The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

“Barankia, the baron…”

I rubbed my chin and muttered to myself.

Right now, I was sitting on the roof of the bandits’ hideout, looking out over the surroundings. Warm sunlight spilled down on my back.

The view from up here was different—wider, clearer.

In the distance, where the forest thinned, I could see a village. Behind it rose a looming fortress, unmistakably the lord’s castle.

According to what the men had said, Baron Barankia was the one backing Gustav.

“Tch.”

What a laughable notion. A noble lord protecting common thugs?

Ridiculous.

Still, it was probably just a matter of perspective. From the bandits’ side, they saw it as the baron covering for them. But for the baron, they were nothing more than dirty cards to be used and discarded whenever he wished.

That wasn’t the point, though.

What mattered was this: it seemed clear that Baron Barankia had ordered Gustav to retrieve the Dagger of Ophosis. Whether Gustav intended to hand it over obediently or keep it for himself, we would never know now.

The fact remained—Barankia, too, was after the dagger.

From below came the faint murmur of voices, the shuffle of feet, the clatter of wood. The men were following my orders, clearing corpses and tidying up the smashed furniture.

Most of them would pretend to work, then slip away under cover of night.

Soon enough, word would spread in hushed tones: a handsome stranger had claimed the dagger.

And once that happened, all greedy eyes would turn toward me—not Hans, not his family.

“Mm…”

I stretched and turned my gaze.

A sea of green filled my vision, trees swaying like waves in the wind. Beyond the vast forest stood a colossal cliff, its middle shrouded in mist.

The Misty Cliff.

“Whew…”

The sight stole my breath for a moment.

That cliff was where I had fallen. And where I had come from.

Home.

I have to go back.

But the question was—how?

Falling from it was one thing. Climbing back up that sheer, endless wall was impossible. Even the Heavenly Demon had long ago declared it so.

If I wanted to return to the Maia Kingdom, I would have to take the long way around. The Misty Cliff stretched wide enough to form the border between Maia and the Blake Kingdom.

There was the option of using a teleportation array, but the chances were slim. A commoner like me couldn’t even get close to such things.

The conclusion was simple:

First, get out of this backwater. Head toward the central lands, toward the cities.

From there, work my way back to Maia, and to the arms of the Sherwood Mercenary Band, who were no doubt worrying about me.

I could almost hear them now, jeering:

“So there’s this guy who got beat up by a thirteen-year-old?”

“Didn’t they say it was the first time the kid had ever held a sword?”

“Are you crying? Don’t tell me you’re crying?”

“Hahaha! What a joke!”

“…”

…On second thought, maybe there was no need to hurry back.

Crack.

I clenched my fist.

First things first: get stronger.

The stronger I became, the more choices I would have. And the less I’d have to endure their damned teasing.

“Haa…”

I exhaled, sorting out my thoughts.

One. Spread word that I now held the Dagger of Ophosis, so no one would chase after Hans anymore.

Two. Find a way back to the Maia Kingdom.

Three. Train under the Heavenly Demon and grow stronger.

Along the way, crushing the moths drawn to the dagger’s light would only serve to hone me further.

“Good.”

With everything neatly settled in my mind, I felt refreshed.

I addressed the Heavenly Demon, who had been silently watching my battle earlier, “Master. What did you think?”

[Pathetic.]

“…Right.”

I hadn’t been expecting praise, but neither had I been hoping for outright contempt.

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue. [To think you struggled so fiercely against such a small fry.]

“But I won, didn’t I?”

[And you’re proud of that?]

The tongue-clicking continued, sharper this time.

“Master.”

[What?]

“I survived. So as promised, teach me martial arts.”

[Hmph. I intended to anyway. Leave you as you are, and you’d be dead in no time. Very well. I’ll teach you.]

“Yes!”

I rose, ready to draw my sword.

[But before that—]

“Hm?”

[Your inner energy is too shallow. As you are now, no martial art will serve you properly.]

“Ah… So I need to train my breathing techniques more?”

[No. You can’t spend every day sitting still, gathering qi. You’ll be facing this baron soon, won’t you?]

“That’s right.”

[Then we take the shortcut.]

“…Shortcut?”

[You’ll take an elixir.]

By the time dawn broke, the mercenaries had already ridden through the night and reached a village.

The captain dragged the guild employee by the collar, his voice like a beast’s snarl, “This is the place?”

“Y-yes! Yes, it is!”

The man’s grip tightened on the employee’s throat, forcing him to repeat himself, “Say it again. Are you sure?”

The staff member gulped hard and stammered, “I-I’m sure! Salos Village! The one that filed a D-rank request to slay a boar-like beast! This is it!”

He considered himself lucky to even be alive. When he had first delivered the news to the Sherwood Mercenary Band, the killing intent they radiated was so sharp it felt like his heart would be torn from his chest.

When their captain, Guston the Greatsword, had seized him by the throat, he truly thought he’d die on the spot. The man’s eyes had been those of a demon.

Even now, he looked capable of killing with nothing but his glare.

Finally, Guston shoved him away and barked, “Off the horses!”

The mercenaries leapt down in unison and immediately began searching for traces.

They didn’t have to look far.

Trees lay toppled in a trail leading from the forest’s edge deep into its heart.

Bloodstains marked the ground along the way.

The members of the Sherwood Mercenary Band exchanged grim looks—then rushed forward, following the signs.

The trail of blood stretched on and on, as though it would never end.

Some clenched their lips until they bled. Others shut their eyes tight, unwilling to look.

“…How much blood did he spill?!”

The captain’s furious roar shook the forest, but no one answered. They only ran faster, eyes bloodshot, chasing the scarlet trail in silence.

I made my way into the forest near the Misty Cliff.

The Heavenly Demon had told me that this was where I would find an elixir.

“What exactly is an elixir?”

[It is a miraculous medicine, formed when nature’s energy condenses. Most often, they are plants—roots that have absorbed heaven and earth’s qi for decades in blessed places. This is your first time hearing of them?]

I nodded. “Yeah. Never heard of it.”

[Hmph. Seems this land is woefully ignorant about elixirs. Or perhaps you are simply a fool.]

“Definitely the first one.”

[Then fortune may favor you. If no one else here seeks them, you might be able to monopolize them.]

“I like the sound of that.”

[Of course you do.]

As I trudged through the undergrowth, I asked, “So how do I find one?”

[By using qi perception. If you’re right, and the people here never bothered, then you might find them scattered everywhere. This area feels promising. Close your eyes and focus.]

I did as told. I didn’t sit cross-legged, but I calmed my breathing like in meditation and shut my eyes.

[Spread your qi outward.]

“How?”

[Let it flow as wide and thin as possible. Remember the sensation you used when reading the path of enemy blades in combat?]

“Of course.”

[Think of it as expanding that sense. But don’t get too precise. Cast it wide, like mist drifting through the air.]

“Mist, huh? Got it.”

Breathing out slowly, I let my qi spread.

“Fuu…”

My senses expanded. I felt the presence of everything around me—trees, weeds, birds, squirrels.

[Do you sense it?]

“I do.”

[Among them, one presence should feel different. Find it.]

The instructions were vague, but enough. There it was—that unique aura.

“…Found it.”

Still with eyes closed, I walked toward it.

When I opened them, a small plant was before me.

Clustered like a flower, tiny scarlet berries sprouted from a thin stalk, supported by five broad leaves.

[Ah… ginseng. Quite the treasure. To stumble upon it so easily—if those martial fanatics who crave elixirs saw this, they’d foam at the mouth.]

“Should I dig it up?”

[Did you think I had you find it just to admire it?]

“…Fine.”

Grumbling, I dug into the soil with the Dagger of Ophosis—no shovel at hand.

Soon I unearthed a bizarre root shaped vaguely like a human body.

Despite its delicate stalk, the root was thick, about half the length of my forearm. A strange, sacred energy pulsed from it.

[Eat it.]

“…Like this?”

[Did you expect a feast to be cooked for you? Shut up and chew.]

“Yes, master.”

I brushed off as much dirt as I could and bit down.

“Ugh!”

I spat it out instantly.

It was bitter—so bitter it felt unnatural, like all the bitterness in the world had condensed into one mouthful.

[Idiot! Do you realize how rare that is? Pick it up and eat it. You think you’re in any position to fuss about taste?]

Reluctantly, I shoved the root back into my mouth and chewed.

[Spit it out one more time, and I’ll split your skull. Don’t miss a single hair-thin root. Chew everything down.]

Not wanting my head cracked open, I forced it down.

“…!”

And sure enough, it was worth it.

An immense surge of qi churned within my stomach, spreading warmth and power.

[Now comes the hard part. Refine it. Make it your own.]

I dropped into a seated posture and closed my eyes.

[Expel the impurities with your breath. Keep only the pure qi, and store it in your dantian.]

“Fuu…”

I steadied my breathing and began circulating qi.

Not a single drop can be wasted.

The last battle had taught me well—the importance of inner strength. Even if I could wield aura, without qi reserves it was meaningless.

Sweat poured down my face as I focused, shaping every bit of that wild power.

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually the storm settled.

All that remained was refined qi, packed into my dantian—far greater than what I could have gained from days of meditation.

“Oh…”

The exhaustion was worth it. Truly a shortcut, just as the Heavenly Demon had promised.

[You’re not done yet. If you found one root this quickly, there must be more. Keep searching. Repeat the process.]

“…More?”

[Of course. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re a child, whining about bitterness?]

I grinned. “Not a chance.”

One root had given me what ten days of meditation could not.

Who cared how bitter it was? It was sweeter than honey in my eyes.

“I’ll chew down every last one of them.”

I spread my senses again, hunting for more.

A twisted smile crept onto my face. “Heh, heh, heh…”

[…]

That day, I devoured ten ginseng roots.

The bitterness didn’t lessen; my eyes watered uncontrollably as I forced them down.

“Master, these are tears of joy. Don’t misunderstand.”

[Shut up and cultivate.]

…The path to strength was bitter indeed.

(End of Chapter)