CHAPTER 535: EPILOGUE EARTH DEMON (32)

The day the Yu Pae arrived.

Another unexpected change occurred.

Click.

The door opened and the Hidden Troops’ leader entered. Unlike usual, his face was clearly flustered.

“Some of Shi Ah-yeong’s remnants… say they will swear loyalty to us.”

I slowly set down the teacup I was holding.

‘So soon?’

It had only been half a day since the Yu Pae arrived.

The sun hadn’t even started leaning westward, and yet the board had already begun to move.

“How many?”

“About one hundred and fifty. Mostly women from the Jade Women Hall who followed Shi Ah-yeong.”

The Hidden Troops’ leader’s voice grew low.

“They’re excellent fighters and will surely help our strength… but shouldn’t we consider the possibility it’s a trap?”

“That’s something the residence will handle.”

The Hidden Troops’ leader hadn’t seen the battle, so it was natural for him to voice such concerns.

Kugugugugung——

At that moment, a deep drumbeat resounded from afar.

Crows outside the window flapped up.

“That’s… an emergency summons from the headquarters.”

The Hidden Troops’ leader added, startled.

“A general assembly during the successor fight… There’s no precedent for this.”

He was right.

Even after returning through countless lives, I had never experienced such a situation.

‘The elders must have known. That the scales have completely tipped.’

The Yu Pae, the core of the Demon Lord’s faction.

The ripple created by that one person’s choice was shaking the entire Demonic Cult like a massive tidal wave.

“What about the First Disciple and the Second Disciple?”

“There are no special movements yet…”

The Hidden Troops’ leader trailed off, looking out the window.

“It feels like the calm before the storm.”

I nodded at the Hidden Troops’ leader’s report.

We were in a situation where we had to watch how they would act.

As the Hidden Troops’ leader was leaving.

Tadadadak!

Suddenly the door was thrown open roughly.

“Earth Demon!”

Fang Spirit burst in, panting.

Her hair was disheveled and sweat beaded on her brow.

“Did you hear? The eldest sahyung and the second sahyung…”

“They joined hands?”

“Oh? You already knew.”

“But the more surprising thing is… the Demon Lord…”

“….”

“The Demon Lord has come under the eldest sahyung.”

‘Something quite interesting.’

The Demon Lord, who would even abandon brothers for his goal.

That he had completely swallowed his pride and become a subordinate of the End Demon meant…

‘He bent his pride for the greater cause?’

In countless past lives, the Demon Lord made many choices.

In some lives he joined hands with Fang Spirit, and at times tried to recruit me.

But among all those lives, the Demon Lord had never once allied with the End Demon.

‘It was because of Earth Demon.’

“How do our forces compare to theirs?”

“We’re slightly ahead for now. But…”

She bit her lip.

Her finger joints had gone white from tension.

“If you count the hidden troops as well, I can’t be sure.”

I rose and walked to the window.

I placed my hand on the cold pane. Dark clouds were gathering outside.

‘Earth Demon originally did not exist in this world.’

The world that originally existed.

In that world, Jang Dal inserted the figure called Earth Demon.

It may have been largely for interest, but it wasn’t composed of mere curiosity alone.

‘He may have thought to insert the variable Earth Demon to try to cause something that must never happen.’

The alliance of the Demon Lord and the End Demon.

Two people who had tried to kill each other their whole lives had joined hands.

This might have been the picture Jang Dal wanted.

“What will you do?”

I could feel Fang Spirit’s voice tremble. She looked uneasy at the sudden, unexpected situation.

“If this continues… we’re in danger too.”

“This war won’t be long.”

“What?”

Fang Spirit’s eyes widened.

“Fourth Disciple, you should just watch. As you have up to now.”

“But…”

I fixed my gaze somewhere outside the window and thought.

‘Some movement will come soon.’

They must know that the union of the Demon Lord and the End Demon alone isn’t enough.

There would be another move.

And that move would likely be an extreme one.

When nearing self-destruction, one tends to place an even bigger gamble.

----------------------------------------

One night several days later.

Whoo.

A cold night breeze seeped through the window gap.

Lying on the bed awake, I slowly opened my eyes.

“….”

A density of murderous intent so thick it choked.

At the same time, a heavy pressure pressed down on the entire room.

‘Cult Leader…’

I didn’t even need to turn to know.

There was only one who could emit such an aura in the Demon Cult.

“Who on earth are you?”

A low, cold voice flowed out of the darkness.

It carried a dagger-sharp suspicion.

I slowly sat up.

The creak of the bed sounded unusually loud.

“I’m Earth Demon…”

“That can’t be.”

It was a firm denial.

“When we first met, I saw you clearly.”

The Cult Leader stepped forward.

His eyes glinted chillingly in the moonlight.

“There was the burning aura unique to the Heavenly Killing Star. But now?”

The Cult Leader raised a finger and pointed at me.

“There’s nothing. As if it never existed from the start.”

“….”

“Is that all?”

His voice lowered further.

“An aura beyond guess even in my domain. So ordinary… no, so vast that it’s instead unperceivable?”

“….”

“If it weren’t remnants of old Heavenly Killing Star, I never would have recognized it.”

‘I can’t fool him any longer.’

I let out a small sigh.

The Cult Leader’s insight, having reached the state beyond detachment, exceeded imagination.

“…Could you pretend not to know?”

For the first time, I revealed my true intention.

The Cult Leader’s eyes flashed sharply.

“What do you mean?”

“It won’t be long. I’ll do what I must and then leave.”

“First, state who you are.”

The Cult Leader’s voice held wariness laced with deep curiosity.

He slowly rested his hand on his sword. He hadn’t drawn it, but he was ready to.

“If I reveal who I am, will you accept it?”

“….”

Tingle.

The Cult Leader’s expression subtly changed. Confusion and an unnameable fear flickered across his face.

After a brief silence, he spoke.

“You… are not from this world.”

“Ohho.”

This time it was my turn to be surprised.

He had seen through my essence with only a few words.

“If I…”

I stood up slowly and continued.

“What if I’m the being you hope for, the one you wish to become?”

“What is that?”

“A god.”

“A god…?!”

For the first time, the Cult Leader’s composure cracked.

Confusion, disbelief, and fear passed across his face in turn.

The Cult Leader’s knack for assessing others only made him more inclined to believe my words.

“For what reason… would a god come to a place like this…”

“Well, it sort of happened.”

Gulp.

The Cult Leader stepped back.

Cold sweat already dotted his brow.

But he quickly regained his composure.

True to a warrior beyond detachment, he returned to calm and stared straight at me.

“If I don’t believe you…”

“Believe it or not, that’s your choice.”

I walked to the window and continued.

“You should stay out of it. Don’t meddle or step forward. Then the situation will unfold naturally.”

Rustle——

I heard the Cult Leader smooth his robe.

“I’m sorry, but…”

His voice hardened.

“I cannot.”

When I turned, the Cult Leader was already in combat stance.

A faint dark qi swirled around both his hands.

“This is the successor fight I created. I cannot stand idly by and watch someone who claims to be a god ruin it.”

“Hoho.”

Two emotions were tangled in his gaze.

A proud desire to compete with someone stronger than himself.

And a fear of an outcome he already sensed.

Hum.

The Cult Leader’s aura rose gradually.

The furniture in the room began to tremble slightly.

‘He’s the most likely candidate, though…’

If it was Jang Dal, killing him early might be right, but I wasn’t certain of it yet.

And above all, I wanted to see his stirring.

How he became so strong.

And how it came to be.

For now, I did not want to fight the Sect Leader.

“I’m not opposed to fighting. But…”

I slowly raised my hand.

“There’s no need to spill blood. I know the future of this world.”

“…!”

The Cult Leader’s expression changed in an instant.

Distrust and wariness mixed, his pupils jolting violently.

His hand still gripped the sword hilt, the force making his knuckles white.

“You know the future… what is that…”

“No need to be so surprised. It’s just that after surpassing detachment… and experiencing a few strokes of luck, I came to know it.”

I added wryly.

“Or rather, perhaps unlucky is the better word.”

“….”

The Cult Leader’s gaze sharpened.

He didn’t seem to doubt the word ‘god’ itself, but now it was different.

After all, even a god would find knowing the future difficult.

“Can you prove it?”

“Proof…”

I thought for a moment.

If I revealed too much it would be dangerous. But if too little, he wouldn’t believe.

“In any case, what I want to say is that I’m not interested in fighting you. Right now I’m…”

I paused and watched the Cult Leader’s reaction.

His expression was still full of wariness.

“I’m interested in a being similar to me.”

“A being similar to you…?”

The Cult Leader asked cautiously.

His voice held both suspicion and curiosity.

“There is another god here, different from me.”

“…!”

For a moment the Cult Leader’s face hardened.

Along with disbelief, even the faint pride he’d felt moments ago vanished.

“Impossible…”

“Hard to believe, I know.”

I spoke calmly.

“But it’s true. And finding that fellow is my purpose.”

The Cult Leader stared at me for a long time.

His eyes held a mix of emotions: suspicion, fear, curiosity, and calculation.

“Even if that’s true…”

He spoke slowly.

“Why should I help you? There’s no guarantee you’re truly a god, and I don’t know your purpose.”

“Reasonable point.”

I nodded.

“Then let’s do this. If I find the being I’m looking for, I’ll quietly leave this place. If you cooperate only until then.”

“….”

The Cult Leader took a deep breath.

He slowly turned his gaze to the window. Moonlight faintly lit his profile.

A long silence passed.

“A being like you…”

At last he spoke.

“Why have you come to such an insignificant place?”

“I wanted to live quietly.”

I answered honestly.

“But living changed my mind. Now all I think about is finding that fellow.”

“….”

The Cult Leader fell silent again.

Deep traces of contemplation were visible on his face.

His internal conflict was clear.

After a long while, the Cult Leader let out a heavy sigh.

“I understand.”

After a long silence, the Cult Leader finally spoke.

His voice was strained.

“If you find that person, will you truly leave?”

“I promise.”

“….”

The Cult Leader sighed deeply.

Then he slowly knelt.

Moonlight flowed over his shoulders.

“I will help in every way I can.”

The Cult Leader clasped his hands in respect and slowly rose.

Fear still lingered on his face, but resolve was there as well.

“But…”

He added cautiously.

“From now on, please refrain from direct involvement in the successor fight. Please, at least that…”

“Don’t worry. I never intended to.”

The Cult Leader breathed a sigh of relief.

He performed a final deep bow and then vanished like a shadow.

Left alone in the empty room, I gazed out the window.

‘I more or less wrapped it up for now.’

But soon my brow furrowed.

‘The real problem is what comes after finding Jang Dal.’

Eliminating him wouldn’t be difficult.

But what comes after… I had yet to find an answer.

A cold night breeze blew again.

An uncertain future lay asleep in the darkness.