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Chapter 218 - Double Edged Sword (3)
Published on
Mar 29, 2023
•10 min read•1345 views
Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation—
It was a survival game in which a randomly selected person was taken and tested to see if he or she could become the final winner.
According to the answer given by ‘Simulation Lv2,’ the game was a kind of game in which various rules are set, making the players act within.
And calling it a survival game meant that the goal was for the player to live until the end. In the end, nurturing the Heavenly Demon was to create an independent child in the heavens and world. Paradoxically, it meant that if the player became the Heavenly Demon, then they can escape from the influence this so-called system has.
So Seol-Hwi felt puzzled.
If it was the same player, then the starting point as the Heavenly Demon? In a system that nurtures a Heavenly Demon, what could they accept?
“You are speaking of a Demonic Sect’s lord?”
The AI looked at Seol-Hwi and asked.
“Being called like that… they are known as the Great Heavenly Demon as nicknames too.”
“Right. The Heavenly Demon usually refers to the greatest person with the sect. It has a similar meaning to the titles of best in Kangho. In other words, the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation is to nurture the best being like the Heavenly Demon and make them a possible leader. Then one becomes the Heavenly Demon that the system seeks.”
“Ah, then… you are saying that the other players were Heavenly Demons from birth and sect leaders too?”
“Right. This person’s starting point was entirely different. He started out as Profound Demon.”
Now Seol-Hwi knew what he meant.
The mission given to him now was to eventually kill the player who became the “Heavenly Demon” and become the Heavenly Demon himself.
“And if there is one thing I came to know after dozens of fights with him… his goal is different from ours.”
“Different goal? What are you talking about?”
“If our goal is to become the Heavenly Demon, then his goal is to protect the Heavenly Demon. In other words, the only person chosen by the system.”
The AI, Sa Yu-kang, looked at Seol-Hwi and continued,
“He is the one who takes away the hope for the challengers and enjoys their despair.”
“…”
Seol-Hwi knew who the target was. At the same time, he felt so helpless.
He did not feel like he could control the whole world while being Supreme Demon, but the thought of this time extending more felt so depressing.
But he was not afraid.
To defeat a Profound Demon, one has to be on the same level.
How strong does he have to be to fight him?
No, is it possible to even reach that level?
“Now do you understand why? The past where I chose to not tell…”
“Yes.”
Seol-Hwi understood.
At that time, he was still only at the Peak Demon level. If he had heard all that, would he have worked hard to reach the Supreme Demon level? Maybe he would have just given up.
Seol-Hwi paused for a moment before asking, then said,
“Can I ask something?”
“Speak.”
“After becoming the AI, how many times have you handled players like me?”
In the past, Sa Yu-kang heard that about 50 million players challenged this game before he came.
After that, he turned to an AI, so he wondered how many people like Seol-Hwi and himself became an AI and helped the target.
“About 10 million?”
“…!”
“It was about that much when I still counted. After that, I thought there was no need to count any longer and forgot about it.”
“Ah…”
“Even if you become an AI, it isn’t as boring as you think. Roughly, half of them are lost from the start.”
According to him, just a handful of players can get even further. Most of them are said to not even get to the Supreme Demon level and would just die.
“There are about a hundred who went beyond Supreme Demon. Among them, three at Profound Demon. Of course, they were broken down by the Heavenly Demon…”
The more the AI spoke the more the Heavenly Demon felt like a greatness which could not be stood up to.
As he had felt before, the AI seemed to have contempt and anger directed at the Heavenly Demon.
“Seol-Hwi.”
“Yes.”
When he found that his opponent was on the Profound Demon level, Seol-Hwi showed more respect.
“Do you know why I am telling you everything?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Because you are stupid and weak.”
“Uh? A… yes…”
Seol-Hwi felt bad inside, but he did not show it.
If he thought about this, the AI was at the top, and from his point of view, Seol-Hwi might look like that.
“I am not saying this to mock you, rather it is a compliment.”
He spoke with a serious expression,
“About you. Of all the players I have seen, you started at the bottom. To be honest, it is a place where the survival rate is too low. Even so, you continued to move up and met me.”
“…”
“The process of surviving is more interesting. Most of the players who recognize this as ‘a game’ think practically. They use what is beneficial to them and what is unfavorable in the right manner. So they used the method of solving the problems ahead, one by one.”
The AI’s expression looked brighter.
“But you, on the other hand, live your life looking at it like reality, rather than having a practical approach. Saving someone, living with feelings. That is a different path from what the system had created. That meaningless resistance… I like it.”
“…”
“Which is why I wanted to see you. Those who started at the bottom and those who started at the top. Of course, I think the latter will win… but since you have something he doesn’t, you should try to cling to hope.”
Seol-Hwi did not respond, but asked,
“What is it?”
“Desperation.”
“Ah…”
He could not tell if it was a compliment or a curse, but Seol-Hwi bowed.
There was no need to offend the AI.
“Seol-Hwi you see. Maybe because of this, the way to grow in a short period is different from others. We will have to wait and see how it will help in the future… that is what I think though.”
Seol-Hwi thought about those words.
The desperation—
Right, it was that, and that changed to continuous death.
It started with longing for strong power.
And then he realized the reason he had to be strong, and later it led to a desire to be with his subordinates.
“Any other questions?”
When the AI suddenly started acting kindly, Seol-Hwi was a bit shocked.
“The player who is born as Heavenly Demon.”
“Right.”
“If I die, is he still alive in that life? Or will they follow me when I die and return?”
What Seol-Hwi did not understand was this.
If they were similar players, they had to live together in the same world. But when he died, what would happen to him?
“That is someone to be curious about.”
AI Sa Yu-kang nodded at Seol-Hwi’s question and then continued,
“That is why I didn’t say it was the Heavenly Demon when you first asked me.”
“Uh? That is…”
“He is no longer the Heavenly Demon. To be precise… He doesn’t exist in the world.”
“Are you saying he is in another world, and not this?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know… but I am sure of one thing.”
“…?”
“That he continues to grow in a place invisible to us.”
“Nonsense…”
Seol-Hwi thought the words of the AI were absurd, but the AI looked serious.
“Anyway, the one you need to kill is the Heavenly Demon.”
“What do you mean?”
“Killing the current Heavenly Demon will give you the chance to see that player.”
“Ah!”
Seol-Hwi looked shocked.
Only then did he understand it. The opponent was born as the sect leader right from the start and was getting stronger all the time. Furthermore, how strong he is at this point cannot even be imagined.
It meant that the number of years the player lived, the times he came back, and continued to train were things which are hard to imagine.
“Anything more you are curious about?”
At the question of the AI, Seol-Hwi said,
“Could you teach me the Absolute Supreme Demonic Arts?”
“…”
“I don’t know if you know, but after a while I have to fight a tough opponent.”
“…That isn’t so difficult.”
“For real?”
As Seol-Hwi’s face brightened, the AI smiled.
“But when that happens, you lose a big thing.”
“What thing…”
“To climb to Profound Demon.”
“Ah…”
Seol-Hwi noticed that the AI was speaking of enlightenment.
There was a big difference between simply learning martial arts and embodying it.
So, if one learns Absolute Supreme Demonic Arts in here, they lose the chance to grow later.
“And you leave behind the Heavenly Demon Footwork for Heavenly Demon Shadow technique?”
“Right.”
Seol-Hwi blinked his eyes and changed the topic.
“You seem to have a lot of questions.”
Seol-Hwi cautiously continued talking to the AI, who continued to think he is a nuisance.
“Let me ask you one last question.”
“…What?”
After the AI agreed, he immediately asked,
“Is there a secret to getting infinite lives?”
“…”
“There is, right?”
Seol-Hwi’s face brightened. What he expected was right.
“Right. But can you do it?”
“If it isn’t too difficult…”
“Is that so? Then, I will let you know.”
The AI spoke calmly.
“The Three Lives Presented by the Earth Demon. Choose medium difficulty among them.”
“Then?”
“After choosing it you will be given a special mission as you progress. If you do that mission… it will work out.”
“What is the mission?”
“Killing those around you.”
“What?!”
Seol-Hwi looked shocked.
He looked at him to check if he was hearing it wrong, but the AI continued.
“The current subordinates will be your target. Kill all of them to increase the number of lives…”
“…”
“You give up your humanity for it.”
<Returning to original body.>
[1,011 days. The AI cannot be called during this period.]
After the AI vanished, another month passed. However, Seol-Hwi did not do anything of much importance during that time. Of the several pieces of advice he got—
He thought the fog would disappear, but it got thicker in his head.
“Lose… humanity…”
Seol-Hwi knew what these words meant.
To continue with life, but the more he does that, the more the emotions in life will disappear.
The objective was to think only of killing and becoming stronger, completely erasing conventional emotions like love and the like.
-Just. Because you seem to go after romance.
He understood what the word romance meant.
To come back a thousand times meant to have your emotions annihilated. In the midst of that, he must have been interested in seeing Seol-Hwi who was going against that.
Step
Occasionally, he would feel something.
The underground cave was a place where people could not enter, especially if they did not have a purpose. And the First Disciple and his subordinates flocked to him in the previous life.
“First… let’s deal with them and then think.”
Seol-Hwi got up.
In the past, the enemy attacked them, and this time it was his turn to do it to them.
The Double Edged sword was in Seol-Hwi’s hand. The four marbles within the bag were shining brightly today.