[TL Note: Hey everyone! Just a quick clarification —what I originally labeled as Episode 0 was actually Episode 1 (Prologue). Because of that, all the chapter numbers ended up being shifted by one. That’s why the current release is titled Episode 8 not Episode 7. Sorry for the confusion, and Enjoy the chapter!!]
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Episode 8: The Grandmaster
*
Four years since Baek Ran left.
Twenty years into the tutorial.
I was facing the strongest monster in the tutorial — a avatar of Baal.
“No matter how many times I fight it, I just can’t get used to it.”
A monster of another dimension that unleashed attacks with entirely different patterns every time it was summoned.
Its murderous intent instinctively made my body flinch, and each punch it threw carried the power to crush mountains.
How many times had I died to this thing?
Even my strongest available attack, the Fourth Form of the Heaven-Shattering Fist, couldn’t deal meaningful damage to it.
“You won’t even be able to hurt it unless you’ve stepped into the realm of Qi Reinforcement.”
After dying countless times to Baal’s avatar, Estelle’s words finally resurfaced in my mind.
To make things worse, the basic cultivation methods provided in the tutorial had a restriction — they didn’t allow one to reach the realm of Qi Reinforcement.
The output of energy was simply too weak.
So the reason I kept repeating this ordeal wasn’t to defeat Baal.
“At this point, it’s about…”
After mastering the [Observation] and [Energy (Qi) Sense] skills, the two abilities merged, giving birth to a new skill.
[Deep Insight]
The ability to precisely analyze the flow of the opponent’s energy.
Using this skill, I was meticulously studying how Baal operated his energy — how it circulated, how it recovered, and how it was unleashed — without missing a single detail.
Ten minutes passed like that.
For the first time, I succeeded in facing Baal’s avatar without dying.
Tutorial monsters disappeared after a set amount of time, and once the battle ended, I collapsed to the floor, exhausted.
“Haah… haah… I didn’t die this time.”
Normally, I would’ve celebrated this milestone. But there was no time for sentiment — I pulled out my notebook and began recording my analysis in detail.
How Baal’s energy flowed, how it recovered, how it was released.
I cross-checked it against all the data I had collected so far, to ensure a more accurate analysis.
“To think you’d try to create your own martial art just because the Divine Thunder Art doesn’t suit you…”
Estelle, who came by nearly every day to try and stop me, pinched her forehead again. It had become a familiar sight.
“Why are you doing something so foolish?”
“You said I need Qi Reinforcement to defeat Baal, right? Then I need to create a cultivation method that allows me to use it.”
She sighed like she had a headache.
“Haah… That monster wasn’t even designed to be defeated in the tutorial, you know? Even Yoo Soeun couldn’t defeat it, so why are you trying?”
That was exactly it.
If I could defeat a monster even Yoo Soeun couldn’t handle… then from that moment on, I would have truly surpassed her.
Even if it’s the past version of Yoo Soeun.
That was enough. The experience of overcoming someone who had once been an insurmountable wall would give me a new goal. I had to do it at least once.
“Well~ I’m not giving up until I beat it! So how about giving me a hint instead?”
I joked, and Estelle sighed again before raising her fist.
“I oppose violence!”
I instinctively used Heaven-Defying Cloud Steps to create distance between us.
That fist gave me PTSD.
To some, it might’ve looked like a cute, tiny fist — but to me, it was a deadly weapon.
In the end, it was Estelle who backed down first. Lowering her fist, she gave me some advice.
“Haah… The basic cultivation methods of each sect were created with great care by the sect’s founders for the sake of future generations.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
A cryptic statement. But anything Estelle said couldn’t be taken lightly.
“That’s your hint. Figure out the rest on your own.”
Leaving only those words behind, she vanished.
“Why not just say it if you’re going to give a hint anyway… Seriously, what a tsundere.”
Mulling over her hint, I returned to my research.
To create a cultivation method perfectly suited for me — a method of ascension.
*
Five years since I started creating martial arts.
By now, I had lost count of how many times I’d died.
“Is this part the issue this time?”
Maybe the energy had flowed through the wrong meridian — an intense surge of power, almost demonic in nature, overwhelmed my entire body.
And then—
Crack!
My meridians burst, and my body exploded.
I lost consciousness.
When I opened my eyes again, I had revived. I opened my notebook and corrected the records from just moments ago.
“So channeling the energy through this path causes a rejection reaction, huh…”
I redesigned the energy flow route and revised the incantation. Carefully, so as not to deviate too much from the original goal.
“Someone who doesn’t even qualify as a low-tier disciple has been trying to create martial arts for years now—how foolishly stubborn.”
“But I’m experimenting with my body firsthand to make it. Who else has ever created martial arts with hundreds of lives to spare?”
After 25 years together, I naturally spoke informally with her. I had told her to speak informally too, but she refused, saying angels shouldn’t grow attached to humans.
“Still… you’re creating a fairly impressive martial art through such a brute-force method. If not for the unique nature of this tutorial, this cultivation Art could never have been made.”
Who else has experimented on their own body to create a cultivation method? I was creating martial arts by pushing my body to its limits—and beyond.
“Look forward to it. I think something incredible is about to be born.”
Every martial art has a goal. Taoist sects aim for immortality, Buddhist sects for Buddhahood, the Demonic Cult for Mara Papias, the Southern Barbarians emulate beasts, and the Northern Ice Palace aspires to resemble winter.
And me?
‘My goal is Baal.’
According to Estelle, gods and demons actually exist in this world.
Among them, the 72 most powerful demons are called Demon Kings. And the highest among them, ranked number one—an entity even the gods cannot defeat even if they join forces—is the Demon God, Baal.
—Even top-tier gods like Zeus or Buddha can’t guarantee victory if they fight him together.
A fragment of that Baal exists within the tutorial.
Even Estelle doesn’t know why.
‘Well, that works in my favor.’
The ultimate textbook came to me on its own. If I can emulate even a part of the top-ranked Demon King’s power, I’ll become unimaginably stronger.
For someone like me, who isn’t even the strongest human yet, Baal’s power was an irresistible temptation. It was like a spell that could lift me into the skies.
To obtain that spell, I studied Baal’s energy, how it flows, and how he fights in meticulous detail. Of course, the process wasn’t easy.
“Ah, I’ve gone mad again.”
Trying to mimic Baal’s energy made my own energy consume me and disrupt its flow.
Crack!
There was no solution—so I blew up my heart and killed myself.
“Time to try again.”
After reviving, I recorded everything again in my notebook.
I needed to find a way to use Baal’s demonic energy within safe limits.
I died dozens more times, researching and re-researching the energy flow paths.
Now, the cultivation Art I created was no longer a simple imitation of Baal.
I was pioneering a new path.
If I drew too deeply from demonic energy, I’d go mad. But if I used just the right amount, I could harness the energy faster and more powerfully.
To find that fine line, I died dozens more times.
Dying while studying energy flow paths, dying when my meridians exploded, dying again and again and again.
All for the sake of a cultivation method made solely for me—optimized perfectly for me.
Baal’s energy wasn’t just demonic qi. It wasn’t merely “destruction”—it was domination itself.
Even the way the energy flowed was completely different.
I had to understand what domination truly meant.
Anyone can destroy. But to dominate energy, to place it beneath your feet—that’s something only a few can do.
In fact, achieving greater destruction required thorough restraint. You had to dominate yourself, dominate your energy, and fully dominate your own existence. Only then could true destruction be achieved.
That was Baal’s essence.
And so, through repeated death and revival, a year passed.
I dissected every internal cultivation Art that existed within the tutorial. To understand the principles of martial art creation, I analyzed the only growth-type cultivation method, Heavenly Thunder Divine Art, thousands of times.
And at last, I found the answer.
“Yeah… this is it..!”
Amid endless deaths and rebirths, I discovered my own path. A new martial art that had never existed before began to bloom within me—a path no one had ever walked.
I was no longer just imitating Baal. I was walking the same path as him.
Beyond imitation, into the realm of creation.
I was stepping into an entirely new domain.
[Threefold Internal Arts is being absorbed into ???.]
[A new type of internal cultivation Art that exists in no world has been created.]
[Please give it a name.]
There was no need to hesitate.
I had already chosen the name.
“Dawn Divine Art.”
The one who pierces the darkness to greet the dawn. There’s no name more fitting for a cultivation method made solely for me.
[Dawn Divine Art (Lv1)]:
A revolutionary divine martial art crafted by mimicking aspects of the demon god Baal through countless experiments and refinements, created by a Heaven-defying slow-witted genius.
The flow of energy is faster and more dangerous than any known cultivation method, requiring extremely high internal control.
It Is a martial art crafted to suit the body of a single individual, making it impossible for others to learn.
① Demonic Core:
An internal core that stores energy in the manner of a demon king. Removes the limit of mana capacity and provides top-tier amplification in both accumulation and recovery. Even if the dantian is destroyed, stored energy can be used to regenerate it.
② Demonic Body (é”身):
A body made of pure demonic energy. Physical capabilities scale with total mana. Removes the limits of physical enhancement and receives the highest level of amplification.
③ ???:
Unlocks as mastery increases.
“It really worked…”
Even before the euphoria of mastering a cultivation method tailored perfectly for me could fade, I ran to the first person who came to mind. And then, I hugged her tightly.
“I did it! I really did it! I created my own Ascension Cultivation Method! And it’s not just any Art—it’s classified as a divine martial art! Isn’t this on par with something like the Heavenly Demon God Art?”
In martial arts novels, the “Heavenly Demon God Art” is often the pinnacle of all Arts. Since the Dawn Divine Art was also labeled a divine martial art, I felt it had earned the right to stand beside it.
Estelle gave a small, exasperated laugh.
“Okay, okay… but can you please let go first? I can’t breathe.”
Realizing I was holding her too tightly, I loosened my grip just enough so she could breathe.
“…But why are you only loosening up a little?”
I answered with a grin.
“Because I’m just too happy. But if you don’t like it, I’ll let go.”
Right now, I just wanted to grab anyone and excitedly explain how amazing the thing I’d created was.
“Haa… do as you wish. Anyway, how did this happen?”
“After dying and reviving countless times, I kept correcting the flaws. Eventually, the path revealed itself. And now, it’s complete. Want to hear what it does?”
As she nodded, I began explaining in detail the abilities of the Dawn Divine Art.
“It definitely deserves to be called a divine martial art. I’ve never heard of anything that removes the limits on mana and physical enhancement. It would probably be among the top even among divine martial arts. And since it unlocks new abilities with increased mastery, the potential ceiling is also high.”
Her praise made my smile stretch from ear to ear.
“Congratulations. You really worked hard for this, and in the end, you succeeded.”
“Didn’t I tell you to look forward to it?”
‘Huh? There’s something more below?’
[You have successfully created a peerless divine martial art that has never existed before.]
[Trait Acquired: Grandmaster (S)]
Just from creating a martial art, I gained a new trait. And not just any trait—an S-rank trait!
[Grandmaster (S)]:
A trait granted to those who create a completely new and peerless divine martial art instead of modifying an existing one.
① Creator of Martial Arts:
Receives the highest level of enhancement when using self-created martial arts.
② Creator’s Luck:
Unintended positive effects may be added when crafting new martial arts.
③ Martial Arts Expert:
Receives the highest level of enhancement in martial arts growth speed.]
Twenty-five years in the tutorial, with endless experimentation and repeated failures, had led me not only to a martial art but also to an S-rank trait.
This wasn’t something destined by the heavens at birth—it was the fruit of my effort and struggle alone.
Just acquiring this trait felt like proof that the martial art I’d created was indeed something no one could ignore.
“Now that you’ve mastered your Ascension Cultivation Method, if you keep working hard, I’m sure you’ll reach the next realm.”
Until now, I had been blocked by the limitations of existing cultivation methods, unable to advance despite gaining sufficient enlightenment.
‘I feel like I could reach the Peak Realm right now.’
I sat down, closed my eyes, and meditated, observing the flow of energy within my body. The Great Heavenly Cycle—the circulation of energy throughout my entire being—was being blocked by two obstacles.
‘The Conception Vessel (Ren Meridian) and the Governing Vessel (Du Meridian).’
Great Heavenly Cycle (Daejuchun).
The circulation of energy that flows throughout the entire body.
And the two obstacles that obstruct it: the Ren Meridian and the Du Meridian.
The moment these meridians are unblocked, a martial artist gains complete freedom in channeling energy.
All constraints disappear—whether it’s drawing out energy like thread, wrapping it around the body, or even projecting it beyond the body.
Until now, the reason I hadn’t broken through them was simple: my previous cultivation methods lacked the strength.
“But now, it’s different.”
The Dawn Divine Art possessed a flow of energy faster and fiercer than any other cultivation method in existence.
It had more than enough power to pierce through the meridians.
In fact, I had to worry more about damaging my qi and blood from overusing energy. But since I’d reached mastery in controlling qi while creating the Art, that wasn’t something I needed to fear.
“Sss… hoo…”
Following the breathing method of the Dawn Divine Art, I began to circulate the dark red energy within my lower dantian.
It was unstable—like a wild horse that wanted to break free of control at any moment.
I gripped it even tighter. While the energy of righteous cultivation Arts can sometimes lead to positive outcomes even when they go out of control, this wasn’t one of those Arts.
“It’d be a straight path to qi deviation (devil’s madness).”
And if there’s anyone who knows about falling into qi deviation, it’s me.
There probably isn’t anyone who’s experienced it more than I have.
While Dawn Divine Art doesn’t attack the user’s mind like demonic Arts do, its energy is even wilder than those.
I could have made it more stable during development.
But that would’ve greatly reduced its performance.
So I entrusted safety to my control and pushed the performance to its absolute limit.
‘Just like Baal did.’
Throwing away all safety measures, relying solely on one’s control to fight—
I was mesmerized by that approach, and so I created Dawn Divine Art in the same way.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
I guided the energy under my control along the path of the Small Heavenly Cycle, stopping just short of the blocked meridian.
Because I now had to break through the Ren Meridian, a tightly sealed path.
Thump!
“Urgh…”
When I smashed the well-refined energy into the Ren Meridian, my lower body trembled and tingled.
Still, compared to the pain I endured when I acquired the Body of Dawn, this was nothing.
So I kept slamming the energy into it.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
With each strike against the Ren Meridian, I could feel the wall thinning.
Without rushing, I struck rhythmically, and before long—
[You have successfully activated the Ren Meridian.]
“So this is what it feels like?”
Incredible clarity, like I’d expanded beyond myself.
Energy now flowed more freely, my perception expanded.
But it wasn’t over yet.
One still remained.
While I pierced through the Ren Meridian with ease, the Du Meridian was said to be even tougher and more painful.
Still, thinking this was the final challenge, I endured the pain and continued to hammer away.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the end, even the Du Meridian couldn’t withstand the energy of Dawn Divine Art.
It burst open, and I felt my world expand even more than before.
My energy spread into depths I’d never reached.
A scenery I had never sensed before.
“Is this the realm of Peak?”
No.
The realm of Peak that Estelle had described… this wasn’t it.
The Dawn Divine Art was taking me somewhere beyond.
The world around me expanded infinitely.
A sensation of omnipotence flowed down my back.
“It feels like I can do anything.”
And with that—I had stepped into a realm beyond Peak.
Together with Dawn Divine Art.
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TL Note: Hey everyone! Sorry again for the delayed update.
I’ve been really busy with my studies lately, and I have a practical exam coming up in two days.
As for my other novels, I had some stockpiled chapters, so I’ve been able to upload them regularly. Unfortunately, I don’t have any extra chapters prepared for this one.
I’ll do my best to update regularly—at least 3 to 4 times a week—if my schedule allows. Thanks for your patience and support!
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