Chapter 79 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Grows Weak
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Nameless believed it. In the end, the Heavenly Demon would head into the dungeon.
Sure enough, rather than reading a book or watching TV, the Heavenly Demon stepped outside and endlessly circulated his energy.
With his Diamond Body shattered, he was forcibly syncing his now-ordinary flesh with battle through his true energy.
"No need. Guard the house."
At the Heavenly Demon's words, Nameless's optic sensors dimmed.
The fact that he wasn't even taking him along might mean the odds of success were that slim.
[The user has entered the dungeon, but there's no nanobot left in the world at home. And...]
Rolling over tumbleweed-style, Nameless spoke from beneath the Heavenly Demon's feet.
[Please trust me just a little more, Heavenly Demon.]
The Heavenly Demon fell silent for a moment.
Could someone who distrusted humans trust a machine? And if so, could he share friendship with one?
Even the Heavenly Demon didn't know the answer.
But one thing was certain: he had never seen Nameless as just a machine.
"Do as you like."
* * *
Variable Dungeon, Bull's Eye.
Atop its hooved-bun-shaped round building stood a bull's-eye structure.
The interior was a maze of branching paths, and with the entrance always open, various monsters wandering the variable dungeon came and went at will.
But the real danger of this Bull's Eye Dungeon was that whenever the bull's-eye structure spun, the maze's layout changed.
*Swish, thump.*
Cleaving through the night sky with stealthy footwork, the Heavenly Demon perched on a ruined building's railing, gazing down at the Bull's Eye Dungeon.
Metal temporary structures surrounded the dungeon, littered with shattered nanobots and nanodrones.
Likely traces of the first search team's failure.
[The Association seems to have abandoned sending a rescue team.]
"How do you know?"
Switching to stealth mode that emitted no light from body or eyes, Nameless expanded his optic sensors.
[In dungeon zones, speed is life for boosting rescue rates. Even if the first team failed miserably, they'd normally send follow-ups... but there's no sign of it.]
*Rumble.*
At that moment, a low vibration hummed as the bull's-eye structure began spinning. The dungeon's destabilization was starting again.
The rotation soon ground to a halt with a groan, but the maze-like interior would have rearranged once more.
[No. The destabilization is too severe... that's why they can't send a rescue team.]
Nameless, staring fixedly at the dungeon, shook his head.
[But it's strange. This Bull's Eye Dungeon was dangerous, but never this unstable before.]
"Was it?"
[Then the cause is one of two things. Either the data mining team investigating the dungeon did something to affect it, or the Association knew the Bull's Eye's destabilization was accelerating and sent the data mining team to find a fix.]
Whatever the case, no rescue team had come, so Kim Chanwon's prediction had hit the mark.
"It has nothing to do with me."
Gazing at the dungeon with an indifferent expression, the Heavenly Demon unleashed his footwork, Night Moon Extreme Speed.
*Whoosh.*
With ghostly footwork, the Heavenly Demon slipped through the entrance and into the Bull's Eye Dungeon.
Its modern exterior belied a fantasy temple interior.
Blue flagstones paved the floor, and torches in wall sconces pushed back the darkness.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon's eyes narrowed as he walked silently.
Along the path, corpses of various monsters piled up, and the walls bore scars of fierce battles.
"Kim's handiwork."
Every fallen monster had been sliced into pieces by something razor-sharp.
The Heavenly Demon instantly recognized it as the blade-like winds Kim Chanwon unleashed.
[Heavenly Demon. The maze starts soon.]
At last, the Heavenly Demon reached the large entrance to the dungeon's core.
"Hmm."
Surveying the towering maze, he let out a low groan.
The walls soared to the ceiling. No way to scout from above.
[Heavenly Demon.]
Then, as Nameless scanned the shadow-cloaked maze, a sharp light flashed from his eyes.
[Kim Chanwon left markers.]
"I saw them too."
Sharp wind scars from Kim Chanwon's attacks marked the maze walls.
Rallying his inner energy, the Heavenly Demon traced the trail with footwork.
[The trail splits in two.]
The wall carvings suddenly branched left and right. Likely from the recent shake-up that reshaped the maze.
[Heavenly Demon.]
"No matter."
For some reason, the Heavenly Demon didn't stop, charging through the maze relentlessly.
[Heavenly Demon. Please wait a moment.]
Nameless, dangling silently from the Heavenly Demon's shoulder, cried out. Something was off.
The Heavenly Demon wasn't escaping the maze—he was deliberately seeking dead ends.
Paths blocked again and again, yet he ignored them, chasing only the barricades.
[Why not search for the exit?]
"Foolish thing."
Mid-footwork, the Heavenly Demon spoke pityingly.
"What is her skill?"
[Well...]
Stammering, Nameless finally grasped the intent.
Seo Yu-ri's skill was Infinity Barrier—a powerful wall to block attacks.
Better to hunker down in a dead end than push through the maze to the core. Higher survival odds.
"Hmm."
Then the Heavenly Demon staggered to a halt. An unknown poison creeping from the maze infiltrated his meridians.
Like needles stabbing his body, his blood vessels froze as if exposed to profound chill energy.
[Are you alright?]
"No need to worry."
Normally, such poison was trivial, but with his Diamond Body shattered, his body was greatly weakened.
Rallying his power, he circulated true energy to expel the cold. Veins felt like bursting, but his face remained impassive as he pressed on.
[Association awakeners.]
Rounding a corner revealed awakeners in black Nano Suits emblazoned with the Association logo, dead.
Long dead, no external wounds.
But all wore expressions of abject terror.
"She's not here."
Thankfully, no Seo Yu-ri among the corpses. The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed at the terrified, lifeless faces.
"No external injuries."
Touching one lightly, the flesh sank like boneless.
Raising a brow, he examined the others closely.
"Awful heat melted their insides."
Appearances intact, but bones and organs liquefied.
As if an extreme yang master had used Internal Flame Strike.
"Hah!"
"Ugh!"
Shouts and groans echoed from afar.
Kim Chanwon and Seo Yu-ri's voices.
"There!"
Rushing toward the sound, he found Kim Chanwon standing with his back to a dead-end maze wall.
Behind him, arms outstretched, Seo Yu-ri conjured a massive wall.
Broken walls around suggested she'd held here with Infinity Barrier to the end.
[Masked Gentleman...?]
Intense light poured from Nameless's eyes.
Opposite Kim Chanwon floated a man in a suit and ornate mask.
The hidden monster Masked Gentleman, worth billions, with its jeweled mask.
[No, something different.]
Similar look, but a smiling mask, not jeweled, and flamboyant purple suit, not black.
Wielding some magic, he casually deflected Kim Chanwon's blade winds with one hand.
"You bastard!"
Kim Chanwon's specialty was freely firing ranged blade winds.
But pinned protecting Seo Yu-ri's barrier, he could only block the Masked Gentleman's assaults.
"Heavenly Demon Supreme Power!"
Watching, the Heavenly Demon invoked his Heavenly Demon Supreme Power.
*Crack crack.*
Unlike the usual blaze and boom, only bone-creaking echoed.
"Urgh."
With Diamond Body gone, invoking it split his skin and brought sweet blood to his throat.
Dizzying pain, but he thrust his fist undeterred.
"Demon Fist Seven Forms: Extreme Lightning Chaos!"
*Crunch crackle.*
Five streaks of sky-rending blue flame burrowed into the Masked Gentleman's chest.
*Boom!*
The airborne foe flew back into the dead-end maze, crashing like a log.
"Hah. Hah."
The Heavenly Demon gasped raggedly.
Just invoking three-tenths of his power made bones crumble and vision blur.
'Not working properly.'
Indeed. His shattered Diamond Body couldn't handle the Heavenly Demon Supreme Power.
"Mr. Cheon!"
"Mr. Cheon!"
The two cried out in shock at him. Seo Yu-ri especially, unable to hide her surprise and excitement.
"You're an awakener too, Mr. Cheon?"
Silent, the Heavenly Demon prompted Kim Chanwon to scratch his head.
"Uh, yeah. Unregistered like me."
"...I knew it."
Seo Yu-ri looked unsurprised he'd be an awakener.
"What happened?"
Kim Chanwon laughed heartily, approaching.
"You said you weren't coming, how'd you get here..."
"No time, Mr. Cheon. Get to safety."
"Huh? Safety? Didn't you take it down?"
-Heh heh.
The fallen Masked Gentleman chuckled lowly, slowly rising.
Brushing his chest leisurely, he floated again.
"Arrogant beast."
Gazing down from above, the Heavenly Demon spoke coldly to the Masked Gentleman.
"I'll handle this beast. Get out of here."
"Mr. Cheon, careful. This ain't your average Masked Gentleman."
As Kim Chanwon turned, Seo Yu-ri shook her head.
"Mr. Cheon. No. Even a 1st Grade awakener couldn't handle that Masked Gentleman!"
The Heavenly Demon beckoned Kim Chanwon dismissively.
"You're in the way. Kim, take her and go."
"Mr. Cheon!"
"Don't worry. Mr. Cheon's strong. Invincible, invincible."
Kim Chanwon nodded, restraining Seo Yu-ri quickly.
"Countin' on ya."
"No worries."
"No! How do you plan to face it alone? Call the rescue team..."
Scooping Seo Yu-ri, Kim Chanwon whipped up fierce winds to flee the maze.
But the Masked Gentleman blocked him swiftly.
"Out of the way, beast!"
The Heavenly Demon hurled a fist at the ghostly blocker.
Dodging with a nod, the Masked Gentleman chuckled again, as if mocking, 'You can't stop me.'
"Amusing creature."
Instantly, crimson Blood Flame Radiance surged from the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
"Block this. Demon Fist Seven Forms: Thunderclap Annihilation!"
*Flash!*
Unable to evade the bolt-like strike, the Masked Gentleman crossed arms over his chest.
*Boom.*
Crashing into the maze end, white smoke rose from his arms. Seizing the gap, Kim Chanwon fled.
-Heh heh.
Unfazed, the Masked Gentleman floated back toward the Heavenly Demon.
Nameless was stunned.
No hidden monster had ever blocked the Heavenly Demon's strike before.
Yet this purple-masked one deflected it leisurely?
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