The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 22

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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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The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 022
I did my best to bring the wooden coffin and place it down, and time passed.
Many eyes fell upon me, but I paid them no mind and relocated the coffin. Sneaking it away would have been impossible anyway.
After that, I openly participated in morning training.
Honestly, I heard I didn’t have to, but I did it anyway. Partly for the sake of appearances, and partly because without doing something, it would have been difficult to keep my sanity intact.
After training ended, I even ate a meal.
Sitting squarely in the dining hall and chewing my food, everyone around me stared.
I ignored them and swallowed my food.
However, I couldn’t ignore the voices reaching my ears.
-It’s the Bang Disciple.
-…the one who crushed Socheongeom…
-Why… in the dining hall…?
A disciple eating in the dining hall, yet everyone stares at me strangely. How should I describe this? Should I say my standing has changed that much? Or should I see it differently?
I had no idea.
I simply chewed and swallowed my food. After that, I entered my room.
There would have been patrol duties and other tasks afterward, but I decided to skip those for now.
“…Damn it all.”
In such a complicated state, I couldn’t manage such work.
[So you came here?]
I clicked my tongue briefly at the Old Man’s question. I was in the Private Training Ground.
It was a space granted to me the moment my connection to Socheongeom became known.
“For now, there’s nothing particularly to do anyway.”
Whoosh—! I spoke while swinging the wooden sword once.
I had complained to Cheon Euijin about preferential treatment and such, yet here I was, using it without hesitation.
‘Discrimination is the best.’
This is life. Training in a space with no one around—how long has it been since I’ve done this?
Probably the first time, if I exclude the dawn training grounds I used when Cheon Euijin wasn’t around.
It felt genuinely pleasant.
‘Besides, there was something I wanted to try anyway.’
Whoosh—! Whoosh—! I continued swinging the wooden sword I held through the empty air. The sensation was quite subtle.
‘This is something.’
What was it called—Cheonwol Heart Method? The heart method the Old Man had forcibly implanted in my body.
Perhaps because of that heart method, my body felt unusually light.
‘My strength seems to have increased a bit too.’
I had grown stronger overall. Should I say my cultivation level had risen? In terms of results, it wasn’t bad, but…
‘The problem is.’
Though I had grown stronger, I had no idea what to do with it.
“Hmm…”
My original heart method had disappeared, and the Cheonwol Heart Method had suddenly taken its place, so naturally my martial techniques would need to change as well.
‘What should I do?’
It was difficult to grasp the situation clearly, so I asked the one person who would know.
“…What should I do now?”
[Huh?]
The Old Man tilted his head at my question.
[Why are you asking me that?]
“Then who else would I ask…?”
He wasn’t joking around.
“Old Man… if you arbitrarily planted something strange in my body, you should take responsibility for it.”
[Heh? Listen here, boy.]
The Old Man breaks into a grin at my words.
[So you’re saying you want to learn martial arts from me? From Yoo Cheon-gil, supreme under heaven?]
“Yes. Isn’t that obvious?”
From my perspective, his response was even more absurd.
“If you arbitrarily planted it in me, you should at least make it so I can do something with it. Surely you weren’t planning to just use my body and leave it at that?”
[…]
‘Why won’t you answer?’
“Answer me, you old codger.”
[What now?]
“Ah, my apologies, I didn’t mean to…”
I made a slip without thinking. Next time, I’ll make sure to curse properly in my head.
[…]
“Anyway, were you really planning to do that?”
Were you going to handle everything all day long just because you could possess my body?
Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded. It would be comfortable for me—if I lend out my body, who knows, maybe I could avoid hardship and live off easy gains. But.
“This possession ability… it actually works properly, right?”
I began to doubt lending him my body.
[What?]
I recalled the final moments of the duel with Socheongeom.
“I mean, it came undone last time. Can you actually use this reliably?”
[…]
The Old Man falls silent at my observation.
From his expression then and his reaction now, I could tell even more clearly.
“This possession thing… you can’t keep using it indefinitely, can you?”
[Ahem…]
A throat-clearing is as good as a confession.
Upon hearing his answer, I immediately furrowed my brow.
“Old Man. Why didn’t you tell me?”
It seems this old man knew about the problem all along. Yet, until I pointed it out, he kept his mouth firmly shut.
“Were you trying to hide it?”
[Bah! As if Yoo Cheon-gil, supreme under heaven, would resort to such underhanded tactics!]
“Yes.”
[You’re quite resolute… I was merely hurt.]
Hurt, my foot. No matter how I looked at it, he seemed more than capable of doing exactly that.
“Then, why did you do that?”
Fine, let’s say he deceived me. But I was curious about his reasons.
[Who deceived whom?! I simply hadn’t confirmed it fully before speaking.]
“Old Man. Then I’ll ask again.”
[What is it.]
“Possession. Can you use it again?”
[….]
At my question, the Old Man fell silent.
Seeing his reaction, I clicked my tongue inwardly. My suspicion seemed correct.
I had sensed something strange during my duel with Socheongeom.
I remembered the sensation when possession was released at that final moment, and I also remembered the expression on Yoo Cheon-gil’s face as he looked at me then.
“There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”
Possession couldn’t be used continuously. Yoo Cheon-gil’s actions proved it.
[…That’s not quite it. Well, it might be possible… No, it is possible.]
“Then, you’re saying I can continue using it?”
[It’s just… to use it for longer, I’d probably need to touch upon your innate lifeforce a bit…?]
“….”
My face immediately contorted. To use possession further, I’d need to touch my innate lifeforce?
Innate lifeforce was directly connected to one’s vitality, separate from the qi in the dantian.
And touching that meant…
“You’re asking me to stake my life….”
[No, well… it’s not quite that extreme.]
Yoo Cheon-gil hesitated briefly before speaking loudly.
[No…! How would I have known? I was shocked too! If you need to touch it to maintain it, what can be done about it?]
“Why are you getting angry when you’re the one who broke wind?”
Could shamelessness really reach this level?
While showing my distaste at his response, my mind organized the situation.
‘If I can’t use possession continuously, what should I do?’
This was the only thing I could rely on, but now a problem arose.
“…So, is possession permanently impossible now?”
[Not permanently. It seems… as time passes, the duration I can stay inside will gradually increase.]
“How are you certain of that?”
[It’s just a feeling.]
“…Thank you for such a helpful answer.”
I barely restrained the urge to curse. Suppressing my emotions, I reflected.
‘In any case, possession is a power I can’t use recklessly.’
So how was I supposed to manage this?
It was difficult. If I could control that freely, it seemed like I could do something.
I had to factor in possession in every possible scenario.
Only then would the odds improve even slightly.
I’m no genius, and learning martial arts from this old man wouldn’t let me do everything. But if I can’t use possession freely here…
‘…What am I supposed to do going forward?’
It’s incredibly complicated. Damn it. What do I do?
All sorts of worries were flooding through my mind.
[Judging by your expression, you’re fretting again.]
I had to swallow hard at the Old Man’s words.
“…Of course. My life is about to go to hell.”
[Don’t worry about that. I have a plan.]
A plan? Could there actually be a way? I don’t have faith, but I’ll welcome hope.
“…What kind of plan are you talking about?”
Speaking with the desperation of a drowning man grasping at straws, the Old Man suddenly looks at me with gleaming eyes.
[Didn’t you say something earlier?]
“What?”
[That you’d learn martial arts from me.]
“That was just… me trying to grasp at straws.”
Besides, since things had come to this, I thought I might as well learn the Old Man’s martial arts and gain some benefit from it.
Survival is important, but wouldn’t it be nice to become a master while I’m at it?
‘Later, I could even open a martial arts school and make some money.’
It was a greedy thought like that.
[Step aside.]
“Pardon?”
[I said step aside for a moment.]
I had to stare at him in disbelief.
“No, my body isn’t a chair. I can’t just step aside…”
[Don’t I need to gain some confidence in my method? Now step aside. It’ll only take a moment.]
“…Didn’t you just say I’d need to use innate qi if I did this again?”
[A little is fine. I swear on my name.]
“…”
How could someone whose body is already dead and only their spirit remains swear on their name?
That thought crossed my mind, but the Old Man’s eyes were resolute.
“…Just a moment?”
The moment I gave permission, something overlaid my body. It was instantaneous.
That strange sensation again.
My body feeling like it’s not my body, uncomfortable yet somehow at ease.
‘This time I’m conscious from the start.’
The first possession, I lost consciousness entirely.
The second possession, I regained consciousness partway through.
And this time, my mind remained perfectly clear.
‘What’s the difference?’
This was definitely something I needed to understand.
Then my body began to move again. Naturally, it wasn’t of my own will.
Curious about what I was doing, I watched as I simply extended my hand edge and drew a cross in the empty air.
I wondered what this was supposed to accomplish.
After swinging it a couple more times like that.
Whoosh—!
“…Huh?”
The possession released. I glanced behind me. There stood Yoo Cheon-gil with his arms crossed, watching me.
“What was that…?”
[Try it yourself.]
“Pardon?”
[The movement I just made. Replicate it exactly.]
Just now? He meant drawing that cross?
‘Why would I need to do something like this…?’
I didn’t see the point, but the Old Man’s gaze was so intense that I couldn’t protest.
‘Right.’
I moved slowly.
‘Just now….’
It was clearly more than just drawing a cross—my entire body was engaged.
The positioning of my feet.
How to channel power from the soles.
Anchoring that force at my waist while controlling pressure through my upper body.
Simultaneously, I kept my arms free by applying just enough tension to the joints.
‘The breathing here.’
Matching the sensation of inhaling and exhaling, I moved my hand accordingly.
Shwip.
Shwip.
My hand edge sliced through the empty air twice.
[Tsk tsk tsk…. Just as I thought.]
The Old Man wore the same smile as before upon seeing it.
“…What can you possibly tell from this?”
[It was enough. Yes, now I’m certain.]
With a grin splitting his face wide, the Old Man spoke to me.
[You truly are my hope.]
His incomprehensible faith sent shivers down my spine.

* * *
Another day had passed.
My routine remained largely unchanged from before.
I trained as usual and ate as usual.
Well, there was one difference—I didn’t practice with my sword.
The weight of everyone’s gaze was simply too intense.
‘Please, just stop staring.’
How could I swing a blade? They all expected something extraordinary from the successor of Socheongeom, didn’t they? I could feel that anticipation radiating from every direction.
There was no way my crude swordsmanship could satisfy such expectations.
So I simply finished a modest physical training session instead.
The atmosphere suggested disappointment at my lack of sword display, but what could I do?
‘For now, I need to be mindful of how I’m perceived.’
It was better to maintain this image. For what lay ahead, if nothing else.
Just as I was wiping the sweat from my drenched body with a towel—
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Someone had come looking for me.
At the sound of her voice, I turned and recognized the face immediately.
A beautiful woman with sharp, rather arrogant features.
Her name was definitely…
“Namgung Bong-soon…?”
“…Namgung Hyeon.”
“Oh, what a shame…”
“…”
Her eyes made it clear she found nothing shameful about it whatsoever. My attempt at humor had fallen flat.
The woman before me was the younger sister of Socheongeom Namgung Seong, and I asked her directly.
“What brings you here?”
“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?”
She spoke while clutching her skirt, her face flushed.
She certainly resembled Namgung Seong—she was quite beautiful as well.
‘A moment with such a beauty, then.’
I hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.
“No. I don’t want to. Why should I?”
“…”
At my response, Namgung Hyeon’s expression immediately crumpled.

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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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