My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

The Holy Land, Grand Temple of Roselia, Auterica.

"Divine power."

Saint Heinrich, strolling through a garden filled with exotic flowers and herbs, closed his eyes. He had come out for a walk to clear his head, but he ended up with a more troubling problem.

'That's definitely the Society Master's divine power.'

As a leading expert in this field, he had no doubt. The problem was that this divine power wasn't from Ganghwange. It was an external energy…

'And the Heavenly Demon is using it.'

And it wasn't a trick like Hugo's use of 「Avatar Cloud」 and the holy symbol. It was a genuine miracle, manifested by the Heavenly Demon himself, just like a priest channeling the power of their deity. It meant there was a deeper connection between the Society Master and the Heavenly Demon than he had anticipated.

'Divine power from another dimension is a foreign substance in this world. That's why Hugo suffers significant energy loss when using it indirectly.'

Heinrich looked down at his hands. A platinum light, shimmering like heat haze, flickered around them. There were countless gods in countless dimensions, each with their own unique nature. And the divine power they bestowed reflected their nature.

'In that sense, the Main God of our Auterica is a benevolent god.'

Of course, its benevolence wasn't based on human concepts of compassion or mercy. From a human perspective, it was more like…

…cherishing a handcrafted creation, carefully dusting it off and maintaining it.

Conversely, a being who enjoyed destroying its own creations, building towers only to tear them down, would be considered a malevolent god.

'Well, how could I, a mere human, understand the will of gods?'

Even he, a Saint, couldn't comprehend it. Such presumption would be blasphemy.

"I can't ignore this now that his trace has appeared."

He had intended to intervene from the start, but this solidified his resolve. He wanted to go to Ganghwange and deal with the Heavenly Demon personally. But he couldn't, as he had to manage both Auterica and Earth.

"Saint-nim, do you have a moment?"

A small woman approached him. Isea, the Archmage from Earth, his comrade from countless battles.

"Ah, Isea-nim. Of course. I was just taking a walk."

"Ahem, thank you. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but…"

She hesitated, then held out a thick letter. Not a love letter, of course.

"Ah, you've decided."

"…Yes, it's a good opportunity for me. I've decided to accept your offer. Thank you, Saint-nim."

It was a letter for her family on Earth. She was asking him to deliver it, since he could travel between Earth and Auterica. She felt awkward asking such a personal favor from a Saint, but he had offered, to strengthen their cooperative relationship.

"Don't worry. I'll deliver it discreetly. I'm familiar with Earth's environment now."

"Thank you. I'm glad I can finally send them news. They must be worried."

Her family must be frantic, with their high school-aged daughter suddenly disappearing to another world for almost a year without any contact. Since she couldn't return right away, this would ease their worries. And it wouldn't be difficult to prove its authenticity, as it wasn't just a letter, but a magic tool containing a video message.

Heinrich stored the letter in his subspace and, after a brief conversation, returned to his office. He couldn't afford to relax, with the final assault on the north imminent. Of course, he would drop everything if something urgent came up.

'It's fine for now. I'll take things one step at a time. Once I have a better understanding of the situation in Ganghwange…'

He paused on his way to his office. From his elevated position, he could see the scars of the recent battle against the otherworldly invader.

'I don't know what you're planning by meddling with other dimensions…'

He closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and prayed for the victims. A brilliant platinum light emanated from him, spreading outwards.

'…but I'll crush your plans. Completely.'

He would use everything at his disposal. And that included Earth.

'I should contact the Pantheon. They can't all be under the Society Master's control. And after that…'

The plan to expose the Heavenly Wealth Society and turn them into a global enemy was progressing smoothly.

Thud—

Each step of the tyrant, heavy as a mountain, pressed down on the world, suppressing all within his domain.

"Ugh! So heavy…!"

"Fall back! Don't get caught in the crossfire!"

Rumble!

Those fighting nearby retreated hastily, and several already damaged buildings collapsed from the indirect shockwaves. The oppressive aura, demanding submission, was enough to instill fear and show the difference in power…

"Kahaha! That tickles!"

…but it had little effect on its intended target. The grotesque was a monster who could shrug off any restriction with his brute strength alone.

The beast of madness charged at the demon of the heavens, who stood above the world.

KABOOM—!

A massive explosion erupted in the sky, its shockwave shaking the earth.

"…They're making quite a racket."

And below…

…Mok Ingwang, the former Mad Demon, clicked his tongue, watching the battle unfolding in the sky.

'I knew he was strong, but…'

…he hadn't imagined him challenging, let alone matching, the infamous Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult. He now realized how reckless he had been.

'Well, that's how I've always lived.'

He shook his head, clicking his tongue. But the outcome wasn't bad. Thanks to it, he had found a clue to overcoming the madness that had plagued him his entire life and completing the Mad Conquest Technique.

'…Though I lost my title.'

He suppressed the bitter memory and looked away. Below the aerial battle, a fierce battle raged on the ground.

"Heh— Should I join in?"

His blood began to boil, watching the carnage unfold. While the madness that had dominated his mind had subsided after Harley's 'treatment', his nature couldn't change so easily.

'I'm not thrilled about helping the orthodox factions.'

But he hated the Demonic Cult even more. And his new master, the madman, seemed to favor the orthodox side.

"The Demonic Cult, indeed. The tide has turned."

It was a critical situation. The orthodox martial artists were struggling, their internal energy disrupted by some unknown means. If this continued, everyone here would be slaughtered.

'If it weren't for me…'

A savage grin appeared on Mok Ingwang's face. While not a Peak Master, he was still one of the strongest among the Transcendent Realm experts. His intervention would definitely change the tide of battle.

'Now then… Hmm?'

As he was getting excited…

…he glanced at the aerial battle and paused.

"Wait, what's that?"

A chill ran down his spine. He stared, speechless.

"…That bastard?"

Harley, who had been fighting instinctively, relying on his brute strength, was now using more refined and systematic movements.

And the techniques… looked strangely familiar.

…They were based on his unique martial art, derived from the Mad Conquest Technique.

'So that's why he kept asking for spars!'

He had suspected Harley was just using it as an excuse to beat him up and vent his anger, but…

…who would have imagined it was all a ploy to steal his martial arts?

"Just how much are you going to steal?!"

Mok Ingwang roared in frustration, unable to contain his anger at the injustice of having not only his title but also his martial arts stolen.

'My ears are itchy.'

A fleeting thought crossed Harley's mind, but it quickly vanished. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

Swish—!

He instinctively ducked, and a black sword light grazed his head, tearing through space. A dangerous attack, even for him, who usually tanked most attacks.

"You're quite nimble, barbarian."

"Haha! This is fun! Try harder, buddy!"

He instinctively taunted his opponent, but the situation wasn't in his favor. The Heavenly Demon, having unleashed his hidden divine power, was on a different level. It wasn't just a simple power boost; it felt like his very essence had been elevated. Naturally, he was stronger in every aspect, and Harley found himself getting hit more frequently.

"…It heals even this? Absurd. What kind of body do you have?"

He would have been in serious trouble if he hadn't gained resistance to divine power by devouring the Society Master's wing in Auterica. The Heavenly Demon's Qi attacks, imbued with divine power, were incredibly potent, capable of bypassing his defenses and even his very concept of resistance.

Tsss—

Harley flexed his nearly severed arm, checking the damage. Other parts of his body were in a similar state. He couldn't hide his abilities any longer. The brands on his body glowed, and refined energy coursed through him, activating his latent abilities, including his rarely used transformation.

"I knew it. You're not human."

The Heavenly Demon nodded slowly, seeing the dark red scales covering Harley's arms, as if he had already known. His reaction was surprisingly calm.

'He knew something.'

Harley had a question while using the techniques he learned from the former Mad Demon. The Mad Conquest Technique, which utilized madness directly, was strangely compatible with him. In fact, he was more suited to it than Mok Ingwang, despite having only learned it recently. It was surprising that a martial art perfectly suited for an 「Ultimate Evolved Lifeform」 already existed in this world.

And as he quickly mastered the technique, he realized…

'This martial art…'

…wasn't designed for humans.

The Mad Conquest Technique was created for monsters… or non-humans, like…

…the yokai, the otherworldly race that had vanished from Ganghwange.