The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 204

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

The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 204
Crash—!
Dust scatters into the air as something tumbles roughly across the floor.
“Ugh….”
Socheongeom, clutching his abdomen where the blow had landed squarely, drooled blood.
Then he fixed me with eyes where the blood vessels bulged prominently.
“You… bastard… it was you…!!”
“Yeah, it’s me, you idiot.”
I stared at him with contempt. The way he clutched his chest. The bitterness accumulated so thickly within him.
Every aspect of his appearance was repugnant to behold.
‘How did he end up like this.’
When I first saw him, he wore a mask, but he seemed reasonably intact back then.
Now his state was an absolute mess.
His former dignity lay in ruins.
His withered appearance looked nothing short of grotesque.
“How did he become like that? He seemed at least presentable before.”
Unable to understand the reason, I asked aloud, and the man growled as he pushed himself up.
Then.
Shhhhh—.
A chill emanated from his back.
‘Hmm.’
Without shifting my gaze, I focused on his back. Something became distinctly visible.
Moreover, eyes stained crimson were directing their gaze toward me.
A demon.
A demon clinging to his back. That was the problem.
‘I see.’
Observing it, I could grasp the situation.
‘So that’s why things went that way.’
It was the demon’s influence.
The demons in the form of women that I could see—there were two of them remaining, and both had their hands placed upon Socheongeom’s head.
‘They’ve burrowed in.’
The demons’ influence was burrowing directly into Socheongeom, affecting his mind as a result.
‘Of course. A man who doesn’t even seem to possess divine power originally carried three demons around with him.’
Under normal circumstances, he couldn’t possibly remain intact, yet his mental fortitude was strong enough that he managed to endure.
But.
‘Despite me having already sent one to enlightenment.’
Even with their numbers reduced from three to two, Socheongeom remained under the demons’ influence.
This meant.
‘His mind had fractured, creating gaps.’
And the demons had burrowed through those cracks.
‘Hmm.’
Thinking back on how this came to be… well.
‘Is it because of me?’
The resentment burning in those eyes directed at me—I could discern from that gaze alone that I was indeed the cause.
But.
“…You… Because of you…!!”
“Get your words straight.”
Should I comfort him at the sight of this? Not a chance.
I twisted my lips into a smirk and spoke to the man.
“It’s not because of me—it’s because of you.”
“What…?”
Screech.
I shoved the chair in front of me aside. The chill intensified.
If it grew much stronger, others would begin to sense it too.
The Demon’s influence intertwined with his emotions, creating a phenomenon of its own.
Of course.
It had no effect on me whatsoever.
“I told you before.”
I approached the man.
“The karma you’ve accumulated through your life will ultimately consume you—that the punishment won’t come from me.”
The deeds committed in life circle back and entangle oneself.
Dark as pitch, filthy as filth itself.
“Does what you’re experiencing seem like it’s because of me? It isn’t.”
I drew closer to the man and spoke with clear, open eyes.
“Don’t pin your own creation on me. That’s far too ugly.”
“…You…!!”
Crunch—!
Socheongeom moves, gritting his teeth. He’s about to draw the sword at his waist immediately.
Snap—!
“…!!”
I reached out and seized the hilt of his sword.
Clang…!
The half-drawn blade slides back into its scabbard.
He strains to pull the sword free, but it won’t budge.
Though I’m barely exerting any force, my grip prevents the blade from leaving its sheath.
Feeling this, I examined his arm.
Pathetic. Though not thick for a martial artist, his muscles should be taut and defined—yet only bone protrudes, with no musculature visible at all.
“Ugh… Haa…”
Perhaps that’s why—despite his injuries, his strength was abnormally feeble.
“You… You…”
“Hmm….”
I released my grip slightly. The recoil from the force I’d been exerting caused the man’s upper body to stagger.
Using his momentum against him, I seized his incoming arm and threw him over my shoulder.
Crash—!!
“Gaaahhh!”
The man screamed as he crashed onto his back.
“Ugh… hnngh….”
The fallen wretch’s breathing grew ragged, and blood began seeping through the bandages wrapped around his chest.
His face contorted in agony, the man glared at me and spoke.
“Why… why… why am I…!”
Tears welled in his reddened eyes, the veins in them bulging even more prominently than before as he poured out his resentment toward me.
“….”
Watching him, I felt no irritation or sympathy.
It was meaningless anyway.
‘Already bitten by the Demon.’
The corruption had begun long ago.
At this point, he’d need either a ritual ceremony or direct salvation.
‘I suppose.’
I felt no particular inclination either way. No matter how much I claimed to care for the living.
‘That only applies to people.’
Whether Socheongeom before me still counted as human was debatable.
As I regarded him with that thought.
“It’s because of you. Everything is because of you…! Because of you, the Lord of the Clan…!”
“You talk too much. So what are you going to do about it.”
Irritation rose at his repetitive words.
My eyes grew cold as I spoke to him naturally.
“Want another round? Like before?”
I was no longer afraid.
I’d endured too much in my past to fear such a wretch.
If he desired it, I’d even draw my blade for him. At those words, the man’s mouth twisted into a grin.
“Yes… yes, this is what I wanted. I will kill you here, no matter what…!”
His trembling hand reached for the hilt.
I let him be. Go ahead and draw it.
Shing—!!
The moment his blade came free.
Crack—!
A sharp sound rang out from somewhere.
Whoosh—! Clang—!
“…!”
Socheongeom’s blade shattered under the piercing flash of light that cut through.
Fragments scattered through the air. Then something else came flying, hurling itself at Socheongeom’s face.
Crack—!!
“…Ugh!!”
Socheongeom, struck in the jaw by a knee, let out a harsh cry as he collapsed.
Thud!
He lost consciousness and crumpled to the ground.
I looked up at the figure who had appeared before me, my expression twisting involuntarily.
I didn’t speak.
The one who should speak first was the man standing in front of me.
As I stared at him intently, he spoke to me with a weary expression.
“Ah, I apologize for this.”
It was the smooth-tongued manner I’d heard many times before.
Yet his expression, unlike his tone, was simply exhausted.
“My younger brother caused quite the incident. Haha.”
“…Naelyong.”
The one who had knocked Socheongeom unconscious was none other than Naelyong.
Having rushed from a distance, weariness and sweat were evident on him.
His ragged breathing revealed how urgently he had come.
Naelyong didn’t hide the aura he was radiating as he looked down at the fallen Socheongeom.
“Incompetent fool.”
His tone dripped with irritation.
Coming from a face identical to his own, it felt strangely discordant.
“…I can’t fathom how he could be so incompetent. It’s utterly revolting.”
Tap.
He nudged the unconscious Socheongeom with the tip of his foot. Then.
“Hyeon-a.”
“…!”
He called to Namgung Hyeon, who had been watching from a distance with anxious eyes.
“Get rid of this. I can’t stand the sight of it.”
His cold gaze turned toward Namgung Hyeon.
Namgung Hyeon flinched visibly at that stare.
“Yes, yes… brother.”
She approached with trembling steps and began to remove Socheongeom.
Only then did the other Namgung Clan martial artists around them begin to help carry Socheongeom away.
“Sigh.”
Naelyong released the breath he had been holding.
“I apologize once more. A member of the Namgung bloodline has caused you trouble.”
At the same time, he offered an apology to those around him.
Watching this, I thought to myself.
‘This is ruined.’
Socheongeom was utterly finished.
The Demon’s influence played a role, but even accounting for that, everything had already slipped through his fingers to Naelyong.
No.
‘I don’t think he could have fought at all from the start.’
The very act of comparing himself to Naelyong seemed to be the problem.
Despite being twins, how could they differ so greatly?
‘That might have been the real issue.’
If the subtle inferiority complex I sensed stemmed from Naelyong, it made sense.
Even I would have suffered my entire life with such a disparity between twin siblings.
‘Still, I don’t pity him.’
Because of the deeds that man had committed, I harbored no sympathetic thoughts.
Regardless of the circumstances, I could not rationalize the atrocities he had perpetrated.
“Socheongeom, I apologize to you as well.”
“It’s fine. It was something I had to face anyway.”
Brushing myself off, I rose to my feet.
Then I turned to Naelyong and asked.
“It seems the two of you don’t get along well?”
“….”
At those words, Naelyong’s smile vanished.
“Brothers….”
His voice carried a striking coldness.
Yet it lasted only a moment before his smile returned.
“Yes. We are not particularly close.”
He said so to me with a smile.
“Hmm.”
There was no need for further conversation.
I nodded and quietly returned to my seat.
I thought that would be the end of the day’s events.
That is what I believed.
And so I did not notice.
That Baekcheon-in, leaning against the second-floor railing, was staring intently at Socheongeom.

* * *
After the meal concluded and late night descended.
I had entered the training hall set up around the inn.
파파파팍—!!!
Several throwing knives launched from my hand embed themselves into the wall.
Despite throwing a handful at once, they land with pristine, nearly identical spacing.
Simultaneously, each knife carries layered energy that amplifies the impact.
후두두두두두둑—!!!
Like rain falling, they pierce into the wall and ground.
Watching this display, the figure from the Dang Clan beside me.
Dang Cheon-il stares with a dazed expression.
Seeing Dang Cheon-il like this, I furrow my brow.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“Yes, yes?”
“Stop gawking and focus. I’m teaching you, aren’t I?”
“Ah, yes.”
Right now, I was instructing Dang Cheon-il in the Manceon Hwau technique.
“Try it.”
….
At my words, Dang Cheon-il nods and grasps the throwing knife.
And then.
Whoosh—!
He hurls the knife he was holding with all his strength.
Pap pap pap pap—!!!
The knife that soars through the air soon sweeps across the surroundings, much like mine did.
Pap pap pap pap.
….
The result was quite different.
“No….”
Several knives fail to embed and simply fall, while others lack energy infused within them.
He had failed.
“That’s not it, I told you?”
….
“The crucial part is controlling your bet. You must channel all the energy from your dantian into each individual knife before throwing, I said.”
The fundamental element of Manceon Hwau.
Regardless of how many throwing knives one holds, it’s essential to wrap your bet around every single one.
All within that brief moment of grasping and releasing the knife.
Yet Dang Cheon-il couldn’t manage this, which is why he’s been struggling until now.
“Why can’t you do this?”
“No….”
At my words, Dang Cheon-il spoke as though deeply wronged.
“It happens in the blink of an eye. How could I possibly wrap bets around all my hidden weapons in such a fleeting moment…?”
How? I asked.
This time, I spoke as though I didn’t understand.
“Just do it.”
“….”
“Why can’t you do this?”
Upon hearing my words, Dang Cheon-il’s expression shifted as though he’d been struck by lightning.
That same look had been on his face the entire time I was explaining.
What on earth was the problem?
I couldn’t fathom it.

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