Chapter 177
Heavenly Demon Jin Haryung.
He was the figure who left the most profound bloodstains in the history of Murim.
The first act he carried out after inheriting the title and position of the Heavenly Demon by his own strength shocked Murim.
He massacred all the followers of Mt. Tian, commonly referred to as the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range.
And that wasn’t all.
From there, he beheaded the leader of the Murim Alliance, completely upheaving Murim within a matter of days.
The Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance— in other words, the entire world of Murim— he turned them all into his enemies.
A demon who single-handedly erased the Demonic Cult and beheaded the leader of the Murim Alliance.
He was the Heavenly Demon in the truest sense. As the demon who stood tall in Murim and was the strongest player of the present age, he looked down at Lee Suhyuk.
“You’re much smaller than I expected.”
Well, it was only natural.
Lee Suhyuk’s feelings as he looked up at Jin Haryung were indescribably peculiar. He had a relationship with Lee Suhyuk that could never be severed.
‘I knew this day would come eventually…’
Most people felt fear when they looked at the Heavenly Demon. And it wasn’t much different for Lee Suhyuk.
Even in his previous life, it was the same. There was a certain power or aura from the Heavenly Demon that fundamentally invoked fear in humans.
But at the same time, there was a sense of familiarity.
‘To think he would come with this timing.’
The Heavenly Demon was the reason why the player named Lee Suhyuk became a legend and the best.
A long time ago, by defeating the Heavenly Demon who participated in the Counter-Fight, the world recognized Lee Suhyuk as the strongest player.
Such was the man known as the Heavenly Demon. Being recognized as the best just by defeating him. No one other than Lee Suhyuk had surpassed him, and he remained a singular, unmatched existence.
‘Who did he come as today, I wonder?’
Lee Suhyuk did not avoid Jin Haryung’s gaze as he looked down at him. When dealing with him, the first order of business was figuring out who he was.
Was it the Heavenly Demon or Jin Haryung?
Though they were the same person, they were decisively different beings. And one’s manner of dealing with him differed depending on who he was.
Now, Jin Haryung was a predator who could decapitate him in a single stroke.
‘Today… it’s Jin Haryung.’
Recognizing his identity through his eyes.
Fortunately, he had not come here as the Heavenly Demon today.
“Don’t be too disappointed.”
Thus, what he needed to convey to him right now was this.
“There is still plenty of time. If you’re here looking for a sparrow, it won’t take too long.”
“Do you even know who the sparrow I’m talking about is?”
“Of course”
It’s me.
“…It must be Lee Suhyuk.”
Jin Haryung’s lips curled up in a barely noticeable smile at Lee Suhyuk’s response.
From his expression, Suhyuk was certain. Jin Haryung had come to see another self through him.
“I hope it’s not just empty words.”
“And you, on the other hand, seem different from what I’ve heard.”
To be precise, he should say, you’re different from what I know.
“Am I?”
“Yes. The fact that you’re sneaking around like this…”
Lee Suhyuk’s gaze swept around.
Besides him and Un Hyang sitting at the same table, no one seemed to pay any attention to Jin Haryung. It was a situation he had intentionally created.
Then, his gaze landed on Jin Haryung’s left arm.
“And the fact that you got hit somewhere.”
Bandages subtly visible through his clothes.
Considering his personality, which didn’t even bother to apply medicine to most injuries, it couldn’t have been a light wound.
“Don’t worry. It’s not an embarrassing injury.”
“Was there someone in this era who could injure the Heavenly Demon?”
In an era without Lee Suhyuk, the Heavenly Demon was the strongest. That was an unchanging fact.
Some compared the great mage Hylds to the Heavenly Demon, but they didn’t know what they were talking about. She was still no match for the Heavenly Demon.
“No, there isn’t such a person.”
Jin Haryung replied. His opponent was not human.
At that moment, foes capable of injuring Jin Haryung flickered through Suhyuk’s mind.
They were all like mirages. Only rumors existed, Suhyuk had seen them just once.
“Are you done probing?”
At Jin Haryung’s question, Suhyuk nodded.
“Yes. It seems this is as far as it goes.”
“Smart.”
“And you, have you finished your business?”
“Now that I’ve seen you once, I’m satisfied. I was curious to see what kind of fool was pretending to be a sparrow.”
As if satisfied with just having seen his face, Jin Haryung turned away.
“Since you dared to act cheeky, you’d better show something worthy of it. Otherwise, our next meeting won’t be as pleasant as today.”
Indeed, he wasn’t the Heavenly Demon today but Jin Haryung. Though they were the same person, they were decidedly different.
If Jin Haryung was scary, the Heavenly Demon was terrifying. If Jin Haryung was masculine, the Heavenly Demon was brutal.
Between them, the one Suhyuk respected was undoubtedly Jin Haryung.
Seemingly having completed his business, Jin Haryung left immediately.
The main purpose of this meeting was really just to see his face once.
But Suhyuk didn’t attach much significance to this meeting.
‘I can’t say I’ve truly seen him yet.’
What he saw today was Jin Haryung. If the Heavenly Demon had come instead, he wouldn’t have dared to show such impudence nor be alive right now.
However, what had truly bothered him was Un Hyang.
“… Are you alright?”
Since Jin Haryung’s arrival, her condition has been strange.
She appeared terrified and frozen. It even seemed hard for her to take a single breath, as if she were a patient about to breathe her last.
Even though the Heavenly Demon was a figure of fear.
‘Something is off.’
In normal circumstances, today’s Jin Haryung had deliberately concealed his presence when approaching. Even though he revealed himself to them, it was still odd that Un Hyang was quivering in such fear.
Though not comparable to the Heavenly Demon, she possessed the skills to hold off Cha Unhyeop, the Heaven Thunder Sword.
“Maybe…”
“Don’t ask me anything.”
When Un Hyang stood up abruptly, he was just about to ask something.
“Just… for now, nothing.”
“……”
Quickly, Un Hyang turned and followed behind Jin Haryung.
As she walked away for the last time, Suhyuk noticed the resolute determination on her face.
Suhyuk watched her quickly retreating figure.
She always seemed bright and positive. But getting closer and peeling back the layers, her true self wasn’t just a beautiful flower garden.
The Divine Dragon Group, Un Cheon-guk, the Heavenly Demon, and Un Hyang.
Pieces of a puzzle appeared one by one without fitting together.
Gradually, he began to see what kind of picture it would create when they all came together.
He wanted to ask her. What had happened in the past?
But,
‘There’s no way I could ask.’
“I came here looking for you, Suhyuk.”
“I had a feeling you’d be here.”
“There’s no need to ask. But would you like to?”
She never asked him anything. She must have found it odd, but she waited for him to speak first.
So, just as he waited for her to open up first someday.
“… It’s still far off.”
The table, which had felt narrow and close just a moment ago, suddenly felt distant and large.
Just as he had secrets he couldn’t tell her, she had reasons she couldn’t tell him.
Now knowing they both had secrets, did that mean they were closer? Or further apart?
* * *
Un Hyang hurried outside.
There were many people outside. The lodging where Suhyuk and Un Hyang stayed was in the busiest street on the 7th floor.
A mixture of players and residents, there for shopping or leisure, crowded the place.
Un Hyang plunged into the crowd. If he had come outside, he would be somewhere here.
‘Where could he be?’
Even without sensing his presence, she knew he hadn’t gone far. He was definitely nearby.
Sure enough.
“Surprisingly.”
In the bustling crowd.
The same voice from earlier came from directly behind her.
“It’s surprising you’re here. I thought you might have run far away.”
She didn’t have the courage to turn around. Regret for following him welled up.
She hadn’t known. There would come a day when she would chase him rather than escape desperately.
“… Leave my streamer alone.”
“Your streamer? Is that person special to you?”
“I’m his manager. So-”
Taking a deep breath, she spoke out with courage for the first time.
“If you plan to harm him, then do it to me instead.”
“Harm…”
His fading voice was laced with laughter.
“Well. I haven’t decided yet. Whether to harm him or not. How it will go.”
“Absolutely not-”
“But there’s one thing that’s certain.”
Jin Haryung’s voice grew closer.
“Don’t think you can affect me just by trailing after me. Look at you. You can’t even meet my eyes, let alone fight me.”
Sizzle.
Everything around them, except her and Jin Haryung, vanished. The ground they stood on felt like a lava-filled hell, and the sky turned blood-red.
‘He’s here.’
Jin Haryung disappeared, and the Heavenly Demon appeared.
And that was the true form of him that she knew.
He was back.
Back to the world she originally belonged to.
Thump, thump, thump-
Her heart pounded violently as if it would burst. She struggled hard to escape this place, but here she was, returning on her own feet.
An overwhelming fear crept in, making her regret her hasty decision to run out.
The lava was scorching, and the smell of blood was overwhelmingly pungent.
Meanwhile,
“Don’t be so afraid.”
Woosh- the oppressive aura binding her heart disappeared as if it had never existed.
The lava-filled ground and the blood-red sky returned to normal.
Jin Haryung’s voice faded.
“I don’t plan on taking you right now. My interest lies elsewhere, exactly as you feared.”
Just as his presence began to fade.
“Absolutely not…!”
Un Hyang quickly turned around.
“What?”
A passing woman looked at Un Hyang with a puzzled expression.
Jin Haryung had vanished.
Realizing this made her legs give out.
“… Hah.”
Thud.
A few people glanced at her as she sat down. Regardless, Un Hyang was overwhelmed by a mix of worry and relief.
‘That’s right, he was always like this.’
For a very brief moment, he showed the true face of the Heavenly Demon she originally knew.
Someone who could turn the world into hell with just a thought. And such a person had taken an interest in Lee Suhyuk.
She thought she had barely escaped.
But now, because of the streamer she managed, she got entangled with him again.
“Really…”
Sitting on the ground, she muttered in a voice full of weariness.
“Being a manager is tough.
TL’s Corner:
Can I say that the Heavenly Demon appearing is quite impactful?