Honestly, I had been keeping an eye on the body of the Heavenly Demon even before this.
No matter how busy Hans was, there was no way he would overlook such top-tier material as the Heavenly Demon!
‘It’s not easy to come across the corpse of a master who has reached such a level. Even if they are in the same Current Realm.’
The peak that can be reached as a human, known as the Transformation Stage (화경), and the realm that transcends that limit to become something akin to an immortal—known as the Mysterious Stage (현경).
The Heavenly Demon was among the highest tier within that Mysterious Realm; perhaps he even had the potential to reach the divine-like Mythic Stage (신화경).
Even though he ultimately met a tragic end after encountering a natural disaster like Hans.
‘Perhaps the Buncheon Society’s ambition was in that direction as well. If the Heavenly Demon truly ascended to the Mythic Stage, then the rank of the one who subjugated him would rise explosively!’
The Heavenly Demon didn’t just accumulate power by himself.
He sacrificed the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ arranged by the Holy God of the Ganghwan Realm, conducted the sacrificial ritual of Buncheon Society, and received divine power!
Such rituals did not merely transfer power once.
They would be permanently engraved in the spirit of the subject, reflecting their accumulated rank and life’s deeds.
Surely, the Head of the Buncheon Society would have gained considerable rank simply through the offering ceremony.
“Plus this… Hah! I have to admit that he is impressive. But to think he could do even this.”
In his personal laboratory filled with collected equipment, Hans let out a low gasp of admiration.
His “Eye of the Abyss” shimmered, as if looking to pierce through the Heavenly Demon placed on the experiment table.
‘He didn’t just receive Holy Power. This… is a Unique Skill? Did the Heavenly Demon, who long lost the rights of an Awakened One and became a Settler, revive his Unique Skill?’
Having obtained the “Forbidden Truth” and the Secretary as his counterpart, things that were previously unseen began to reveal themselves.
Due to having already died, only faint traces remained, but until recently, there had been a force within the Heavenly Demon’s spiritual veins that wasn’t just made up of inner power and Holy Power—there was some force existing above the laws of the world!
‘No wonder… it felt a bit ambiguous to have stolen several Dragon’s Eyes arranged by the Holy God as sacrificial lambs. Was the Holy Power merely a byproduct of that process?’
The Head of the Buncheon Society didn’t bestow new Unique Skills or resurrect the authority of an Awakened One.
He simply awakened a previously inactive Unique Skill temporarily in exchange for a sacrifice.
But that alone was still a monumental event.
No matter what anyone said, the fact that he intervened in that incomprehensible system was undeniable.
‘Moreover, that Unique Skill… Surely, he had a reason for coveting the Dragon’s Eye.’
The foundation upon which the Heavenly Demon could grow rapidly within the Ganghwan Realm.
Not only did it provide him with a genius’s aptitude for martial arts, but it also allowed him to swiftly learn the art of killing, adapt instantly to any harsh training, and provided a gigantic growth bonus.
「Heavenly Killing Technique」
Though it had considerable side effects, such as negatively impacting his mindset, those weren’t significant problems for him.
For the Heavenly Demon, who must have been facing the limits of his growth and feeling the walls around him, it would have been the sweetest temptation of all.
“…The method to reactivate an inactive Unique Skill…”
Hans’s gaze darkened.
In fact, this issue was also a kind of homework for him.
His subordinates were filled with Undead soldiers who lost their Unique Skills upon death.
If they could regain their abilities they had when alive…
“If he managed it, then so can I.”
Fueled by his arrogant pride, Hans’s lips curled upwards.
Whether it was just temporary due to the use of sacrifices didn’t matter much right now.
The fact remained that he had accomplished what he had not been able to do.
From that day forth, Hans devoted himself tirelessly to the study samples.
An obsessive investigation where he wouldn’t overlook even the thinnest capillary or single cell.
He had to limit his methods to those that would keep the body from being damaged as much as possible for later reuse, but for someone like him, highly regarded in this field, that was not difficult.
“Got it. This is the Heavenly Demon Technique.”
And in that process, he unexpectedly returned with a significant gain.
After thoroughly dissecting the traces of the mystery left in the Heavenly Demon’s body, he successfully reconstructed the martial arts he had practiced in life by deducing the impressions etched into the spiritual veins.
‘This will be quite beneficial for Hugo.’
The Heavenly Demon Technique, recognized as one of the strongest techniques in the Ganghwan Realm.
Surely it would prove beneficial for Hugo, who had the “Nameless Skill” and “Boundless Return,” in perfecting the martial path he was pursuing.
“Fuhah— I was wondering where it was hidden; this is better than raiding the Heavenly Demon’s Records.”
The Heavenly Demon’s Records were the treasure trove of the Heavenly Demon Church that only the leader could enter.
It was only natural that Hans, who seized the cult, would clean it out completely.
Afterward, the valuable texts were sent to Hubert, who possessed “Analysis” and “Cipher Interpretation,” for further appraisal, but the issue was that the most crucial technique, the Heavenly Demon Technique, was not included in that analysis.
‘I was worried since it was omitted from the Heavenly Demon’s memories, but this saves me some effort.’
Moreover, his research didn’t end there.
Shortly after beginning the analysis of the secretary’s corpse, he snagged a clue related to the Holy Power connecting to the Head of the Buncheon Society.
‘If he hadn’t taken the shard of Holy Power when he came to Auterica, it would have been tough. What luck!’
The connection between gods and apostles didn’t need much explanation.
Fans cheering for a star reflected in the media would be ordinary apostles, while the apostles would be akin to managers who moved closest as their arms and legs.
‘No, it’s more of a one-sided and absolute hierarchical relationship.’
Given this, what was important in the current situation was that a defection from someone of that level would be quite catastrophic for their faith.
Though one might say what betrayal can occur now that they’ve already died—
“Ha ha ha! I am that being who can make it possible!”
Using forced corruption to reverse the faith.
From that, being reborn as a “God Slayer” with supreme holiness.
The will of the dead held no meaning before the ruler of death.
Dominate, coerce, violate, rule.
That was precisely what Hans, the Undead King and Demon King, excelled at.
Thus, he carefully adjusted the scars of the divine left in the two corpses and began to work to turn them into Undead.
Of course, this included everything he learned through the “Forbidden Truth.”
A few days later.
《A weak seed of divine power begins to sprout through the Holy Power. The accumulated deeds of the entity surpass the threshold, inscribing its existence into the Akasha.》
A significant phrase appeared before him, hinting at what kind of trigger had the Holy Power resulted in.
‘…Wait, did the Heavenly Demon devour too many Dragon’s Eyes and steal their deeds? If so, could I use that inversion…?’
Additionally, he found a clue to resolve the crisis the Ganghwan Realm was facing.
A perfect way to bypass the existing methods that relied on the sacrifices of the Dragon’s Eyes.
*
Even though he hastily returned to handle urgent matters on Earth, the avatars all had plenty on their plate in their respective positions.
Heinrich, unable to leave his position as a saint of Auterica for long; Dragon Horus, preoccupied with absorbing the magical systems of the Ganghwan Realm; and Heinz II, busily coordinating the distributed organizations across both worlds…
Among them, Harris, who was the most relaxed, had been the first to be deployed to hunt the Secretary, yet even he had plenty to manage as a key figure in the Elven Kingdom, so the busyness of the others didn’t need mentioning.
And among those, one avatar stood out as particularly busy as soon as he returned to his original position…
Pababap—
A giant barbarian warrior cutting through the moonless night forest like a stealthy shadow.
Harly was the one in question.
“Phew, I reckon I’m getting closer now.”
Having charged like a storm, he stopped with a surprisingly light step suitable for his size, scratching the back of his head.
His nose and ears twitched, sucking in information from the surroundings.
“Huuh!”
With a deep breath, a scenery unlike mere sight constructed within his mind.
A virtual world formed from sound, vibrations, scent, and magnetic fields centered around him.
That realm was vast, encompassing the whole area around him.
“Alright, this way!”
And within that, Harly noticed a very faint trace he had been pursuing, as his massive body sliced through the air like wind once more.
It had taken quite a long time, and the ones who erased the traces were anything but ordinary, making it no easy task to chase them. However, Harly’s tracking ability, enhanced by the nuances of beasts honed in sensory perception, vastly surpassed the common sense of this world.
‘Still, it took longer than I expected. If I hadn’t had any prior information, this would have been a real struggle. Perhaps I should have brought Harris along to lend a hand with the search.’
Though a fleeting thought crossed his mind, he brushed it aside quickly.
It was already a known fact that the environment of the Ganghwan Realm negatively affected someone as nature-sensitive as Harris.
Unless it was truly unavoidable, there was no need to push things to that extent.
‘By the way, the Zhuge Family is impressive. Even with their stronghold raided and in chaos, they still have enough resources left to operate their information network. Truly a noble family.’
Even without Harris needing to step in, many were available to assist him now.
The Zhuge Family of Yung Jung Mountain, which had been thrown into chaos by the attack of the Demon Cult’s elite squad.
They activated the final formation mechanism they had installed in their stronghold, managing to fend off the attackers.
Some damage was sustained during that process, but considering they had to face Jiangshi comparable to the Mysterious Realm, it was quite impressive that they had managed to recover so well.
This was possible after they extensively overhauled their formations following the rampage of the recently arrived adept, Harris.
‘Tsk, I wish it had ended there.’
However, their trials didn’t come to an end just yet.
In the midst of the sudden war, while the entire family stirred in confusion, it was revealed that the youngest of the Zhuge family, Je Gal Hye-mi, had been abducted by a small elite force that had stealthily infiltrated.
The incident of having their treasured heir kidnapped in an attack on what was supposed to be the impregnable Zhuge family’s stronghold!
There was no way they could remain idle given the stakes involved.
While trying to stabilize the chaos, they exerted all their efforts and employed external resources to locate the attackers…
At the moment they finally began to shape a clearer outline, a group including Hugo rushed from the Shaolin Temple to Yung Jung Mountain.
It was then that they heard about the events at the main family, and naturally, the information Hugo received also included the suspected routes of the enemy’s movement.
‘By cross-referencing this information with what I gathered from the Demon Cult side, I’ll be able to map out a rough outline. From there, I can begin the pursuit.’
Even if it was a small elite force, the Demon Cult’s squad that attacked the Zhuge Family was not a small group.
It was only natural to believe that given it was a strike against a power like the Zhuge Family.
And the more people there were, the harder it was for even a professional to completely erase traces.
“…Found it.”
Thus it was entirely natural that their scoundrels would get caught.
“Keuhuh, haha! Ah, I was about to lose my mind if I had to drag this out any longer!”
A presence faintly felt from afar, just barely within the reach of his senses.
With a bright laugh, Harly’s mouth split into a wide grin.
Like a predator before a feast, his cold eyes gleamed, and drool dripped from his shark-like teeth onto the ground.
“Alright— then, let’s go.”
The night of the hunt has begun.
