Chapter 240: Chapter 240

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 240

The scale of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect surpassed imagination.

Through Gi Tae-Hyuk, the first quest had been completed, and the second one was to integrate into the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and join the ranks of the general disciples.

[Path to Ultimacy (1): General Disciple]

- Restriction: Successful infiltration of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect

- Reward: ??

- Description: Join the ranks of the general disciples and eliminate the incoming monsters.

Monsters.

The fact that they existed in this special dungeon meant that this dimension, too, had succumbed to destruction.

“But what brings you to such a humble place?”

The location where Jeong-hoon was situated housed the lower-ranked disciples.

It was unclear why the starting point had been here, but starting from within the sect had made infiltration incredibly smooth.

However, this place wasn’t entirely safe either.

Bang!

A thunderous roar shook the ground.

“I-It seems a demonic beast has appeared!”

Gi Tae-Hyuk, his face pale, trembled uncontrollably.

‘A demonic beast—they must mean monsters.’

Fenrir had referred to the Seven Deadly Sins as "demonic beasts," but the two were fundamentally different. These people merely called monsters "demonic beasts."

In any case, this place was also plagued by monsters.

“You, stay inside.”

“W-Wait inside…?”

“What else? Are you planning to go out and subjugate the demonic beast?”

“Of course! We must join the fight!”

Lower-ranked disciples were likely to be used as disposable shields in case of emergencies.

“That’s an order.”

“Understood!”

At Jeong-hoon’s words, Gi Tae-Hyuk didn’t hesitate and went back into the room.

Left alone, Jeong-hoon unfolded the Sky Scroll and left the spot.

---

The members of the Demonic Sect were hunting monsters.

‘It’s better to blend in with them.’

Using a disguise potion, Jeong-hoon altered his appearance and level, then clumsily displayed the Underworld King’s Fist Technique as he naturally joined the disciples.

Given the tense atmosphere, no one doubted Jeong-hoon.

Even the martial art they practiced, though rudimentary, faintly carried the energy of the Underworld King within their fists.

‘How curious. The energy of the Underworld King and those belonging to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect are so similar.’

Could it be that the Heavenly Demon was somehow connected to the Underworld King?

“Hey! Who are you?”

As countless speculations swirled in his mind, a man approached Jeong-hoon.

Whether it was because he had completed a quest through Gi Tae-Hyuk or because he had displayed a similar martial art, the man showed no trace of suspicion.

It seemed he simply intended to reprimand Jeong-hoon for joining late.

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Seok Cheol-Un

- Level: 150

- Class: General Disciple

===

He was a general disciple, positioned above the lower-ranked disciples.

His aura was distinctly different from that of the lower-ranked disciples, and his level was as high as 150.

“General Disciple Hoon, reporting.”

“I didn’t ask for your name! Where were you, and why are you so late joining us?”

The individuals engaging in battle with the monsters were not lower-ranked disciples but all general disciples.

Unlike the lower-ranked disciples, who remained in the facilities, the general disciples were trained to confront monsters at any time. This explained the anger over his delayed arrival.

“My apologies. I had an urgent need to relieve myself.”

“Hmph. Be more careful next time.”

The excuse was absurd, but fortunately, it worked.

Perhaps because this was part of a quest, Seok Cheol-Un refrained from further reprimanding him and turned away.

Rumble.

Once again, the ground shook violently.

It signaled that monsters were emerging from the portal.

“A demonic beast is coming! Prepare for battle!”

“Damn it, why is this happening today of all days!”

At Seok Cheol-Un’s command, the general disciples, who had been resting, swiftly assumed battle positions.

Jeong-hoon did the same.

Since there was no reaction indicating the quest was complete, it seemed necessary to thoroughly eliminate these monsters to fulfill the objective.

---

Two days after Jeong-hoon had joined, a flickering exclamation mark appeared above Seok Cheol-Un’s head.

Over those two days, Jeong-hoon witnessed the relentless waves of monsters, leading him to conclude that this dimension was nearing its end.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘This is serious.’

The constant battles had taken a toll on the disciples.

“Damn it, if only the Sect Leader were here…”

The Sect Leader, the master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.

The Heavenly Demon.

The sky above the sky.

The Absolute One.

All of these referred to the same person.

However, that individual was no longer present in the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.

‘It’s been over ten years since the Sect Leader disappeared.’

With the Sect Leader’s sudden disappearance, the Young Sect Leader had taken over the sect’s leadership.

But the continuous monster invasions had caused the sect’s power to decline steadily.

Even the facilities for managing new disciples had been established for this reason—turning them into functional combatants before deploying them to the front lines.

‘There are too many dungeons in the area.’

And most of them were penalty dungeons.

Because these dungeons hadn’t been cleared, they had piled up over time, worsening the situation.

When the Sect Leader resided in the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, it had never been this severe. Many believed that if the Sect Leader were still present, the sect’s dominance would remain unmatched.

“The area has calmed down. Everyone, take a break.”

“Yes.”

The flickering exclamation mark above Seok Cheol-Un’s head glowed brightly.

[Quest Complete.]

[You may proceed with the next quest.]

Quest Completed.

Despite all his efforts, there was no reward.

Jeong-hoon observed the flickering question mark above Seok Cheol-Un’s head.

[Path of the Ultimate (1): Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jun]

- Requirement: Eliminate 50,000 monsters.

- Reward: ??

- Description: Seek out Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jun. (Dokgo Jun’s location will be revealed.)

Fifty thousand monsters.

No wonder it had taken more than two days.

The next quest involved finding the Sect Leader, Dokgo Jun.

‘Dokgo Jun?’

Jeong-hoon furrowed his brows.

It was a name that felt all too familiar.

***

Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jun

Once an orphan of the heavens, he was adopted by Dokgo Myung, the former Sect Leader, who noticed his potential. Despite his young age—barely into his early 40s—he ascended to the position of Heavenly Demon.

But now, he found himself in a life-or-death situation.

“You’re quite impressive. Even after all this, you’re still alive.”

Hovering above with its wings spread, a being with crimson eyes looked down at him.

It was Bulang, a transcendent of demon king caliber, far beyond the likes of lesser entities.

“Silence!”

Dokgo Jun struggled to his feet. However, his body had been pushed to its limit by the relentless battle, and a strange sorcery seemed to disrupt his flow of demonic energy, scattering it every time he tried to use it.

To revive the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, Dokgo Jun had entrusted everything to the Deputy Sect Leader and secluded himself in closed-door training.

Through those efforts, he mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, creating the most powerful martial techniques.

But ironically, they were ineffective against this opponent.

“How laughable. Did you truly think a mere creation could become a god?”

Though mocking him outwardly, Bulang couldn’t help but feel admiration internally.

Dokgo Jun was a formidable adversary.

Even the apostle-class beings under Bulang had been defeated when sent against him. This battle revealed why the Sovereign had deemed it necessary to dispatch a demon king-level transcendent like himself.

Especially troubling was Dokgo Jun’s martial arts.

Had they not intervened, he would undoubtedly have risen to become an absolute ruler.

‘Now I understand why we were ordered to eliminate him at all costs.’

The Heavenly Demon.

A title associated with a group of humans who dared to proclaim themselves as gods. Seeing the sheer mastery of his techniques, it was clear why so many followed him.

“Why should I not?”

Dokgo Jun smirked.

It had been a decade since he began his secluded training.

He wasn’t about to fall here.

“How do you plan to fight in that condition?”

“Enough with the chatter.”

Dokgo Jun assumed his stance.

Bulang’s lips curled into a sly grin.

“It’s such a waste to kill you. You’d make an excellent pawn for Him instead.”

"Go!"

Dokgo Jun closed the distance to the entity using Heavenly Demon Supreme Step.

He launched another punch, channeling his newly devised divine technique. Derived from the Heavenly Demon Sky-Shattering Fist taught by the previous sect leader, it was a power that tore the very air apart as it neared its target.

A devastating shockwave engulfed Bulang.

“I told you—it won’t work.”

Bulang swung his scythe.

A crimson-marked card materialized before him, spinning rapidly.

The card absorbed the shockwave completely. Simultaneously, Dokgo Jun’s body folded in half as his waist was violently struck by an invisible force.

Forced Reflection Ability.

An absurd power that doubled incoming damage and reflected it unconditionally. Worse, it ignored all defensive measures. No matter how formidable Dokgo Jun was, to Bulang, he remained merely a creation.

“Urgh!”

Dokgo Jun spat blood but launched another punch.

Even his Heavenly Demon Physique was rendered useless.

He had never encountered such an ability before.

“You’d be better off as a pawn. I might even find some amusement in using you,” Bulang sneered.

Dokgo Jun glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

“You dare call me a pawn?”

Swish!

At that moment, an arrow flew out of nowhere.

“A meddler,” Bulang growled, frowning as he swung his scythe.

This time, several green cards appeared, spinning swiftly as they consumed the arrow entirely.

The arrow had carried immense force, enough to make Bulang’s aura turn sharper.

“So, you can absorb the power of arrows too?”

A young man began to approach slowly from the distance.

* * *

‘As expected, the Heavenly Demon is that Dokgo Jun.’

The enigmatic elder Jeong-hoon met in the primordial village, the one who had imparted the Underworld King's Fist Technique to his successor—he was none other than Dokgo Jun.

‘A game piece in their machinations.’

Jeong-hoon’s eyes narrowed as he studied the transcendent before Dokgo Jun.

This being wasn’t of apostle level but demon king caliber.

For a demon king to manifest in the mortal plane meant it had accepted severe penalties.

It underscored the importance of Dokgo Jun’s elimination to their plans for this dimension's destruction.

‘Judging by the timing, the transcendent attacked Dokgo Jun as soon as I accepted the quest.’

The objective was clear—aid Dokgo Jun and stop the transcendent.

‘But can I pull it off?’

Suddenly, a flickering exclamation mark appeared above Dokgo Jun’s head.

[Quest Completed!]

The quest was marked as complete, unlocking the next challenge.

[Path of the Ultimate (1): Transcendent]

- Requirement: Encounter Dokgo Jun.

- Reward: ??

- Description: Aid Dokgo Jun to survive for 10 minutes. (Countdown begins upon quest acceptance.)

The task wasn’t to defeat the transcendent but merely to ensure Dokgo Jun’s survival.

“Just 10 minutes.”

This simple requirement underscored the enemy's overwhelming power. It was a demon king-class transcendent, far beyond Jeong-hoon’s current capabilities.

Upon accepting the quest, Jeong-hoon immediately unfurled the Heavenly Tome.

[Activating Holy Orb of Glory.]

[Using Advanced Healing.]

He targeted Dokgo Jun with Holy Orb of Glory, surrounding him in a protective divine aura, and followed it up with Advanced Healing to mend his injuries.

“Hoho,” Bulang observed, an intrigued expression on his face.

The fact that he wasn’t interrupting this process showed the extent of his confidence.

“You… who are you?” Dokgo Jun asked in a trembling voice.

“A newly inducted member of the sect.”

“Is that so? How did you know I was here? Even the sub-leader doesn’t know my location.”

“I just have good intuition.”

“Lies,” Dokgo Jun chuckled, despite himself.

Someone who could locate him here and heal his ruined body so effortlessly couldn’t possibly be an ordinary disciple.

“Yes, it’s a lie,” Jeong-hoon admitted with a sly grin.

“…Fine, I don’t care. Just help me.”

“That was the plan all along.”

Jeong-hoon clenched his fist, and the Underworld King’s Aura radiated from it.

The quest’s requirement was straightforward—keep Dokgo Jun alive for 10 minutes.

Instead of pushing him into further danger, Jeong-hoon chose to take the lead in confronting Bulang directly.

[Title: One Who Transcends Humanity Lv. 1]

- Type: Unique Evolution Title

- Grade: Celestial

- Automatically channels natural mana and periodically regenerates magic power.

- Can permanently erase dungeons (excluding high-grade ones).

- Partially resists the influence of transcendent beings.

It was a title earned upon ascending to celestial heights.

The partial resistance to transcendent powers offered a slim chance to withstand the demon king’s overwhelming abilities, if only for 10 minutes.

“Let’s see if I can hold him off,” Jeong-hoon muttered as he braced himself for the impending clash.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]