I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 158

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 158. Spirit of the Heavenly Demon
An elderly man came into view—his hair and beard stretched long in pure white, his face lined with wrinkles yet not appearing excessively aged. There was something profoundly unsettling about him.
I felt nothing. He existed, yet did not exist.
Void. As that strange, otherworldly sensation swept across my body like gazing into an abyss, characters materialized above the man’s head as if they had been waiting.
Rather than introduce himself through words, the elderly man merely nodded toward the characters. I lifted my gaze to read them.
〖Progenitor, First Heavenly Demon—Celestial Spirit Demon King Cheon Mu-won〗
Only then did I realize this was Zone 51. I immediately tensed, retreated several steps, and summoned my blade.
〖Cheonma Bidong (Zones 51-89)—Reorganization Arena〗
〖Objective: Pass the trial of the Spirit of the Heavenly Demon.〗
〖Reward: Heavenly Demon title granted, second condition payment issued〗
A single colossal arena spanning thirty-nine zones. I didn’t know precisely what a Spirit of the Heavenly Demon was, but given that this deceased being possessed a physical form, it must be similar to the Heavenly Demon I’d encountered at the end of the previous zone.
‘Is this a fight?’
But it was impossible. That alienation, that grotesqueness—both warned me. Do not act recklessly under any circumstance. This was an opponent I could never hope to face.
‘SSS-rank or beyond.’
No—this being transcended even the human-made definitions of alphabetic grades. Even if the Abyss were to reestablish rankings using the System, there were limits to what alphabetic grades could express.
Take the Divine Beings as an example: they receive no grade. Their stats aside, what they possessed was far too noble and complete.
Authority. That power I alone on Earth was estimated to possess—the Divine Beings held dozens of such authorities. It was only natural.
‘Without Authority, I could never have defeated opponents beyond my grade.’
My current collection of Authorities had already surpassed ten.
—Primordial Divine Meridian, Equivalent Exchange, Curse of Misfortune, Fortune, Chaos Eye, Demonic Divine Body, Doctrine of Virtue and Doctrine of Nature, Heavenly Demon Body, Chaos Body, Master of Ten Thousand Demons, Dominion of Ten Thousand Demons, Noon Sun, Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Primordial Divine Art
Powers coiled within my consciousness, observing and responding to my every being.
Excluding peculiar cases like Misfortune and Fortune, most Authorities rarely expressed their own will. In particular, Solomon’s powers had never once shown intent, as if they still refused to acknowledge me.
But it didn’t matter. Their lack of will didn’t weaken the Authority’s power or impose restrictions.
‘And once they acknowledge me, so be it.’
In any case, I could not contend with the elderly man before me. It was like a foolish prey, unaware of its own grave, charging at an overwhelmingly superior predator.
As I swallowed hard, trembling with tension, the elderly man—the First Heavenly Demon—let out a hollow laugh and waved his hand dismissively.
“There’s no need to be so tense. After all, there’s no reason for this old one and you to fight. Did you not see the purpose of this place? If you wished to fight me and emerge victorious, you could choose that as your trial, but presenting an impossible task would be unfair. Come now—put down your weapon and let us talk. It’s been so long since I’ve seen someone. My mood is quite good.”
I narrowed my eyes, returned the Myriad Demon Sword to my inventory, and slowly approached him. I sat across from him at a distance.
“Hehehehe. Pleased to meet you. This old one is the first Demon born in the Supreme Martial Realm. A martial artist blessed by a great Divine Being, cursed and honored simultaneously with the title of Heavenly Demon. I am the Celestial Spirit Demon King, Cheon Mu-won.”
My eyes widened slightly. Had I heard something unexpected? Could the being that came to mind be the same person Cheon Mu-won had just named?
“I am Shin Ju-ha, descendant of the Demon God Solomon, and a martial artist who carries the very essence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
At my words, Cheon Mu-won’s eyes widened to their absolute limit, and he shot to his feet. His emotion was unmistakable.
The body that had felt alien and grotesque now trembled violently with emotion, and power erupted from him in waves, spreading throughout the surroundings.
‘Truly formidable.’
Not quite on par with my Younger Sibling, but power exceeding that of most Divine Beings. So he truly had encountered Solomon!
‘Of course—demonic energy itself originates from Solomon, so it’s only natural.’
Still, I had assumed the demonic energy here had been propagated through the Demon Clan of the Demon Realm or a handful of demons who wielded it.
I never imagined the primordial Demon God himself had come to this place and created a Heavenly Demon.
‘As Solomon’s descendant, must I also obtain the title of Heavenly Demon?’
There was certainly some hidden condition at play. When I considered what the Heavenly Demons possessed—their power and the absurd privileges they wielded—nothing about them was ordinary.
“You’ve met Solomon.”
I activated the Demonic Transformation. My skin darkened to a deep ebony tone, and horns sprouted from the crown of my head. The old man’s eyes widened dramatically, his entire frame trembling as he prostrated himself in reverence.
“This humble creature dares to pay homage to the great Master of Demons.”
Observing his reaction, I nodded and deactivated the Demonic Transformation, then helped the old man—this mythical being known as the Celestial Demon—to his feet.
“I am not Solomon. I merely inherited his legacy and succeeded to his power, though even that remains incomplete. There is no need for such formality.”
“That cannot be. Even if the Celestial Demon has always wielded tremendous influence throughout the history of the Jigo Murim, we are ultimately beings created merely for his amusement.”
I found myself reconsidering the nature of Solomon anew. My instincts whispered that he was far more than just another supreme divine being.
‘A Celestial Demon created merely for amusement has endured through to my younger sibling’s generation.’
This single statement made abundantly clear that Solomon occupied a different tier of existence than other divine beings.
Moreover, his power seemed boundless—he had become a being so formidable that even the gods themselves dared not challenge him. Of course, my younger sibling’s talent played its part, but the fundamental foundation lay in the power and knowledge inherent to being a Celestial Demon.
“Was Solomon stronger than the current Celestial Demon?”
I swallowed hard as I asked, and the old man’s expression hardened with absolute certainty, his answer delivered without a moment’s hesitation.
“That being cannot be compared to mere playthings like us. We do not comprehend his thoughts, nor dare we presume to fathom his intentions. To him, the Demon King of the Demon Realm, we Celestial Demons, and all the powerful beings scattered across other dimensions who wield his strength—we are nothing but insignificant insects. Though… that monster might manage to endure a single exchange.”
“He transcended divinity?”
“In our Jigo Murim, we call those who surpass the limitations of their race and ascend beyond such boundaries ‘Immortal Sages,’ and we revere them as divine beings. I myself was such a being. If we designate such existences as gods, then… yes, he was a being who transcended godhood itself. We had to regard him as something entirely different from us. His power was extraordinary and exceptional.”
A single concept flashed through my mind. I opened my status window and checked immediately.
Origin Stat—an unconventional power so obscure that even gods scarcely knew of its existence. This single stat alone had multiplied my strength several times over. Yet even that was merely the beginning. Given proper time to adapt, this stat possessed potential that could increase my power dozens of times—a staggering reserve.
‘Solomon must have possessed this stat as well!’
An unknown stat that appeared in no history, legend, or mythology. In fact, because it possessed power on an entirely different dimension than divine authority, my conviction only deepened.
Solomon possessed at minimum the Origin Stat, or perhaps stats that transcended even that.
I nodded, then averted my gaze from the old man’s burdensome stare and opened my mouth.
“Then how shall we conduct the trial?”
The First Celestial Demon slammed his head to the ground as if my question didn’t warrant a response, crying out.
“Never! No one dares to test the successor of that being!!!”
His unwavering voice made me cough awkwardly. While I appreciated the sentiment, I couldn’t afford to squander this opportunity so easily.
That’s right—an opportunity. A chance to receive instruction under the guise of a trial from a Celestial Demon who had directly met Solomon and learned his power.
“Then let us frame it as teaching. I shall integrate your Celestial Demon Divine Art into my own.”
My Celestial Demon Divine Art was the Origin. It could accept and integrate any Celestial Demon Divine Art whatsoever.
“I shall acquire the Celestial Demon Divine Arts of all thirty-eight Celestial Demons. As Solomon’s successor, I shall claim the achievements you have all accomplished and created.”
My words kindled reverence and awe in the Celestial Demon’s eyes—admiration and wonder—as he bowed deeply. And following his resolve, the trial transformed.
〖Cheonma Bidong (Zones 51-89) – The Hall of Succession〗
〖Objective: Learn the Celestial Demon Divine Arts from all Celestial Demons, from the First to the Thirty-Eighth, and master them to a certain level or higher.〗
〖Reward: Celestial Demon ?? Title Granted, Second Condition Provided〗
Thirty-eight Celestial Demon Divine Arts. The martial techniques of those who were once the supreme masters of this Murim—they would surely be at least mythical grade, or perhaps even authority-grade techniques.
Before that, I had to ask what intrigued me most.
“How strong are you? The first Celestial Demon to learn the power of Celestial Demons from Solomon?”
The old man Cheon Mu-won answered without hesitation.
“I am not particularly strong. Among the souls here, I rank seventh; if we include that impossible monster outside, eighth.”
“How strong is the Celestial Demon outside?”
“The strongest among all Celestial Demons. Thanks to the curse and blessing bestowed by the great Demon God—the principle that a Celestial Demon can only be killed by another Celestial Demon—she will grow ever stronger and more formidable.”
In that instant, Cheon Mu-won’s expression hardened.
“Descendant of the Divine Being. Do not seek to conquer this place. Should you do so, you will find yourself at war with that monster. Two suns cannot hang in the same sky. I know not why that monster opened Cheonma Bidong, but she is arrogant. She dares believe she can cast off the Divine Being’s constraints of her own volition. Ignorant of her own station, truly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Perhaps she has come to realize that no Celestial Demon will ever kill her. Upon understanding her own deathlessness, she sought to transcend the very limits of being a Celestial Demon by selecting a new one in her stead. Or perhaps… she simply wishes to die. It is likely both. Living long does not guarantee all things are good, after all.”
Indeed, my younger sibling carried an emptiness about them—as though they had attained enlightenment of all things in this world and no longer knew what to do with themselves.
Having ascended to such heights, they could harmonize with nothing and stood alone in solitude—an absolute being condemned to eternal loneliness.
‘Then I must kill them all the faster.’
The resolve to end my younger sibling’s life solidified once more within me.
“Can I kill the Celestial Demon? Not through a clash of strength, but through the constraints placed upon the Celestial Demon?”
“Of course. You need not even become a Celestial Demon. That which is created can never surpass that which creates. However…”
“The disparity in power is simply too vast.”
A difference so great that a mere flick of a finger would bring death. Nothing more need be said.
Yet I was certain. Should I persuade my younger sibling, should I make them understand—or if they truly wish to die.
“I will kill them. My younger sibling, by my own hand.”
At my words, the Primordial Celestial Demon’s eyes widened as they had when hearing I was a descendant of Solomon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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