Chapter 50 – I Pay My Respects to the Supreme One
There’s a saying:
You can’t solve everything in the world with money.
But most things can be solved with money.
If you couldn’t solve it with money, maybe it’s because you didn’t have enough money. Spend more, and it’ll work out.
It’s the same with alcohol.
If you don’t have enough, just bring more.
I had prepared plenty of liquor in advance — all to create this situation.
If he’d never tasted it at all, that would be one thing...
But Do Il-gwang had already taken a sip. After years of eating nothing but garbage scraps, he had tasted alcohol again. And not just any alcohol — this was top-shelf liquor worth millions of won per bottle in the real world. No wonder he lost his mind.
“It’s real. I’m telling you, this time it’s the real thing!”
“Hmph. Is that so.”
Do Il-gwang was already on his fourth bottle, eagerly gulping down the drinks I handed him.
“I-Is there no more!?”
Twitching like an addict, he demanded more.
I casually showed him the inside of my bag. There were still a few bottles left.
“Recite the mnemonic again.”
Do Il-gwang was a martial genius who had subtly altered the mnemonic so cleverly that even Saweol, despite her senses being dulled by this cave’s energy, couldn’t notice it.
There was no guarantee he’d give me the real one now. No — knowing his personality, he definitely wouldn’t.
“You idiot! You couldn’t understand it and now you blame me!?”
I took out a bottle and tossed it into the air. Catching it and tossing it again, back and forth — Do Il-gwang’s eyes followed it, swaying.
“So? You’re not going to drink?”
“You bastard!”
“My ears are ringing, and my hands are getting tired.”
“What do your ears have to do with your hands!?”
“The mnemonic.”
Do Il-gwang clenched his teeth and spat out the mnemonic.
I listened to it seven times.
Which meant I had cross-checked it seven times.
[There don’t seem to be any lies this time,]
Skybreaker said. His tone was still sulky, so it seemed he hadn’t completely calmed down — but he had matured quite a bit.
Good job, Skybreaker! Way to go, Skybreaker!
[However, there’s a part I don’t understand. If we interpret the mnemonic, it suggests that ‘weight’ means a pulling force... But then who or what is pulling the body? A celestial being? A ghost? A monster?]
So the essence of Supreme Reign (Gunrim) seemed to be gravity.
As expected of someone once called a child prodigy — he’d interpreted the mnemonic.
Still, it was only natural there were parts he couldn’t grasp fundamentally.
After all, the world of Return of the Murim isn’t a scientifically advanced one. In a world where most problems can be solved by physical strength, there was no real reason for science to develop.
That said... for someone in this world to understand the concept of gravity? Maybe Do Il-gwang was smarter than I gave him credit for.
“Ah, if someone takes back what they said about being ignorant, I might explain it.”
[…]
“As someone said, I guess I’m just too dumb to get it~”
I was a liberal arts major. In high school, our physics teacher’s nickname was "Fog" — as in, “Don’t do physics, you fog-brained idiot.” I didn’t understand why Cheolsu pulled Yeonghee up from a cliff, so I switched to humanities.
But I do know the basics.
[You understand this?]
“Of course. In the world I came from, even snot-nosed kids know this stuff.”
[Co... common knowledge...]
So, who’s the dumb one now?
I gave Skybreaker a couple of playful taps. Maybe because of the joke, the mood had lightened a lot. I figured I’d teased him enough for now.
“Weight is indeed a pulling force. All things exert a pull on each other. Of those, the force this world, this land I’m standing on, exerts — that’s what we call gravity.”
[Gravity...]
Well, this was a humanities-level explanation, so I wasn’t sure how accurate it was — but Skybreaker was smart, so I figured he’d get it.
[If the Earth only pulls things, how does everything stay balanced on its surface? Could there be a counterforce at work? Does the sky also pull us? Is the world perhaps round? If it’s round, then it must be so massive that we can’t feel it...]
Maybe because he was a clone of Sado Gwang, but Skybreaker definitely belonged to the genius category.
How the hell did he leap from that to Galileo and Columbus-tier thoughts? He could put either of them to shame.
[Is that all you know, monster? Hmph. So ignorant.]
“You’re the weird one. Anyway, that’s the gist of it. Gravity is the pulling force.”
[Is that so... then...]
Skybreaker began mumbling something to himself.
“Heh. No more liquor?”
“None.”
“Then get lost.”
“I was planning to leave anyway.”
I crossed my arms and thought for a moment.
Do Il-gwang was the previous Heavenly Demon, the one who would lead a rebellion. Thanks to the time difference, this wouldn’t happen for another three years.
But he was one of the reasons why the current Heavenly Demon would suffer grave injuries — causing many unnecessary sacrifices.
There was no guarantee that I wouldn’t be among those sacrifices.
Sure, this was a cliché, but thanks to everything I’d done, the future was likely to have already changed drastically.
So should I kill him here?
“You intend to kill me, don’t you?”
Despite being simple-minded, his instincts were sharp. Maybe because he’d killed so many before, he was sensitive to killing intent.
“You can’t kill me. Heh heh…”
“Why not?”
“This seal draws on my energy to sustain the Disciplinary Cell’s formation. If I die, the formation disappears. And when that happens, all the prisoners will be set free.”
“So?”
I bluffed. Not that I meant to — at this point, the act and I had become one. My bluster came out naturally.
“How many prisoners are there — what does it matter? So what if a few defeated weaklings locked underground are released?”
“You arrogant brat... Allow me to offer you some advice in exchange for the liquor. Keep acting this proud without knowing your place, and someday, you’ll meet a miserable end.”
“If that end suits me, then I don’t mind.”
For the first time, Do Il-gwang looked at me not as a madman, but with a serious gaze.
“You’re more resolved than I thought. Well, to reach that level, one must have some personal conviction.”
Truth was, I had no level to speak of. I’d left the interpretation of the martial mnemonic to Martial Arts AI Skybreaker.
“Don’t lose that conviction, brat. If you lose that, even the skills you’ve built up will become meaningless.”
I only have one conviction — to survive. So:
“Once a month, I’ll bring you liquor.”
“What’s your angle?”
Right now, I had a mountain of things to sort out. The moment I stepped out of the Disciplinary Cell, I’d have to unravel the entangled mess between Skybreaker and Sado Gwang.
If I wanted to expose and bring down Sado Gwang’s schemes, I’d eventually have to fight the entire Sado Clan.
Killing Do Il-gwang here would only add more to my plate.
No need to add more variables. I still had three years left.
“Let’s just say... it’s a gesture of respect for a former Heavenly Demon.”
I said it offhandedly, but Do Il-gwang seemed genuinely touched.
“I’ll keep your mastery of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art a secret.”
“I wasn’t expecting anything in return.”
“Heh... So confident, are you? You’ve got guts, brat. Bring me liquor next time. I’ll teach you the part of Supreme Reign you didn’t understand.”
Skybreaker scoffed.
[Didn’t understand? Me? I’ll show you.]
Skybreaker slid from his scabbard. Sword energy burst forth.
He drew a slow, downward stroke.
Kwak!
The floor of the cave cracked — as if smashed by an invisible hammer — and caved in. A circular depression, about three meters in diameter.
“How—!?”
“Not a very difficult concept.”
“Huh??”
Do Il-gwang stared at me, mouth agape, like he was seeing a monster. He was speechless.
This is the power of modern-day knowledge — the cliché.
“I’ve had enough. Teach my subordinate instead.”
“You think that fool could even understand a thousandth of my teachings!?”
“That depends on the disciple’s potential. And if you try anything underhanded... there won’t be anyone left to bring you liquor.”
Seeing the look in my eyes, Do Il-gwang replied quickly.
“I-I’ll teach him with the utmost sincerity!”
With nothing more to gain, I turned away without regret.
Everything I needed — I’d obtained.
Sigh...
Saweol and Tak Horak, who had just awoken from meditation, looked at me in confusion.
***
One week passed in the Disciplinary Cell.
Sleeping on the cold, hard floor of the cave was a special kind of hell. On top of that, all sorts of insects and critters crawled around.
If I hadn’t used Black Ox’s poison to keep them away, I’d have been swarmed by bugs.
Now I understood why people dreaded this place.
Unlike me — protected by the Heavenly Demon Divine Art — Saweol and Tak Horak were visibly exhausted, looking drained unless they wore masks to conserve energy.
Technically, I could’ve left at any time. I was the Sado Clan’s second son, after all.
But I stayed. Saweol’s disciplinary period was one week — and going out unarmed would’ve been suicide anyway.
“Please, could you take me with you, Daeju-nim?”
Tak Horak gave me puppy-dog eyes. Watching this big, muscular man with tanned skin pretend to look pitiful... was not pleasant.
“You want me to break the sacred laws?”
“Then just stay with us one more week—”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Saweol shot him a glare.
Even she, who rarely showed emotion, looked completely drained. Life in the Disciplinary Cell was not easy.
“I’ll send someone with food in a week.”
“Oooh! As expected!”
“But in return, go find Do Il-gwang and give him liquor.”
“...Huh?”
Tak Horak turned pale.
Do Il-gwang hadn’t even used martial arts — just his inner energy — yet Tak had suffered internal injuries.
“Don’t want to?”
“Well... it’s a little... He’s a criminal and all... heh...”
“No liquor, then.”
“I-I’ll just try to survive on the leftovers—”
“Saweol brought the supplies. She can just take them back. Right, Saweol?”
She nodded. Tak looked like he was about to cry.
“You can always make a meal out of rats, bats, and bugs. Or just wait for food to fall from above.”
“M-Master! I’ve never once doubted your orders! I will gladly deliver the liquor to Do Il-gwang!”
“You never know. He might even teach you something.”
“...?”
Tak Horak’s eyes widened.
Even if the martial art belonged to a criminal, it wasn’t the technique’s fault — that was the teachings of the cult.
To be taught by a former Heavenly Demon? That was an opportunity beyond value.
“Well, first you’ll have to endure Do Il-gwang’s energy. But if you can do that, you might just break through your wall.”
In any case, having someone strong enough to watch my back was a welcome thing.
And with that, I left the cave with Saweol.
And then—
...?!
I saw her.
The strongest person in the Return of the Murim world. The ruler of all demons. The one person I must never encounter lightly—
“I pay my respects to the Supreme One.”
The Heavenly Demon, Lee Seryeong.