NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: The Heavenly Demon (12)
The system is as precise as a ruler.
There has never been any mistake or error in the events so far.
So if the system says it's cleared, then it's cleared.
"...Was it really that humiliating?"
The battle was, of course, a defeat for Hyun Suho.
Even though he had built a massive robot like the sun, he couldn’t even touch a fingertip of the Heavenly Demon.
But in the end, it seems the Heavenly Demon felt humiliated.
The mission success rate was only 3%, but his opponent was none other than the Heavenly Demon.
He said himself that he was stronger than the Death Star, and Hyun Suho didn't think otherwise.
Even with just a 3% success, he received an incredible reward.
《Emblem Acquired》
◆Emblem
Heavenly Demon’s Legacy
Rank (EX)
▷Condition: Defeat the Heavenly Demon
Inherits the Heavenly Demon’s martial talent
"Wow!"
It was an unexpected reward, and its effect was insane.
To inherit the martial talent of the Heavenly Demon!
The universally acknowledged greatest martial artist of all time.
Is there anyone with greater martial talent than the Heavenly Demon, not just in one world, but across all dimensions?
Initially, what Hyun Suho sought from the duel with the Heavenly Demon was his martial arts.
Every movement, technique, and internal energy control.
How much stronger could an already supreme martial artist become after honing his skills for a thousand years?
The swordsmanship the Heavenly Demon displayed far exceeded even the wildest of imaginations.
The only problem was that it was too advanced for even Nova to measure.
Although Hyun Suho could see the way forward from it, he still felt a bit of regret.
But now, it meant he had gained that dazzling talent as it was.
"If I have enough time, I wonder if I could use swordsmanship like that too?"
[Since your paths are different, I’m not sure how much it will help.]
Nova’s words had merit.
As the Heavenly Demon said, it’s not like he could slash the Death Star with a sword.
He mustn't get confused.
The path Hyum Suho had to take was completely different from the one the Heavenly Demon chose.
Yet, Hyun Suho still wore a satisfied smile.
"Don't focus only on the results. The process is just as important. No matter the path, the Heavenly Demon’s talent will definitely be a great help."
You can’t expect to be full after the first spoonful.
If he tried to imitate the "sword that cuts destiny" shown by the Heavenly Demon, he'd likely split himself in two.
He had obtained the key to the path he must take, but that didn't mean his previous efforts were in vain.
On the contrary, he was now certain that the way he had been going wasn't wrong.
"Level up, acquire skills, and grow stronger by using the Hunter system to its fullest. Then the way will become clear."
Whether it's martial arts, science, or superpowers.
Whatever it may be, he’ll use everything he can.
And he'll melt it all down into the concept of the Machine God.
Now, the blueprint is drawn.
[I’ll continue to support you to the fullest, just like I’ve done so far, Master.]
"Thanks. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you."
[Beep! Boop!]
"Yeah, you know it too."
There were many regrets from the battle with the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon’s imaginary space where he could do anything.
If he had been more creative, he could have used something much more powerful than just a giant robot.
But regretting it now wouldn’t help at all.
Like a racehorse, he must keep running forward.
If he’s to become the Machine God, all outcomes must eventually lead to the future.
"There’s still more rewards, right?"
The EX-rank emblem was obtained from the sudden quest. There were still rewards left from clearing the dimensional gate.
《Emblem Acquired》
◆Emblem
Avenger
(Rank SS)
▷Condition: Clear the Dimensional Gate
- Attack power +10%
- Critical damage +30%
- Attack power +100% against enemies that have harmed you
- If a party member falls, all attack power +30% for 30 minutes
- If a party member falls, all defense power +30% for 30 minutes
"Oh! This is pretty good too."
It was an SS-rank emblem.
Its overall performance was excellent, and since it focused entirely on attack power, it seemed even better.
The last option might not be very helpful for Hyun Suho, who mostly solos, but...
"I wonder if it would activate if Bipo gets knocked out?"
ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ
[Beep? Boop?!]
At Hyun Suho's words, Bipo made a hurt expression.
This is why having an AI that acts too human can be uncomfortable.
"No... I mean, I'm just trying to find a way to make use of it."
Currently, about 60 Bipo units were in operation.
If Hyun Suho's abilities improved, he could produce even more Bipo units.
If Bipo truly functioned like a summoned creature, then that option could potentially apply as well.
Moreover, Bipo's combat power inherits Hyun Suho's abilities.
So, if one Bipo falls, it means that the other Bipos could become stronger.
"It’s worth a try."
Leaving the shocked Bipo behind, Hyun Suho checked the last reward.
《Artifact Acquired》
◆Artifact
Guardian Sword Technique
(Book)
Martial Arts Manual
"What is this?"
An item that comes from clearing a dimensional gate.
Since the difficulty was high enough to grant an SS-rank emblem, he naturally expected the item to be good as well.
How great would it be if it were something like a Gong Cheong Seok Yoo (a precious elixir)?
Or if it were the Heavenly Demon Sword, he could upgrade it and unleash tremendous damage.
Even a skill book would have been nice, but it turned out to be just an ordinary book.
Hyun Suho tilted his head in confusion as he turned the pages.
However, the contents of the book felt very familiar.
"Huh? This is the Dokgo Sword Technique!"
More precisely, it was an evolved version of the Dokgo Sword Technique.
Hyun Suho and Nova had modified and strengthened the swordsmanship of the Dokgo Clan, and then Dokgo Jeong and the leader had further refined it.
Superior swordsmanship played the most significant role in successfully clearing the dimensional quest.
However, the sword technique written in this book was of a much higher level than what they had used to defeat Hyeok Ri-gwang.
"It’s definitely the Dokgo Sword Technique... but it’s completely different?"
Thanks to Nova, Hyun Suho had fully retained the martial arts knowledge from within the dimensional gate.
Now, just by skimming through a martial arts manual, he could fully grasp its level.
This was the Dokgo Sword Technique, yet it wasn’t. The technique was at a far higher level than any swordsmanship he had seen in the martial world of the dimensional gate.
Even higher than the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique and the Dharma Three Swords...
"What’s going on?"
Hyun Suho flipped through the pages as if possessed.
Was it because he had inherited the Heavenly Demon’s talent?
The contents of the martial arts manual seemed to embed themselves deeply in his mind.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
Even with the greatest talent of all time, it was difficult to fully understand just by reading.
To truly master this martial art, he would still need countless hours of practice and real-world application.
With a pounding heart, he turned to the last page, only to find...
"What? This is the end?"
Strangely, the martial art was incomplete at the end.
It was an unfinished martial arts manual.
"Is this like the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?"
The latter part had to be filled in by the practitioner themselves.
Though it was disappointing that it wasn’t complete, even as it was, it would be incredibly helpful.
The last thing he checked was his experience bar.
"To reach level 6... I’ve got less than halfway to go."
Normally, it would take even the highest-ranking Hunters at least 2 to 3 years to go from level 5 to level 6.
He had heard that even the Silver Knight, who received ample support from the government, took more than two years.
But in just a few days since reaching level 5, his experience bar was already halfway full.
It couldn't have been just from the dimensional gate. The sudden quest with the Heavenly Demon must have played a big role too.
"Now that I know Nova can come with me, it might be a good idea to clear out all the possession-type dimensional gates."
With Nova, possession-type gates would be much easier.
The problem was the money needed to bid on the gates.
"Hmm! I’ll have to work hard to earn money."
He had already thought of many ways to make money.
With a much lighter step, Hyun Suho headed towards the city.
* * *
Dokgo Jeong successfully ascended to the position of Sect Leader.
In the early days of his reign, there was some resentment toward a Sect Leader who wasn't from the Demonic Sect but from the Central Plains, but he soon silenced everyone with his overwhelming skills.
The hidden story of his family was well known to those who were aware.
Both the Central Plains and the Imperial Family feared the outbreak of a war between the righteous and the demonic sects.
Considering the grudge of losing his parents and siblings, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had burned the entire Mount Hua Sect to the ground.
However, contrary to expectations, Dokgo Jeong never once mentioned his family's affairs.
In fact, he was a Sect Leader who communicated extensively with the Martial Alliance and the Imperial Family.
Instead of focusing on battles, he prioritized strengthening the foundation, which led to the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Xinjiang region experiencing an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
Time flew by, and thirty years later, Dokgo Jeong stepped down from the position of Sect Leader.
The successor was his daughter, Dokgo Hyun-ah, whom he had with Cho Yi-hyun.
Dokgo Hyun-ah fulfilled the wish of her mother, who had aspired to be the first female Sect Leader.
After passing down the position, Dokgo Jeong retired to a simple life in the mountains with his wife, Cho Yi-hyun, without engaging in any further activities.
However, he never put down his sword.
In fact, after leaving the martial world, he became even more focused on his swordsmanship training.
And finally, when he was well past seventy, he was able to complete his purpose.
“It’s finally done.”
He compiled all the insights he had gained into a single book.
All that was left was to write the title on the cover, and it would be complete.
As Dokgo Jeong looked at the book with a satisfied expression, his wife, Cho Yi-hyun, entered with a cup of tea, warm steam rising from it.
Although Cho Yi-hyun was also over seventy, the abundant internal energy in her body made her appear to be in her late thirties.
With her still-beautiful appearance, Cho Yi-hyun spoke.
“My Lord, have you finally completed it?”
“Haha! Yes, my lady. It’s finally finished.”
“May I take a look?”
“Of course.”
Although Cho Yi-hyun had long since retired from the martial world, she was still one of the strongest martial artists.
Her eye for martial arts was even sharper than Dokgo Jeong’s.
Cho Yi-hyun slowly flipped through the pages of the martial arts manual.
As she turned to the last page, after expressing admiration repeatedly, she asked with a puzzled voice,
“It’s incomplete. Why didn’t you finish it?”
Cho Yi-hyun knew.
It wasn’t that the martial art was incomplete due to Dokgo Jeong’s lack of ability.
He had intentionally left it unfinished.
Dokgo Jeong nodded and said,
“It’s regrettable, but this is a martial art that I cannot complete with my abilities. There is someone else who will complete it.”
“Someone else? Are you talking about Hyun-ah?”
“Haha! No. That would be too heavy a burden for Hyun-ah.”
“Then who is this martial art for? Is there someone in the martial world now who can handle such insights?”
Even in retirement, Dokgo Jeong was still the strongest.
Who could possibly complete a martial art that even he couldn’t?
Cho Yi-hyun’s question was only natural.
Dokgo Jeong looked up at the sky and said,
“There’s someone who challenges the stars. A star much bigger and more fearsome than the sun and the moon combined.”
“The sun? I’ve seen many who claim they’ll slice the moon with their swords, but...”
“Haha! It’s not a metaphor.”
Seeing Cho Yi-hyun’s still confused expression, Dokgo Jeong smiled and continued.
“There was someone who helped me more than I could ever repay. They disappeared before I had the chance to return the favor. I understand, though. The path they walk is so difficult that they didn’t have time to look back. So...”
Dokgo Jeong picked up the tightly bound book.
“I want to offer them a small bit of help. It might be insignificant compared to that great star, but I dedicated my entire life to this.”
The reason the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was incomplete was the same.
The Heavenly Demon wanted future generations to complete the martial art and reach a higher level than he did.
The divinity Dokgo Jeong achieved through the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Its end was directed toward someone other than himself.
Even after hearing all this, Cho Yi-hyun felt she couldn’t fully understand, so she simply nodded quietly and asked,
“So, what will you name this martial art?”
“I’ve already decided. It was set from the beginning.”
Dokgo Jeong picked up a brush and began writing on the cover.
Swish. Swish!
The martial arts manual was completed with a title.
On the cover, he wrote the name of the benefactor who had miraculously helped him in his younger days.