Chapter 28 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon's Private Room (2)
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The Heavenly Demon had finished moving.
It hadn't even been much of a move to begin with. His belongings consisted only of a few work clothes and shoes, plus some interior design books.
On top of that, the rooftop already came equipped with a sturdy platform and various potted plants, while the rooftop room had essential appliances like a TV, refrigerator, and washing machine included as options.
The only inconvenience was meals.
When he had been staying in the store's storage room, he could order whatever dinner he wanted whenever he wanted.
But no place delivered food all the way to this building right up against the Shield Boundary Zone.
"Everyone gets jjajangmyeon when they move, right?"
Jang Chaewon smacked her lips as she closed the trunk of the van and looked around.
"The closest thing we have is that Awakener-only convenience store."
This area, adjacent to the Safe Dungeon zone, had a 24-hour convenience store for Awakeners.
It didn't just sell simple foods—it also stocked medications and weapons needed by Awakeners, and even handled exchanges for dungeon items.
"They sell food there too, don't they?"
"What they sell there is more like rations than food. No taste, just high calories. And since they trade not only relics but also monster byproducts inside, it reeks of weird smells."
Shaking her head, Jang Chaewon spoke to Nameless, who was perched on the Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
"Take good care of the Heavenly Demon. From now on, you'll have a lot to teach him."
[Please don't worry. I'll teach him everything from how to use the water purifier to how to use the toilet.]
"Oh, right, this too."
She pulled a small plastic card from her pocket.
It was a debit card loaded with the Heavenly Demon's monthly food and transportation allowance.
"This is a card. You've seen them around before, right?"
"Isn't it the tool the store owner uses to pay for things?"
"Exactly. From now on, don't carry cash—just use this card. Whether it's the bus, a restaurant, a convenience store, anywhere you go, just show this and it'll handle the payment. Your salary will come here too."
Jang Chaewon smiled as she spoke.
"Use it sparingly. Only when you need it. Nameless will keep track of the balance for you. And if you don't have the card, Nameless can handle payments too, so no worries."
The Heavenly Demon stared down at the card and shook his head.
"I've been curious about this for a while. How exactly do they put money into such a thin thing?"
"Well... When you deposit money at the bank, the bank takes care of putting it in there."
The Heavenly Demon looked utterly baffled.
"Then how does the money house—er, the bank—put money into this thin thing?"
This guy. He just stares blankly whenever someone else uses it, but now that it's his turn, he's asking a million questions.
"And how does just holding it up make the payment work? I truly have no idea."
Jang Chaewon smacked her lips.
He didn't know anything about banking or card payment systems, and even if he did, she wasn't confident she could explain it properly.
"That's... something to ask the nanobots about later."
"Understood."
As the Heavenly Demon nodded crisply, Jang Chaewon waved her hand.
"Alright, I'm off then. Get some good rest and come to work tomorrow. You'll have to take the bus or subway now."
"Speaking of which, about this bus thing."
The Heavenly Demon pointed to the vehicles passing by on the street.
"I have no intention of riding those. Using lightness skill, I can get to work even faster."
"No way. What if the Association does a random inspection or demands your Awakener ID?"
"Those flies are of no concern."
Jang Chaewon said firmly.
"Try to follow this world's ways as much as possible. If you keep handling things like that, you'll never adapt to this world."
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon stared at Jang Chaewon's earnest expression, then nodded as if he had no choice.
"Very well."
"Living alone isn't easy. From now on, you'll have to manage without me."
"Of course."
But for some reason, the Heavenly Demon's eyes looked thrilled.
'Everyone's like that at first when they start living alone. Feels like they own the world.'
Imagining the sense of liberation and joy the Heavenly Demon was feeling, Jang Chaewon chuckled softly.
"From today, enjoy solo life in this world to your heart's content."
* * *
"Hmm."
Back home, the Heavenly Demon gazed proudly at the books lined up on the bookshelf.
Not only had the interior design books from Bokbok Interior Shop been moved over wholesale, but Jang Chaewon's housewarming gifts—new books—were shelved there too.
The Heavenly Demon pulled out a book titled [DIY Interior Accessories with Simple Materials] and sat down before the large low table in the room.
[Heavenly Demon, are you going to read again?]
"Yes."
Nameless, who had been lounging in a round shape on the charging station, spoke in a subtle tone.
[Why not watch some TV instead? This place has satellite TV that the storage room didn't.]
"TV, huh."
He had seen TVs occasionally installed in restaurants.
But to the Heavenly Demon, they just seemed like boxes spouting meaningless chatter, so he had no real interest.
"Not interested. They just babble nonsense."
[What you've seen is mostly news channels reporting big and small incidents from home and abroad.]
"Hm?"
[TV has all sorts of channels and programs. Watching can be fun, or provide some really useful info.]
"Info..."
As the Heavenly Demon's expression turned intrigued, Nameless quickly pointed to the black device on the low table.
It was the TV remote.
[You control the TV with this. Shall I teach you how?]
"Hm."
[You can find whatever channel you want. This is your personal TV, Heavenly Demon—for your use alone.]
Personal.
Something used alone, not shared with others. Or for a specific person only.
Since being called the sky of the demonic path, the Heavenly Demon had never shared an item with anyone.
From shoes to chopsticks, everything he used was newly made exclusively for him.
"My personal...?"
Pleased by the word, the Heavenly Demon nodded readily.
"Then I suppose I must try it."
[I'll help you.]
Thanks to Nameless leaping from the charging station and explaining step by step, the Heavenly Demon soon grasped the basics of the TV remote.
One hour later.
"Is there such a scoundrel bastard in the world?!"
Having tossed aside the interior design book, the Heavenly Demon—now fully engrossed in a TV drama—roared like a lion.
"I'll remember that wicked face forever! And before long, this lord shall deliver fitting punishment!"
Unaware that what he was watching was a trashy morning drama so over-the-top even housewives hooked on them would click their tongues, the Heavenly Demon trembled with rage.
[...]
Nameless watched silently, its eyes twinkling warmly.
It was better than him just reading books or meditating with eyes closed—getting fired up over a drama like this was a good sight.
Boom.
But at that moment, the building vibrated faintly, and a distant muffled explosion echoed from the sky.
Boom. Kaboom. Screeech.
Irritated by the persistent noise as he focused on the TV, the Heavenly Demon furrowed his brow.
"Hmm."
He tried to ignore it and keep watching, but the relentless sounds finally made his temper snap.
"What the hell is going on in the middle of the night?"
Storming out of the rooftop room, the Heavenly Demon—
Ba-da-ba-bam.
The TV switched to a grand station logo with majestic music, then showed a neatly suited announcer.
-Breaking news. Due to Awakeners' mistake at the ●● Safe Dungeon, the Hidden Monster 'Gigant Pep' has been released.
-It has reportedly entered the Shield Boundary Zone. In response, the Awakener Association is hastily gathering high-rank Awakeners...
—looked down at the city from outside.
His eyes, imbued with Blood Flame Radiance, possessed sight sharper than a hawk's and pierced the darkness like daylight.
"Hm?"
But he didn't even need to peer through the dark.
Right before the Heavenly Demon's eyes loomed a massive centipede, rearing up about 80 feet (roughly 25 meters) tall.
The level-10,000 threat beast from the emergency broadcast: Gigant Pep.
"Isn't that... a Gigant Pep?"
Unaware of this world's monsters, the Heavenly Demon took Gigant Pep for a massive black centipede like those in the martial world.
Even as the Heavenly Demon, though, he'd never heard of one nearly 80 feet long.
Boom! Kaboom!
Gigant Pep, towering over the Heavenly Demon's head, thrashed its long forelegs repeatedly. But only dull thuds rang out—it couldn't cross over here.
"It's trying to come this way."
Monsters wandering outside dungeons target humans.
Gigant Pep was instinctively trying to shatter the transparent shield around the Safe Dungeon zone and invade the human side.
"Hm. At that size, it must be at least 1,000 years old."
Narrowing his eyes at Gigant Pep with his blazing red gaze, the Heavenly Demon mused.
A true spirit beast should possess an inner core that boosted one's inner energy.
[Gigant Pep. A monster nearing level-10,000 threat. Its spawn conditions are simple compared to the danger, and it has a high chance of dropping the expensive relic known as a magic stone, so 1st-grade Awakeners sometimes summon it in Safe Dungeons.]
Nameless, who had followed him out, climbed onto the Heavenly Demon's shoulder.
[But appearing right at the Safe Dungeon entrance suggests unskilled Awakeners got greedy. They probably couldn't handle it and fled.]
Boom. Kaboom!
Gigant Pep, having reached the boundary zone, slashed at the shield repeatedly with its sharp forelegs.
With a sizzling sound, blue light flashed across the transparent shield.
Screeech.
Each strike of the sharp forelegs dimmed the blue glow flickering on the shield.
Gigant Pep's foreleg power was immense, gradually weakening the shield.
[That's why everyone ran.]
The rooftop room abutted right against the Shield Boundary Zone.
This spot offered front-row seats to monsters trying to break into the city—the best view, up close.
The problem was becoming the monster's first meal the instant the shield broke.
Sizzle. Pop.
Finally, a crack formed in one part of the shield.
And at that moment, Gigant Pep began shoving its head into the fractured section.
"To dare invade this lord's domain."
As the crouching Heavenly Demon gathered his power, Blood Flame Radiance like the sun surged from his eyes.
"Today, capturing you shall replace my training. Heavenly Demon Supreme Power!"
Boom.
Unleashing Heavenly Demon Supreme Power summoned a red mist billowing everywhere.
As the Heavenly Demon crouched low, Nameless hurriedly jumped to the ground.
"Fist Demon Seven Forms..."
Crossing the shield in an instant and leaping atop the centipede's head, he bellowed like thunder.
"Heavenly Hand Air Wave!"
* * *
"What the...? This..."
The 1st-grade Awakener team members from the Dungeon Defense Team, sent by the Association, rubbed their eyes upon arrival at the scene.
Gigant Pep, which had been breaking the shield, lay collapsed right at the boundary zone—its head smashed.
"What skill could pulverize Gigant Pep's head like this?"
Lee Jin-hyuk, with a massive greatsword on his back, gaped at the wreckage.
Gigant Pep's exoskeleton was harder than steel, especially its head, said to rival titanium alloy.
Yet its head was crushed like tofu...
"Team leader. The relic's still here intact."
Lee Jin-hyuk pulled out an orange-glowing stone from the head.
Seeing it, the Dungeon Defense Team leader, Park Myung-jun, nodded as if realizing something.
"Must've been a 1st-grade team in the city. Gigant Pep's hard to fence as stolen goods, so they left it."
Sometimes skilled Awakener teams enter dungeons without permits to evade taxes.
"Well, they left the relic too, so let it be. They did us a favor."
Park Myung-jun, recovering the relic from Lee Jin-hyuk, shouted to the team.
"Alright, let's withdraw."
Watching the team head back to the vehicle, Park Myung-jun sighed at Gigant Pep's head.
"A team that can smash Gigant Pep's head in one blow is top-tier in our country... No idea who it was."
* * *
Splash.
Back in the rooftop room, the Heavenly Demon washed his hands in the bathroom, scrubbing off yellowish bodily fluids.
"How old was this thing for its inner core to turn to stone?"
After cleaning his hands, the Heavenly Demon stared glumly into the mirror.
He'd expected an inner core to boost his power, but the black centipede's head held only a yellowish rock.
He even bit it with his teeth just in case, but it was harder than metal.
And crucially, no distinctive spiritual energy emanated from it like a true inner core.
"An inner core that doesn't harden even after 10,000 years, turned to stone. How many tens of thousands of years have this world's spirit beasts lived?"
Grumbling as he entered the room.
In the meantime, the TV had switched from the drama to a variety show.
"What's this? Why'd it change to something weird?"
[The program ended.]
"Hm."
Scowling, the Heavenly Demon turned off the TV and picked up a book again.
But the stone inner core lingered in his mind.
"Inner core..."
Muttering softly, the Heavenly Demon went out to the rooftop platform and sat cross-legged.
"Guess I'll just circulate my energy."
Gazing at the distant sky for a moment, the Heavenly Demon closed his eyes.
But in his mind rose images of countless spirit beasts' inner cores from the martial world—smeared in blood and fluids...
"They're living beings just like humans!"
Suddenly, Jang Chaewon's furious rant about imugi inner cores flashed in his mind.
"Ahem."
Opening his eyes again, the Heavenly Demon shook his head.
"In this world, I can't expect inner cores."
Grumbling lowly, the Heavenly Demon refocused and began circulating his energy.
People didn't know.
Ever since the Heavenly Demon moved into the rooftop room, the neighborhood had become a safe haven free of monsters—almost a divine land.
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