Chapter 7: A Father’s Shadow

Quest: Achieve ‘Transcendence’ for Jin Seo-a, a low-ranking warrior of the Demonic Cult.

Reward: Clue to return home (2)

A new quest appeared.

“…Transcendence?”

This was too much.

Transcendence was a realm beyond the peak of mastery. In other words, a realm slightly above Swordmaster.

‘Considering Leilia’s case, I think she might be a genius as well.’

I’ll only know for sure after meeting Jin Seo-a.

“By the way, the Demonic Cult… Hmm, I don’t have good memories of them.”

When I first heard of the game ‘Hero Maker’, naturally, I thought it was a Western fantasy game.

But, after accidentally encountering the Eastern Continent, I realized I was completely mistaken.

‘Fantasy and martial arts… They’ve mixed everything together like jjambbong.’

Since there was almost no exchange between the Eastern and Western Continents, unless they were in the highest positions of power, they didn’t know of each other’s existence.

By chance, I entered the Eastern Continent, and from then on, I lived as a martial artist.

To be precise, it was to learn various martial arts by using the reputation of a martial artist, but people’s reactions were more intense than I thought. I even earned the nickname ‘Demon Slayer’, which was excessive.

As my fame continued to rise, I ended up fighting the Heavenly Demon, the leader of the Demonic Cult. As expected from a mass-produced game, the Heavenly Demon was a woman.

I vividly remembered being beaten like a dog after saying, “I cannot point my sword at a woman!” in an attempt to act like a chivalrous warrior.

Well, in the end, I really did defeat the Heavenly Demon with my fists, and after that, I gained the rather excessive nickname, Sage of the Fist.

In the process of sparring, recognizing each other’s strength, the Heavenly Demon and I became close very quickly, and we became good friends.

Many things happened after that, but the end wasn’t very good.

“…Become mine.”

“…What?”

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the Heavenly Demon confessed to me, and flustered, I rejected her.

The problem was that, unexpectedly, the Heavenly Demon made a physical advance.

When the Heavenly Demon, who I thought was only interested in martial arts and had a straightforward personality, made a shy expression and linked arms with me, I couldn’t resist as a man…

In the end, I was swept away by the atmosphere and slept with the Heavenly Demon.

After such passionate lovemaking, I soon regained my senses.

‘Crazy.’

I had taken the virginity of the Heavenly Demon, the woman known as the greatest monster among all the Heavenly Demons.

Knowing that the Eastern Continent’s sense of chastity was strict, I felt goosebumps all over my body.

For someone like me, who didn’t want to be tied down, it was a terrible thing.

In the end, while holding the sleeping Heavenly Demon, I whispered in her ear.

“They say the expiration date of love is two years. I wonder if you’ll still love me after two years?”

After saying such nonsense that even a dog wouldn’t believe, I immediately ran away from the Demonic Cult. Afterward, I heard that a new ‘Demon of Lust’ had been born in the Demonic Cult.

With an uneasy feeling, I left the Eastern Continent, hearing the absurd news that it had been misrepresented to the righteous sects and I had become a public enemy of the martial world.

In the end, I had no choice but to hide my identity to infiltrate the Demonic Cult.

Of course, it was just bothersome. I could have escaped easily, but… the moment the Heavenly Demon discovered me, my life might be in danger.

Right before I left the Eastern Continent, I heard that the Heavenly Demon had reached the ‘Transcendence’ realm. …Perhaps now, she might have reached an even higher realm.

Since she was considered the greatest monster among the Heavenly Demons, it was enough to be careful.

‘Rather, Jin Seo-a… That name sounds familiar. Is it just my imagination?’

The moment the memory felt like it was on the tip of my tongue, I heard a dying voice in my ear.

-Please, take good care of my daughter, Seo-a…

‘Wait.’

No way.

-She’s too young to inherit the curse of the Blood Demon.

Sh*t.

I remembered.

Jin Seo-a.

She was the daughter of Jin Cheon-woo, the Blood Demon, whom I killed.

‘The system isn’t mocking me, is it… To raise the daughter of the Blood Demon myself. Huh.’

Of course, considering Leilia’s case, it doesn’t seem to be the system’s intention…

‘But still, technically, I’m her father’s enemy.’

And, in the first place, why did the daughter of the Blood Demon become a low-ranking warrior of the Demonic Cult?

Knowing her identity made my thoughts even more complicated.

‘One thing’s for sure.’

I must never reveal my identity in the Demonic Cult.

‘Rather, if she’s the Blood Demon’s offspring…’

I pressed ‘Martial Arts’ registered in the system window and scrolled down to the very bottom.

‘…Will it go well with the Blood Demon’s martial arts?’

Eastern Continent, Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

A mid-ranking warrior was leading several low-ranking warriors.

Their destination was the headquarters of the Demonic Cult.

Since many of the low-ranking warriors of the Demonic Cult were recruited from outside, they didn’t have the same loyalty or follow the ideology of the Demonic Cult as the others.

Do Cheol-san, a former wanderer who was on the wanted list of the Martial Alliance, was no different.

He shouted at the mid-ranking warrior who was walking ahead.

“We’ve been walking all day, can’t we take a break here?”

‘What kind of mountain is this that has no end?’

He was impatient and wanted to rest his aching legs quickly.

Most of the other low-ranking warriors agreed with Do Cheol-san.

They’d been walking until sunset and hadn’t arrived yet, wouldn’t it be fine to take a break?

Of course, they weren’t stupid enough to openly complain to the mid-ranking warrior, so they were just putting up with it. They were also powerless.

“That’s right. It would be better to rest here.”

“Everyone looks exhausted, so let’s rest…”

Just as the low-ranking warriors responded to Do Cheol-san’s words.

*Pierce-

“Keuk…”

Do Cheol-san became a cold corpse before he could even realize when he had been stabbed.

“Low-ranking warrior Do Cheol-san. Died during the mountain journey, attacked by a beast.”

“Any other objections?”

The mid-ranking warrior shut everyone up with a single stroke of his sword.

While everyone, except a few, admired the mid-ranking warrior’s strength, the mid-ranking warrior glanced at the sky and shouted.

“…The sun’s setting soon. We camp here tonight!”

It was unfair only to the dead Do Cheol-san, but the low-ranking warriors couldn’t express any dissatisfaction with the powerful mid-ranking warrior and immediately started to prepare for camping.

After the preparations were finished, the low-ranking warriors sat down and began to chat.

“Where are you all from?”

“I came from the Northern Sea Ice Palace, in the north. I was put on the wanted list for the crime of raping a woman…”

Most of them, who were talking about their backgrounds, were those who had come to the Demonic Cult because they had committed crimes.

As they talked, someone said provocatively.

“So, who do you think is the strongest among us?”

Everyone pondered the words and said.

“Is there anyone else besides… that one?”

“That suspicious woman is the most suspicious one.”

They pointed at the masked woman, isolated from the group.

Although they didn’t know what her face looked like since she never took off her mask during the mountain journey, they could guess that she had considerable strength since she followed them without any signs of exhaustion, despite being a woman.

Besides, everyone was very interested in her, the only woman and the flower among the group of low-ranking warriors.

“Ahem. Miss. What’s your name?”

One of the low-ranking warriors gathered his courage and spoke to her, but…

“…”

She didn’t even acknowledge him and ignored him.

“…Miss?”

“……………”

“She’s acting all high and mighty. Huh.”

In the face of her consistent ignorance, no one could approach her.

And there was a man who was watching her closely.

‘Found you. Jin Seo-a.’

Before dawn, when everyone was fast asleep.

Except for a few who were standing guard, everyone was asleep.

“…”

A masked man and a masked woman stood guard without exchanging a single word.

The sight of the two of them in masks, silently standing there, was extremely awkward, but they both seemed to have no complaints.

A little later, the masked man spoke.

‘…I’ll just go to the bathroom.”

“…”

Without waiting for the woman’s reply, he headed towards the forest, and the masked woman watched his back closely.

The masked man walked for a while and then looked around.

Just as he was about to feel relieved after confirming that there was no one around.

*Swish-

“…Who are you?”

A sharp blade was already placed near his neck.

The owner of the sword was an unknown woman in a mask.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The man coldly questioned her, but the more he did, the closer the blade came to his neck.

Just when a shallow cut appeared on the man’s neck, the blade stopped.

“I’ll ask again. Why do I sense blood qi from you?”

‘Blood qi?’

“What do you mean?”

“…There won’t be a second time. If you don’t reveal your identity, I’ll kill you here.”

‘Kill me? How?’

Did she even realize that she was pointing a sword at a Transcendence expert?

The masked man’s identity was Myeong.

‘This is completely messed up.’

He didn’t know how it happened, but Jin Seo-a seemed to have noticed something.

Myeong decided to change his plans since it had come to this.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“First, take off that mask.”

“Alright.”

Myeong obediently took off his mask.

And the revealed face brought about a truly shocking emotion to the masked woman, Jin Seo-a.

“F, father?”