Chapter 96: Volunteer Work (1)

Il-mok had left the pavilion when the Heavenly Demon called, and now found himself talking with his master who'd been waiting beyond the trees.

"You wanted to see me, Master?"

"We're leaving in two days, so I need to ask you something first."

"Please ask."

"How exactly did you end up coming to this place?"

"I'm wondering the same thing myself. I just gave the exam my best, but somehow I ended up in this place."

"Hmm..."

The Heavenly Demon stroked his beard with a strange sigh, then shared what he'd discovered while searching for Il-mok.

A tiny crack had formed in the formation array during the exam, and Il-mok had somehow slipped through that crack to end up here.

"While it's certainly something that could happen, what puzzles me is why you moved all the way to the edge of the test grounds."

A memory stirred in Il-mok’s mind.

"I moved to the edge of the training ground because of the bell sounds."

"Bell sounds?"

"Yes. Since I was told that getting caught by the teaching assistants and instructors would result in the lowest possible score, I kept moving to avoid the bell sounds. That naturally pushed me toward the edge. When I couldn't hear the sounds anymore, I tried to head for my destination, but somehow I ended up here at Oblivion Ridge instead."

"...Even if you lost your sense of direction while dodging the instructors, those bell sounds are highly suspicious."

Accidentally stepping to the test ground's edge to avoid assistants and instructors, then getting caught in the formation.

A hairline crack appeared in the formation, letting someone slip outside the exam area.

Wandering the Tianshan Mountain Range and stumbling into the Oblivion Ridge.

These disasters happened once in a blue moon.

Any one of these things could've been a coincidence.

But...

'All three disasters happening at once? The odds are basically zero.'

Il-mok seemed to reach the same conclusion as his expression turned grave.

Though suspicions had remained even after the Divine Guardian’s suicide last time, this made it certain.

People targeting Il-mok were still lurking inside the Divine Cult.

The real problem was what to do about it.

'We could interrogate all the teaching assistants and instructors who were at the exam grounds, but that would be a poor strategy.'

For one, there was no guarantee the interrogation would work. And if people broke under torture and spewed false information, things would only get messier.

Without solid evidence, the Heavenly Demon knew perfectly well that random torture was nothing but meaningless slaughter.

Whether to increase surveillance within the Hall of the Demonic Way or prepare some other plan, the Heavenly Demon organized his thoughts and then looked at Il-mok with a peculiar look.

“Still, you’re improving by leaps and bounds thanks to all this, so it’s not all bad, my disciple."

At this point, the Heavenly Demon found himself thinking that perhaps not catching those bastards might actually help Il-mok's growth.

"You're too kind, Master."

Il-mok bowed respectfully, but behind that polite facade, his face was twisted in agony.

'Shit. I'm already losing my mind as it is.'

It’s been five days since Il-mok began training the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword while pretending to be Elder Kang's student. Il-mok's skills were skyrocketing.

When receiving training from the Heavenly Demon or at the Hall of the Demonic Way, he had some leisure to slack off.

The Heavenly Demon was swamped with work and couldn't spare much time for Il-mok. And at the Hall, he could laze around whenever he found an opportunity.

But Elder Kang? Driven by bitter resentment, he pushed Il-mok to his absolute limits.

Plus, Il-mok's level had already climbed pretty high, which made things worse.

Additionally, the fact that Il-mok's realm had already risen to some degree also played a part.

Of course, that meant the side effects hit him like a truck, and he was suffering for it.

He was starting to regret his request to play Elder Kang's student for the remaining five days.

Rustle.

A faint sound came from the bushes, along with someone's presence.

"!?"

Il-mok spun around and nearly jumped out of his skin. Elder Kang who should've been fast asleep emerged from the thicket.

The Heavenly Demon seemed to have known of his approach and kept his expression neutral. Il-mok quickly pulled himself together and addressed Elder Kang properly.

"It's still the middle of the night, Master. Let's head inside so you can get some rest."

But Elder Kang's response caught him off guard.

"Hohoho. You don’t need to worry about me, Young Master. And you don't need to call this old fool 'Master' anymore."

***

Although Elder Kang had regained his memories along with his sanity, one question still lingered in his mind.

How had that boy ended up at the Oblivion Ridge? And why was he pretending to be his disciple?

Even in his hazy memories, he could swear he'd seen the Heavenly Demon.

Grateful as he was to the boy, Elder Kang left the pavilion to follow the boy's trail and get some answers.

That's when he overheard the tail end of the conversation between the boy and the Heavenly Demon.

Them calling each other master and disciple.

'Ah, so that's how it is.'

Elder Kang pieced things together in his own way, then dropped to his knees before the Heavenly Demon in reverence.

'All of this happened because the Heavenly Demon took pity on this worthless fool...'

He understood that the Heavenly Demon had deliberately sent his disciple here.

Even going so far as to teach the boy the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.

Seeing Elder Kang bowing himself in overwhelming gratitude, the Heavenly Demon looked genuinely surprised.

"Rise, Elder Kang."

Elder Kang rose at his command. When the Heavenly Demon met his eyes, he knew for certain.

"Have you regained your senses?"

Elder Kang's eyes, which until now had been clouded with murky turbidity, were now clear.

Just as the Heavenly Demon expected, Elder Kang nodded.

"Indeed. Thanks to the Young Master and the Supreme One’s kindness."

Elder Kang also bowed to Il-mok after the Heavenly Demon, showing his gratitude.

Even if it was done on the Heavenly Demon's orders, this boy had still taken care of him for these past few days. Even went as far as to act as his disciple to his demented self.

The Heavenly Demon stroked his beard with a touch of fondness at Elder Kang's calm demeanor.

"Hohoho. That was all my youngest disciple’s doing. What did this old man contribute?"

"You're being too modest. Without the Heavenly Demon's permission, how could the Young Master have served me as his master?"

Elder Kang smiled warmly at both the Heavenly Demon and Il-mok.

Even the Heavenly Demon found that smile unfamiliar.

'Huh. He didn't just recover, he got better.'

Elder Kang used to be constantly on edge because of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's side effects.

Feeling much more at ease, the Heavenly Demon spoke up.

"Then come with us when we leave in two days."

For some reason, Elder Kang turned down the offer.

"I can't do that. Although I’ve regained my sanity, there's no guarantee it'll stay that way. Besides..."

Elder Kang looked around with a face filled with compassion.

"Someone needs to stay here and look after them."

Everyone present immediately understood who Elder Kang was referring to.

Those who had devoted their loyalty to the cult but were abandoned here due to dementia.

"You want to stay here and care for them?"

"Correct, Supreme One."

"Hmm..."

While the Heavenly Demon studied Elder Kang with mixed feelings, Il-mok, who had been listening to their conversation, carefully opened his mouth.

"Then, would it be alright if I stayed with Elder Kang, just for tomorrow?"

"What for?"

At the Heavenly Demon's question, Il-mok explained.

"I want to help take care of the elderly here."

Il-mok volunteered for two reasons.

First, he felt sorry for the old folks.

Sure, he'd been scared these past few days because his life was on the line. But now that things had calmed down, it was different.

'They all looked absolutely miserable.'

Elder Kang kept his clothes and living space spotless, mostly because of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's side effects.

But what about the other elderly? Not so much.

Their clothes were caked with days' worth of dirt, dust, and sweat. Some even wandered around with piss and shit stains.

Moreover, they couldn't even take care of their meals properly, causing their body to suffer from malnutrition.

Of course, Il-mok knew that despite their pitiful state, they were dangerous as hell, and Il-mok would normally never dare to help them. But it’s different now that Elder Kang has regained his sanity.

Then there is Il-mok's second reason:

'Taking a break would be ideal, but at least, this is much better than advancing my Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.'

He wanted to stop training the damn thing. Thanks to Elder Kang's brutal training regimen over the past five days, his mastery of the latter form had skyrocketed.

When Il-mok offered to help, Elder Kang shook his head.

"How could I make the Young Master do that kind of work? You've helped this old fool enough. Focus on your training for bigger things."

Il-mok nearly had a panic attack as he protested.

"Training can be done even after leaving this place. Since we have to leave here in two days anyway, there is no harm in spending one day caring for those people. More importantly, they have all devoted their lives to the Divine Cult. How could I just turn my back on them?"

The one who responded to Il-mok's answer was not Elder Kang but the Heavenly Demon.

"Il-mok's right. They all served the cult faithfully, so this old man should help care for them too while we're here."

"!?"

When the Heavenly Demon—the absolute pinnacle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—said he'd help care for dementia patients, both Il-mok and Elder Kang stared at him in shock.

But they weren't the most surprised.

The Hidden Guard Pavilion Master, who'd been as silent as a statue, dropped to his knees with a horrified expression.

"Absolutely not! How could the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons do such menial work—"

Just like his image, the Hidden Guard Pavilion Master’s voice was deep and gruff, but he couldn't finish his sentence as the Heavenly Demon cut him off.

"Did you not hear Il-mok's words? They all devoted themselves to the cult."

"But—"

"Did you forget our doctrine? The Heavenly Demon rules all cultists and living beings. Ruling isn't just about handing out orders and punishments. Taking care of people is part of the ruler’s duty. Are you saying this old man can’t fulfil his duty as the Heavenly Demon?"

"No! This humble one is a fool! Please, strike me down!"

The panicked Hidden Guard Pavilion Master tried to slam his head against the ground, but it never made contact.

Invisible energy from the Heavenly Demon held him in place.

"We're already shorthanded as it is. Granting you death means doing them an injustice. Thus, you shall help them with the work tomorrow, Pavilion Master.”

"I'll follow your orders!"

Il-mok listened to their intense exchange, not daring to interrupt.

And that's how a volunteer service for the dementia-stricken elderly was born under the moonlight.

***

Early the next morning.

The volunteer crew left Elder Kang's place and got to work.

Surprisingly, the leader of the service group was none other than Il-mok.

The reason is simple: the other three knew absolutely nothing about this kind of work.

"First, we need to secure a wide clearing near the stream. We'll gather all the elders there and manage them in one spot."

"Isn't putting them all together too risky?"

At the Heavenly Demon's concern, Il-mok shook his head.

"If Elder Kang's going to manage all these elders by himself, keeping them scattered around won't work. Yes, there's some risk, but I have an idea how to manage it.”

Curious about his plan, the other three followed Il-mok towards the stream.

When they reached a spot about roughly 200 meters from the stream, the Heavenly Demon surveyed the area.

"This place seems suitable."

“The distance is right, but there's no clearing here, Master."

At Il-mok's observation, the Heavenly Demon went quiet and closed his eyes.

After a brief moment, he said something cryptic.

"I sense no presence here."

"???"

Just as Il-mok was about to ask what he meant—

Swoosh!

The Heavenly Demon's sword appeared in his hand, sending out a massive crescent of Sword Qi that shot out in all directions and instantly obliterating everything in a perfect circle.

Only then did Il-mok understand the Heavenly Demon's meaning.

The Heavenly Demon had been checking if any wandering elders were in the blast zone.

‘Still, even if no one was around…’

While Il-mok was internally chuckling wryly at his master's over-the-top solution that defied all common sense, the Heavenly Demon acted like it was no big deal.

"Just clear the debris and we'll have a nice open space."

As if on cue, they heard movement in the distance.

Wild elderly figures started emerging from various directions.

"Who the hell did this!?"

"How dare you disturb the Divine Cult's territory!"

The commotion caused by the Heavenly Demon's strike had drawn them out.

But Il-mok wasn't worried.

The moment he spotted these old monsters, he realized exactly why the Heavenly Demon had stirred up this chaos.

Whoooooosh!

The terrifying demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts began radiating from his body.

"We bow before the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons!!"

The wild old monsters instantly transformed into devoted followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, dropping to the ground with reverence in their eyes.

'What is this, some kind of fishing expedition?'

He'd definitely created that ruckus on purpose to round up all the old monsters.

But there was no time to stand around gawking. The Heavenly Demon had set the stage—now it was time to get to work.