Chapter 13
The Demon King’s Disciple (2)
“So you’re willing to seal the Dragon-Slaying Fist?”
The Blessing of Light nullified most forms of demonic magic.
Worse still, anyone who attacked its bearer suffered tremendous backlash.
It was, without question, the perfect countermeasure against demonkind.
That blessing was the only reason Jinhyuk had managed to endure against the Demon King, even if only briefly.
And yet the Demon King had declared that he would fight without relying on the Dragon-Slaying Fist—the one technique capable of efficiently overcoming the blessing.
“You laughed when I told you not to use it.”
Jinhyuk couldn’t hide his confusion.
Of course, someone like the Demon King probably believed he could win without even using his full strength.
Regardless of the reason, there was no reason to reject a situation that dramatically increased his chances of survival.
“Thank you for your mercy.”
The Demon King snorted.
“Hah. Don’t thank me. Now that I know you’re not some sneaky little mage, I’m merely treating you appropriately.”
He truly seemed to despise wizards.
“Now then. Let us have a real battle, warrior. Show me whether you can surpass the Solitary One.”
The Solitary One.
It was a term Jinhyuk had never heard before.
The Solitary One? Is it some kind of technique like the Dragon-Slaying Fist? No… it doesn’t matter. I just need to survive, like before.
His nerves tightened at the appearance of an unfamiliar pattern.
The Demon King slowly extended a fist toward him.
Left.
Based on everything he had learned so far, Jinhyuk instinctively moved.
Yet the next moment, the Demon King’s fist was already right in front of his face.
BOOM!
“Urgh…!”
“You are slow.”
Fortunately, the force behind the blow was weaker than before. His face wasn’t blown apart, but he was still launched several meters through the air.
What…? The punch definitely started from the left.
“You won’t win by scurrying around like a rat anymore. Block. Counterattack.”
The previous battles had merely been warm-ups.
Once the Demon King activated the power called Solitary Principle, he became an entirely different being.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he casually walked toward Jinhyuk as though playing with a child.
Though Jinhyuk couldn’t see his face, he was certain the Demon King was smiling.
So you’re just toying with me.
Fine. Have it your way.
Jinhyuk gritted his teeth.
If that kind of attitude was enough to intimidate him, he wouldn’t have endured hundreds of deaths.
He raised his fist.
Until now, he had done nothing but run.
It was time to strike back.
Hit him.
The memory of punching someone felt distant.
Most of the times he had thrown punches in his life had been to protect timid children like Oh Yeonhee.
Never once had he punched someone with the intent to kill.
First, he infused demonic energy into his fist.
Perhaps this was the first true punch he had ever thrown.
A fist wrapped in demonic power shot toward the Demon King.
Thud!
Pow!
“Ghk…!”
This wasn’t simply a matter of the Demon King becoming stronger.
It felt as though he had become a completely different person.
All of his habits had disappeared.
Jinhyuk’s attack was effortlessly neutralized before it could even reach its target.
Then the Demon King’s relentless barrage began.
“You dodged quite well earlier, yet your punches are pathetic. I find that difficult to understand.”
Having evaluated him instantly, the Demon King spoke with clear disappointment.
But Jinhyuk refused to give up.
I’ll hit you.
Just once.
“That tickles, Demon King. Is that all you’ve got?”
“Good. You have spirit. But a weakling with nothing but spirit is no different from a worm.”
Blood pouring from his body, Jinhyuk forced himself back to his feet.
Bathed in radiant light, his figure almost resembled a goddess.
The sight made the Demon King frown.
“Tch. Unpleasant memories.”
His excitement had vanished.
“All those weaklings who strutted around as though they ruled the world eventually fell into the hell I created. Are you any different?”
The Demon King reached into memories long forgotten and drew forth martial arts from ages past.
Annihilation Art.
Bloodthirst Heavenly Soul.
Bone-Shattering Tempest.
Ancient techniques bound by form.
Methods of torture designed to break the spirit.
The Demon King was not someone who enjoyed tormenting others, yet his skill in it rivaled any torturer.
Whether the man before him possessed the spirit of a goddess or was merely a pitiful insect that would eventually beg for mercy…
That answer would be revealed in the hell to come.
“Annihilation Art.”
Pierce.
The Demon King’s finger sank into Jinhyuk’s chest.
His heart began to come apart piece by piece.
“Bloodthirst Heavenly Soul.”
The Demon King grasped his heart.
His blood flow reversed.
“Bone-Shattering Tempest.”
An overwhelming pressure descended upon him.
Enough force to crush every bone in his body.
One after another, techniques designed to inflict the greatest possible agony descended upon him.
His flesh tore apart.
The flow of life within him twisted.
Bones and nerves screamed under unbearable pressure.
Yet Jinhyuk did not let out a single cry.
Even as he was tortured, only one thought remained in his mind.
His fist stretched forward.
Weakly.
Barely.
His knuckles brushed the Demon King’s shoulder.
…I reached him.
The Demon King stared blankly for a moment.
Then he burst into laughter.
“You are remarkable. Your skill is pitiful, yet your tenacity deserves recognition. You truly resemble a goddess.”
Even the Demon King could not deny the sight of a man standing upright despite such a wretched state.
Jinhyuk slowly lowered his fist.
Then closed his eyes.
[He has died.]
[Regeneration complete.]
[Attempting the 99th Floor.]
[Defeat the Demon King.]
“…I survived.”
Jinhyuk inhaled deeply.
Just as when he had once been killed by an arrow, all pain vanished upon resurrection.
Yet the torture he had endured lingered vividly in his memory.
“Ugh… that’s horrible.”
“If I have to go through that again, I’d rather kill myself first.”
Surprisingly, he accepted the experience calmly.
Death was the ultimate pain.
What pain could frighten someone who no longer feared death?
That did not mean Jinhyuk wished to die.
I’m getting stronger.
What he feared was not death itself, but a meaningless death.
Now he could calmly analyze his own demise and move forward without hesitation.
From that previous encounter, he had learned something important about the Demon King’s behavior.
Fundamentally, the Demon King viewed him as a mage because his physical abilities were so lacking.
As a result, the Demon King’s primary pattern involved breaking through the Blessing of Light with the Dragon-Slaying Fist and killing him with demonic energy.
But after that came a second pattern.
For the first time.
Once Jinhyuk successfully dodged the Dragon-Slaying Fist eight times, the Demon King sealed the technique.
No longer treating him as a wizard, he acknowledged him as a warrior and challenged him to a genuine martial duel.
“Well, that’s simple enough.”
“If I can’t get past the opening phase, I die and gain more magic power.”
“After that, I survive longer and gain practical combat experience.”
As countless deaths accumulated, new patterns emerged.
Then surely, if he survived even longer…
Another pattern would appear.
“Someday, I’ll land a proper hit.”
And so Jinhyuk died.
Again.
And again.
And again.
[Attempting the 99th Floor.]
[Defeat the Demon King.]
[Attempting the 99th Floor.]
[Defeat the Demon King.]
“Again!”
He died more than a hundred additional times.
One would think anyone would grow tired of such endless repetition.
Jinhyuk never stopped.
With every battle, he saw a little more.
He no longer followed the Demon King’s movements with his eyes alone.
He sensed the flow of demonic energy itself.
Sometimes he even used that flow to predict attacks.
“Still… that damned Solitary Principle.”
“I can’t even touch it.”
The pain during those battles was less severe than the torture.
Instead, it filled him with overwhelming despair.
I’ll land one clean hit.
At least once.
His fist clenched so tightly it felt as though it might break.
[Attempting the 99th Floor.]
[Defeat the Demon King.]
“What is this?”
“You bastard.”
At some point, the Demon King’s opening line changed.
The usual remark about Jinhyuk’s “noble light” disappeared.
A pattern shift.
Jinhyuk’s eyes sharpened.
The change was not limited to words.
The lazy, amused tone that had always addressed him as a hero was gone.
In its place was a voice overflowing with murderous intent.
“Why does a hero possess demonic energy?”
“Has the Goddess’s dog become a demon?”
“…”
“Answer me, hero.”
“No… who are you?”
This was the moment Jinhyuk had feared most since the seventh cycle.
The demonic energy hidden beneath the Blessing of Light had finally been exposed.
It was inevitable.
Yet he wasn’t surprised.
He had long expected this day to come.
Looking at my stats, it’s actually strange it didn’t happen sooner.
The magic power shown on his status window had already stopped at 99+.
Beside it was a simple message:
[Limit Reached]
Perhaps the system only displayed values up to ninety-nine.
Perhaps his level was too low.
He didn’t know.
But one thing was certain.
The number had stopped changing.
A limit.
At least, according to the system.
Yet every time the Dragon-Slaying Fist struck him, his demonic energy continued to grow.
If I couldn’t feel myself growing stronger, I would have gone insane long ago.
Even after his magic circuits had filled completely, more energy continued entering his body.
Compressing.
Accumulating.
Building.
And now it had reached a level he could no longer contain.
It overflowed through the Blessing of Light itself.
“…You even possess the demonic energy of the Void.”
“Hah. So you’ve finally noticed.”
“You will tell me the truth.”
Jinhyuk smiled bitterly.
The moment he saw his magic power reach its limit, he had already known.
Eventually, there would come a day when growth through repeated death would no longer be enough.
A day when victory would require overcoming the Demon King through a genuine life-and-death battle.
That day had finally arrived.
Thump.
His heart pounded.
Fear.
Excitement.
Contradictory emotions surged within him.
Jinhyuk drew a deep breath and stared directly into the Demon King’s eyes.
“If you really want to know…”
“Why don’t you defeat me first?”
The Demon King’s voice dropped to a deadly growl.
“How arrogant.”
“Very well.”
“But this time, I will show no mercy.”
“I feel the same.”
The two charged at each other.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Naturally, Jinhyuk could not withstand the Demon King’s true power.
The hundreds of battles they had fought until now…
Had merely been a game.
In an instant, the Demon King shattered all four of Jinhyuk’s limbs.
“Gah…!”
“This is absurd.”
“You truly reached this point with such pathetic skill?”
Jinhyuk collapsed.
The Demon King looked down at him and began questioning him while radiating murderous intent.
“Now.”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Depending on your answer, torture may fol—”
“I am a time traveler.”
“…What?”
For the first time, the Demon King looked completely stunned.
And Jinhyuk smiled.
