If one were to pick the strongest person on the continent, who would it be?
This was one of those classic tier-list debates that frequently popped up not just on the Continental Integrated Gallery, but in everyday conversations as well.
Some would point to the Imperial Sword Master, while others would name the Kingdom’s Archmage.
Still others would claim it was the Princess of the Demon Race, or the vanished Hero.
Depending on everyone’s origin, birth, background, and allegiance, the strongest figure in their mind differed. Yet the fact that those individuals were overwhelmingly strong remained unchanged.
Title) Who is the strongest person on the continent?
Ash of the Messiah Empire
Kadir of the Iris Kingdom
Kaylin of Mephisto
The disappeared Hero
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) How strange. Why is this one not included in the vote?
ㄴ Who are you?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) The rightful successor and master of the Sacred Cult, the Heavenly Demon.
ㄴ So who the fuck is that lmfao
Though little known to the populace, a monster resided in ’Zhong’, a nation shrouded in secrecy.
Even though Zhong’s strongly isolationist policies meant almost no information leaked out, even that couldn’t block the Gallery.
ㄴ If she really is the Heavenly Demon, it’s actually true. She’s absurdly strong
ㄴ How strong?
ㄴ She’d smash anyone 1v1 lol Even Zhongyuan’s top masters got wrecked by the Heavenly Demon
ㄴ But why are there no rumors about it? Pretty sure there were similar stories on the Gallery
ㄴ Bro, try buying stocks based purely on rumors then lol
ㄴ Ah
ㄴ Lmfao
However, rumors originating from the Gallery were unreliable. In other words, unofficial.
Above all, the concept of the Heavenly Demon shitposting on a forum was inherently hilarious.
Why would a supreme powerhouse who forced every master in Zhongyuan to their knees and unified the martial world be browsing a forum?
And investing a huge chunk of time into it, at that. The Heavenly Demon was posting shitposts day in and day out.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon, who do you think is the strongest person on the continent?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Naturally, it is this one.
ㄴ Lmfao why bother asking her, of course she’d say herself
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Then let me turn the question around. What is the realm of those individuals? Have they even reached the Transcendent Realm?
ㄴ Sword Matstar) I am a Sword Master
ㄴ Allfather) 10th-Circle Mage here
ㄴ Princess Chaenggu) I’m a 9th-Circle Mage~
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) What are those? This one is unfamiliar with the language of the Western Kingdoms.
ㄴ Lmfao
ㄴ Old boomer shit lmfao
That’s why users treated Heavenly Demon as a dedicated roleplayer or a boomer.
In fact, practitioners from Zhongyuan using the Gallery tended to be ignorant of foreign languages and slang.
The Gallery provided automatic translation. However, proper nouns and slang couldn’t be translated out of their native terms.
This was an effect of their isolationism, yet ironically, that was why there were so many users from there.
ㄴ If you’re really the Heavenly Demon, do something about the Emperor. He says using the Gallery means execution.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) How dare he interfere with this one’s hobby. He knows no fear of the heavens.
After that post, rumors circulated that the Emperor of Zhong was assassinated or something, and forum activity there became free.
Thanks to that, everyone reached a state of suspicion: ’Wait, is Heavenly Demon actually the real Heavenly Demon?’
Look here, Heavenly Demon.
If you’re really the Heavenly Demon, prove it with a face reveal then I’ll believe you lol
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) To demand a reveal of this one’s revered face. How insolent.
ㄴ Don’t tell me you’re ugly? An ugly woman? Lmfao
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) When this one stepped into the martial world, I earned the title of World’s Greatest Beauty.
ㄴ Yeah right bullshit lmfao
As time went on, Heavenly Demon became famous—as a boomer consumed by her roleplay persona.
Someone even left a comment saying that if the real Heavenly Demon saw this, she would disembowel the user and dismantle them limb by limb.
And understandably so, since almost everything Heavenly Demon posted was pure shitposts.
The general consensus was that nobody could post that much unless they had a insane amount of free time.
"How strange. Why does no one believe me?"
And the real Heavenly Demon stared at the Gallery with a puzzled expression.
Skin as white as milk, plump lips. A gorgeous face and curves of her body that even a black martial arts robe couldn’t hide.
The entity reigning as the sole ’Demon’ beneath the heavens: Yoo So-wol.
She was the ’Heavenly Demon’ hard at work shitposting today as well.
"Even though this one is proving everything. Tsk, tsk."
Yoo So-wol clicked her tongue. Yet, there wasn’t a trace of annoyance on her face.
Rather, her expression was filled with intrigue. After all, the Gallery was the Heavenly Demon’s sole hobby.
One might ask why a figure as great as the Heavenly Demon would indulge in forum browsing, but ultimately, she too was human.
Even after defeating all the grandmasters of Zhongyuan and obtaining the title of Number One Under Heaven, boredom could not be so easily quenched.
Because she was so overwhelmingly strong, there weren’t even challengers. So, under the pretext of Secluded Cultivation, she holed up in the mountains.
Upvote if you think Heavenly Demon is weak as fuck lmfao
E-D-N-V lmfao
ㄴ Upvoted lmfao
ㄴ Upvote lmfao
"Fufu. These bastards who aren’t even worth chewing up. How dare they mock this one."
This was the thrill. Bastards spouting nonsense carelessly behind the shield of anonymity.
Back at the Sacred Cult, most cultists couldn’t even meet her gaze.
That was because Yoo So-wol was the sole supreme ruler beneath the sky. They were too busy looking up to her in awe.
But not in the Gallery. Shielded by anonymity, they spewed insolence that couldn’t even be uttered out loud.
Occasionally, there were instances of sexual harassment, but Yoo So-wol generously let them slide. They were just nameless faceless bastards anyway.
’In my heart, I would love to clash with a master from the Western Kingdoms...’
However, it wasn’t as if she had no regrets. Namely, whenever the continental strongest was discussed, she was always excluded.
Thanks to active exchanges among other nations, the names of their masters were widely known.
However, Zhongyuan was different. Due to closed-door policies, it remained like a frog in a well.
Hence, she had considered making a personal procession, but strangely, her followers vehemently dissuaded her.
"You cannot, Sire. If the Sovereign personally travels abroad, it will cause countless problems."
"Why is that?"
"If you leave your seat empty for long, the cultists will fall into confusion, and dishonest martial artists will seize the opportunity to attack. Above all..."
"Above all?"
"Shouldn’t those arrogant barbarians come to pay homage themselves? It makes no sense for the Supreme Leader to make a personal visit, does it?"
"Hm. That makes sense."
The Heavenly Demon had been persuaded by her trusted ’Demonic Brain’. But the Demonic Brain’s inner thoughts were different.
Zhongyuan aside, the moment she clashed with foreign masters, things would get completely tangled.
Zhongyuan wasn’t even fully stabilized yet; what if barbarians were dragged into it too?
The Heavenly Demon Cult, built with so much effort, could collapse. It was a pragmatic judgment.
Title) Fuck, I’m going crazy because of the person I serve
Smart Demon
A bitch whose head is filled with nothing but martial arts is trying to cause trouble again. Good thing I barely managed to stop her, otherwise I would’ve ran away right then.
ㄴ Hang in there bro, but what’s your job?
ㄴ Smart Demon) In Western terms, secretary? Butler? Think of it roughly like that
ㄴ Must be tough because of your boss
ㄴ Smart Demon) Phew... fuck, I really wanna quit
ㄴ Why don’t you?
ㄴ Smart Demon) It’s a job for life lol Started from the boss’s parents
ㄴ Lmfao
ㄴ But if you’re a secretary, do you really go under the desk?
ㄴ Are you fucking insane lmfao
ㄴ Smart Demon) If I did that, my head would blow up
Right after, a meaningful post was uploaded to the Gallery, but the Heavenly Demon ignored it. It was a common occurrence anyway.
Afterward, she stayed holed up in the Sacred Cult, briefly ventured out because of the Emperor, and then returned to lead ordinary days.
Not as the revered ’Heavenly Demon’ Yoo So-wol, but as the ’human’ Yoo So-wol exchanging curses with random strangers—it was genuinely fun.
Then, having fortuitously gained enlightenment, she entered Secluded Cultivation, only to hit an entirely unexpected wall.
"Cough!"
Chwaak!
As Yoo So-wol coughed, a handful of jet-black blood poured out. It was a considerable amount of blood.
She wiped the blood from her mouth, a gloomy expression settling on her face.
’For this one to suffer Qi Deviation...’
Indeed. While focusing on cultivation, she had succumbed to Qi Deviation.
One might wonder how the sole supreme ruler under heaven could fall to Qi Deviation, but this was a kind of trial.
A trial like a molting insect whose life or death hinged on the success of the molt.
To begin with, Qi Deviation could happen to anyone. Being the Heavenly Demon made no difference.
’My Internal Energy... is growing excessively strong.’
The Heavenly Demon was strong. The problem was that she was too strong.
Yoo So-wol looked down at her hands. Her hands, cracked like spiderwebs, looked ready to shatter at any moment.
The vessel could not contain the internal energy and was collapsing under its own weight.
To overcome this, she had no choice but to masterly refine her internal energy or neutralize it using spiritual medicine.
However, despite endlessly attempting the former, her Internal Energy only grew stronger and showed no signs of lessening.
’The sky is the sky, and the earth is the earth...’
Even so, she kept shitposting on the forum until the end. In truth, she had half-given up.
As her Internal Energy grew relentlessly stronger, it was only a matter of time before her fragile shell ruptured.
Being practically on borrowed time, she wrote posts on the Gallery with a mind cleared of thoughts.
Title) Is there no one to have a deep conversation with this one? It is a grave matter.
[Heavenly Demon]
It is as I have said.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon Death Beam!!
ㄴ Tee-hee!
"Fufu."
Yoo So-wol chuckled. It was a look of pity, as if looking at some pathetic dumbass.
To think the only place she could turn to was a forum. Beyond self-ridicule, a sense of shame washed over her.
The more she felt that way, the worse her Qi Deviation became, but she had already reached a state of resignation.
’Is this how I go out...?’
’Let’s just browse the Gallery one last time.’ She didn’t fancy dying alone in solitude.
At the very least, she wanted to leave something behind until the very end. It was a natural human instinct.
Thus, before writing her final post, she clicked on the post sitting at the very top of the board.
It was written by a new registered handle. The guy who got cursed out by the dwarf asking if his head was an anvil.
Does anyone know what this herb is?
Wild Grylls
(Picture of crescent-moon-shaped plant)
I don’t know what kind of herb this is, does anyone know?
"!!!"
Checking the post, Yoo So-wol’s eyes opened wide as lanterns. It was because of the photo.
The picture in the post showed a medicinal herb blooming with crescent-moon-shaped petals.
’C-Could this be...!’
Even if she was the Heavenly Demon obsessed with martial arts, she possessed knowledge about medicinal herbs.
Born and raised in the Heavenly Demon Cult, she had ingested all manner of legendary spiritual medicines.
She had also learned how to harmonize them upon ingestion. When it came to herbs, she was as knowledgeable as any expert.
’Could it be the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb? It definitely is.’
Crescent Moon Spirit Herb.
An herb exceptionally suited for stabilizing boiling internal energy.
For Yoo So-wol, who was currently dying from her inability to control her energy, it was an herb more vital than the Herb of Eternal Youth.
Yoo So-wol replied without hesitation. Her thought process was several times faster than others, allowing her to claim first place.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Begone! This one reserved it first, yet your hearts are filled with greed!!
ㄴ Yeah no~
ㄴ What reservation lmfao Whoever the seller likes gets it first
ㄴ Move aside, boomer~
"Th-These absolute sons of bitches...!"
However, being first meant nothing. In that brief moment, a pack of jackals caught the scent and swarmed.
Yoo So-wol was enraged, but soon grew disheartened. The competition had become far too fierce.
She had already sent a trade request long ago. However, Wild Grylls hadn’t accepted it.
’How pathetic.’
Yoo So-wol let out a self-deprecating laugh. She was acting pathetically until the end.
Yet she was so bitter. She wanted to die fighting in battle, not perish in such a miserable manner.
Her internal energy was rapidly swelling beyond control, and her remaining lifespan began to shave away.
Just as Yoo So-wol lamented her plight and prepared to close her eyes:
[Wild Grylls-nim has requested a trade. Would you like to accept?]
A saving hand reached down from the heavens. Yoo So-wol’s eyes widened.
Why on earth? Out of all those countless people, why me?
Her thoughts were long, but her action was swift. She hurriedly accepted the request.
Upon accepting, a square box appeared directly in front of her. It was a blank chat window.
[Wild Grylls: Hey hey, you’re Heavenly Demon-nim, right?]
A short greeting filling the blank. It was lighthearted yet surprisingly polite.
Yoo So-wol cleared her throat unconsciously and sent a message.
[Heavenly Demon: Indeed. This one is the one and only sky of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Heavenly Demon.]
[Heavenly Demon: Do you intend to trade with this one?]
[Wild Grylls: Yes. Heavenly Demon-nim commented first, after all.]
[Wild Grylls: First come, first served.]
[Heavenly Demon: Thank you. You are a rare individual who understands propriety.]
Fortunately, Wild Grylls wasn’t rude either. The Heavenly Demon felt inwardly relieved.
The Gallery was like a cesspool. Many hid behind anonymity, unleashing their desires without restraint.
To encounter such politeness inside a cesspool felt like a rose blooming against all odds.
[Heavenly Demon: Is there anything you desire? This one shall obtain anything within my reach. For now, it is limited as I must engage in cultivation. However, once I return to the Heavenly Demon Cult, I plan to grant you whatever you wish.]
[Wild Grylls: For now, tools to make a fire and a compass.]
[Wild Grylls: A weapon to defend myself and some basic food.]
[Wild Grylls: That would be about it.]
The Heavenly Demon was puzzled. He only wants that?
What was the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb? It was a supreme herb that anyone would pay astronomical fortunes to acquire!
[Heavenly Demon: Is that truly all you require? As you may know, the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb is an extremely precious medicine.]
[Wild Grylls: But still, could it be worth more than my life?]
[Wild Grylls: I only need what I actually need.]
[Heavenly Demon: Mm... Very well. Due to circumstances, there are items I cannot provide immediately, but I can procure them given time.]
[Wild Grylls: My circumstances are urgent too, so I’m in a rush.]
[Wild Grylls: So, is it possible?]
It was possible. The Heavenly Demon turned her head and glanced at the corner of the cave.
Secret martial arts manuals summarizing her enlightenment, a huge stack of Fasting Pills, and her cherished sword.
Two of the conditions were met. She didn’t have tools to light a fire, but there were ways.
[Heavenly Demon: By any chance, what is your realm? Have you reached the Transcendent Realm?]
[Wild Grylls: I’m just an ordinary guy...]
"Oh dear."
If so, she couldn’t teach him Samadhi True Fire. Yoo So-wol quickly moved on.
[Heavenly Demon: I am sorry, but this one can only fulfill two of your requests right now. The weapon and food.]
[Wild Grylls: Hm...]
[Heavenly Demon: However, once I descend to the Sacred Cult, I can give you the other two as well.]
Yoo So-wol grew desperate. As her Internal Energy grew relentlessly stronger, cold sweat began to pour down.
Furthermore, the available trade time was three minutes. Once three minutes passed, the two couldn’t trade for a whole day.
[Wild Grylls: Okay, got it.]
[Heavenly Demon: Is that true?]
[Wild Grylls: You said you’d give them to me, so I should trust you. If you don’t, I just won’t trust you from then on.]
"Ah..."
What a polite young man(?)! Yoo So-wol was deeply moved.
He was a fortuitous encounter and a benefactor met at her most desperate moment.
Even when she first stepped into the martial realm, or when she unified Zhongyuan, she had never experienced something like this.
It felt as if everything in the world had brightened. Though in a pitch-black cave, her chat with Wild Grylls burned bright like the sun.
’Ah. Now is not the time.’
Yoo So-wol hurriedly picked up her sword and the Fasting Pills. Items she would no longer need once she entered the next realm.
She had consistently used the Gallery, so she knew how to trade. You just held or touched the item you wanted to transfer.
[Wild Grylls-nim has registered trade items.]
[Heavenly Demon-nim has registered trade items.]
Would you like to complete the trade?
She accepted immediately. The other side accepted quickly as well, and the message changed.
[Trade completed.]
Mine arrived, did yours arrive over there?
Yoo So-wol didn’t manage to see that message. She was too busy stuffing the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb in her hands into her mouth.
She felt deeply sorry to Wild Grylls, but her life was hanging by a thread. As soon as she ingested the herb, she entered Internal Energy Regulation.
Just as expected, the moment she absorbed the herb’s energy, her Internal Energy—which had been burning hot like an active volcano—began to gradually stabilize.
Even Yoo So-wol herself was shocked. At this rate, she would be able to break through her shell and ascend to the next realm.
Yoo So-wol felt relieved, but didn’t lose her focus. She didn’t want to waste the opportunity she had so narrowly seized.
’Just a little... just a little more...’
Wuuuung—
Engaged in Internal Energy Regulation, Yoo So-wol’s body slowly levitated into the air.
Her ebony hair floated as if swimming through water, and a faint radiance leaked out from her.
Jjeojeojeok!
Like a bird hatching from an egg, Yoo So-wol underwent a similar process.
Though her body had already undergone Body Metamorphosis before, she was undergoing that process once again.
Her cracked skin peeled away as flawless new skin sprouted, and her bones and body reshaped into an optimal form.
The state of ’Demonic Transcendence’, casting off all demonic nature. In Zhongyuan, this was revered as the ’Profound Realm’.
Seueuk—
Yoo So-wol’s closed eyes slowly opened. It was no longer the gaze of someone facing death.
Black pupils, serene as a tranquil lake and soft as a gentle breeze.
The Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol, broke her shell once more and beheld the world with her eyes.
"Phew..."
Yoo So-wol let out a long breath. It was a sigh mixed with complex emotions.
Next, she looked at her hands. Fair, snow-white skin had regrown—elegance itself.
Satisfying. A smile surfaced naturally. She didn’t know how she could ever repay this debt of gratitude.
’Ah. Goodness. I haven’t expressed my gratitude yet.’
Yoo So-wol hastily logged into the Gallery. With time elapsed, the direct chat with Wild Grylls had closed.
What she could do now was write a post on the board. Even after attaining Demonic Transcendence, the human Yoo So-wol had not vanished.
Rather, it was the opposite. Because she had met a benefactor in her hour of crisis, her human side had grown even stronger.
She wanted to repay the favor by any means. How should she repay this grace?
She had never received a favor from anyone in her entire life. While she had incurred countless grudges, receiving grace was a first.
Her heart fluttered, and a smile unconsciously etched onto her lips. A reaction she herself hadn’t even realized.
Title) Wild Grylls, read this.
[Heavenly Demon]
Thanks to noble sir, this one has incurred a lifelong debt of gratitude. This one shall surely seek you out, so whatever you desire, name it. If you wish, I can personally bestow secret manuals upon you.
Ah. Just in case, the items noble sir requested will definitely be delivered.
The Heavenly Demon herself had actually used the term ’noble sir’. It was a pronoun close to an utmost respectful honorific.
Several comments followed afterward, but none came from the one she awaited.
Yoo So-wol waited endlessly, and waited again for her benefactor to reply.
However, even after several minutes passed, Wild Grylls did not leave a comment.
"...Why are you not answering me?"
Yoo So-wol voiced her disappointment.
It was only a few minutes, but to her, it felt like a long, long time.
’Could it be because I didn’t send my thanks immediately?’
Yoo So-wol’s distress deepened further.
At that same moment, Wild Grylls:
"Keo-eong!! Keong!! Krrr!! Keo-eong!!"
"Uwah! Fuck!"
He was currently being chased by wild beasts.
Contrary to Heavenly Demon’s thoughts, he was in no position to be browsing the Gallery.