"Damn it. How could this happen?"
A woman's scream echoed in the distance.
"Ah, you're awake? Do you remember me? I'm the most famous person in all of Murim!"
The woman stared at the man shouting and striking a bizarre pose. A sudden chill ran down her spine.
"Grrr… I'll kill you! I swear! You were nothing but trash, unworthy to even crawl or lick my feet! How could this happen… H-how could this…"
Her voice cracked as she began to sob uncontrollably.
"Don't worry, oh esteemed and dignified Heavenly Demon. I'll make sure your suffering is as exquisite as it is agonizing! Hehehe, just wait and see~"
The Heavenly Demon slowly walked toward the woman, who was none other than the Murim Alliance Leader. She had been defeated and was now at his mercy.
"Stay back! No—don't come near me, you disgusting demon!"
Her cries grew louder and more desperate.
Thrust—
A gaping hole opened in her chest.
Blood splattered across the ground, painting the earth crimson. She was dead.
On that fateful day, the ???th Murim Alliance Leader perished.
The strongest and most beautiful martial artist was no more, leaving behind only the Heavenly Demon, who would now lead Murim into an uncertain and ominous future.
Her consciousness faded. Memories of the past replayed like fragments of a broken mirror.
She died alone, with no one by her side.
The Heavenly Demon stared coldly at her lifeless body, the memories of their shared past still etched deeply in his mind.
A chilling grin spread across his handsome face as he lifted his gaze to the blackened sky.
Rain began to pour, drenching the earth.
Rivers of blood flowed into the oceans. Mountains lay shattered and broken, leaving only death and destruction in their wake.
Vultures circled the sky, feasting on the corpses scattered across the battlefield.
This was the aftermath of the world-shattering battle between the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance.
The Heavenly Demon collected the Murim Alliance Leader's corpse.
Then, in the stormy heavens above, the clouds parted.
Lightning crackled across the sky, and fierce winds howled through the land. The heavens turned pitch black, as if enraged by the carnage below.
The sky itself split apart, revealing a celestial palace adorned with gold and jewels, radiating a divine aura.
The Heavenly Demon simply smirked, his crimson eyes piercing through the veils of shadow, as if he could see the figure behind the heavenly palace.
"Seriously? They even rolled out a grand stage for the main character."
The Heavenly Demon chuckled.
"So, nothing to say, huh? In that case, let's begin."
He drew a crimson sword in one hand and a black blade in the other.
Donning a blood-red mask, he unleashed an aura of slaughter and bloodlust that rippled across the battlefield.
From the massive rift in the sky, hundreds… thousands… tens of thousands of celestial guards emerged.
Their expressions were emotionless as they descended, clad in gleaming golden armor that covered them from head to toe.
Each one pointed their weapons at a single target—the Heavenly Demon.
Boom!
The Heavenly Demon leapt into the air, charging at them.
The battle began.
Every clash of their weapons brought devastation. Innocent lives were lost, animals perished, and the world itself seemed to mourn. There were no sounds except for the ringing of steel and the tragic screams of the wounded.
He was the last Heavenly Demon, the one who stood tall as Murim's world crumbled. His legend would not be passed down to anyone.
---
Decades Later
In a small, secluded village, a husband and wife lived with their child.
You've probably guessed who they are by now.
"Father! Look at this! The chicken pooped in your yard!"
The little girl held up a small chicken, her expression gleeful.
The father's face twisted in anger.
"Hah, chicken! I'll give you three seconds to decide—pluck your own feathers and jump into the frying pan, or die by my hands!"
"Cluck! Cluck!"
The chicken scurried off, plucking its feathers and leaping into a sizzling frying pan.
A sharp tug on the husband's ear pulled him back to reality.
"Ow! Wait—darling, I can explain!"
"Hmm? Explain, huh? Either you revive that chicken or I'll hit you with that thing over there!"
"Ouch! Fine, fine!"
Yes, that's right.
He was the Heavenly Demon, and his wife was the former Murim Alliance Leader.
For some reason—or perhaps many reasons they had become a pair of lovers over the years, setting aside the sins of their past.
"Little Seorin, you shouldn't tease anyone! Not even chickens!"
The little girl, Seorin, stammered her reply.
"Eek! O-okay, Mom! I won't do it again! I promise!"
"Now both of you, sit on the kitchen floor with your hands raised! Hurry!"
"As you command, ma'am!"
"We'll obey, ma'am!"
Little Seorin and the Heavenly Demon ran to the kitchen without another word.
The beautiful woman standing there couldn't help but laugh at their antics.
"Hahaha, Chun Myung, what trouble have you caused now?"
The woman had long, flowing white hair that reached her waist.
"Just the usual mischief. By the way, what's for dinner, darling?"
"Why are you asking me that? It's not like you're getting any tonight."
"..."
Little Seorin, sitting with her hands raised, was shocked that she wouldn't be getting dinner either.
"Ah, there's an exception for Little Seorin. She's still a child, so she needs to eat more, okay~"
"Thanks, Mom!"
The woman smiled, gently stroking Seorin's head.
***
Years Later
"Ugh… barbecued ribs… smoked pork belly…"
Knock, knock—
"Young Miss, it's time for you to wake up."
A tall man's voice came from outside the door.
"... Five more minutes…"
"You've said that four times already today, Miss. Besides, isn't today a special day?"
Gasp—
The teenage girl, now grown-up Seorin, bolted upright. Her long black hair was a tangled mess.
'Today's an important day! I need to hurry and get ready.'
Before she could even put on her clothes—
Crash!
The wall of her room crumbled to pieces. The culprit was none other than her younger sibling.
"Big Sis, hurry up! Dad said if you're not ready in five minutes, he's leaving without you!"
"Yeonhwa! How many times have I told you to knock before coming in?!"
"But I came through the wall!"
Seorin felt her head spin. She wanted to punch her idiotic sibling.
"Sigh…"
Yeonhwa quickly ran out of the room.
"Uncle, let's go."
The tall man stood at attention.
"Of course, Miss Yeonhwa."
They left Seorin alone.
"Today is such an important day for me…"
Seorin muttered to herself, reaching for a framed photo on her vanity.
"Finally, I've found your whereabouts, Mother."
Her fingers traced the face in the family photo—the face of her mother.
"Now then, let's head to Aurionis Academy."
***
"Let's see~"
[Symphony of Elemental Harmony
Tier: -
A unique Trait with an unknown upper limit. This Trait promises unrestricted control over various elemental and energy abilities. Its highest potential could even grant absolute authority over all energy and matter, whether existing or non-existent.
Available elements:
1. Fire
2. Water
3. Earth
4. Wind
5. Lightning
6. Plant
7. Poison
8. Shadow
9. Absorption
10. Glutton
Cost: A massive amount of mental energy.]
"This is such a strong start. Imagine the protagonist gaining thousands of levels and a ridiculously overpowered Trait in less than a day. I wonder what a game developer would think if they saw this."
Arov extended his hand, conjuring a white flame.
"On top of that, I've even obtained a special fire! System, is this fire truly that powerful?"
[Yes. The actions you took earlier seem to have attracted the heaven and earth flames to reside within your body.]
"Damn…"
'The heaven and earth flames… I thought they only existed in donghua and manhua.'
Arov could feel the flames burning with a purity that could annihilate any form of negative energy, even demonic energy or the Abyss' essence.
"It seems I've accidentally discovered a natural counter to those two energies."
He retracted the heaven and earth flames, understanding their uniqueness and the astronomical energy cost of using them.
"Even with my current strength, if I recklessly wield these flames, I'll be completely drained and die on the spot…"
Arov's mind raced as he sought a solution to this dilemma.
"Now that I think about it, the Absorption ability from the Symphony of Elemental Harmony seems highly compatible with the Voidforge Eternia portal. Should I try combining them to create a new technique?"
He projected a portal in front of him.
Opening his palm, he summoned a massive black hole that clung to its center.
However, no feasible ideas for the fusion came to mind.
---
1524 word.
Hi guys, this is DE. For the next week or so from now I'll probably do mass releases per week, the schedule this time is 7 chapters per week or one chapter per day. But I'm going to do 10 chapters next week. 2 weeks from now, if we hit the 50 power stone, then I'll update 12 chapters per week before returning to the regular schedule. So, what again? Give me your vote and review 😈