Then how am I supposed to beat you? A monster who can instantly grasp martial arts techniques that took decades to master and immediately use them!”
Hyeok Ri-gwang's hands trembled, still unable to forget the humiliation of that day.
“There was no other way! The only option was to crush you with overwhelming power, not techniques!”
Hyun Suho still frowned but remained silent, as if at a loss for words.
Well, thinking about it, it made sense.
A fraudulent ability to understand all the techniques and inner energy methods of martial arts just by observing movements.
Even a genius couldn’t do that.
Not unless they had Nova’s deceptive observation skills and computational power.
Hyeok Ri-gwang wasn’t stupid.
Though he had been furious and fumed after that defeat, he hadn’t given up. Instead, he calmly sought a solution.
The conclusion he reached was to overpower with massive inner energy.
But it wasn’t easy to increase his inner energy beyond that of Dokgo jeong, who had consumed Gongcheongseokyu.
So, he eventually turned to forbidden techniques.
“The first senior’s inner energy was ripened to perfection. Kehkeh! Unlike the second senior, the first senior was cautious. That’s why I’ve been waiting for a day like this.”
Hyeok Ri-gwang had no interest in the token from the start.
He only wanted to find Geum Ja-yoon and steal his inner energy.
“What use is a token? If all the other candidates die, the position of Young sect leader will automatically be mine.”
“Oh! Surprisingly smart, aren’t you?”
“Shut up! Don’t mock me!!”
When Hyeok Ri-gwang shouted, a massive shockwave erupted around them.
Boom!
It was powerful enough to devastate the surroundings with just the shockwave alone.
This showed just how immense his inner energy had become.
“I’ll kill you and devour your heart! And then I, I alone, will stand at the pinnacle of the martial world!”
As Hyeok Ri-gwang spread his hands, his nails began to grow into sharp claws.
Not only was he enhancing his body, but also transforming it—a martial art technique.
This must be the direction Hyeok Ri-gwang pursued with the Heavenly Demon Art.
Hyun Suho calmly drew his sword as well.
Ssshing-!
“Thank you, senior. For finding me before it was too late.”
“What?”
Hyeok Ri-gwang, who had been ready to charge, suddenly faltered.
Hyun Suho’s demeanor was so relaxed.
It wasn’t just a mockery; he truly seemed pleased to see him.
And just as Hyeok Ri-gwang suspected, Hyun Suho was being sincere.
◆Quest
The End of Vengeance
(Difficulty: ★★★★★★)
▷Objective: Eliminate Hyeok Ri-gwang
Finally, the true nature of the previously veiled objective was revealed.
‘It was Hyeok Ri-gwang.’
Now, it was clear.
The goal of every dimensional gate was ultimately to prevent the destruction of that world.
At that moment, Hyun Suho saw the future of this world, had he not been possessed by his current self.
Hyeok Ri-gwang, who had defeated all his senior brothers and finally become the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Though he blamed Hyun Suho for turning to the forbidden technique, that was just an excuse.
Someone like Hyeok Ri-gwang, with such a nature, wouldn’t have passed up an easy and quick way to gain power.
It was only a matter of timing.
Eventually, Hyeok Ri-gwang would have resorted to the Heart-Eating Technique.
‘And the martial world would have turned into hell.’
The martial world burns.
Corpses, with their hearts ripped out, pile up everywhere.
No one can stop Hyeok Ri-gwang.
And Hyeok Ri-gwang, too, won’t be able to stop himself.
After defeating the Martial Alliance and the Imperial Court, he will start coveting the power of his own followers.
Such is the nature of the thirst for power.
Like a starving ghoul, Hyeok Ri-gwang’s dark martial art will not cease until it devours him too.
In the end, all that will remain in the world is destruction.
The purpose of this dimensional gate was to stop Hyeok Ri-gwang.
‘I should have split his skull open back then if I had known this.’
The system couldn’t account for Nova.
Even if someone other than Hyun Suho had possessed Dokgo jeong, at the time, all they could do in the duel would have been to push back with overwhelming inner energy.
Come to think of it, the difficulty level had dropped from 7 stars to 5 and then increased back to 6 stars.
It seemed Hyeok Ri-gwang had awakened after the humiliating defeat in the duel and returned stronger than in the original story.
‘Since it’s a spoiler, it seems the quest didn’t update in real-time.’
Even though he had figured out the objective, some mysteries remained unsolved.
Why, then, had the shamaness sent him a note under the name Hyun Suho?
Were there still secrets left to uncover?
Before he could ponder further, Hyeok Ri-gwang moved.
“Let’s see how long you can remain so confident after your heart is ripped out! Rawr!!”
Hyeok Ri-gwang roared like a beast and charged.
He was even running on all fours.
Whoosh!
Hyeok Ri-gwang, who ran like a wolf, leaped and swung his claws in an instant.
Hyun Suho also calmly swung his sword to meet the attack.
Clang, clang, clang!
Even though his claws clashed with the sword, Hyeok Ri-gwang's nails remained completely unharmed.
And it wasn't just any sword—it was Hyun Suho's sword, brimming with the formidable inner energy of Gongcheongseokyu.
In fact, it was Hyun Suho who was overpowered.
“As expected… seems you've consumed a lot of beneficial things.”
“Kehkeh! You'll be one of them soon enough.”
“Sorry, but I might be a bit tough to chew.”
Just as he had boasted, Hyeok Ri-gwang was indeed a step ahead in both strength and inner energy.
But Hyun Suho, as if it didn’t matter, swung his sword without concern.
Clang, clang, clang!
Dokgo Jeong’s inner energy hadn’t significantly improved since before.
Instead of focusing on increasing the amount of inner energy, he had worked on refining it to a purer state using the methods gained from the relic.
As a result, his inner energy had slightly decreased from its original level.
What Dokgo Jeong focused on was pure martial arts.
Simply swinging the sword, blocking, and dodging the opponent’s attacks—these were the fundamental techniques.
Boom!
Hyeok Ri-gwang's martial arts hadn’t changed much from before.
His attacks were domineering, smashing and sweeping away everything in their path, with a suffocating killing intent.
An overwhelming aura, enough to turn the world upside down, swirled in his hands.
Woooom!
His movements were straightforward, leaving no room for waste.
Although the attacks seemed simple, they were so fast and relentless that they left no openings for the opponent, making them nearly impossible to defend against.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The aftermath of Hyeok Ri-gwang's swipe left the ground swept as if a meteor had passed through, and a giant tree was uprooted and thrown away.
It was like watching a dam burst, releasing a flood all at once.
Hyun Suho narrowly avoided the trajectory of that force.
Even a mere graze from it could tear his entire body apart.
But knowing this, Hyun Suho's eyes remained calm, as still as a tranquil lake.
“So noisy.”
Hyun Suho moved gracefully.
Like a butterfly flitting about, he lightly dodged all of Hyeok Ri-gwang's onslaughts.
He was also elegant.
With a sword that seemed to gently caress the fierce torrent, he deflected the attacks.
But within that grace and elegance was an unyielding and unbreakable resolve.
This was the martial art that Hyun Suho and Nova had built a foundation for, and Dokgo Jeong had steadily honed.
Clang, clang, clang!
The conclusion came quickly.
Hyun Suho narrowly avoided Hyeok Ri-gwang's claws, which slashed through the air like a storm, and his sword lightly grazed Hyeok Ri-gwang’s body.
At this moment, Hyeok Ri-gwang's body was as solid as diamond.
It was so tough that even a cannonball fired at point-blank range would shatter instead.
Yet Hyun Suho’s sword effortlessly pierced Hyeok Ri-gwang’s heart as if slicing through clay.
Thud!
“Urk!”
At that moment, Hyeok Ri-gwang, who had gained power by devouring others' hearts, met his end through his own heart.
In a way, it was a fitting punishment.
Hyeok Ri-gwang, with blood dripping from his mouth, alternately looked at Hyun Suho and his split-open chest.
Then, suddenly, he started to chuckle.
“Kehkeh! Just a little short, just a tiny bit. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yes, it was a close call.”
“What a shame. If only I had one more senior brother to consume… But I couldn’t bring myself to eat the beautiful junior sister…”
“Don’t talk about my woman like that.”
“D-damn it! If it weren’t for you, I could have had her too…”
Dokgo Jeong had known that Hyeok Ri-gwang had feelings for his junior sister, Cho Yi-hyun.
There had been several opportunities, but it seemed he hadn’t targeted Cho Yi-hyun’s heart because of his feelings.
“Sorry, but she judges men by their looks. Even if I weren’t around, it wouldn’t have worked out for you.”
“Kehkeh!”
At Hyun Suho's words, Hyeok Ri-gwang finally laughed.
It was a genuine laugh, without the pretense he had shown until now.
“Even in the end, you’re an annoying bastard…”
Those words became his last.
Hyeok Ri-gwang, with a face mixed with various emotions, looked at Hyun Suho one last time before lowering his head.
With his heart, where all his power was concentrated, pierced, he lost his strength and died.
At that moment...
《Dimensional Gate Cleared》
《Mission Success Rate: 150%》
《Contribution Rate: 100%》
Finally, the long quest was over.
Now, all that was left was to return to the original world.
“Is this really the end?”
Hyun Suho still hadn’t uncovered the secret behind the name “Hyun Suho.”
If he went home without solving it, the curiosity would probably keep him up at night…
Just then...
《Dimensional Gate Cr@$#》
《Mission Success r#@%》
《Contribution #@%》
Suddenly, the text started to glitch, as if the screen had broken.
“What’s going on?”
This was something he had never seen before.
He had never seen anything like this before, not even on the internet.
By now, he should have already returned to reality.
But for some reason, he was still here, in this world.
At that moment, an unexpected figure appeared.
“Tut-tut! You stabbed him in the heart.”
When had she appeared?
The shamaness stood before him, pulling out a small blade from her robe.
Hyun Suho, startled, gripped his sword, but the shamaness paid him no mind and approached the fallen body of Hyeok Ri-gwang.
Then, suddenly, she began cutting out his heart with the small blade.
Slice!
“What... what are you doing?”
The shamaness, holding the now pitch-black heart of Hyeok Ri-gwang in her hands, spoke.
“There's no need to worry, being from another world.”
“What?”
To Hyun Suho’s surprise, the shamaness seemed to know exactly who he was.
“Who the hell are you? How do you know about me? And how do you know my name?”
“A divine revelation has come.”
Ignoring Hyun Suho's questions, the shamaness continued speaking as if delivering a message.
“What?”
“I am merely fulfilling my duty according to His will.”
As the shamaness used her power, the heart in her hand began to pulse.
The heart was filled with the power Hyeok Ri-gwang had accumulated by devouring dozens of people.
The shamaness used the remaining power in the heart to cast a divine spell.
“He is calling you.”
Thud!
As the shamaness struck her staff against the ground, the surrounding space began to crack like glass.
Crash!
This was no power that an ordinary human could wield.
It was possible only because she used the inner energy stored in Hyeok Ri-gwang's heart.
“Could it be... was all of this for this moment?”
Realizing the truth, Hyun Suho shouted, but the broken space swallowed him up before he could hear the shamaness's answer.
Whooosh!!
When he came to his senses, Hyun Suho realized he was in an entirely different place.
“Where is this…?”
In the darkness, a gigantic pillar of flame surged up.
The pillar was as enormous as a skyscraper.
Even from a distance, the heat was enough to scorch Hyun Suho's face.
It was strange that despite such a massive fire, the surroundings were pitch-black.
“This place can't be normal.”
When Hyun Suho tried to speak, he suddenly realized his voice had changed.
More accurately, it had returned to normal.
He checked his hands and saw that he was back in his original body, not in Dokgo jeong's body.
“Nova. Can you hear me? Nova?”
He called out to Nova to assess the situation, but there was no response.
“What the hell is going on…?”
He had no information, but he couldn't just stand there doing nothing.
Hyun Suho began to walk slowly towards the towering flame.
Step, step, step.
As he approached the fire, he sensed an enormous presence.
What he thought was a giant pillar of flame was actually a massive throne made of burning fire.
In this desolate world, one solitary figure sat proudly on the throne.
A man, resting his chin on one hand, spoke casually as if he had been waiting for Hyun Suho.
“Welcome.”
He appeared to be in his early thirties.
Though he didn’t look that old, his appearance was deceptive.
The depth of age in his eyes revealed that he was far from young.
His unkempt hair and stubbly beard gave him a rough appearance, but it couldn't diminish his overwhelming presence.
He exuded an air of absolute arrogance, as if the whole world was beneath him.
And yet, his face was eerily familiar.
“Somehow… I had a feeling it would be like this.”
It was just a gut feeling.
But at some point, that thought had taken root in his mind and wouldn’t leave.
Moreover, his instincts had never been wrong about something important.
At that, the man chuckled and spoke.
“It wasn’t a particularly difficult puzzle, was it?”
“Hey, that's an English word. How about sticking to the world’s logic?”
“Is that all you have to ask? Such trivial matters?”
“Sigh!”
Hyun Suho let out a deep sigh as he tried to organize the thoughts swirling in his mind.
Then, he calmly opened his mouth again.
“First of all… let's start with introductions, out of courtesy. I'm Hyun Suho. They call me the Light Bringer.”
At Hyun Suho’s introduction, the man looked exasperated, then burst out laughing.
“Pfft! The Light Bringer? Are you serious?”
“D-don't laugh! I didn’t come up with it! And I kind of like it…”
“Kehkeh! Thanks to you, I think I’ve laughed for the first time in a thousand years. Alright, in return, I’ll introduce myself formally as well.”
The man sitting on the fiery throne spoke with a face identical to Hyun Suho's.
“My name is Hyun Suho. Everyone calls me the Heavenly Demon.”