Chapter 380

Chapter 380
## Chapter 380: The Primeval Heavenly Demon

Disturbance.

It was a physical shudder.

Foundations that should have remained immovable were now trembling.

His physical form and his spirit, both having ascended to the rank of a deity, were in a state of flux.

Yet, the catalyst for this instability remained a mystery to him.

He was the sovereign who governed all existence.

The notion that anything could cause him to waver was not only improbable but fundamentally wrong.

By definition, a god was a being beyond the reach of sentiment.

He held the title of a god because he possessed the absolute authority to regulate his internal state as he saw fit.

External influences, therefore, should have found no harbor within him.

‘Is it possible that I am faltering?’

He questioned himself once more.

The sheer impossibility of the situation demanded repetition.

He had achieved a level of existence that made his former glory as the ruler of the Thousand Mountains seem insignificant.

This was no mere “immortality” as described in ancient sutras.

He had truly seized the essence of ‘Godhood’.

Through the total mastery and internalizing of every syllable within the Heavenly Demon’s Blade, he had forced open the portals of ‘truth’ by his own hand.

The eternal, unchanging reality of the cosmos.

In that clarity, he witnessed sights and grasped concepts that had eluded him throughout his entire mortal journey.

‘…I have gazed upon the truth.’

He had experienced a surge of comprehension as vast and deep as a boundless ocean.

Following this revelation, a singular intent took root.

A profound hunger.

‘I shall ascend to the highest heavens.’

The “heavens” he sought were not the paradises mentioned in religious fables.

That realm was the totality of being.

It was the dimension where every one of his desires found manifestation.

A perfect world that had never existed and was deemed impossible.

However, despite unlocking the gate of truth, the final ascent eluded him.

The highest reaches of existence would not admit a demonic entity.

The gate had only served to show him what lay beyond.

In that moment of clarity, he understood.

What was the meaning behind the title of the Heavenly Demon?

Why did a creature of darkness yearn for the light of the highest heavens?

The First Heavenly Demon had endured this same vision.

He had called himself the ‘Heavenly Demon’ precisely because he had fought with every fiber of his being to ascend, only to be rejected at the threshold.

It was a title born of the desperate hope that he would one day bridge the gap and reach the celestial heights.

‘Purge it. Cast it aside.’

For a being striving for such heights to be unsettled by a nameless source of “agitation” was unacceptable.

The Heavenly Demon forcibly drained his consciousness of all feeling.

Once emptied, the tremors ceased.

‘If I strike down everything, there will be no cause to investigate.’

The logic was flawless in its simplicity.

He felt no need to identify the source of his discomfort.

If nothing remained, the reason for his shaking would vanish along with it.

*Whoosh—*

The Heavenly Demon’s form rose slowly into the sky.

He leveled the Heavenly Demon’s Blade with lethal intent.

His target: the mortals below.

*Craaaaaack!*

*Shiiiiiii—*

Suddenly, a hundred globes of concentrated pressure manifested around the Heavenly Demon.

This was a destructive force that nullified the very existence of whatever it encountered.

By wiping these humans from the face of the earth, the pacts binding the Spirit Kings would be severed.

Consuming the weakened Spirit Kings would then be an effortless endeavor.

He would absorb their essences and ascend as the King of Chaos.

“I shall not tolerate your presence in my sight, little humans.”

Therefore, let your existence be unmade.

In that heartbeat.

*Zzzzzzzzz!!!*

The hundred spheres of destruction were unleashed, their passage causing the very crust of the planet to vibrate.

—

*Kwoooooong!*

As Um, the Spirit King of Earth, pressed his palms against the soil, a massive pillar from the World Tree erupted upward, forming a protective barrier.

“To think a lowly Evil God would dare…!”

Agnis, the Spirit King of Fire, infused the wooden rampart with his own essence.

The fundamental fire of the beginning warped the very structure of the World Tree’s timber.

The wood ignited and fused, transforming into a wall of impenetrable, glowing metal.

*Kwaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!*

The impact against the barrier produced a deafening roar that threatened to shatter the eardrums of anyone nearby.

Yet, the barricade held firm.

Even the combined might of a hundred spheres could not pierce the joint defense of the two Spirit Kings.

Under normal circumstances, such an attack would have vaporized them instantly.

But these two were no longer what they once were.

A single pact had changed everything.

Their unprecedented contract with a mortal had pushed them beyond their natural evolutionary limits.

“I will ensure that nothing remains of you but ash.”

Agnis extended his arm toward the sky.

*Whooooooosh—!*

The firmament seemed to fracture, and a torrential cascade of primordial flames began to rain down upon the Heavenly Demon.

Simultaneously, thick roots from the World Tree burst from the earth, coiling tightly around the Heavenly Demon’s legs.

“What an incredible display.”

Iarin watched, genuinely moved by the sight.

She recognized immediately that this power transcended the natural boundaries of any Spirit King.

‘They have moved beyond the fundamental nature of spirits.’

Spirits were entities defined by their elemental constraints.

They were typically incapable of performing feats that went against their core essence.

A fire spirit, for instance, had no dominion over water.

They were bound to the attribute they were born with.

But here, the fusion of these two had created something entirely new.

They were manifesting a substance that had no place in the natural order.

This was a miracle that bypassed the laws of truth.

‘Is it possible that the bond with Park Hyunmyeong has carried them beyond the reach of truth?’

To defy the laws of reality and shatter the predetermined structure of the world.

It was a concept easily spoken of but impossible to execute in the face of absolute truth.

Deviating from the established norm was, essentially, an act of war against the universe itself.

Reflecting on the past.

Everything regarding the pact between the Spirit Kings and Park Hyunmyeong had been an anomaly.

‘Agnis spoke of the primordial flame. And with Um, the World Tree actually took root.’

What was the primordial flame?

To be honest, she lacked a complete understanding.

She knew only that it was the “first fire,” the source of all heat at the dawn of time.

Even a member of the Seven Lord Basara didn’t fully grasp the nature of that flame.

She had pushed that thought aside.

The emergence of the World Tree was the greater mystery.

The ‘Seed of the Earth’ granted by the Spirit King of Earth could grow into any botanical form.

It could become a simple blossom or a common weed.

But never in the history of the world had it been known to produce a ‘World Tree’.

The World Tree was the foundation of reality—the source that generated and maintained all life.

It was logically impossible for it to be summoned by the mere will of a creature.

Though she couldn’t rationalize it, the reality was undeniable.

‘Both represent the dawn of existence.’

The primordial fire and the World Tree.

Both were tethered to the genesis of the universe.

And there stood a being who could cause that “beginning” to manifest through a simple agreement.

‘…So that is the path to stepping beyond the truth.’

The Seven Lord Basara finally understood.

The method for escaping the confines of truth.

It was far less complex than she had imagined.

One simply had to alter the trajectory of the ‘beginning’.

If one could identify and control the origin points known only to ‘truth’, one could redirect the flow of reality toward a ‘different conclusion’.

This had to be linked to the secret of Park Hyunmyeong’s nature.

Did he possess a Hidden Class that governed the start of all things?

Or was he the wielder of the ’13th Hidden Trait’, a power unknown even to Basara?

“Who are you?”

…… At that moment.

A voice cut through her thoughts.

She turned toward the sound and saw him.

‘Phantom…’

…… The individual she believed to be Phantom.

He was standing there.

He had established a ‘Line of the Golden Rule’, a private psychic link so their conversation would remain unheard by others.

“You wear the face of a human, but you are something else entirely.”

Human. He had used that specific word.

Would a normal person refer to another as a “human” in such a detached manner?

Iarin felt a flicker of shock.

This was the first time any entity had looked past her facade to her true nature.

He wasn’t guessing; he was stating a fact.

Iarin maintained her composure as she replied.

“Those are peculiar words to say, Phantom.”

“The resonance of your emotions is not that of a human.”

…… He was reading her internal state?

That should have been an impossibility.

Her mimicry of human behavior was flawless.

Moreover, her emotional control was absolute.

“It feels… as though you are a demon.”

…Hold on.

How could he possibly know?

Emotions were formless.

Elves possessed the ability to see the ‘shape of desire’, but no elves were present.

And even an elf could only see the shadow of a wish, not the truth of one’s origin.

The odds of her cover being blown were mathematically zero.

Was this a bluff?

“Are you truly the one called Phantom?”

“I am Phantom.”

“……”

What?

He had stated his identity without hesitation.

Was he being honest, or was it a calculated deception?

He continued speaking.

“It is clear now that you are familiar with Phantom. Iarin, the Vice Director of the Korean Heroes Association. You should have had no contact with anyone associated with him.”

…… He had been testing her.

He had sensed her brief internal wavering.

Even though she hadn’t let a single muscle twitch on the outside.

He had noticed.

More importantly, he spoke with an intimate knowledge of Iarin’s background.

“Is there anyone alive who isn’t aware of Phantom’s name?”

“No, you have encountered him. You’ve looked him in the eye. Without that, such a distinct ’emotional line’ would not exist within you.”

…He was reading her ’emotional line’?

He was detecting the deep-seated currents of her soul, not the surface-level emotions she projected?

No one should have that power.

To peer into her very thoughts.

‘He must have caught a glimpse of my inner narrative the moment my composure slipped.’

Yes—

But he had only caught a silhouette.

If his vision were perfect, there would have been no need for him to probe her with questions.

The moment she reached this conclusion, she cleared her mind.

She extinguished every trace of internal sentiment.

And then.

“You are definitely not of this world. Did you encounter Wilhelm? Where did your paths cross? Was it in the demonic realm, or during the Great Expedition?”

The second she reacted to the name, his suspicion turned into certainty.

This meant even her silence was part of his strategy.

…… What kind of monster was he?

He was far more calculating and precise than she had ever imagined.

Was he truly Phantom?

This predator… could he really be that Wilhelm?

“Why is a demon walking the Earth in human skin? What is your objective?”

His tone was thick with enmity.

He clearly viewed her presence among humans through a lens of suspicion and malice.

It was a total misinterpretation of her intent.

But there was no time to argue the point.

“Hahaha! Your flames cannot touch me, and your earth cannot hold me!”

The Heavenly Demon’s physical form turned fluid, shifting like water.

He was utilizing the domain of Iquerel, the Spirit King of Water, to humiliate his elemental peers.

Even though Agnis and Um had achieved transcendent power.

…They could not lay a finger on the Heavenly Demon.

“…… It is time for us to act.”

If this continued, the defeat of the two Spirit Kings was inevitable.

She couldn’t afford to lose such powerful assets.

She steeled herself and moved forward.

“Forgive me, but I must join this fray.”

She didn’t lack respect for the Spirit Kings’ pride.

But victory was the only priority.

The Seven Lord Basara… no, Iarin, unsheathed her blade.

Not as a lord of the abyss, but as Iarin, she would fight to ensure the triumph of the human side.

—

The vermin were persistent.

But no matter the number of ants, they remained insects to be crushed.

“……?”

The Heavenly Demon paused, tilting his head in confusion.

The insects he expected to grind into the dirt were proving far more resilient than he had anticipated.

The humans, supported by the Spirit Kings, were managing to lock him in a grueling war of attrition.

If they were merely harrying him, it wouldn’t be an issue, but.

‘Those two are successfully diverting my focus.’

There were two specific individuals drawing his gaze.

Iarin, and Phantom.

Furthermore, the two Spirit Kings were dedicating themselves entirely to neutralizing his offensive strikes.

As a result, the battle was dragging on.

His movements were becoming hampered.

“Tsk.”

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Even so, he had to acknowledge their tenacity.

At this rate, the conflict threatened to become an endless loop.

Shortly after.

“First Gate.”

*Jwaaaak!*

The Heavenly Demon’s body began to expand with power.

Through the esoteric knowledge found in the Heavenly Demon’s Blade, he had finally reached his completed state.

He was now capable of unlocking the dormant half of his strength that had been previously restricted.

It wasn’t just the Star-Devouring Art; he had mastered the Opening of the Five Gates.

‘Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps.’

Having opened the First Gate, the Heavenly Demon brought his foot down heavily upon the ground.

In that split second.

*Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-!*

The entire landscape surged upward.

His absolute martial dominance shattered every physical structure in the vicinity.

When integrated with the Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps, the effect was cataclysmic.

“R-Run……!”

“What kind of insane power is this……!!”

“Curse it all!”

The defensive wall maintained by the two Spirit Kings disintegrated.

This was the terrifying reality of confronting a Demon God.

And this was merely the power of the First Gate.

It was an insurmountable gap.

The mortals couldn’t even maintain their footing in his presence.

Immediately, the Heavenly Demon cast all the humans into a deep chasm that opened beneath them.

He buried them under tons of earth and sealed the tomb with his own aura, ensuring no escape was possible.

“Perish slowly.”

He had buried them alive.

The pit was saturated with the lethal toxins of the abyss.

Those mortals would not survive long.

Their only remaining experience would be the futile struggle against an inevitable end.

The Heavenly Demon allowed himself a smile.

If the First Gate was this overwhelming, what would the Sixth Gate entail?

‘I can achieve the Sixth Gate if I consume a practitioner who has perfected the Five Gates.’

The Opening of the Five Gates was within his current grasp, but that was his limit for now.

The prerequisite for the Sixth Gate remained unfulfilled.

He needed to devour someone who had reached the same level of mastery over the Five Gates.

That was the final key to his ultimate evolution.

If he could unlock the Sixth Gate, the heavens would finally be within his reach.

‘The one who has mastered the Five Gates is currently in Pangenia.’

Was the man’s name Lyca, the supposed greatest swordsman on the continent?

The Heavenly Demon had sensed his distant presence.

It meant that by hunting and absorbing that individual, he would finally step through the Sixth Gate.

The prospect filled him with a dark excitement.

“Hmm?”

Once more, the Heavenly Demon paused, his head tilting in genuine surprise.

He had unleashed the Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps through the First Gate.

Yet, there was one human who had not been cast into the abyss.

A lone figure remained standing on the surface!

“How is it that you still stand?”

The ground surrounding that human was entirely untouched.

It was as if the shockwave had simply bypassed him.

However, the Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps was the ultimate technique designed to negate and overpower all forms of aura.

The only way to remain unaffected was to counter with the ‘Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps’ itself.

This meant that at the exact moment he struck, this human had mirrored the technique.

Was such a feat even possible?

“You……”

For the first time, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty.

He recognized a familiar resonance.

That man had indeed utilized the Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps.

But that technique was a sacred secret contained within the Heavenly Demon’s Blade, a power meant solely for the one who held the title of Heavenly Demon.

The idea that another could wield it simultaneously was a logical fallacy.

But there was no doubting his senses.

He was the Heavenly Demon; no one understood the intricacies of that technique better than he did.

*Zzzzzzzzz-!*

The Heavenly Demon’s Blade began to vibrate violently once more.

Only then did the truth dawn on him.

“……It was you. You are the source of the agitation I felt.”

…… He had identified him.

The mystery was finally solved.

But the situation remained bizarre.

At the exact moment the Heavenly Demon sensed the anomaly.

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The very fabric of the world began to unravel.