The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 136

A deafening explosion ripped through the smithy.

The force of it shook the ground beneath their feet. A wave of raw energy, like a visible storm, burst outwards, tearing apart the training robots in an instant.

Then, a sharp crack echoed through the ruined space.

*Crack!*

*Clang!*

Dimitri’s sword, strong as it was, finally gave way. The blade shattered into pieces.

Roman had given his own sword, Blaze, to Lucas, so he was using Dimitri’s famous sword to practice his swordsmanship.

The sword was good, but not strong enough for Roman’s power.

It broke like glass from the force of his energy.

It was bound to happen.

Fragments flew and cut his hands, but Roman chuckled, even as blood dripped down.

‘This is truly enjoyable.’

This life…

He once thought it was unremarkable.

He was living his life again, trying to escape the boredom he felt before.

The Demonic Heavenly King’s final years had been so boring.

No strong opponents could threaten Baek Joong-hyuk, and a life of safety wasn’t appealing to him, since he had always lived by the law of the jungle.

He longed for something more.

He always wanted to improve, but he couldn’t because there were no rivals to challenge him.

And now…

Roman had defeated the Butler.

That alone was great, but Roman was really smiling because of *how* he had defeated the Butler.

‘I thought the Demonic Heavenly King’s method was perfect. And it was true. The Demonic Heavenly King Sword Art, which used the knowledge of the past to create something new, was the best martial art of its time. But I’ve found a new method in this new world, and I’m using the Demonic Heavenly King Sword Art in a completely different way. This means Roman Dimitri’s Demonic Heavenly King Sword Art can still get better.’

He was thrilled.

Just knowing that he could improve made him happy.

This life was different from his last one.

Instead of just repeating a life that had already peaked, he could accept new things and explore a world he had never known before.

This made him very happy.

People admired the life of the Demonic Heavenly King Baek Joong-hyuk, but the thought that he couldn’t climb any higher filled him with a great sense of loss.

The Salamander Continent…

The Butler was just the beginning.

He was just a weak figure on the continent, and masters stronger than him were everywhere.

“Hoo.”

He breathed in.

Even though he hadn’t eaten for fifteen days.

Just the air filling his lungs made him content.

Even though no one was there, Roman looked up at the clear sky and thought.

‘I hope there are many things in this world that I don’t know about. I hope strong people like the Butler keep appearing to challenge me, and threaten my life if I’m not careful. The more that happens, the more meaning I’ll find in life. The Demonic Heavenly King Sword Art became a complete martial art through many trials, and the trials of this world will allow me to live as a human being. The life of Roman Dimitri. I fell from the top back to the bottom, but I will climb to the top again with everything I have.’

New strong people.

New cultures.

He was excited because he couldn’t predict the future.

He turned to leave.

It was time to make a sword again.

Now that he had reached a new level, the sword he made this time had to be better than ever before.

Just then…

Tap tap tap!

“Lord!”

“Are you alright?!”

People suddenly rushed in.

Roman’s subordinates, including Chris, arrived with worried looks on their faces.

The moment they arrived, they knew that Roman was fine, and that he was the one who had caused the destruction.

‘…How could this happen?’

They were shocked.

The area around the smithy was completely ruined.

It looked like a powerful mage had used high-level magic, and the surrounding area was devastated.

It was impossible with human power.

No matter how strong Roman Dimitri was, there was a limit to how much power he could create.

But what was this?

They were clearly worried about Roman, but as they looked at the destruction, they swallowed hard.

“What’s going on?”

His voice was dry.

Roman looked down at his subordinates.

He looked tired, but his eyes were full of life as he looked at his subordinates.

Chris said.

“Lord! We heard a huge explosion! Are you hurt? What happened?”

Roman looked at him, a faint smile on his lips. “It’s alright, Chris. Nothing to worry about. Really, nothing happened.”

Chris still looked unsure, glancing at the destroyed smithy. “If you say so, Lord… But we’re here for you, always. Whatever you need, just ask. We’ll be ready.”

“I know, Chris,” Roman said, with a nod. “Thank you.”

He turned to leave.

Because nothing had really happened.

He was going to send his subordinates away and spend time alone again.

He felt empty.

Watching Roman disappear into the smithy, Chris looked around again.

‘Does this mean he has taken another step forward?’

His heart was pounding.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Roman Dimitri…

Chris had started a new life after meeting him, and he was improving quickly.

That’s why he had been confident in his skills recently.

Even when he participated in the tournament that Roman was holding, he wasn’t worried about who else would be there.

No matter how strong they were, he was sure they wouldn’t be stronger than Roman Dimitri, so he had time to see how his men were doing.

But now…

He saw the destruction before him.

He knew that Roman was far ahead of him, but this level of growth was beyond his imagination.

‘Chris, what have you been doing?’

He felt ashamed.

When he first met Roman, Chris promised to become stronger than him.

As time passed, he realized that it was impossible, and he became satisfied with where he was instead of trying to catch up to Roman.

It was natural.

When people face a challenge they can’t overcome, they stop instead of trying to push through it.

Chris was also weak.

Without realizing it, he stayed where he was, thinking that it was okay to be satisfied with his current progress.

‘The Lord is improving faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. Defeating a 5-star swordsman in his mid-20s is amazing, but the Lord isn’t satisfied with that and keeps improving. For the past fifteen days, while I was watching my subordinates, the Lord was pushing his body to the limit to reach a new level. What was I thinking, being so relaxed? Even someone who is so far ahead of me is working hard every day, so how can I be satisfied with where I am?’

He was angry.

Looking at Roman’s thin face, and knowing how hard he had worked, Chris felt ashamed.

This wasn’t right.

The tournament was hosted by Roman.

Even with the skills he had, Chris felt sure he would win.

But Chris also wanted to be worthy of Roman’s respect, not just win the tournament.

“Just winning isn’t enough,” Chris thought. “Everyone must respect my lord so much they cannot even look him in the eye. I must defeat my enemies completely. This tournament is only the start. I will keep trying to be better than my lord.”

“Let’s go,” Chris muttered, heading towards the training grounds with a determined look.

From now on, he didn’t have time to teach others.

He would train harder than ever to show Roman how strong he could become.

Two weeks before the tournament.

Chris’s dedication to training was about to change things for all of Roman’s followers. They were entering a new, important time.

While Chris and his team trained hard, Roman was focused on his own task.

Exactly one month had passed.

Roman finished making the sword.

Whirr.

Bright orange flames danced and crackled, throwing heat onto Roman’s face.

Roman raised the sword, holding it up to the fire.

“Beautiful.”

For the past month, he hadn’t looked away from the sword, not even for a moment.

He hit the sword again and again, feeling the metal change under his hammer. He focused all his energy on shaping it, as if the sword was part of his own body. What started as just steel slowly became the perfect sword Roman wanted.

His body was weak from not eating, but he wanted to test the sword’s power right away.

He went outside.

Then, he created imaginary beings.

Unlike before, he made three Butler beings.

Tap tap tap.

The Butlers charged at the same time.

He always used these Butler beings to test his power.

They used their auras and attacked Roman together.

Rumble!

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

The air was torn apart.

Auras crashed together, layer after layer.

The three Butlers attacked with more power than before, but Roman just watched them, his eyes steady and calm.

If he met an enemy stronger than the Butlers, they would use power like this. He had to beat even this strong force to do what he planned.

Tap.

He took a step.

Looking straight ahead, he used the mana from his core and sent it through the sword.

“The third move of the Heavenly Demon Sword Art.”

The Heavenly Demon’s sword gleamed.

It made a strong wind and cut through the three Butlers with an aura that seemed to eat the world.

Wham!

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

The world shook.

Everything the sword touched was destroyed.

The three Butlers were strong, but Roman’s sword was even stronger.

Crackle.

The enemies disappeared.

Even though they were just imaginary beings, Roman knew he could beat them.

“Finally, I’m ready.”

He looked down at the sword.

What would be a good name?

Salamander, Blaze.

The other swords showed a new life, but this third sword would show who he was now.

“Your name will be Darkness.”

The Heavenly Demon’s sword was meant to make his enemies lose all hope.

Roman put the sword away.

The training in private was over.

Satisfied with his new sword, Roman decided it was time to return to the castle and see how his subordinates were progressing.

His subordinates were waiting for Roman.

Chris lined up the subordinates and walked beside Roman, telling him what had happened.

“As you ordered, we have been in constant competition for the past month. We had duels every three days and wrote down the results. We have chosen the six swordsmen who won the most. Here is the list.”

Swish.

He took the list. When he looked at it, he saw names he knew.

[Chris, Kevin, Volkan, Pooky, Macburney, Henderson.]

The first four were who he expected.

They had improved a lot among Roman’s followers. People thought they would be at the top because of their skills.

But the last two were a surprise.

Macburney, who was smaller than the others, had to rely on speed and skill to win. Henderson, coming from a simple background, had to learn everything from scratch, but his determination was unmatched.

But the results were different.

Macburney and Henderson had proudly put their names on the list of top winners. Roman smiled quietly.

Chris asked.

“Can we keep going like this?”

The decision was Roman’s.

If Roman didn’t like the list, Roman’s followers would accept it and give up, no matter what kind of duels they had.

Their progress all came from Roman.

If Roman decided they didn’t belong in the top six, they wouldn’t even doubt it. To them, Roman was everything. Even if he said something that didn’t make sense, they would still believe him.

“Keep going like this. However,”

He looked at his subordinates. Their faces were set, their eyes burning with a fierce determination. They stood tall and ready, like soldiers before a battle.

Seeing their determined expressions, Roman gave them a reason to win no matter what.

“This tournament is in my name,” Roman said, his voice clear and strong. “I want everyone to see your strength, your skill, your unwavering loyalty. Go out there and show them what it means to be one of my followers. Show them you are worthy to carry my name. Win, and let them know who you serve.”

“We obey your command,” they said together, their voices filled with a fierce resolve.

Obeying the command meant they would do anything.

The subordinates didn’t look like warriors at first, but now they were impressive.

“I will be expecting it.”

With those words, the subordinates risked their lives.

They didn’t know who they would fight, but they were sure they would win.

And so, the tournament was almost here.