Chapter 21: Side Effect (3)

Oh, fuck.

I was so focused on flattering him that I forgot I was still holding my sword.

"Th-that is..."

I hesitated for just a second, but in that time, my senior brother’s happy face went ice-cold.

If I didn't say something, he was probably going to kill me for messing with him.

As my mind went blank from that ominous feeling, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

"Th-there was a mosquito, senior brother!"

"A mosquito?"

"Yes! I grabbed my sword to kill the mosquito."

"You kill mosquitoes with a sword?"

"Y-Yes! It's training to accurately strike even the smallest of targets. Master told me that your Shadowless Fourteen Moves are so precise that you can sever a single strand of hair in mid-air. He instructed me to follow your example."

"Hahaha. Master said that too?"

"Y-yes, senior brother!"

Third Brother’s cold melted into a smile. And it’s a smile that reached his eyes.

Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief inwardly...

Slash.

A chilling sound grazed my ear.

"..."

My body completely froze, and as I slightly turned my eyes to the side, a mosquito that had been sliced in half was lying on the floor.

"Did you see that? I demonstrated the first stance of the Shadowless Fourteen Moves for you. Reflect on your Senior Brother's swordsmanship and strive for such precision." His inflated ego had transformed him into a model mentor.

But.

'What was I supposed to see? I couldn't even see it, let alone imitate it.'

Even now, my heart was pounding.

'Good thing I didn't scream...'

That single strike made me realize something.

At my current level, my eyes couldn’t even follow the trajectory of his sword, let alone block it.

The moment Third Brother decided to kill me, my head would roll off before I even realized I was dead.

Perhaps the monotony of my daily life had dulled my senses.

I had forgotten how many monstrous beings resided within this cult filled with madmen and fanatics alike.

As I was reflecting on this sobering realization, senior brother said, "Thanks to you, youngest, I've had a pleasant time. I’ll stop by more often.”

"Y-you're welcome to visit anytime, senior brother."

"Indeed. It's late now, so go to sleep."

Astonishingly, by the time he finished his sentence, he had vanished from the room.

'...F*ck. How am I supposed to sleep when my heart is still pounding?'

But I didn’t dare say it out loud. With a psycho like him, you never know if he's still hiding somewhere watching.

* * *

The next day, around lunchtime.

After sorting out some of the cult's morning paperwork, the Heavenly Demon headed over to the Black Cloud Pavilion where his third disciple resided.

While he visited his youngest every evening for instruction, he didn't extend the same courtesy to his other disciples. The position of Heavenly Demon demanded much of his time, and in the case of his first and third disciples, there was little left for him to teach.

Once a practitioner of Demonic Art reached the Extremity, one could only overcome their limits through their own enlightenment. That’s why his interactions with them were limited to occasional visits and brief conversations.

“Master.”

"How’s the work at the Dark Shadow Pavilion coming along?”

As was common with older generations, his idea of 'light conversation' revolved around work.

"Have you made any progress with the Shadowless Fourteen Moves?"

Or training and studies.

While benevolent towards his followers and lower-ranking members, the Heavenly Demon was undeniably a boomer.

They chatted like that for a bit, same as always.

Then the Heavenly Demon stroked his beard and asked something different. "Hmm. Wan-pyeong, has something pleasant happened recently?"

It was the same Seo Wan-pyeong as always, with a gloomy expression and deep shadows on his face. But the Heavenly Demon, who had spent over twenty years with his disciple, could tell that Seo Wan-pyeong was currently in quite a good mood.

‘It reminded me of the time when he had barely learned his Demonic Art.’

Years of negativity had etched a perpetual frown onto his face, but Seo Wan-pyeong had once been capable of genuine smiles.

The gloomy man had now confirmed the words of his junior brother and banished his doubt.

'Master has been watching over me! Just as the youngest said.'

His self-esteem, which had been shattered due to his paranoia, recovered slightly.

It meant even more because it was attention from none other than the great Heavenly Demon, his Master.

He wanted to share his conversation with Il-mok, but then he remembered something crucial.

'Right! The youngest said that Master is strict in front of his disciples but praises them behind their backs.'

If that was the case, there was no need to tell Master about yesterday's conversation with the youngest.

"Ahem. It's just that the weather is so nice today, I simply feel good. Master."

"Oh? That's a very positive sign. It might mean you’re about to have a breakthrough with your martial arts.”

Shadowless Fourteen Moves caused one to suffer from negativity and paranoia, especially as one delved deeper into the Extremity stage.

For his third disciple to be cheerful because of the good weather…

The Heavenly Demon let out a hearty laugh, something Seo Wan-pyeong hadn't heard in a long time. Seo Wan-pyeong's lips twitched uncontrollably.

'Master is proud of me!'

Seo Wan-pyeong, whose mood had improved tremendously for the first time in a long while, wondered how he could please Master even more.

How could he make Master even prouder of him?

As he pondered this, he recalled the conversation he had with Il-mok last night.

'Right! Master said my Shadowless Fourteen Moves was so excellent that it could precisely cut even the tiniest objects!'

An idea sparked in Seo Wan-pyeong's mind. He twisted his lips into a rare smile.

"Master!"

"Yes, Third Disciple."

With uncharacteristic enthusiasm, Seo Wan-pyeong called out to his master. As the Heavenly Demon looked at him, he…

Pop!

He suddenly pulled out a clump of his own hair. He released his grip, letting the strands float in the air.

Swish!

A delayed slicing sound followed the silent, invisible flash of his sword. The scattered hairs lay on the floor, each meticulously divided into dozens of pieces. The speed and precision with which he had severed the fine hairs mid-air were beyond the perception of ordinary individuals.

After showing off, Seo Wan-pyeong looked at his master like a dog asking to be praised.

And the Heavenly Demon, after watching his poor disciple's little stunt from start to finish…

"..."

…just stared at him with a look that screamed, “What the hell is wrong with my kid?”

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Pop.

Slash!

Thinking he hadn't done enough, Seo Wan-pyeong ripped out another clump of hair, scattering and slicing it in mid-air. He continued this self-inflicted hair-cutting frenzy for some time.

The Heavenly Demon watched that madness in a daze for a while before muttering with a bitter tone.

"Ahem. Ah, excellent skills."

"Hahaha. Thank you, Master! I will continue to work hard!"

Finally hearing the praise he wanted, Seo Wan-pyeong grinned, completely forgetting the pain of ripping out his own hair.

"Y-yes. Continue to work hard."

"Yes! I will perfect the Shadowless Fourteen Moves and bring you the head of the Murim Alliance Leader!"

"Cough. Yes. I will put my faith in you."

The Heavenly Demon responded to Seo Wan-pyeong's words with a complicated expression. He quickly left the Black Cloud Pavilion, citing that he had urgent business.

‘It seems he hasn't broken through the Extremity barrier but has fallen into a state of Qi Deviation,' The Heavenly Demon wondered if his poor third disciple might have finally gone mad.

'There's no choice. I'll have to increase the guards for the Third Disciple.'

Not for Seo Wan-pyeong’s safety, but just in case he went berserk.

* * *

After receiving an unexpected night visitor, I gained a very important concern.

More precisely, a problem I'd been trying to ignore resurfaced.

'I need to take precautions.'

It wasn't a concern about the entrance exam for the Hall of the Demonic Way.

'Otherwise, I might end up like that crazy senior brother.'

The condition of the Third Brother who had visited a few days ago was far from normal. However, considering what kind of place this fucking cult is, I wondered how many people could even tell.

'I've gotten too used to it.'

I had become complacent, accepting the bizarre as normal.

In particular, the side effect of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword that I was learning had similarities to those of Third Brother.

It posed a high risk to my self-esteem.

I recalled something I had heard in my past life as Seo Ji-hoon.

Many successful artists, entrepreneurs, and film directors were perfectionists. And this perfectionism often came at a steep price—immense stress.

While perfectionism fueled their ambitions and achievements, leading to great success and the creation of masterpieces, that very thing was also the cause of their downfall.

The pursuit of unattainable perfection could lead to self-loathing and a crippling sense of inadequacy.

When that happens, perfectionists would come to view themselves as insects or trash for failing to achieve their goals.

In other words, instead of becoming a successful businessman, film director, or artist who was a perfectionist...

I could become a self-loathing madman like Third Brother.

To avoid such a situation, I needed to prepare something.

A way to avoid fixating on the impossible.

The only problem was...

‘Why the hell am I thinking about this in the middle of the night?’

"Sigh. I truly am trash, youngest brother. Master doesn’t trust me. That has to be why he assigned me more guards.”

I sighed internally and replied, "On the contrary, senior brother, it's because he trusts you. You vowed to kill the Murim Alliance Leader, didn't you? Your skills are specialized in assassination. This is likely Master's way of providing you with training in infiltration."

“I see! If I can't even evade a mere fifteen guards, how can I hope to reach the heavily guarded Alliance Leader? Master's wisdom is profound! I was foolish to misinterpret his intentions. I'm truly a worthless wretch."

As senior brother began digging another hole, I spoke.

"Nonsense, senior brother! It's human nature to be oblivious to one's own flaws while easily recognizing those of others. Isn't that how romance works too?"

“I have no experience in romantic relationships. As expected, my young brother must have been popular since childhood.”

For fuck’s sake, this one is also a landmine.

"I-I too only heard about it. Besides, people naturally excel in different areas. While I might be good at understanding people's inner thoughts, you excel at… dissecting them. Even if I trained until I reached your age, it would be impossible for me to assassinate the Alliance Leader."

"Haa… You're right, junior brother. You truly are remarkable. After speaking with you, my mind feels at ease, and the demonic energy that plagues me recedes. I’m going to stop by whenever I’m feeling down from now on.”

Hearing his answer, I could only force out a smile while laughing bitterly.

"Hahaha. You're always welcome, but could you possibly visit during the day?"

At this rate, I wouldn't go mad from my Demonic Art's side effect, but from sheer sleep deprivation.