Chapter 160: Guild (2)

It was a black flame.

Flickering.

The black flame was quietly burning.

A flame with the nature of burning fiercely as Energy of Defying Heaven. It was also a mass of potential holding many things.

The Witch Maiden realized immediately upon seeing it, it was similar to the power she desired.

‘What is this?’

This wa snot the Energy of Defying Heaven.

It was not a fragment of the Heavenly Demon she saw from Lee Seo-ha. It was not a Mine’s either. Nor was it extraterrestrial.

It was purely Lee Seo-ha’s power.

Upon seeing the black flames, the Witch Maiden realized this. It was a power that seemed to negate others, not by denying everything but by including others’.

‘Is such a thing possible?’

That was her second thought.

Instinctively, the Witch Maiden felt that she could accept this power. Her accumulated Energy of Asura might be absorbed by it, but it would be beneficial in the long term.

The Witch Maiden had dreamed of the power of Defying Heaven.

However, she knew she had to give up what she had built up until now. The Energy of Defying Heaven was a power that negated everything. There was a high chance it would even negate her Asura Energy.

It meant she had to build it up again.

The efforts she had made until now. But the Witch Maiden was confident. Confident that she could quickly rise up again.

However, this power was different. It was inclusive. It was a form of Energy of Defying Heaven that absorbed the Asura Energy and made it her own.

‘Is this the true meaning of Defying Heaven?’

The true Heavenly Demon of this era had surpassed the real Heavenly Demon of the previous era.

That was the moment she became certain.

“Apostolization.”

The black flames enveloped her.

The Asura Energy twitched. The black flames roared as they swallowed her energy.

‘Ah.’

It was an ecstatic experience she was having for the first time. The power she had built up until now was being swallowed by a greater force. She might have a lot, but the density was extremely high.

The Asura Energy was consumed by the black flames, which didn’t stop there; they began to influence her status.

Status.

The stories she had accumulated.

She referred to it as status.

She enveloped the narratives she had crafted thus far. They merged into a vast canvas that shaped her imagination. Martial arts and magic served as the brushes that decorated it.

The paint that traced the path of her life. She brought it to life with color.

Only by fully embracing this could she ascend to a higher status.

From the moment she attained a higher status, the power vested in that status transformed.

As she acquired a higher status and became attuned to her imagination, the world as she perceived it shifted. This was why most beings who had attained a higher status channeled their power into their imagination.

The black flames were encroaching upon that.

‘This is…’

Yet, the Witch Maiden merely observed.

Instinctively, she understood that this would fortify her imagination. The Asura Energy she possessed begun to welcome the black flames.

Just slightly.

She sensed her status elevate.

‘It doesn’t make sense.’

Power was assimilated.

Status was enhanced. The process incurred almost no loss. On the contrary, the black flames, as they consumed her imagination, augmented her power.

The Witch Maiden recognized that this power had made her at least 50% stronger than before.

“……”

It was the black flames’ doing. However, she became aware of an unseen bond linking her to Lee Seo-ha.

To give power and to submit. The Witch Maiden had always disdained such dynamics. Her aversion to subjugation was the reason she had negotiated separate terms with the leader of the Brigade of Eternal Heaven, to preserve her independence.

But now, things have changed.

The Witch Maiden respectfully bowed to Lee Seo-ha, like a devoted follower.

“For the Heavenly Demon of our era, I will dedicate everything I possess.”

The Witch Maiden wholeheartedly pledged her allegiance to Lee Seo-ha.

[The Witch Maiden has become your apostle.]

[Proficiency in Apostolization increases.]

[Your imagination receives a minor influence from the Asura's energy.]

[The world takes notice of you.]

[Due to the effect of Apostolization, one talent possessed by the subject is copied.]

Staring at the notification window, I froze.

Did Apostolization possess such abilities? I quickly checked the talents I could obtain through Talent Reading.

[「Sword Existence (S)」, 「Asura's Sword (S)」, 「Dream Insight (S)」, 「Sense Path (A)」, 「Devotee (A)」, and 21 others.]

The Witch Maiden had many talents due to her extensive experience.

Her talents were focused on combat. However, Devotee (A) was not originally there.

Devotee (A)

One who adores and devoutly cares for a god.

Feels more disgrace in insulting the god than being insulted themselves.

- Growth adjustment if accompanied by a god or witnessing non-action.

- Growth intensifies each time a miracle of the god is witnessed. Attributes adjusted according to devotion.

So, she considered me as a god.

I almost lost my mind in dismay, but I quickly reviewed the talents.

Many of her talents overlapped with mine. Insight could be substituted with Divine Sight, so it’s not important, and Asura’s Sword overlaps with Divine Sight in targeting weaknesses and increasing critical damage.

Sense Path didn’t overlap, but its grade was low.

‘I don’t necessarily need to acquire Devotee.’

Then Sword Existence was the better choice.

If Sword Demon focused on speedy swordplay, Sword Existence focused on balance.

[Sword Demon (S) and Sword Existence (S) will merge. Due to the high proficiency of Sword Demon, the talent of Sword Existence will be bound to Sword Demon.]

[Sword Demon (S) evolves into Sword Demon (S+).]

My senses broadened.

I used to pursue extreme speed, but now I could do more. I wanted to train with the Black Heaven Sword, but there were many eyes on me now.

‘It’s time to start organizing the guild.’

It’s regrettable but unavoidable.

Because it’s my first day at work. There was a lot to do. The Electronic Witch was supposed to handle the paperwork, but there were many things I had to take care of myself.

I looked around.

Elder Ji and Seonghwi were watching me with sparkling eyes. They were guessing what had happened to the Witch Maiden.

“I am different from the previous Heavenly Demon; I can share my power with those around me. If you all work hard in your assigned roles, I will grant you this power, Witch Maiden.”

“Yes.”

At my words, the Witch Maiden stood up.

She drew her sword. A phenomenon of Asura occurred behind her. It was embracing the black flames. In the form of embracing the Energy of Defying Heaven.

“My goodness……”

Elder Ji opened his mouth wide as he looked at the Witch Maiden.

“This is the power bestowed by the new Heavenly Demon…”

The members of the Heaven Society also looked at me with shining eyes.

‘Apostolization isn’t bad.’

However, there was a problem.

The difference between the existing Black God Martial Arts and the suitability for the Black Flame Celestial Body Technique. I had to create martial arts that matched the Black Flame Celestial Body.

‘Martial arts, Kim Seo-hyun is good at creating them.’

I stared at my phone intently.

“What’s this…”

Ershil stared blankly at the sky. Her face was hot. Her face was probably still red.

“Huh.”

It wasn’t behavior fitting for a noble.

But Ershil let out a foolish laugh. She felt like she could fly.

‘What, what? Has that eunuch finally fallen?’

She hugged herself in the hospital room.

While rolling around. She didn’t show it, but she realized he had smelled her scent. It would have seemed like a perverted act to others.

But Ershil didn’t dislike his actions. Rather.

‘Am I a pervert too?’

It was good. It was too good compared to what she always thought.

The hard body she remembered even through the clothes. The pleasant scent on his firm chest.

It was an indecent expression, but she became aroused.

Honestly, she thought it was unfair. His face was so beautiful it radiated, and according to Melanie Merchen, his body was akin to that of a transcendent being.

-And that guy. Do you know the nature of his power has changed?

‘The nature of his power?’

-Yes. The power he harbors now includes the power of flames. It seems to also encompass the smallest particles, the Origin Force, that even giants struggle to wield.

‘Can he really contain that?’

Ershil asked in return.

Harboring different powers was no easy feat. The fantasy magic she possessed was a blend of Melanie’s original magic with another, as she was a transcendent being herself.

Melanie had always boasted about it. Others claimed it was an achievement not easily attained. Here, “others” refers to beings that transcend the ordinary.

For such beings, merging different powers into one is challenging.

-The previous Heavenly Demon couldn’t achieve it either. It was the lifelong wish of the Heavenly Demon. She aimed to sustain the Demon Cult by integrating other magical powers with the power of Defying Heaven to weaken it.

‘What kind of being was the Heavenly Demon?’

-A crazy woman.

Ershil’s eyes widened at Melanie’s words.

It was the first time she had shown such emotion.

-At first, she approached me wanting to combine the Energy of Defying Heaven with something else. I was intrigued too. It was the first time I encountered such power. I thought maybe I could glimpse beyond transcendence with a power that negates everything.

‘I see.’

-It was quite the moment when she began to change. Suddenly, she started confessing to me, saying my working appearance was attractive.

‘So, it was a man.’

-No, it was a woman.

‘……?’

-Anyway, we had our incidents, but we remained focused on the experiment. And we managed to uncover the origin of that power.

‘The origin?’

-Yes. The origin. The highest celestial being, the creator of all laws of the universe. The one who opened the creation, the parent of all who made the law of causality.

‘…….’

-So, it’s strange. Originally, starlight and the Energy of Defying Heaven cannot coexist. Because they symbolize the creation of the universe. They can use the power to destroy everything and create everything.

‘Could Seo Ga-yeon be…?’

-The possibility is small. Lee Seo-ha’s talent is outstanding. Compared to him, Seo Ga-yeon’s talent is weak. It’s a talent that will eventually hit its limits. Unless someone adds talent to her, it’s impossible.

However.

Melanie swallowed her words.

A transcendent being was not determined by vessel and talent alone. Melanie knew that there were those who became transcendent beings through endless effort over a millennium.

The Transcendent of the Boundary was one of them.

Yet, he possessed the power to covet all kinds of geniuses.

The power left by that being caused wars among various transcendent beings as it wandered the universe.

The power to control boundaries.

It contained innumerable possibilities.

“But, are you okay?”

‘With what?’

-You were hugged by him, but there are also many women around that man. If you don’t act quickly, you’ll be in trouble.

‘Even if Seo-ha is lacking in fidelity, he’s not that bad.’

Ershil dismissed Melanie’s concerns with excitement and headed to school.

And then she witnessed it.

‘Damn.’

Lee Seo-ha, pushed against the wall by Kim Ara, his face flushing.

Lee Seo-ha was even less principled than she thought.