Feeling oddly cautious, Yohan carefully set down the stone and sat cross-legged in front of it.
Hwakyung wasn’t a realm you could reach with just inner power.
Even if you had 180 years’ worth, you still had to pierce the Ren and Du Meridians to ascend to the realm of Hwakyung.
“I was planning to do this after the game ended…”
It was something he’d put off, not knowing what variables might occur, but his anxious mind pushed him to hurry.
“Whew.”
After a short breath, Yohan placed his hand on top of the stone.
Blue energy began to ripple, then was drawn into Yohan’s hand, flowing along his meridians and steadily accumulating in his Dantian.
The amount of inner power within the stone was as immense as its overwhelming presence.
Yohan’s inner power, which had already neared 180 years, instantly surged past it and overflowed.
The problem was, he couldn’t contain it all in his Dantian.
A 3-star could hold up to 180 years of inner power; only as a 4-star did the Dantian expand to accept more.
Feeling the power that failed to enter the Dantian now trying to escape, Yohan hurriedly closed his eyes and straightened his posture.
Before the energy scattered, he quickly began to operate the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The Great Heavenly Cycle connected in an instant, the overflowing energy widening and solidifying his meridians.
Now, only the Ren and Du Meridians remained.
Piercing these two was the condition to enter Hwakyung.
Taking another deep breath in his mind, Yohan gathered his inner power at the entrance of the Ren and Du Meridians.
And then…
-Would you like to pierce the Ren and Du Meridians?
Let’s go.
The moment Yohan thought ‘Let’s do it,’ his inner power slammed powerfully against the Ren and Du Meridians.
Thud!
His entire body shook as if struck by an earthquake.
Yohan bit his tongue hard to stay conscious as pain and dizziness threatened to overwhelm him.
It was just a single blow, yet the pain was considerable.
Apparently, encountering a fortuitous event in a wuxia novel wasn’t always a good thing.
While Yohan clenched his teeth, his inner power began pounding the Ren and Du Meridians again.
Twice, three times… six, seven, ten…!
By the time he stopped counting as his mind blurred after the tenth attempt…
-The Ren and Du Meridians have been pierced.
At that moment, ominous black, red, blue, purple, and gray auras rose above Yohan’s head.
In orthodox sects, a radiant, rainbow-like light—known as the Primordial Source of the Five Vital Energies—would appear above the crown, but with demonic arts, this phenomenon manifested upon reaching the same realm.
-Entering the Demonic Counterattack Formation.
-You possess abundant inner power. A complete transformation is possible.
-Will you undergo a complete transformation?
Many messages appeared, but Yohan was too out of it to pay proper attention.
He just mentally acknowledged them.
At that moment, the surging inner power above 180 years stabilized, expanded his Dantian, and began another great heavenly cycle.
Then a black dragon burst from Yohan’s body, coiled around him, and seeped in.
Crack. Crackle.
The transformation began.
Old, rough skin peeled away, and his body, battered from years of labor, was restored.
Twisted muscles and bones realigned.
A body worn down from struggling as a family man in his 40s was reborn—no, perfected—even beyond his prime in his 20s.
Although it wasn’t quite Return to Youth, the transformation left his bronzed skin tougher and his appearance younger.
“Whew…”
After a long breath, Yohan opened his eyes.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, once a crimson aura, now shimmered with a deeper, blackish-red intensity in Yohan’s gaze.
-You have reached the Harmony Realm.
-You have achieved 4-star in Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
-As a reward for achieving 4-star Heavenly Demon Divine Art, you are granted one of the Heavenly Demon’s signature techniques at random.
-You may absorb external attribute-based energies and use them proportional to the absorbed amount.
-The power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art now surpasses the similar ability, Heavenly Demon’s Strong Energy, and absorbs it.
“Good.”
Listening to the notifications, Yohan clenched his fist with strength.
In the process of attaining Hwakyung, his inner power, including the scattered energy and what he had absorbed, now reached an astounding 240 years.
But that wasn’t all.
His body had been forged to wield this inner power freely.
And most importantly, this—
“Heavenly Demons’s True Secret Technique…”
He had finally obtained the true martial art of the Heavenly Demon.
***
Seonga Village, located near Bucheon City Hall, was in chaos.
“Oh, dragons weren’t enough, and now turtles? What kind of cursed land is our apartment…?”
Yoon-ho’s Mom bit her nail anxiously.
Since the military had informed them they would no longer provide protection, anxiety and unease filled her expression.
She looked haggard, as if she hadn’t slept well.
It was understandable.
Had the military that had defeated the drake remained stationed there, she might have felt at ease.
But they had withdrawn long ago.
And in the place of the drake, a giant turtle now occupied the park—a former walking spot for apartment residents.
It was a monster worse than the drake.
Unlike the drake that grandly destroyed Ritesia and claimed its place, this one continually spawned small turtle monsters and sent them to attack any living creature nearby, like its minions.
Seonga Village was no exception.
Yesterday, forty small turtles had attacked the village.
Today…
Thud!
“The Self-Defense Force is back!”
“It’s the Captain!”
Residents waiting in the school began to murmur as someone entered through the gymnasium doors.
The person opening the door was none other than Kim Taehyun.
Even though the weather wasn’t hot, he appeared drenched in sweat and exhausted.
“We successfully repelled today’s invasion as well.”
“Thank goodness, thank you for your hard work.”
“Where’s Jeong’s Dad? Is he safe?”
“No one was seriously hurt, right?”
The villagers rushed toward him with questions.
Though tired, Taehyun sincerely answered them.
Most of them had family in the Self-Defense Force.
Of course they were anxious about their loved ones.
“Everyone’s safe. Ah, Mr. Sujeong’s father twisted his ankle a little, but he’s not seriously hurt.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you.”
“We’re lucky everyone’s safe. Whew…”
As some people sighed with relief—some even shedding tears—Yohan forced a smile and looked beyond them.
Those standing behind, watching as if uninvolved.
Arms folded, observing from a distance, they had no connection to the Self-Defense Force.
Among them were Yoon-ho’s Mom and the Chairwoman, Kim Sunja.
Kim Sunja, in particular, regarded the Self-Defense Force families and Taehyun with thinly veiled contempt.
Why would she look so displeased at people risking their lives to protect even those who weren’t their family?
She approached Taehyun.
“Thank you for your efforts, Captain.”
“Ah, yes… well.”
“You still haven’t done it, have you?”
Taehyun’s expression twisted.
“You mean joining the Seonga Village faction?”
“Yes, that’s right. I told you to join, but the Self-Defense Force members still haven’t.”
He sighed inwardly at her words.
The faction she spoke of was one she had established herself.
Given her role as the apartment complex’s de facto leader, it wasn’t strange for her to create one.
However, real-world organizations and game factions were very different, and that was the problem.
No one knew her abilities exactly, but they weren’t impressive enough to remember.
Such a person creating a faction?
The characteristics of a faction are defined by its leader. If someone with weak abilities forms one, what would happen?
Rather than fostering individual growth, more restrictions might be imposed.
Having fought dozens of times and fully adapted to the system, the Self-Defense Force members naturally hesitated to join.
Some even suggested forming a separate faction around Taehyun.
Yet Taehyun declined.
Forming a faction was like playing the lottery.
If the system mirrored the online game guild system Taehyun last played, it might be fine.
But because of his class as a Great Mage, it could default to the Sage’s Tower—an utterly useless, idle, and survival-unfriendly organization.
He hesitated.
More than anything, he lacked confidence to lead from the frontlines.
Given all that, what was going on in this woman’s mind, insisting he join her faction?
He truly wanted to open up her head and look inside.
He suspected she was just obsessed with authority.
“Chairwoman, as I said before…”
“Lord Seongju.”
Having picked up the name somewhere, she had dubbed the group Sung-A Castle and called herself the lord, ordering others to address her so.
Suppressing the urge to snap, Taehyun clenched his teeth and spoke again.
“Chai. Rwo. Man. I’ll say it one more time—joining your group, which lacks any abilities, could actually harm the Self-Defense Force.”
“Come on, it’s just turning the apartment group into a game system faction. Why would it weaken the Self-Defense Force? Is that really true?”
‘She really doesn’t get it.’
He wondered if he would become a saint or die of cancer at this rate.
“Are you worried about losing your position as Captain?”
Then came her suspicious voice.
She raised it, drawing everyone’s eyes.
With everyone watching, Taehyun was left speechless.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m asking if you’re scheming with the Self-Defense Force members to abandon the weak and form your own faction to prosper while leaving the villagers behind!”
“Huh…”
Surrounded by murmuring people, Taehyun could only feel incredulous.
“This woman… unbelievable…”
Desperate to survive in this insane game, Taehyun had resolved to live decently, talking it over with his wife.
But at this moment, a fire ignited inside him.
He felt a surge of murderous intent toward this petty, mean woman before him.
“What? Lady! Did you just—”
As Kim Sunja glared and raised her finger to accuse him, ready to shout—
Thud!
A massive explosion sounded, shaking the gymnasium.
“Ha…”
‘When it rains, it pours. Now what’s this explosion?’
Leaving behind Kim Sunja, whom he wanted to strangle, Taehyun moved.
“Are you okay?”
He managed a bitter smile at his worried wife, then left the gym.
‘Just this once… after this, just this once…’
As he hurried toward the main gate of Seonga Village, deep in thought—
Taehyun’s eyes widened in shock.