Chapter 317: Preliminary Inspection (3)

Gruesome sounds emanated from the massive, muscular figure as he moved.

Crack— Crack!

Savage tattoos on his body, the embodiment of violence, wriggled as if alive, and a heavy aura, like amplified gravity, filled the surroundings.

"The air here is different! Hmm, not bad! Kahahaha!"

The muscular grotesque, Harley, the barbarian warrior from another world, stretched, laughed boisterously, and began to move.

Flap—

Caw— Caw—

Countless birds took flight as his booming laughter echoed through the area, but he didn't care. He looked around and slowly started walking.

'Harley is perfect for this.'

Even excluding Harris, there were other candidates. Hans and Heinz II weren't bad choices, even if Heinrich was unsuitable due to his personality and other factors.

'But they're not the right tools for this job. I'll need them for something more important. Like…'

…dealing with the Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult, the evil organizations he'd learned about while gathering information on Ganghwange. They were equivalent to the black mages and vampires of Auterica, requiring careful handling.

'I can't risk alerting them before I fully understand the situation. They thrive in chaos, and I don't know how far their influence extends.'

In that sense, Harley, a specialist in destruction and mayhem, a walking tank of devastation, was a valuable asset. And as long as he didn't use his transformation, he just looked like a martial artist who had trained his external style to the extreme.

'Hmm, is my attire a bit too conspicuous?'

Harley glanced down at himself. His bare, muscular chest covered in tattoos, leather pants, and bare feet.

"Hmm."

He scratched the back of his head, feeling the beast hide he wore. It was certainly an unusual outfit in this world…

"…Well, it doesn't matter!"

It was the same in Auterica. Many had initially looked down on him, but now, no one dared to treat him with disrespect. The results of his forced etiquette lessons were evident. Then he just had to achieve the same in Ganghwange.

No, he could even start a new trend, revolutionizing the fashion world!

'As the attire of a true warrior!'

And to do that, he had something to do first.

Harley's pace quickened, his massive body accelerating.

Rumble—

The ground trembled with each step, the tremors growing stronger.

Then, he shot forward, his body cutting through the air. His movements didn't follow the conventional forms of footwork or the principles of light-foot techniques of this world—

"Kahaha! First, I'll spread the word of my awesomeness!"

—but such trivial details didn't matter to him, a being of pure, unreasonable physicality.

And so, the predator, unleashed upon this world, began his hunt.

And the results weren't long in coming.

Clip-clop— Rumble—

The sounds of horses and carriages echoed through the mountains. A group moved in an orderly formation along a barely discernible path. A peaceful mountain road, seemingly without any problems.

"This is strange."

A martial artist from the Zhuge Clan, who had been vigilantly scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes, muttered. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He frowned slightly.

"Why is it so quiet? They were attacking us relentlessly just a few days ago, and now it's so quiet that it feels like something big is about to happen…"

"Hey! Don't jinx it! Be careful what you say!"

"But I'm just saying we should be prepared for any…"

"Just shut up!"

He fell silent at his comrade's rebuke and the sharp glares from the others, realizing they were all as tense as he was.

Clip-clop—

The Zhuge Clan's elites continued their journey in a stifling silence. Just two days ago, they had been constantly under attack. But now, the large-scale attacks had stopped. While there were minor skirmishes with local groups, the relentless assaults that had plagued them were gone.

This sudden, unexplained change made them wary, suspecting a trap. Their bodies were relaxed, but their minds were more tense than ever.

And as everyone was on edge in this unsettling calm…

"Haa—"

…Hugo, as usual, was meditating peacefully inside a carriage, taking deep breaths.

'Finally, some peace. I should have done this sooner.'

He was at peace because he was the reason for this peace. If those annoying pests were a nuisance, he just had to make sure they couldn't cause trouble in the first place.

While Harley was clearing the path ahead, taking care of any potential threats, he focused entirely on his training, immersed in his meditation.

'I already know the method.'

His mind focused, and time around him seemed to slow down. His senses sharpened, and he could feel every hair on his skin, the flow of Qi around him becoming palpable.

'Come.'

The Qi near his skin remained motionless, unlike the Qi he absorbed through his breath, but he persisted. Having nurtured several Transcendents, he was confident he could overcome this hurdle.

'Come.'

The energy he was trying to control, the laws governing this world, the environment, and his body were all different, but…

…with the right trigger…

…his elevated consciousness was ready to grasp it.

Twitch—

The Qi reacted faintly, brushing against the hairs on his skin. The carriage rattled and shook as it moved, but it couldn't break his concentration.

'Come.'

He continued his training, skipping meals, having informed his companions.

After an unknown amount of time…

…the tantalizingly close enlightenment began to materialize. Recalling the sensation of Harris's breakthrough, he grasped it firmly.

'…Here it is.'

And finally—

"The individual has achieved enlightenment. Skills 「Breathing Technique」, 「Underwater Breathing」, 「Clear Mind」, and 「Tough」 have fused and evolved into the Special Skill 「Heavenly Body」."

—a sense of liberation washed over him. He could feel the world's energy flowing through him, his muscles and bones transforming under its influence. A thrilling sensation. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled slightly.

"Well—"

"—This is exhilarating! Kahahaha!"

Rumble—

A tall building within a large estate collapsed, accompanied by a booming laugh. Dust and debris billowed into the air, but no one cared. The entire estate was already in ruins. Including its inhabitants.

"G… Gah! You monster…!"

A middle-aged man, his bones shattered, lay on the ground, spitting blood. Then, blood gushed from his mouth like a waterfall, but it was insignificant compared to the devastation around him. He turned his head, his vision blurry with blood, and looked around.

Dozens of figures lay motionless, covered in blood. They were the pillars of the Shura Sect, all Peak Masters, including the second-in-command, the chief elder. They shouldn't be lying here like this!

"Ugh… You… why…!"

The sect leader of the Shura Sect, the dominant power in the border region between Hubei and Henan, glared at the culprit through his tear-filled eyes. Even with his blurred vision, it wasn't difficult to identify him. That gigantic figure was unforgettable.

'At least at the peak of Transcendent Realm… no, he's definitely a Peak Master. But someone with such a distinctive appearance couldn't have remained unknown…'

Even their combined attack, amplified by a formation, couldn't harm him. The wounds inflicted by him and the chief elder vanished instantly, and weaker attacks didn't even leave a mark. It was the legendary Vajrapani, an unbreakable body, a realm achievable only by those who had mastered external martial arts to the extreme. And his punches were powerful enough to create holes in buildings with their shockwaves. It was no wonder they were in this state.

"Gah… Y… You—! Who are you?! What grudge do you have against us to attack us like this?!"

He roared, his voice filled with rage. An ordinary person would have been dead, but his life force, as a Transcendent Realm expert, stubbornly clung to him. But it wouldn't last long in his current state.

"Huh? Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? They don't even remember what they've done. Tsk tsk."

"P… Pot calling the kettle… black?"

"Ah? Wasn't that a proverb? Whatever! Let's move on! Kahaha!"

He had just laughed and attacked relentlessly during the initial stage of the battle, and now, after everything was over, he responded with a playful remark. The Shura Sect leader closed his eyes, controlling his breathing, and glared at his opponent. He understood the meaning. He was saying he attacked them because he couldn't stand their injustice.

"…So, you didn't like our actions? But do you even realize that your actions are also…"

"Ah, whatever. I don't care about such introspection. I'll do as I please."

"…Gah! Y… You! Reveal your identity! You're not going to hide it even now?!"

His blood pressure spiked at the casual interruption. He gritted his teeth and demanded his opponent's identity. He had to know who had single-handedly destroyed his sect, even if he was about to die.

Perhaps moved by his desperation, the giant finally answered.

"Well, it doesn't matter what I say… Just call me Mad Demon! Ah, I guess you can't anymore? Hahaha!"

It was more of a mockery than an answer. And the Shura Sect leader wasn't satisfied.

"…Mad Demon? Mad Demon? Don't be ridiculous! Do you think I, the Shura Sect Leader, wouldn't recognize his face?! You dare mock me even now?!"

'Mad Demon' was already taken. By someone who had been actively making a name for himself recently. He coughed up more blood, enraged by the mockery.

"Ah, what? Someone's already using that?"

Harley simply shrugged. He clicked his tongue in disappointment and scratched his chin.

"Then I'll have to talk to him. That's mine now, so tell him to use something else. I'll twist his head off if he doesn't listen."

He casually uttered a chilling threat.

"…H… What…!"

"You talk too much. I've entertained you enough. Consider it payment for my time. My time is valuable!"

"…Payment?"

The Shura Sect Leader frowned. What did that…

"Well, it might be a bit difficult to retrieve since I was a bit rough, but the important stuff should be in the vault. I'm too lazy to collect everything."

"…Wait…!"

"Farewell, my friend. Live a better life next time."

"You're…!"

Crack!

As the noisy one fell silent, Harley hummed and began rummaging through the rubble. The debris floated around him, manipulated by 「Gem Eye: Coercion」, as if he was performing levitation, but there was no one left to witness the spectacle.

"Oh! Found it! What a haul!"

The remaining members of the Shura Sect and the civilians had fled long ago.