Chapter 20
Dragon Slayer Fist (3)
“Gasp…! Haa…!”
Jinhyeok jolted awake from the dream and drew a deep breath.
Perhaps he had immersed himself too deeply in the Demon King’s memories.
Even now, the sensation of performing the Dragon Slayer Fist lingered vividly in his right hand.
“…Do you understand now why I showed you my memories?”
The Demon King spoke calmly.
“The Dragon Slayer Fist is a martial art that took even me ten years to create. It contains techniques, but they are extraordinarily complex. Without properly understanding the sensations behind them, mastering it would take an absurd amount of time.”
Jinhyeok stared blankly at her.
To be honest, he barely heard what she was saying.
The aftereffects of the memories still echoed within him.
Everything that had once puzzled him about the Demon King suddenly made sense.
Why she hated using her unique ability.
Why she treasured that brooch despite being the Demon King.
Why she avoided showing her face whenever possible.
Now he understood.
How difficult it must have been…
Experiencing an entire lifetime, even briefly, created an overwhelming sense of immersion.
Demon King…
“Tsk.”
The Demon King clicked her tongue.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to show it. I didn’t reveal it to earn your sympathy.”
Seeing moisture gather in Jinhyeok’s eyes, she immediately cut him off.
“Ah… sorry.”
Jinhyeok wiped away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
She hadn’t shown him her past so he could mourn for her.
The best way to honor her intentions as her disciple was to master the Dragon Slayer Fist perfectly.
“I’ve definitely grasped the sensation.”
Jinhyeok clenched his left fist tightly.
“Even without actually using it, it still feels like my fist is resonating.”
The sensation remained crystal clear.
The feeling of piercing through a dragon’s scales.
The feeling of penetrating its flesh and exploding its insides.
It was a level of refinement that could never be understood without personally experiencing it.
The Demon King smiled faintly.
“That is why I repeatedly told you to transcend humanity.”
Her voice grew colder.
“The Dragon Slayer Fist requires a spirit bordering on madness. A fighter willing to throw a punch with all their strength without caring whether their body breaks.”
That was the true essence of the Dragon Slayer Fist.
Even if his body shattered—
The strike had to land.
Facing death is the easy part for me.
Jinhyeok let out a long sigh.
The problem is the Blessing of Light.
The Blessing of Light was the source of his strength.
Yet at the same time, it hindered the release of demonic energy necessary for the Dragon Slayer Fist.
When he voiced his concern, the Demon King immediately shook her head.
“On the contrary.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“That is exactly why this martial art suits you.”
“Huh?”
“The Dragon Slayer Fist was created to kill dragons. If you apply those same principles to yourself, wouldn’t it allow you to break through your own limitations?”
Jinhyeok’s eyes widened.
“Ah…!”
Just as he pierced through a dragon’s magical defenses—
He could pierce through the restrictions imposed by the Blessing of Light itself.
“So if I break through the Blessing of Light the same way I pierce dragon magic…”
“You catch on quickly.”
The Demon King nodded.
“If you maximize this principle, you’ll eventually be able to release every ounce of energy within your body—not just through your fists. You may even gain control over your Territory.”
If everything happened as she described—
Jinhyeok would gain unimaginable power.
But another question surfaced.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Speak.”
“The martial art is called the Dragon Slayer Fist. But the technique you used against the Demon Dragon King…”
“Correct.”
The Demon King nodded.
“It was the Dragon Slayer Fist.”
Then she added:
“At least, it was until then.”
The Dragon Slayer Fist had originally been created to kill dragons.
But eventually, it reached its limit.
It could grow no stronger.
A long silence followed.
Then the Demon King frowned slightly.
“However, if I show you what came afterward, your mind will collapse.”
“…”
“For now, the Dragon Slayer Fist is enough.”
Jinhyeok nodded.
“Understood.”
Mastering only the Dragon Slayer Fist from those memories would already grant him overwhelming power.
Still…
“You’re saying my mind would collapse if I saw the rest?”
The memories he had already experienced were painful enough.
How much suffering had she endured after becoming the Demon King?
Just what kind of path remained beyond that?
The Demon King slowly raised her fist.
“Dragon Slayer.”
Her voice echoed softly.
“Kill the dragon.”
“Fight Myself.”
“Fight against myself.”
“Dragon Slayer has techniques.”
“Fight Myself does not.”
“Dragon Slayer is powerful.”
“Fight Myself is profound.”
“Therefore…”
Her fist tightened.
“The Dragon Slayer Fist evolves.”
Jinhyeok finally understood.
The words she had spoken before showing him her memories.
One martial art.
Yet two martial arts.
“If the absolute standard of the Dragon Slayer Fist is the ability to slay a dragon…”
The Demon King looked directly at him.
“Then its ultimate completion is surpassing oneself.”
At last, everything clicked.
“Now.”
The Demon King placed a hand on Jinhyeok’s head.
“I shall pass the formula to you.”
Memories flooded into him.
Every secret of the Dragon Slayer Fist poured into his mind.
[You have mastered Dragon Slayer Fist (EX).]
[Warning! Your level is too low.]
[Using this skill may cause severe damage.]
Jinhyeok’s eyes widened.
“EX…?”
Even the Blessing of Light was only ranked SSS.
He had always assumed SSS was the highest possible grade.
Yet an entirely new rank had appeared.
“Hmph.”
The Demon King snorted.
“That is only natural.”
“EX-Class abilities cannot originally be obtained within the Tower.”
“The fact that you mastered it means it exists beyond the Tower’s comprehension.”
EX-Class.
A realm beyond SSS.
A grade that transcended all standards.
Jinhyeok bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
“It’s too early for thanks.”
The Demon King crossed her arms.
“Didn’t you say you intended to trample me someday?”
“…”
“Thank me after you accomplish that.”
Jinhyeok fell silent.
Back when he had casually declared that he would someday defeat the Demon King—
He had known nothing.
Now he had seen her memories.
Understood her struggles.
The words no longer came so easily.
He pressed a hand against his chest.
Is this pity…?
No.
He knew it wasn’t.
Someone like me could never pity the Demon King.
Yet he still couldn’t define what he was feeling.
Unable to find an answer, he simply raised his fist.
“Then from now on, I’ll start training the Dragon Slayer Fist—”
“Before that.”
The Demon King interrupted him.
“Answer one question.”
“How many times have you died since becoming my disciple?”
Jinhyeok thought for a moment.
“Since then… this would be my 557th loop.”
“I stopped counting before that.”
The Demon King laughed.
“Hahaha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“You’ve become twisted.”
Her smile faded.
“Then again, anyone who experiences endless death and resurrection would.”
It was true.
At some point, Jinhyeok’s desire for growth had surpassed his fear of death.
“But that is as far as it goes.”
The Demon King’s voice became serious.
“Do not die meaningless deaths.”
“If you escape from here, you will once again be bound by mortality.”
It was the first time she had directly mentioned her own eventual defeat.
Jinhyeok was surprised, though he hid it well.
“I’ll remember that.”
“I taught you the Dragon Slayer Fist.”
The Demon King continued.
“But it is sealed.”
“Huh?”
Jinhyeok blinked.
“The reason I taught it to you was because understanding its ultimate principles would help you release demonic energy.”
“However…”
“The Dragon Slayer Fist itself remains sealed.”
Jinhyeok stared at her in disbelief.
“You went through all that trouble just to teach me… and now I can’t use it?”
The Demon King shrugged.
“You will learn it properly as you descend the Tower.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“If you disagree, then try using it.”
“Fine.”
Jinhyeok immediately accepted the challenge.
Activating the Nine-Character Secret Art, he recalled the sensations from the Demon King’s memories.
Demonic energy throughout his entire body gathered into his fist.
It became heavier.
And heavier.
And heavier.
Until—
“Phew…”
Every ounce of demonic energy condensed around his fist.
The Blessing of Light and demonic power violently collided.
The backlash generated tremendous heat.
Jinhyeok remembered the sensation of perfect penetration.
Then he punched.
KAAAANG!
A deafening metallic explosion erupted.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Jinhyeok’s body was utterly ruined.
The Demon King watched calmly.
“That is the Dragon Slayer Fist as executed with your current physical abilities.”
“You only managed to reproduce about half of the penetration principle.”
“It is an extraordinary technique.”
“It cannot be used recklessly.”
“Cough!”
Jinhyeok vomited blood.
Part of the demonic energy had broken through the Blessing of Light.
The rest exploded inside his body.
He laughed bitterly.
“I thought obtaining an EX-Class skill meant I’d be walking a path of glory.”
“Turns out it’s a road straight to hell.”
[You have died.]
Jinhyeok smiled.
The Demon King had forbidden him from using the Dragon Slayer Fist.
But he possessed something else.
The Infinite Regression Fist.
He was the Demon King’s disciple.
Yet he was also the hero destined to defeat her.
“I’ll temporarily stop being a good disciple.”
“At least until I can use the Dragon Slayer Fist properly.”
For the first time—
Jinhyeok deliberately acted against the Demon King’s teachings.
* * *
[You have died.]
[You have died.]
[You have died.]
After countless deaths, Jinhyeok gradually began to understand the Dragon Slayer Fist.
At first, he died before the Demon King could even notice what he was attempting.
Dozens of deaths were spent simply shortening the process.
Gathering demonic energy.
Concentrating it into his fist.
Using the recoil itself as power.
Launching the strike.
Over and over.
Death after death.
Then came another challenge.
Discovering the secret of perfect penetration.
Finding a way to pierce through the Blessing of Light itself.
That alone consumed another hundred deaths.
The Demon King was wrong about one thing.
My deaths are not meaningless.
Every death had led to this moment.
“Dragon Slayer Fist.”
“First Form.”
The instant he entered the throne room—
He struck with everything he had.
BOOM!
This time, the attack was no longer clumsy.
The Demon King instinctively raised the Armor of the Void.
The Dragon Slayer Fist collided against it.
The throne room shook.
The Demon King’s eyes widened.
“…Hero.”
“Where did you learn that technique?”
For the first time—
Her face was completely exposed.
Red eyes blazed with fury.
Jinhyeok coughed blood.
Yet he smiled.
“Who else but the Demon King could create a martial art this insane?”
He pulled a brooch from his inventory.
The Demon King froze.
“This is…!”
After reading the memories contained within it, she sighed deeply.
“I told you to seal the Dragon Slayer Fist.”
“I’ve done something foolish.”
Jinhyeok grinned.
“Still.”
“Didn’t we manage to recreate something reasonably convincing?”
“Reasonably convincing?”
The Demon King stared at him.
“You punch once and die first.”
“How can you call that convincing?”
Even while dying, Jinhyeok laughed with her.
Though his body exploded after a single strike—
He had at least reached a point where he could injure an unsuspecting Demon King.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
Death was coming.
And he fully intended to receive more training after the next regression.
…Huh?
No notification appeared.
No regression.
Nothing.
Feeling uneasy, Jinhyeok opened his eyes.
The Demon King was standing directly before him.
Her hand rested on top of his head.
And she wore an expression he had never seen before.
“This won’t do.”
Her voice was unusually gentle.
“My disciple.”
“You need to become afraid of death again.”
The absolute dream-manipulation ability of the Succubus race—
Fantasy Dream.
A forbidden power avoided even among succubi.
The moment it activated, the user would also become trapped within the dream.
A power Selena had never intended to learn.
And certainly never intended to use.
Yet now—
She activated it.
I never thought I would actually use this…
As Fantasy Dream manifested,
Jinhyeok fell into a deep, endless sleep.
