Chapter 330 : There's Just One Thing I Can't Do

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

========================

Chapter 330: There's Just One Thing I Can't Do

Surprisingly, it had been at the request of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader that So Baekta gifted a divine item to Geom Mugeuk.

"Do you know why I told you to give that gift to the Young Cult Leader?"

"Was it to express your gratitude for what he did?"

"Of course, that's part of it. But there's a bigger reason."

"What is it?"

Then, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader said something unexpected.

"It's because of you, Cult Leader."

"Because of me?"

It had been to further strengthen the bond between Geom Mugeuk and So Baekta. In fact, his own relationship with Geom Mugeuk had also begun with the giving of a divine item.

There was a significant difference between simply parting ways and parting after expressing appreciation with a gift.

Even if the other party wasn’t someone who expected a return, it was up to them to demonstrate the virtue of modesty. That gesture itself could become a gift.

"Don’t let go of the thread that ties you to the Young Cult Leader. Do it for your own sake, and for the Heavenly Wind Cult’s sake."

Only then did So Baekta understand the deeper meaning behind his master's words. It was a moment that made him once again realize just how highly Geom Mugeuk was regarded.

"If you want to be a good Cult Leader, don’t covet treasures—value people instead. Even if you use up every divine item here, make sure you have people around you who will protect the Cult Leader." 1

"I understand."

Then the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader stared directly into So Baekta’s eyes and asked,

"Really? Do you truly believe people are more important than the divine items in front of you?"

"Well…"

So Baekta couldn’t answer with certainty. Just yesterday, he had been deceived and toyed with by someone else.

"Yeah, human relationships are a damn mess. You build them, work to maintain them, feel disappointed, get betrayed. There’s nothing more draining, really. Still, you must prioritize managing people. Do you know why?"

Jeong Dae was finally saying all the things he had never been able to say before.

"It’s because you’re the Cult Leader. If you were living a normal life, human relationships wouldn’t matter so much. But the Cult Leader is ultimately someone who governs people. Not just our cult, but the allied organizations, even our enemies. You must be able to handle them all. Never forget that depending on who you keep at your side, and who you choose to use, the fate of the Heavenly Wind Cult and everyone in the Wilderness will change in response to your actions." 2

Before So Baekta could respond, he quickly added,

"Coming from someone who spent his life staring only at divine items, I guess I’m the last person who should be saying this, huh?"

"That’s exactly why your words carry weight, don’t they?"

The two of them smiled at each other.

"So, what did the Young Cult Leader end up choosing?"

"He chose the Black Eye."

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader initially looked baffled, but then nodded. Always picking the best, only to later choose something seemingly worthless—he thought it was just like Geom Mugeuk.

“It's not just anyone—we're talking about the Young Cult Leader here. There's no need to be stingy. In fact, just a moment ago, it was you who received a gift. So if the opportunity arises later, give again.”

It meant that forging a connection with Geom Mugeuk through a single divine item was actually a gain.

Though he knew he shouldn't feel this way, So Baekta couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy toward Geom Mugeuk. At the same time, he resolved to become someone his master could trust just as deeply.

Jeong Dae saw right through his disciple’s heart.

“Don’t rush. It wasn’t until I was more than twice your age that I finally began to reflect deeply on my life. Before that, I just lived, swept away like a leaf in the current.”

Who would’ve thought that life would feel like it was truly beginning at this age?

“So don’t be impatient. Your real life… it might not even have started yet.”

So Baekta didn’t want to part ways with his master.

“Will you be returning with the Young Cult Leader?”

He feared the answer would be yes—that he would say he had to leave. But the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader smiled and said,

“I’ll stay with our Cult Leader for a while longer. We’ll train together, drink together, share stories from the past.”

At least for now, more than Gowol, more than Geom Mugeuk—his disciple came first.

The disciple still had so much more to learn compared to those two, and the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wanted to teach him while they still had time together. 3

So Baekta beamed.

“Thank you, Master.”

From jealousy to joy—all in a single moment. Even within this short span of time, he felt such highs and lows. Yeah… Master was right. He still had a long way to go.

*         *         *

As I stepped out of the Cult Leader’s Hall and made my way back to my quarters, my heart pounded like it was about to burst.

The excitement that I might finally unravel the secret of the Secret Box—a mystery that even the previous Heavenly Demons over countless years had failed to solve—made my steps quicken on their own.

I ordered the guards not to let anyone disturb me and entered my room.

From my robes, I pulled out both the Secret Box and the Black Eye, placing them side by side on the table.

“You’ve made a friend, Secret Box.”

Since I had drawn a smiling face on the box, it actually looked like it was happy to have company. 4

What kind of connection could there be between these two?

I picked up the Black Eye and placed it on top of the Secret Box. But nothing happened. Even though it had vibrated, urging me to choose the Black Eye.

“If you’re going to be this shy, then why did you want me to find this friend in the first place?”

I waited for a moment, but the Secret Box showed no reaction.

I flipped it over and placed the Black Eye on another side. Still no response. Then I tried yet another side, and another.

“Even if it's uncomfortable doing a handstand, just bear with it for a bit.”

Just as I was flipping the smiling Secret Box upside down and placing the Black Eye on its bottom surface—

Swish.

The Black Eye began to get sucked into the Secret Box. 5

I never imagined the Secret Box would absorb the Black Eye, so I could only stare in shock as it happened. Like a drop of water being absorbed, the Black Eye was drawn straight into the Secret Box.

Holding my breath, I drew up my inner strength and prepared for any possible situation as I watched the Secret Box.

Even after waiting a long while, the Secret Box remained exactly the same.

“You! You ate your friend!” 6

The moment I finished speaking—

Wooooong!

The Secret Box vibrated.

“You can understand me, can’t you?”

It shook again. The vibration was strong enough to rattle the table. Then, the violently trembling Secret Box began to float in the air.

It started spinning rapidly mid-air.

Whirrrrrrrrr!

At this rate, it looked like it might explode at any moment—or shoot off somewhere.

What should I do?

There was no time to think. I moved on instinct. I drew up my Protective Energy to its limit and grabbed the Secret Box floating in the air with my hand.

And in that very moment—

Shuuuuuuuuu!

A strange sound I’d never heard before echoed out, and something pitch-black began to emerge from the Secret Box.

It wasn’t smoke. It wasn’t liquid. It wasn’t inner energy, or aura, or even light. It was something indescribable—something I had never seen or felt before. 7

That black essence spread from my hand to my arm, and then throughout my body. It didn’t extend anywhere else. Just like ink bleeding through paper, it spread only into me.

Fwaaaaaaaaa.

I let it continue to spread. I could feel it instinctively—it didn’t carry any harmful intent. If it had, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique would’ve activated. If it had, I would’ve thrown the Secret Box to the ground without hesitation.

But instead, I held tightly onto the Secret Box and watched as that essence transferred into me. It shimmered like light, flowed like water, and pulsed like energy. Though its color was pitch-black, it felt as refreshing as drinking clear spring water.

Fwaaaaaaaash!

And the moment it spread from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes—

Flash!

A blinding light burst from my entire body. It was so bright I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.

When I opened them again, the light was gone. The essence that had flowed through me had also vanished into my body without a trace.

Panicking, I quickly examined myself.

There was no mistaking it—whatever had come from the Secret Box had deeply penetrated every part of my body. But… there was no noticeable change. My inner power hadn’t increased, and there was no unfamiliar energy clumped somewhere in my core.

But I could feel it. That thing still remained within me. It existed somewhere inside my body. 8

‘What in the world is this?’

And just then—

Clack!

The Secret Box spat out the Black Eye it had swallowed with a light plop.

The Black Eye bounced off and rolled across the floor.

When I picked it up and examined it, it was no longer the lustrous jet-black stone it once was. Now, it was nothing more than an ordinary lump of metal. 9

I could tell instinctively. The energy hidden within the Black Eye had been drawn out and absorbed into me through the Secret Box. This was the moment the Secret Box’s secret had been revealed.

The Secret Box was an artifact that could absorb energy contained within something else. 10

Without something like the Black Eye for it to absorb, the Secret Box had no value whatsoever. How could anyone have uncovered this secret?

The only reason I had was because I hadn’t tried to force it open. I’d simply carried it around like a companion, and that’s what led me to this truth.

And then, another hunch came to me.

This wouldn’t be the end. If there were other things, like the Black Eye, containing absorbable energy, the Secret Box would be able to absorb them too. 11

‘Just what are you? Who made you?’

The Secret Box, as if nothing had happened, was still lying upside down with its face turned toward me, smiling brightly.

Now that I knew which side was up, I figured I should draw a new face on it.

*         *         *

The next day, we parted ways.

While the escorts were busy early in the morning preparing the carriage, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and So Baekta came out to see us off.

“Take care on your journey back.”

At So Baekta’s farewell, I shared the words I had wanted to say to him.

“You’ve experienced it yourself now, so you know—there are many who plot in the shadows. I hope you’ll be cautious from now on.”

“I will. You take care as well, Young Cult Leader.”

Next, I said my farewell to Jeong Dae.

Even though this wasn’t a farewell for good, I still felt a pang of sorrow—which meant I’d grown quite fond of him over time.

“Do you know what I realized after dealing with the New Hero Iron Workshop this time?”

“What did you realize?”

“They didn’t know who they were affiliated with, or what their objective was. And yet, they still operated in perfect sync. Do you know who they reminded me of? Hidden Moon. A thoroughly compartmentalized organization that still functions flawlessly under a perfect system.”

So that was what he had been trying to tell me all along.

“There must be someone truly brilliant—like you or Gowol—pulling all the strings from behind.” 12

Someone like the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader could tell just by touching the tail how massive and violent the beast truly was.

“I’ll keep that in mind when I face them. Thank you for the warning.”

“I’ll send a separate message to Gowol. I won’t be staying much longer.”

“Please enjoy your time here while you can.”

“Our Young Cult Leader, who managed to clean out the entire Heavenly Wind Cult, take care on your way.”

He had a huge grin on his face, clearly amused at the thought of using this against me for a while.

Of course, I didn’t let him have the last word.

“After seeing the sacred artifacts, there’s still a lot left that makes me want to come back.”

Jeong Dae immediately called out to So Baekta.

“Guard our sacred artifacts well from the Young Cult Leader!”

If my farewell with him ended in jokes and banter, his farewell with the Demonic Buddha was far more curt.

“I’ll head out first.”

“See you back at the Cult.”

But the look in their eyes had changed—both of them were no longer the same as when we had arrived.

And just like that, I left the Heavenly Wind Cult behind. We came as a group of three VIPs, but only two returned. Yet somehow, it felt like four were going back.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and So Baekta remained at the front gate, watching us until our carriage disappeared from view.

*         *         *

The journey back was relaxed.

Whenever we saw tall mountains, we stopped the carriage and climbed them to collect poisonous herbs. We camped under the stars in the barren wilds.

For meals, the escorts hunted wild animals, and I taught them how to skin the beasts, which cuts of meat were the tastiest, and how to cook them so they wouldn’t turn out tough. Thanks to that, their cooking skills improved noticeably day by day.

“You really can do everything, Young Cult Leader.”

I shook my head at their admiration.

“There’s one thing I absolutely can’t do.”

“What is it?”

I didn’t answer. I just sighed and turned away. 13

And like that, after another good meal, we lay down around the campfire again.

As I lay back and stared at the night sky, I spoke to the Demonic Buddha.

“You know, Demonic Buddha… you’re a star too.”

Across the campfire, Ma Bul turned to look at me.

“What do you mean?”

“Like the stars—you always shine on your own.”

His face was visible through the flickering flames. Maybe he was used to me now, because he stared straight at me and said,

“I don’t have any sacred artifacts like the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.”

“But you have poisonous herbs, don’t you?”

The Demonic Buddha had gathered seven, while I still hadn’t managed to collect even one. That one thing I hadn’t told the escorts I was terrible at—was gathering herbs. 14

“Please! Just give me one!”

He gave me a look that said, not a chance, then turned and lay facing the other way.

I knew exactly what he was feeling. He wanted to hear from the Poison King himself ‘our Demonic Buddha is the best’. He wanted to be the one special person who could harvest poisonous herbs that no one else could.

And that just made me want to mess with him more.

I silently got up and began carefully tiptoeing toward the box holding the herbs he had collected.

Without even looking, Ma Bul stretched out his hand toward it.

A golden light extended from his palm, transforming into a golden dragon that coiled protectively around the box. It was the Demonic Buddha’s exclusive demonic technique—the Golden Vajra Demonic Art.

“Hey, that’s just cruel! I’m the Young Cult Leader! The future Heavenly Demon, you know!”

Unfazed, the golden dragon let out a small, but ferocious roar.

“Alright, fine. Time to sleep. I’m sleeping now.”

I lay back down. Not far off, our escort captain, Jeokyeon, who had been watching us, couldn’t suppress his laughter. But when our eyes met, he quickly turned his head away.

Then, still lying down with his back to me, Ma Bul quietly called out,

“Young Cult Leader.”

“Yes, Demonic Buddha?”

After a brief pause, he said,

“Thank you.”

I was still staring up at the night sky. For some reason, the starlight seemed especially bright tonight.

“Me too.”

Neither of us asked what we were thankful for.

And just like that, cutting through the sandstorms of the Wilderness, we returned to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

1 : Obtaining the true loyalty of good and capable people is worth more than any treasure. Treasures can’t save you from your own bad decisions. Friends can, and will if they are true ones.

2 : It will even affect the world. The wings of a butterfly….

3 : Good. You should laugh, you should fight and cry, and restart everything again. The quality of your teaching will be much different than before you left, and it will make your relationship with your disciple bloom brighter. He was not ready to be the Cult Leader before, but now, it will change, and it will continue to change everyday.

4 : Wilson is always happy, unshackled by the despairs of this world. He has reached the state of selflessness, the enlightenment of his past lives, the liberation of all his karma present and future. Wilson has stepped on the path of Budha.

5 : *NOMNOMNOM Pac Man noise* XDXDXD

6 : With absolutely no remorse at all too ^^ How violent XDXDXD

7 : Another hint that the Nine Calamities Demon Art and Heavenly Demon Spirit are a connection to an Outer being ?

8 : In your cells ? Preparations for a Body Reformation/Metamorphosis ? A spirit/soul supplement ? Something ? *Have no ideas*

9 : Here is your gacha ball, it’s a dud.

10 : Okay, but why ???? How ???? Is it the remnant of a more technologically/magically advanced civilization ? Can this characteristic be applied to martial arts ? Used on people, err, bad guys ? *Roll around tearing my hair in frustration*

11 : Yay, more shinies, but I’m still blocked on this revelation. What a conundrum. At least it’ll make my brain work, I’ll become more intelligent, so it’s cool. If only I could avoid having a headache during it, that would be perfect.

12 : Concerning, but expected. Saving the world is hard. Half of your troubles come from the clueless ones you’re trying to protect, the other from your enemies trying to kill you from the shadows.

13 : Hmmm…. Giving up ?

14 : Oh. It’s much less serious than I thought XDXDXD Don’t worry, most MCs have something they are absolutely useless at. Like picking up romantic hints, or finding cool names. One of them is even cursed at fishing (Earth, from Toaru Ossan VRMMO).