Chapter 294 : Extreme Demon Ashuban

[You have reached the Extreme Demon.]

"...Extreme Demon?"

[It is also called the state of Hwagyeong (Harmonious Reverence).]

I quietly looked up at the red pillar of light that was shooting up from the center of the lake.

"That is the Extreme Demon..."

[Do you know what it means?]

"Yes."

[What is it?]

"Doesn't it mean I'm fucking strong?"

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

[That's right.]

Extreme Demon, and Hwagyeong.

I don't know what it is, but it sounds a bit cool.

"Master."

[What is it?]

"Is there a next level?"

[There is.]

"What is it?"

[It is Talma. It is also called Hyeon-gyeong.]

"Is that the extreme?"

[It is the path to it.]

Talma, and Hyeon-gyeong.

It might be too early to talk about it now that I've just entered the state of Extreme Demon.

But I had confirmed the path I had to take.

There was a next.

For now, that was enough.

[Do you know what Talma is?]

"I do."

[What is it?]

"It must mean I'm fucking strong. More than the Extreme Demon."

The Heavenly Demon laughed.

[Correct.]

"Then is the extreme after Talma?"

[No. That is also the path to it.]

"Then where is the extreme?"

The Heavenly Demon looked at me with his hands behind his back.

A single gust of wind blew and shook his clothes.

[The extreme is not a destination to be reached.]

"Then?"

[It is a direction.]

"Hmm."

[Is it difficult to understand?]

"It's confusing."

[Hold it in your arms and ponder it for a long time. Someday, life will answer you.]

"Yes."

Sometimes, what the Heavenly Demon said was difficult.

I thought about it deeply...

And a question suddenly arose.

"Master."

[What is it?]

"I have a question."

[Speak.]

"About the levels."

[Levels?]

"Yes. Please explain it in detail."

[It's troublesome.]

"As a commemoration of your cute disciple reaching the Extreme Demon, I ask you."

[...]

The Heavenly Demon looked at me for a moment, and then turned his gaze to the lake.

It was a look as if he were wondering if he should just throw me in there.

The Heavenly Demon glanced at me, and then, looking at the blood-red, churning lake, he said.

[The logic of the martial world and this place are different, so listen with a grain of salt.]

"Yes."

[The martial artists who have entered the martial world are generally classified like this.]

The Heavenly Demon began his explanation.

[Starting from a third-rate martial artist, they advance to second-rate, first-rate, peak, transcendent, extreme demon, and talma.]

"Hmm."

[Usually, when one reaches the extreme demon, their body is reconstructed accordingly, but you have already undergone Bone Replacement...]

I asked with a bewildered face.

"Me? When?"

[Don't you remember?]

"No."

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue and said.

[When you fell off the cliff and died, didn't I say that your body had changed into a Heavenly Body as you inherited my talent?]

"Ah...! So that's why my body hurt so much!"

[You are a peculiar case in many ways. Where is there a guy who undergoes Bone Replacement before even learning martial arts?]

So it wasn't just that I had died and woken up and it hurt like hell?

[Tsk. It's not clearly divided like cutting with a knife, so just take it as a reference. Words cannot contain many things.]

I thought for a moment and then said.

"Master."

[What is it?]

"Then was the level I was at until a little while ago transcendent?"

[You could say that. Your companions, right? The owners of the platinum badges.]

"Yes."

[Most of them can be considered to be at the transcendent level.]

"Aha."

[Although there are a few who seem to have reached the extreme demon...]

"But?"

[As I said before, since the laws of the martial world and this place are different, they cannot be clearly compared.]

I nodded.

"Then what about the Eight Sword Masters?"

The Heavenly Demon stroked his chin.

[If I had to compare, I think they are at the Talma level. One level above you.]

One level.

"I've narrowed the gap a lot."

[That's right.]

The Heavenly Demon looked at me.

[A third-rate martial artist has grown a lot.]

"It's all thanks to you, Master."

[Keep up the good work.]

"Yes, Master."

I looked at the churning, blood-red lake with the Heavenly Demon...

And a question suddenly came to mind.

"Then where are you, Master?"

[Me?]

The Heavenly Demon laughed as if it were absurd.

It was an extremely arrogant smile.

[I am not bound by the levels that mortals have set. Since I have transcended all of them.]

"Ooh..."

I looked up at the Heavenly Demon, who was looking at the lake with his hands behind his back.

A sincere admiration flowed from my mouth.

"I respect you, Master."

[You should. Even a dog knows its master.]

"I'm better than a dog, right?"

[Hmm.]

"?"

[It's ambiguous.]

I only realized it was a joke when I saw the smile on the Heavenly Demon's lips.

To think the Heavenly Demon would joke.

"Hahaha."

I could feel that many things had changed.

I had changed a lot, but the Heavenly Demon was no different.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon erased his smile and looked at me with eyes that were utterly pathetic.

[What are you laughing at?]

...It was a joke, right?

The Heavenly Demon looked up at the sky and said.

[A lot of time has passed. Say goodbye to your friend, and go out now. Everyone is waiting.]

At the Heavenly Demon's words, I turned my head to the side, and Tina, who had approached me at some point, was smiling and looking up at me.

He let go of the back of my neck, and I immediately fell and softly...

Thump!

"Ugh."

I had forgotten that my body still didn't move as I willed.

Tina, who had fallen ungracefully, chuckled and helped me up.

With Tina's help, I got up, and then, as if nothing had happened, I looked at her with a nonchalant face.

"Tina."

"Yes."

"You can be proud. This is all thanks to you."

"Why is it thanks to me?"

"Because I have always fought with you."

Because every step was with you.

Tina laughed.

"Ashuban."

"Yes."

"I have never not been proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Have you ever seen me lie?"

"No. You should have said it more often."

We looked at each other and laughed.

* * *

Slowly.

My eyes opened.

And through the crack, my blood-red pupils were revealed.

"He's awake!"

"He's finally up."

"He slept for a long time."

"Big Brother, is your breathing over?"

"It's not breathing, it's breathing exercise."

"Aren't you hungry?"

The Sherwood members, who had gathered at the door and were watching, said one by one.

Ashuban's quiet eyes scanned the room.

"Wait."

Shushuruta, who had seen his strangely quiet and sunken eyes, looked at him with suspicion.

"Ashuban. Is that you?"

The red-eyed man looked at her without a word.

"Huh? It's the devil."

"Pardon? If it's not Big Brother, then who..."

"Shh. Be quiet."

A tense silence flowed in the room.

Everyone's gaze was on the red-eyed man who was keeping silent.

"Answer me. Who are you."

In the tense moment, his mouth opened.

"Tina's old friend, the dragon slayer, the man who has reached the extreme demon, the master of the blood-red lake, the red-eyed devil who will beat up the Eight Sword Masters one by one, Ashuban Sherwood. If you didn't know me, you will now."

"..."

A silence hung in the air for a moment.

"Devil!"

Linda suddenly popped out and rushed at Ashuban.

"...It's definitely him."

Shushuruta let out a deep sigh, and Hudmilla shook her head from side to side.

"Let me check if you're okay, Big Brother."

Sirila approached and checked his pulse.

"You smell a little different..."

Miho approached, sniffing.

"Aren't you hungry?"

Mary sat next to him and put the dried fruit that Shushuruta had brought into Ashuban's mouth.

Ashuban ate what was given to him and asked.

"How long has it been?"

Shushuruta answered.

"A little over two weeks."

"Hmm. And the rest?"

Hudmilla answered that question.

"They're all out on commissions."

"The Dark Heaven Society?"

"The Dark Heaven Society."

Ashuban nodded.

"They're diligent. Excellent. I'll have to praise them when they get back."

Hudmilla, with her arms crossed, leaned against the door and asked.

"What happened in the past two weeks? Your atmosphere has changed quite a bit."

At that, Ashuban grinned.

"Worship me, you weaklings. Your captain has reached the extreme demon."

"...Extreme Demon?"

"That's right. Ashuban who has reached the extreme demon. Call me Extreme Demon Ashuban for short."

"What's an extreme demon?"

"I don't know either."

"..."

Shushuruta and Hudmilla looked at each other, and then, at the same time, they sighed and shook their heads.

* * *

As soon as I woke up, I rushed to Uncle Sven's restaurant.

Because my stomach was screaming.

"Ashuban. Have you been starving for a few days? You're eating like a starved man."

"To be precise, I've been starving for about two weeks."

"Haha, then I'll have to bring out two weeks' worth more."

Uncle Sven, thinking I was joking, laughed and went back to the kitchen.

Shushuruta, who was sitting across from me, clicked her tongue.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you."

I tore off a whole pig's foot and ate it, and then said.

"Wipe the grease off your mouth before you talk."

"..."

Shushuruta wiped her glistening lips with the back of her hand.

"Devil, try it with this. It's really delicious!"

I refused the suspicious-colored sauce that Linda offered.

"You eat a lot of it."

"Mmm. The devil is so kind."

Munch, munch. Nom, nom, nom.

At the sound from the side, I turned my head, and Siri was eating a big bone just like me.

She eats so heartily.

Naturally, all eyes gathered.

"..."

Siri, who had been eating excitedly, suddenly became quiet and stopped eating for a moment, and then looked around.

"Don't mind me! Please don't mind me!"

She hid her bright red face behind a big piece of meat.

How does that even cover it all?

"You've been starving too?"

"No..."

I teased the shy Siri and then heard a report from Hud.

"So, what's the current situation?"

"If it's smooth, it's smooth. Everyone is busy finding and destroying their bases. It seems they even made a bet on who could destroy the most."

"Excellent. And you haven't found their main base yet?"

"That's right."

Chomp, chomp, chomp—

I looked at Miho, who was eating liver under the table.

"You've been sleeping all this time?"

Miho flicked her tail as if she were annoyed.

"Tell me when you find their main base. I'll destroy it then."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I took another big bite of the pig's foot and then asked.

"So, nothing else special?"

"There is one thing. A special thing."

"What is it?"

"I got a call from Big Sister."

"What did she say?"

"She said her research is finished."

"Finally?"

"Finally."

"It seems she finally succeeded. I don't know what kind of research it was."

It was a research that used an S-rank magic stone.

It couldn't have been an ordinary research.

As if she had more to say, Hud looked at me.

"So, she said she's going to make a 'special commission' to you."

"Huh?"

"She said you'd know if I said it like this."

In that moment, the words that Scarlet had said to me flashed through my mind.

—Yes. It's a research that's related to you too, so when you make a mercenary corps later, I can make a formal commission.

—This is a secret, but I knew you would come back with red eyes. I saw the future you. In the distant past.

—Seeing that you've come back alive like this, it means what I saw was right. The research will succeed. In the near future.

—It's a secret. When the time comes, you'll know even if you don't want to.

—It's a research related to 'time'.

—Time is a very tricky thing, so you have to be careful, and careful again. A slight twist can cause a completely unexpected event. Do you know about the butterfly effect?

—By the time you've gone to find Siri, the research will be complete. I'll make a special commission to you then, so look forward to it.

"...Ah."

I realized that this was the 'special commission' she had been talking about all this time.

* * *

"Who wants to go see the captain and Big Sister?"

"Me!"

Siri raised her hand.

"Is the devil going too?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll go too!"

Linda also expressed her intention to go.

"And the first little sister?"

"If everyone goes, who will do the work? I will guard the house. Don't worry and go."

Shushuruta said with her hands on her hips.

"How admirable. As expected of the first. You're so reliable."

I ruffled her hair, and Shushuruta made a strange sound and pushed my hand away.

"And Mary?"

"I'll stay here too. I'm going to do a big cleaning."

I ruffled Mary's hair too, because she was so admirable.

"As expected of our youngest. Help your big sister and guard the house."

Mary, with her disheveled hair, smiled and answered.

"Yes."

I immediately formed an expedition and set off.

Miho had gone to sleep, so I skipped her.

Hud waved and saw us off.

"Have a good trip. Tell me what the commission was when you get back. I'm so curious."

"Look forward to it."

I led the expedition to the mountain village where Guston's shop was.

(End of Chapter)