Chapter 1: Prologue
The Great Holy-Demonic Blood War.
A brutal and devastating conflict between the Demonic Cult, worshippers of forbidden demonic arts, and the martial world of the Central Plains. A war that would be remembered throughout history for its savagery and ferocity.
The first strike was overwhelmingly one-sided.
The Demonic Cult trampled the complacent martial world beneath its feet without mercy.
A storm of slaughter and carnage swept through the lands.
With the flames of war licking at their heels, the martial sects hurriedly rallied their strength around the Murim Alliance, but it wasn’t enough.
At the center of the chaos stood the Demonic King, Jang Cheon-gyeong, Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.
His martial prowess was said to have reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent Demon Realm, the ultimate level known as the Demonic God Scripture. Even when assaulted by a coalition of the martial world’s most powerful warriors, none could bring him down.
It was an age of despair, when all hope had faded.
Then, the tide turned.
Like a hidden blade bursting from a pocket, a new force emerged.
The God of War, Kang Mujin.
With his arrival, the martial world found a spark of resistance. He appeared insignificant at first, but like a stone cast into still water, he unleashed ripples that became tidal waves. He was a one-man army in every sense.
Kang Mujin, the God of War, tore through battlefields alone, snuffing out the lives of countless demonic warriors.
His combat was savage. Relentless.
Like a specter risen from the depths of hell, one couldn’t even tell if he was human or demon. Even the followers of the Demonic Cult trembled in his presence. Demonic warriors feared the God of War, while the martial artists saw in him a glimmer of hope.
With the God of War’s emergence, the Murim Alliance, as if bolstered by a thousand armies, launched a counteroffensive. The tilted balance began to level, and the hidden potential of the martial world proved not so easily extinguished.
The Murim Alliance eventually pushed the Demonic Cult into a corner.
Desperate, the cult played their final card.
A one-on-one battle to the death.
The Demonic King versus the God of War.
Mount Guwha, in Anhui Province, bore witness to the final battle that would decide the fate of the martial world.
An epic duel between a martial god who transcended the realm of humanity and a demon at the zenith of the demonic path.
The blood-soaked battle raged for three days and nights.
Even their seemingly limitless internal energy and tireless bodies proved finite. After all, both had reached a level of martial perfection unseen by any before them.
And finally, at the end of that brutal, seemingly endless battle…
The Demonic King fell to his knees.
It was a victory for the God of War.
But it was not without cost.
The Demonic King was said to be more terrifying than even the Heavenly Demon, a legendary figure who once shook the world. And the rumors were true. Even Kang Mujin had to pay a staggering price for his victory.
The Demonic King was dying.
Haa... haa…
His body convulsed, vomiting thick blood even through ragged breaths. The pain must have been unbearable, yet his face was oddly serene.
A final burst of brilliance before death, known as the final flash of life, his face lit up with peace, as if he had finally been freed from the weight of his karma. He looked less like a demonic entity and more like a sage about to ascend into the heavens.
“Finally, I’m free from my role as the hunting dog… hehehe…”
“Trying to rant before you die? Normally I wouldn’t entertain such nonsense, but I’ll humor you. Consider yourself lucky.”
After fighting for three days and nights, even enemies had come to recognize each other.
The God of War never let his guard down. Not even for a moment. Especially against the Demonic King, whose techniques were horrifyingly deadly. A single slip-up, and the one lying on the ground wouldn’t be his opponent—it would’ve been him.
“In the end, you and I are just pieces on someone else’s game board!”
“And so what if we are? What does it matter? So long as I get to fight—that’s enough. For both you and me.”
It was sheer madness. Had he lost his mind before dying?
To call the Demonic King nothing more than a pawn—anyone hearing that would have been utterly shocked. His martial might had long since surpassed the realm of mortals. Even absolute masters had fallen before him like leaves in autumn. Who could believe such a claim?
The Demonic King’s expression flickered with curiosity.
Normally, words like that would spark anger or denial. Especially from someone powerful enough to defeat him. And yet…
It was an unexpected reaction.
A tone of detachment, as if none of it really mattered anymore.
Then he saw it.
The God of War had little attachment to life. It wasn’t serenity—it was more like resignation. A quiet acknowledgment that he no longer had any will to go on.
“Why…?”
“I thought it would be enough to just stand up again. But look—what’s left around me? All that remains are hordes of greedy humans closing in from afar. This war… it meant nothing to me. All I needed was a place to bury my past mistakes. A place to run. If you had been stronger than me… then hell itself would’ve become my refuge.”
On the battlefield, the God of War was, in every sense, a man mad with war.
A warrior unafraid of death—a demon incarnate. But perhaps, death had never mattered to him in the first place. If the heart is dead and only the body continues to function, can that still be called living?
“Heh… So in the end, I, or rather, he, was just another unlucky soul caught up in your grudge. Hahaha. Well… I suppose that’s amusing in its own way.”
“A man on the verge of death, laughing like a fool.”
Despite having just fought a duel to the death, the two men spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened. Perhaps that’s why... there was something strangely familiar about it, like speaking to an old friend. Odd, yet entirely natural.
True friendship didn’t always require long years. Though only three days had passed, countless words had been exchanged.
Having crossed blades with one’s full essence, the distilled core of one’s life, it wasn’t wrong to say they had seen each other completely.
“What is it that you regret the most?”
“The family I abandoned. Back then, I was garbage. And now? I’m nothing more than a bloodthirsty killer.”
Garbage or killer—
Either way, both are failures in the eyes of humanity. And yet, the world called the God of War a hero, the savior of the martial world. But the man himself remained trapped in a mire of regret.
“Do you… want to go back?”
“Heh. Is that your final question for a dying man?”
He scoffed. But truthfully, if he could go back, he would. If he had that chance, he’d never repeat the mistakes he made.
Why had he clung so pathetically to empty ambition? It was a time when he hadn’t yet matured. That one foolish choice became the regret of a lifetime, and he needed someone, or something, to release that knot within him.
To be the central pillar of the martial world… a hero who saved the Central Plains…
He never asked for any of that. If he could just undo his rage, undo his mistake, even if it meant being reduced to dust and dying in disgrace, he wouldn’t have minded.
But the cruel joke?
Nothing was undone.
Not a single knot had loosened.
There was no peace, only bitterness.
“You, though… you’ll make things far more interesting… hehehehehe!”
“What are you… doing?!”
The God of War suddenly felt something was wrong.
He had to act.
But, damn it! His body wouldn’t respond. Whether standing or lying down, his strength was spent.
‘This… this might not be the worst way to go…’
Those watching the final battle between the God of War and the Demonic King…
They were the absolute powerhouses of the current martial world. The central leadership of the Murim Alliance. Yet on the battlefield, they were nothing more than bystanders.
The God of War was truly a once-in-a-generation supreme master.
He had led the weakened Murim Alliance to crush the Demonic Cult, a feat worthy of being called the heaven-born god of war.
“Must it truly come to this?”
“You say that even after seeing what he’s done?!”
The God of War and the Demonic King were beings who had surpassed the realm of humanity.
Half of Mount Cheonjung had been obliterated.
Even those whose martial skills had reached transcendence felt fear and dread.
-Shiver...!
They had spent their lives devoted to martial arts, full of pride. They recognized no one above themselves.
But these two were different.
They were beyond human.
They were the Heavens beyond Heaven.
So powerful, it chilled them to their bones. They knew this was their only chance.
Sly. Vile.
What awaited the hero who destroyed the Demonic Cult was betrayal.
A discarded blade, once its purpose was fulfilled*
The countless warriors who followed the God of War—to those in power, they were a threat. To preserve their world, the God of War had to be eliminated.
Call it corruption, if you will, but history is nothing more than the record of the victors. Legends fade when not written.
“Steel your heart. For generations, we have fought for the peace of the continent. We must not let fleeting sentiment cause us to abandon the legacy our ancestors built!”
“Indeed. That man knows not the meaning of compromise. He will never follow our will!”
The God of War’s shocking appearance and unrestrained actions—
He paid no heed to the established order. He was a monster born for war.
As long as he lived, the countless warriors who followed him would only grow stronger, leaving no room for the current powers to rule.
He was the epicenter of upheaval.
Just look at this moment…
He had defeated the Demonic King, the seemingly indestructible demon of Great Heaven’s Abyss.
They hadn’t acted, true. But they believed if they had, they could’ve handled it.
But the Demonic King was in a different league.
‘He must be killed!’
‘For the sake of our world!’
‘He cannot be allowed to live!’
Some among them were skeptical. Some even felt guilt. But none stood against the tide. One small act of ignorance, and their power would remain untouched.
Then it happened.
KWA-AAAAANG!
A deafening explosion shook the earth. The mountain ridge collapsed. Mountains crumbled.
The God of War and the Demonic King were buried beneath the avalanche, vanishing from sight.
“W-What just happened?!”
“Perhaps it’s for the best.”
They were men of supposed righteousness, yet deep down, they had always wanted this to end this way.
But what they failed to realize…
The age of chaos had only just begun.
[TL: Discard the hunting dog once the hunt is over (토사구팽): It’s also a Korean idiom meaning to abandon or betray someone after they’ve outlived their usefulness. It’s often used to describe the fate of heroes or allies who are discarded once peace or success is achieved. ]
---The End Of The Chapter---
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