Chapter 273 – To Reveal The Presence (5)

32… 33…

Time passed, and it was difficult for Seol-Hwi to understand what the AI was saying.

The system had rules made by someone. If one had a spare life, then it would mean they can avoid permanent death, because it was a world where such barriers normally could not be overcome without such extra lives.

Would it not be nice to have such a life?

Did this mean one should just die when they are in danger?

“Even if I tried to put it into words, you wouldn’t understand so experiencing it is better…”

The AI did not say anything further. No, it was not that he did not want to. Maybe it was because he did not like having to go through so many eons again?

“The situation I am in right now. Have you ever been through it too?”

Seol-Hwi asked this time. Actually, this was something he was very curious about.

He came this far by choosing the highest difficulty stage and overcoming it. He worked hard, and luck was on his side.

Thanks to that, he was in a completely different state compared to the past. His martial arts rose, and his status had come to be in the center of the power struggle of the Earth Demon.

However, as much confidence he gained from this and how much his martial arts had grown, his fear grew alongside them.

“Of course.”

“How will it be? No, do I manage to find a way?”

The AI’s expression changed in response to the constant questions, and he nodded, staying silent for a while.

“I understand what you mean by asking that. Yes, in a broad manner, the path you took now is one of the best you can choose.”

“Ah…”

The path was right.

Those words sounded nice, but at the same time, a chill went down his spine. The AI—it was the path he struggled with until the very end. So, did that not also mean that this path would lead to a failure as well?

“The path is right, but I don’t know if the right path is the right one. Because this is the path I invested the most time in and felt most frustrated in…”

“…”

He confirmed the thoughts with the AI. Perhaps, even if the situation was fine and good right now, at the end there would be an obstacle so difficult it would be impossible to overcome.

“Then… why is this the right one?”

Seol-Hwi asked.

In the end, if you get stuck at the end, if it was a path that even the strong AI could not overcome, then how would he know if it was the right path or not?

“Before, the other paths didn’t receive the help from the Earth Demon.”

“…The Earth Demon?”

“Hmm.”

The AI sighed. Perhaps he knew something important.

“You won’t understand it now, just know it.”

He looked at Seol-Hwi and continued to talk,

“The end of this system. What you have to do to fight the ‘Player Heavenly Demon’ is to keep the Earth Demon alive until the end. So, you will have to choose a way to get the maximum damage by having the Player Heavenly Demon and the Earth Demon fight. Because that is the most efficient way.”

“Earth Demon…?”

“Right. The power of Heavenly Killing Star is absolute. It is a power that could even take down the Player Heavenly Demon. Then you need to continue your relationship with the Earth Demon and not let him die at any cost.”

Heavenly Killing Star—

Seol-Hwi could understand a little about how great the power of the Earth Demon was. The final enemy. The Boss. Even the absolute beings in life could take damage.

“And the level that you can climb, no, I was able to reach, is Profound Demon. Among them, it is still the beginning, and it is unfortunate but I do not expect you to be as strong as me or surpass me.”

“…”

“To tell you in detail about the stages of Profound Demon, there are two stages. They are called the Peak God and Demon God. Since I reached Peak God and didn’t win, it is assumed that the Heavenly Demon is of Demon God.”

“Demon God…”

Even in the Profound Demon level there were other stages. And they were stages which brought about the greatest difference.

“Even if you become stronger than you are now, you will at most be at the start of Profound Demon. On the other hand, the sect leader would be two steps ahead of him and to beat him you will have to get past the first stage of Profound Demon…”

He said looking at Seol-Hwi.

“It is the fastest way to get the Absolute Supreme Demonic Martial Arts. It saves time and effort.”

“Ah… those martial arts…”

“Right, the second life presented by the Earth Demon. You get it by choosing to be his escort.”

Seol-Hwi remembered those martial arts. He remembered what the AI said earlier.

Can be taught, but if that happens, then he would not be able to touch Profound Demon.

It was text which came up when he first came across the martial arts.

“Is there a way to get to Profound Demon without that?”

“There might be a way, a way to realize it one self, or to acquire the martial arts that is stronger than the Absolute Supreme Demonic Martial Arts. But neither will be easy. Are there any warriors who rose to Profound Demon left, except for Heavenly Demon?”

“…”

This made reality seem bleak.

The strongest martial arts were these ones. How can he get stronger with better martial arts then? If there was such a way, he would have gotten a whiff of it.

“… then finally, the second of the three lives presented by Earth Demon. To be an escort warrior. Other than that, it is the only way to climb to the Profound Demon by working hard.”

“Right.”

“…”

But it was not known how long it would take. No, in the first place, he was not sure if he would have time to train.

In a rapidly changing situation with several fights and deaths—

It seemed like the AI was telling him to go back to the second option.

“After a while, the top leaders will gather in the room of the Earth Demon and you will be praised for your growth and achievement. After that, something that will allow you to save will appear. This time it will also ask if you want to reload. And then you…”

“…Is this really the best way?”

As he continued to listen to the AI, Seol-Hwi asked this.

The AI who had been through many deaths and setbacks, Seol-Hwi wanted his honest opinion.

“To be precise, this is the path I challenged until the very end. I couldn’t finish it though.”

“At that time, did you go all the way to Peak God and Demon God, the stages of Profound Demon?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Seol-Hwi thought about it. It was true that the AI’s advice had helped him a great deal in his future decisions. Still, if there was something he was not sure of, it depended on the AI’s final opinion.

Obviously, the AI passed down the wisdom he had constantly, but in the end, he did not overcome the system as a player.

It was no different from saying that if Seol-Hwi took this path, he could not finish it.

Then, he would have to look for another path, but it would not be an easy one either. The choice to make is…

“Fine. Then I wont follow your way. The second method…”

“No, do not choose it right away.”

The AI suddenly had a serious expression.

“…?”

Seol-Hwi went wide-eyed when he heard that.

“Just once. If you go in this path, you will find a path that I didn’t take.”

“A path… you didn’t take?”

“Right. I couldn’t take it. To be precise, I didn’t realize how important it was.”

“…”

“Of course, if one went in that direction without dying, it would be near impossible to be able to climb to Profound Demon with your current skills. But give it a try. It is a chance that will not come by again.”

“Why are you speaking like that? If it is so important, can’t you say it in a simpler manner?”

“No. Go through it on your own. Saying it isn’t so difficult, but I don’t want to cause confusion. Well… you will find it soon. Just a couple hours. You will find out after the meeting.”

“How…”

“The choice is yours. You cannot compare it with the difficulties you have come across up until this point… still, I want you to take that path.”

“Just what…”

<366 days. The AI cannot be called for this time.>
The duration was announced, and the AI vanished.

When Seol-Hwi entered the meeting room, people got up to greet him.

“You are here.”

“We were waiting.”

Two masters that Seol-Hwi brought in, greeted him. It was Cho Ah-ran and Ack Bi.

Unlike Cho Ah-ran who looked like a girl, Ack Bi seemed like he gained weight, holding onto his thick belly and smiling. Seeing that, Seol-Hwi thought that this man was unskilled.

“Huh. The trusted person of the Fourth Disciple.”

A person who raised his hand and greeted him from the side.

It was the Black Demon Warlord.

He looked like a tiger. For some reason, when he embraced Seol-Hwi, he felt proud.

“How are…”

And the person next to the Black Demon Warlord. It was a man with a normal body, but in fact he was the most skilled and respected one, the Bloody Death Warlord.

Wait…

Seol-Hwi looked around and tilted his head. Cheon Miryo, who he expected to see here, was missing.

He asked her to look after Seo Ryeong.

Well, for her, being here might be uncomfortable.

When he thought like that, he felt a bit at ease. In fact, she hated taking a side.

Drrrl

And then came someone who opened the door and walked in, looking brighter than usual.

“Now. Everyone is here so I will formally introduce myself. I am the Fourth Disciple of the sect leader, the Earth Demon.”

At that, everyone put on bright expressions, and Seol-Hwi stepped back.

It was the moment the Earth Demon had been waiting for.

And—

<Would you like to save?>
A new window popped up like it had been waiting for this very moment.

It had been so long since this came up.

■95th Heavenly Year. Chapter 2-5. Companionship, and the many forking paths which result from it.
□98th Heavenly Year. Last day of 7th month.
□98th Heavenly Year. Self Story_Fateful day.
Of all meaningful ones, Seol-Hwi chose the first one.

It was the path he had walked and had succeeded in, so it seemed unnecessary to hold onto it.

<■96th Heavenly Year. The day when power is realized!>
And now, it had been overwritten.

<Would you like to reload?>
This…

A new question, is this what the AI was talking about?

Reload, without losing lives?

-No, do not choose it right away. And when Seol-Hwi wasn’t sure, this came—

<Caution: If you reload in this situation, the unknown existence (?) outside the rules will disappear forever.>
Unknown existence?

Seol-Hwi was not sure what that meant.