Chapter 282
Sun Woo-jin had met many absolute masters of this era in person.
Among them were Hyeopwang Moyong Geom of the Yi Wang faction within the Ilje, the Sword Saint Hae Un-baek and the Saintess Si Seo-woo of the Samseong, the Lustful Son Eun-sang, Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang, and the Demon Realm’s Man Hak-soong of the Sama, and finally, the Strange Sword Seo Il-gi of the O-gwe…
All of them were martial artists who seemed to exist above the heavens, making it impossible for Sun Woo-jin to accurately compare their levels with his own skills.
Yet, he had always judged them by one standard: his master, Gwanghyeop Geomgoe Jeong Myeong-gang, with whom he had formed a teacher-disciple bond at Gwanggeomneung.
By that measure, regrettably, none of the absolute masters Sun Woo-jin had met in this era had ever given off a stronger presence than Jeong Myeong-gang.
At best, the likes of Lustful Son Eun-sang, Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang, and Sword Saint Hae Un-baek had a presence comparable to his master’s, but the rest fell far short.
In contrast, the Sword God he encountered in the Monghon Great Technique, or the Thunder God and Martial Emperor he saw in the illusions of the Martial Emperor’s Tomb, had undeniably overwhelmed Jeong Myeong-gang’s presence.
That was why he had concluded that the absolute masters of the present era were inferior to those of the past.
But at this very moment, Sun Woo-jin realized that wasn’t necessarily true.
The Demon King Gwe Gal-hyeon.
Regarded as the finest warrior in the world, this man radiated a colossal presence that rivaled even Jeong Myeong-gang’s.
He was truly an overwhelming monster.
And now, that monster’s blazing gaze was fixed solely on Seol Poong.
This shift had occurred the moment Seol Poong revealed the names of his father and mother.
Gwe Gal-hyeon stared at Seol Poong with an inscrutable expression for a long moment before speaking again.
“You said you want to challenge for the position of my successor?”
“Yes.”
Seol Poong’s answer came without the slightest hesitation, and a bitter smile curled at the corner of the Demon King’s mouth.
“How amusing. Do you really think I would allow someone who might seek revenge against me to become my successor? Without killing you right here and now?”
His tone was mocking, as if toying with Seol Poong.
But hearing those words, Seol Poong’s companions couldn’t help but feel their hearts drop.
If that monster so much as lifted a finger, their lives would end instantly.
Yet, unlike his companions, Seol Poong showed no fear.
He simply answered calmly.
“I expect you would. You know I won’t—and can’t—take revenge.”
There was deep pain in Seol Poong’s eyes as he spoke.
Still, the Demon King sneered and pressed on.
“You won’t take revenge? I don’t believe it. Why wouldn’t you? Are you saying you won’t avenge your father, your mortal enemy? How can I trust that?”
Seol Poong clenched his teeth tightly and fell silent for a moment, then glared back with burning eyes.
Around them, everyone swallowed hard, watching the exchange in tense silence.
Neither Sun Woo-jin’s group nor the Demon King’s entourage seemed to fully grasp what was unfolding.
Especially Sun Woo-jin’s group, whose anxious expressions betrayed their understanding that their very survival hinged on the outcome of this conversation.
Though Seol Poong had confidently claimed he could become the Demon King’s successor, the current situation suggested otherwise.
And if things went badly, they would all be attacked alongside Seol Poong by that overwhelming monster.
The thought alone was terrifying.
To face an assault from such a creature meant certain death.
“Ugh… no wonder I had a bad feeling. Thanks to my brothers, it seems we’re all doomed to die at the same time. Damn it.”
“Am I really going to die here with Poong? If I’m going to die, I should’ve at least slept with him once. I should’ve forced it.”
As Jung Chil and Yeon Tae-jin thought this silently, Sun Woo-jin suddenly sensed something odd about the conversation.
It felt as if the Demon King was deliberately putting Seol Poong in a difficult position.
Like a mischievous boy teasing someone as a strange form of affection, he seemed to be toying with Seol Poong on purpose.
But he quickly shook his head.
‘No, that can’t be right. There’s no way that monster would stoop to such childish games.’
Then, with a bitter smile, the Demon King suddenly chuckled and spoke.
“Very well. Perhaps it’s not so bad to restore the ruined traditions of the Gwe Seol family with my own hands. I grant you permission. From now on, you are a candidate for the next Demon King.”
“!”
“!”
The declaration was so sudden that everyone around was stunned.
As Sun Woo-jin’s group breathed a deep sigh of relief, the Demon King’s close aides immediately voiced their objections.
“My lord! That is…!”
“My lord! Please reconsider! The traditions of the Gwe Seol family, once broken, mean nothing now! You must eliminate this threat immediately!”
“Impossible, Father! I will never agree to such a candidate as one of us!”
Sun Woo-jin observed those raising objections.
The man demanding the threat be eliminated resembled Man Ji-seong, who had guided Sun Woo-jin’s group earlier.
Sun Woo-jin quickly deduced his identity.
‘This must be Man Seong-guk, head of the Jin Gang-man family and current chief of the Demon King’s alliance.’
When Gwe Gal-hyeon killed Seol Cheon-hu and became Demon King, Man Seong-guk had ousted the Yang Ju-dong family, who had been the alliance’s second-in-command for generations, to take the chief’s seat.
So it made sense that he was hostile toward Seol Poong, a descendant of the Seol family.
It also meant cooperation with them would be difficult going forward.
Sun Woo-jin shifted his gaze to the young man who called the Demon King “Father.”
He was a sturdy figure with a proud, arrogant gaze.
Sun Woo-jin suddenly felt that this young man bore a striking resemblance to Seol Poong.
Though their auras were completely different, at least in appearance, they looked alike.
It was probably because the Gwe and Seol families shared the same bloodline.
Nearby, three other young men who also resembled Seol Poong stood silently with their arms crossed, watching him.
They were likely the Demon King’s four sons, as the rumors said.
Sun Woo-jin quickly scanned their faces and impressions.
‘These must be my brother’s rivals.’
In his past life, the candidates for the next Demon King had been the four sons plus Seol Poong—five in total.
So from now on, Seol Poong would have to compete with them to be recognized as the next Demon King.
As Sun Woo-jin pondered this, the protests continued.
“My lord! The successor of the Seol family must be eliminated immediately…!”
“Father! I will never accept such a man…!”
As Man Seong-guk and one of the Demon King’s sons voiced their opposition, the Demon King spoke quietly.
“Since when…?”
At that moment, an immense aura burst forth from the Demon King like a raging storm.
“Gwah!”
“Ugh!”
The force spread like a tempest, pressing down on the crowd like a thousand-ton boulder.
The two who opposed him groaned, unable to continue speaking.
Others around them struggled to stay seated, gathering their energy to resist the crushing pressure.
“Ugh…!”
“Such overwhelming presence…”
The Demon King, now radiating the aura of a true sovereign, looked around coldly and continued.
“Since when did you start questioning my decisions?”
His overwhelming presence crushed everyone like an elephant stepping on ants.
Within this space, his existence felt godlike, truly that of an absolute being.
When his cold gaze fixed on Man Seong-guk, the man finally collapsed to his knees, unable to withstand it.
He pleaded.
“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I dared to disturb your mood.”
With Man Seong-guk’s surrender, the Demon King’s gaze shifted to his son, who had been opposing Seol Poong’s candidacy.
“Hang-gi, do you dare question my decision?”
The son’s body trembled as the pressure intensified.
But he was truly the Demon King’s son—he refused to yield easily and continued to argue.
“I will never accept such a man…!”
The Demon King smiled bitterly and asked.
“Do you lack confidence?”
The son, called Hang-gi, narrowed his eyes and retorted.
“What?!”
“I asked if you lack confidence in competing against him.”
Hang-gi gritted his teeth and shouted.
“What are you saying?! Who would lack confidence…!”
Then, the Demon King’s eyes flashed with a brilliant light, and the pressure bearing down on his son intensified instantly.
Unable to withstand it, Hang-gi crumpled to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Thud!
The Demon King looked down coldly at his fallen son and said.
“Listen carefully. I have no use for a successor who fears competition. If you’re afraid of a competitor who has no foundation and just rolled in from outside, then quit right now.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept coldly not only over his kneeling son but also across the other three sons.
In response, the three remaining sons silently bowed their heads, signaling their submission.
The Overlord had imposed his will through overwhelming authority.
With no one left to voice opposition, the Overlord withdrew his intensity and declared,
“I will say it again. From this moment on, Seol Poong, descendant of Seolga, is officially one of the candidates for the next Overlord.”
At his proclamation, everyone lowered their heads.
There was no one left to object.
Then the Overlord turned his gaze back to Seol Poong and said,
“From now on, you must prove—by any means necessary—that you are worthy to be the next Overlord. The power befitting the next Overlord, the achievements befitting the next Overlord. If you can demonstrate these, it won’t matter what your family name is—you will claim the seat of the next Overlord.”
Seol Poong met the Overlord’s eyes without a word.
For a moment, their gazes locked in the empty air.
After a brief pause, the Overlord turned his head toward the other sons and said,
“These are your rivals from now on. Use any means to defeat them, but understand this: within Gangso Province, you may not kill or seriously injure one another. Do you understand?”
Seol Poong nodded silently.
‘Endless competition, but no killing or maiming within Gangso Province.’
He already knew the rules for becoming the next Overlord.
Seeing that Seol Poong had no questions, the Overlord gave a bitter smile and left him with a final remark.
“Then, good fortune.”
With the Overlord’s last words, Seol Poong and Sun Woo-jin’s group were finally able to leave the arena.
They all exhaled deeply, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
“Whew! I thought I was a goner!”
“Me too. I didn’t realize someone could be crushed by sheer presence like that.”
“Same here. I almost died before even getting a chance to be with Poong. Poong, once we’re out of here, get out fast…”
Just then, the other candidates—the Overlord’s sons—emerged behind them.
The ordeal was far from over.
All of them fixed cold stares on Seol Poong, and the one who had been opposing him most vocally, Gwe Hang-gi, stepped forward first with a haughty expression.
“You lowborn scum. No matter what your father commands, I refuse to acknowledge someone like you as an equal candidate. If you want to keep your life, give up your candidacy now and kneel before us.”
He showed no effort to hide his hostility and contempt toward Seol Poong.
Seol Poong glanced over him and the three brothers silently watching from behind.
Though none of them spoke up like Gwe Hang-gi, he saw no friendly expressions among them.
His chest burned with rising anger.
His mood was already sour, and now they were provoking him first.
But he barely restrained the volcano of rage threatening to erupt.
If this weren’t the Overlord’s headquarters, the Sa-wang-ryeon, he would have crushed that bastard on the spot—but he worried that such a move might endanger his own people.
At that moment, Sun Woo-jin’s voice came through in his ear.
Hearing that, a fierce smile curled at the corner of Seol Poong’s lips.
It was the savage grin of a predator about to strike.