Trait Hoarder-Chapter 270

Heavenly Demon Cult – Part 1

Heavenly Demon Divine Art!

Except for a few who had guessed beforehand, everyone else was left utterly speechless.

“Th-Th-The Heavenly Demon Divine Art?!”

Baek Sorin’s jaw dropped so far it looked like it might fall off.

Her uvula was fully visible, and her throat seemed to stretch open like a cave.

“That’s right.”

The Legion Commander spoke in an unusually gentle tone.

Judging by age or lineage, Baek Sorin was practically his granddaughter—it seemed he found her quite endearing.

“Thanks to this little one, I finally got to use it myself. It’s the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, no doubt about it, even if it’s been manifested on this scale.”

“Heavenly Demon Divine Art… Whoa…”

Thwack!

Baek Sorin swung her sword.

The cursed blade Masamune struck the barrier like an animal’s fang.

As expected, there was no noticeable change.

The black dome stood arrogantly, immovably in place.

Just like the Heavenly Demon.

Just like the Heavenly Demon Cult that had stood proudly atop the Ten Thousand Grand Mountains for a thousand years.

“No wonder it felt so powerful. But why is the Heavenly Demon Divine Art showing up here? Is it normally something that can be set up like this?”

“Of course not. Hm… Elder Chae, what do you think?”

“Normally, it would be impossible. Old Gu, could you manifest your Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art like that? Or even your Black Tiger Invincible Heart Technique?”

“Not a chance.”

“My Ten Thousand Form Brush Technique could, though. It was created by blending illusion arts with martial arts from the start. But the Heavenly Demon Divine Art… Ah, could it be?”

The Western Army’s Legion Commander shuddered.

“The heart!”

“What the hell are you talking about? Speak clearly.”

“I mean the heart! The heart!”

Everyone looked confused.

Only Kim Mabeob, who had been standing there blankly, understood and trembled.

“No way! Mahu is the Heavenly Demon’s disciple! How could a disciple do something like that?!”

“What? What is it?!”

“Mabeob, explain properly.”

I stepped in and opened my mouth.

“Commander, you remember, right? The cooperation request form.”

“I remember it. But what about it?”

“If you look there, there’s a part where the Queen of the Night—probably Mahu—mentions a heart.”

“So what… Wait, what?! That can’t be! That makes no sense! That’s impossible! I’ve met Mahu before. Sure, he had a bit of a temper, but he was a proper warrior! There’s no way he would do something like that!”

“When was the last time you saw Mahu?”

“Roughly… about 20 years ago.”

Twenty years.

More than enough time for a once-proud warrior to fall—even twice over.

Suspicious gazes still lingered.

I drove the nail in.

“The heart Mahu supposedly sent… I believe it might be the Heavenly Demon’s heart.”

“Gasp!”

“Th-That’s insane!”

“Teacher! Are you serious?”

“Excuse me, Sword Star—no, Sir Sword Star. Are you saying Mahu ambushed his own master?”

Let’s break this down.

The Heavenly Demon hasn’t been active in either the game or this world for decades.

Even at the end of the personal quests for Divine Army General, Mahu, and the Blood King, the Heavenly Demon never appeared.

You wait endlessly, only to return to base in disappointment.

‘Could Mahu have killed the Heavenly Demon?’

No.

That’s impossible.

The Heavenly Demon is someone whom game NPCs venerate with cries of “the greatest under heaven” and “unmatched on Earth.”

Even if caught off guard, it’s hard to believe a Level 8 Mahu could kill him.

Unless Mahu teamed up with another Level 9 character—then maybe. But in that case, the entire Demonic Cult would’ve gone up in flames already.

‘What if the Heavenly Demon died long ago?’

It’s said he was already quite old.

Probably older than the Commander.

Didn’t the Blood King once mention it?

That the Wall-Breaking Elixir and the Nectar had remained unchanged for 22 years.

You could sense the presence and magical aura, but never meet him in person.

They said it was because he was in the final phase before transcendence… but what if the truth was that he was already dead?

“It’s hard to believe Mahu could have taken down the Heavenly Demon. It’s the Heavenly Demon, after all.”

“Exactly!”

“I agree.”

“I think the Heavenly Demon died quite some time ago. And Mahu carved out his heart and sent it to the Saintess. If it’s truly the Heavenly Demon’s heart, it could definitely power a barrier of this magnitude.”

“Wow…”

“Even so, that’s just…”

Still, it’s an act of utter betrayal.

I mean, treating your master’s heart like a crafting material? That’s horrifying.

The Western Army Legion Commander scowled in disgust.

“The Mahu I met back then was such a confident, dignified warrior… I can’t believe he’s fallen this far. What could the Saintess have used to seduce him?”

“It’s obvious. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, what else?”

“Click-click. Warriors, huh. Selling out your master for a mere martial art?”

“Tower Master, you’re one to talk, aren’t you? When a martial artist covets martial arts, it’s one thing. But when a mage covets magic, it’s obsession. Sometimes even terrifying.”

“Well… I won’t deny that.”

Anyway, fine.

I stared at the black dome in front of me, lost in thought.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art or whatever… how the hell do I break through this?

Only one answer.

“I’ll have to go to Mount Cheonsan.”

“Yeah. I was thinking the same.”

“Um, Commander? Teacher? Why Mount Cheonsan?”

“The Heavenly Demon Divine Art is the ultimate offensive and defensive martial art. There’s only one way to break that—another Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”

“Ah, you’re planning to bring back Divine Army General? That would solve everything!”

Maybe. But will Divine Army General really be enough?

He is the Heavenly Demon’s top disciple, his greatest student.

But you can’t compare him to the Heavenly Demon himself.

Even if he has the Heavenly Demon Divine Art in his traits, in terms of raw power, there’s a huge gap.

I’m not even sure he could dismantle that barrier.

“I’ll ask Divine Army General for help, and if the Heavenly Demon or the first Heavenly Demon left behind any relics, I’ll try to borrow those too.”

“Sword Star. The Demonic Cult bastards are incredibly arrogant. They think they’re the best in the world. They won’t even grant you an audience unless you really push.”

“Don’t worry, Commander. I have a plan.”

The laws that govern the Demonic Cult.

First, the Heavenly Demon’s Teachings.

Second, Might Makes Right.

If I used those two properly, I could suck the marrow right out of the Demonic Cult’s spine.

The Legion Commander saw my confident face and nodded.

“Good. Go quickly. I’ll stay and guard things here.”

“Then I’ll go with—”

“You, Tower Master, of course you’re staying here with me!”

“Why is that? This is a rare chance to enter the Heavenly Demon Cult as a mage.”

“Come now. What business does a mage have in the holy land of warriors? And what if the seal breaks and the Saintess comes out? You need to be here with me to stop her. You don’t know what kind of power she might wield. For all we know, she might bring an army of angels and demons.”

“Tch, fine.”

“I’ll stay here too, with the old man, so don’t worry and go. Thanks to the Tower Master’s counterattack, we’ve got some breathing room.”

Most of the assault force was staying behind.

The three Level 8 superhumans, plus my Sky Bandits.

Though my absence meant the General and our household wouldn’t have direct support, the Sky Bandits were a powerful force in their own right.

Originally, I was going to leave my disciples behind too, but Baek Sorin twisted her body and spoke up.

“Teacher! You’re taking us with you, right? Right?”

“It would actually be better if you stayed here to guard, but…”

“Teacher! We want to go see the Demonic Cult! You have to visit them at least once in your life!”

Not just Baek Sorin—Janet and Kali’s eyes sparkled too.

Seo Woojin was the same.

Pretending not to care, but his ears perked up as he kept sneaking glances at me.

Well, I suppose it’s fine to bring them along.

There were already over fifty Level 7 superhumans stationed here.

Superhumans from not just the national military, but all four major factions had been deployed.

I gave in with a pretend sigh.

“Fine. Let’s all go.”

“Yay!”

“Teacher, should I bring the aircar?”

“No, we’ll take the plane. I’ll need to get it out of the hangar.”

Time to bring out the supersonic private jet gifted by the Poka Order.

Vroooom.

The hangar opened remotely.

The private jet rode the newly installed aircraft elevator up to the deck.

Before I boarded, the Legion Commander came over and patted my shoulder.

“Sword Star. You know what to do, right?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Tear them all apart and come back! The Heavenly Demon may already be dead, but give those frogs-in-a-well on Ten Thousand Grand Mountains a taste of real firepower!”

“Look forward to it.”

Because if everything went according to plan, I was going to flatten the pride of the entire Demonic Cult.

Swoooosh!

The private jet took off.

[Dragon Knight][Grand Assault][Lightning Strike]

[Swift][Dash][Acceleration]

The Tianshan Mountains were about 4,000 kilometers away.

We had to push Mach 3 to get there within an hour.

No big deal.

I pushed the engines to their limits.

Using the [Dragon Knight] trait, I forcefully exceeded the aircraft’s design limits.

My jaw and neck tilted back under the pressure.

Even seated in the cockpit, I could feel the speed.

Clouds streaked past like bullets, and the blood rushed to my head, making it burn.

“Wooooah!”

Baek Sorin shouted in excitement.

“It feels like a roller coaster!”

It took exactly one hour.

We arrived at the Tianshan mountain range in the Xinjiang region of China.

Everyone knew where the Demonic Cult was located.

In the winding valleys between Pobeda Peak (7,439 meters above sea level) and Khan Tengri Peak (7,010 meters), stretching about 20 kilometers across the borders of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, the Heavenly Demon Cult had its stronghold.

Effectively, that entire area was under their control.

Just like Cheorwon State, just like Paju State.

The Demonic Cult ignored both the Chinese Communist Party and the sovereignty of the two ‘Stan’ nations, exercising de facto rule over not just that vicinity, but the entire Tianshan range.

Beep beep beep!

Just before entering the Tianshan Mountains, a blaring warning sounded.

[Warning! Warning! The Heavenly Demon Cult has declared your aircraft unauthorized! They say if you proceed any further, they will shoot you down!]

“They’re really gonna shoot down a Level 8?”

[Yes. You only have one minute of grace time!]

Seriously, the arrogance of these guys is next-level.

You only need to be Level 5 to get a free pass around the world. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Even when I flew the Red Cougar around, I bypassed all that immigration nonsense.

Guess I’ve got no choice.

For now, I had to do what they said.

Boom!

Grumbling, I landed the jet in a nearby clearing.

Thanks to the magic runway, we only needed a space about the size of a schoolyard.

As I got off the jet, a magic spirit appeared as a hologram and bowed.

[Activating stealth and defensive barriers. Standing by.]

“Good. I won’t be long.”

“Wow, this is unfair, Teacher. Are we really going to walk the rest of the way?”

“No need for that.”

I tapped the guard on my forearm.

ROOOAARR!

With a thunderous roar, Red burst out.

[You called? Where’s the meat?]

Always thinking about meat, this one.

Chuckling, I pulled a bundle of beef from the golf bag and tossed it.

Chomp!

[So tasty!]

Red bit down on the meat like a retriever catching a frisbee.

Kali stifled a laugh and whispered to Janet.

“He’s like a big dog.”

“Seriously. I want to raise a dragon too.”

“Me too.”

I’d stocked up quite a bit of beef, but Red devoured it in no time.

Still unsatisfied, he buried his snout into the golf bag and sniffed.

[More meat! Give me more!]

“I’ll give you more once we get to the Demonic Cult. Want a whole live cow this time?”

[One whole cow! Nice!]

“Alright then…”

[Two cows! Even better!]

“Puhaha. Fine. I’ll give you two cows.”

[Delicious!]

Red crouched down on his own, gesturing for us to climb on.

There was only one saddle.

But he was so massive that as long as we wedged ourselves between his scales, we could ride him just fine.

Just like how the non-human species of the Castle of the Inexplicable used to do.

Boom! Fwoosh!

With me and my disciples aboard, Red flapped his wings.

Mana burst out like thrusters, launching us into the air.

It was still several hundred kilometers from here to the Demonic Cult.

An absurdly vast and grueling mountain range.

No wonder it earned the name “Ten Thousand Grand Mountains.”

But riding Red made it quick.

We skimmed low along the ridges, and the Demonic Cult didn’t issue another denial of entry.

They had simply erected thick barriers and were now blocking our path, armed and ready.

“Halt!”

Martial artists dressed in black uniforms, riding black wyverns.

A mechanical voice came through the translator devices.

Tension filled the air.

At first, I thought it was because they were Level 6 or 7.

But there was another reason.

“Gkk—Gkaaah!”

“Kiiiiii…”

“Kyaah! Kyah, Kyaaah!”

The black wyverns the martial artists rode—

They were all completely terrified.

Because of Red.

[GIVE ME MEAT!]

Red suddenly roared.

“Kiiieeek!”

One of the black wyverns screamed and fled.

“Hey! You bastard!”

“Hold your ground!”

“Damn it! I said stay still!”

The formation nearly collapsed as one flew off.

One martial artist, feeling threatened, pointed his sword at me.

A warning to not come any closer.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Sure, Red was in his ancient dragon form and boosted with the [Dragon Knight] trait, but still—wasn’t this a bit much?

This was the Demonic Cult.

The strongest faction in Arcane Seoul.

Ahem!

One of the cultists cleared his throat and stepped forward.

The only one not riding anything.

An old man with a long beard.

Kali’s eyes widened when she saw him.

“Teacher! Unnie! Look at that grandpa! He’s walking on air!”

Air Step.

The old man was walking through the sky toward us.

I knew who he was.

The Great Elder of the Demonic Cult.

While not a recruitable character, he often acted as the de facto leader in place of Divine Army General, who was always diving into closed-door training.

“Welcome to the Heavenly Demon Cult, Sword Star of the East.”

“An honor. I am Warrior Kim.”

Fluent English.

Unlike the other cultists, the Great Elder didn’t use a translation device.

His piercing eyes scanned over me and Red.

[What are you lookin’ at?! GIMME MEAT!]

Red bared his fangs menacingly.

I lightly smacked Red on the head and leapt down.

“You, back inside.”

[…Meat.]

“I said I’ll give you two cows. Go in.”

[Two cows! Let’s gooo!]

Red dissolved into light and vanished into my armguard.

The Great Elder watched the whole exchange and gave a bitter chuckle.

“My word. That mana aura surpassed even mine, and yet the mental age is that of a child. The world truly is full of surprises.”

“Well, just because it’s a dragon doesn’t mean it can’t get senile.”

There were a lot of complicated reasons behind that, but no need to explain them all now.

The Great Elder’s expression turned serious as he looked at me.

“That aside, Sword Star, what business do you have here at Mount Cheonsan without notice? Even you, the Sword Star of the East, cannot simply enter our grounds without permission. Had the Blood King not given me a heads-up, I would not be treating you this courteously. I’d have shown you what the Invincible Blood Blade truly means.”

“There is good reason. The truth is…”

I quickly explained.

What had happened in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

The black dome of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

The deductions made through the cooperation request.

And the theory that Mahu had sent the Heavenly Demon’s heart.

The Great Elder’s face twisted in sheer outrage.

“What kind of utter nonsense is that?!”

He roared as if spewing fire.

“How dare you, dare you, insult Mahu?! That’s blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say! A worthless frontier warrior dares to mock our sect?! This is war! All forces, prepare for battle! Show that insolent borderland swordsman what happens when you defy the Demonic Cult!”

“By your command!”

“By your command!”

The cultists shouted in dramatic, wuxia fashion.

Clack, clack.

The sound of swords being drawn.

Whirrrrr.

An automated defense system rose from underground.

Machine guns, missile launchers, and mana cannons all pointed at me.

Cultists soared over the far-off ramparts, closing in fast.

“You think I’m scared?”

Baek Sorin drew the cursed blade Masamune.

Janet, Kali, and Seo Woojin stepped forward as well.

Their swords rose—Midnight Sword, Kalaratri, and the Eastern Masterwork Blade.

I figured it would come to this.

The Demonic Cult was never a faction known for reason.

Want to talk to the Demonic Cult?

Then you have to prove just one thing.

Power.

Only those who possessed overwhelming strength could earn their respect—and their audience.

That’s why I pulled out what I’d prepared in advance.

And tossed it.

Right at the Great Elder, the old man barking the loudest up front.

“Th-This is…?!”

The Great Elder’s eyes widened.

He was holding a plaque forged from eternal cold iron.

[Heavenly Demon Reigns, All Demons Submit]

The Heavenly Demon Plaque.

The very item the Blood King had given me to lure me in.

As the Great Elder stared into the Heavenly Demon Plaque, I made my declaration with full confidence.

“As bearer of the Heavenly Demon Plaque, I request access to the Three Heavenly Demon Trials.”

The Three Heavenly Demon Trials.

Established by the First Heavenly Demon.

A place of legend—those who passed all three were said to inherit the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

It was the ultimate training ground of the Demonic Cult.

And the current Heavenly Demon had once spent three years there, perfecting the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.