The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 25

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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 025
“….”
“….”
My words hung in the air, and silence descended upon everything around me. Not only those who had been watching, but even Cheon Euijin’s reaction—he who had been blocking on my behalf—fell into that same stillness.
“…You.”
His gaze widened with shock. Crack, crack, crack.
Soon after, the sound of grinding teeth reached my ears. At this rate, his teeth would shatter.
The look in his eyes as he glared at me was decidedly murderous. I genuinely wondered if he might actually draw his blade.
I was considerably uneasy, though.
“…Remember this well.”
Fortunately, Namgung Seong did not draw his sword. He merely stared at me and spoke words laden with killing intent.
“I stake my name upon this: I shall never forget this matter. You will most certainly repay the price of your sins in the not-distant future.”
“Mm.”
I nodded at his words. They resonated with me.
“You’re right.”
“What?”
“What you said is true.”
He seemed slightly flustered that I agreed so readily. But truly, his words held merit.
“I’ve seen a few things in my time living.”
If I counted my past life, there were countless examples—things I had come to understand through living that way.
“People inevitably receive recompense for the sins they commit. Whenever that may be.”
My gaze lifted. Toward the demons who still glared at Namgung Seong.
Sins circle and accumulate within the soul.
Such karma, once accumulated and compounded, will eventually burst forth.
Whether one receives punishment while alive or after death remains unknown.
‘It would be better to receive it while still living, if possible.’
I had witnessed it several times.
The punishment received as a spirit was far greater than what one endured while alive.
Recalling this, I let out a faint laugh.
Thinking I was mocking him, Namgung Seong clenched his fists.
Yet, finding nothing more he could do, he gritted his teeth and turned his back.
“…Let us see how much longer you can remain arrogant with the fortune you’ve obtained. I shall most certainly make you kneel before me in the not-distant future.”
I saw no need to respond to that remark.
“By then, it will already be too late.”
There was no point in continuing the exchange further.
I simply raised my middle finger in silence, without another word.
“…This…!”
Namgung Seong, about to rage at my gesture, forcibly restrained his anger.
It seemed even he recognized this was no longer the place for him to linger.
The way he limped as he walked suggested he was still in pain—somewhat amusing to witness.
‘Is it broken?’
It shouldn’t be.
If it were broken, things wouldn’t have ended so cleanly.
I watched Namgung Seong depart in silence.
‘Hmm?’
Namgung Hyeon, who had been following along, stopped in her tracks and glanced at me sideways.
I gave her a slight glare asking what she was looking at, and she startled before hurrying after Namgung Seong.
Watching that, I let out a hollow laugh.
The siblings together felt oddly strange.
[You’re the only one who would do this.]
‘…Please stop reading my inner thoughts like that.’
The old man was truly oblivious.
After everyone had left the room.
“…Phew…”
Cheon Euijin exhaled softly. His breath was full of relief.
He had spoken so smoothly, but it seemed he was actually anxious underneath.
I approached Cheon Euijin and patted his shoulder.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“No…that’s not it.”
“See? It went exactly as I said it would, didn’t it? I told you not to worry.”
I spoke with a smile. I had already informed Cheon Euijin of the situation beforehand.
Simply to come at the time I specified and block Socheongeom.
And to speak the words I had told him to say.
That nothing would go wrong, and even if it did, I would take responsibility—just do it.
With such empty boasts, I had drawn him in, and ultimately, it succeeded.
It was fortunate. Had something gone wrong, honestly I wouldn’t have been able to handle the aftermath, let alone take responsibility.
‘When the results are good, that’s all that matters.’
I pushed away the darker thoughts. It had gone well, and that was enough.
Thinking that way, I continued patting Cheon Euijin’s shoulder.
“Yes…”
Cheon Euijin had a dazed expression on his face. Then he looked at me and spoke.
“…Truly, Bang Disciple, everything happened exactly as you said it would. From beginning to end.”
Was it a misunderstanding?
In Cheon Euijin’s eyes, there was an inexplicable faith taking shape.
****
After the members of the Namgung Clan had departed, the place I sought was none other than where the Branch Leader was.
“Oh my! Welcome, welcome…!!”
The moment I sent word that I was coming, the Branch Leader rushed out barefoot as if he had been waiting.
It was subtle every time I saw him.
‘I never thought he’d treat me like this.’
Someone I barely saw during my entire year as a member of this branch.
Even when our paths crossed, I never dared speak to him or meet his eyes.
“Oh dear…. It pains me that all I can offer is mere tea….”
“….”
Now, watching him fret in my presence was something else entirely….
‘Exhilarating.’
It truly was exhilarating.
Reputation is everything, after all. This is the taste of power.
“I trust you have been well.”
“Well? How can I rest easy with worry over the Bang Disciple….”
“The reason I’ve come is simple. You’ve likely already heard, but I find myself needing to leave the Martial Alliance and head to the Cheonwol Gate.”
I cut through the unnecessary pleasantries and got straight to the point.
The Branch Leader’s brow furrowed slightly at my bluntness, but only for a moment.
“Ah yes…. Of course, I’m aware.”
He must have already received word through Cheon Euijin. The Branch Leader’s eyes carried a hint of regret.
“You’ve grown quite attached to our branch, surely? Are you truly certain about this?”
Attached? I nearly cursed aloud but somehow held it back.
‘After treating me like a ghost for a year, he speaks of attachment.’
Whatever goodwill existed had long since evaporated.
“Indeed, it is unfortunate…. But circumstances have led us here.”
I masked my true feelings and offered him honeyed words instead.
“I see….”
Regret still painted his expression, but the Branch Leader had no grounds to detain me.
Especially since the Cheonwol Gate maintained deep ties with the Martial Alliance, and transferring there felt like ascending to a higher echelon.
In truth, I needn’t have come to see the Branch Leader at all.
Had I simply informed him of my departure, Cheon Euijin’s side would have handled the formalities, and I could have left without this visit.
“However, before I depart, I have a favor to ask of you, Branch Leader, if I may.”
“A favor?”
The real reason I’d bothered to see the Branch Leader was something else entirely.
“Yes. A favor.”
There was one person I needed to settle matters with before leaving.

* * *
“…You didn’t have to come all this way.”
The moment I saw his face, those words reached my ears, and I immediately furrowed my brow.
“That’s quite the greeting. I went through the trouble of coming here.”
Speaking with a tone full of disappointment, the young man laughed awkwardly.
“You came yesterday too. And the day before that.”
“But today is the first time, isn’t it? So wouldn’t it be nice if you just welcomed me a little?”
I responded curtly and took a seat beside him.
This was the Infirmary inside the Martial Alliance, and the person who was saying something to me the moment I arrived was my senior, Yoo Hyeong-in.
Yoo Hyeong-in regained consciousness only several days after the battle with Sanchen Gwiin.
“How is your body?”
“It’s fine.”
“Fine? I heard you need to recuperate for at least several months. What’s fine about that?”
“…If you don’t believe me, why are you asking?”
Yoo Hyeong-in had said that the wounds from that day were serious enough that he would need to recuperate for at least three months.
The fortunate part was that the vital points were avoided, so with proper treatment, there would be no aftereffects.
“Make sure you eat well too. That way your bones will heal faster.”
“I’ve been eating plenty.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Good. Thinking that, I nodded.
After that, silence fell. Yoo Hyeong-in, as always, didn’t speak first.
Unable to bear the silence any longer, I finally opened my mouth first.
“Senior. I’m leaving the Martial Alliance.”
“I see.”
“…I see?”
“Why?”
“That’s quite the reaction.”
“That was an effort on my part.”
As if that would be true.
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“I’ve already heard all the rumors about you, and it’s not particularly strange.”
At Yoo Hyeong-in’s words spoken with a smile, I too had to laugh awkwardly.
Right. The rumors must have spread. And there’s no way Yoo Hyeong-in wouldn’t have heard them.
“You defeated Socheongeom, I hear? That’s impressive.”
“Well, I….”
I didn’t win through my own strength. I was about to say that, but I closed my mouth.
It was something I shouldn’t say. Not for what lies ahead.
“…That’s how it happened.”
I averted my gaze slightly. I couldn’t look him in the eye and speak.
I averted my gaze and asked Yoo Hyeong-in.
“But why aren’t you asking me anything?”
“What should I be asking?”
“Well, you know, the usual things.”
Like why I’d been hiding my strength… or perhaps, the you I knew wasn’t like this. What did you do to achieve this… that sort of thing.
There were many things Yoo Hyeong-in could have asked me.
After all, he was the man who had taught me the work throughout this past year while simultaneously overseeing my training.
Without Yoo Hyeong-in, I might not have survived in the Sect.
He was that significant of a person.
Yet despite hearing all the rumors, Yoo Hyeong-in asked me nothing particular.
Why was that? Unable to understand, I asked him.
He spoke to me with a somewhat composed expression.
“I don’t know. I just thought there must be some reason for it. Whatever the reason was… you must have had good cause. That’s the kind of person you are.”
“….”
It was an answer that left me speechless.
“…Senior, you always say it—that I’m too much of a pushover. You even warned me to be careful about getting stabbed in the back because of it.”
“Haha.”
What was there to laugh about so carelessly?
I couldn’t understand why he asked nothing at all for such a simple reason.
He was a person operating on an entirely different wavelength from me.
I spoke to Yoo Hyeong-in, who was still smiling.
“Senior.”
“Hmm?”
“Would you come with me?”
“…Hmm?”
“To Cheonwol Gate, I mean. It’s awkward to say this, but my influence has grown. Someone like you, I could definitely bring along-”
“I’m sorry. That won’t be possible.”
Yoo Hyeong-in declined my proposal with a laugh before I could even finish.
“I have family here.”
“….”
“And I’m content with my current position. So I apologize.”
Though he was smiling, his eyes held an unwavering resolve. With that expression, nothing I could do would ever shake him.
“…I see.”
I didn’t press further. It would be meaningless to try a second or third time.
“Understood.”
With that answer, I rose to my feet. There was no need for further conversation.
“Leaving?”
“Yes, I came to deliver this message. Take care of yourself. I’ll stop by once more before I depart.”
Without lingering, I stepped out of the Infirmary.
It was still a day when the sunlight burned fiercely.
I gazed quietly at the sun when the Old Man, who had remained silent until now, spoke to me.
[It went exactly as you predicted.]
I shifted my gaze toward the Old Man’s voice.
[I said you’d refuse even if offered, and it seems I was right.]
“….”
Yoo Hyeong-in would reject my proposal.
I had anticipated this outcome before I even opened my mouth to him.
Because that was the kind of person Yoo Hyeong-in was, as far as I knew him.
Clearly, I had known all along.
[Yet, knowing all this, your expression is absolutely pathetic.]
“…What do you mean.”
[You said you’d prepared yourself mentally, but you’re showing far too much disappointment.]
“….”
Is it that obvious? I dragged my hand across my face.
[Your temperament is so foul I’d think no blood would spill even if pricked with a needle, yet you have feelings in matters like this.]
“What do you take me for…?”
This is truly absurd.
Tsk. I clicked my tongue briefly when Yoo Cheon-gil spoke to me.
[Don’t you regret it?]
“…Regret what?”
[Tsk tsk, knowing everything yet pretending not to.]
“….”
[Sending all the money you’d saved to that fellow’s family.]
At the Old Man’s words, I scratched my cheek.
“It wasn’t much money anyway… I just sent it because I didn’t think I’d need it going forward.”
[Yet you even wrote the Martial Alliance’s name to keep it hidden?]
“That’s because it would be embarrassing otherwise.”
[Ha ha.]
If I needed three months of recuperation, it meant I wouldn’t receive a salary for that period.
Remembering that, I simply sent what little I’d managed to save.
‘This is as far as my meddling can go.’
Doing more would go against what Yoo Hyeong-in would want.
And there wasn’t much I could do anyway.
So this is where it ends.
“Now that I know whose fault it is that hardship lies ahead, there’s nothing more to arrange or worry about.”
[I have no idea who you’re talking about.]
“A demon of an old man.”
[…Now you’re cursing me outright.]
“Anyway, this is all I can do. That’s the extent of it.”
As I spoke, I turned my gaze away from the Old Man and looked to the side.
“Don’t expect anything strange from me either. Just go back to what you were doing.”
There was someone at the location I was looking at. But not a person.
It was a being I recognized.
“Whatever you may want from me, I have no intention of doing anything.”
The entity in the form of a woman responds to my words.
The being was none other than a Demon.
One of the Demons that had been behind Namgung Seong.
I frowned at the sight of her.
‘A mistake.’
When I recalled the sins Namgung Seong had committed, I inadvertently looked at the Demon, and our eyes met at that moment.
I thought I had quickly averted my gaze, but it seemed I had been caught.
The one somewhat fortunate aspect here was.
‘She didn’t tell the other Demons with her.’
If she had told them, the other Demons would have swarmed over, but since they didn’t, it seemed she hadn’t said anything.
And this meant.
‘She has something she wants from me.’
Since she hadn’t shared the information, she wanted me to grant her a favor. That must be what she meant.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped me naturally. I exhaled deeply and asked the woman.
“…What is it? What do you want?”
[Why? Are you willing to grant a favor?]
“That’s not it. I’m just trying to hear what you have to say first.”
If it’s something difficult, I can’t grant it anyway.
And if she still tries to cling to me.
‘…I’ll have to exorcise her.’
The method was awkward, but it wasn’t as though I had no way at all.
So I spoke, hoping she wouldn’t ask for something pointless.
-….
The woman opened her mouth and began to speak.
“Hm?”
After hearing what she said, I had to tilt my head in confusion.
The reason was simple.
“…Is that really all you need?”
It was a far simpler request than I expected.
Especially for a request from a Demon, it was quite easy.
I pondered briefly before answering.
“Well, that much…. I can’t do it right now, but if circumstances ever allow it, I will help you. You can understand that much, right?”
-….
The woman nodded her head.
Then she quietly bowed to me and murmured something under her breath.
I could easily discern that her silent words were expressing gratitude.
In that moment.
Whoooosh–!!
Light suddenly burst forth from the woman’s body.
“…This.”
[Huh?]
Seeing this, I furrowed my brow. It was light invisible to others.
‘I never thought I’d witness this again in this lifetime.’
That light I’d grown sick of seeing in my previous life. The light I’d sworn never to witness again.
The process of a soul fulfilling its purpose and departing.
Commonly called ascension to enlightenment.
“Tsk.”
Ascension to enlightenment just from granting such a simple request.
For a woman whose resentment had been deep enough to become a demon after death, she was rather pure.
In other words, this meant.
‘That such a pure woman was ruined into this state.’
My mood darkened. I suppressed my emotions and took a respectful posture.
A bow of farewell.
At the very least, it was a gesture of consideration for the departing soul, and before long, the light faded away.
[A curious thing indeed. So this is what it means for a soul to depart.]
Yoo Cheon-gil chuckled continuously, as if he’d found the whole thing amusing.
[Seeing this, I wonder if those so-called meridians that those horse-faced fellows prattle on about don’t actually exist after all.]
“….”
No matter what he babbled on about amusingly, I had no desire to speak at the moment.
The process of allowing the demon to ascend had been far too simple. I merely accepted it with gratitude.
After that, I resumed my halted steps.
“…Let us depart-”
Let’s go back. Just as I was about to say that.
“Huh?”
[Eh?]
My eyes widened.
At the same time, I ran my hand across my abdomen.
“Huh, what?”
[What is it? Has something gone wrong?]
“No….”
Wondering if it was a mistake, I focused and checked, but it was no mistake.
With eyes wide as lanterns, I spoke to Yoo Cheon-gil.
“Old Man.”
[Yes, what on earth is the matter….]
“My internal energy… it’s increased?”
[Huh?]
My dantian was overflowing with qi.
And it happened all of a sudden.

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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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