Chapter 836: I Haven't Lived the Life of a Protagonist

TL: FoodieMonster007

Hyeok Docheon's Heavenly Demon Soul felt a complex mix of emotions. Its original plan was to absorb Geom Mugeuk's Heavenly Demon Soul, then use that strengthened power to absorb Hwa Mugi's.

If it succeeded, wouldn't it be able to return to its original state? It wanted a body. Its own body.

Although it was supposed to pledge eternal loyalty to Hyeok Docheon for giving it life, that loyalty had faded over the past three hundred years. Being with the others had made it half-human. It wouldn't have even minded becoming Hwa Mugi's Heavenly Demon Soul, as long as it could obtain a body.

While lost in these thoughts, it saw Geom Woojin's Heavenly Demon Soul refrain from annihilating Hwa Mugi's.

A Heavenly Demon Soul that was defeated and annihilated would disappear forever. However, if it vanished because its master died, it could one day find another. Geom Woojin's Heavenly Demon Soul had not stolen that opportunity for the sake of its own power.

In that moment, Hyeok Docheon's Heavenly Demon Soul remembered what kind of being it once was. It had been proud and full of self-esteem, an absolute existence that didn't covet the power of others. All demons had looked up to it and trembled in fear.

A wave of despair washed over it as it realized it had become a mongrel, its mind filled with stray thoughts.

[You're wavering too,] a voice echoed in its heart.

It was Hwa Mugi's voice.

WHOOSH!

The moment it heard those words, the Heavenly Demon Soul's spirit was sucked into darkness as if falling off a cliff. The black eyes vanished, and Hwa Mugi returned.

Hwa Mugi was not angry or shaken, despite his Heavenly Demon Soul's defeat. "You people can even shake the will of a Heavenly Demon Soul."

He had thought it might be possible when he saw the other souls within his body waver and crumble. It was a miracle they hadn't gone mad after being trapped for so long. They hadn't endured because they were masters, but because they were together.

It was understandable that they, as humans, would be shaken. He truly hadn't expected that even a Heavenly Demon Soul would be swayed by them. Not only his own, but Hyeok Docheon's Heavenly Demon Soul had been shaken as well.

A question arose on its own.

"What in the world are you?"

Geom Mugeuk glanced back at the people lined up behind him. A long battle had been unfolding, yet they had been silently watching this fight. "Me? No, they are gathered here because of you. If it weren't for you…"

What if Hwa Mugi had never existed? What if I hadn't regressed? What kind of life would I be living? My brother would have become the Young Cult Leader, and I might have already died. Even if I had survived, my relationships with my father and the Demon Supremes would have been a mess. It would have been difficult to even see the two Chairmen. Would I have ever even met the Sword King?

"Well, I should say I'm where I am thanks to you, not because of you."

My entire life was hard because of you, and my life now is incredibly happy, also because of you.

That was what Hwa Mugi was to him.

Hwa Mugi felt the deep, complex emotions in Geom Mugeuk's eyes.

Why is he looking at me like that?

That Young Cult Leader had been utterly incomprehensible from the very beginning.

"I regret it," he suddenly said.

He wasn't just saying it. He genuinely regretted it.

"I should have killed them all, one by one, and saved you for last."

Geom Mugeuk looked at him and smiled cryptically. Hwa Mugi, you already did something similar once. You killed the Chairmen, my father, and even tried to kill me. You've already lived that life.

Hwa Mugi's candid self-reproach continued, "I was arrogant."

In truth, he had every right to be arrogant. He possessed incredible martial arts, vast inner qi, a protective enhanced qi that replenished his energy, and two Heavenly Demon Souls. How could he possibly have imagined losing?

His self-blame continued. Even if he had come this far with arrogance, he should have done things differently.

"I should have pushed them relentlessly and finished them all off before you arrived."

The situation had become a mess ever since Geom Mugeuk arrived. He was even dragged away to eat a meal. He hated to admit it, but in the end, it wasn't just the souls that had been swayed by this Young Cult Leader.

By regretting and blaming himself, he was acting like a defeated man.

However, Geom Mugeuk didn't believe the act. Earlier, when his own Heavenly Demon Soul was attacking Hyeok Docheon's, Hwa Mugi had been trying to set some kind of trap.

He hasn't given up yet.

If anything, he was in a more dangerous state. Hwa Mugi was trying to lure them into complacency while plotting something.

Originally, this was my plan. Father, let's fight together. When else would I get a chance to fight alongside my father? I had planned to eliminate Hwa Mugi for good with his help.

However, his instinct told him otherwise.

'Fight alone.'

Geom Mugeuk decided to follow the instinct that had protected him for so long. He looked at Hwa Mugi and feigned nonchalance. "Don't blame yourself. It's not because you were arrogant, but because I've lived my life so diligently."

Though he acted carelessly, he did not let his guard down.

He drew the Black Demon Sword.

Before the fight, he glanced at his Heavenly Demon Soul. It had not yet disappeared and was still there, staring at Hwa Mugi with its pitch-black eyes.

Geom Mugeuk could feel the Heavenly Demon Soul's desire. "I know you want to fight to the end."

The Heavenly Demon Soul just kept staring straight ahead. It must want to eliminate Hwa Mugi itself, perhaps sensing that Hwa Mugi was a fated nemesis to its master.

With everyone's eyes on him, Geom Mugeuk calmly addressed his Heavenly Demon Soul. "I haven't lived my life trying to be the protagonist."

At the unexpected words, the Heavenly Demon Soul slightly turned its head to look at Geom Mugeuk.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, standing behind him, couldn't hold back and exclaimed, "That's absurd!"

The Sword King next to him nodded in agreement.

However, upon reflection, everyone knew that no one had lived for others more than Geom Mugeuk. Whenever they met Geom Mugeuk, everyone felt like they were the protagonist. He helped them understand who they were and what they liked.

That was why they were willing to be here, even as a supporting character or an extra, rather than the protagonist.

"To live as my Heavenly Demon Soul, you'll have to get used to not being the protagonist. You'll often have to step back, watch, endure, and yield. A lot of it probably won't suit your personality. Still, I won't live as the protagonist of this world. We won't be deciding the fate of the murim. We'll just be lying in a cart, gazing at the sky as we travel through the Central Plains." Geom Mugeuk paused for a moment, the said, "However, in this fight, I must be the protagonist."

It was a statement not just for the Heavenly Demon Soul, but for everyone.

The Heavenly Demon Soul's gaze remained fixed on Geom Mugeuk. Until now, it had only ever glanced at him furtively, but now it stared intently.

Geom Mugeuk revealed his true thoughts, "Thank you so much for descending for me today. I know it was a descent made with the resolve to be annihilated. Thank you, my friend."

The Heavenly Demon Soul, which had been gazing at Geom Mugeuk, vanished without a sound.

"…I talked so much, how can you leave without saying a single word!" Geom Mugeuk exclaimed, sending off the Heavenly Demon Soul.

He stepped forward.

To Hwa Mugi, the sight was truly pathetic. The Heavenly Demon Soul was nothing more than an evil spirit derived from martial arts. "You're not only talkative, but you also worry about every little thing."

Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied, "You're the same, carrying all that baggage, aren't you? In that sense, we're alike."

What a madman! The thought instantly came to Hwa Mugi's mind at the word 'alike'.

To him, Geom Mugeuk was an utterly incomprehensible person. The more he saw him, the more he wanted to kill him immediately, yet at the same time, he was curious what other nonsense he would spout.

"How about it? I'm still willing to talk with you," Geom Mugeuk offered.

He had expected to be treated like a madman, but this time the answer was different.

Hwa Mugi replied, "When the fight is over, I'll talk as much as you want."

SWOOOOSH!

Hwa Mugi launched himself toward Geom Mugeuk, and Geom Mugeuk charged forward without dodging. Having fought once before, they both knew their skills were evenly matched. That was why they unleashed their best moves from the very beginning.

CLANG!

The moment they exchanged their first blow, a thrill shot through their hearts. This was the final battle where they had to reveal everything without holding back.

SWIIISH!

Geom Mugeuk's sword flew toward Hwa Mugi's waist, moving faster than thought. Of course, Hwa Mugi's dodge was faster still. Hwa Mugi twisted his body to evade, stabbing his own sword toward Geom Mugeuk's neck.

SWISH!

Geom Mugeuk narrowly dodged and stabbed at the heart, while Hwa Mugi aimed for the eyes. Their attacks, aimed solely to kill, belied the nonsensical conversation they had shared just moments before.

Both Geom Mugeuk and Hwa Mugi felt it. Even if they survived, they would never have a fight like this again.

Flashes of sword light sparked ceaselessly. The swords moved too quickly for complex techniques that required preparation or large amounts of inner qi.

This battle was purely practical swordsmanship, meant only to kill. There was no room for beauty or elegance, only straight lines—the shortest path to take a life. Only against a mediocre opponent could one afford the aesthetics of a curve.

They exchanged attacks that would pierce a vital point in a moment of hesitation.

The onlookers couldn't take their eyes off the fight. They could neither join in nor help. The combatants' positions changed so rapidly that it was impossible to even launch sword qi.

Those who used swords, in particular, watched as if they were fighting themselves. Their hearts pounded. They wanted to fight in Geom Mugeuk's place, not to help, but because they yearned for such a battle.

Amidst the rapid offense, they began to unleash short, fast bursts of sword qi. It created the illusion that their swords were lengthening and shortening.

"Woah!"

Gasps of awe escaped from the onlookers. To unleash sword qi while moving so quickly was truly hard to believe, even seeing it with their own eyes.

SHHK! SHHHHK! SHK SHK SHK SHK!

Dozens of lines had already been drawn around the two men, covering the ground and the broken walls. There were so many lines that it looked as if they were fighting on a Go board.

Perhaps they felt suffocated being trapped there. As if by mutual agreement, the two men began fighting while racing down the main street of the Demon Village, exchanging sword blows as they ran.

The sword flashes they created formed long tails, following them like the tail of a kite through the streets.

They ran far into the distance and then raced back to their original spot.

Even while running like mad, the two exchanged blows, never taking their eyes off each other for a single moment. The instant they lost sight was the moment of death.

The two were clearly enjoying this fight. The enjoyment just wasn't apparent because the attacks were so deadly. It didn't show because there was no time to talk, no time to even crack a smile.

This time, they soared upward, treading on the empty air as if on an invisible floor.

Jumping up to fight was something any master could do, but fighting while treading on air as if it were solid ground was a realm not just anyone could reach. They were displaying everything possible with swordsmanship that had reached the pinnacle.

The swords became light, then heavy. When light, they were slow, and when heavy, they were fast. It was a battle that defied the basic principles of swordsmanship.

Suddenly, Geom Mugeuk had a new experience. Normally, when one entered a state of selflessness, they became unaware of the fight itself. By the time they came to their senses, the fight was over.

However, this time, it was the opposite. Geom Mugeuk felt as if his soul had left his body and was watching his own fight as a third party.

Is this a realm beyond selflessness? Or is it something else?

Geom Mugeuk's gaze deepened.

Perhaps?

Just as that feeling intensified while dozens of blows were exchanged in an instant.

KAAANG!

Hwa Mugi knocked away Geom Mugeuk's sword and shouted, "You've lost!"

Simultaneously, a dark energy erupted from Hwa Mugi's body like an explosion.

FWOOOOOSH!

Geom Mugeuk knew instinctively. Since the start of the fight, Hwa Mugi had been preparing and waiting for this one moment. It was his decisive move.

He could tell that Hwa Mugi had poured almost all of his remaining inner qi into this single attack. The immense energy coiled around his body, pressing in.

What does he plan to do afterward?

WHOOM!

In that instant, something invisible engulfed him.

FWOOP!

The world went dark and then became bright again.

Geom Mugeuk was standing in a new space. A thick, unsettling fog flowed around him as if it were alive. He could hear the sound of flowing water from somewhere, and also the crackling of a fire. There was a fragrant scent, the smell of blood, and the stench of rotting corpses.

Someone emerged from the fog. Surprisingly, it was the Divine Sword Martial Emperor.

"Young Cult Leader," the Divine Sword Martial Emperor greeted, not surprised to meet Geom Mugeuk here. It was as if he knew Geom Mugeuk had entered and had come looking for him. "Hwa Mugi used the Dark Heaven Soul Binding Art to trap your soul. It's a technique belonging to the Pitch Black Demonic Art, the same one he used to put us in his body. This is inside his mind."

Geom Mugeuk nodded. Despite the shocking words, he did not seem overly surprised.

"I know you're strong, but…" The Divine Sword Martial Emperor urgently added with a worried expression, revealing why Hwa Mugi had said he would talk his fill after the fight. "If you can't escape within two hours, you'll be trapped here forever."