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“It seems you’ve surpassed my own expectations once more,” the Heavenly Demon admitted as he carried us outside the pit. At least he did that, or I would have eaten his head off for being such an inconsiderate piece of shit.
“Is that so? And did you have to make the trial so ruthless and hard? You sure lack empathy even for your disciple…” I sighed. “You piece of shit of a master…” I didn’t even hold back with my words.
The Heavenly Demon only laughed before leaving on top of the palace’s rooftop with everyone else. “I apologize, Anna, but I simply don’t know any other thods for training than the most ruthless ones,” he said. “You told to teach you my techniques, to show you how I beca stronger. There was no mont of peaceful ditation for ; there was no mont of simply sitting down and eating pills; there was no mont where I enjoyed so tea with a friend; there was no mont when I competed for rewards inside a sect with friendly rivals; and there was not a mont where I contemplated the Dao in silence and peace.”
Right, I guess he never experienced any of such things.
What was I expecting?
I guess it’s only my fault that I am being treated like this. I asked him to train .
“I lived a life of running from one place to another, to fighting to the death every day, to gnashing my beak and endure the most agonizing of pains, all to get stronger on my own way. The only way a person as untalented as could, through fighting, killing, pillaging, and running away,” he said. “So of us are born talented, with money, with strong backers; others, like , are barely born with anything, and whatever they had is taken away from them. We struggle every mont, every day, every hour.”
“Well, not so much now, don’t you? Once you reached the pinnacle.” I muttered.
“Hah! I suppose I did earn myself so rest, and that only made contemplate more what my life has been, and honestly, despite how much I hated everything, I feel proud of myself, of my struggles and my suffering,” he smiled. “It feels like the strength I possess is well earned; it is sothing that truly belongs to . Have you ever felt that way before, my disciple?”
“I…”
A power that truly belongs to ? The System was gifted to out of nowhere, and every Skill or Item I’ve acquired was sothing I took away from sowhere else one way or another.
Was there sothing I truly earned through gnashing my teeth, crying blood, and feeling my entire body being torn to pieces?
I guess in so way, every skill and item I got was obtained through so level of effort, of varying degrees.
But is this the sa effort that he went through?
No, it isn’t.
I can’t even compare to my master’s struggles and suffering—a long life of battling to reach the peak.
In comparison, I’m nothing but a spoiled brat that has an overprotective brother that has fed her everything she could ever ask for.
A golden finger system that assists in everything.
Constellations that throw money at for eating pancakes…
It feels frustrating.
I also want to have such struggles; I also want to temper myself.
I don’t want to be like the Heavenly Demon, but I…
I want to struggle and obtain a power of my own.
And recently, I’ve been slowly getting the gist of it.
Myriad Self Arts…
A power that truly belongs to .
“I can’t say I have gone through the sa things as you, Master… In fact, although I’ve had my struggles, my fights, I’ve put effort into getting most of the abilities and items I have…” I sighed. “I simply can’t compare to your own achievents. I could have never been able to obtain all the strength you did from scratch; I am nothing but a spoiled girl.”
“Hah… You have an honest heart; to say such a thing about yourself, it seems you’ve gone through a small self-introspection, is it not, my disciple?” he wondered. “Don’t worry, I was already guessing that you weren’t even comparable to my greatness!”
“Ugh…”
“However.”
He quickly stopped walking, looking back at into my eyes.
“Unlike , you seem to have a greater purpose. You’re not fighting for yourself, not even for your own survival,” he said. “You’re more like her; yes, you remind of her, the Heavenly Empress. You’re a person that carries the weight of a great responsibility, soone that would do anything and obtain anything to save and protect those she loves.”
“I guess so; I am growing stronger, fighting, and all. For them, and for my world,” I nodded. “I want to protect them all.”
“Yet unlike her, you’re willing to do anything too; you are even willing to learn from a demon like ,” he laughed. “You’re a strange one, my disciple. But your strength and your talent are genuine; despite all the powers you’ve been gifted, you didn’t waste them away like all those bastards I’ve t, talented geniuses that thought they were good enough and that they could trample over anything and anybody. You were gifted strength, abilities, and opportunities, but you did not waste them; you further refined them as much as you could; you used them smartly to survive and protect others; and you keep suing them to strive forward with utmost efficiency. You’re what so would call a Monster. A genius, talented, gifted, and hard-working person is bound to beco unparalleled across heaven and earth.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Thanks, I guess…” I smiled slightly. “Well, I’m hungry now and… Yeah, Ying Shen has been unconscious for a while. I’ve healed him as much as possible, but he still looks half-dead…”
“Hah! Well, he worked hard, so he deserves so rest. I shall heal his body with so acupuncture; the young assassin deserves so reward…” The Heavenly Demon sighed. “For now, let’s have a al and then rest; tomorrow will be another day of hard work.”
“Alright.”
I guess I’ve been insulting him way too much without a true justification. Maybe I’ve been just salty; he’s not as considerate as other people I’ve t, but the Heavenly Demon is still genuinely trying to help .
I was the one that got myself into this situation, and I was the one that asked him to train , and I won’t back down now. I will walk through the hellish, agonizing trainings, and I won’t stop until I complete them.
There’s one week and a half left in here, and I’ll make every day worth its ti.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have Completed the {Optional Challenge Quest}: {Complete the Trial of the Heavenly Demon}!]
[Rank: S ]
[Despite how arduous and excruciatingly painful this training was, you’ve gone and done it! Congratulations and well done!]
[You’ve managed to seal all your abilities except the only martial arts gifted by your master, and you’ve learned a greater insight into your personal strength.]
[Your efforts were vast; you shouldn’t lower yourself down because other people’s efforts are greater; everyone’s efforts will be different, but what matters is that you’ve done your best.]
[Grab your rewards, and rest; well done!]
[Completion Rewards]: [10.000 Plot Points] [Black Heaven Ki Pearl Fragnt (S Rank)] x1 [White Heaven Ki Pearl Fragnt (S Rank)] x1 [Ki Restoration Potion (S Rank)] x1 [Ki Enhancing Pill (S Rank)] x1 [Skill Level Elixir (S Rank)] x1]
Ah, seeing this, it feels like the System is trying to cheer up?
And seeing these rewards only makes feel even more shaless compared to true hard workers like the Heavenly Demon.
But yeah, I should also take into consideration so of those words.
Anyways, these rewards are pretty generous for what can be resud to just beating a bunch of monsters.
I got the pearls again... Or not? They’re fragnts now, huh…
I checked their description, and it said that once I gather three fragnts of each, I can create a full pearl.
Alright, I suppose this is purposely made, so I do the quest a lot.
And seeing how ruthless my master is, that’s definitely happening.
“Alright… Let’s do this.”
“Looks like you’ve gathered so resolve, good. I don’t like when you whine and cry all the ti.”
[“Honestly, sa. Just get this over with, Anna!”]
Sepa and Gram giving their amazing advice as always; they’re such sweethearts.
“Hah…”
I didn’t even respond to their words, carrying the tired Ying Shen to his bedroom and then having dinner with my master, where we talked more about my developing techniques.
He said he was amazed by them, pointing out that I could already “combine” the seals, sothing he took several years into performing himself.
The power of Regret was strong—yeah, very powerful—but it drained my energy and my… ntality a lot. It made feel super depressed afterwards!
These powers were amazingly strong; I could manifest elental powers, punch super hard, and everything, but they sure were painful to use.
To think this has been the Heavenly Demon’s only weapon this entire ti only makes … admire him even more.
But they’re a weapon, a powerful weapon that doesn’t rely on any Skill or Item, just my own power, sothing I inherited from him.
I have to take advantage of it and beco stronger; even if it hurts a bit, I must steel my mind and beco capable of controlling my own emotions like he does.
Once I can achieve that level of control, activating the seals will never make lose my shit.
I think…
“Hah… I’m so sleepy… At least I got you guys with ,” I yawned. “Hmm, Snow, you’re so fluffy as always~”
“Waan!” Snow happily let rub my face on his big belly.
After doing that, I instantly fell asleep.
And the next day ca rather quickly. Another morning, another hellish training. This ti it wasn’t the sa “pit full of monsters” challenge; no, this ti it seed more horrible.
“You’ll have to walk barefoot over burning wood!” he said. “While doing so, carry ten thousand tons of black steel to the top of that mountain and throw it down into the volcano. As you do this, channel your Frenzy Seal, so you can dull the pain, but if you lose your mind and let the things you’re carrying slip away, you’re going to get kicked off.”
“Seriously?”
I knew he was a piece of shit.
He’s doing this because he’s enjoying it!
…
Wait, wait, no, I don’t have to think like that!
Burning my foot is the least of my worries; pain and suffering don’t matter.
As long as I get stronger, as long as I can help my friends and save Earth.
I would even chop my entire body into pieces a million tis.
“{Third Seal: Frenzy}!”
FLASH!
The Seal activated as my body was perated by an Aura of crimson red Ki. My senses felt dulled out as my ntality started to deteriorate.
I felt furious, angry, and frustrated all at the sa ti.
I wanted to end everything and the world with !
Fuck this!
I’ll kill that damn crow bastard and get the fuck out of here, so-
…
No, I can’t let it take over .
“Focus, focus, focus…”
I started walking over the burning ground, my feet soles instantly beginning to be roasted. I felt the pain, but it didn’t make scream because Frenzy was already taking over my senses.
“Temper your body! Temper your mind!”
The Heavenly Demon kept cheering for , giving words of advice as I slowly moved up the mountain.
In the way, Martial Beasts of all kinds appeared; it was my duty to fight them without walking out of the path and dropping what I was carrying.
A terribly hard endeavor, and no friends or familiars allowed this ti either.
I felt like at any mont I would drop the things and I would fall down the mountain.
Yet barely, by the skin of my teeth, I was managing.
“Hahh… Ugh…! Argh…”
I was groaning in pain and anger as I climbed further and further. The path suddenly beca completely vertical; I had to climb, burning my hands, face, and everything in the process.
Yet I kept moving, climbing.
“Keep moving; you’re almost there! Don’t give up; temper your body, temper your mind!”
Temper your body.
Temper your mind!
Don’t give up.
You’re almost there.
I can do this!
FLUOSH!
Suddenly, I felt the quality and power of Frenzy changing.
Like a wild, untad beast, it suddenly beca much calr without taking away its abilities.
This is not a negative emotion anymore.
This is…
Temperance!
“AAAARGH!”
I roared with all my spirit, climbing and lifting my burning body up to the summit of the mountain and dropping all the black steel into the volcano.
SPLASH!
The burning lava bubbled, lting them instantly.
“I-I did it.”
Before I could do anything else, I passed out, falling into the boiling lava in front of .
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