The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon

Chapter 30 – A Bold Confrontation In The Mist

Beside me, the black river flowed turbulently, and far off, the desolate plains stretched with snake-like mountain ranges winding through.
I stood there, all alone in the middle.

A familiar place.
Sometimes clashing swords with a warrior, other times matching spears with a master—the training ground of the Twelve Godly Demons.
I was currently neither dead nor alive, caught between life and death, being toyed with—no, trained—by the Heavenly Demon Cult’s ancestors, who introduced themselves as the Twelve Godly Demons.

“…”

Which crazy person was trying to catch me today?
As I heightened my vigilance, a strange sound suddenly pierced the air and struck my ears.

-Ding~

‘Ah, this is the sound of a string…’

Wait, a string?
In a flash of intuition, I hurriedly leaped from my spot.
And at that very moment, a shrill metallic sound flew in like an arrow.

-Shhh!

“Ugh!”

Dust rose exactly where I had been standing, and a scar like one cut by a sword appeared.

-Ding! Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Then, with the ensuing dizzying performance, the fog that covered the wilderness dissipated, and the music filled with murderous intent targeted me.

“Couldn’t you at least tell me when you’re starting?!”

I shouted in frustration, but the relentless, beautiful notes continued without mercy.
Grinding my teeth at the sound, I began to use the footwork I’d hurriedly learned.

-Ding! Ding! Ding!

The short, minor key stabs cut through the air once, scattering it.

-Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! Ding! Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

The long, major weapon lashing from all directions forced me to move a beat faster to keep up with the flow.

[Yes, you’ve managed to keep up with the ever-changing rhythm to some extent.]

So, how about this?

As the voice beyond the mist spoke with a hint of laughter, the previously calm resonance was instantly overturned.

-Dung! Dududung!

The sound produced by plucking fine strings typically had a thin and sharp quality, unlike percussive instruments like pianos or drums.
But what on earth was that heavy string sound?
Even before I could wonder about the identity of the musician plucking the strings, the heavy resonance fell towards me.
Why did it fall with such resonance, you ask…?

-Dung!

-Kwang!

Because the spot where I had been standing collapsed completely, as if struck by a meteor.
I quickly leaped into the air to avoid it, but it was a moment of chilling realization.

[Did you leap into the air? Foolishness.]

-Dung! Dung! Dududung!

It was a foolish choice, just as the voice said.
In an instant, I was surrounded by a crossfire.
It was not hard to imagine my blood-soaked figure as the sonic projectiles flew through the air.

‘Damn it.’

But with Asclepius around, I wouldn’t die, right?

“…Wait. Asclepius?”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar name brought back a flood of memories.
The giant hammer of Hercules that shook the sky, and the black divine magic imprinted on my arm.

As I recalled this, the Godly Demonic Qi shimmered like a shadow on both of my arms.

“Gasp!”

I gathered the Godly Demonic Qi as if it were a fist of steel and thrust it toward the incoming sonic energy.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then, the true Godly Demonic Qi shot out like missiles, destroying all the sonic energy.

[Hmm, perhaps because martial arts are ingrained in your body, you handle divine power as if it were martial arts.]

The voice in the mist spoke to me as I neutralized all the music enhanced hits and descended back to the ground.

“…Who are you?”

At first, I thought I was dreaming of training with my old master, as the familiar music enhanced hits struck me.
But realizing it was a dream, and noticing how realistically the Godly Demonic Qi was being wielded and my skill improving, it was definitely something strange.
Moreover, it was one thing not to feel internal qi in a dream, but how could the Godly Demonic Qi be so intact?
Clearly, I must have either fallen into a heart demon state or some other entity dragged me into this dream.

“Entering my dream without permission and manipulating my memories as weapons? You must be no ordinary person.”

-Whoosh!

I added more energy to the Godly Demonic Qi in both arms, raising my momentum, and aimed at the intruder beyond the mist.

“Are you perhaps someone related to this energy I have named Godly Demonic Qi?”

Originally, Godly Demonic Qi wasn’t something that could be naturally possessed by humans.
Therefore, even I couldn’t properly utilize it unless I followed the principles of Martial Spirit Cultivation Arts, and it was only in the final moments of the battle with Hercules that I barely managed to manifest it externally.
That, too, was based on the past experience of invoking an enhanced fist in a state of extreme danger and trance.
But the fact that such energy could be controlled so freely meant that the source of Godly Demonic Qi must be nearby, allowing for free circulation.
Just as the energy of the demons flourished near me when I was the Heavenly Demon, and the Taoists exhibited greater power at their main base rich in natural qi.

[Amazing. Despite the change in physical body, your mind is clear and your memory is intact. Truly, you are the soul I have chosen.]

With a voice that could be either admiration or mockery, the presence beyond the mist quietly laughed.

A strange aura never before seen in the long history of martial arts.
And the being that was the source of such an aura.

[I told you. When you are ready, I will come to find you. And it seems that the preparation has just ended, so I came to see you with a fond heart.]

Do not be so wary; it would be disappointing.

For a being that meddles with others’ dreams and memories, the remark was surprisingly friendly, so I slowly calmed the demonic energy and lowered my arm.
After all, the opponent was the source of the Godly Demonic Qi I harbored.
Moreover, seeing that it held the initiative even in my dream, there was nothing I could do to stop it.
And the revived sixth sense, flowing through me instead of the demonic energy, was warning me.
It was on a different level.
If the rude crescent moon goddess was like the moon, visible and conquerable someday, then the being shrouded in mist, silently watching me, was the darkness beyond it.
No matter how much humanity builds up civilization, manipulates even the lightning of the sky, and pulls down all the mysteries of the world under the name of science.
It alone would forever quietly watch this small star from beyond the mist.

[Oh my? I didn’t expect you to understand and handle my divine power so deeply already. Is it because of the deep resonance of facing me directly like this? Impressive, very impressive.]

Admiration for the antics of a small animal in one’s hand or pride in a baby taking its first steps.
With two similar yet different emotions, the entity, whether she or he, praised me.

[If it’s like this, the blooming might be faster too. Hehe, it’s amusing. I want that day to come quickly, but also hope it won’t come.]

How long has it been since I felt this excited?

The mysterious voice added quietly.

“Hey, who are you?”

[Me? Well? I don’t really want to tell you.]

What was it talking about?
When I frowned, the voice laughed heartily.

[You come and find me. Grope through the dark night, make a path and follow it.
As you walk and walk, before you know it, you’ll have crossed the highest mountains and the tallest walls to reach me.]

The voice concluded the conversation about itself unilaterally.

“Ugh, is there no other choice?”

[Oh my? You’re giving up surprisingly easily?]

If the divine energy I harbor originated from the voice beyond the mist, then the very process of learning and understanding that being would be a form of training.
Whether it was he or she, human or god, even knowing its name.

“If I find the answer here, it might feel refreshing for a moment, but since it’s not the answer I found, it will surely cause trouble.”

Besides the goal of retraining my body, there was one more new task.
A very intriguing task, at that.

“I don’t know how long it will take, but I will visit you soon.”

[…Could there be a happier heart than mine?]

This time, the voice, whispering as if lovingly, approached my ear softly.

[I will give you a parting gift.]

“A gift?”

As I questioned, an unknown force gently cupped my face, as if to answer.

-Smooch!

A cool, soft sensation, like the night air, lightly brushed against my forehead and then withdrew.

[No matter what oracle stands in your way, you will change its course, and no power shall oppress you. So please, wander freely in this unfamiliar world.]

With those words, my consciousness began to slowly sink.
Where was I going? If I fall asleep in a dream, is that place reality, or another dream?

[Oh, by the way, you have brothers and sisters too. If you meet them, get along well!]

…Huh? Brothers and sisters?

What does that mean?

When I tried to question it and opened my eyes again.
I was greeted by a reality completely opposite to the desolate landscape of my dream.

Clear skies, bright sunlight.
And…

“Mmph?”

“Mmph?”

A woman as beautiful as a goddess kissing me.

…At this point, one could say that ‘literally’ everything was completely opposite.