My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. 

 

After work, there was just so much to do: running daily quests, doing laundry, teasing Jamsuni, and yet here I was, kidnapped by these pseudo-martial artists, being dragged into a secluded area in a black Starex van.

 

“Life is a blessing in itself, oh Heavenly Demon.”

 

“Existence is sacred in itself, oh Cult Leader.”

 

Despite the chaos in my mind, I couldn’t keep silent. 

 

Maybe if I engaged in some small talk, these fanatics might hesitate for just two seconds longer before deciding to kill me.

 

I said with a smile, 

 

“From what I’ve heard, everything we do in life is supposed to be a denial. Everything done with the body is said to lead to denial...”

 

“Life is a blessing in itself!!!”

 

“Existence is sacred in itself!!!”

 

Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon otakus began to bristle. 

 

I wasn’t even insulting the character of the Heavenly Demon. As the atmosphere turned weird, I found myself having to make excuses.

 

“Some chick said that.”

 

“Then, that chick was wrong.”

 

The one who had told me this was a girl, probably around the same age as a high schooler.

 

“Psychics say that to reach divinity, one must sever all human connections and shed all emotions attainable as a human.”

 

I see. I nodded in understanding.

 

“What do these psychics who’ve reached such divinity do? They trample on the societies of ordinary people, dismissing them as mundane, and act like cruel monsters under the pretext of enlightenment.”

 

“That’s... true.”

 

“Someday, the Heavenly Demon will denounce all such enlightenment, revealing that the world called mundane, filled with connections and emotions, is the real world. Glory to the Heavenly Demon for all eternity!”

 

“Boundless blessings to all!”

 

I was at a loss for words. The black Starex began to veer off the main road. As we left the main road behind, a sizable village came into view.

 

“This is odd.”

 

The people in the village were strange. 

 

Each one had unusual skin or physical disabilities, or they acted like madmen possessed by ghosts.

 

“Is it the bodies that are strange?”

 

It wasn’t that their bodies were strange, but the villagers themselves. However, unable to say, 'It seems like every one of your villagers is not normal,' I just nodded.

 

“In this village, where the Heavenly Demon Palace is located, the air is filled with negativity. This negativity neutralizes the curses and powers of psychics that afflict the people. Of course, you might find the air a bit uncomfortable.”

 

The girl pointed outside as she spoke.

 

“It’s necessary if we want to save these people.”

 

I was astonished for two reasons at the moment. 

 

First, the group known as the Heavenly Demon Cult was quite large. There was a place called the Heavenly Demon Palace in the distance, resembling an oriental palace, and the size of the village was no joke. 

 

Second, the Heavenly Demon Cult was a seriously committed group. One could tell just by looking into the eyes of these zealots.

 

A sizable group of fanatics, indeed. This puts me in quite the predicament. How do I escape from here?

 

And so, the Starex entered the oriental palace known as the Heavenly Demon Palace.

 

 

Bishop Oh Seol-hwa of the Heavenly Demon Cult adjusted the mask she was wearing. She had no choice but to hide her face, even by mistake, as it would cause inconvenience to many followers.

 

“So, this man named Yoo Hajin came in willingly.”

 

“Yes, even though he could have killed all the followers, he couldn’t bring himself to kill them because they were children.”

 

“He is a far better man than I. I shall go meet him.”

 

The mask filled with negativity throbbed. However, Oh Seol-hwa liked this throbbing sensation. It felt like atonement, the more it hurt.

 

Bishop Oh Seol-hwa rose from her seat and approached the center of the Heavenly Demon Palace, where she offered a bow to the Black Star Vessel, the sacred relic of the Heavenly Demon Cult that spewed out Boundless Dark Waters. 

 

The Boundless Dark Waters, known as the ultimate negativity, was the materialization of negativity that had attained divinity, much like an evil spirit acquiring a physical form upon achieving sanctity.

 

It was, in essence, a divine negativity.

 

This divine negativity symbolized the Heavenly Demon, and the one who could wield the Boundless Dark Waters was to be the leader of their faith. Yet, no news had come of such a person’s appearance.

 

Despite this, Oh Seol-hwa waited.

 

She waited for the day someone would lift that chalice and ascend to the leader’s throne.

 

The distance to the Black Star Vessel was over 20 meters.

 

Yet, the pain began as if her soul was shattering.

 

“Forgive me for the sins I am about to commit today, my Lord.”

 

Oh Seol-hwa bowed respectfully once more before taking her leave.

 

A psychic so kind as to bestow mercy upon them.

 

She truly does not wish to kill him.

 

But if the client, the Heavenly Ordeal Sect, wishes it, she must act.

 

It was a necessary evil to save more lives.

 

“Still, I wish to do whatever I can to help.”

 

Bishop Oh Seol-hwa murmured to herself as she went out to greet her guest.

 

 

This building, called the Heavenly Demon Palace, huh?

 

Constructed from ebony and adorned with red dye, it exudes an overwhelming aura. Living in such a place, one might indeed deserve to be called the Heavenly Demon.

 

As I looked around, a woman wearing a mask courteously greeted me.

 

“Welcome to our main branch, Mr. Yoo Hajin.”

 

“May I know who you are?”

 

“I am a bishop of our main branch. My name is Oh Seol-hwa.”

 

A black mask paired with a black Hanbok.

 

She was a woman clearly embodying the concept of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

 

“Why have you brought me here?”

 

“I will not lie to you. It’s because of a request from the Heavenly Ordeal Sect.”

 

The Heavenly Ordeal Sect. Ah, those scoundrels.

 

They’ve dragged an outsider into this since they couldn’t handle it themselves.

 

“What, does the Heavenly Ordeal Sect want you to mess with me?”

 

“I haven’t received specific instructions on what to do. The request was merely to ensure your detainment, Mr. Yoo Hajin.”

 

What do they plan to do by detaining me?

 

I’m hardly a valuable hostage.

 

“However, we also have our sins to atone for, no, if there’s anything Mr. Yoo Hajin desires, we will do our utmost to fulfill it. If it’s women, then wo···.”

 

“Then, how about you start by showing me around this building?”

 

It was now clear.

 

I needed to escape from here as quickly as possible.

 

It was obvious how the Heavenly Ordeal Sect, who almost fell victim to my hypnosis, would view me. I had to escape before they could seek revenge.

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

Bishop Oh Seol-hwa bowed politely.

 

To escape, I needed to know more about this building.

 

Only with knowledge could I plan my escape.

 

And so, I began a tour of the Heavenly Demon Palace with Oh Seol-hwa and a few cult officials.

 

The first stop was a massive training ground.

 

“Let me start by introducing this place. This is the training Hall of the Heavenly Demon Palace, where new followers learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.”

 

“So the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique is real?”

 

“Indeed. It starts with the utilization of negativity and encompasses all techniques that use negativity, all of which are handed down from our founding leader.”

 

Wasn’t the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique supposed to be mastered by only one Heavenly Demon? 

 

This isn’t martial arts!!! I wanted to scream in frustration, but being kidnapped, I had to keep quiet.

 

“This is the Medicinal Herb Hall. It’s where we produce various medicinal pills and decoctions infused with negativity. Negativity is the antithesis of psychic power. We pride ourselves on being able to heal injuries caused by psychic powers better than anyone else.”

 

“I see.”

 

It was quite a large herbal medicine hall. Seeing female herbalists bustling around treating patients made it hard to tell if this was the Demon Cult or the Martial Alliance.

 

Why are these supposed demon cultists so benevolent?

 

“This is the Bishops’ Hall. The bishops are the true top officials of our cult, with four of them holding their positions. It’s embarrassing to say this about ourselves, but our bishops could even stand against the Cheonji without faltering. I am no exception.”

 

“So, despite the Heavenly Demon Cult’s hatred for psychics, the top officials end up being psychic?”

 

“Two of the bishops have the ability to open the Ghost gate. Another is the Defender of the Law with the highest achievement in the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique within our cult. As for me, I can open the ghost gate but am not a psychic.”

 

What kind of nonsense is this? Judging by the reaction of the chick and the pervert I beat up, opening the ghost gate felt like a psychic' realm. How can someone who’s not a psychic use a psychic's realm?

 

Seeing my puzzled look, the bishop spoke up.

 

“Beings who are not psychic can also open the ghost gate.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

But what can I do about that? It’s not like I know much about this field.

 

“Next is this place.”

 

The atmosphere here was different from the other areas. While other places were neatly arranged, this space was extravagantly decorated, even the ceilings and pillars were adorned with gold leaf.

 

But in this vast room, there was nothing but an altar that resembled a fountain. 

 

Inside the deeply hollowed altar, something like black jelly was undulating, and right at the heart of the altar, a very expensive-looking black glass cup was visible.

 

“This place is the most sacred within our cult, the Boundless Dark Waters Shrine. It’s where we enshrine the Black Star Vessel, the most important relic of our cult.”

 

“Is that cup over there the Black Star Vessel?”

 

“Yes, it is. Your soul must be in great agony, right? We’ll move it to another place shortly···.”

 

As soon as I heard that, I bolted.

 

The most important relic of the cult?

 

How could I resist after hearing that?

 

I leaped straight towards the altar where the black jelly was gathered.

 

This jelly was the same slime that had clung to Jamsuni before.

 

I pushed through the slime, advancing swiftly, and secured the Black Star Vessel.

 

As soon as I got it, I exclaimed.

 

“Nobody moves!!! With a flick of my finger, this cup could turn into dust just like an item that failed to enhance.”

 

This cup was nothing more than a fancy-looking glass.

 

Very easy to break.

 

Just a squeeze and it could shatter.

 

I needed to make this clear.

 

“Just so you know, I’m the kind of person who can win rock-paper-scissors with scissors against rock. If you don’t want to see this wine glass break, everyone should follow my words···.”

 

The atmosphere turned strange. The cult officials were looking at me with disbelief. But soon, their expressions morphed into joy and awe.

 

“Eternal Glory to the Heavenly Demon···.”

 

A man standing next to the bishop murmured in awe.