Chapter 31

Inner Core (2)

The daily life of the Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol, was so simple that it bordered on monotonous.

She sat upon the highest throne of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a seat meant only for the heavens themselves.

From there, she browsed the Gallery and organized whatever enlightenment she had gained.

That was all.

She had no need to sleep.

She had no need to bathe either.

At her level of cultivation, her body always remained in perfect condition.

And so, every single day, she sat on her throne and browsed the Gallery.

One might ask what kind of ridiculous lifestyle that was, but reality was reality.

Anyone who saw it might have asked a question like this.

Title: Does the Heavenly Demon Have a Job?

If she does, what kind of work does she even do? I'm kind of curious.

└ What job would an old fossil who browses the Gallery all day have? Hahaha
└ Even if she has one, isn't she basically role-playing as an unemployed shut-in?
　└ Judging by the way she talks, maybe she's some kind of adviser?

　└ Heavenly Demon: I sit upon the throne.
└ That's it?
　└ Heavenly Demon: My majesty is displayed through that alone.
└ So you're just unemployed. Kekeke
└ How is that any different from being a shut-in? Hahaha
　└ Heavenly Demon: Do not compare me to those who abandon their duties and hide away. I am at least revered as the heavens themselves.
└ What a load of bullshit. Hahaha Does she think she's some kind of god? Hahaha
└ Wouldn't that get her arrested for blasphemy?
　└ Heavenly Demon: I personally crush the heads of those who mock me.
└ Damn, this role-play is seriously intense.;;
　└ Just leave her alone. She's always been like that.

Wasn't the Demonic Cult a place that regarded the Heavenly Demon as the heavens themselves?

Then how was she any different from a shut-in?

The problem was that they literally worshipped her as the heavens.

What was the sky?

A symbol of divinity that had existed since humanity first came into being.

Very few people could face such an existence directly and plead for their wishes.

Even those who wished to make a request had to go through the Demonic Brain, the true administrator of the cult.

At first glance, that might make the Heavenly Demon seem like a mere figurehead.

But that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Even the Demonic Brain would not escape unharmed if he displeased her.

The moment one fell out of favor with a Heavenly Demon who had surpassed the Transformation Realm and reached the Profound Realm, it was over.

Title: Can Usernames Be Duplicated?

A lot of registered users have surprisingly simple names.

The Heavenly Demon is especially famous throughout the Central Plains, right?

Did no one ever claim that username before?

└ Usernames probably can't be duplicated. Semi-registered accounts can use them, though.
　└ Even semi-registered accounts can't use one if a registered user already claimed it.
└ What's the difference between semi-registered and registered accounts? Is it that yellow mark beside the name?
　└ That's part of it, but registered users can also list items in the auction house and conduct private trades.
└ The Moderator can track their location too, though. Hahaha

└ The former former former Moderator did that, killed someone, and went to prison.
└ Damn, that's terrifying.

　└ So because the Heavenly Demon claimed it as a registered username, no one else can use it?
└ ㅇㅇ Exactly.
└ You're saying no one had ever registered the name Heavenly Demon before?
└ Someone probably did, but they were likely all semi-registered accounts. Who in their right mind would register Heavenly Demon as a permanent username? Hahaha
└ The current Moderator is nice. The former former former one would've sold your address for money. Hahaha
　└ But what if she turned out to be the real Heavenly Demon?
　└ Then the Demonic Cult would've been ruined for a completely different reason.

└ Heavenly Demon: There is no need for concern. As long as I exist, the Demonic Cult will never fall.
└ That's exactly the problem, ma'am.
　└ If someone like that were really the Heavenly Demon, the cultists would have an existential crisis. Hahaha
　└ How is she browsing the Gallery twenty-four hours a day?;;

So that she could reply the moment her benefactor made a post.

Most matters concerning the Demonic Cult were handled by the Demonic Brain, leaving her with little to do.

All sorts of rumors circulated about her, but it was true that Yu Sowol had become completely immersed in the Gallery.

Recently, she had even encountered a benefactor who could only be described as a fortuitous encounter.

Worried that something might happen to him, she remained in the Gallery at all times.

As always, she was browsing through the Gallery.

Yu Sowol sat idly upon her throne, staring intently at something.

A tiny red bead rested between her slender fingers.

It was the item Wild Grylls—her benefactor and fortuitous encounter—had traded to her so she could determine whether it was an inner core.

Having surpassed the Transformation Realm and entered the Profound Realm, identifying it was easy.

It is an inner core.

The red bead Grylls had given her was indeed an inner core.

Though it looked like an ordinary marble, the energy contained within it was anything but ordinary.

However, it is lacking in many respects.

For an inner core, it was deficient in several ways.

First, the absolute amount of energy it contained was too small.

Normally, consuming an inner core could allow a Supreme Peak martial artist to enter the Transformation Realm.

This one contained only enough energy to raise someone from the Peak Realm to the Supreme Peak Realm.

It was likely the inner core of a spirit beast that had lived for several centuries rather than several millennia.

Still, it is not bad.

To Yu Sowol, who had already entered the Profound Realm, it was little more than a medicinal treasure beneficial to the body.

Of course, that was only from Yu Sowol's perspective.

To anyone else, it was an object surpassing treasure.

Considering how rare even Supreme Peak martial artists were, its true value was easy to imagine.

If this were released onto the market—especially through the Gallery's auction house—it would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

It is too much for my benefactor to consume. What a pity.

But Yu Sowol did not dwell on that.

There was something more important.

Grylls had only just begun learning an internal cultivation technique.

By some stroke of fortune, he had opened both his middle and upper dantians, but he was still inexperienced.

If he consumed the inner core as well, his body might be unable to withstand it and burst apart in the worst-case scenario.

Even if he survived, he would likely suffer from fever and pain for several days.

That was not an outcome someone focused on survival like Grylls would prefer.

But leaving the inner core unattended was not an option either.

The energy within an inner core dispersed over time.

Since it had originally existed inside the body of a spirit beast, that was only natural.

What a remarkable forest. To think that fish containing inner cores can be caught so easily.

A New Moon Spirit Herb.

A fully grown Mandrake.

And now, even a fish containing an inner core.

Each one alone would be enough to shake the entire world, yet the Forest of Four Seasons seemed to have them lying around everywhere.

Even so, entering the forest was no different from suicide.

The space itself constantly shifted, and access to the Gallery was normally impossible.

Grylls was surviving only because, for some strange reason, he could still access it.

An ordinary person wouldn't last two days.

Was that how the Demonic Brain explained it?

Yu Sowol stared at the inner core for a moment before accessing the Gallery.

Now that she had confirmed its quality, all that remained was to inform Grylls.

Because they had just completed a trade, she could not immediately return it.

Still, there were ways to preserve the energy within an inner core, so there was no need to worry.

Title: Benefactor, Read This
Heavenly Demon

As you requested, I have verified the authenticity of the inner core.

It is genuine.

└ Isn't she trying to scam him?
└ So she can sell it at a higher price. Hahaha
└ Now even inner cores are appearing. Hahaha
　└ Heavenly Demon: Believe me or not as you please. I have not spoken a single falsehood.

She ignored all the pointless comments.

The only person who mattered to Yu Sowol was Grylls.

Still, playing along with the others for a moment didn't seem so bad.

Unlike her, who remained in the Gallery at all times, Grylls was busy.

As she idly traded jokes with the other users, Grylls finally left a comment.

└ Wild Grylls: Oh. It's actually real?
　└ Heavenly Demon: Indeed. What will you do with it now?
└ Wild Grylls: What would happen if I ate it?
└ Heavenly Demon: In the worst case, your body may burst. Even if that does not happen, there is a high chance you will suffer from a severe fever for several days.
└ Wild Grylls: So basically, I have to give it to someone else.

　└ If it's real, give it to me. I've hit a wall and I'm still stuck at First-Rate.
└ Give it to me. I'm stuck at Intermediate Expert.
└ Give it to me give it to me give it to me give it to me give it to me
└ Cultistcultistcultistcultistcultistcultist!
　└ Heavenly Demon: What a pathetic spectacle.

Perhaps he needed time to think, because Grylls did not reply for a while.

Or perhaps something else had happened in the meantime.

The Heavenly Demon waited silently.

She could already predict what kind of comment would appear.

He will most likely choose to give it either to me or to someone else.

└ Wild Grylls: Then you can eat it, Heavenly Demon, or give it to someone around you.
　└ Heavenly Demon: Is there anything you desire in return?
└ Wild Grylls: Yes. Could you give me more fasting pills?

Just as expected, Grylls left such a comment.

He was proposing to exchange the inner core for fasting pills.

At his suggestion, Yu Sowol unconsciously smiled.

It was a smile worthy of a painting, but unfortunately, there was no one there to see it.

The Heavenly Demon sat alone upon the throne in the audience hall.

　└ Heavenly Demon: An inner core is a precious medicinal treasure. Though this one is somewhat lacking, an inner core is still an inner core. Even if it takes time, it would be better for you to consume it eventually.
　└ Wild Grylls: But I don't know when that will be. If necessary, I can just catch another one.
└ Heavenly Demon: Hmm? There is another one?
└ Wild Grylls: I caught one just now. I don't know whether it has an inner core, but since it looks exactly the same, there's probably a good chance, right?
└ Heavenly Demon: What a wondrous forest.

└ He caught another one? Is that for real?
└ Wild Grylls: ㅇㅇ I'll probably install a fish trap soon.
└ Won't the fish tear the trap apart?
└ Wild Grylls: Then I'll just ask the dwarf for help.
　└ Passing Dwarf: Why me?
└ Wild Grylls: Did you make the barricade?
　└ Passing Dwarf: Forgot. Kek.
└ Wild Grylls: You fucking bitch.
└ Passing Dwarf: What?
└ Wild Grylls: ...Is what I obviously shouldn't say, right?
└ Look at this shameless bastard. Hahahahaha
└ This lunatic. Hahahahahahaha

Fasting pills.

Yu Sowol fell into thought.

She had previously given him an entire sack, so could he already be running low?

That was unlikely.

Even if he ate three per meal, she had packed plenty for him.

He probably intended to keep more as emergency rations.

That was the most reasonable explanation.

He must be accounting for the sloth as well.

With another mouth to feed, his supplies would naturally be depleted faster.

Grylls was likely preparing for that.

└ Considering the fully grown Mandrake, there's a ninety-nine percent chance it's real.
└ He could've coordinated the story with the Heavenly Demon.
　└ Then they'd simply be scammers. Hahaha
└ Grylls doesn't really have any reason to scam people, though. ㅇㅇ

　└ Heavenly Demon: Wait here. I shall ask one of my close aides.
└ Wild Grylls: Thank you. If it's difficult, you don't have to do it.
└ Heavenly Demon: It is a request from my benefactor. I cannot simply refuse. If it cannot be done, then I shall make it possible.
└ Wild Grylls: That's kind of burdensome. Still, don't pressure them too much if they say it's difficult. I don't want them to hate me for no reason.
└ Heavenly Demon: What will you do if they say it is impossible?
└ Wild Grylls: I'll trade with someone else. Or list it in the auction house.

└ The auction house is about to explode. Kek.
└ Is that thing really an inner core?

A strange sense of anticipation was already spreading through the Gallery.

Hadn't the incident involving the fully grown Mandrake happened only two days ago?

Naturally, posts flooded in claiming that the inner core must also be real and begging to receive it themselves.

Getting excited over nothing.

Yu Sowol snorted as she read them.

No one had even said they would give it away, yet they were already getting their hopes up.

Seeing those comments only strengthened her resolve.

She would exchange the inner core for fasting pills no matter what.

Coincidentally, the Demonic Brain was a master standing between the Peak and Supreme Peak Realms, making it a fair trade.

[Demonic Brain, are you listening?]

Yu Sowol summoned the Demonic Brain through a voice transmission.

He was probably busy at the moment, so calling him in this manner was more convenient.

[There is something I require. Come to me.]

No answer came back.

The audience hall was far from the place where the Demonic Brain currently was.

Ever since Yu Sowol entered the Profound Realm, her senses had long since surpassed the boundaries of humanity.

She no longer saw merely through her eyes.

Her perception was closer to looking down upon the world from the heavens.

Even with all this, the Forest of Four Seasons remains difficult. Nature truly is mysterious.

At the same time, she realized once again how extraordinary nature was.

The closer one drew to it, the farther away it seemed.

That perfectly described Yu Sowol's impression of nature.

Putting that aside...

Until the Demonic Brain arrived, the Heavenly Demon continued browsing the Gallery.

Her reverence for nature was not the only thing that had grown after reaching the Profound Realm.

Is it truly impossible to interfere with the Gallery?

She had begun questioning whether she could interfere with it directly.

Aside from the Moderator, no user was capable of altering the Gallery's structure.

She wanted to interfere with it somehow, but attempting to do so was like smashing her head against an unyielding wall.

Accessing it itself is not difficult. Just who created this strange civilization?

The origins of the Continental Integrated Gallery were unclear.

Some claimed that it had existed since ancient times, while others said it had appeared only recently.

Watching posts appear in real time, Yu Sowol thought,

In order to aid my benefactor...

Normally, this was not something she would have cared about.

But things had changed after receiving Grylls's help.

The Heavenly Demon—the exalted sky of the Demonic Cult seated upon her throne—could now face him through the Gallery.

"I greet the heavens of the Demonic Cult."

"Take it."

Yu Sowol skipped over the trivial formalities and tossed the inner core.

As though he had anticipated her action, the Demonic Brain caught it easily without raising his bowed head.

He then slowly looked up, revealing his confusion.

"Heavens, this is...?"

"It is an inner core. Though somewhat lacking, it belonged to a spirit beast that lived for several centuries."

She would find some way to interfere with the Gallery and aid Grylls.

Although she had yet to understand its basic structure, interference was not necessarily impossible.

Was it called... a Vice Moderator?

Just as Yu Sowol reached toward an unknown realm she should perhaps never have touched—

[Heavens, I have answered your summons.]

The Demonic Brain's respectful greeting sounded from outside.

The moment Yu Sowol heard him, she closed the Gallery and spoke calmly.

"Enter."

It was not the command of Yu Sowol the human.

It was the command of Yu Sowol the Heavenly Demon.

At her words, the tightly sealed doors of the audience hall slowly opened.

A young man dressed in the traditional attire of the Demonic Cult appeared beyond them.

The Demonic Brain.

Perhaps nervous, his expression was slightly stiff as he slowly raised his head.

Confusion soon became evident on his face.

He examined the red inner core from various angles before speaking in a reluctant tone.

"It certainly is an inner core. Where did you obtain it?"

"I received it through a trade. Therefore, I have something to ask you."

"Please give your command."

"The fasting pills that were prepared for my cultivation. How many more can you produce?"

Yu Sowol went straight to the point.

It meant that no further explanation was necessary.

The Demonic Brain thought for a moment before carefully answering.

"The fasting pills produced for the heavens were made using precious medicinal herbs."

"I know."

"If you are referring to those, then it is possible."

"How many days will it take?"

"We must prepare the ingredients, and you appear to require a large quantity. It will take approximately one week."

"Good. Begin preparing them at once. You may consume the inner core."

"I am grateful for your grace, Heavens."

The Demonic Brain bowed deeply in gratitude.

It was fortunate that his head was lowered.

Otherwise, Yu Sowol might have noticed the corners of his lips twitching upward.

The Demonic Brain soon turned around and departed from the audience hall, leaving Yu Sowol alone once more.

The moment she sensed that he had gone outside, she immediately accessed the Gallery.

[Ah. Fuck, why is my body heating up?]

"Hm?"

The instant she entered the Gallery, a certain title caught her eye.

It had been posted by Grylls.

Yu Sowol hurriedly opened it.

Title: Ah. Fuck, Why Is My Body Heating Up?
Wild Grylls

(Photo of a fish that had been eaten clean, with even the bones picked bare)

My body started heating up the moment I ate this. What's going on?

Don't tell me it was poisonous?

"Oh no."

Yu Sowol realized her mistake the moment she saw the post.

The energy of a spirit beast was not necessarily concentrated solely within its inner core.

The spirit beast itself was essentially another inner core.

Every piece of its flesh would contain powerful energy.

I was careless.

Yu Sowol hurriedly left a comment.

She was deeply worried that something might happen to Grylls.