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Demon God’s Secret (4)

The place was used as a dormitory for martial artists.

Each floor housed dozens of large rooms, and each room was equipped to accommodate scores of martial artists.

I meticulously inspected each room.

What if leaving the building where the test was held was part of the test itself? Surely, there was something outside that needed to be solved.

After thoroughly examining the building, I moved on to another one.

The adjacent building was a dining hall. Styled like an inn, it was designed to seat hundreds of people at once, with a kitchen attached where dozens of chefs could cook simultaneously.

Next to it was a warehouse for storing weapons, a stable for horses, a place for making, washing, and drying clothes, and even a vegetable garden growing all sorts of produce.

The scale of each facility was immense. To give an example, the stable could house thousands of horses, twice the size of the one at the Martial Alliance.

It wasn’t just the buildings. Initially, I hadn’t noticed, but the outer walls were equipped with various defenses to prevent intrusions. Mechanisms and formations were in place, and even though they weren’t active, it was clear they were formidable.

“This is a well-built fortress.”

“Of course.”

“Shall we check out that area next?”

“You’re still going?”

“Yes, I plan to see every nook and cranny now that I’m out. Why? Are you bored already?”

“It’s not boredom, but is it necessary to see everything? Wouldn’t it be better to practice the Blood Thunder Heavenly Art?”

I realized he might feel a bit neglected since he had taught me his unique martial arts, and here I was, distracted.

I spoke in a reassuring tone.

“Later. Let’s explore a bit more first.”

“If that’s what you want.”

The building at the back was an indoor training hall. It had everything from a sparring arena to facilities for practicing with all eighteen types of weapons. Even when it rained, making outdoor training impossible, the indoor facilities were more than adequate.

The more I explored, the more I thought.

Though named the Demon God’s Fortress, this place was optimized for housing and training martial artists more than any other.

It exuded an ambition to dominate the martial world as a Demon God.

Initially, the variety of buildings was intriguing, but as I continued, I noticed the same types of buildings repeated.

One area led to another, each with spaces for martial artists, dining halls, armories, and training grounds.

Yet, I inspected each one thoroughly.

“What are you looking at so closely? Planning to make a map?”

“Hahaha.”

The Heavenly Demon couldn’t hold back his complaints, but I just laughed it off. Honestly, it wasn’t out of curiosity. It was a tedious and tiresome task for me too.

But I had faith. The decision to step outside the building was significant.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be opening room after room with the same layout.

Then, I stopped.

“Wait, this one’s different.”

Amidst the dormitories, there was a different room.

“A study?”

“Seems like it.”

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books.

I was certain. Finding this room in this building after leaving the test site was nearly impossible.

That’s why my heart started to race. It could be just an ordinary study, but it might also be the place I needed to find.

As I was about to enter, the Heavenly Demon asked.

“Why? Planning to read?”

I replied to his question.

“Sometimes, books can be a light in the darkness, right?”

“Back to being a wise old man, are we?”

“Haha. Let’s take a look while we’re here.”

I stepped inside and slowly surveyed the room.

The shelves were filled with a variety of books.

There were books on history, geography, and even secret martial arts manuals.

“Oh, this martial art is here?”

There were manuals that piqued my interest. But that was about it.

I carefully examined the books. I had meticulously searched the buildings and rooms to find this study.

So shouldn’t I apply the same thoroughness here?

I started with the first book on the first shelf.

How long did I spend examining the books?

One book caught my eye. The moment I saw the title, my eyes widened.

With trembling hands, I pulled it out.

The Heavenly Demon was the first to exclaim after confirming the title.

“My goodness!”

The book’s title was this:

Annotations on the Demon God’s Shadow Step.

It was a book interpreting the Demon God’s Shadow Step.

I slowly turned the pages.

It was indeed a commentary on the Demon God’s Shadow Step manual, which I previously couldn’t understand. It explained unfamiliar terms and detailed the mental techniques and movements.

“So that’s what it meant.”

“Damn it. They should have written it like this from the start.”

To the Heavenly Demon’s grumbling, I said.

“It’s a kind of test. To see if you can leave the building. To find this book.”

The test demanded several things.

First, breaking free from rigid thinking. You had to boldly remove the blinders that prevented you from seeing other possibilities.

You had to overcome the anxiety and fear that leaving the building might end the test.

Once outside, you had to inspect everything thoroughly. Could an ordinary person find this study and discover this commentary? It was no easy task.

“Thank you.”

The Heavenly Demon asked, puzzled by my gratitude.

“Why suddenly?”

“Finding this book is thanks to you.”

It was about overcoming rigid thinking.

If the Heavenly Demon hadn’t teased me about being a traditionalist stuck in my ways, would I have thought to leave? I don’t think so.

“You’re a strange one!”

The Heavenly Demon muttered, but he seemed pleased by my words.

I stood there, slowly reading the book. Since I was already familiar with the original content, just reading the commentary was enough to understand what to do.

“Damn! So that’s what it meant.”

The Heavenly Demon understood immediately too. No matter how difficult something is, once you know it, it seems simple. This martial art was no exception. Of course, that didn’t mean it was trivial.

This footwork was truly extraordinary.

“Shall we try what we’ve learned?”

“Think you can?”

The Heavenly Demon asked with concern. This martial art operated on a completely new method, neither orthodox nor demonic.

If I hadn’t learned the Blood Thunder Mind Technique and Blood Thunder Heavenly Art, I wouldn’t have grasped this martial art so easily.

This martial art was indeed based on both demonic and orthodox techniques, but the distinction was meaningless.

If I had learned the neutral techniques, I would have thought they were the foundation too.

In other words, this martial art was on a different level from the martial arts of our generation.

It was far superior to anything we had learned, encompassing everything yet belonging to none.

“I think I can do it.”

“Be careful. It’s no ordinary martial art.”

“Got it.”

I headed straight outside.

At first, I attempted light movements. Basic steps and stances. Yet, the feeling was different.

“It’s different.”

“Indeed.”

There was a special sensation that couldn’t be described as merely faster or more agile. It felt like a different level. Even in basic movements, there was a profoundness.

Could this really be the martial art of the Demon God’s Secret?

Both the Heavenly Demon and I were excited. Before being the leader of the Martial Alliance or the Heavenly Demon, we were martial artists through and through.

I felt the need to continue researching and practicing even the basic movements.

For now, I intended to try all possible movements from the start.

Next, I attempted the next level of movements. I moved forward, backward, left, and right. Even though it wasn’t particularly flashy, I felt confident that I could evade any unpredictable attack.

“Ah! Truly amazing!”

Initially, I was filled with admiration, and eventually, the Heavenly Demon exclaimed.

“Ha. What kind of martial arts have we been learning all this time?”

Though slightly exaggerated, the impact of this footwork was that significant.

I moved according to the instructions. The range of my movements gradually expanded.

My body moved where my mind directed. The movements were swift and precise. Above all, there was an elegance to them.

I repeatedly practiced the difficult parts.

Time flew by without me realizing it.

After trying out the basic movements, I stood at the edge of the training ground for a specific attempt.

This time, it wasn’t just a simple movement but a named technique.

The technique was called the Demon God’s Single Step.

It meant the single step of a Demon God, but what would that step be like?

According to the commentary, it said I could cross the vast training ground in one go. It claimed I could reach the other end in the blink of an eye.

Could that really be possible?

With my current movement skills, it was absolutely impossible. The same went for the Heavenly Demon. No human I knew could do it.

I steadied my breath and launched myself toward the target.

Whoosh.

“Ah!”

As I felt I couldn’t control my body, a scream escaped my lips.

Bang!

I shot across the training ground like a flash of light and crashed into the building wall.

A hole was punched through the building, and I tumbled to the ground.

Thud.

Amidst the falling debris and dust, I closed my eyes, raising my protective energy.

After a moment, I stood up. The distance from where I started to where I ended was not something that could be crossed in one go.

The more astonishing thing was that if the building hadn’t been there, I would have gone much farther.

And that was just on my first attempt.

If the first technique of the Demon God Style is like this, what kind of movement could the next one, the Demon God Flight, possibly be? And what about the technique after that?

[What on earth is going on?]

The Heavenly Demon asked, and I replied with a deepened gaze.

[Perhaps… the rumor that passing the Demon God’s trial allows one to become a Demon God might not be a lie after all.]

＊＊＊

Boom! Boom!

The continuous explosions from outside made Cheon So-seon sigh. A subordinate rushed in to report.

“It’s the Extermination Squad and the Iron Cavalry. You must leave immediately.”

Of course, Cheon So-seon couldn’t do that. He couldn’t abandon the chamber where his grandfather was.

“We won’t hold out for long.”

The subordinate dashed back up the stairs.

Their location had been discovered sooner than expected. It crossed his mind that even the Dark Alliance might have joined forces to leak their whereabouts. Cheon So-seon walked over to the chamber.

“Grandfather! You need to come out now.”

But the chamber remained still, unyielding.

With both the Extermination Squad and the Iron Cavalry attacking, even he couldn’t take them all on.

This secret chamber was perfect for hiding, but the worst place to face a large number of enemies. Moreover, his specialty, the Blazing Wind technique, was designed for dueling masters, not for handling crowds.

“Damn it!”

But dying here was not an option.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing grew closer.

Bang!

The door shattered as warriors stormed in.

Swish!

With a single strike, Cheon So-seon sent the intruders flying.

These were elite members of the Martial Alliance. Having been hit once, they wouldn’t charge in recklessly like a herd of animals rushing off a cliff.

What if they threw in smoke bombs or explosives? Set the place on fire?

If he were alone, he could break through the walls and escape, but he couldn’t leave his grandfather behind.

‘I have to go out and fight.’

Whatever happened later, he had to act now.

Cheon So-seon launched himself toward the entrance. As the second wave of warriors entered, they thrust their swords.

Swish!

He swung his arms, sending the attackers crashing away, their bodies crumpling.

Then it happened.

Thud, thud, thud.

Explosives rolled in one after another.

Cheon So-seon retreated, summoning his protective energy.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted.

Thanks to channeling his inner strength to its fullest, the chamber remained intact.

“Damn it!”

Just as he was about to charge out, fists clenched, he heard a rumble.

The chamber behind him shook violently.

Creak.

The door to the chamber slowly began to open.

Cheon So-seon was taken aback.

Someone inside was rising to their feet.

It wasn’t his grandfather. It was a young man, unfamiliar and younger than himself.