NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: The Heavenly Demon (11)
An unbeatable quest.
A Heavenly Demon claiming to be stronger than the Death Star.
He knew well how absurd it was to think of defeating such a Heavenly Demon.
So, ignoring the quest was probably the best option.
The Heavenly Demon spoke again.
“No matter how lacking the Death Star may be, it has already accumulated power over several centuries. On the other hand, no matter how talented you are, you don’t have much time.”
The Heavenly Demon said that nine times out of ten, he would win.
In other words, there’s a one-in-ten chance he might lose.
No matter how much it’s belittled, the power of a higher divine being is still overwhelming.
The problem, in the end, was time.
He had to become stronger than the Death Star in just 10 years.
Even the Heavenly Demon couldn’t achieve such a feat.
Though relieved that the Death Star wasn’t another Hyun Suho, the grim situation remained unchanged.
Hyun Suho bit his lip and tried to draw his sword, only to realize there was nothing at his waist.
“I don’t have a weapon.”
“Then make one.”
“What?”
“This place isn’t reality, but a world of imagination. With your current abilities, it shouldn’t be difficult to create the item you want.”
“Ah!”
This wasn’t a place in the universe, but the Heavenly Demon’s imaginary world.
That’s why Hyun Suho appeared here in his true form, not as Dokgo Jeong.
With that, Hyum Suho closed his eyes and focused for a moment. Then, a sword appeared in his hand.
After taking a deep breath, Hyun Suho took his stance.
Dokgo Jeong’s swordsmanship.
The technique was powerful enough to take down the mighty Hyuk Ri-kwang, who had consumed his elder brother and gained monstrous strength.
It was now powerful enough to be called a divine skill.
Believing in that power, Hyun Suho raised his inner energy, but the Heavenly Demon, wearing a bored expression, spoke.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Are you planning to face me with swordsmanship? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of facing the Death Star with that meager swordsmanship?”
“…It wouldn’t work, would it?”
With an embarrassed expression, Hyun Suho scratched the back of his head and began to think seriously again.
This isn’t reality.
It’s a space within the Heavenly Demon’s imagination.
A world far superior to the space implementation magic circle that the Gumiho used to trap Hyun Suho and Jin Seo-yeon.
A world where anything you desire can be obtained, and any event you wish can be realized.
All that’s needed is a bit of willpower and imagination.
Hyun Suho closed his eyes and focused again.
No matter how excellent the swordsmanship he obtained in this world, it couldn’t compare to the power he originally had.
What he pursued wasn’t the path of the Sword God, but the Machine God.
After waiting for a moment…
[Program reset completed.]
‘You sure took your time.’
[It’s because you called me too late, Master.]
As Nova returned, all the powers he had in the original world came back.
Stats, equipment, and even the emblem.
The sword he was holding transformed from the one belonging to the Mount Hua sect into a chainsword, and nano particles crept up his body, equipping him with a power suit.
The Heavenly Demon watched the transformation to the end and asked.
“Even if it’s the same person, the path they take can vary greatly depending on the circumstances. Have you firmly chosen your direction?”
“Yes, I have.”
“It’s interesting, but that alone is not enough. Expand your imagination. To face my sword, you won’t be enough as you are now.”
“As I am now?”
Hyun Suho had regained all his abilities.
A Level 5 Light Bringer.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t even touch a hair on the Heavenly Demon.
It would be like an ant challenging an elephant—or rather, a gigantic dinosaur.
The gap was so vast that teaching was out of the question.
So, he had to match the level.
This isn’t reality, but a world where anything can be realized.
If he expanded his imagination, he could attain power beyond Level 5, perhaps Level 10, or even higher.
“Phew!”
He imagines a future version of himself, much stronger.
As if using a cheat engine, he felt the stats in his status window ballooning enormously.
Now, he could freely perform feats he would normally never dare to attempt.
“Over Technology.”
A ridiculous skill that applies future technology to his current equipment.
Using divine power instead of mana wasn’t strange at all.
Until now, Hyun Suho could only use this skill on his chainsword due to his lack of divine power stats.
Even then, he could only use it for a very short time.
But now, things were different.
The chainsword naturally transformed into a Sonic Blade, and the performance of the battle suit and Nova’s computational ability grew exponentially.
Technology that even overwhelmed the 7th generation tech of Eos.
[Please also add the Dragon Heart setting.]
‘Sorry, but I don’t really get what that’s supposed to feel like.’
[Tch!]
In this state, what means could possibly work against the Heavenly Demon?
As he said, petty swordsmanship wouldn’t work.
So, he decided to go back to what he did best, not using a sword, but a gun—no, a cannon.
“Bipo!”
(๑ᵔᗜᵔ๑)
[Beep! Boop!]
“Let’s go!”
Summoned, Bipo immediately transformed into a massive cannon.
Of course, it had been greatly upgraded with Over Technology, including the Genocide feature.
[Anti-particle energy 1,000% charged.]
It wasn't the usual plasma energy.
This was a weapon utilizing the annihilation phenomenon between matter and antimatter.
By converting 100% of mass into energy through annihilation, it produced a destructive power incomparable to nuclear fission or fusion.
"Fire!"
Bzzzzt!!!
The antimatter energy spiraled forward and was unleashed.
Even a tiny amount had the destructive power to shatter Earth effortlessly.
Moreover, instead of exploding outward, the energy condensed into a beam and was directed precisely in one direction.
However, the Heavenly Demon dismissed Hyum Suho’s attack with just one word.
“Your imagination is lacking.”
Swish!
When had he swung his sword?
The overwhelming energy that could traverse from one end of the universe to the other evaporated like a mirage with just a few slashes.
"…What?"
Nova was now capable of accurately tracking even the trajectory of light.
But even Nova couldn’t detect the Heavenly Demon’s sword.
“Your opponent is a higher divine being. If you listed the planets he's consumed, it would fill the galaxy. An attack of this level won't even scratch him.”
“Damn it!”
The power Hyun Suho just unleashed would have surpassed most Level 10 transcendents.
But even that, according to the Heavenly Demon, was insufficient.
Come to think of it, Lakshmi had said that it would take a thousand of her to barely fight the Death Star.
Switching from plasma to antimatter wouldn’t make a difference against such an opponent.
"Imagination, huh…"
This was an imaginary world where anything was possible.
Even after converting divine power into massive amounts of antimatter energy, he wasn’t exhausted at all.
In that case, he could try anything.
"Then how about this?"
Absorbing Bipo, Hyun Suho began to increase his size.
To be precise, it wasn’t Hyun Suho’s body but the battle suit he wore that was expanding.
Rumble!!!
The battle suit, rapidly growing due to the nano particles, soon became as large as a skyscraper.
It wasn’t just a size to cover his body; it grew into a massive robot like something out of an anime.
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a curious expression.
"Is that a Gundam?"
It seemed the Heavenly Demon had gained quite a bit of knowledge and enjoyed some entertainment while traversing dimensions.
To know such specific references.
But Hyun Suho's robot wasn’t finished growing yet.
Rumble!!!
Since this was a world where he could do whatever he wanted, he decided to take it to the extreme.
After all, if he managed to defeat the Heavenly Demon, the rewards could be enormous.
"Let's go!!"
In an instant, Hyum Suho's robot grew larger than Earth, then Mars, Jupiter, and eventually, it became as large as the Sun.
How much material would be needed to build such a robot?
Even if all the matter from the planets in the solar system were used, a robot of this size would be impossible to create.
Maybe a galaxy’s worth would suffice?
A gigantic robot that could only exist in imagination.
If it were on Earth, its mere existence would distort the planet's axis.
Yet, the Heavenly Demon still maintained a calm expression.
"If you mention anything about drills piercing the heavens, I'll kill you right now."
“What are you talking about?”
“If you don’t know, it’s fine.”
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a slightly embarrassed look.
Compared to the now gigantic robot, the Heavenly Demon looked as small as a flea.
Without Nova’s help, it would have been difficult to even locate the Heavenly Demon.
"Here I come!"
The robot, now as large as the Sun, began to swing its sword.
Vrooooom!!!
A mass attack powerful enough to slice through a galaxy.
The sword itself was large enough to span Earth, and its blade was incredibly sharp.
Like a master craftsman had carefully sharpened it for hours, it was sharp enough to slice through a strand of hair.
Everything was done to maximize the destructive power in a single strike.
With this power, he could cleave a star several times larger than the Sun in one swing.
All that power gathered and began to move.
Thanks to Nova, the sword's tip was aimed precisely at the Heavenly Demon.
Vrooooom!!
From a distance, it might seem slow, but considering its size, it had incredible acceleration.
The tip of the sword moved at nearly the speed of light.
From the Heavenly Demon’s perspective, it would feel like the entire universe was moving to attack him.
Hyun Suho's robot filled the entire field of view.
The overwhelming sight couldn’t even compare to the time when Hyun Suho faced the fog monster.
The sword eventually reached the Heavenly Demon.
Ssshhk!
Compared to the universe-level power, the result was rather anticlimactic.
Hyun Suho's robot, as massive as the Sun.
It was cleanly sliced in half, maintaining the pose of swinging the gigantic sword.
Inside the split robot, Hyun Suho was utterly shocked.
“…What the hell is this?”
Even Nova was silent.
It was a result that couldn’t be calculated with science, causing the program to momentarily freeze.
By the time he realized it, the Heavenly Demon had already reached right in front of Hyeon Suho and spoke.
“I am the embodiment of nothingness.”
With a light tap of his finger on the robot…
Ssshhk!
The robot’s body, as thick as a planet and hundreds of times harder than diamond, was easily sliced apart.
“No matter how powerful or overwhelming the mass, it is nothing before my martial art.”
Every time the Heavenly Demon casually waved his hand, the robot, as well as the space itself, seemed to be sliced apart.
Still in disbelief, Hyun Suho asked the Heavenly Demon.
"My sword definitely struck first. Isn't that right?"
He could clearly feel it.
The moment when the giant robot's sword pierced through the Heavenly Demon's body.
No matter how powerful the Heavenly Demon was, he believed this force would be unstoppable.
But when he came to his senses, it was he who had been struck.
The Heavenly Demon spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I can cut through even the outcome where I was struck. I can reverse the very causality that says I was stabbed. I can kill the immortal and nullify the invincible."
Seeing that Hyun Suho still couldn't understand, the Heavenly Demon summarized it in one sentence.
"My sword can even cut through destiny."
If it was destiny for the Heavenly Demon to be struck by the sword, he could even cut through that.
The Heavenly Demon's martial arts intervened not only in the outcome but also in the process.
"...That's cheating, isn't it?"
"It's not cheating; it's just beyond common sense. Do you still not understand the path you must take?"
The Heavenly Demon wasn't showing off his abilities just to boast.
With the level of power he possessed, he could have easily sliced through the giant robot with a simple swing of his sword without needing to cut through destiny.
This was all part of the Heavenly Demon's teaching.
Fortunately, Hyum Suho understood the meaning behind it.
"So that's what you meant. You were telling me to expand my imagination."
A miracle crumbles before an even greater miracle.
Divine power is also powerless before a stronger divine power.
Thus, what Hyun Suho should pursue wasn't simply increasing his power.
He needed to strengthen his substance rather than just his size.
The Heavenly Demon nodded and said,
"Not a power that destroys the sun, but a miracle that makes it rise in the west. That is the only path through which you can defeat the Death Star."
Hyun Suho was able to accept this.
The Machine God could not be achieved simply by increasing scientific power.
One must sometimes overturn common sense and even scientific theories to become a true god.
"Is it like a character from a computer game attacking a person in reality?"
"It's a strange metaphor, but not a bad idea."
Making the impossible possible.
That is the true power of divine power.
[Common sense and science. Isn't this an utterly incompatible combination? As an AI, I can't understand this.]
'Don't worry. I understand it.'
[Really?]
'Well… I’ve at least got a hint.'
In any case, the lesson was over.
The miracle that Lakshmi had created by sacrificing most of her life.
Fortunately, the result wasn't bad.
If it weren’t for this encounter, he might have taken a long detour down the wrong path.
Whirr!
A dimensional portal appeared in front of Hyun Suho.
Now, if he went through that, he could return home.
"Let me ask you just one more thing."
"What is it?"
"What is the difference between a top-level divine being?"
The Heavenly Demon was already a higher divine being, but he was still striving to reach the level of a top-tier divine being.
What could possibly challenge even the Heavenly Demon at the top level?
The Heavenly Demon smirked and said,
"You mentioned it, the miracle where a character from a game comes out into reality. It’s something like that."
The Heavenly Demon reached out his hand toward the sky.
"A true liberation that transcends the limits of the flesh. To be honest, calling it divine even at the higher level is embarrassing. Only by surpassing the top level can one truly be called a god."
"Is that… so?"
It was a concept that was hard to grasp.
Fighting against the higher divine being, the Death Star, was already a daunting task.
The Heavenly Demon chuckled and said,
"Set your goals high. The Death Star might just be a stepping stone for your growth. If you really grow to that level…"
"And if I grow?"
"Then you might truly become a god that fits your bizarre nickname."
"......"
That last part was definitely a tease.
Light Bringer, the one who calls forth light.
It sounds grand, but isn't it cool?
Hyun Suho then got a bit competitive.
"My nickname was given during a battle. Someone came up with it after seeing me splash plasma around."
"Oh! You must have been proud."
"Of course. Only someone with a middle school syndrome would come up with their own nickname."
With that, Hyum Suho smirked mischievously.
"I will become the Demon of the Sky! Isn’t that cool?"
This time, the Heavenly Demon flinched.
"I read it in an old book. After conquering all the martial arts sects and even the imperial family, you shouted it in front of everyone, didn't you? And you gave yourself the nickname, Heavenly Demon."
It's a story that has been passed down as a legend in the martial world.
Through cross-referencing, it was confirmed to be true.
"Th-that was a long time ago. Over a thousand years ago..."
"I understand. I'm also more drawn to the Dark Knight than to a typical hero. You know, something like the darkness of the dark."
The Heavenly Demon tried to maintain a neutral expression, but the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
Hyun Suho, with a triumphant expression, walked toward the dimensional gate and said,
"As expected, you’re amazing, Heavenly Demon. I would never have been able to come up with such a nickname myself…"
As the Heavenly Demon's expression began to contort, Hyun Suho quickly stepped through the dimensional gate.
But not before leaving one last remark.
"Thank you for the lesson. The Pinnacle of Demons, Heavenly Demon."
Whirr!
When he opened his eyes again, he realized he had returned to reality.
"Whew! That was ridiculously long."
Though several years had passed within the dimensional gate, no time had passed here.
That meant there was no need to worry about time as long as he cleared it.
Hyum Suho decided to check the clear rewards.
But then, a strange message window appeared.
《Sudden Quest Cleared》
《Mission Success Rate: 3%》
"What?"
It showed that the quest to battle the Heavenly Demon had been successful.