So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon? - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Side Effects (3)

Oh, crap.

I was so focused on flattering him that I forgot I was still holding my sword.

“Th-that is…”

My senior brother’s face, previously beaming with joy, rapidly turned cold as I stammered.

At this rate, he might swing his sword at me, thinking I was trying to make a fool of him.

As my mind went blank from that ominous feeling, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

“Th-there was a mosquito, Senior Brother!”

“A mosquito?”

“Yes! I grabbed my sword to kill the mosquito.”

“You kill mosquitoes with a sword?”

“Y-Yes! It’s training to accurately strike even the smallest of targets. Master told me that your Shadowless Fourteen Moves are so precise that you can sever a single strand of hair in mid-air. He instructed me to follow your example.”

“Hahaha. Master said that too?”

“Y-yes, Senior Brother!”

Senior Brother’s cold melted into a smile. And it’s a smile that reached his eyes.

Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief inwardly…

Slash.

A chilling sound grazed my ear.

“…”

My body completely froze, and as I slightly turned my eyes to the side, a mosquito sliced in half was lying on the floor.

“Did you see that? I demonstrated the first stance of the Shadowless Fourteen Moves for you. Reflect on your Senior Brother’s swordsmanship and strive for such precision.” His inflated ego had transformed him into a model mentor.

But.

‘What was I supposed to see? I couldn’t even see it, let alone imitate it.’

Even now, my heart was pounding.

‘Good thing I didn’t scream…’

That single strike made me realize something.

At my current level, my eyes couldn’t even follow the trajectory of his sword, let alone block it.

The moment Third Senior Brother decided to kill me, my head would roll off before I even realized I was dead.

Perhaps the monotony of my daily life had dulled my senses.

I had forgotten how many monstrous beings resided within this cult filled with madmen and fanatics alike.

As I was reflecting on this sobering realization, Senior Brother said, “Thanks to you, Junior Brother, I’ve had a pleasant time. I shall visit again soon.”

“Y-you’re welcome to visit anytime, Senior Brother,” I replied.

“Indeed. It’s late now, so go to sleep.”

Astonishingly, by the time he finished his sentence, he had vanished from the room.

‘…F*ck. How am I supposed to sleep when my heart is still pounding.’

I couldn’t voice this thought aloud, thinking that crazy Senior Brother might still be hiding somewhere watching.

* * *

The next day, around lunchtime, the Heavenly Demon, having finished his morning administrative duties, headed towards the Black Cloud Pavilion (黑雲庭) where his third disciple, Seo Wan-pyeong, resided.

While he visited his youngest disciple, Il-mok, every evening for instruction, he didn’t extend the same courtesy to his other disciples. The position of Heavenly Demon demanded much of his time, and in the case of his first and third disciples, there was little left for him to teach.

Once a practitioner of Demonic Arts reached the Extremity stage, further progress relied solely on personal enlightenment. Thus, his interactions with them were limited to occasional visits and brief conversations.

“I pay my respects, Master.”

“Good. How is your training at the Dark Shadow Pavilion (暗影閣) progressing?”

As was common with older generations, his idea of ‘light conversation’ revolved around work.

“Have you made any progress with the Shadowless Fourteen Moves?”

Or training and studies.

While benevolent towards his followers and lower-ranking members, the Heavenly Demon was undeniably a boomer.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he paused, stroking his beard. “Hmm. Wan-pyeong, has something pleasant happened recently?”

Though Seo Wan-pyeong always wore a gloomy expression with deep shadows on his face, the Heavenly Demon, having spent over two decades with his disciple, could tell.

That Seo Wan-pyeong was currently in quite a good mood.

‘It reminded me of the time when he had barely learned his Demonic Arts.’

Years of negativity had etched a perpetual frown onto his face, but Seo Wan-pyeong had once been capable of genuine smiles.

The Heavenly Demon had now confirmed the words of his junior brother and banished his doubt.

‘Master has been watching over me! Just as the youngest said.’

His self-esteem, which had been shattered due to his paranoia, recovered slightly.

It meant even more because it was attention from none other than the great Heavenly Demon, his Master.

He wanted to share his conversation with Il-mok, but then he remembered something crucial.

‘Right! The youngest said that Master is strict in front of his disciples but praises them behind their backs.’

If that was the case, there was no need to tell Master about yesterday’s conversation with the youngest.

“Ahem. It’s just that the weather is so nice today, I simply feel good. Master.”

“Oh? That’s a very positive sign. Perhaps your Shadowless Fourteen Moves are about to break through to a new level.”

Shadowless Fourteen Moves caused one to suffer from negativity and paranoia especially as one delved deeper into the Extremity stage.

For his third disciple to be cheerful because of good weather…

The Heavenly Demon let out a hearty laugh, something Seo Wan-pyeong hadn’t heard in a long time. Seo Wan-pyeong’s lips twitched uncontrollably.

‘Master is proud of me!’

Seo Wan-pyeong, whose mood had improved tremendously for the first time in a long while, wondered how he could please Master even more.

How could he make Master even prouder of him?

As he pondered this, he naturally recalled the conversation he had with Il-mok last night.

‘Right! Master said my Shadowless Fourteen Moves was so excellent that it could precisely cut even the tiniest objects!’

An idea sparked in Seo Wan-pyeong’s mind. He twisted his lips into a rare smile.

“Master!”

“Yes, Third Disciple.”

With uncharacteristic enthusiasm, Seo Wan-pyeong called out to his master. As the Heavenly Demon looked at him, he…

Pop!

He suddenly pulled out a clump of his own hair. He released his grip, letting the strands float in the air.

Swish!

A delayed slicing sound followed the silent, invisible flash of his sword. The scattered hairs lay on the floor, each meticulously divided into dozens of pieces. The speed and precision with which he had severed the fine hairs mid-air were beyond the perception of ordinary individuals.

Seo Wan-pyeong, having displayed the prowess of his near-peak Shadowless Fourteen Moves looked at his master with uncharacteristic confidence, like a dog asking to be praised.

“…”

The Heavenly Demon, who had witnessed this bizarre display, simply stared at him with a look of utter bewilderment.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Pop.

Slash!

Thinking he hadn’t done enough, Seo Wan-pyeong ripped out another clump of hair, scattering and slicing it in mid-air. He continued this self-inflicted hair-cutting frenzy for some time.

“Ahem. Ah, excellent skills.”

The Heavenly Demon, who had been watching that madness in a daze for a while, muttered with a bitter tone.

“Hahaha. Thank you, Master! I will continue to work hard!”

Finally receiving Master’s praise, Seo Wan-pyeong smiled brightly, forgetting even the pain of pulling out his hair.

“Y-yes. Continue to work hard.”

“Yes! I will perfect the Shadowless Fourteen Moves and bring you the head of the Murim Alliance Leader!”

“Cough. Yes. I will put my faith in you.”

The Heavenly Demon, who responded to Seo Wan-pyeong’s words with a complicated expression, quickly left the Black Cloud Pavilion, saying he had urgent business.

‘It seems he hasn’t broken through the Extremity barrier but has fallen into a state of Qi Deviation,’ he Heavenly Demon thought, wondering if his poor third disciple might have finally gone mad.

‘There’s no choice. I’ll have to increase the guards for the Third Disciple.’

Not for Seo Wan-pyeong’s safety, but just in case he went berserk.

* * *

After receiving an unexpected night visitor, I gained a very important concern.

More precisely, a problem I’d been trying to ignore resurfaced.

‘I need to take precautions.’

It wasn’t a concern about the entrance exam for the Hall of the Demonic Way.

‘Otherwise, I might end up like that crazy Senior Brother.’

The condition of Third Senior Brother, Seo Wan-pyeong, who had visited a few days ago, was far from normal. However, considering what kind of place this fucking cult is, I wondered how many people could even tell.

‘I’ve gotten too used to it.’

I had become complacent, accepting the bizarre as normal.

In particular, the side effects of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword that I was learning had similarities to those of Third Senior Brother.

A high risk posed to my self-esteem.

I recalled something I had heard in my past life as Seo Ji-hoon: Many successful artists, entrepreneurs, and film directors were perfectionists. And this perfectionism often came at a steep price – immense stress.

While perfectionism fueled their ambitions and achievements, leading to great success and the creation of masterpieces, that very thing was also the cause of their downfall.

The pursuit of unattainable perfection could lead to self-loathing and a crippling sense of inadequacy.

In such cases, perfectionists would come to view themselves as insects or trash for failing to achieve their goals.

In other words, instead of becoming a successful businessman, film director, or artist who was a perfectionist…

I could become a self-loathing madman like Third Senior Brother.

To avoid such a situation, I needed to prepare something.

A way to avoid fixating on the impossible.

The only problem was…

‘Why am I pondering this in the dead of night?’

“Sigh. I truly am trash, youngest brother. Master doesn’t trust me, he has increased the number of guards again.”

I sighed internally and replied, “On the contrary, Senior Brother, it’s because he trusts you. You vowed to kill the Murim Alliance Leader, didn’t you? Your skills are specialized in assassination. This is likely Master’s way of providing you with training in infiltration.”

“Indeed! If I can’t even evade a mere fifteen guards, how can I hope to reach the heavily guarded Alliance Leader? Master’s wisdom is profound! I was foolish to misinterpret his intentions. I’m truly a worthless wretch.”

As Senior Brother began digging another hole, I spoke.

“Nonsense, Senior Brother! It’s human nature to be oblivious to one’s own flaws while easily recognizing those of others. Isn’t that how romance works too?”

“I have never experienced romance. It seems you were popular from a young age, junior brother.”

For fuck’s sake, this one is also a landmine.

“I-I too only heard about it. Besides, people naturally excel in different areas. While I might be good at understanding people’s inner thoughts, you excel at… dissecting them. Even if I trained until I reached your age, it would be impossible for me to assassinate the Alliance Leader.”

“Haa… You’re right, junior brother. You truly are remarkable. After speaking with you, my mind feels at ease, and the Demonic Energy that plagues me recedes. I shall visit you often when I’m troubled.”

Hearing his answer, I could only force out a smile while laughing bitterly.

“Hahaha. You’re always welcome, but could you possibly visit during the day?”

At this rate, I wouldn’t go mad from my Demonic Art’s side effects, but from sheer sleep deprivation.