Sword Demon vs. Number One of the Heretic Path.

Finally, a one-on-one.

Only after killing off the Heretic’s underlings did it come to pass. The rest of us pulled back to form a perimeter.

Frankly, interfering in the Sword Demon’s fight was inappropriate, both in terms of martial honor and due to his unusual techniques.

But a perimeter—yes, that we could do.

Surprisingly, it was an even match, so we stood with arms crossed, watching for a moment. Because the Number One of the Heretic Path hadn’t revealed his full strength yet, I found the fight disorienting. It was missing that usual intensity—almost sluggish.

‘What the hell are they doing?’

I glanced at the Lecher and the Drunk. Both gave me puzzled looks and shrugged.

At that moment, the Number One of the Heretic Path got struck by the Sword Demon’s Radiant Blade and let out a scream, rolling across the ground.

“Aaaagh!”

Even the scream sounded like a pathetic old man from the neighborhood. Groaning on the ground, he started mumbling complaints.

I looked at the Sword Demon, who stood still without following up.

“...”

With a scowl, the Sword Demon stared at the groaning Heretic and then said to us,

“Back off even more.”

“Hm.”

We followed our big brother’s lead and stepped further back. The Sword Demon looked down at the disheveled Heretic.

“Heretic... enough of this.”

“Enough of what? What are you telling me to stop?”

The Heretic raised his head and stared at the Sword Demon as he stood up. He had clearly taken a hit from the Radiant Blade, but showed no injuries at all.

The Sword Demon asked with a hard face,

“Do I look like a joke to you?”

The Heretic nodded.

“Kind of. But among the four of you, you seemed the most competent. That’s why I chose a one-on-one. Come at me.”

Despite the taunt, the Sword Demon didn’t move.

Now I narrowed my eyes at the Heretic.

So far, despite fighting the Sword Demon, the guy’s only damage was a few tears in his grey robes. No real injuries.

If this guy was truly someone powerful enough to fear the Three Calamities, then...

Well, maybe this situation made sense.

But why did he keep acting like such a dumbass?

Suddenly, the Heretic looked right at me.

“...You, little brat of Haomun. I like you. If you agree to become my disciple, I’ll let you live—limbs intact.”

I replied with a dry tone.

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. This isn’t just about skill. You’ve got talent. You’ve got the potential to face the Three Calamities someday. Right now, you’re still lacking—but I’ll teach you everything I know about the Heretical Path. What do you say?”

I nodded.

“But for some reason, I don’t wanna learn. Doesn’t matter how powerful or great you are, I just can’t see myself ever becoming your disciple. What do you make of that?”

The Heretic laughed.

“You’ll understand in time.”

The Sword Demon planted the Radiant Blade in the ground and muttered in a low voice.

“Demonic Sword Soul Battleground.”

The battlefield that formed was on a different level than when we’d faced the Demonic Cult elders.

The Heretic’s face turned confused as he saw the black waves spread across the ground.

“Oh-ho?”

In that instant, I saw the Heretic’s eyes change to a deep gray. I watched carefully as he stared at the black spirit waves undulating across the ground, murmuring to himself in an incomprehensible tongue.

My eyes stayed wide open as the Heretic’s form seemed to split into several illusions.

In a flash, the surging waves of the Demonic Sword Soul Battleground enclosed in a perfect circle, rose into the air, and formed a huge sphere that swallowed both the Sword Demon and the Heretic.

For a brief moment... silence.

Then the Heretic reappeared above the black sphere like a wavering mirage before solidifying fully.

“...!”

Even I was momentarily speechless.

The Heretic looked down at us.

“See? The Sword Demon is sharp. Knowing he can’t beat me as a mere swordsman, he’s resorted to sword-demon techniques. I was waiting for that. You should never underestimate a Sword Demon. But I’ve known about the Demonic Sword Soul Battleground for a long time. Curious how?”

I replied immediately.

“Yeah. I’m curious. I hate not knowing shit.”

The Lecher asked with a serious face.

“How did you escape?”

The Heretic smirked.

“If it doesn’t touch you, it doesn’t trap you. Even demonic techniques can’t escape simple logic. And hey, I’ve been fighting your master all this time—watch your damn mouth.”

He waved a hand. The Lecher crossed his arms to block the incoming beam of light.

BAAANG!

The Lecher flew off low across the ground, tumbling before fainting. First time I’d ever seen him get taken out like that.

I turned to the Drunk.

“Watch out—”

But before I could finish, the Heretic launched the same move and blasted him too. Still, the Drunk didn’t let go of his sword. He crashed to the ground and staggered, sitting down hard with a pale face.

The Heretic turned to me.

“When given a chance to live, you should take it.”

“...”

“Right, Haomun Lord?”

I looked at the now-serious Heretic and replied,

“True enough. But how do you know about the Demonic Sword Soul Battleground? I’m really curious, could you share?”

The Heretic smiled.

“The battleground only ends when one of the two inside dies.”

“Hm.”

“There was once a master in the Heretic League who survived the battleground.”

“Ohhh.”

“So who do you think the Sword Demon is fighting right now? The illusion I created? The spirits trapped inside?”

“No clue.”

“The more cautious a person, the longer they wander in the dark. After dispelling the illusion, he’ll face the imprisoned spirits. They’re all the oppressed... and slaves always dream of rebellion.”

I offered a half-hearted martial salute.

“Learned something today. Makes sense the Demonic Cult wiped your lot out first.”

The Heretic leapt lightly off the sphere and approached me.

“I heard that explosion of yours on the boat—BOOM!—loud as hell.”

“Hmph.”

He smiled coldly.

“What’d my face look like when I popped out of the boat? Was I panicked? Or just annoyed from being woken up mid-nap?”

I laughed.

“Oh, right. You didn’t look surprised at all.”

“Exactly. From that moment on, you should’ve been careful. Did playing along make me seem like an equal to you?”

Now, the laughter had vanished from his face.

His voice and tone shifted completely—from a creepy snake to a solemn lunatic.

I gave a respectful nod to this rare breed of “dignified dumbass.”

“...You’re right. I’m sorry, senior.”

“Are you being sincere?”

“Yes. You seemed so sloppy, I didn’t recognize your greatness. Though we’re enemies, respect between warriors is a code of Jianghu. I’ll be someone’s senior someday too.”

“That’s only if you survive.”

“Oh, I plan to live long enough to smear shit on a wall and call it a mural, just like you.”

“Watch your damn mouth.”

With his hands behind his back, he nodded toward the unconscious Lecher and the seated Drunk.

“If I spare those two, will you command them? As subordinates.”

“Of course.”

“Strange. I didn’t take you for someone so spineless. Then again, for every lie you tell, I’ll break one of their limbs. How about that?”

“Just being realistic. I didn’t expect you to hide your power this well. Truly, the King of Dongho, Supreme Heretic, Commander of Clownish Bandits.”

The Heretic gave me a withering look.

“You’re easy to read. Then again, a man needs some cowardice to grow. Like me. You remind me of my younger self.”

“...Shit.”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing. I’m just shallow by nature. Grew up as a brothel runner. Vulgar. Maybe that’s why I’m not popular.”

“That rumor was true, then?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Glad you think so.”

“I was a courier. You were a brothel boy. I’m not speaking lightly here. I want to know if you’re willing to learn the Heretical Path and face the Three Calamities.”

“If I learn it, will I be able to?”

“Absolutely. Heretical arts are additive. They’ll only make you stronger.”

“Such as...?”

The Heretic grinned.

“For starters, we’ll make your body invulnerable to blades. Think about it—your current skills plus that? Unstoppable.”

I had a vivid imagination, so naturally, I imagined this ending with him taking over my body.

“...Like that scaled armor the Flying Dagger wore?”

“Smart. How’d you kill him?”

“I slit his—”

I gestured across my neck.

The Heretic nodded.

“Well, he wasn’t a finished product. Honestly, I haven’t figured out all of Sword Demon’s weaknesses either. He’s partially merged with the demonic blade, reaching some level of invulnerability. A fair fight with him would drag on forever. That’s why I waited for the battleground. Got any bright ideas ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ on how to kill him? If we wait too long, the demon within will break free.”

He asked how to kill the Sword Demon.

After some thought, I said,

“Even if he’s invulnerable... he still has to breathe, right?”

“Correct.”

“Then we block every airway. There’s deep water near the shore—we shove him in.”

Honestly, not easy. Just blurting thoughts.

The Heretic pointed a finger at me.

“You’re quite the strategist. Impressive.”

Suddenly, light shot from his finger toward my forehead. The same beam that took out the Lecher and the Drunk.

I barely dodged it with a tilt of my head. My cheek burned. If it had hit directly, my skull would’ve been pulp.

The Heretic chuckled.

“Quick reflexes.”

“Almost died. Maybe just talk next time, senior?”

“I was testing if you had the potential to be my disciple.”

“Keep testing, and you’ll lose your best candidate.”

The Heretic sighed.

“Exactly. Where would I find another young test subject like you... tch.”

With hands behind his back, he turned to inspect the battleground sphere.

“Sword Demon, when are you coming out? You should be done suppressing the rebellion by now. Come on out. I’m ready to punish you.”

Since his back was exposed, I instinctively raised my hands to prepare Sun and Moon Convergence.

Without turning, the Heretic said,

“One hand preparing extreme yang, the other extreme yin—are you hoping for a comeback?”

“Think it’ll work?”

His neck twisted like a snake, eyes locking onto me.

“Who knows? Try it.”

I ran my hands through my hair instead and stared at him.

“Meh... feels risky. Might get blasted mid-prep. Not really something you can toss out instantly—it needs to simmer a bit.”

“That’s the weakness.”

He chuckled and moved to the sphere, striking it hard like some kind of beggar doing palm strikes.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

“Hey! Sword Demon! Quit screwing around in there. Hahaha.”

He looked like a drunk pounding on a toilet door—but I knew he was deliberately torturing the Sword Demon trapped inside.

He continued.

“...Do I need to kill the other three idiots before you come out? Should I do that?”

I yawned and covered my mouth. All the fighting, the night watches... exhaustion was catching up.

The Heretic turned.

“You’re yawning right now?”

“I counted stars all night. A poetic soul, you wouldn’t understand. Asking you was dumb.”

He suddenly looked out toward the waves of Dongho.

“You’re waiting for Im Sobaek. Why isn’t he here yet? Trouble finding a boat? He better get a raft at least. I’m curious how much he can block from a raft.”

“Wow, even the Alliance Leader’s beneath you? Truly, you’re the Supreme Heretic.”

He rubbed thumb and finger together and smiled.

“Want to know how to really break someone like him? Don’t give him some huge disaster. Just endless petty torments. Kill a subordinate. Stir up bandits. Let pirates swarm. Burn villages. Take hostages. Run Black Fragrance. Even a hero like Im Sobaek will start losing sleep and go mad. That’s how you break him. Got it?”

“...”

I stared at him, then spoke to the Lecher.

“Wake up. He noticed.”

The Lecher slowly sat up.

“When did he notice?”

“Probably didn’t even care.”

“Old man’s a pain in the ass.”

Pretending to be unconscious, the Lecher stood up, clearly having been prepping an ambush. With a troubled look, he said,

“Not your average crazy bastard. That man was probably behind Noryang Green Forest League too.”

The Drunk also stood up expressionless from his cross-legged position.

The Lecher gazed seriously at the battleground.

“...Looks like the spirits aren’t recovering easily. Always warned about that.”

The Heretic looked down, then up.

“You three still want to die? Bit of a waste, honestly. I’d like to at least see you on your knees, begging.”

I replied dryly.

“Try dreaming about it.”

The Heretic looked at me.

“Zaha... you think you can win? I don’t mind a one-armed disciple. Or one-eyed. I promise—you’ll lose something.”

Time was running out, like a high-stakes match in Go.

I’d used too much polite speech. My patience was wearing thin.

Still unsure of my next move, I looked at him.

“...People need sleep. I’m too tired to think.”

“Then you’re out of options.”

With hands behind my back, I said to the Lecher and the Drunk,

“You two, fall back. Just like the old man said, I’ll fight him one-on-one. Don’t interfere. You’ll just get in the way.”

Knowing they weren’t the type to back down easily, I added firmly,

“I’m serious. Fall back.”

The Drunk nodded first.

“Understood.”

The two slowly retreated, still eyeing the Heretic.

The Heretic chuckled.

“This is an island—where are you gonna run?”

The Lecher smirked.

“You think we’re running? Shut your mouth and fight. Once he’s done, I’m next. This doesn’t end till we’re all dead.”

The Heretic took a step—and instantly took my place.

I retreated a step with Heavenly Step Technique and locked eyes with him.

“...”

We both confirmed we had similar speed. I was tired. My eyes felt heavy and dry. Bloodshot, maybe.

I said to the Heretic,

“Thanks for the lecture about Im Sobaek.”

“...”

“Why do you keep driving people insane? Why do you do it?”