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Baek Museon returned home, dragging his feet behind him. The worn-out house was far beneath the status of the Bloody Heavenly Demon, who had once stood at the apex of the Bloody Heavenly Demon clan. Baek Museon opened the door with only one hand as he clenched his teeth.
Anger, resentment, and shame were swirling inside Baek Museon’s heart. His footsteps leading up to this place were heavy. He could feel the gazes full of laughter and mockery on him.
“… Monster… ”
Baek Museon whispered in a low tone. There was a familiar smell inside the house. The smell of alcohol, and the smell of drugs. But besides those, a different, familiar smell. Baek Museon clenched his teeth and moved toward the direction of the smell.
Geniella was sitting on the bloody bed. Unlike the last time when she had worn a kimono, today she was wearing a tight-fitting black dress that clung to her body. Geniella, who was sitting on the bed with legs crossed, opened her mouth without sparing a glance for Baek Museon.
“What a sight.”
Geniella chuckled.
“There was no one here in Travia who could look down on you four years ago.”
Baek Museon realized through her words. Geniella had seen everything. It wasn’t too surprising. Geniella’s eyes and ears were everywhere in Travia. Even if it wasn’t the central district that was under her jurisdiction, there was no way she wouldn’t notice a big fuss like this in the northern district.
“How are you feeling?”
Geniella asked, uncrossing and crossing her legs. Baek Museon bit on his lower lip for a while. The skin on his lips burst under the pressure and blood flowed out, but he didn’t care about it. He shook his feet, trying to ignore Geniella’s words.
“What would have happened if you hadn’t been defeated four years ago? What if you weren’t crippled? If you had devoted yourself to practice for four years without despair, you might not have been defeated today.”
He didn’t want to hear it. Baek Museon reached out with a trembling hand to lift the bottle. Even though there was not even half of it left, Baek Museon gulped it down all at once.
“You will keep falling. In the meantime, the Minor Heavenly Demon, who cut your arm off, will continue to grow stronger. The man who defeated you today will also continue to grow stronger. How does that feel? Do you feel like you are sitting alone, doing nothing, and looking from behind at those who are ahead?”
“Shut up… ”
Baek Museon put down the bottle. His trembling body and voice represented the misery he felt at that moment. Geniella laughed.
“No. Can’t you see their backs? They will continue to move forward, and you will sit down… Soon they will go to a place you cannot see. Then you will always be the loser.”
He didn’t want to hear it. The feeling of desperation, defeat, and despair that he had sealed in tightly burst out. Baek Museon sank to the ground powerlessly. He looked at the empty liquor bottle and the drooping left sleeve.
In the fight against Lee Sungmin, Baek Museon felt the painful absence of his left arm. Had the left arm been intact, he would not have been so helpless.
Even if he started practicing martial arts again, there was no way for an arm to regenerate. That was reality. Even if he used any kind of magic or potion, his arm would never return to him.
“You know the way, don’t you?”
Sitting on the bed, Geniella whispered temptations like a seductive devil. At that end, Baek Museon’s shoulders trembled. Words he had been hearing since several years ago. Whenever he heard such words, Baek Museon dismissed it as senseless babble.
It was because of his pride. He would be okay without an arm. He was sitting down like this now, but one day he will be able to stand up again, and by that time, nothing would happen. Such vague faith and self-confidence had been supporting Baek Museon. But not now. Now that he realized the absence of his severed arm. The unfounded beliefs previously held by Baek Museon completely crumbled to dust.
“… If I become a vampire… ”
Baek Museon’s mouth opened. As soon as she heard it, Geniella thought the end was near. The end of the joy that she felt while seducing Baek Museon for several years was approaching. She wouldn’t have to worry about Baek Museon anymore. He was completely destroyed and had fallen entirely into desperation.
‘Thankfully.’
Geniella revealed a small smile. She felt grateful for Lee Sungmin. If Lee Sungmin hadn’t defeated Baek Museon, it would have taken a longer time for him to choose to walk the path of non-humans. At the same time, it was a pity. She wanted to enjoy it a little more.
‘Fun always has to come to an end.’
Geniella looked at Baek Museon. Baek Museon was staring at Geniella with eager eyes. As she looked at his eyes that were mixed with need and hesitation, Geniella reached out and licked her lips.
‘But it’s okay. The next one is already ready.’
In fact, she was more interested in Lee Sungmin than Baek Museon. Now he refuses to become a vampire… But how long could he refuse for? She thought he would likely give up on his humanity once he was cornered.
“Make… me a vampire.”
Baek Museon’s mouth opened. When she heard that. Geniella’s shoulders trembled slightly. He had lost all his pride as a human and fell to such a state. Geniella’s greatest pleasure was to stand by and slowly watch them drown in conflict, and breaking them down through repeated temptations. Geniella slowly stood up.
“What would you do if you became a vampire?”
“… I’m going to kill him.”
“Ahahaha!”
Baek Museon would not be able to fulfill his wishes. Geniella wouldn’t let Lee Sungmin die. However, even if it wasn’t death, it seemed okay to give him despair equivalent to it through Baek Museon. Perhaps there would be an occasion.
“Come this way.”
Geniella called him with a curled finger. At that end, Baek Museon tried to raise his body. No, not like that. Geniella shook her head, mumbling in a small voice.
“Crawl.”
Baek Museon’s face distorted at Geniella’s words.
* * *
Crazy Heavenly Demon was sitting sullenly, holding his plump cheeks with both hands. Lee Sungmin sat down and looked at Crazy Heavenly Demon. Crazy Heavenly Demon glanced at Lee Sungmin’s gaze that was directed at him and sighed deeply.
“Well, don’t look at me too much that way. It was all because of how much I cherish Museon… ”
“What would you have done if I was weaker than the Bloody Heavenly Demon?”
“… If so, I wouldn’t have brought him here.”
“Assuming I was on par with Bloody Heavenly Demon, what would you have done if I had been killed by him during the fight?”
“That… I’m sure that that wouldn’t have happened. Your strength is by no means lesser than Museon.”
“What if I almost died, anyway?”
“Oho! If that had happened, I would intervene properly and stop it!”
Crazy Heavenly Demon couldn’t stand it and shouted. Lee Sungmin picked up the bread while turning away, ignoring Crazy Heavenly Demon’s cry. to Lee Sungmin, Rubia was slicing meat using a fork and knife.
“I’ve already seen everything I had to see. I’ll stay around here until next year.”
“ year. Are you saying that we have to stay in this city longer?”
Crazy Heavenly Demon grumbled. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t like this. Rather, he stared at Lee Sungmin with a sparkle in his eyes.
“You. Do you intend to become a disciple of mine?”
Lee Sungmin stopped chewing bread at the sudden suggestion. Crazy Heavenly Demon looked into Lee Sungmin’s eyes and continued to speak.
“The martial arts I use is called ‘Blood Ring’ martial arts, and it does not lose out compared to anyone. Although there are a lot of strong martial arts in Eria, I am confident. Martial arts like Blood Ring are rare.”
“I don’t really want to learn more martial arts.”
“What are you talking about? The more martial arts you practice, the better. Even if you can’t use it properly, acquiring another martial art can function as a hidden move!”
There were three martial arts that Lee Sungmin had learned. Inner Force, Nine Heavenly Spears, and Shadowless. Although Shadowless’s role was mainly to perform footwork and serve as an opening for the next move, it was inevitably going to be outperformed by the outstanding nature of the Blood Ring technique that could also temper his body.
Lee Sungmin wanted to learn. But he needed to avoid biting off more than he could chew.
‘My poor talent is weeping.’
Lee Sungmin bit on his lower lip. He was able to improve his Inner Force, the Nine Heavenly Spears, and Shadowless to some extent through the trials of Denir. In a way, the price for improving despite his lack of talent was a bitterly long amount of time. What if he learnt the Blood Ring technique? How long would it take for him to master it this time?
[You don’t have to think like that.]
Heoju intervened.
[What do you mean that your talent is not that good? I think that it might only be you who says so. You can use martial arts and magic, not to mention the powers of a non-human species. With the help of all of these, you will be able to quickly acquire newly learned martial arts.]
‘That’s easy to say.’
[Is there anything wrong with that? Body Tempering has a wide variety of applications. It can be applied to any martial art. With a foundation like yours, you’ll be able to quickly acquire it to the point where it can be applied in practice. Besides, isn’t there a person standing in front of you who can teach you the martial arts!]
Lee Sungmin sighed at the temptation. There was a reason why Lee Sungmin could not think so positively. In the past, Lee Sungmin learned the Hundred Step Manual, but he had not been able to use it properly. In fact, it was more accurate to say that rather than not being able to use it, there was no reason to use it. If he compared the Hundred Step techniques and the Nine Heavenly Spears technique, the latter was an overwhelmingly superior martial art.
“I don’t want to be a disciple.”
“Then?”
“Can’t you just teach me anyway?”
“This shameless brat… ”
Hearing Lee Sungmin’s words, Crazy Heavenly Demon shook his shoulders and spat out. Having said that, Crazy Heavenly Demon seriously thought about it, and shortly afterward, nodded.
“… Well. It doesn’t matter. You can be said to be my benefactor just by virtue of letting me overcome my fits of madness.”
“Well, that’s in return for going south together.”
“There is nothing to repay. I’ll just think of it as going on a trip.”
Crazy Heavenly Demon muttered like that and put his hand into his sleeves. He took out a small interdimensional pocket, but Lee Sungmin was surprised. He didn’t think Crazy Heavenly Demon would carry an interdimensional pocket.
“What is that look for?”
“I didn’t think that you would use such a thing.”
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
Using the title ‘I’ and his ignorant attitude, he could only barely be considered a martial artist. Crazy Heavenly Demon put his hand into the interdimensional pocket and took out a clean book.
(T/N: Crazyboi refers to himself using the honorific ‘Bonjwa’, which is similar to when a Chinese Emperor calls themselves ‘Zhen’ but in a different context. It sounds rather strange when paired with his childish tone.)
“It’s the Blood Ring Manual.”
“Why do you carry this manual around?”
“Since I began to suffer from madness, I wrote down the techniques every time my mind was sober. It was because I didn’t know when I would die. I wanted to leave evidence that there was a warrior called the Crazy Heavenly Demon, Byuk Wonpae, in this world.”
Crazy Heavenly Demon muttered like that and handed the Blood Ring Manual to Lee Sungmin.
“I was born in Central Murim and came to this world a few decades ago. At first, I was alarmed, but I was soon amazed at how much wider the world was compared to Central Murim. It was great.”
While listening to the words of Crazy Heavenly Demon, Lee Sungmin raised his hand to receive Crazy Heavenly Demon’s Blood Ring Manual.
“There were a lot of strong people in this wide world. I survived with luck so far, but I always thought I couldn’t be lucky every time. I might die someday. My worries and fears grew as I started getting crazier. I wanted to leave an impression of my name in this world, so I made the Blood Ring Manual.”
Crazy Heavenly Demon muttered as he burst into laughter.
“I thought it would be really cool if some fated person could learn the Blood Ring techniques and conquer the world with it. I never thought I would hand it over to someone else like this.”
Lee Sungmin replied slowly.
“… Don’t expect too much.”
“You are an excellent master. I have heard that the Minor Heavenly Demon Wijihoyeon is great too, but I have never seen her in person. So you are the best young expert that I’ve ever seen. You will be able to quickly learn how to use the Blood Ring.”
While listening to Crazy Heavenly Demon, Lee Sungmin held back a sigh. He wondered if he could really do it. Amidst such small worries, Lee Sungmin opened Crazy Heavenly Demon’s manual.
[Would you like to learn Heavenly Demon Blood Ring?]
After a long pause, Lee Sungmin nodded.
*****
This translation belongs to Centinni
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